The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Part 4

[gnome]

As I've said before, Russia has utterly destroyed any will of the people argument that can be made for any part of Ukraine to either separate/stay separate from Ukraine or to join Russia, by sheer virtue of the fact that it's impossible to trust any such result.

They are happy to put the smoking remains of the argument up on a post and parade it around anyway.

 

[Aridas]

They are happy to put the smoking remains of the argument up on a post and parade it around anyway.

As well as, well...

We saw today people’s heads on a spike in Russian-occupied Popasna.

This is only a fraction of the Russian war crimes committed. I’m terrified when I think of what we’ll see when we retake the Russian-occupied cities and villages.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

As well as, well...

The first time I saw this, which was about one or two weeks ago, it was described as Russian Troops discovering this scene during their advance. The footage didn't make a big splash then, though.

 

[Klimax]

How does that work? Printing rubles isn't the same as printing circuit boards.

Kontakt-5 is specific chemical compounds assembled into explosive reactive armor bricks. You can't just wedge a sheaf of foreign currency between two metal plates, bolt it onto a tank turret, and call it "armor".

Russians tried hat already. Carton and send instead of explosive.

The first time I saw this, which was about one or two weeks ago, it was described as Russian Troops discovering this scene during their advance. The footage didn't make a big splash then, though.

Technically that might be true. Wagner group was there before them.

 

[Allen773]

So it’s been almost six months since the special military operation started. Did the decisive knockout blow to the perfidious NATO-backed Neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv happen yet?

I presume all the brave Russian troops were home by March, Ukraine has been successfully re-integrated into the greater Russian brotherhood, and the soft and decadent West has been humiliated in defeat. But I admit I haven’t checked the news since February.

Surely the master strategist Putin has long since won.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Technically that might be true. Wagner group was there before them.

I have seen now that this video has been geolocated to Popasna and propably dates from May.

 

[Klimax]

I have seen now that this video has been geolocated to Popasna and propably dates from May.

Yep. Wagner group was the one responsible for Popasna (after prior R units got destroyed).

 

[jimbob]

https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1556177363938967552?s=20&t=UFwGrXwsovkORi18vTctBg

Part of a thread, and pretty plausible.

The Ukrainian offensive should not be conceived of as an offensive in a modern combined arms manor. Its basically a form of accelerated attritional warfare. What they have done is tried to tempt the Russians into sending forces into an area where its easier for Ukr to do this

 

[theprestige]

Where I landed with it is it's not my decision. The government of Ukraine has to decide what's possible and whether the implications are indeed worth risking for getting the people home. I remember seeing something recently about that kind of decision, can't quite remember where. The hero of the story decided making the right thing happen now was better.

Of course it's not your decision. But it is commonplace and reasonable for people to look at the decisions other people make, and judge their utility or morality. Ultimately it will be up to the Ukrainians. But I can still form an opinion about what they should do.

To be clear, I'm not convinced Ukraine should trade land for lives in this way. But I am convinced they should at least keep that option on the table. If nothing else amongst themselves.

 

[theprestige]

Heh. Reverse Deep Battle.

 

[Stout]

https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1556177363938967552?s=20&t=UFwGrXwsovkORi18vTctBg

Part of a thread, and pretty plausible.

What a roundabout way of saying that Ukraine isn't going to try and retake Kherson like we were led to believe all last week. All those HIMARS hits on the Antonovsky bridge were supposed to trap all those Russians for a turkey shoot and allow the UAF to retake the city. I mean, I know the western media "forgot" to tell us that the Russians built two pontoon bridges next to the Antonovsky bridge the day after it was hit but I don't suppose I can fault them for it as they mainly seem to source their news from the highly censored Twitter.

So, Turkey just did a gas deal with Putin...and speaking of Russian energy, its been a while since we looked in on just how much money the EU is shoveling into Putin's gaping maw.

79 billion Euros..and rising.

And not a peep from Greta Thunberg, or any of the eco warriors who were demanding government intervention on fossil fuel use. Only a 15% reduction in use? Really? That's it? All those developing countries that are screaming for money as reparations for climate change are surely going to be disappointed that the EU blew it.

A total of four ships have now left Ukraine loaded with grain so I guess we'll see if they make it to the UK and Ireland without being sunk by the Russian navy.

 

[Stout]

To be clear, I'm not convinced Ukraine should trade land for lives in this way. But I am convinced they should at least keep that option on the table. If nothing else amongst themselves.

Any sort of a deal would be political suicide for Zelensky and he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who's interested in slashing his own throat. Assuming, that is that those who assert this is a US proxy war with Russia are wrong and the power to cut deals really is in Zelensky's hands.

 

[BobTheCoward]

Any sort of a deal would be political suicide for Zelensky and he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who's interested in slashing his own throat. Assuming, that is that those who assert this is a US proxy war with Russia are wrong and the power to cut deals really is in Zelensky's hands.

Isn't it always true that it is up to the nation affected? Even appeasement with Germany required the agreement of Czechoslovakia

 

[Klimax]

HARM harms Russian radars:
https://twitter.com/noclador/status/1556290433575256066

The russians found the remains of an American made AGM-88D HARM anti-radiation missile.

 

[jimbob]

Any sort of a deal would be political suicide for Zelensky and he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who's interested in slashing his own throat. Assuming, that is that those who assert this is a US proxy war with Russia are wrong and the power to cut deals really is in Zelensky's hands.

Ukraine is not Zelensky - the Ukrainian people know that they are in an existential fight, Russia is trying to erase the idea of Ukraine as an independent culture, let alone country. That already involves separation of families.

Even if Zelensky capitulated, there would still be strong resistance within Ukraine against the Russian regime. And there is a recent history of the Ukrainian people removing Putin's puppet.

 

[crescent]

Russian commander admits that Russia has mined the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and will destroy it rather than allow it to be racaptured:

"There will be either Russian land - or a scorched desert - Major General Vasiliev, commander of the ZAES garrison,
Head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The commander of the garrison of the liberated Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Major General Valery Vasiliev. he spoke to the soldiers. We give a fragment of an appeal to the garrison. As a response to the panic produced by Western-funded international organizations such as the IAEA.
You all understand that there is a war going on for the right of existence of the Russian people. For our right to live in peace and harmony with everyone. But if the collective West denies us this right, if American weapons. mercenaries and instructors will be used to seize territories that we have already been able to liberate • we are ready for a variety of scenarios.
This station was built by Russian people for all Slavic brothers, now the Nazis have decided to decommunize our common past. Russian Russian free land• or a scorched desert will be here, and you, the soldiers of the great Russian army, must be ready to carry out an important order.
As you know, we have mined all the important facilities of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. And we do not hide this from the enemy, we warned them. The enemy knows that the station will be either Russian or a draw. We are ready for the consequences of this step.
And you, the liberating warriors, must understand that we have no other way. And if there is the toughest order, we must fulfill it with honor!""

Another source for the info:
https://twitter.com/sergeykovalenko/status/1556365223795326976?s=21&t=CQf67wIEaGR-dT5nZYebJg

 

[crescent]

What a roundabout way of saying that Ukraine isn't going to try and retake Kherson like we were led to believe all last week. All those HIMARS hits on the Antonovsky bridge were supposed to trap all those Russians for a turkey shoot and allow the UAF to retake the city. I mean, I know the western media "forgot" to tell us that the Russians built two pontoon bridges next to the Antonovsky bridge the day after it was hit but I don't suppose I can fault them for it as they mainly seem to source their news from the highly censored Twitter.

Very dramatic - but wrong.

There was no pontoon bridge put next to the Antonovsky bridge. Instead they have covered for the loss of the bridge by using sections of Pontoon bridges as ferries - much slower than a bridge. https://twitter.com/CarlHan30554840/status/1555463103550455808

A pontoon bridge was put across the Inhulets river north of Kherson. Much smaller river. Seems to have been "visited" again tonight Ukraine.

I'm not going to be critical of the western press for failing to report something that never actually happened.

As for the bridge itself, it has been bombed again. Apparently within the past hour or two. Repair equipment on the bridge is on fire. Russia had put up radar deflector/decoy equipment, but it didn't work.

The railway bridge go hit four days ago (that was the second time it was hit), it is probably still out of action as well. It may have been hit again tonight.

https://twitter.com/VyshnyaOstap/status/1556389499109875718

All 3 bridges (2-Dnipro, 1-Inhulets) were hit. Also pontoons were hit (according some unconfirmed messages).

 

[Oystein]

... And there is a recent history of the Ukrainian people removing Putin's puppet.

Wasn't a puppet. At least that's what Masha Gessen has said. And I trust her judgement quite highly.

(That being said, the tenor of your post is not wrong: Yanukovich embarked on a policy of leaning away from the EU and towards Russia, i.e. "Putin-friendly", and the UA people rose up in outrage. That policy did not make him a puppet - it's probably something that a substantial portion of his voters, which were largely to be found in the culturally more "Russian" East of the country) had some sympathy for, so yes, there's some precedent.)

 

[sackett]

Russian commander admits that Russia has mined the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and will destroy it rather than allow it to be racaptured:will
Another source for the info:
https://twitter.com/sergeykovalenko/status/1556365223795326976?s=21&t=CQf67wIEaGR-dT5nZYebJg

Reading that bluster, I get the impression of shaken and frightened bullies hoping to intimidate their opponents. Multiplying and repeating threats is a poor sort of rhetoric.

Slavic brothers? Oh God, lay me down.

 

[jimbob]

Wasn't a puppet. At least that's what Masha Gessen has said. And I trust her judgement quite highly.

(That being said, the tenor of your post is not wrong: Yanukovich embarked on a policy of leaning away from the EU and towards Russia, i.e. "Putin-friendly", and the UA people rose up in outrage. That policy did not make him a puppet - it's probably something that a substantial portion of his voters, which were largely to be found in the culturally more "Russian" East of the country) had some sympathy for, so yes, there's some precedent.)

Fair enough. Someone who was going down a dangerous path.