Of course, the situation is still difficult in many regions, not just Bakhmut. But their offensive along the whole front has eased considerably looking at their daily losses. Their goal was to capture at least the Donbas towns Bakhmut and Avdiivka, straighten the front and get in better positions to receive Ukraine's coming offensive. In that goal, they failed miserably so far. I'm curious how long Putin will allow Gerasimov to fail on the battlefield. Especially because the only ones who are gaining some ground right now are again Wagners in southern Bakhmut.
Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Of course, the situation is still difficult in many regions, not just Bakhmut. But their offensive along the whole front has eased considerably looking at their daily losses. Their goal was to capture at least the Donbas towns Bakhmut and Avdiivka, straighten the front and get in better positions to receive Ukraine's coming offensive. In that goal, they failed miserably so far. I'm curious how long Putin will allow Gerasimov to fail on the battlefield. Especially because the only ones who are gaining some ground right now are again Wagners in southern Bakhmut.
Every time I watch videos from their tv shows it cracks me up, it's like watching stuff from some parallel universe. One day they nuke everyone, another day they liberate their "brotherly" neighbours. Sometimes it's so ridiculous even they are like "Grand plans. Good luck!" 
Personally, I disagree.
Having dialogue and offering opportunities/ avenues for compromise with people you don’t agree with is important. Especially given we’re moving closer and closer to another Cold War (if we’re not in one already).
At the very least, France can say they’ve tried. If China’s views don’t change, little has been lost.
I think what's more important than who controlls Bakhmut and Avdiivka is how much of their reserves the Ukrainians have used to defend these places, that could be the key to how succesfull their comming offensive will be.
Russias winter offensive have been a massive failure when it comes to conquering land but if they have forced Ukraine to use a large part of their reserves this winter it will not have been a complete failure. The comming months will be extremly important and will decide how the rest of this war plays out.
The real question I have about Macron is: Why is he so eager to give Putin an off-ramp right now instead of waiting to see how things would unfold in Russia should Ukraine gain more land and perhaps retake Crimea in the upcoming offensive?
Honestly, what is the worst that can happen if Russia loses most if not all remnants of their occupation in Ukraine? I don't see why a French president would be concerned about possible scenarios following that context.
Anyway, it's also stupid to ask for China to change their minds when they are currently issueing threats to the EU after Ursula von der Leyen's recent speech.
There are other ways. As i said, triage is possible. Also. As i said there is not only elite sports there are kids and teenagers that they are just starting and there would not be propaganda on those
And i understand what you mean. But nobody wins means that if you dont win, losing the war and most likely the presidency and even you life (or other people their position of power and their life), you might not want that the other wins and give them a huge feck you. But again is me, and my opinion. Not what it has to happen
Oh sudenly now sport is important for propaganda. Thought sport didnt matter
So feck people because others were assholes. feck mobilized russians that dont want to be drafted. feck russian NGOs, feck reporters and politicians that are in prison criticizing putin. After all they are russian and they have to pay.Very sensitive
Or injured I think? Incapacitated.
Dead and wounded. This number is actually a bit lower than according to UK/USA intelligence, they say it's 200k-220k.
Macron is seeking attention and gain popularity to be seen as the facilitator and the instrument of solving the conflict in any way possible and he just looked like a moron so far
Lost for words that the Russian public think this is OK.
Mind boggling number of wasted lives. Its like civil genocide.
I would think (or at least hope) that they wouldn't be okay if they knew those numbers but this is obviously a very sensitive information that is being kept secret. According to them there is like 1k dead Ukrainians for 1 dead Russian.
I would think if they knew the cost they might redouble their support tbh. Heroic deaths fighting the forces of evil in a new Great Patriotic War, etc. Just depends on how tight the Kremlin's grip on the public consciousness is. I'd be willing to bet it's quite high.
Also, I think most recruits are ethnic minorities from unheard of towns in the depths of the Russian wastes. Don't think the nip of death has really been felt in the great population centres yet.
Overall I think Russia could lose a million more and still keep it up.
What about????
I absolutely despise this type of video/reporting or whatever you want to call it. The loud music, the thumbs up, the whole feel of the video makes me cringe and also very sad.
I get it's a modern world, I get that social media is used in ways that many don't even know, or understand. But this type of propaganda is just sick. People are dying in these films, but they are dying to a soundtrack and in a video designed to gain support and to boost morale. I just find it all disturbing that people's lives and a war where war crimes and atrocities are being carried out every single minute of the day are being used in something that looks like a cross between an MTV video and an advert for the latest Call Of Duty.
I just think when things so serious and important are reduced in such a way that it's so sad that we have become as desensitized to genocide as we are with school shootings.
That says a lot about us as a species.
I get what you're saying and I find them a bit weird and repellent as well but...it's war propaganda. What sort of content are you expecting? It's hardly going to be a nuanced intellectual debate about the history of Russo-Ukrainian relations accompanied by a delicate evaluation of the Russian national psyche. It's meant to be easy to understand good Vs evil Marvel comic book stuff.
They are a bit cringey, but there is also a propaganda value to these in the social media era. ISIS were the first to invest in digital with their drone videos, the public burning of the Jordanian pilot etc. To many Ukrainians, there must be a certain satisfaction about the spectacle of killing enemy invaders.
Except you can't simply "replace Russia" since each situation is completely different and therefore not interchangeably comparable.
That's exactly what it is. Most of the content is made for Ukrainians and if you think they should feel sad seeing Russians dying, you are very mistaken.
Already more dead than in every other post WW2 conflict combined.
I've hard time believing the KIA number is this low. I would expect it to be well over 100-150k.
Yea, something is off. I have always assumed that Ukraine MoD reported a combined count of killed & injured (taken out of action) Russians, which is over 170k. However we have seen the US and UK intelligence suggesting that number to be around 220k. I see no reason why Ukrainians would report it as lower, it would be higher if anything. I wonder if their MoD reports deaths only there (probably quite inflated number) because I would also expect it to be over 100k.Already more dead than in every other post WW2 conflict combined.
I've hard time believing the KIA number is this low. I would expect it to be well over 100-150k.
I thought "liquidated" was KIA and that's why UA's numbers were controversial as they looked way too high?
I got it from a LawFareBlog article, which was made a few weeks ago, which would've suggested the numbers would've been relatively up to date....or perhaps not.
https://www.lawfareblog.com/bloody-toll-russias-war-ukraine
It is, until one realizes it is part of Putin's strategy to create an illusion of negotiations for the consumption of Russian and European publics, so that it alleviates a bit of pressure back home and dupes Europeans into believing their politicians can resolve the war if they simply negotiated harder. Neither is of course the case since Putin has no plans on leaving Ukraine and the Ukrainians have no plans on ceding any of their territory to a fascist, totalitarian dictator.
Therefore Macron is simply playing the role of the useful idiot.
That's not whataboutism.
Since the very beginning of this war, Macron has shown a strange inclination at offering any kind of off-ramp for Putin any way or another. What advantage is there for France to do that? Another way of spinning the question would be: What is the worst that can happen (from a French perspective) if Russia loses most if not all remnants of their occupation in Ukraine?
What would happen to Putin and to Russia in the event that Ukraine finish the job in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine is not something that anyone should be concerned about at the moment. The energy Armageddon that Russia promised against Europe for supporting Ukraine has not happened at all this winter. Meanwhile, China has been spending their time threatening the EU after Ursula von der Leyen's most recent speech in Brussels. The timing cannot be any poorer for Macron.
Perhaps, but if this was Russia doing it people would be laughing at them for using ancient equipment.
Might as well use it though if needed
Expectations for Russian vs Ukrainian military strength aren't necessarily the same though.
When Russia uses old equipment: Russians are losers on the verge of the defeat.
When Ukraine uses old equipment: Ukrainians are creative and resourceful geniuses for putting old stuff to use.
But I'm not sure of that post about old Soviet weapons used by Ukrainians . Maybe just April fool's joke. Ukrainians supposedly have most modern NATO stuff and all the intelligence that comes with it.
So was USA against Iraq and Afghanistan. Turns out it is hard to defeat those that don't want to be conquered.
The hell does that have to do with using equipment from the 1940s?
If this was the US bringing back M4 Shermans, M24 Chaffees, M41 Walker Bulldogs, M46/M47/M48 Pattons, and M26 Pershings into active service, the memes would be running wild all over the internet at the moment.
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Right...and? It's not. End of the day a fat gun that can shoot 12 miles is better than no gun shooting no miles as long as it doesn't blow up and kill your own men. If they miss with all their shells then they'll be in no worse a position really and they might still demoralise the enemy a bit. It's quite different with ancient tanks that are vulnerable to enemy fire.