Ukraine Invasion: Part 24

[MagicFox]

Welcome one and all and thanks again to everyone contributing

Funnily enough that how the February Revolution in 1917 started.

The Russians are used to their relative freedom now. I can't see them giving that up. Even if some of them have fallen for the propaganda, there's nothing like a bit of fear of being cannon fodder - which is all they'll be - to focus their minds and see where the enemy really lies.

Just because Putin wants, doesn't mean Putin gets. He might be hunkering down for the long run but will his army? I've always felt that part of the solution has to be an uprising in the Russian army as opposed to the Russian population. You can lull civilians into a false sense of security when they are sat at home watching telly, you can't lie to the hungry soldier watching his peers be obliterated. You can't deny the shit show when you're covered in shit.

Lesia Vasylenko AT lesiavasylenko
#putin is looking more and more like a decaying mummy. All that evil leaves a definite trace

Don't mince your words!

Yeah, he's definitely on the way out. They must have used undertakers cosmetics applied with a trowel on him 😄

He's still living in the 1940s so it's high time he went 😊 go and hang out in hell with old Adolf and his lot.

Putin is doing what most people do when they think they are too far gone and out of options - he keeps going hoping to stumble over an opportunity/a bit of luck/unforseen solution, etc. He's hoping there will be an economic crisis and we'll get tired, or China changes its mind, or India/Iran/whoever decides to help him, etc. If he backs down now, then that one chance in a million becomes zero. So he keeps going. At a massive cost, but he doesn't care. At the moment a defeat of his ego is a greater evil for him than lives of 10s of thousands of people.

If he was smart, he'd ask for ceasefire or similar, regroup his military and let economy to adjust, and hit harder. But I think that he, Russian military, and Russian economy are all running out of time. And he's probably too proud anyway. So the only option for him is to keep going.

⚡Unconfirmed reports from #Mariupol:

One of the #Russian bombs penetrated a bunker at #Azovstal. Large number of casualties.

No further details at the moment.

Noooo 😢😢😢

"If he was smart, he'd ask for ceasefire or similar, regroup his military and let economy to adjust, and hit harder. But I think that he, Russian military, and Russian economy are all running out of time. And he's probably too proud anyway. So the only option for him is to keep going"

I don't think Ukraine will accept that. I don't think Ukraine's allies will accept that now. At least, I bloody hope not!

No, I don't think so either. But it was one of my biggest fears early on, when everyone kept talking about peace talks. It's too late for that now.

It's how the 1917 revolution happened.

However...even if Putin is deposed, I am sceptical that his successor would be any better. The Russian system seems intent on churning out despots to rule as it's a large land mass with two major cities and several different ethnic groups. Galeev on twitter did a good job the other day (with a lot of graphs) pointing out it's mostly the very poor ethnic minorities that are dying in the war; not the affluent "pure" Russian middle class in the cities. This has a twofold purpose; it uses up available men who are struggling with the economy (the birth rate is slightly higher there than the cities) and preserves the cultural/political 'white' capital that Putin thinks of as Russian.

Exactly owls.

The fear of the Russian army is well and truly debunked.

Their atrocities can never be forgiven or forgotten. Giving them an inch of Ukrainian soil is an insult and abhorrence to humanity

If the intelligence committee are broadcasting "we are in for a long war," they are saying to everyone "no, we are not going to back down."

Now, it could plod along as a war of attrition for the next two decades. After all, North Korea, Venuzuala and Iran all manage. Having said that, no one has seen this level of sanctions before and I reckon they are biting home behind the scenes.

Every day Putin continues is another day closer to the end of Europe's energy dependence on him.

I can't tell you how upset I've been about the steel works people, both soldiers and civilians 😥 I'm sick to my stomach over it. Not much gets to me, but this is just terrible. I don't know what to say anymore.

The soldiers at the steel works are the epitome of Ukrainian bravery. They've performed a fucking miracle.

They deserve to be saved. I know it could be high cost but they have fought so bravely and have never given up. Morale is one of the biggest tools in an army. These guys are morale.

Imagine them being saved then fighting alongside us in the future. OR them being saved, regrouping then Russia trying it again. Good luck with that. They are too valuable to be lost. It's like us losing our SAS

They are like the Ghurkas!

My stomach lurched at reading this. I hope it is not true but dreading the worse.

God help them. They are so alone. What can't we do anything to save them 😓

Not surprised and would explain his smug “neutral” stance yesterday “duper’s delight” - the sick psychopath smirk - because he knows everyone is highly strung hanging on his every word and he was calm because he knew what he had planned. Pure evil.

I don’t know if any of you saw the wife of a steelworks soldier interviewed on NewsNight last night - it was heartbreaking.,

"we are in for a long war," seems to read "we can't be fucked to make it a short war"
Ukraine deserves better, Russia invaded them. Their DNA, character and resolve seems quite admirable. Without heading down the eugenics path, we need more people / nations like this.

I agree pestor. This need not be a long war.

I still stand by what I said on day one. Go in, go hard, get rid. Sorted. Even more so now as Putins military is, well, shite.

I can't tell you how upset I've been about the steel works people, both soldiers and civilians 😥 I'm sick to my stomach over it. Not much gets to me, but this is just terrible. I don't know what to say anymore.

It is beyond tragic. It will be an eternal regret that they were not saved.

I almost never post on these threads as usually I have nothing to say that doesn't seem irrelevant or self-indulgent, but I'd just like to thank everyone who posts links and information.

Well said. It is not too late to go in hard and finish the job.

Oooo there's a blacklist on Twitter I'm honoured to be on 😂😂😂

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation · 10/05/2022 21:26

“TiddyTidTwo
⚡Unconfirmed reports from #Mariupol:

One of the #Russian bombs penetrated a bunker at #Azovstal. Large number of casualties.

No further details at the moment.

Noooo 😢😢😢”

I can't tell you how upset I've been about the steel works people, both soldiers and civilians 😥 I'm sick to my stomach over it. Not much gets to me, but this is just terrible. I don't know what to say anymore.

The same here, Barrow.

The pathetic bullies. All they have to do is shoot missiles at the steel plant night and day for weeks from the sea with no one to stop them.

They’ll do this to Odesa no doubt to and make it the next Mariupol.

Hopefully this bill gets passed tonight

Connor O'Brien
@connorobrienNH
·
1h
The $40B Ukraine supplemental includes $19.8B for DoD, ~$3.4B more than Biden sought. That includes:
-$8.7B to replenish stocks
-$6B for Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative
-$3.9B for EUCOM support
-$600M for Defense Production Act
-$550M for critical munitions and exports

Scrolling are these attacks coming from the Black Sea? If so, why the fuck is Russia controlling the Black Sea? I don't get it