Ukraine Watch...

[PS_RalphW]

Disinformation is part of every side in every war. Of course we get a positive spin on the news we hear. It is what we don't hear which is more informative - no casualty numbers on the Ukrainian side, for example.

I think it is fair to say we have reached the end of the beginning in this war. The Russians have been repulsed from the North and are losing ground near Karkiv. They are making slow progress in parts of Donbas and Mariapol is finally a political feather for Putin. The war going forward is one of artillery bombardment. In this Russia has the numbers and range advantage for now, western 155mm guns will be needed in bulk to turn that tide, and more anti aircraft and longer range missile systems.

Snake Island is a major target in the Black Sea, Ukraine really needs to destroy the Russian garrison to keep the remaining coast safe.

This is now a war of attrition.

[Stumuz2]

Now a simple question. Was the intelligence that said 150K Russian troops with equipment was waiting on the Russian/Belarus border preparing to invade Ukraine, western disinformation?

Don't you understand that whether that particular bit of intelligence was or wasn't disinformation doesn't preclude there being a wider campaign of disinformation?

So western intelligence stating that 150K Russian troops with equipment waiting on the Russian/Belarus border preparing to invade Ukraine, was part of a wider campaign of disinformation? Correct?

[Catweazle]

So western intelligence stating that 150K Russian troops with equipment waiting on the Russian/Belarus border preparing to invade Ukraine, was part of a wider campaign of disinformation? Correct?

You're the only person here saying that, it's a common feature of your posts - you pick a small point and keep on about it until it obscures a bigger picture.

[Stumuz2]

Bit like building a house. Make sure the foundations are strong and the structure will stay up.
If the premise is false, the conclusions are on shaky ground.

It's always a good way to strip facts from waffle.

[PS_RalphW]

Google's Russian bank account has been frozen, effectively shutting down Google, youtube etc. in Russia.

Russian says google has been spreading misinformation about its special military operation in Ukraine

[Mark]

Google's Russian bank account has been frozen, effectively shutting down Google, youtube etc. in Russia.

Russian says google has been spreading misinformation about its special military operation in Ukraine

Russia has it's own version of Youtube (called Rutube, I think), but apparently it only hosts Putin propaganda videos....
I guess they have, or soon will have, a poor mans equivalent to Google - maybe it's called Roogle ?
Tech pull-outs and sanctions will soon cripple Russia, regardless of them being able to sell some of their oil/gas for roubles....

[clv101]

Google's Russian bank account has been frozen, effectively shutting down Google, youtube etc. in Russia.

Russian says google has been spreading misinformation about its special military operation in Ukraine

Russia has it's own version of Youtube (called Rutube, I think), but apparently it only hosts Putin propaganda videos....
I guess they have, or soon will have, a poor mans equivalent to Google - maybe it's called Roogle ?
Tech pull-outs and sanctions will soon cripple Russia, regardless of them being able to sell some of their oil/gas for roubles....

Collapse now and avoid the rush, remember? We're all going to lose YouTube and Google one day - those who lost them years earlier *may* come out the other side in better shape. Maybe.

[Vortex2]

Joe Biden is poised to force Russia into its first international default for a century by making it impossible for the Kremlin to pay bond investors in dollars.

also

Lord Robertson said Britain and other nations should be careful with their language because the Russian leader now has a “dangerous mind-set” and could escalate his response.

Putin's finger must be hovering over that Red Button.

[invalid]

Bit like building a house. Make sure the foundations are strong and the structure will stay up.
If the premise is false, the conclusions are on shaky ground.

It's always a good way to strip facts from waffle.

At this stage it's only your own straw house collapsing

[Catweazle]

Collapse now and avoid the rush, remember? We're all going to lose YouTube and Google one day - those who lost them years earlier *may* come out the other side in better shape. Maybe.

I bought a piece of software for Youtube called "4K Downloader". It captures youtube videos and stores them locally. I find tutorial videos very useful, on subjects from CAD to gardening, so I'm building up a library of my favourites.

[Vortex2]

I find tutorial videos very useful, on subjects from CAD to gardening, so I'm building up a library of my favourites.

Keep the disk drive, and something to view the videos, in an EMP proof box.

[Catweazle]

I find tutorial videos very useful, on subjects from CAD to gardening, so I'm building up a library of my favourites.

Keep the disk drive, and something to view the videos, in an EMP proof box.

Definitely will keep a secure copy, but more likely they'll be useful when I can no longer afford broadband or youtube content is pay-per-view.

[Vortex2]

I find tutorial videos very useful, on subjects from CAD to gardening, so I'm building up a library of my favourites.

Keep the disk drive, and something to view the videos, in an EMP proof box.

Definitely will keep a secure copy, but more likely they'll be useful when I can no longer afford broadband or youtube content is pay-per-view.

... which is why I have been collecting 100s of films on DVD.

All my family and friends who are now 100% cloud based will regret their life choices when The End arrives ... or they run out of money.

[adam2]

Russia claims to have used a laser weapon to shoot down a Ukrainian drone.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61508922

Probably a propaganda claim, but might just be true.

Lasers have been "about to be the next big thing" in weaponry for decades.

In most situations, conventional projective weapons, ranging from hand guns, to machine guns, up to artillery retain the advantages of relatively low cost, familiarity, and simplicity. Anyone with basic commonsense and after a little instruction can maintain and use such weapons.

The main military advantage of a laser weapon is silence and hard for the other lot to detect use of same. A single "shot" with a powerful laser could destroy enemy fuel stores, or ammunition dumps from a great distance and LEAVING NO TRACE. The enemy might blame the consequences on an accident or on local sabotage, rather than on enemy action.

The advantage from the terrorists point of view is that lasers are not firearms and need no licence, yet.

We are a long way from a laser that can kill a person, even at short range, being as cheap, simple, and portable as a pistol

[Catweazle]

We are a long way from a laser that can kill a person, even at short range, being as cheap, simple, and portable as a pistol

From a military perspective a blind enemy soldier is as good as a shot enemy soldier, that's what laser weapons will be designed for.