The Russian Invasion of the Ukraine.

[Andy_Ross]

I wonder if that is a supply column. It looks like most of the armor is APCs.

There are lots of APCs. a Tank Brigade has nearly as many as it has tanks and a Rifle Brigade has more APCs than tanks.

 

[Andy_Ross]

BBC Rolling
As Germany announces a huge increase in defence spending (see below and 11:04 GMT post) German police say more than 100,000 people are taking part in a protest against the Russian invasion in Berlin.

Demonstrators have filled a large area between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column / Siegessäule and more people are arriving all the time. They say the crowd could end up reaching Alexanderplatz, three kilometres away.

Makes the anti lockdown and anti vaxx protests look feeble.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said she supports individuals from the UK who might want to go to Ukraine to join an international force to fight.

She told the BBC it was up to people to make their own decisions, but argued it was a battle "for democracy".

 

[The Don]

Putin has put Russia's nuclear weapons on special alert.

 

[Hercules56]

Putin has put Russia's nuclear weapons on special alert.

Scare tactic. It wont stop the West from helping Ukraine.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Breaking: Putin puts Russia's strategic nuclear force on 'special alert'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to put its nuclear forces on "special alert" - the highest level of alert for Russia's Strategic Missile Forces.

Speaking to top military officials, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, he said Western nations had taken "unfriendly actions" towards Russia and imposed "illegitimate sanctions".

 

[Andy_Ross]

BBC saying UK govt "also pledge to limit the sale of "golden passports" - citizenship - to wealthy Russians"
Limit? how about none? and revoke those already bought and never entertain the idea again.

 

[Andy_Ross]

BBC Rolling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has released a statement following his conversation with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko earlier today.

“We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River," it read.

“Alexander Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks and return.”


Why does the phrase "Its a trap" spring to mind?

 

[angrysoba]

Breaking: Putin puts Russia's strategic nuclear force on 'special alert'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to put its nuclear forces on "special alert" - the highest level of alert for Russia's Strategic Missile Forces.

Speaking to top military officials, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, he said Western nations had taken "unfriendly actions" towards Russia and imposed "illegitimate sanctions".

Peter Hitchens will be very upset with Ukraine for having made Putin do this.

 

[Hercules56]

Maybe its time for Regime Change, in Russia. They are being controlled by a Fascist.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

I have little hope that Ukraine will end up surviving without major debilitating concessions. The sheer size of the Russian military means they just can't keep it up.

That said, I don't see how this doesn't massively weaken Russia. Ukraine's resistance has exposed the Russian military as being far less effective than thought and most of the rest of the world has united against Russia.

I think a victory for Russia here is gonna be a Pyrrhic one.

 

[Arcade22]

Peter Hitchens in his Mail On Sunday Blog says

'I write this as a British patriot. How was it in our interests to provoke a war we cannot win, and cannot even fight, against a country which is not, in fact, our enemy?'

The West acts tough with Russia because we’re just too feeble to stand up to our real enemy… China

https://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.c...just-too-feeble-to-stand-up-to-our-real-.html

Why do all the comments on that article signed with real names all sound so similar, as if they were all written by the same person?

Probably because they were.

 

[Arcade22]

I have little hope that Ukraine will end up surviving without major debilitating concessions. The sheer size of the Russian military means they just can't keep it up.

That said, I don't see how this doesn't massively weaken Russia. Ukraine's resistance has exposed the Russian military as being far less effective than thought and most of the rest of the world has united against Russia.

I think a victory for Russia here is gonna be a Pyrrhic one.

Russia will probably win, if it really wants to win. The only question is how tenacious the Ukrainians are and how desperate the Russians become.

Of course "winning" will in this case not be swift coup de grace, with Ukrainian resistance ceasing immediately.

 

[Steve]

The Ukrainian people would do well to remember what a Russian tyrant did to their country in 1932-33. History has a habit of repeating itself. A memory and attitude similar to that of the Israelis would serve them well.

 

[Klimax]

Russia will probably win, if it really wants to win. The only question is how tenacious the Ukrainians are and how desperate the Russians become.

Of course "winning" will in this case not be swift coup de grace, with Ukrainian resistance ceasing immediately.

I think there will be new level of winning way above Pyrrhic - Putin victory.

The Ukrainian people would do well to remember what a Russian tyrant did to their country in 1932-33. History has a habit of repeating itself. A memory and attitude similar to that of the Israelis would serve them well.

From the look of it, they really do remember everything Russia/SSSR did to them.

That includes gypsies steal a tank from Russians...

 

[timhau]

Maybe its time for Regime Change, in Russia. They are being controlled by a Fascist.

He's probably on drugs, too.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

BBC Rolling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has released a statement following his conversation with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko earlier today.

“We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River," it read.

“Alexander Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks and return.”


Why does the phrase "Its a trap" spring to mind?

If Ukraine were willing to part with the smaller separatist regions, this would be a good time for it. Russia gets a bloody nose but claims victory, Ukraine exits the war with minor civilian casualties and a hell of a national win.

 

[The Don]

If Ukraine were willing to part with the smaller separatist regions, this would be a good time for it. Russia gets a bloody nose but claims victory, Ukraine exits the war with minor civilian casualties and a hell of a national win.

Not really, Putin will simply keep coming back for more.

IMO he wants a puppet in charge in Ukraine. Nothing less will suffice.

 

[Ivor the Engineer]

If Ukraine were willing to part with the smaller separatist regions, this would be a good time for it. Russia gets a bloody nose but claims victory, Ukraine exits the war with minor civilian casualties and a hell of a national win.

Putin has very explicitly explained his zero-sum worldview.

Only a complete failure to achieve his objective will do. Putin will otherwise spin even a partial "victory" as what he intended all along.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Maybe its time for Regime Change, in Russia. They are being controlled by a Fascist.

I remember when the Soviet Union just sort of collapsed. One day it was there with a lot of problems, the next it just seemed to have tipped over. Perhaps this Ukraine thing will be the shove that finally knocks Putin's regime over. Because even if Russia's ultimate victorious in this it doesn't sound like it'll be a clean, positive victory for them. If Putin after years of strongman flexing serves up a dog's breakfast will his subjects accept it? It's possible to win so badly it's no better than a loss.