World war 3....

so should they or shouldn’t they.

 

I don't recall seeing these sources mentioned previously, but I haven't gone back over the thread. I've found them very useful:

(1)

https://kyivindependent.com/

The 'News Feed' sidebar on the left has potted updates, with links to the originals, though some of those will be in Ukrainian or Russian. The current top story -- about the 16-year-old held prisoner for 3 months -- just adds another reason -- though no more are needed by this time -- why the invaders have to be eliminated from the land, with extreme prejudice.

(2)

Source material in the Ukrainian and Russian translated into English. The regular updates from Arestovych are helpful, the transcriptions of intercepted phone calls are all of informative, funny, and depressing. The Russian army, again, does not come out of it looking good.

https://wartranslated.com/

RCB

 

What Amnesty is claiming is that instead of positioning air defence and missile units in unpopulated urban areas like playing fields and car parks etc they have deliberately positioned them in schools and hospitals and in residential blocks to achieve maximum publicity for the war, You can see the evidence of this in some videos of the blocks of flats hit showing the damage but when the cameras pan out you see it is only a few hit in a group and hundreds of flats left whole and not attacked as the Russian aircraft are reacting to missiles launched from those specific buildings, The Ukraine government is run by a TV company so are clever at manipulating the media they release or make up, This is no defence of Russia who should not have invaded but Ukraine is fighting a war in every dirty way the same as Russia is and using its own civilian's as a shield which shows lack of care for them and as Amnesty International is pointing out is a massive war crime

 

Weirdly there seems to be disagreement between parts of Amnesty about the report with those on the ground disagreeing to those in the office. The local branch have refused to publish the report

 

They are under intense pressure from Zelensky locally and dare not agree with the report but those who are independent of view say the report is true. Do not forget Zelensky is a publicist and even the media have realised his manipulation of facts and featuring him less on news channels

 

What a week it's been -- at the same time feel great sadness at the Queen's death, and great happiness at the Ukrainian successes. Overall it remains tight, but momentum has shifted in their favour, and they will only get stronger in terms of personnel and equipment whilst the Russians will only get weaker. Very nice too of the Russians to become a major supplier of arms and armaments to Ukraine. Still, it's like us holding on to a 1-goal lead -- "don't mess up now" must be a thought running through a lot of heads.

I'd expect a 3rd major push though before the weather closes in; Melitopol way anyone? Head towards the Sea of Azov to split the Russians as much as possible, and then start tightening the noose to either side? Whatever, they're in a good position now to whittle away the opposition.

Putin and his apologists/propagandists on Russia TV seem to get more and more detached from reality as the days pass. There have been some wonderful cartoons/pisstakes of it all on various platforms. The Darth Putin twitter account is good for a laugh, e.g.: Day 202 of my 3-day war. To slow down the Ukrainian advances I've ordered overwhelming amounts of equipment be abandoned. I remain a master strategist. (not exactly those words, but close.)

Dugin's (father of the woman upblown in Moscow some weeks ago) rant/call to arms today was another example of living in an alternate universe. Amongst other things, we are all -- I suppose both individually and collectively -- the Antichrist, and it is Russia's destiny to eliminate us, as we are, I presume, hateful to the eyes of God...

It's also been a bad time to be an oligarch. I think the latest count is 13 dead this year, some with their families. Some suicides here, some falls out of windows there, some heart attacks, some strokes, ... a few per year wouldn't be surprising, but 13 already seems more than coincidental. Someone seems to be cleaning up -- but who is sending messages to whom?

RCB

 

Yep, feck them

And the same to those british people who took russian money to further their political aims to destabilise the west. The CIA has files on it and its all going to come out in the wash.

 

It looks like some the Russian people who were quite happy to let their armed forces invade a sovereign country are up in arms and on the streets of Moscow against Putin calling up the military reservists, I'm sure followed by conscripts (there sons), will this be the beginning of the end of Putin you can only arrest and imprision so many people.

 

My sympathy is limited for them for the reasons you say mate, however I'm of the opinion that although it increases their manpower they'll still get absolutely spanked, as throwing more poorly trained and poorly motivated troops into a battle you're losing because your troops are poorly trained and motivated isn't a good idea. Definitely the beginning of the end, however that pans out.

 

A long way to go with regards the Russian people getting rid of this tyrant, lets hope if he is over thrown the next President is more in the Gorbachev mould who wanted to go down the road of a more social democracy way rather than the Marxist-Leninism road, they don't have to embrace capitalism as we know it has its flaws but we need these countries to be less isolated.
I can't see these reservists doing any better than the present Russian army, maybe body bags coming home in an increasing number will get the Russian people to say enough is enough.

 

Garbo has a nice line in "Ninotchka" about the mass trials in Moscow being a great success: there will be fewer but better Russians. Vladimir the Not-So-Great seems to be operating along the same principles, though then as now only the first part of that line will be achieved. Soldiers need to be trained, fed, clothed, equipped, transported...and so far Russian logistics and training have failed miserably. The chance that those elements will now improve to the standards required is just about zero. Any of these new recruits who do get to the front lines will merely be more cannon fodder, and thanks in part to the Russian donations to the Ukrainian armouries, there will be no shortage of bullets and shells waiting to greet them.

Throughout this war VladtheNSG and the Russians have persisted in seeing "How stupid can you get?" as a challenge rather than a criticism; this is just the latest manifestation.

It is good that some of the locals are protesting, but let's see how long those last. What we really need is a general or FSB bloke to see to it that there is another fall out of a window, or down the stairs, or off a boat...but I don't think they are sufficiently motivated yet. One more successful push by the Ukrainians, I think more and more along Melitopol lines, may well do it though.

RCB

 

Great to be living in a communist country where ordinary people chant "no to war" and get arrested, we really shouldn't take our freedom of speech lightly.

 

https://www.cityam.com/china-in-grip-of-coup-rumours-as-xi-jinping-house-arrest-reports-grow-and-all-eyes-are-on-general-li-qiaoming/?utm_content=bufferc88db&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Worrying times !!!.

 

Fake news

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/coup-china-republic-twitter-fake-news-b2175240.html

 

putins an imperialist not a marxist in that he wants to recreate the russian tsardom rather than the soviet union but i agree we can hope the next the next guy will be more amenable. however, as Liz Truss has so brilliantly shown us, the next person might be even worse

 

Just for balance and not in support of Russia but USA who some think arre the good guys have one of the worst records for invading other countries and imposing American values and have a record of Torture up there as well. It's true to say they will always find a reason to attack Russia no matter the reason. Russia has made a huge mistake with Ukraine but the USA are well involved with this war as a proxy to attack Russia. We would be well advised to reduce our involvement or it may cost us dearly

 

Russian imperialism has been a thing since long before the US was even a country

 

The USA has been involved in incursion, war or a Prescence in most countries, The United States has been involved in 193 of the 196 countries in the world, not always with war but a military and financial dominance to protect the interests of the United States,
I suspect that Russia in all its forms have not been anywhere near this amount as most have been in Eastern Europe or local uprisings

 

I think that is completely and utterly incorrect