Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion

Raoul said:
Click to expand...

On a strictly personal note, I am fascinated by such facial [a-]symmetries. The right side of his face suggests to me he is not a complete sociopath. That's an eye with a permanent edge of concern etched into it, deeper lines run along the cheek than the left as well. In comparison the left eye is utterly dead, whilst that side of his mouth also has an even more pronounced downward frown than the right.

For comparison, Putin's face is almost perfectly symmetrical, betraying no sense of inner conflict or incongruence about his misdeeds whatsoever.
 
B20 said:
On a strictly personal note, I am fascinated by such facial [a-]symmetries. The right side of his face suggests to me he is not a complete sociopath. That's an eye with a permanent edge of concern etched into it, deeper lines run along the cheek than the left as well. In comparison the left eye is utterly dead, whilst that side of his mouth also has an even more pronounced downward frown than the right.

For comparison, Putin's face is almost perfectly symmetrical, betraying no sense of inner conflict or incongruence about his misdeeds whatsoever.
Click to expand...

It also reflects the pressure he is under - on one hand needing to execute the war, on the other to fend off the likes of Pryghosyn back home.
 
VorZakone said:
Click to expand...


This is just clickbait. Why do you post such meaningless tweets? Did you read the linked article?

Here is what the linked article says:


<<The Navy is keeping a close eye on the stress on the industrial base as the war in Ukraine grinds on, according to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.

This is something the Navy is monitoring “very, very closely,” Del Toro told reporters on the sidelines of the annual Surface Navy Association symposium outside of Washington, D.C.

He was responding to a question as to whether the Navy would have to choose between arming itself or Ukraine if the war lasts another six to 12 months.

"Yeah, that’s always a concern for us and we monitor that very, very closely," he said. "I wouldn’t say that we’re quite there yet. But if the conflict does go on for another six months for another year, it certainly continues to stress the supply chain in ways that are challenging. >>

https://subscriber.politicopro.com/...g-itself-or-ukraine-if-war-continues-00077493
 
VorZakone said:
Some articles on how the US is helping Ukraine with boats as well:
Click to expand...

This is not relevant at all. It is such a small number of (very small) ships that has zero impact on the US Navy.

What the Navy Secretary meant is that perhaps, maybe, it is possible, that after another 6 months or a year or two years of the industry supplying Ukraine, perhaps, maybe, it is possible, that we will have some shortages of some very specialized chips or other materials that are perhaps, maybe, it is possible, they are also used in Navy projects. So we are monitoring the situation, because maybe in 6 months, or in a year, or two years, maybe we will have to increase production for some specialized stuff. Maybe.
 
frostbite said:
This is not relevant at all. It is such a small number of (very small) ships that has zero impact on the US Navy.

What the Navy Secretary meant is that perhaps, maybe, it is possible, that after another 6 months or a year or two years of the industry supplying Ukraine, perhaps, maybe, it is possible, that we will have some shortages of some very specialized chips or other materials that are perhaps, maybe, it is possible, they are also used in Navy projects. So we are monitoring the situation, because maybe in 6 months, or in a year, or two years, maybe we will have to increase production for some specialized stuff. Maybe.
Click to expand...

A bit more context:

Most U.S. weapons sent to Ukraine are coming from Army, not Navy stockpiles. Still, U.S. officials recently announced they would start sending Sea Sparrow missiles to Ukraine. Last year, Denmark gave Ukraine U.S.-made Harpoon missiles.
Click to expand...
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/...ukraine-and-us-may-become-challenging/381722/
 
I posted this in another thread, but it is relevant here, too!


A Russian wakes from a 12 month coma, and being Russian, immediately goes to get a shot of vodka at the local pub. While there he gets into a discussion with another Russian and asks him about the latest news. The other Russian tells him "We are at war with NATO. But we are winning on all fronts."
"How many casualties have we taken?" the first guy asks.
"110,000 by the latest count" The second guy answers.
"And NATO?"
"Oh, NATO hasn't arrived yet"
 
About the Soledar battle:


While Ukrainians are slowly retreating it might still become a crucial loss for Wagner. They must take it immediately after Prigozhin announced that they have talready taken it completely, otherwise they really might get into trouble with the regular army. So apparently it's an absolute bloodbath and they are taking losses that make no sense from a military point of view, but have to due to ointernal politics.
 
Real Name said:
Are Bakhmut and Soledar slowly becoming Putin's Stalingrad?
Click to expand...
I think it's premature to say that. But there are some parallels: the fixation with a certain point on map or a name can cost them dearly.
The important thing is that the Ukranians choose their battles carefully (as they have done I might add) and don't get caught up in the Russian strategy. What you cannot gain in Bakhmut, gain it somewhere else.
 
RoyH1 said:
I think it's premature to say that. But there are some parallels: the fixation with a certain point on map or a name can cost them dearly.
The important thing is that the Ukranians choose their battles carefully (as they have done I might add) and don't get caught up in the Russian strategy. What you cannot gain in Bakhmut, gain it somewhere else.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's what I meant, fixation on one place to the extreme. Although Stalingrad wasnt tactically even important while Bakhmut is still there are some parallels. And you're right about UAF, they should be careful this whole battle doesnt overturn to their damage and goes in Russian hands.
 
stefan92 said:
About the Soledar battle:


While Ukrainians are slowly retreating it might still become a crucial loss for Wagner. They must take it immediately after Prigozhin announced that they have talready taken it completely, otherwise they really might get into trouble with the regular army. So apparently it's an absolute bloodbath and they are taking losses that make no sense from a military point of view, but have to due to ointernal politics.
Click to expand...


the more of them that die the better
 
Real Name said:
Yes, that's what I meant, fixation on one place to the extreme. Although Stalingrad wasnt tactically even important while Bakhmut is still there are some parallels. And you're right about UAF, they should be careful this whole battle doesnt overturn to their damage and goes in Russian hands.
Click to expand...

Without ever knowing until long after the war ends, I feel like there are so many levels to the whole Bakhmut/Soledar arena. On one hand you have Wagner, who want to win on their terms at all costs so there's that internal Russian intrigue. On the other, you have the Ukrainians who are likely more than happy holding onto these as long as possible so that it pins the best Russian forces in a favourable position (losing Bakhmut won't change anything in the long run). For all the troops that the UAF are committing to the area, it allows others to train on all the new weapons systems that are being delivered at this moment. Everything in this war so far suggests that UAF are not making any rash decisions at all, so just have to trust their process.

I think the Russians will take Bakhmut over the coming days and weeks, but it'll be a phyrric victory that undermines their efforts elsewhere. A bit like how their grinding struggle in the east for Lysychansk and surrounding areas back in June/July was followed by large Ukrainian counter offensives.

All the while, Bakhmut is as close to the modern equivalent of Verdun as I think you can practically get. The videos are appalling, I couldn't imagine what it's like to be there.
 
Spark said:
Without ever knowing until long after the war ends, I feel like there are so many levels to the whole Bakhmut/Soledar arena. On one hand you have Wagner, who want to win on their terms at all costs so there's that internal Russian intrigue. On the other, you have the Ukrainians who are likely more than happy holding onto these as long as possible so that it pins the best Russian forces in a favourable position (losing Bakhmut won't change anything in the long run). For all the troops that the UAF are committing to the area, it allows others to train on all the new weapons systems that are being delivered at this moment. Everything in this war so far suggests that UAF are not making any rash decisions at all, so just have to trust their process.

I think the Russians will take Bakhmut over the coming days and weeks, but it'll be a phyrric victory that undermines their efforts elsewhere. A bit like how their grinding struggle in the east for Lysychansk and surrounding areas back in June/July was followed by large Ukrainian counter offensives.

All the while, Bakhmut is as close to the modern equivalent of Verdun as I think you can practically get. The videos are appalling, I couldn't imagine what it's like to be there.
Click to expand...
It reminds me of battle of Vukovar in 1991 during Croatian Homeland war. Greatly unnumbered and circled defenders held on against a far superior Serb/Yugoslav army in numbers and weapons for about 3 months. The town was raised to the ground and eventually fell but the heroic defenders gave the whole country time to equip and be prepared for further war and it exhausted Serb forces so after that occupied a far less of Croatia from then on until it all became a status quo in 1992.

Of course in Bahmut numbers dont go so much in Russia's favor, and of Ukrainians are armed far better than Vukovar defenders but the parallel is about the point you made about Russian being pinned down there and losing equipment and manpower in vast numbers.
 
Last edited:
Meanwhile at the northern border nature is on Ukraine's side. The swamps at the Belarussian border are much worse than usual. Why? Because of beaver dams (which were always destroyed in peace times, but not during the war)

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-swamps-make-attack-belarus-unlikely-now-2023-01-12/

I am now waiting for Russian propagandists to claim that these beavers were artificially created in the famous biolabs to act as biological weapons. A disturbing act by the satanists and Nazis.
 
Rajma said:
Even managed to destroy Bradleys which Ukraine haven’t even received yet, amazing.
Click to expand...


Unlike the Baghdad Bob era before social media, everything this guy says is easily debunked in seconds on Twitter (and Telegram), which calls into question why the Russians even bother sending him before the cameras anymore.
 
Raoul said:
Unlike the Baghdad Bob era before social media, everything this guy says is easily debunked in seconds on Twitter (and Telegram), which calls into question why the Russians even bother sending him before the cameras anymore.
Click to expand...

Domestic audience and foreign idiots who believe their propaganda no doubt.
 
Raoul said:
Unlike the Baghdad Bob era before social media, everything this guy says is easily debunked in seconds on Twitter (and Telegram), which calls into question why the Russians even bother sending him before the cameras anymore.
Click to expand...
Again, it’s purely for internal zombieland where most of the population above 40 still have TVs as their only source of information.
 
German defence minister Lambrecht to step down?

BERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Germany's defence minister Christine Lambrecht plans to resign, a government source said on Friday, potentially adding to chancellor Olaf Scholz's problems as he cautiously seeks to step up military support for Ukraine.

Lambrecht, a member of Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD), aimed to resign next week and had already informed Scholz about her decision, a government source said, confirming a report by Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
Click to expand...
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-defence-minister-lambrecht-step-down-bild-2023-01-13/
 
stefan92 said:
I do hope that's true. But I also do fear who might succeed her. Due to the internal logic one could expect another SPD woman, and there seems to be no one qualified for the job, so again someone stupid will get the job... Sadly the only good alternatives are members of FDP or Green party.
Click to expand...

Question: Is there someone among German MPs with a history of service in the armed forces? I may hold some personal bias about the topic, but I would feel better if the minister of defence of any country is someone with some degree of experience in the service prior to a political career. Before the last reshuffling of the cabinet in Canada, our previous minister of defence for 6 years was a former lieutenant-colonel with 26 years of service.

Anyway, I genuinely wonder what the new direction will be under the new minister of defence.
 
RedDevilQuebecois said:
Question: Is there someone among German MPs with a history of service in the armed forces? I may hold some personal bias about the topic, but I would feel better if the minister of defence of any country is someone with some degree of experience in the service prior to a political career. Before the last reshuffling of the cabinet in Canada, our previous minister of defence for 6 years was a former lieutenant-colonel with 26 years of service.

Anyway, I genuinely wonder what the new direction will be under the new minister of defence.
Click to expand...
At first, it is not necessary to be an MP to become minister in Germany. Usually they are but it's not unusual if they aren't.

That said there definitely are some MPs who have military experience, but probably none are candidates for the job. As I said Scholz promised to have an even distribution of male and female ministers (in the name of equality) and due to the coalition contract between SPD, FDP and Greens the SPD is responsible for defence. So if there isn't a major reshuffle which also involves other minister positions it has to be an SPD woman again. And as I said there are none. In general the SPD performance in this government is (from my point of view) a complete disaster.

And I doubt that there will be a completely new direction - Lambrecht was a disaster, yes, but everything she did was in line with Scholz' cautious acting in military questions. Probably the only mistake she really made from his point of view was the failure to correctly start the process of buying new ammunition.
 
RedDevilQuebecois said:
Question: Is there someone among German MPs with a history of service in the armed forces? I may hold some personal bias about the topic, but I would feel better if the minister of defence of any country is someone with some degree of experience in the service prior to a political career. Before the last reshuffling of the cabinet in Canada, our previous minister of defence for 6 years was a former lieutenant-colonel with 26 years of service.

Anyway, I genuinely wonder what the new direction will be under the new minister of defence.
Click to expand...

Military service? In East Germany or West Germany? A 25 year old in 1990 is now 57. I am not sure if West Germany had many people in the military because basically the whole country was protected by the Americans, but the East Germany had a lot of military, Stasi, various police, etc. I have no idea what happened with all those people... did they keep their careers after 1990? Perhaps some of them went into politics?
 


Kyiv and Kharkiv have already been hit this morning by ground launched missiles and now there are reports that 7 TU-95 bombers are in the air so another cruise missile barrage might be incoming.
 
the hea said:


Kyiv and Kharkiv have already been hit this morning by ground launched missiles and now there are reports that 7 TU-95 bombers are in the air so another cruise missile barrage might be incoming.
Click to expand...

Yeah initial missiles seem to have traveled from Belarus…
 
the hea said:


Kyiv and Kharkiv have already been hit this morning by ground launched missiles and now there are reports that 7 TU-95 bombers are in the air so another cruise missile barrage might be incoming.
Click to expand...

Those morning strikes where a result of ballistic missiles from Belarus territory, that explains why the air alert did not manage to catch them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.