Ukraine

somewhat related, I was a guest of the polish border police for a couple of hours yesterday. I’ve been doing some wildlife photography in eastern Poland, about 3km from the border with Belarus. They didn’t take too kindly to a few lads creeping around the forrest wearing camo carrying big lenses. The (polish) guide also had a drone with him, which they REALLY didnt like.

Anyway, some ID’s were taken, some calls were made, some waiting was done and we went on our way.

Lots of military activity, armoured jeep things with machine guns up top razzing around everywhere.

To be fair, “I have come to photograph the famous Polish voles” (or whatever) probably sounds a bit like “we came to see the world famous Salisbury cathedral”!

Gotta say with the whole of Europe to go spying on wildlife, that’s gotta be one of the few places where it seems to me like a bad idea.

 I was a guest of the polish border police

You do surprise me after that activity and kit!

I highly recommend this documentary from Chris Cappy of his experience being guided to the frontline in Kursk.

To be fair, “I have come to photograph the famous Polish voles” (or whatever) probably sounds a bit like “we came to see the world famous Salisbury cathedral”!

It’s Bison! The area is famous for having Europes last wild bison. It’s a national park and there’s LOADS of ecotourism here. The only wierd thing we are doing is being here in winter (hoping for a shot of bison covered in snow). This is the area where all the immigrants got bussed to a while back and there’s now a fully militarised border fence. This has badly affected the bison population as most of it actually lives in Belarus. The much smaller polish population can’t mingle with the Belarus population so are shagging their sisters instead. So thats another thing Putin has ruined.

Guide told us its just the border police (who are their own independent department) being all jumped up. We did meet some army proper and they were very keen to show us bison photos from their phones and tell us about where they saw them.

The much smaller polish population can’t mingle with the Belarus population so are shagging their sisters instead

That’s why plans for a Bison reserve in the Norfolk/Lincolnshire border area were shelved.

Looks amazing! 🙂

It’s Bison!

I’m not surprised that they were suspicious; any kitchen in the Black Country has a cupboard full

They have whales in the canals too, usually attached to a rusty bicycle

Żubrówka Vodka, you must have had some… really tasty.

I highly recommend this documentary from Chris Cappy of his experience being guided to the frontline in Kursk.

Fair play to Cappy, going to Ukraine is one this but going into Ukrainian occupied Kursk is a whole ‘nother level of intense.

Did you see how stone cold that babushka was when the artillery went off near them, not even the tiniest flicker. War changes people.

Thanks for linking that documentary  definitely worth a watch

I highly recommend this documentary from Chris Cappy of his experience being guided to the frontline in Kursk.

I was slightly dubious as I’ve watched a few of his other videos and found them to have a bit too much salivating over military tech and a line in “humour” which grates a bit. Beneath that though, he’s clearly an intelligent guy and having combat experience gives him credibility a lot of commentators lack.  That particular documentary was a cut above his other content and was honest, thoughtful and brave.  Thanks for flagging it up.

I’ve watched a few of his other videos and found them to have a bit too much salivating over military tech and a line in “humour” which grates a bit.

Ditto, I can find him a bit irritating on occasions but I’ve always felt his heart’s in the right place and, as you’ve said, this latest video is a huge step up. Good to see it hit almost a million views in a day as well, shows that not everyone has ‘lost interest’ in what’s going on over there.

Footage of a large, light aircraft sized Ukrainian drone hitting a building in Grozny. Reported to be an OMON (paramilitary police) building. On the face of it I can’t see any strategic significance, but it will wind Kadyrov up massively and be popular with Chechen civilians as OMON have a very dubious war crimes and human rights record in Chechnya to say the least.

https://x.com/Tendar/status/1868209824233623916

Russian tanker sank near Kerch Straits. No evidence that it was an attack, might have just broken in half.

https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1868229538523861243

2 tankers according to Sky news. Seems a helluva coincidence.

The front fell off.

I assume this will disrupt fuel supplies. ?

Lol. That’s a clean break, looks like it’s broken apart right enough, pretty much what the Napoli did. It’s certainly not going to be going anywhere any time soon.

Hope the crew got off safely.

Were the ships part of the bridge defences? To intercept the sea baby drones? Most of the sea baby drone missions are at night tho, so my guess is submarine drones!

Or rough seas and a worn out tanker fleet that Russia can’t afford to replace. Although Ukraine sneaking drones into the kerch straight and sinking them would be great news too.

The front fell off.

its a bit odd that 2 have gone down at once, but

The Volgoneft-212 was 55 years old, registered in St Petersburg and recently refitted. The centre was cut out and the stern and bow were welded together, forming a huge seam in the middle. It is this section that appears to have broken.

Exploding scooter this morning.

The head of the Russian army’s chemical weapons division died on Tuesday when an explosive device attached to a scooter went off outside an apartment building in Moscow.

On Monday, Ukrainian prosecutors charged the general with using banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, according to the Kyiv Post.

I think this type of thing will continue long after the end of the conflict.

Russia appear happy to use the war crimes committed by their forces to terrorise Ukranians from continuing their fight, but it also makes any sort of forgiveness harder to facilitate.

I think this type of thing will continue long after the end of the conflict

See also incendiary devices in Birmingham and Leipzig in July https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lucky-coincidence-thwarts-alleged-russian-attack-on-dhl-flight/

Just read there is drone footage of russians deliberately burning NK casualties faces to disguise them.  In a war of so many horrors I’m not sure why this one in particular had me going wtf but it did.

Just read there is drone footage of russians deliberately burning NK casualties faces

What is the source for this? – sounds a bit conspiracy theory like to me, unless it is a reliable news agency.

Apparently posted by ukr on telegram.  I’m not going searching for it, its not something I want to see.  I still remember seeing that young girl cycling being hit by a missile in the first few days of the war.  Thats going to haunt me forever

Hmmm, I can see why UKR would like to claim it, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.

I think I’ll stick with the possible conspiracy theory / disinformation until it is verified by a credible agency.

It’s mentioned here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxz0ygl7gko

i have seen some of the drone footage, it looks real enough, but not exactly clear what is being shown

I darent check on shitter but I’m guessing that the conspiracy loons have gone into overdrive after Ukraine killed the general who was banging on about biolabs

I think this type of thing will continue long after the end of the conflict.

Are they going to keep trying until they spark the scenario of Archduke Franz Ferdinand?

Or rough seas and a worn out tanker fleet that Russia can’t afford to replace

This seems to be closest to the truth. The three tankers were apparently rated for river and coastal routes decades ago. The Black Sea was stormy and the tankers were (litorally 🙂 ) out of their depth

They were each carrying around 4000 tonnes of oil

I darent check on shitter but I’m guessing that the conspiracy loons have gone into overdrive after Ukraine killed the general who was banging on about biolabs

I suspect there will be retaliation for that from the Russians.

A browse of some of the information on Bluesky suggests that the Russians really have emptied some of thier storage and renovation depots of tanks and other vehicles at last. I know this has been proposed as a likely thing for a long time, but it seems it may now be true.

I also see the Ruble is resolutely low and that Russian bond prices have surged to 28% cost. Again, I wonder if this war may end through a collapse of resources and economy in Russia…

Some news that President Trump is planning to send his envoy, retired army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, to Europe and Ukraine in early January https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-ukraine-envoy-plans-january-trip-kyiv-other-european-capitals-2024-12-17/

It’s significant that he’s not planning a trip to Russia, which would be an important part of a fact-finding mission for peace. Ukraine has shown willingness for peace negotiations, while Russia hasn’t.

Statements from the US are mixed, but this must not become a mission to force Ukraine to agree to peace on any terms and instead should promise to strengthen Ukraine until Russia comes to the table.

In a June interview with Times Radio, a British digital station, Sebastian Gorka, one of Trump’s incoming deputy national security advisers, said Trump had told him he would force Putin into talks by threatening unprecedented weapons shipments to Ukraine if Putin refused.
Gorka, reached by phone, called Reuters “fake news garbage” and declined to elaborate.  https://www.reuters.com/world/trumps-plan-ukraine-comes-into-focus-territorial-concessions-nato-off-table-2024-12-04/

In July Keith Kellogg was interviewed by Voice of America (VOA). VOA is part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media

Kellogg: President Trump, to his credit, said in the very first debate when he was asked by one of the commentators, Dana Bash, do the Russians basically get to keep the territories? He said no, not at all. He said not once, he did it twice.

AND

VOA: Ukrainian officials might be cautious about entering into the negotiations with Russians because it might send a signal to their partners that they don’t need military aid anymore.

Kellogg: You have to give more arms to them because you can’t trust the Russians. You just have to do it, and the question is, do you do this before Europe tires, Americans tire, Ukrainians tire? https://www.voanews.com/a/former-trump-nsc-official-explains-his-vision-for-ending-war-in-ukraine-/7712184.html

At that point Keith Kellogg hadn’t been appointed envoy and he now has a chain of management that he reports to

I suspect there will be retaliation for that from the Russians

Russia is already doing anything in its power, both within and without international law

@relapsed_mandalorian understands the ins and outs of this and may comment, but I think that Ukraine’s actions were legal in killing Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, an active military participant in an active war

NATO has taken on the co-ordination of aid to Ukraine from the US https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-takes-over-coordination-military-aid-kyiv-us-source-says-2024-12-17/

the tankers were (litorally ) out of their depth

The littoral truth.