Ukraine Invasion: Part 55

[MagicFox]

We're on 55. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦 That last one went quickly!

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Thats terrible. I don't understand why the US and others seem to be turning their backs so aggressively on Ukraine who did not start this war.

The world needs to find an alternative fast, so the Poles can reinvest their money in ethical sources that behave towards customers with decency if nothing else.

Is this the customer service level you can expect from Musks companies?

As I think was mentioned in a previous post the Europeans, in the shape of Eutelsat, are trying to offer up an alternative or a parallel system to Starlink but doing so will take time Ukraine probably doesn’t have.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/03/07/eutelsat-in-talks-to-increase-satellite-terminals-in-ukraine-amid-starlink-service-concern

That is unbelievably rude. What an utter knob Musk is. I hope to see him torn down in some way very soon. He's completely insufferable.
And he has no understanding of history and how people like him tend to end their days. I'm thinking of the deaths of people like Mussolini, and Gaddafi. Humiliating and ignominious ends brought about because they themselves humiliated and crushed so many others. What a fool he is.

Even before the 2022 invasion I was wondering about the wisdom of giving Musk too much of an ‘in’ with key services. How he was allowed to build up so much clout after the Thai cave rescue debacle remains a mystery to me.

In words I usually save for Putin - Donald Trump go fuck your self!:

from Sky:
Donald Trump has privately made it clear to aides that a signed minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv won't be enough to restart aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, our US partner network NBC News reports.

Trump is said to want the deal signed, but also wants to see a change in Volodymyr Zelenskyy's attitude towards peace talks.

Officials have told NBC News that Trump also wants Zelenskyy to make some movement towards holding elections in Ukraine and possibly stepping down as his country's leader

Where's Luigi when we need him?

It's not a surprise. That's classic abuse is it not? Do this one thing and I'll love you, you didn't do it right, but if you do this I'll love you. You didn't do this right, so I'm going to withhold this from you until you do better.

It doesn't matter at this point what Zelensky does, Trump still won't reinstate support, I don't believe he ever had any intention of doing so, and Trump will continue to move the goalposts.

Ukraine and Europe need to be moving fast to fill the gaps. I'm nor convinced our leaders have realised this yet, although they are getting there. It's all too slow.

Agree 100%

https://kyivindependent.com/trump-wont-resume-ukraine-military-aid-after-signing-of-minerals-deal-nbc-news-reports/

Does anyone know what the UK are doing in terms of our own defence? Depending on the US for intel and nuclear no longer feels like a sensible or sustainable option.

And there is a special place in hell for Putin,Trump and Musk

It's really looking that way isn't it.

They want elections, who is it that they want to take over? I'm guessing they have someone in mind.

@dibly

Does anyone know what the UK are doing in terms of our own defence?

I suspect/hope that for starters a lot of midnight oil is being burnt at places like MoD rethinking and rewriting the Strategic Defence Review that was due to be published this spring.

Certainly going to be interesting to see if for example the top up of RAF fighters due in the near future is going to be another batch of F-35s (US built) or a tranche of Typhoons (UK/Europe).

In some circles there’s always been a bit of grumbling about the amount of info the F-35 sends back to “Mum” (Lockheed Martin and who knows who else Stateside) as part of the routine maintenance processes…TBH whilst this might be heading into tin-foil hat territory I think trust has eroded so far there might be worries there’s a kill switch hidden in some of the coding onboard..

Depending on the US for intel and nuclear no longer feels like a sensible or sustainable option

Pains me to say it but agreed…it’s going to be tough for some to swallow but the UK is going to have to work closer with some of our European allies than we have tended to in the past…but cooperating on nuclear and intel will bring all sorts of niche problems, which the grown ups will have to solve, and quickly.

Rather amusingly Trump's aids talked to two of the bigger opposition leaders in Ukraine. Who promptly told them that the Ukrainian constitution did not allow for elections in wartime, and they would only stand after the war is over.

@notimagain thanks for setting out those steps. In order to shore up our defence, it feels like we have to build the tanker and then turn it around. From my civilian perspective, it is hard to visualise how and what needs to be done other than we should have done this yesterday and now find the money for it. So thanks for explaining. I am worried for Ukraine.

Thanks @notimagain agree with all of that. Somewhat comforted in John Healey so far being clearheaded, and Ben Wallace staying close to events in Ukraine and the US, but I really want us to learn a lesson from this, and the defence review gives that opportunity.

The Times are reporting that Georgescu has been barred from the Romanian election

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-9-2025

Key Takeaways:

• Russian forces are collapsing the northern part of the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast following several days of intensified Russian activity in the area.
• The temporal correlation between the suspension of US intelligence sharing with Ukraine and the start of Russia's collapse of the Ukrainian Kursk salient is noteworthy.
• Reports about the extent of the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine continue to indicate that the suspension will likely affect Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia.
• Ukraine's European allies continue to provide material and financial aid to Ukraine.
• Russia continues to showcase its deepening relations with American adversaries despite ongoing bilateral talks between the United States and Russia.
• Ukrainian forces advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy and Kursk oblasts and near Siversk, Toretsk, Kurakhove, and Robotyne.

How can the UK disentangle itself from the reliance on tech for Trident?

As i understand it, the UK cannot, by itself do the necessary mtce on these missiles.

What about its replacement?

Obviously a lot of info on Trident is (rightly) not in the public domain so a lot of comment on this, both in Social Media and the MSM is guessing..a

About the only thing in the public domain that we do know for certain is that the UK is absolutely relies on the US for the missile bodies (as I guess you know the one’s on the UK boats are borrowed from the US and rotated to/from the US as required) so it’s a fair guess that there’s little to nil expertise in maintaining those UK side.

I think as it stands there are going to be lots of questions asked about any UK replacement….

The obvious comparison is with the French system -that is completely indigenous, and also unlike the UK the French Air Force still has aircraft and weapons operating in mainly a tactical/sub-strategic nuclear role…but it costs…….

Seems that France was much more long-sighted than the UK. I'm afraid UK's clung to the US coat tails with its 'special relationship' like a faded old actress hanging onto the glorious new star. It's harsh, but true.

Well, yes we can say that now but remember also, France was, effectively, out of NATO for many years, it had no choice in developing its own systems.

Who would have believed that someone like Trump would be POTUS? likely a Russian sympathiser...or worse, turning 80 years of post WW2 policy on its head, in just over a month.

But its also v true, the UK believes in the Special Relationship when it never really existed for the Americans.

‪Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦‬- MAR 10, 2025
■ Record for total equipment & drones
■ Engagements & casualties above the 7-day average
■ Officers: +56 two-week batch; 4.3 per day for last four batches
■ Most 🇺🇦 strikes in seven weeks, single-digit strike ratio