Winter is long and cold in Ukraine, Bro. Any one of those gals would keep you warm at night, and can undoubtedly cook like a demon.
This might be a little tougher than Putin thought...
- Thread starter Nole Lou
- Start date
Two random things:
CNN had a segment to lead off the 6 o'clock hour about Ukraine with Gen. Ben Hodges, and he is convinced the Russian action to take Bakhmut is being driven by the Wagner Group. Why they are doing this is baffling to everyone, including Russian leadership.
It is awesome to see the Ukrainians take shots deeper into Russia. This makes it even harder for Russian leadership to lie about the justification for the war, and how it's going for them. Every bomber taken out is a platform that cannot be used to launch missiles at Ukraine. As with everything in this war, no matter what the perceived capabilities/numbers of the Russians, my guess is they started out with half the actual number of functioning bombers/crews as we thought.
CNN had a segment to lead off the 6 o'clock hour about Ukraine with Gen. Ben Hodges, and he is convinced the Russian action to take Bakhmut is being driven by the Wagner Group. Why they are doing this is baffling to everyone, including Russian leadership.
It is awesome to see the Ukrainians take shots deeper into Russia. This makes it even harder for Russian leadership to lie about the justification for the war, and how it's going for them. Every bomber taken out is a platform that cannot be used to launch missiles at Ukraine. As with everything in this war, no matter what the perceived capabilities/numbers of the Russians, my guess is they started out with half the actual number of functioning bombers/crews as we thought.
I hope so. But if I don't want to be eaten by a bear, the one thing I'm sure not to do is go into the bear's cave.
Yes, Scholz had announced that Germany was going entirely off Russian gas by sometime in '23. There was also approximately 3 million cubic meters of gas in the pipeline that Russia wanted to keep the Germans from using this winter as well, about as much carried by 120 LNG tankers. Russia had NS1 turned off basically since the start of the invasion - to force Germany into submission due to their need for gas this winter.
Germany could still get Russian gas through the central and southern European piplines if it wanted, the ones through Ukraine and Turkey.
Polish President Andrzej Duda and Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak ceremonially welcomed at the port of Gdynia delivery of the first shipment of South Korean armaments - K2 tanks and K9A1 howitzers - bought by Poland earlier in 2022.
The framework agreement with Hyundai Rotem provides for the purchase of a total of 1,000 K2 tanks and its polonised development version K2PL, together with technical protection vehicles, engineering support and associated bridges and other elements based on Polish solutions, as well as a training and logistics package, an ammunition stockpile and the manufacturer's technical support.
https://tvpworld.com/64932878/first-batch-of-south-korean-tanks-howitzers-reaches-poland
"Finally on the Dnipro front in Kherson, confirmation of reports that UKR forces crossed the Dnipro at several points.
"The objective of this operation (diversion/fixation or real offensive) remains to be determined but this explains the heavy artillery activity observed last week. The weather is still bad."
"The objective of this operation (diversion/fixation or real offensive) remains to be determined but this explains the heavy artillery activity observed last week. The weather is still bad."
"06/12 (7) Situation still confused on the southern front (between the Dnipro and Donetsk). After a week of crazy rumors of RUS evacuations, nothing confirmed at this time."
"In the North-East UKR advances are beginning to confirm and become clearer despite the UKR informational blackout. The entire RUS line west of the Krasna was pushed back, from Svatove to Kreminna where a salient had formed."
"In the North-East UKR advances are beginning to confirm and become clearer despite the UKR informational blackout. The entire RUS line west of the Krasna was pushed back, from Svatove to Kreminna where a salient had formed."
Think I may have posted this yesterday but this has some interesting details we have assumed, such as Ukraine receiving stuff that has not been announced.
The only reason it's considered "escalation" is because Russia has nukes. If they didn't go ahead and bomb the Kremlin...
It is what it is...
Looks like 500 is the new cruising altitude.
I have been watching the tank count. Looking forward to the UA breaking the 3,000 barrier. The count may have slowed because maybe a T-55 or T-62 only count as half a tank.
That is a shit ton of tanks to lose. A lot has changed since February when they were marauding through villages like ants, blowing the shit out of every last house. Now they are pretty much relegated to trying to live like eels, hiding and only coming out to fire a few rounds and then scurry back under cover. Harder to kill but they are largely neutered as a force.
The Ukrainians are already a tough out given current training and equipment. Looks like we might be training them up to be elite.
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www.washingtonpost.com
This Germany part is interesting to me. Months ago the UK thought they could train 3,000 every 90 days and that was before the news of many other nations sending training personnel to help out in the various training camps. I like having another large training site though it appears they now think the training should last longer. Maybe that is a nice effect of Ukraine not now being desperate.
"Austin is known to favor the significantly expanded U.S. training program, along with similar programs for tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers to be undertaken by Britain, European Union countries and others such as Norway. Germany alone plans to train 5,000 troops by June under the E.U. initiative, at German military combat simulation centers and battalion command posts."
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I hope the Kia tanks aren’t as easy to hotwire as Kia cars. 🙂
Hyundai, Kia face mounting lawsuits
Lawsuits continue to mount against Hyundai and Kia for alleged defects in their older vehicles without engine immobilizers.
www.autonews.com
"A suspected Russian deserter dressed in full camouflage and a ski mask opened fire on police officers in Russia’s Rostov region on Tuesday, sparking frantic calls for residents to take cover indoors as a manhunt was underway.
The incident—just the latest evidence of Vladimir Putin’s flailing war beginning to blow up within Russian borders—occurred in Novoshakhtinsk, just 12 miles or so from the border with Ukraine."
I found this to be interesting: "Since the beginning of the war, President Biden has said that the United States and NATO are not at war with Russia, but have a responsibility to assist a fellow democracy in defending itself against unprovoked aggression. Moscow has dismissed those statements, accusing the United States and its allies of using Ukraine as a disposable proxy for their own aims against Russia."
I will say that while we have an aspirational responsibility to assist a fellow democracy in defending itself against unprovoked aggression, we have an actual national interest in doing so when that democracy is in Europe and up against it with Russia, when the country has demonstrated a fierce willingness and ability to defend the democracy itself. Those countries don't come along very often. Ukraine might be a one-off.
In that same vein, I believe we are committed to the notion that it is better to have a strong friend than a weak enemy. NATO is a shining example of that. To the extent that we can build Ukraine into a strong friend at the vanguard protecting the world from an evil empire, that is a win for us, and the opposite of a "disposable proxy."
Russia, at its core leadership that really matters, only respects and leaves alone forces with the ability to kill them. A happy benefit of solidifying Ukraine as a power is that Russia's military forces and ability to project power (invade, bully, and terrorize) have been watered down immensely, without us spilling a drop of blood. So is Ukraine a "proxy" of the United States? Perhaps facially, but not really. In a Venn diagram, the circles or our and Ukrainian interests, at this point, largely overlap. So while Ukraine looks and walks like a proxy duck, it's not actually a duck, it is a beautiful ugly duckling/swan, and a cornerstone of a new western commitment to preventing further Russian (or future Chinese) military expansion. At least, that is how I like to look at it.
Must be why Canada has so many volunteers in Ukraine.
Seemed like a small edit to clarify was needed.
Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assessed last month that more than 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since Russia’s invasion Feb. 24, and “probably” an equivalent number of Ukrainian troops.
I think both are true. We can use Ukraine to do great damage to Russia without putting a single American troop or any actually valuable weaponry at risk. We're essentially giving Ukraine all the stuff we don't really need should we have a conflict so that they can do massive damage to Russia.
Now that's not the same for other countries. Germany is basically unable to defend itself we've learned after a recent report. But for the US, we haven't given Ukraine anything we can't easily afford to give away, and we get the added benefit of it blowing up a bunch of Russian stuff and destroying their ability to wage war for a long time. At the same time, we've discovered that Ukraine will be a shining beacon on a hill if truly given a chance, and will be great friends with the US in a very valuable location. It's a win win, which is why I don't understand any American politician who objects to this war for any reason other than being one of the few people who simply believe all war is wrong, which I can respect at least.
Maybe it is a slight proxy war. However, the question becomes do you think another country with currently democratic principles should be defended? Do you think Russia would have stopped at Ukraine? Do you think China is now going to second guess going to War with Taiwan? It is a little more than just a black and white argument of weakening another superpower, but I use superpower very loosely. The US can't just get involved and put troops on the ground or we risk nuclear warfare. It is a fairly complex situation that the US appears to have handled pretty well.
well that guy just fell out of a window.
It is also a country that once was under Russian/Soviet control, and Stalin's Holodomor is still in their memory.
The Putin puppet placed into power was a reminder to them that the same shit can happen again w/o actual democracy and sovereignty. This invasion pretty much seals the deal that they will never, ever align with Russia again, unless Russia sheds its oligarchic and authoritarian tendencies.
Ukraine ain't ever going back, and they'll fight as long as they need to.
It's like I was saying, it is probably one-off/sui generis/uniquely situated/etc. Ukraine is the perfect storm of factors, including that it is on the doorstep of Russia. It also will not only operate as a beacon for what is possible, but it also demonstrates to the world how far behind Russia is in military technology and doctrine. Certainly Russia will think twice about pulling this shit again, as should China.
I agree with your point: Ukraine is a unique example.
In the long-run, things haven't often turned out well for the US when putting puppet regimes in place (Shah/Iran; Dictators/Central America, etc) So, history repeats itself....
I am no historian but I am struggling to think of it ever working in the long run, at least in relatively recent memory. We have had to solve acute issues affecting (or at least perceived to affect) our national interests, and in the aftermath we have tried to set up countries for a democratic future. But the people of the oppressed country have to want it, or it won't stick. So neither the immediate carrot nor the stick appear to work. Rather, where a country is in a relative "no man's land," which also furthers our national interests, and demonstrates "proof of concept" in standing up as a democratic nation, then we really should try to reinforce that as best we can, and protect it when another country attempts to snuff it out. My two cents.
'Slight'?
Ask yourself where Ukraine would be without western intervention and I think it's hard to keep the word 'slight' in there.
FTFY.
Did you see Macron on 60 Minutes?
Yes....the problem is that "business" interests and natural resources often come in conflict with "the will of the people".
Unregulated capitalism is the bogeyman here; industries like oil/gas will prop up anyone who will allow them unfettered access to the resources, and the people get nothing but environmental disasters in exchange. If there were universally-accepted requirements on "% of assets" going to public infrastructure/interests, and environmental requirements, we'd see things turn out differently.
But strongmen and dictators are much easier for capitalists to work with and "pay off", which is the sad reality.
