Ukraine Watch...

[BritDownUnder]

War is Diplomacy by other means.

[Catweazle]

Putin is going to have a huge problem when his troops return home with stories about the war. Their morale is shot to pieces, who could blame them, and when they spread stories about how unmanned drones found them 40km behind enemy lines and blew them up or how those flagship tanks were opened up like sardine cans by single soldiers 2 miles away the Russian public is going to see through the propaganda.

I can't see how Putin can remain in power, his replacement might have a better attitude towards the west after this demonstration.

[PS_RalphW]

How do Russia transport their fuel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwUkbGHFAhs

A nice bit of nostagia

News has gone a bit quiet on the theatre bombing. One report of 130 people rescued and then nothing. No reports of causalities and no images of rescuers trawling through the rubble. This one is beginning to smell a bit off.

[kenneal - lagger]

His posts all seem in-valid to me!!

[Vortex2]

>> This one is beginning to smell a bit off.

Lot's of things smell a bit off.

[UndercoverElephant]

I still find it incredible just how badly Russia are doing. I think it's clear, the initial plan for for a rapid political decapitation, for the Ukrainian defence to fold in days if not hours and for it all to happen so fast that the West et al wouldn't have time either organise sanctions or significant military support, has failed.

That the first approach failed within the first 48 hrs - what then? If Putin actually wanted to gain control of the considerable natural resource wealth then what's happened over the last two weeks is a terrible approach, the slow grind is hugely damaging to the Russia army, the Russia economy, the Russian political position, the Ukrainian infrastructure and tens (approaching hundred?) of thousands of deaths - for what? This approach *isn't* going to deliver control of the territory and resources. It's just heading towards a military defeat and the end of Russia as a global power (politically, economically etc).

Since Putin is clearly willing to do what he has just done - why not just drop a few small nukes on day three? The *damage* to Russia and possibly even Ukraine might have been less! Very little loss of Russia people or equipment. A few nukes, a few square miles of urban destruction, a decapitation of the Ukrainian leadership and collapse of the Ukrainian army. Russia's global reputation couldn't be much worse than it is already but he would have won the territory. Personally, from both the moral and physical points of view I don't see a massive difference between weeks of conventional artillery pounding a besieged city and a 10kt nuclear detonation.

In short, given where Russia is now and what they have shown themselves capable of, I don't really understand why they wouldn't use small nuclear weapons if the alternative is military defeat.

I think Putin never seriously considered the nuclear option, precisely because he was so confident that Plan A would work. I think it boils down to an extreme miscalculation in terms of both the response from Ukraine and the capability of the Russian armed forces to take control. He thought pure numerical superiority would guarantee victory, just as it did in WW2. What I personally find incredible is that Putin was capable of making such an enormous strategic blunder - that none of his advisors or military personel were both able to see this coming and able to make him understand this. It suggests he has become too detached from those advisors - that his control, and his inflated belief in his own abilities and power, is so absolute that nothing else gets a look in. If so, then this is yet another similarity with Hitler. It was Hitler's downfall.

Which got me googling...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmN4cLRTeX8

[kenneal - lagger]

>> This one is beginning to smell a bit off.

Lot's of things smell a bit off.

That's a symptom of covid. Hope you're OK!!

[kenneal - lagger]

.......................It was Hitler's downfall.

Which got me googling...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmN4cLRTeX8

Putin doesn't let anyone get that close to him though!!

[invalid]

It doesn't look like that anymore. The Russians are having increasingly serious problems resupplying their front line troops with food, fuel and ammunition. Putin is looking for a way out now. The problem is that if this involves territorial concessions the Ukraine may prefer to keep fighting.

Is he, or is it Mr Zelensky, who has already conceded NATO status, who is looking for a way out?

Up to 40000 battle hardened Syrian mercenaries are reported to be on their way to Ukraine/Russia.

[invalid]

His posts all seem in-valid to me!!

I'll take that as a compliment, although I do think highly of your eco-building knowledge.

[Catweazle]

If Syrian mercenaries start killing civilians I won't be at all surprised to see Russian troops changing sides.

[UndercoverElephant]

Is he, or is it Mr Zelensky, who has already conceded NATO status, who is looking for a way out?

You are a Russian troll and I have no idea why your account has not been deleted. WTF Adam? Please remove this person from this board.

[PS_RalphW]

As long as his comments get calm and rational replies I do not see the need to remove him. It helps to keep the debate focused and reduces group think.

[dustiswhatweare]

As long as his comments get calm and rational replies I do not see the need to remove him. It helps to keep the debate focused and reduces group think.

Propaganda is one area where Putin expends much effort, and this particular person has decided his/her best interests lie in going along with whatever the Great Leader decrees. I propose keeping him/her as the forum pet. A ban would only lead to another one popping up. The kindness shown to the pet may eventually subvert it ho ho.

[BritDownUnder]

I thought it was 16,000 Syrians. Now 40,000. Perhaps 100,000 tomorrow. When the bodies start piling up, 14,000 dead Russians and counting, we will have to check which are circumcised assuming their willies are not blown off when their tanks or APCs get flamed.

I would like to see who will pay for the destroyed Ukrainian cities. Maybe some of the oligarchs should pay. Can the US simply take other country's dollar reserves and repatriate them? Who will benefit from the rebuilding. Will it be EU construction firms? Will the UK get a look in?