Russia and its “Special Operation” in Ukraine

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

 

[chrisp65]

It’s a seriously warped piece of thinking isn’t it.

In what way does he think this will cause Europe and the U.S. to back off and de escalate?

He’d be better off turning off the gas to Germany if he really wants to make a statement.

 

[Genie]

BBC
 

Quote

Germany has said it will halt imports of Russian oil by the end of this year.

"We will halve oil by the summer and will be at zero by the end of the year, and then gas will follow," said German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock.

Germany currently buys a quarter of its oil and 40% of its gas from Russia and has warned that it could face a recession if supplies suddenly stopped.

[magnkarl]

In case someone’s wondering why Mariupol hasn’t fallen..

After Germany bombed the plant to dust in ww2 they constructed tunnels, bunkers and systems several hundred meters below the surface.

[bickster]

50 minutes ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

 

And what is he going to build them with?

It's another T-14 Armata tank, they were supposed to be building a 2,300 of them by 2020. It's currently thought they have 10, maybe 20. They haven't been able to build them and that is before this invasion and the current sanctions. A few did see action in Syria but even then one got destroyed. Because they haven't got remotely enough of them, they can't be deployed because all the other Soviet era tanks they'd need to use would seriously hinder them and they'd most likely get wiped out and Russia seriously can't afford that, financially or reputationally

Because of the current sanctions, Russia can't even build any Soviet era tanks, production stopped almost as soon as sanctions hit, the tank factories were one of the first victims

So how Putin is going to magic up the ability to build more of these ICBMs has to be called into question

[magnkarl]

21 minutes ago, magnkarl said:

In case someone’s wondering why Mariupol hasn’t fallen..

After Germany bombed the plant to dust in ww2 they constructed tunnels, bunkers and systems several hundred meters below the surface.

To follow up on the above, the bunkers were made to withstand nukes during the Cold War, include masks, rations, water, multiple exit and entry tunnels and its own communications system.

The AB can likely lock themselves in for weeks, if not months.

[Genie]

I’d expect the Russians to try and flood those tunnels.

[magnkarl]

3 minutes ago, Genie said:

I’d expect the Russians to try and flood those tunnels.

Already all but confirmed that it’s got its own drainage too. Nuclear proof tunnels are made to not let anything in, including water.

Edited April 20, 2022 by magnkarl

[Awol]

14 minutes ago, magnkarl said:

The AB can likely lock themselves in for weeks, if not months.

Yes, if they had the stores required, which sadly they don’t. One of Ukraine’s main missteps so far was failing to surge sufficient supplies of food, water and ammunition into the city before it was cut off. 

Even if they can continue to hold out for several more weeks, it’s still a time limited situation. Currently Russia has 12 BTGs tied up in trying to subdue Mariupol, which is a great help to Ukrainian soldiers on the main Donbas front to their north.

[Mister_a]

9 hours ago, sharkyvilla said:

Am I naive to think that the majority of people in Russia are pretty well-educated and just would like a proper democracy more than anything, so the level of brainwashing wouldn't be on such a wide scale as other dictatorial regimes through history?  Let's face it there are plenty of people who spout bollocks like that over here.   

Russia has never really had a democracy, so most Russians haven’t experienced it. So it’s probably a bit naive to overlay a western democratic value system onto another country. Naive sounds harsh though. It’s natural to assume people think the same.

Russia had the Tsars, then the Communists, then a brief period of almost democracy with Yeltsin(?) until the former KGB basically retook over the country under Putin and here we are.

(My understanding may be wildly inaccurate, do your own reading etc).

[AVFC_Hitz]

Putin hails 'liberation' of Mariupol and orders the steels works to be sealed up so even a fly cannot escape.

Basically ordering the liquidation of 2000 people. I hope he gets butchered and paraded through the streets of Kyiv.

[magnkarl]

12 hours ago, Awol said:

Yes, if they had the stores required, which sadly they don’t. One of Ukraine’s main missteps so far was failing to surge sufficient supplies of food, water and ammunition into the city before it was cut off. 

Even if they can continue to hold out for several more weeks, it’s still a time limited situation. Currently Russia has 12 BTGs tied up in trying to subdue Mariupol, which is a great help to Ukrainian soldiers on the main Donbas front to their north.

In my humble opinion the Russian command has something like 1-2 months left in the tank before attrition rates would make every offensive BTG ineffective. It would be good for UA's chances if Azovstaal can hold out for another 3 weeks, so that Putin can't use Mariupol as some sort of victory when the V day parade happens in the Red Square on May 9th.

Russia's tactics have changed drastically, they seem incapable of performing offensive maneuvers (lack of effective BTG's, armour, coordination?), and they're now trying to beat probably the most well defended defensive line in Europe, with state of the art blast shelters, ditches, tunnels, bunkers and so on. I just hope that UA's special forces with Switchblades can cripple Russia's supply lines yet again so that life is living hell for the average Russian infantryman.

[bickster]

1 hour ago, AVFC_Hitz said:

Putin hails 'liberation' of Mariupol and orders the steels works to be sealed up so even a fly cannot escape.

Basically ordering the liquidation of 2000 people. I hope he gets butchered and paraded through the streets of Kyiv.

Also notice how small the table is

[sidcow]

4 minutes ago, bickster said:

Also notice how small the table is

He looks all hunched up.  Is that body language or is he in pain or something?

[Lichfield Dean]

4 hours ago, AVFC_Hitz said:

Putin hails 'liberation' of Mariupol and orders the steels works to be sealed up so even a fly cannot escape.

Basically ordering the liquidation of 2000 people. I hope he gets butchered and paraded through the streets of Kyiv.

If I were to build a nuclear bunker with multiple tunnels and its own ventilation etc. I'd definitely make sure to add a couple of secret escape routes. For exactly this sort of reason.

[PussEKatt]

This guy (Putin ) seriously needs to be put down.

[magnkarl]

9 minutes ago, Lichfield Dean said:

If I were to build a nuclear bunker with multiple tunnels and its own ventilation etc. I'd definitely make sure to add a couple of secret escape routes. For exactly this sort of reason.

Judging by Russian operations so far, it's very likely that these tunnels exist and are unguarded.

Comical Ali level stuff so far from Russia.

'We made a new missile, it's so awesome you guys' - Don't have the parts.

'We made the best tank in the world you guys!' - One out of the few deployed so far got blown up - the rest aren't able to be built.

'Our SU35 easily counters any Western plane and is invisible to radar' - one gets shot down by Soviet AA batteries in the first day of war over Kyiv.

'It wasn't Ukraine that sank our battleship, it was ourselves!' - the U.S now has pictures of the ship being hit via satellite.

'The crew on board the Moskva are not dead, look at these pictures!' - Pictures from 2021.

'The operational objectives of 'phase one' were met, so now we're 'withdrawing' from Kyiv and the North' - Lost around 30 of their BTG's, GRU special ops, airbourne battallions, their best tanks and gear.

'Our first day of operations in the East were very succesfull!' - lost town close to Donetsk to a small group of Ukrainian soldiers.

Anything that Russia says is likely a lie supported by another lie with a sprinkle of lie and genocidal rage.

[avfc1982am]

It isn't the crap from putin that bothers me about this report, more the second segment. A woman is trying to grieve at the loss of her son whilst identifying the body in the most despicable of circumstances. Then has camera's in her face like her and her sons remains are an object of fascination. Just awfully intrusive journalism in that moment. 

[bickster]

I really don't think this has anything to do with Ukraine but amusing that the building has been destroyed by fire

 

[tonyh29]

flight radar has an interesting Gulstream IV belonging to the Swedish Airforce , flying at 43,000 ft in ever decreasing loops around the Belarus / Ukraine border 

they can be adapted for cargo but don't know about surveillance use