Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion

I’m aware of the extent of state propoganda. I just wonder how they would sell (to the elite as well) the retention of Crimea alone as a price worth paying for the last 14 months. They effectively had Crimea anyway apart from a few slap on the wrist sanctions.

Putin will portray it as a great victory. Not only had he 'cleansed' Ukraine from 'Nazis' but he was able to go toe to toe against the West and made them recognise Crimea as part of Russia. For the rest, well, they won't be very happy about it. However the man has great control over the country (although its slowly diminishing) and he's 70 years old. Would they risk organising a coup against someone who will probably die very soon irrespectively?
 
I think it's the first confirmed case of Ukrainians establishing positions on the other side of the river.



Geolocated footage published by a Russian milblogger on April 22 shows that Ukrainian forces have established positions on the Dnipro River bank north of Oleshky (7km southwest of Kherson City) and advanced up to the northern outskirts of the settlement on the E97 highway, as well as west of Dachi (10km south of Kherson City).[1] This footage also indicates that Russian forces may not control islands in the Kinka and Chaika rivers less than half a kilometer north of the geolocated Ukrainian positions near the Antonivsky Bridge. Russian milbloggers claimed on April 20 and 22 that Ukrainian forces have maintained positions in east bank Kherson Oblast for weeks, established stable supply lines to these positions, and regularly conduct sorties in the area—all indicating a lack of Russian control over the area
 
Fascinating that a country where elections are credible and transparent had a coup lead by ultra nationalists.

Is there something wrong with Nationalism in a country whose very existence is threatened? Hell, I think I'm a Ukrainian ultra nationalist at this point.

Nationalism in Ukraine and other countries living under Russian influence is a completely different thing to nationalism elsewhere, where it tends to be just bigoted wankers.
 
Not specifically related to the war but I recently visited Bali, Indonesia and it surprised me to see how so many tourists there are Russians and Ukranians (mostly young people). At first I noticed the language when they spoke but I wasn't sure. Later, the hotel manager told me there have been a massive increase of visitors from both countries, usually youths and they stay for a long period of time (months). I was told the main reason is they are trying to avoid war. Can you imagine that? the older people are busy fighting this war, that killed so many lives and then you have the youths not giving a feck, left their countries and decided to spend their time mingling and dancing at beach clubs.
 
Ukraine isn't going to join NATO, ever. Talking as if it it is possible is one of the things that's led us to where we are today. Membership requires unanimous consent of all existing members and having no outstanding territorial disputes. (https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_24733.htm). Mearsheimer said all this in 2015 and was ignored.

The end game is likely territorial concessions and neutrality. It's sucky but this is where we are.

Things have changed a bit since 2015 in case you haven’t noticed and Mearsheimer is at best an idiot. Concessions and neutrality are no solution as we would face the same problem in 5-10 years once Russia rebuilds its army. Europe (even Germany) has finally woken up to the fact that we need to deal with the fascist expansionist state on our Eastern flank.
 
Not specifically related to the war but I recently visited Bali, Indonesia and it surprised me to see how so many tourists there are Russians and Ukranians (mostly young people). At first I noticed the language when they spoke but I wasn't sure. Later, the hotel manager told me there have been a massive increase of visitors from both countries, usually youths and they stay for a long period of time (months). I was told the main reason is they are trying to avoid war. Can you imagine that? the older people are busy fighting this war, that killed so many lives and then you have the youths not giving a feck, left their countries and decided to spend their time mingling and dancing at beach clubs.

Can't say I'd be keen on getting drafted either tbf. I'd be on the first boat to somewhere warm.
 
Not specifically related to the war but I recently visited Bali, Indonesia and it surprised me to see how so many tourists there are Russians and Ukranians (mostly young people). At first I noticed the language when they spoke but I wasn't sure. Later, the hotel manager told me there have been a massive increase of visitors from both countries, usually youths and they stay for a long period of time (months). I was told the main reason is they are trying to avoid war. Can you imagine that? the older people are busy fighting this war, that killed so many lives and then you have the youths not giving a feck, left their countries and decided to spend their time mingling and dancing at beach clubs.

Ukrainians have fled all over the place, you can't really blame them either. Plenty of people wouldn't sign up voluntarily for a war and that's why conscription is a thing.

Russians go to countries that don't give a feck and will take them, which rules out much of Europe now.
 
Not specifically related to the war but I recently visited Bali, Indonesia and it surprised me to see how so many tourists there are Russians and Ukranians (mostly young people). At first I noticed the language when they spoke but I wasn't sure. Later, the hotel manager told me there have been a massive increase of visitors from both countries, usually youths and they stay for a long period of time (months). I was told the main reason is they are trying to avoid war. Can you imagine that? the older people are busy fighting this war, that killed so many lives and then you have the youths not giving a feck, left their countries and decided to spend their time mingling and dancing at beach clubs.
The older people (from Russia) also started this war. I can't speak for Ukrainians for obvious reasons but I'd rather the Russian youth would spend their time on Bali doing whatever instead of getting drafted to invade the neighbouring country.
 
I think the Ukrainians have a real chance of freeing their territory but I could be wrong. I look at the difference in quality of men fighting or arriving to fight for Ukraine versus those forced by Russia to go there. The inferiority of Russian forces particularly around comms and command and control. The best laid plans can go awry in war as Putin found out 12 months ago.

You have to applaud the courage of the Ukrainians for sticking to their strategic objective of building forces which are well trained on modern weapons and waiting for the right moment while under pressure from the WW1 tactics of the Russian forces.

I suspect the Russians are about to have their backsides kicked.
 
Ok. I'm not sure if you are serious or not, but let's say you are. Donbas and Crimea are regions where for decades, perhaps centuries majority of people identify as Russians and speak Russian. Unless Ukrainians were shelling Ukrainians in Donbas since 2014.

Always pushing the 'Donbas' shelling narrative without any sources.. you probably buy the sham elections :(

Why the feck did these regions vote in favour of joining Ukraine in 1991 if they wanted to be dictated to by Russia?
Should we have an election in every region in the world on whether they wish to join a country because they have a large percentage of that nationality residing there? Surely if they wanted to live in Russia they had plenty of fecking time to you know, live in Russia.

It's pretty well known that Russia has used the promise of land/houses to tempt desperate Russians to move to these areas, while deporting/torturing/executing any resistance.
 
Can't say I'd be keen on getting drafted either tbf. I'd be on the first boat to somewhere warm.
Ukrainians have fled all over the place, you can't really blame them either. Plenty of people wouldn't sign up voluntarily for a war and that's why conscription is a thing.
Russians go to countries that don't give a feck and will take them, which rules out much of Europe now.
The older people (from Russia) also started this war. I can't speak for Ukrainians for obvious reasons but I'd rather the Russian youth would spend their time on Bali doing whatever instead of getting drafted to invade the neighbouring country.
If I were them there's no way I'd be joining the military either. It seems like those with power have lost touch with reality. Their people don't want the war, I know it's been said hundreds of times on the media but to see it with my own eyes is a different feeling. They were literally sitting in the same queue trying to rent a motor bike. Two people at war, in the same queue. That's crazy to me and scary. I was afraid some guy is going to bring up politics and started a fight. I feel kind of sorry for the hardworking locals though, their daily lives have been disrupted. More people added on top of what's already a crowded population. Some of the foreigners took their jobs as well because they're staying there for so long (and avoiding taxes). I reckon the same thing happens in Phuket or any other place that become a refuge. The faster this ends, the better for everyone.
 
Not specifically related to the war but I recently visited Bali, Indonesia and it surprised me to see how so many tourists there are Russians and Ukranians (mostly young people). At first I noticed the language when they spoke but I wasn't sure. Later, the hotel manager told me there have been a massive increase of visitors from both countries, usually youths and they stay for a long period of time (months). I was told the main reason is they are trying to avoid war. Can you imagine that? the older people are busy fighting this war, that killed so many lives and then you have the youths not giving a feck, left their countries and decided to spend their time mingling and dancing at beach clubs.

Fair fecks to anyone trying to escape the meat grinder and actually live.
 

The whole area is basically just a big swamp with very few roads so I can't imagine this being anything else than SOF's trying to aquire targeting data for the Ukrainian artillery. Certinaly not a bridgehead of any sort.

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Always pushing the 'Donbas' shelling narrative without any sources.. you probably buy the sham elections :(

Why the feck did these regions vote in favour of joining Ukraine in 1991 if they wanted to be dictated to by Russia?
Should we have an election in every region in the world on whether they wish to join a country because they have a large percentage of that nationality residing there? Surely if they wanted to live in Russia they had plenty of fecking time to you know, live in Russia.

It's pretty well known that Russia has used the promise of land/houses to tempt desperate Russians to move to these areas, while deporting/torturing/executing any resistance.

You're not likely to get a coherent answer on this one.
 
Who were ultra nationalists that lead maidan? Poroshenko, Klitchko or Yatseniuk?
They found Yarosh’s business card at Maidan after everything ended, didn’t you know?
 
A very good sumery of the current tactical situation and the problems and opportunities of the upcoming counter offensive.

Those are the same old things that have a lot of people talking about them, including people in this thread for months. It will only matter when or if UA starts their counter and if they can do any of it.

The Northen offensive, which is one of the tactical goals in that post, has been there for months, and it has not progressed, if not regressed a bit. The concept that the UA is holding a lot of RA troops at Bakhmut to open up other fronts falls flat with it. If anything, RA is progressing in other areas, bit by bit.
 
The Northen offensive, which is one of the tactical goals in that post, has been there for months, and it has not progressed, if not regressed a bit. The concept that the UA is holding a lot of RA troops at Bakhmut to open up other fronts falls flat with it. If anything, RA is progressing in other areas, bit by bit.
Ukraine is waiting for more troops to finish their training and more equipment to arrive. Somewhere between 30000 and 40000 Ukrainians will finish or have finished their training outside of Ukraine in the last months. Once they are back in Ukraine and the promised equipment for them are in place the Ukrainian commanders can decide on where to focus their attacks but not before. The last six moths have all been about buying time for this while attritioning and wearing down the Russians as much as possible.
 

He is saying exactly that since he entered office, and I think the key point is: That clear stance made him the currently most popular politician in Germany.

And another detail about the restructuring of the Bundeswehr administration that could be interesting in regard to Ukraine: The new head of the planning and command staff in the ministry is brigadier general Christian Freuding - so far head of the Bundeswehr's Ukraine task force.
 
Precisely. Ukraine is a Democratic nation that holds regular credible and transparent elections, and all ethnic Ukrainians and Russians holding Ukrainian nationality can vote who for ever they want. Unlike in Putin's Russia where elections are predetermined before a single vote has been cast, because that's how totalitarian fascists states masquerading as democracies roll.
It's strange concept for him, he's used to the similar system of governing as in Russia. Serbian president is de facto a mini Putin.
 


Knowing that Wagner scum are torturers and rapists, its probably better to die on the spot anyways than slowly and painfully in some dark cellar. Wagner never cared for prisoner exchanges. They kill their own freed men with sledgehammers for surrendering.

making war crimes official policy?

It has been for a long time now. As soon as the third day in Kiev plan failed, they started with war crimes.
 
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making war crimes official policy?
There’s nothing official about them anyway. Joining private military is still a criminal offense in Russia, believe it or not.
 
The K-2 battalion released part 2 of the attack on the "Cyclops" position. After they destroyed the Russian reinforcements in part 1, they attacked the position itself now. First with shells and drones, then with infantry. Absolutely perfect playbook execution from start to finish.



I'm pretty sure they will train many armies after the war in how to use drones. It's the first big war, where drones are being used together with traditional means and they are a pretty efficient tool to spot enemy positions or correct artillery, to drop grenades or to fly in as a suicide drone. Trenches were never as volnurable as today.
 
It's strange concept for him, he's used to the similar system of governing as in Russia. Serbian president is de facto a mini Putin.

I live in a great American democracy for past 20 or so years mate. As long as you avoid random shooting, opioids and violent homeless people or violent cops it is a very decent place. Once every 4 years I get to vote in a rigged and party staged primaries and then I get a choose between demented old man who failed to raise his own son the right way or a narcissistic megalomaniac who failed to raise all of his children properly and who Christians here love while the guy is a serial cheater and had few failed marriages. Place where corrupting politicians is called "lobbying".

Forgiving me for not believing that America is defending democracies around the World and not opening avenues for the flow of private capital.

Why don't I leave? Well paycheck is arriving every two weeks on time. It is the best perk of living here. There is even money left for scotch to drown a sorrow for funding American bases all around the World with the taxes I pay!
 
I live in a great American democracy for past 20 or so years mate. As long as you avoid random shooting, opioids and violent homeless people or violent cops it is a very decent place. Once every 4 years I get to vote in a rigged and party staged primaries and then I get a choose between demented old man who failed to raise his own son the right way or a narcissistic megalomaniac who failed to raise all of his children properly and who Christians here love while the guy is a serial cheater and had few failed marriages. Place where corrupting politicians is called "lobbying".

Forgiving me for not believing that America is defending democracies around the World and not opening avenues for the flow of private capital.

Why don't I leave? Well paycheck is arriving every two weeks on time. It is the best perk of living here. There is even money left for scotch to drown a sorrow for funding American bases all around the World with the taxes I pay!

America certainly isnt what its hyped up to be but a lot people are certainly happy that you are the worlds hegemon and not China or Russia
 
I live in a great American democracy for past 20 or so years mate. As long as you avoid random shooting, opioids and violent homeless people or violent cops it is a very decent place. Once every 4 years I get to vote in a rigged and party staged primaries and then I get a choose between demented old man who failed to raise his own son the right way or a narcissistic megalomaniac who failed to raise all of his children properly and who Christians here love while the guy is a serial cheater and had few failed marriages. Place where corrupting politicians is called "lobbying".

Forgiving me for not believing that America is defending democracies around the World and not opening avenues for the flow of private capital.

Why don't I leave? Well paycheck is arriving every two weeks on time. It is the best perk of living here. There is even money left for scotch to drown a sorrow for funding American bases all around the World with the taxes I pay!
Yeah. But you vote. And president can be a president for 2 mandates most. Unlike Russia. Among ton of other things.

However bad USA is (and it is bad) thousands of people still emigrate there or would love to go and live there.
Unlike Russia.

Russia isnt exactly a fighter for the better world and against American devils some like them to portray. And even if Ukrainian elections were rigged does that give the right to Putin to attack Ukraine?

Excuse me for the mistake of thinking you live in Serbia, your location says so.

I always tell a story about a friend who's all pro Russian and about how it's US fault Russia attacked Ukraine (plus theories how UA army keeps AA guns in residential buildings so thats why residential parts of towns are getting bombarded and its UA fault Mariupol got razed to the ground cause they didnt evacuate the people) to the point I'm avoiding talking to him by any means possible. He's also of course strongly anti American and thinks it's all US fault for everything.

Guess where he went for a honeymoon?

I'll give you a clue. It's not Russia.
 
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