2022: The year the world returns to war?

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

The picture . . . The font on the News Ticker is way to clarified for the image. Big red flags.

"Some day, the media will actually tell the truth. The problem is, no one will pay any attention."

Thanks for the advice with a fake picture

I'm so sorry my Photoshop skills don't pass. I'm still learning.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

What's your source for the picture?

It looks like the image is a screen shot taken from the beginning of this video about Russia interference in the American election.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/01/polit...ion/index.html

[Locke]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Sources are saying the invasion will happen before the end of Olympics
https://www.cnn.com/webview/europe/l...1d5bba3b6aa70a

Everyone knows that the best invasions are the well publicized ones.

"Hey Ukraine, we're going to invade, when is good for you? Before the Olympics are over? Cool? We'll have our people call your people we'll do lunch! Then we're going to take all your perogies and borscht. Sorry about that. Dasvedanya."

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Baron von Kriterium

What do you think? What do you honestly think is going to happen?

Well Biden did call an urgent meeting with NATO allies and heads of EU councils/commissions this morning. I don't have any idea, just reposting news.

If Putin invades, his situation at home is substantially weaker than he is letting on. He's pushing things far closer to the brink than before. Putin wants to retire rich though and get away with all the money's he's laundered off his Gazprom natural gas kickback schemes and what not, I don't see how invading would help that goal and stabilize his retirement plans.

Originally Posted by Locke

Everyone knows that the best invasions are the well publicized ones.

"Hey Ukraine, we're going to invade, when is good for you? Before the Olympics are over? Cool? We'll have our people call your people we'll do lunch! Then we're going to take all your perogies and borscht. Sorry about that. Dasvedanya."

US had Intel on Russian troop movements when they invaded Crimea last time and not leaking allowed the Russians to play that "it's just pro-Russian separatists and vacationing Russian citizens". Guessing US officials leaking this to the press is deliberate to counter potential repeat disinformation and deter round 2.

[FlameOn]

More news on the Russian Freedom Convoy heading to Ukraine. Der Speigel is reporting US Intelligence and State department provided detailed Ukraine invasion plans w/ Feb 16th being the possible date on their Friday intelligence meeting with EU allies and German government that was corroborated by their own sources.

This is counter intelligence campaign by the Americans publishing this much info seems to be doing its job and limiting Putin's hand. He either needs to back off now and look weak, or he attacks while completely losing the element of surprise with basically everyone knowing exactly how, when, and where he plans to strike. Also will bring most European allies on side. Wonder if Putin will still play this off as a training exercise.

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deuts...2-2edc64c04adf

[AltaGuy]

Yeah, it does seem as if the Americans are publicizing any move or potential move of Russia on purpose. Apparently, the US kept a plethora of intelligence information private prior to the invasion of Crimea, and regretted that decision immensely. As it is, continually publishing everything they have seems to be frustrating Putin, and limiting the chances of a staged "crisis" that Russia might use for pretext.

Now, if Russia does indeed go, it looks far more like naked aggression.

[JoseCuervo]

Originally Posted by AltaGuy

Yeah, it does seem as if the Americans are publicizing any move or potential move of Russia on purpose. Apparently, the US kept a plethora of intelligence information private prior to the invasion of Crimea, and regretted that decision immensely. As it is, continually publishing everything they have seems to be frustrating Putin, and limiting the chances of a staged "crisis" that Russia might use for pretext.

Now, if Russia does indeed go, it looks far more like naked aggression.

It’s a smart plan, expose the false flag narratives before they can launch one.

[Huntingwhale]

Russia said Tuesday that some units participating in military exercises would begin returning to their bases, adding to glimmers of hope that the Kremlin may not be planning to invade Ukraine imminently, though it gave no details on the pullback.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-uk...de08e26b9f62c1

But as the Ukrainians say:

“Russia constantly makes various statements,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. “That’s why we have the rule: We won’t believe when we hear, we’ll believe when we see. When we see troops pulling out, we’ll believe in de-escalation.”

My wife's family lives a couple km from the border north of Kharkiv and she is a mess everyday with this entire ordeal. Not going to pretend this terrible 'prank' is over and hopefully I'm not jinxing things by posting this, but at the very least the smallest slimmer of hope as everyday has been a nightmare for us.

[Cheese]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1493565540228546561

[JoseCuervo]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

https://apnews.com/article/russia-uk...de08e26b9f62c1

But as the Ukrainians say:

My wife's family lives a couple km from the border north of Kharkiv and she is a mess everyday with this entire ordeal. Not going to pretend this terrible 'prank' is over and hopefully I'm not jinxing things by posting this, but at the very least the smallest slimmer of hope as everyday has been a nightmare for us.

Oh man that has to be so hard. I can’t imagine. Wishing the best for them and everyone else in Ukraine. I find it hard to believe a word Russia says, but let’s hope this time there is a sliver of truth.

With less the 24 hours until the invasion is scheduled to start per US intelligence, I wouldn’t be surprised if now is when Russia releases a narrative of “We were pulling back our troops but Ukraine attacked us here” (some sort of made up attack), followed by the planned invasion.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by JoseCuervo

Oh man that has to be so hard. I can’t imagine. Wishing the best for them and everyone else in Ukraine. I find it hard to believe a word Russia says, but let’s hope this time there is a sliver of truth.

With less the 24 hours until the invasion is scheduled to start per US intelligence, I wouldn’t be surprised if now is when Russia releases a narrative of “We were pulling back our troops but Ukraine attacked us here” (some sort of made up attack), followed by the planned invasion.

I'm more along the lines of 'two Ukranian regions have declared independence and we are moving in to assist them'.

[FlameOn]

Russian state media TASS is reporting thrwarting "terrorist" attacks against Russian civilians in Eastern Ukraine. We were expecting a casus belli soon, seems like this might be it and on schedule. These FSB guys are clowns. They are literally using the same playbook that put Putin in power with the explosives attacking civilians play with the last Chechen war. Putin's using this and claiming without any evidence that there's "genocide" going on.

The Russian TASS news site reported that an attempted terrorist attack had been thwarted in Luhansk, a city controlled by pro-Russian separatists in the disputed Donbas region, on Tuesday, amid continuing concerns of a possible Russian invasion into Ukraine.

The report claimed that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian special services may have been involved.

According to the report, an improvised explosive device was discovered in a trash can in the city where a rally for the Russian Memorial Day of soldiers-internationalists, which commemorates those soldiers who fell while operating abroad, was planned.

The Ministry of State Security of the Luhansk People's Republic stated that the alleged explosive device could have caused civilian casualties if it had not been found and neutralized.

The alleged IED was made of a mobile phone, electronic detonator, two TNT blocks and metal rods, according to the report.

During a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that "what is happening in the Donbass is genocide.

https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-696579

[undercoverbrother]

#### Russia

[Ozy_Flame]

How convenient the 'attack' happened in the same areas Russia has major buildup of troops ready to deploy at a pin-drop notice, in a place Russia claims is theirs to defend, AND a day before they have been rumored to walk into Ukraine! The timing couldn't have worked out more perfect!

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

How convenient the 'attack' happened in the same areas Russia has major buildup of troops ready to deploy at a pin-drop notice, in a place Russia claims is theirs to defend, AND a day before they have been rumored to walk into Ukraine! The timing couldn't have worked out more perfect!

Yea, these troop positions paint a pretty clear picture why all the rich Oligarch's evacuated.

[Ozy_Flame]

My guess is if they pull the trigger, one of their many goals for an invasion of Ukraine is to try and close off Ukrainian access to the Sea of Azov and put a land bridge of Russian highways between Rostov-on-Don and Crimea.

Big task to do it, but wouldn't be surprised to see it.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

#### Russia

They’re so weird. I can’t understand it. From Olympic stuff to this, pure weirdness.

[CroFlames]

I don't know why in my mind I always picture Belarus as a small country geographically, and Ukraine as massive.

That map makes Belarus look huge. Or Ukraine small. Can't tell.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

They’re so weird. I can’t understand it. From Olympic stuff to this, pure weirdness.

I always pictured some gritty former cold war era, KGB agent drilling out the wall to switch out the pee samples thinking to himself: "Sigh, I graduated top of my class at Academy of Foreign Intelligence for THIS??!?! Ew! sample still warm.".

Never understood what Russia or Putin's obsession with Olympics after having been caught cheating so many times.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I don't know why in my mind I always picture Belarus as a small country geographically, and Ukraine as massive.

That map makes Belarus look huge. Or Ukraine small. Can't tell.

Ukraine used to be bigger, maybe your brain remembers that...