I have it pegged as the latter
Nuclear forces on alert? Talks on day 4 by which time they should have been swigging vodka in Kiev? Absolutely unbelievable. Some talk they may start flattening cities. Apart from the moral repugnance history proves it to be an immense mistake - makes life much more difficult for the attackers - see British assault on Caen and battle of Stalingrad.
Watching those Ukrainian troops firing RPG’s they didn’t even look worried, just like they were shooting pheasants…
Watching those Ukrainian troops firing RPG’s they didn’t even look worried, just like they were shooting pheasants…
That's what I thought! Fag in mouth and everything lol
shermer75
Free MemberThat’s what I thought! Fag in mouth and everything lol
The fag got me, he's fighting russians with the demeanor of someone building a shit brick wall. It's the same with that footage of the crowd blocking the tank- nobody looks like they're bothered, or worried, or even really doing anything out of the ordinary, it's like "things to do: pop down to shops, obstruct a tank, meet the lads in the pub and watch the footy"
People talk about the banality of evil but I never really thought there was such a thing as banality of heroism. It's like a whole town made of tank guys
People talk about the banality of evil but I never really thought there was such a thing as banality of heroism. It’s like a whole town made of tank guys
I know. Their stoicism in the face of such absolute bit of a messery has been massively impressive
putchya
I heard a lot of "sooka blyat" which roughly translates to a female dog of negotiable affections, a fair bit of "huy" which I guess mean he thought they were a bunch of willies and the always useful (I had no idea this worked in Ukrainian and Polish) "kurva".
The fag got me, he’s fighting russians with the demeanor of someone building a shit brick wall.
I never saw that, just saw him firing one off, chucking the launcher, gets handed the next one, fires that and swaggers back for some more ammo.
People talk about the banality of evil but I never really thought there was such a thing as banality of heroism. It’s like a whole town made of tank guys
Honestly I'm not surprised, I've sailed with Ukrainians (and a few Russians too) and they are just mental. The sort of folk who get stuff done whilst they look like they absolutely couldn't care less, nicest guys going. That RPG guy and the women making crates of molotovs are the absolute embodiment of that. Was talking to one of my mates earlier that I was at sea with and we were both wondering if (and hoping that) all the guys we sailed with were okay.
Goddammit I loved this aircraft
https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/1497941632209108992
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baykar_Bayraktar_TB2
Putin will have a ‘Hitler downfall’ moment… and that’s when he’ll realise that not everyone in his gang is a ‘yes’ man.
Von Staufenburgski to the Kremlin bunker, Paging Von Staufenburgski....
Anyone else get the feeling somewhat that either the Russian army is 70s old stock or the new stuff is being hidden.
Su57 fighter ect or are conscripted kids just cheap and plentiful.
Putin has played his hand now all in 100% if they don't get rid of him Russia is going to spiral into hyper inflation and suffering years of economic pain. No way the Russian people will put up with more crap and I'm not sure the world will either.
Ukraine is not going to to be a Russian puppet state I get the feeling they would burn the place down themselves than hand it over.
As for nukes it makes no difference how many each country has it only takes one to go in the air and it's game over. The look of Putin's generals today at the press conference was telling they look worried.
Who will play Brutus to Putin's Julius Caesar.
I hope the talks are genuine and it stops the bloody mess. But in the long term Putin has to be replaced
“Anyone else get the feeling somewhat that either the Russian army is 70s old stock or the new stuff is being hidden.“
Russia is just testing their enemy’s guns - by sending in the less well trained soldiers and old equipment they can get a good sense of the Ukraine’s real capabilities and the location of troops / soldiers. What will unfortunately likely follow is the elite soldiers and latest equipment.
Maybe, but if you want to win a war (sorry, de-militarisation operation), you don't mess about with the crappy stuff at the start, you strike hard, fast and brutal. Your second string troops can be used to bolster/support your gains and hold ground if you need them to.
It could be that these are the best he could put in place.
I think he thought could mass any ol shite at the border and walk in.
China might just come to our rescue and tell Putin to wind his neck in nobody wants this it's 1 man's mad fantasy
Just saw this, I know it's been doing the rounds for a while but it's a reminder of just how stupid all of this is.
Joking between each other, no aggression, just folk passing each other on the road making light of the situation.
I think and hope Willard is correct, the whole gambit here is fast and furious, you wouldn't sensibly compromise that by sending in your inferior units. Trouble is APCs aren't much use against modern anti armour weapons. When your enemy has AK47s they provide protection, when your enemy has anti armour kit supplied by the west your in trouble.
the Israeli's Merkeva tank units ran into difficulties against hezbollahs missile equipped infantry in southern lebanon in 2006.
Trouble is APCs aren’t much use against modern anti armour weapons.
Especially when it’s the spring thaw so they’re tied to roads, and there’s no fuel?
I've felt physically sick about this since Friday, seeing a headline pop up on my phone stating 'Putin orders nuclear...' nearly made me vom.
Ukraine have already made their claim for NATO membership, I can't see either party giving down and surely there's a time to come when Putin gets so annoyed with the West giving Ukraine Arms he does something massively stupid
Thing is he could step back and turn the gas off, that make most of Europe skint or freezing?
The terrifying thing is it's just one man's ego, with him out the picture there's no one stepping up to carry this on, it'd be calm down lads, let's grab a table and take a breath
For our Putineers. Pilger’s latest.
Who are these Putineers? @deadlydarcy?
Considering you nearly lost your mind over me posting one John Pilger tweet I'm suprised you are posting more!
The invasion of a sovereign state is lawless and wrong. A failure to understand the cynical forces that provoked the invasion of Ukraine insults the victims.
As for the tweet- not much to disagree with? (I haven't read the article)
I don't understand why the Chechens are helping as iirc Putin largely rose to fame during the war against Chechenya on the 90s. Politics is weird though
I think that is known as victim blaming.
Russia is just testing their enemy’s guns
Nah, that's not how it works.
Even BP have walked away from Putin.
It’s like Beetlejuice in here. Nice to know they’re keeping up with the thread. 😀
It really is unravelling for Putin now, Germany sending arms direct to a conflict zone, first time since WWII, EU financing and providing arms for another state, EU ramping up sanctions, complete ban of all Russian aircraft including private jets from EU airspace, Russian central bank getting assets frozen. SWIFT system being partial withdrawn, BP dumping a 20% share in Rosneft, world sport boycotting Russia. He's really isolated himself. Can't imagine China are too chuffed either, a quick occupation might have played well with them, a drawn out mess of a conflict bringing together many other countries is not helping them with their long term goal of taking Taiwan back. And I bet they aren't that happy with the economic fall out either, a squeeze on Western consumers is going to bite there as well.
The idea that Putin is sending in conscripts and ancient equipment in first in order to get a feel of Ukranian defences doesn't make any sense to me.
In order to work from a geopolotical perspective this needed to be a blitzkrieg and the government replaced within 48 hours at most. So why have conscripts been sent in? And why was it left to Chechen mercenaries to do the dirty work?
In answer to my own question, are the Russian Army actually doing Putin's bidding or have they organised a 'special operation' that they know won't succeed?
Was using the Chechen scumbags Putin's idea or did the army decide to deploy them because they knew Russian troops didn't have the stomach for it?
It’s like Beetlejuice in here. Nice to know they’re keeping up with the thread
Ah bless you're quite a friendly troll.
They're the best he's got, the blueprint for this was Iraq V2, drawing it out with a few feeler punches is a waste of time, money and resources.
Initial plan was military targets, now looks to be all over the place whilst trading convos with OAPs on the street at points?
I’ve felt physically sick about this since Friday, seeing a headline pop up on my phone stating ‘Putin orders nuclear…’ nearly made me vom.
I've felt similar all weekend. Hearing about the Nuclear readiness makes me fear that the next 48 hours is critical. My guess is Putin is using the nuclear threat to get his own way, stop the West supplying Ukrainian fighters and get the quick result he wants. The issue is how he responds to the further financial sanctions. I sort of hope he just turns the gas supplies off but I fear he will genuinely consider pressing the Big Red Button.
complete ban of all Russian aircraft including private jets from EU airspace,
Wonder where that leaves Kaliningrad?
it wouldnt surprise me if he threatens to use nuclear weapons if the sanctions etc arent removed.
Putin wants to make out he holds all the cards prior to ‘meeting’ Zelenskyy.
I very much doubt any meeting will be directly between those two.
Wonder where that leaves Kaliningrad?
Good question!
I guess they'll have to drive to the nearest airport
Thing is he could step back and turn the gas off, that make most of Europe skint or freezing?
Better skint and freezing than a smouldering pile of radioactive ash.
Putins given himself no room to manoeuvre. The generals didn't like happy in the nuclear press conference, the Chinese aren't backing him.
Overnight coup to remove him? 🤞
"Wonder where that leaves Kaliningrad?"
Isolated, have to catch a ferry from St Petersburg .
In order to work from a geopolotical perspective this needed to be a blitzkrieg and the government replaced within 48 hours at most. So why have conscripts been sent in? And why was it left to Chechen mercenaries to do the dirty work?
When you've spent a good 20 odd years surrounding yourself with yes men, silencing anyone who dares to disagree with you and believing your own hype... Gross errors of judgement based upon your own disconnection with reality are often likely! 🤷🏻♂️
As for the Chechen mercenaries... I guess he figured they'd get in amongst the general population quite quickly and easily, and their special type of intolerable violence (often centring on mental and physical torture) would weaken Ukrainians resolve quickly enough for them to welcome in negotiations and talks over territory. I guess he didn't count on drones that he'd sold to Turkey ending up in Ukrainian hands and being used against his own forces!
This was his version of a blitzkreig... I'm not sure whether to be scared of his nuclear threat any more or not. I have visions of "ACME" branded missiles that when they hit the target the nose cone pops open and a small wide eyed cartoon character pops up with a flag that says "bang" before it pops with about as much devastation as a firecracker!
Putin has spent his entire career creating a significant level of "is he/isn't he" batsht crazy mystery about his persona, and up until now he has done a very good job of keeping everyone in check by being too scared to test him... Hopefully once Russian citizens and politicians realise what is actually happening, they will start eyeing up their opportunity to take him out once and for all seeing the huge and lasting damage he is doing to his own country. I'm guessing all of the Russian Oligarchs are only loyal to Putin because of his ability to make them rich too... Remove that capability, and 3 decades worth of hard stolen assets, and Putin could suddenly have a queue of people waiting to stick the knife in! 🤔🤭
Thing is he could step back and turn the gas off, that make most of Europe skint or freezing?
Everyone gets a government issue jumper, and an electric powered oil heater... 🤷🏻♂️ Seriously though... Not only are we coming in to spring, but an over reliance on Russian gas is a miniscule problem compared to the threat of WW3 on European soil, let alone Nuclear warfare!
Overnight coup to remove him?
You can imagine that there are enough influential people queueing up to help provide the means for this to happen right now... Once Russian citizens begin to see how RT has continually pulled the wool over their eyes for decades now, telling them shit smells of rose and all because of Putins say so, you can believe there'll be a nation of people asking questions as to why he hasn't been forcibly removed already!
Ah bless you’re quite a friendly troll.
I see you’re back to gaslighting. 😀
"Overnight coup to remove him? 🤞"
binners, have you checked the odds / laid a bet yet?
Better skint and freezing than a smouldering pile of radioactive ash
I'd take that all day long!
Isolated, have to catch a ferry from St Petersburg .
Hardly seems a sustainable state of affairs.
I was out walking with Scouts and Explorers today, practising for an event we hold in March where hundreds of scouts hike 40k self supported for a weekend with incidents etc. Spent the day with happy, tired scouts bonding with each other and struggling together to achieve things they never expected to be able to do alongside 10’s of helpers, leaders and parents giving time and urging them on….humans at their best.
I have tears in my eyes right now - how did we as a species get in a situation where one man could destroy it all