Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion

[GlastonSpur]

The BBC reports:

"The UK has provided Ukrainian forces with more than 4,000 anti-tank missile systems to help with "their resistance against Russian aggression", the Ministry of Defence says.

In a series of tweets, the ministry says the devices sent were NLAWs (Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapons)."

 

[TMDaines]

My friends family had been pulled out of Kyiv area recently, it was a complete nightmare logistically and took them 4 days with basically no supplies to get through Ukraine.

My wife was talking to a Ukrainian girl who came from Chernihiv to Manchester, and she said the same. She’s surprised how underreported the bleak situation is in the south and east of the country for people trying to flee still.

 

[TMDaines]

Can’t verify the translation:

 

[VorZakone]

Can’t verify the translation:

They'll talk a lot of shit but I don't consider those threats credible.

 

[hellhunter]

 

[Raoul]

Can’t verify the translation:

These propaganda shows generally turn into swinging dick contests of who can say the most ridiculous things during times of crisis. Happens on Fox News as well.

 

[GlastonSpur]

Can’t verify the translation:

Hyperbolic red meat to to keep Russian nationalists satisfied. A military that is bogged down and controls less than 10% of Ukraine's remaining territory after more than 3 weeks, is hardly going to be able to invade and conquer even a single NATO country, let alone several of them.

 

[spiriticon]

Can’t verify the translation:

Nukes nukes nukes. Is that the buzz word in Russia these days?

Do children also get a school lesson on how amazing nuclear weapons are now?

 

[adexkola]

Navalny gets another 9 years. Bastards.

Russia Navalny: Putin critic jailed for nine more years trial branded 'sham'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60832310

Disgraceful.

He isn't perfect but I'd love to see him as the president of Russia one day.

 

[GlastonSpur]

Nukes nukes nukes. Is that the buzz word in Russia these days?

Do children also get a school lesson on how amazing nuclear weapons are now?

How on earth do Russian propagandists square a limited "special military operation" in Ukraine with now talking about invading NATO countries and firing of nukes?

If anything, I would think that such TV shows do more to spark unrest and unease amongst the Russian public.

 

[Simbo]

They'll talk a lot of shit but I don't consider those threats credible.

Same, nothing that comes out of Russian media is credible. Unfortunately some western media will still pick this up and help spread their fearmongering to the less informed.

There is going to be a lot more of this to come too before the end, a hell of a lot.

 

[MoskvaRed]

Can’t verify the translation:

The fat guy in the black Mao Suit in that video recently had his Lake Como villa impounded.

 

[GlastonSpur]

The BBC reports:

"The figure of 10,000 Russian soldiers killed during the war in Ukraine is a "reasonable estimate", a Western official has said.

The number briefly appeared on a pro-Kremlin website, possibly after being hacked, before being quickly deleted.

The official said this number of losses could mean a further 30-40,000 Russian troops have been wounded or incapacitated in some way.

“This is a very significant drain on Russia’s forces,” they said. But they added that Russia still had "a lot of combat power" and could continue "to sustain a grinding attritional [drawn out] conflict for some time".

“This is a level of casualties that has not been experienced really since the second World War,” they added.

“The morale of Russian forces and their will to keep fighting in a situation where they are fighting in civilian areas, in a fellow Slavic country is something that we're watching really carefully. It is a conflict on a different scale.”

So, in total as many as 50,000 Russian troops could now be out of action. If that's the case, then I'd give it around 3 more weeks before the invading forces collapse.

 

[GlastonSpur]

 

[GlastonSpur]

 

[VorZakone]

Where did they all go?

 

[WI_Red]

Where did they all go?

Italy of course.

don't judge me, it's been a long day

 

[Rightnr]

Nukes nukes nukes. Is that the buzz word in Russia these days?

Do children also get a school lesson on how amazing nuclear weapons are now?

Truly becoming the North Korea of superpowers at this point. What a shame.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

And this could well be a direct follow-up to the re-taking of Makariv. It remains to be confirmed, but this would be huge if it's true.

 

[Oly Francis]

I don't know if Russian programmers are really employable in europe. Most company will probably be suspicious...

 

[Rajma]

And this could well be a direct follow-up to the re-taking of Makariv. It remains to be confirmed, but this would be huge if it's true.

It might become a genuine headache for Ukraine, the touted number of POWs would be a logistical nightmare at times like these:


What can they do, realistically, if it comes to it?

 

[harms]

The length of the term is pretty relative given that Putin can release him whenever he wants to modulate public opinion. He released the likes of Pussy Riot and Khodorkovsky early back in 2013/14. Not that we're dealing with "that" Putin anymore at this point, so it may require a change in government for an early Navalny release.

He didn’t try to murder them beforehand though. But yeah, the numbers are irrelevant — he’ll stay behind bars for as long as Putin’s at power.

 

[Raoul]

Further evidence that interviewing these Baghdad Bob clowns is pointless





At one point about 1:30 into video two - Peskov has to almost hold back from laughing at the absurdity of what he's about to say, losing his original train of thought in the process.

 

[Simbo]

It might become a genuine headache for Ukraine, the touted number of POWs would be a logistical nightmare at times like these:


What can they do, realistically, if it comes to it?

Ship them West, roads are clear, plenty of room, plenty of people willing to watch over them I'm sure. Wouldn't be a big issue I don't think.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

Ship them West, roads are clear, plenty of room, plenty of people willing to watch over them I'm sure. Wouldn't be a big issue I don't think.

I cannot tell about the legality of such action. I don't think it would be completely legal according to war conventions (I might be wrong, but I think it's ambiguous), but it would be an interesting tit-for-tat reaction to the forced displacement of Ukrainian civilians into camps in Russia. Besides, a number of German POWs were transferred to Canada (then a part of the Empire) during WW2 as Britain could not keep all of them. I'm sure plenty of NATO intelligence officers would like to know more details about the status of the Russian army from the horse's mouth.

 

[Carolina Red]

I cannot tell about the legality of such action. I don't think it would be completely legal according to war conventions (I might be wrong, but I think it's ambiguous), but it would be an interesting tit-for-tat reaction to the forced displacement of Ukrainian civilians into camps in Russia. Besides, a number of German POWs were transferred to Canada during WW2 as Britain could not keep all of them. I'm sure plenty of NATO intelligence officers would like to know more details about the status of the Russian army from the horse's mouth.

I don’t know that he meant “west” as it Western Europe, as opposed to just western Ukraine.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

I don’t know that he meant “west” as it Western Europe, as opposed to just western Ukraine.

Perhaps, but one would also have to wonder what that scenario would look like in Western Ukraine since most resources are already deployed into defending the region and hosting internally displaced civilians.

 

[Carolina Red]

Perhaps, but one would also have to wonder what that scenario would look like in Western Ukraine since most resources are already deployed into defending the region and hosting internally displaced civilians.

Well, didn’t the release a lot of prisoners on the condition that they’d fight the Russians?

 

[GlastonSpur]

The BBC reports:

"A ferocious two-day struggle for control of the farming town of Voznesensk and its strategically important bridge was one of the most decisive battles of the war in Ukraine so far.

Victory would have enabled Russian forces to sweep further west along the Black Sea coast towards the huge port of Odesa and a major nuclear power plant.

Instead, Ukrainian troops, supported by an eclectic army of local volunteers, delivered a crushing blow to Russian plans, first by blowing up the bridge and then by driving the invading army back, up to 100km, to the east.

"It's hard to explain how we did it. It's thanks to the fighting spirit of our local people and to the Ukrainian army", said Voznesensk's 32-year-old mayor, Yevheni Velichko.

As on so many frontlines in Ukraine, British-supplied anti-tank missiles proved crucial in turning the tide against Russian armour in Voznesensk, leaving the town littered with up to 30 tanks, armoured cars and even a helicopter.

"It's only thanks to these weapons that we were able to beat our enemy here", said Mr Velichko."

 

[GlastonSpur]

If those Russian troops NW of Kyiv are indeed surrounded, cut-off from re-supply and are captured/surrendered, then any remaining Russian ambitions to encircle or capture the capital are totally gone.

Indeed, in that event it wouldn't surprise me if the Russians to the NE of Kyiv head into retreat mode.

 

[cyberman]

It might become a genuine headache for Ukraine, the touted number of POWs would be a logistical nightmare at times like these:


What can they do, realistically, if it comes to it?

Can’t they strip them of their weapons and hand them back over? I’m sure the Russian problem of sending so many vehicles over to take them all back could be crushing for them.

 

[Simbo]

I cannot tell about the legality of such action. I don't think it would be completely legal according to war conventions (I might be wrong, but I think it's ambiguous), but it would be an interesting tit-for-tat reaction to the forced displacement of Ukrainian civilians into camps in Russia. Besides, a number of German POWs were transferred to Canada (then a part of the Empire) during WW2 as Britain could not keep all of them. I'm sure plenty of NATO intelligence officers would like to know more details about the status of the Russian army from the horse's mouth.

Yeh I meant western Ukraine, its a massive country mostly untouched by the war, wouldn't take much effort in the scheme of things to set up camps or house 20k or so pow's I don't think. There will be prisons they could make available maybe, warehouses, stadiums to convert, etc. Most industry has shut down, there's a massive manpool available to guard, watch over, feed them, etc.

 

[MTF]

If those Russian troops NW of Kyiv are indeed surrounded, cut-off from re-supply and are captured/surrendered, then any remaining Russian ambitions to encircle or capture the capital are totally gone.

Indeed, in that event it wouldn't surprise me if the Russians to the NE of Kyiv head into retreat mode.

It's a big 'if' at this point, let's wait and see if it becomes confirmed and if so that the Ukrainians are able to hold vs counter-attacks to re-link the Russian units. But also as far as the forces east of the river, they don't necessarily have to retreat as the Dnieper river is uncrossable until you get up to Belarus. So their right flak would still be protected.

 

[calodo2003]

The BBC reports:

"A ferocious two-day struggle for control of the farming town of Voznesensk and its strategically important bridge was one of the most decisive battles of the war in Ukraine so far.

Victory would have enabled Russian forces to sweep further west along the Black Sea coast towards the huge port of Odesa and a major nuclear power plant.

Instead, Ukrainian troops, supported by an eclectic army of local volunteers, delivered a crushing blow to Russian plans, first by blowing up the bridge and then by driving the invading army back, up to 100km, to the east.

"It's hard to explain how we did it. It's thanks to the fighting spirit of our local people and to the Ukrainian army", said Voznesensk's 32-year-old mayor, Yevheni Velichko.

As on so many frontlines in Ukraine, British-supplied anti-tank missiles proved crucial in turning the tide against Russian armour in Voznesensk, leaving the town littered with up to 30 tanks, armoured cars and even a helicopter.

"It's only thanks to these weapons that we were able to beat our enemy here", said Mr Velichko."

Great to hear the weapons are so impactful.

 

[Sarni]

Can’t they strip them of their weapons and hand them back over? I’m sure the Russian problem of sending so many vehicles over to take them all back could be crushing for them.

Surely they would just be given new weapons and return to fight.

 

[McGrathsipan]

I don't know if Russian programmers are really employable in europe. Most company will probably be suspicious...

My first thought also. Wouldn't let a Russian near anything unfortunately. Many will be upstanding people however there may be one bad egg etc etc

 

[GlastonSpur]

The BBC reports:

"Russian forces are continuing to face logistical problems such as a lack of correct equipment, which is leading to frostbite among soldiers, a US senior defence official has said."

 

[cyberman]

Surely they would just be given new weapons and return to fight.

I’m not sure how many weapons they have at hand? They seem to be struggling to supply them as it is. Never mind having that much armoury snatched away with their capture anyway.
Maybe they could be used in negotiations with Russia but I don’t think it’s the problem for Ukraine as it’s made out to be.

 

[GlastonSpur]

Yeh I meant western Ukraine, its a massive country mostly untouched by the war, wouldn't take much effort in the scheme of things to set up camps or house 20k or so pow's I don't think. There will be prisons they could make available maybe, warehouses, stadiums to convert, etc. Most industry has shut down, there's a massive manpool available to guard, watch over, feed them, etc.

Give them all mobile phones so that they can call back home to their families and friends and tell them the reality of what's going on.

 

[Carolina Red]

Can’t they strip them of their weapons and hand them back over? I’m sure the Russian problem of sending so many vehicles over to take them all back could be crushing for them.

Would seem to defeat the purpose of taking prisoners if you’re gonna let them go back into the fight.