Russian invasion of Ukraine

[taust68]

That was an astonishing loss. Was reading about it elsewhere - as someone said, and it made sense to this non-military expert, one of the hardest military manoeuvres to execute is crossing a river where you don't control both banks. At the start of the war, when it was believed that Russia would win and win quickly, such a move would have looked like complacent arrogance. In the light of the Russian armed forces' performance it now looks just desperate.

It sounds like they are using world war 2 tactics in the 21st century, no way this will work with drones and the accuracy of modern day artillery

[Puff Daddy]

It sounds like they are using world war 2 tactics in the 21st century, no way this will work with drones and the accuracy of modern day artillery

... and pre ww2 hardware apparently, as well as paper maps sellotaped to the dashboards in their aircraft. This according to the Ukrainians who shot down their planes

[MB]

Re the bridges, the Russians have successfully put up half a dozen or so of these during the war so far. Takes a couple of hours.

Sounds like (based mostly on one dodgy twitter thread which then asks for money...) that the Ukrainians worked out where this one was going to be and could therefore still blow it up even though visibility was zero (due to smoke grenades and the Russians setting fire to the trees and crops near by).

With hindsight it looks daft, but if those troops had got across and deployed then the Ukrainians would have been in all sorts of trouble.

[MB]

Russians equipping their allies with Second World War weapons and helmets. Also stories that they were not allowed to cross the border into Russia when retreating!

[taust68]

Just goes to show how much the Russian government cares about its people if it is sending soldiers of to fight with this equipment, probably they would be badly trained as well

[York Ham(mer)]

Story in The Times about Putin supposedly having blood cancer.

Putin has blood cancer, oligarch recorded saying

[The Old Man of Storr]

As Vladimir Putin threatens Ukraine with Nuclear Missiles the Ukrainians reveal their Secret Weapon -

[MB]

Just goes to show how much the Russian government cares about its people if it is sending soldiers of to fight with this equipment, probably they would be badly trained as well

That's the thing mate, these are the separatists not Russian soldiers.

The Russians are using them as cannon fodder. Makes a mockery of the whole idea that Russia is supporting them with their move for independence when they are using them as a meat shield. How willing these lads fight is also being questioned.

[Row X]

The Swedes now applying to join NATO, not really gone the way Putin wanted has it, or has it gone perfectly? Now he can start saying the Russian public that he was right and ramp up more attacks.

[EvilC]

The Swedes now applying to join NATO, not really gone the way Putin wanted has it, or has it gone perfectly? Now he can start saying the Russian public that he was right and ramp up more attacks.

Attacks on whom? I cannot imagine that what he wanted when he rolled the tanks in was an expanded NATO and unified West. He has spent a lot of time and effort trying to get the opposite of that.

[vietnammer]

Attacks on whom? I cannot imagine that what he wanted when he rolled the tanks in was an expanded NATO and unified West. He has spent a lot of time and effort trying to get the opposite of that.

That's kind of what Row X was saying though. It's clear now, and it would have been better if it was clear in the cold war, that the days of rolling over a huge area and controlling it are gone. Idiot Putin with memories of history lessons with cannons and horses and Peter the Great is learning the hard way - even after his and other countries have failed in Afghanistan, Vietnam and the British Empire in East Africa. An outrageous aspect of this war is that it is so out-of-date

[MB]

Not sure it is that out of date. If the thrust on Kyiv had been successful then it may have been a different story. Cut off the head and all the resources etc flooding in now may not have happened.

Any different to the US drive on Baghdad other than the ability and kit?

You can also understand why some NATO countries are still worried. Take Estonia for example. The land mass captured by the Russians on day one in the Ukraine was larger than Estonia!

Not sure being on the "winning" side helps much in that scenario.

Same for casualties. Would the British army endure the types of losses the Ukrainians are? No one knows the numbers, but it is well into the thousands.

Yes Russia has a bloody nose, but I'm not sure things have changed as much as some hope.

[EvilC]

That's kind of what Row X was saying though. It's clear now, and it would have been better if it was clear in the cold war, that the days of rolling over a huge area and controlling it are gone. Idiot Putin with memories of history lessons with cannons and horses and Peter the Great is learning the hard way - even after his and other countries have failed in Afghanistan, Vietnam and the British Empire in East Africa. An outrageous aspect of this war is that it is so out-of-date

But if the idea was to ramp up more attacks, who is he going to attack?

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

Turkey to veto Finland and Sweden NATO membership

For Finland and Sweden to join Nato, all 30 existing members must say yes. But for now, one is saying no.

President Erdogan says he won’t agree to admit countries which apply sanctions on Turkey.

Sweden suspended arms sales to Turkey three years ago, following Ankara’s military intervention in Syria. And according to the official Turkish news agency, both Finland and Sweden have rejected dozens of requests to extradite Kurdish militants who Turkey describes as terrorists.

Both countries are sending delegations to Ankara to try and solve the problem, but President Erdogan says they shouldn’t bother.

He seems determined to extract a price for his precious vote. On Sunday, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he was confident that Finland and Sweden would both join, despite Turkish objections.

The issue is likely to dominate discussions between Mr Blinken and his Turkish opposite number in Washington on Wednesday.

Having encouraged the two Nordic countries to apply, Washington won’t want to let them down at the 11th hour.

He'd get on well in the DUP

[Rays Rock]

Turkey to veto Finland and Sweden NATO membership

Ahh, here we go, once somebody starts going against what the alliance would want or looks like one of the members is doing Russias bidding from within, that’s when you have a perfect recipe for a world war.

[MB]

Ahh, here we go, once somebody starts going against what the alliance would want or looks like one of the members is doing Russias bidding from within, that’s when you have a perfect recipe for a world war.

The same Turkey who have been selling kit to Ukraine?

No they want something and will leverage this to get it. Probably involves selling out the Kurds (it usually does...)

[Hummer_I_mean_Hammer]

The same Turkey who have been selling kit to Ukraine?

No they want something and will leverage this to get it. Probably involves selling out the Kurds (it usually does...)

Unequivocal entry into the EU?

[Tenbury]

..... but they don't want anything to do with Sweden or Finland..

[MB]

Putin alleged to be directing combat operations from his bunker. Per sources he is taking decisions “you’d normally expect a Colonel to take”

Why do I think I’ve seen this before

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

^^^Wasn't he a corporal