Ukraine

Boris wasn’t even PM at the time of the referendum anyway. Not that it matters, he has had some rather shady liaisons with Russians.

Yup. Agreeing with you trying not to get off topic but it reminds me of an occasional claim I use about how I believe Christopher Marlowe wrote “Shakespeare’s” plays on the grounds that I got a rather good tip and a beer when working in a Canterbury pub from some true believers in that theory. I am an honest person so once brought I stay brought!

Johnson on the other hand took the cash and then decided to play Churchill. Question is how often did he bend to the paymasters vs rebelling?

Thanks Poopscoop. I posted as I think the Ukraine thread would not exist without Russia’s malevolence. Amazing though that everything expected in Moldavia has been identified so quickly.
Also worth reading the thread. A further development:

pro-Russian “activists” that were doing the “field work” of convincing people to sell their votes (because the whole thing essentially worked as an MLM), are now starting to find out that their personal details have been used by their Russian handlers to contract large loans from a variety of Russian banks.

^^

Ha! Bloody epic! 😀

Yep to me there is a clear thread; Russia > Banks > Brexit > Johnson / Russia > Farage / Russia > Iran > Hamas / hezbollah

LOLZ at the idea Boris wouldn’t have taken the money

Slightly in a different direction but connected…

I can’t help but be impressed with Steve Rosenberg and his reporting. He Pushed Lukashenko for over 30mins and to be in front of that person who was getting visibly more angry and exasperated must have taken some cahones to stay calm and keep pressing the questions. It was a bit like the court scene from a few good men.. The interview is on Youtube in full.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2x30Ft3Icg

Then, standing up in the room and putting putin on the spot in Kazan….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmN9LYLdytk

I wonder if he gets threatened, followed or restricted in his work. I just find it great no nonsense bold journalism. He must be some sort of tolerated opposing voice.  Sarah Rainsford didn’t get an easy time and eventually banned.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/aug/06/goodbye-to-russia-by-sarah-rainsford-review-a-personal-reckoning-from-ruins-of-war-russias-dysfunctional-slide-into-dictatorship

I strongly suspect that various Western intelligence agencies had all this info ready and offered to hand it over before the vote but the Moldovan courts didn’t want to be seen to be trying to influence the election so they sat on it til afterwards.

Same reason Donny and now possibly Elon aren’t currently sat in the holding cell.

It’s one of the exploitable quirks of democracies, the feeling is that if you go after the bad actors before a vote they’ll squeal persecution and it’ll energise their support, making them more likely to win.

But if you wait until after the vote… they may have won anyway.

Fortunately in this instance they didn’t win and Moldova (unlike the USA) have decided to move quickly and decisively against those involved to prevent it happening again in November.

If only this had happened after Jan 6th, there was definately a window for action there that was missed.

Haven’t seen the interview in full, as you say some seriously bold (potentially risky?!) questioning there by Steve R….

ISW had some interesting analysis on the BRICs summit.  I’m particular interested in the positioning of China and India and what they did / didnt say

Also seen commentry on Russia trying to improve relations with S.Korea as they have said they will be sending (more?) aid to ukraine as N. Korea has supposed thousands of troops training in Russia, presumably with a reasonable likelihood of being chucked into the meat grinder

I can’t help but be impressed with Steve Rosenberg and his reporting.

I get that the fact he’s a BBC reporter gives him some protection, but hell’s bells that man has some balls. I’m amazed he hasn’t fallen out of a window, or drunk some dodgy tea so far.

Steve Rosenberg – amazing reporter and very brave.

.

I get that the fact he’s a BBC reporter gives him some protection…

Didn’t work for that bloke from the New York Times though. Steve should be given a knighthood for services to journalism.

My best case scenario has happened^^:

Israel’s strike on Saturday on Iran has “destroyed hit (sic) 12 “planetary mixers” used to produce solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles, quoting three unnamed Israeli sources as saying this severely damages Iran’s ability to renew its missile stockpile and could deter Iran from further massive missile strikes against Israel.”

It’ll be extremely difficult for Iran to replace the damaged machinery due to international sanctions.

Israel struck buildings at Parchin, a former nuclear testing facility and plant for producing missile solid fuels and Khojir, a missile production facility.

Khojir was reportedly being expanded earlier this year to boost missile production. The former nuclear facility may have housed test equipment, but even the empty building would be of use to Iran

These strikes will set Iran’s missile production back and save countless lives in several conflicts including Ukraine.

The bonus is that world oil prices are likely to drop back in time for the US elections on 5th November

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/satellite-photos-show-israel-hit-iran-missile-fuel-mixing-facilities-researchers-2024-10-26/

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-likely-fall-after-israel-shows-restraint-strikes-iran-2024-10-27/

Interesting….

More bravery from Steve Rosenberg

https://x.com/BBCSteveR/status/1849753989262475407

Steve Rosenberg: a man with balls that’d impress Danny Hart

I seriously hope they have good security around him.

Putin’s response was just a torrent of whataboutery and projection.

Absolute balls of steel.  So much shite spouted by Putin in response. But at least he was forced for once to answer difficult questions put directly to him. No one else has the sheer courage to do that to his face. Putin was chillingly polite in his response, but I can’t help but think he mentally marked Rosenberg’s card for his impudence. Come home now Steve, you’ve more than done your bit.

How is russias sovereignty at stake by selling us stuff?

Shame there weren’t follow up questions.

Indeed while I’m impressed that Steve asked the question, it makes no difference to Putin’s attitudes or course of action to invade and remain in Ukraine, meddle with foreign elections, murder anyone who gets in the way and deliberately cause instability globally….

Swiss are potentially going to lift re-export restrictions on weapons…. unfortunately it’s not about doing the right thing. It’s more about doing business. However, it could be a great benefit. Finally…

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-politics/swiss-president-backs-lifting-re-export-ban-on-arms-to-ukraine/87853186?utm_source=multiple&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=news_en&utm_content=o&utm_term=wpblock_news

NATO are reporting NK troops are being deployed to Kursk.  Another escalation.  I have a completely unfounded view that they will be complete fanatical nut jobs and as hard as nails – no idea if thats true or not, but I would have thought they would be a level above the pressed convicts holding large chunks of that area

*conscripts, not convicts.

How long will the NK troops have spent learning the communist manifesto against learning field craft?

More cannon fodder I fear.

Shit-ot at marching but I don’t think that’s much use…

I think they will find working alongside the Russians a bit of an eye opener……

I reckon a lot of them will be looking to leave Russia for Ukraine!

I reckon a lot of them will be looking to leave Russia for Ukraine!

Could be convenient to ‘disappear’ on the battlefield. Does Ukraine *have* to tell NK who they have prisoner if the prisoner asks for anonymity? If so, a wee drop of fliers announcing defection is easy…

Nothing to base it on but I could imagine a lot would be in fear of reprisals against their families should the defect or not fight as well as the could.

10k North Koreans are still a big problem for Ukraine even if they defect. See weaponised migration, refugees as weapons etc.

scuttler
Full Member
Shit-ot at marching but I don’t think that’s much use…

The elderly in these authoritarian states all have bad knees that’s for sure. High impact stuff and not even allowed to wear Sketchers.

Rumours and reports coming through already that the new N.Korean arrivals are not exactly delighted with the way they are being treated by their new Russian comrades.

Barely any interpreters, terrible living conditions, Russians not passing on enough food for them, the officers openly dispareging them and regarding them as little more than cannon fodder etc etc.

Give it 6 months and we could be looking at a truly impressive mutiny.

If they’re going to mutiny, let’s hope they do so rather quicker than 6 months. The US presidential inauguration is in Jan and things are likely to have changed by then.

Edit. Posted within 10 secs of johndoh below.

Give it 6 months

If it is as you suggest, I’d be giving it three or four months over the bitterly cold winter.

Yeah the Russians clearly hate the plebs from the east of their own country, so they’re gonna really hate the mega-plebs from the backwater that is DPRK.

Will these be Kim’s crack troops or the naughty ones that need reeducating?

The early reports said that the 10,000 North Korean troups were from their special forces rather than their regular forces, so might be better trained and fed than typical North Korean troops.

every time I see a photo of Putin & Kim Jong Un together it just reminds of Blofeld & Oddjob.

Keva, there is also the gif of KJU with panda eyes after the binoculars are dropped….

ChrisL
Full Member
The early reports said that the 10,000 North Korean troups were from their special forces

It’s a large number and it makes me wonder how special their special forces really are.

No doubt they will willingly die for an order they know to be non sensual but will lack any combat experience and will have had any ability to improvise knocked out of them years ago by the system.

10,000 troops will buy Poootin a week.

meanwhile interest rates are now 21%, Rubble/dollar is 97, and the real inflation rate is circa 25%,  so sanctions are definitely not working.

It’s a large number and it makes me wonder how special their special forces really are.

I was listening to the Battleground Ukraine podcast who covered this. Apparently N Korea has 200,000 ‘special forces’, so not particularly elite.  A US defence intelligence assessment of their capabilities put them at a ‘5’, where ‘1’ is a conscript and ’10’ is SAS/Delta Force equivalent.  Even if they are SF, it’s likely the Russians will use them as conventional infantry which is wasteful of a specialist capability.  Sadly for them and I do genuinely mean that, I doubt they had any choice. They are headed for the attritional meat grinder.