The Russian Invasion of the Ukraine.

[Ryokan]

The BBC is saying that the leader of Chechnya has sent "troops" to support Russia. If you want to ensure massacres and human rights abuses, that's the way to do it.

This itself tells you things are not going well. Putin is bringing in his butchers.

 

[Ryokan]

China distances itself from Russia

Foreign minister changes tone, major Chinese banks limit transactions amid sanctions worries

China is attempting to distance itself from Russia as the scale of the invasion of Ukraine becomes clear, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying it was “absolutely imperative” for all sides to exercise restraint to prevent the conflict from “getting out of control”.

And at least two of China’s largest state-owned banks are restricting financing for purchases of Russian commodities, underscoring the limits of Beijing’s pledge to maintain economic ties with one of its most important strategic partners in the face of sanctions by the US and its allies.

Offshore units of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) have stopped issuing US dollar-denominated letters of credit for purchases of physical Russian commodities ready for export, two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2270463/china-distances-itself-from-russia

 

[shemp]

Looks like this thread will be missing one of its most prolific contributors for the next two weeks.

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=357234

 

[Michel H]

Source ?

Chinese FM elaborates on China's basic position on Ukraine issue

BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday elaborated on China's basic position on the Ukraine issue.

Wang also had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine during his phone talks with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell as well as Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to French President Emmanuel Macron, respectively.

On China's basic position on the Ukraine issue, Wang stressed the following five points.

Firstly, China stands for respecting and safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and earnestly abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China's position is consistent and clear, and it also applies to the Ukraine issue.

(https://english.news.cn/20220226/90a199c867164f529167e74e8f20cf32/c.html)

 

[timhau]

The amphibious assault near Mariupol apparently failed. It was done at night, Russia apparently has no known history of training to do that at night. Their military is not as well equipped with night vision gear as NATO troops usually are. They have night vision gear, but not as much.

Again, Russian assault troops might have those night vision goggles on paper. Maybe themoney for those went to Putin's cronies, or maybe someone further down the ladder just sold them one-by-one or in bulk. In systems where the top brass steals, everyone steals.

 

[angrysoba]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2270463/china-distances-itself-from-russia

“ all sides to exercise restraint”!

Mother *******!

 

[dudalb]

This. I wouldn't be surprised if a significant number of them were missing parts because they had been sold for drinking money.

Hey, that gives me an idea: hire planes to airdrop cases of Vodka on Russian Troops; the invasion would stop cold.

 

[dudalb]

“ all sides to exercise restraint”!

Mother *******!

Looks as if China might be seeing their "Partnership" with Putin as a mistake, backstab coming up.

 

[dudalb]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2270463/china-distances-itself-from-russia

Hey we all knew the PUtin/XI pact was about as stable as the Hitler/Stalin pact.

 

[crescent]

75 Saxons were sold to Ukraine under a contract made in 2013.
The former chief commander of British land forces, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said that supplying the vehicles to Ukraine was "immoral" as they were "useless" in the type of high intensity warfare they were being deployed in.

They were acquired in 1983, to equip mechanised infantry battalions and use as a 'battle taxi' to transport infantry by road from the UK to the BAOR as reinforcements.
They are Bedford truck chassis with a lightly armoured body added. It is armoured against small-arms fire and shell splinters.
Better than walking but not a fighting vehicle.

Saxons in Ukraine service
[qimg]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=672&pictureid=13040[/qimg]

In contrast, Russia has been shown to be using white delivery vans:

https://twitter.com/fpleitgenCNN/status/1497504471277969417
This is interesting. Looks like communication trucks South of Belgorod followed by a series of civilian vehicles that also have Z painted on the side of the Russian war operation. Also, the white vans have no license plates. #CNN #Russia #Ukraine

(That convoy was later shown to have been destroyed.)

Given a choice, I would take the vehicle that at least offers a bit of shrapnel protection.

 

[sackett]

A speculation: Because Donnie J. Trumprag is out of office but still alive, Putin thinks he must have influence, that is, power. He may have plunged into this war expecting DJT to stand forth and help him at the national and international level with policies, money, lies, threats, perhaps even mercenaries.

Yes, really. We're all the products of our upbringing. When skulduggery is all you know and all that's ever worked for you, it's what you expect of the world.

 

[timhau]

Looks as if China might be seeing their "Partnership" with Putin as a mistake, backstab coming up.

Sounds lovely, I hope it's true. I really have to wonder how long Russian oligarchs sit idly on the sidelines and let Putin destroy their cash flows.

 

[angrysoba]

Looks as if China might be seeing their "Partnership" with Putin as a mistake, backstab coming up.

I hope so but it sounds platitudinous af to me. Ukraine should fight as hard as they want. No need for restraint from them.

 

[timhau]

A speculation: Because Donnie J. Trumprag is out of office but still alive, Putin thinks he must have influence, that is, power. He may have plunged into this war expecting DJT to stand forth and help him at the national and international level with policies, money, lies, threats, perhaps even mercenaries.

Expecting Donnie to do something useful for someone? If he's that crazy, the world is in deep doodoo.

 

[angrysoba]

Sounds lively, I hope it'a true. I really have to wonder how long Russian oligarchs sit idly on the sidelines and let Putin destroy their cash flows.

This is why sanctions COULD be effective as long as they really really make sure the oligarchs hurt from this. Putin needs a support structure and that is what the west can aim to destroy.

 

[angrysoba]

Expecting Donnie to do something useful for someone? If he's that crazy, the world is in deep doodoo.

Let’s revisit that joke: Putin should have been scared when Trump called his invasion a genius move.

 

[Wudang]

Troops running out of food already. Three days worth of food for a tank crew is vastly less bulky than three days worth of fuel for the tank. It's baffling that tanks and trucks and all that didn't have more food squirreled away.

If true it suggests that either the Russian forces were supposed to forage local food supplies like days of yore or the Russians forgot the old line about "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistic".

 

[Wudang]

Riho Terras on Twitter https://twitter.com/RihoTerras/status/1497537193346220038?s=20&t=Mbiv5W1bNQsC6EzYmy-Vuw

I don't know if this document has been substantiated.

THREAD 1/7 Intel from a Ukrainian officer about a meeting in Putin’s lair in Urals. Oligarchs convened there so no one would flee. Putin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days.
2/7 Russians didn’t have a tactical plan. The war costs about $20 bln/day. There are rockets for 3-4 days at most, they use them sparingly. They lack weapons, the Tula and 2 Rotenberg plants can’t physically fulfil the orders for weapons. Rifles and ammo are the most they can do.

 

[timhau]

If true it suggests that either the Russian forces were supposed to forage local food supplies like days of yore or the Russians forgot the old line about "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistic".

Again: Finland's biggest daily reported that Russian battalions fresh from the military exercices in Belarus, were left waiting at the Belarus-Ukraine borders for days without food or other supplies. They survived by selling fuel and equipment.

 

[crescent]

There are claims that the 3500 number was first put out by TASS - Russian govvie news organization. Then withdrawn. Given the imagery of convoys destroyed, failed airborne attacks on airports, failed amphibious assault on Mariupol, I find the number plausible.

That said, Russia is still advancing and gaining ground, and I expect Ukrainian casualties might be just as high, if not higher. There were some crazy big rocket barrages in the east, some huge airstrikes there (near Kharkiv) in the beginning of all this.

Its still to early to call this a failure, or anywhere close to that. Russia is having a harder time than anticipated, but it is still only day three. For reference, it took the U.S. six weeks to recapture Falluja in Iraq, four weeks to recapture Hue after the Tet offensive.

It's really just a question of how many casualties Russia can tolerate - and they have a history of tolerating insane casualties among their own troops.