What's going on in Ukraine?

[fishfoodie]

They do not want to send that cash to Ukraine. The government will just steal it. It should be used for weapons and debt payment. 50 billion in one hit of weapon shipments will save so many Ukranian lives without enriching the corrupt shitholes.

Not seeing any sacrasm tags ?

If you go out & spend tax payers money on weapons, you are; "enriching the corrupt shitholes" !

The entire, development to procurement process, for weapons is a putrid swamp, full of the vilest examples of humanity. A convention of slavers & heroin dealers looks like the Sally Army by comparison.

? Not sure you haven’t missed the point there. If the money is used to buy weapons at least Ukraine gets something valuable. 100 HIMARS and ammo will make a difference. Sending cash will never be seen except in a Swiss bank account.

Oh I get it; but let's not pretend giving the money to US arms dealers, is somehow virtous, compared to any other arms dealer.

But needs must, & right now Ukraine needs weapons.

On the whole, I'd hope they keep the majority of the money to rebuild their shattered nation

[tabascoboy]

[Thor Sedan]

So that Putin speech was pretty frightening right?

[assfly]

When someone says they're definitely definitely definitely not bluffing, they're probably bluffing.

Especially when it comes to nuclear weapons.

[dkm57]

So the west has until spring to train and equip another 500,000 Ukranian troops, their pilots on F16s and bring into service and send every bit of heavy artillery they can spare.

Scholtz can stop dicking around a being a wiener and supply what Germany promised NOW!! instead of using every excuse he can to hold things up.

Russia needs to be chucked off the UN security council ASAP.

[tabascoboy]

[Raggs]

So the west has until spring to train and equip another 500,000 Ukranian troops, their pilots on F16s and bring into service and send every bit of heavy artillery they can spare.

Scholtz can stop dicking around a being a wiener and supply what Germany promised NOW!! instead of using every excuse he can to hold things up.

Russia needs to be chucked off the UN security council ASAP.

Why do they need all those extra troops? Because of mobilisation?

[assfly]

Russia needs to be chucked off the UN security council ASAP.

Apparently the voices for total UNSC reform are getting stronger by the day. This war has shown what most people have been saying for decades, that it's totally unfit for purpose.

[dkm57]

So the west has until spring to train and equip another 500,000 Ukranian troops, their pilots on F16s and bring into service and send every bit of heavy artillery they can spare.

Scholtz can stop dicking around a being a wiener and supply what Germany promised NOW!! instead of using every excuse he can to hold things up.

Russia needs to be chucked off the UN security council ASAP.

Why do they need all those extra troops? Because of mobilisation?

Yes because of the mobilisation. Probably don't 'need' them and parity would suffice but would give them overwhelming force if Putin does double down and the likelihood of him being succeeded by a more extreme nationalist is high. Casualties on both sides are a bit of a guessing game and I'd tend to err nearer to Ukraine's figures but I reckon there's a lot of pain still to come on the front lines and I wouldn't rule out Russia going all in with the real nasties.

[Hellraiser]

Russia needs to be chucked off the UN security council ASAP.

Apparently the voices for total UNSC reform are getting stronger by the day. This war has shown what most people have been saying for decades, that it's totally unfit for purpose.

League of Nations Mark II

[assfly]

League of Nations Mark II

Exactly. I'd like to see China be removed too, but then it will be off balance.

But talk of Germany, India and South Africa being included makes it interesting.

[tabascoboy]

If this is true then how much longer before civil unrest? RU Telegram channels are apparently quite lively, many who supported the "Special Operation" presumably balking at the prospect of being thrown into it. Suggestions are that the newly mobilized will be used for replacement and refreshment of existing units on the basis of a lull over the autumn/winter, expected simply to hold ground while operations on both sides are reduced.

[Hellraiser]

[assfly]

The Guardian have released a very interesting podcast on an interview with a Russian soldier who defected and has released a book about it.

[Raggs]

So the west has until spring to train and equip another 500,000 Ukranian troops, their pilots on F16s and bring into service and send every bit of heavy artillery they can spare.

Scholtz can stop dicking around a being a wiener and supply what Germany promised NOW!! instead of using every excuse he can to hold things up.

Russia needs to be chucked off the UN security council ASAP.

Why do they need all those extra troops? Because of mobilisation?

Yes because of the mobilisation. Probably don't 'need' them and parity would suffice but would give them overwhelming force if Putin does double down and the likelihood of him being succeeded by a more extreme nationalist is high. Casualties on both sides are a bit of a guessing game and I'd tend to err nearer to Ukraine's figures but I reckon there's a lot of pain still to come on the front lines and I wouldn't rule out Russia going all in with the real nasties.

What overwhelming force? They're already using ww2 equipment. What equipment are they giving these extra soldiers? What training? What food? What units are they going to integrate them into? Which officers are going to train/lead them?

It'll be a lot of warm bodies, turning into a lot of cold bodies. Ukraine doesn't need hundreds of thousands of new troops to deal with them.

[Hellraiser]

[Hellraiser]

So the west has until spring to train and equip another 500,000 Ukranian troops, their pilots on F16s and bring into service and send every bit of heavy artillery they can spare.

Scholtz can stop dicking around a being a wiener and supply what Germany promised NOW!! instead of using every excuse he can to hold things up.

Russia needs to be chucked off the UN security council ASAP.

Why do they need all those extra troops? Because of mobilisation?

Yes because of the mobilisation. Probably don't 'need' them and parity would suffice but would give them overwhelming force if Putin does double down and the likelihood of him being succeeded by a more extreme nationalist is high. Casualties on both sides are a bit of a guessing game and I'd tend to err nearer to Ukraine's figures but I reckon there's a lot of pain still to come on the front lines and I wouldn't rule out Russia going all in with the real nasties.

[tabascoboy]

And those already contracted can't now quit at the end of the contract period, so many who thought they'd make some quick money and be back home by winter are now trapped in a contract they can't get out of. Needless to say this requires even harsher punishment for desertion or being caught attempting to surrender. Great way to boost morale!

[Calculon]

So that Putin speech was pretty frightening right?

Only if you're Russian because your country is going to be even more fucked. The Russians threatened nukes if the West supplied weapons to Ukraine, then they threatened nukes if Crimea was attacked, now they are threatening nukes if any of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson or Zaporizhia regions are attacked. Regions they don't even fully control. As someone said, Putin is evil but not mad.

[tabascoboy]

[tabascoboy]

Bear in mind no source for this info is given, but...




If like this one, only very small gatherings but not surprising given the likely reprisals

[Niegs]

[tabascoboy]

Not short of analysis today about Putin's speech, here's another





Read the whole series of tweets easily at https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1572 ... 68288.html

[tabascoboy]

More anti-mobilization protests reported in St Petersburg, Perm, Novosibirsk, Yekatarinberg and other cities. Has to be said the numbers are very small - and mostly women who unlike male counterparts if arrested do not run the risk of being sent to the front lines, but it's the first time we've had such reports of gatherings in many months. Reportedly 115 people arrested, but of course these are not anti-war for the most part.

Many banners and placards replace the part "мобили" (mobili...)with могила - which means grave...

[fishfoodie]

The US Minuteman III launch command silo still has a 5 1/4" floppy drive !

[PornDog]

The US Minuteman III launch command silo still has a 5 1/4" floppy drive !

Not for years...3 years

Plus they were 8" floppy disks - early 70's tech. The 5¼" disks didn't come about until the late 70's

[inactionman]

The foreign fighters, including the British lads who were sentenced to death have been released.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... ked-forces

Rumours are the Saudis were involved in the negotiations.

[GogLais]

I pretty sure I’ve read that the only fairly recently retired Tornado used cassette tapes.

[fishfoodie]

I pretty sure I’ve read that the only fairly recently retired Tornado used cassette tapes.

Christ. That brings me back to loading, (or at least trying to), games on my 2nd hand ZX81. Not a particularly robust technology.

[Flockwitt]

The Russian government has given itself the right to repurpose factories for military production i.e. they have effectively put the country on a total war footing. This mobilisation is open ended, we're not talking about a minor escalation here.

[PCPhil]

A worrying development. There is a reason that all the most technologically advanced equipment has “Made in Russia” labeled on it.

[laurent]

Some Azovstal and Mariupol Officials have been released too

Looks like the recent prisoner captures are being put to use.





and the team baguette Prisoners too

[Flockwitt]

A worrying development. There is a reason that all the most technologically advanced equipment has “Made in Russia” labeled on it.

They’ll just come with a label stating “The Ukrainians are doing the dying not you” I suppose.

[Hellraiser]

[Hellraiser]

I'm in shock. I'm literally in shock.

[fishfoodie]

The Russian government has given itself the right to repurpose factories for military production i.e. they have effectively put the country on a total war footing. This mobilisation is open ended, we're not talking about a minor escalation here.

It's really important, that now there's a comprehensive set of empargos in place; that the consequences of individuals, & companies, breaking those embagos, are so punitive, that the risk / reward proposition, just isn't tenable !

We all know there are shell companies in India, & China, & others, that are ordering tech parts, & funnelling them onto Russia; this always happens with embargos, but it's critical, that people & banks behind these companies understand that they can't just fold up the tents when they get caught, & laugh it off, & nothing will happen.

There has to be a clear line in the sand, that any individual, or institution that breaks these sanctions, is plutonium; i.e. their toxic for the next 20,000 years, & if you do business with them, in any way, shape, or form, then you're radioactive too !!!

There can't be any, nod & wink about breaking sanctions, getting caught, & then just rehabilitating yourself, & your company immediately, & just carrying on like nothing every happened; if you break sanctions, it has to be a death sentance.

[Hellraiser]

215 Azovstal defenders released for 55 Russians and Viktor Medvedchuk.

[Hellraiser]

The Russian government has given itself the right to repurpose factories for military production i.e. they have effectively put the country on a total war footing. This mobilisation is open ended, we're not talking about a minor escalation here.

It's really important, that now there's a comprehensive set of empargos in place; that the consequences of individuals, & companies, breaking those embagos, are so punitive, that the risk / reward proposition, just isn't tenable !

We all know there are shell companies in India, & China, & others, that are ordering tech parts, & funnelling them onto Russia; this always happens with embargos, but it's critical, that people & banks behind these companies understand that they can't just fold up the tents when they get caught, & laugh it off, & nothing will happen.

There has to be a clear line in the sand, that any individual, or institution that breaks these sanctions, is plutonium; i.e. their toxic for the next 20,000 years, & if you do business with them, in any way, shape, or form, then you're radioactive too !!!

There can't be any, nod & wink about breaking sanctions, getting caught, & then just rehabilitating yourself, & your company immediately, & just carrying on like nothing every happened; if you break sanctions, it has to be a death sentance.

You can't simply turn a tractor factory into a tank factory anymore. It's not the 1940s. It's theatrical farce to distract the ultranationalists and vatniks. Any actual attempt at total war would see the Russian economy grind to a halt and collapse in short order.

[fishfoodie]

You can't simply turn a tractor factory into a tank factory anymore. It's not the 1940s. It's theatrical farce to distract the ultranationalists and vatniks. Any actual attempt at total war would see the Russian economy grind to a halt and collapse in short order.

Maybe not, but you can take a tractor factory, & have them use their know how, to repair broken fire control systems, & suspensions, or maybe even, with some training, replace barrels that have had too many rounds thru them !

Electronics repair is a piece of piss, if you have techs who can diagnose basic errors, & then have a bin full of parts they can use to replace the failures !!!

The Russians have thousands of broken tanks, & if they can repair even a percentage of them, they do't need to build any new ones.

[Hellraiser]