Russia and its “Special Operation” in Ukraine

[Mandy Lifeboats]

Just now, bickster said:

It actually is, there are plenty of videos out there showing the initial misses. The drones the videos are shot from are doing the spotting

You have actually proven my point.  How many were shot showing repeated misses and total failure?  Not many.  

You are seeing the match highlights.  You are seeing the goals, corners and free kicks.  You aren't seeing the other 75 minutes.  

 

[LondonLax]

4 minutes ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

You have actually proven my point.  How many were shot showing repeated misses and total failure?  Not many.  

You are seeing the match highlights.  You are seeing the goals, corners and free kicks.  You aren't seeing the other 75 minutes.  

 

There was a good video I posted on here showing how the war propaganda videos from this war are made but I’ve got no patience to go back and find it.

[sne]

Massive forest fires and extreme heat in Russia but no people or equipment to fight it as it's all used for the war.

 

[Mandy Lifeboats]

14 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

There was a good video I posted on here showing how the war propaganda videos from this war are made but I’ve got no patience to go back and find it.

Soldiers spend on average a third of their life asleep.  One third of military videos aren't of sleeping soldiers. 

[Awol]

The Azovstal garrison has surrendered to Russian forces and gone into captivity. Russia seems to be planning to pin their own slaughter of the civilian population of Mariupol on the garrison, and the mentalist commentators on state TV are calling for the prisoners to be quartered - i.e. chopped into four pieces. 

Their resistance for 80+ days has cost the Russians 1000’s of casualties and tied up 20,000 soldiers who would otherwise have been used in the Donbas or towards Odesa. It’s a siege that will go down in military history as having a strategic effect on the outcome of the whole war, buying precious time for Ukraine to prepare and reinforce the defence of other regions. 

[ender4]

34 minutes ago, Awol said:

The Azovstal garrison has surrendered to Russian forces and gone into captivity. Russia seems to be planning to pin their own slaughter of the civilian population of Mariupol on the garrison, and the mentalist commentators on state TV are calling for the prisoners to be quartered - i.e. chopped into four pieces.

I wonder why they surrendered when they would know that surrendering would certainly lead to a very painful death.

[avfc1982am]

5 minutes ago, ender4 said:

I wonder why they surrendered when they would know that surrendering would certainly lead to a very painful death.

So hunkered down in a bunker getting blasted to hell isn't a painful enough way to die? Those that have probably surrendered may not be the Nazi's Russia thinks, have families and feel that surrendering now is the only chance of possible survival. 

[bickster]

11 minutes ago, ender4 said:

I wonder why they surrendered when they would know that surrendering would certainly lead to a very painful death.

They were told by the Ukraine government that they had achieved the aims of their mission

There is talk of a prisoner exchange, though The Kremlin appears to be talking about putting some on trial but I suspect this is just an attempt to halt the trial of the soldier Ukraine are trying for War Crimes (for shooting civilians in Bucha possibly)

Essentially a deal appears to have been done between the two sides probably with Turkey acting as mediator (as it was for the civilian release)

[Awol]

38 minutes ago, ender4 said:

I wonder why they surrendered when they would know that surrendering would certainly lead to a very painful death.

I didn’t think they would, but getting treatment for their wounded may have been conditional on the surrender of the remaining garrison - so they’ve taken their chances. 

Given Russia’s record to date in their treatment of unarmed Ukrainians, I’d agree it’s a very scary prospect. 

[Amsterdam_Neil_D]

Thx for the Artillery replies.

I suppose,  even if they just miss its the psychological effect of these as well.  Will the next one hit me ?

It cannot be good for you to be shelled all day?

[sidcow]

3 minutes ago, Amsterdam_Neil_D said:

Thx for the Artillery replies.

I suppose,  even if they just miss its the psychological effect of these as well.  Will the next one hit me ?

It cannot be good for you to be shelled all day?

Shellshock. 

[magnkarl]

When Finland and Sweden join NATO they'll have 64 (Finland) +54 (Norway) F-35's, along with 90+  JAS Gripen 90 (Sweden). In comparison Russia allegedly had 93 similar SU-35's before this war. This number is likely a lot smaller.

The Nordics, if you also include Denmark, would achieve air superiority over their own territories within hours if Russia ever tried anything. It's a frightening prospect for a conventional army that couldn't achieve air superiority over a country that has nothing like the F-35 or JAS 90.

[magnkarl]

Ladies and gentlemen, the new Kherson airfield.

 

[bickster]

Only a rumour at this stage but this is obviously in Russian held territory 

There is also another rumour that a high ranking Russian Officer has been killed in Melitopol but possibly in a different incident

 

[A'Villan]

On 17/05/2022 at 16:35, bickster said:

This appears to very under-reported and may have played a part in the change of rhetoric

The story appears to have originated ib the paywalled New York Times but has been repeated on other sites

For context it needs to be realised that this was a live televised event and 4 of the six countries in the CSTO did not mention Ukraine in their addresses at all. Lukashenko publically criticising the other 4 countries will actually have served to ram the point home, which is not what he was trying to achieve but he is idiot so that will hardly be  a shock. Not only that but he didn't send his own troops either, there were many rumours the military of Belarus actually refused to go and refused to go from the very top.

I don't know. If I can share a bit of history to illustrate my initial thoughts on this:

French intelligence intercepted communications between leading Nazi officials and corporate businessmen, stating that although the Nazis had lost the war through military means, they were going to come back and 'win the war' through economic means. So with the acknowledgement the military side of their plight was lost, they begun to funnel their wealth and money out of Germany so that they would not lose it to reparations of war. They also setup factories and warehouses in secret in other countries for the development and advancement of technology. All of this was with the view to come back as an economic power. 

Who is the most powerful country in the EU at present, in terms of economy?

Germany.

I would want to be privy or at least have strong insights into the dialogue of what was spoken behind closed doors. 

A famous General once said the art of war is deception. Why would anyone in the midst of martial conflict and bloodshed reveal themselves naked for anyone to see them as they are, vulnerable and unprotected?

That's why national security doesn't want you to know what it's in on, or its plans and agendas, at least until it's convenient or mandatory for them to be released. 

I'm not suggesting it's a ruse from the CSTO members, however as I've outlined above with Germany, there's a lot going on behind the scenes during times of war. The CSTO members not supporting Russia on a vote for the UN, and choosing not to comment on a worldwide public broadcast doesn't certify anything as for certain in my view.

[Brumerican]

5 hours ago, Amsterdam_Neil_D said:

Thx for the Artillery replies.

I suppose,  even if they just miss its the psychological effect of these as well.  Will the next one hit me ?

It cannot be good for you to be shelled all day?

Have you seen the Bastogne episode of BoB ?

[A'Villan]

Forgive me airing thoughts here.

If China sides with Russia, in terms of military personnel China and CSTO combined outnumber NATO by over a million troops. If China does side with Russia, does that mean North Korea does too? Add five million paramilitaries there. Vietnam's top trading partner is China, Vietnam has five million in their reserves.

I don't know much about the conflict at present but I sincerely hope it doesn't kick off beyond the tragedies that have come to pass and that what's yet to come is an effort to resolve what we can.

[bickster]

Just now, A'Villan said:

Forgive me airing thoughts here.

If China sides with Russia, in terms of military personnel China and CSTO combined outnumber NATO by over a million troops. If China does side with Russia, does that mean North Korea does too? Add five million paramilitaries there. Vietnam's top trading partner is China, Vietnam has five million in their reserves.

I don't know much about the conflict at present but I sincerely hope it doesn't kick off beyond the tragedies that have come to pass and that what's yet to come is an effort to resolve what we can.

China has absolutely no intention of sending any troops or even help right now

China says and China does are two completely different things most of the time

[Genie]

China haven’t even SAID anything in support have they? 

They are just keeping quiet.

[magnkarl]

China likes money from trade. It doesn't do foreign conflicts, not even in WW2 where it mainly only defended its own territory. It likes soft power.

Russia on the other hand..