Russia invades Ukraine

[flames_fan_down_under]

As has been shown with the USA in Afghanistan, manpower and military strength and invading is one thing, but maintaining control is a completely different ball game.

[Minnie]

Oh joy.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1496911887493124100

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Putin is not going to jump to the nuclear option. That's all bluster. He knows the second he launches a nuclear missile Russia will be a smoldering ruin. He's insane, but he isn't crazy.

He's both. He's a 70 year old nut job who wants to rebuild the USSR, no doubt nukes are on the table, especially small scale tactical or battlefield nukes

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

Originally Posted by minnie

oh joy.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1496911887493124100

f***ck

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by nik-

The difference is the length of the supply chain. Just because a politician is generally a clown doesn't mean that everything he says is wrong, or ill timed.

Whatever makes you feel better.

[JJolg]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I think its important to realise while Russia can roll through the Ukraine it doesnt have the manpower or resources to hold it, the Country is big and Russia is poor, the cost of this will likely bankrupt Russia

Russia is doing pretty good for the last while, especially with the price of oil. Putin has built up a army without spending like the US and getting into debt.. Plus he has military in Belarus to do dirty work

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by FormerPresJamesTaylor

He's both. He's a 70 year old nut job who wants to rebuild the USSR, no doubt nukes are on the table, especially small scale tactical or battlefield nukes

It's semantics at this point, but I think he's more interested in rebuilding the Russian Empire than the USSR. He wants to dominate former USSR republics, not be in union with them.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Minnie

Oh joy.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1496911887493124100

As much as I earlier said I was concerned about the ramifications of this for Taiwan, this is a non-event. This happens quite frequently, and the Taiwan air defence zone extends a significant distance over mainland China. Geographically speaking, it would be like Mexico getting worked up because the US Air Force flew some Jets over south Texas.

EDIT: Here's a map showing the ADIZ.

Spoiler!

[djsFlames]

Fk off China.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

As has been shown with the USA in Afghanistan, manpower and military strength and invading is one thing, but maintaining control is a completely different ball game.

I think it's unreasonable to assume the zealous desire to resist by the citizenry of Ukraine is going to be anywhere near that of Afghanistan. Afghanistan had been fighting for 30 years by the time the US got there. It wasn't the same shock to the system.

[peter12]

Where are the reports that Ukraine is putting up a "hell of a fight?" Seems like most of their heavy assets have already been wiped out.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I think its important to realise while Russia can roll through the Ukraine it doesnt have the manpower or resources to hold it, the Country is big and Russia is poor, the cost of this will likely bankrupt Russia

CIA will be funding and providing support for the Ukrainian insurgency when the government falls. I would be surprised if plans didn't already exist somewhere in the alphabet agencies and the Pentagon. Comments by former Pentagon officials point to that.

Plus all western government projections point to Russia needing 3x the number of troops than Russia's currently committed to hold Ukraine. Russia's likely going to topple the current Ukrainian government, and try to set up a puppet government of some kind under Yanukovych and his former minions. Then they'll need to ship in a ton more troops in or risk a long protracted Russian blood bath.

In the days to come, the C.I.A. will assesses what kind of assistance it can provide to Ukraine. If a Ukrainian resistance develops in parts of the country that Russia seeks to control, the agency could secretly supply partisan forces with intelligence and, potentially, armaments.

“We need to support the resistance to the invasion and the occupation in all ways possible,” said Mick Mulroy, a former C.I.A. paramilitary officer and senior Pentagon official in the Trump administration. “Our special operations and intelligence assets with an extensive knowledge base from 20 years of fighting insurgencies should be put to immediate use.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/u...hats-next.html

I wonder if part of Putin's plan was to destabilize Europe by creating a massive humanitarian crisis on their doorsteps.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by peter12

Where are the reports that Ukraine is putting up a "hell of a fight?" Seems like most of their heavy assets have already been wiped out.

It’s entirely subjective language anyway. They are fighting back, because of course they would. They must. But they’re still in deep trouble.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I think its important to realise while Russia can roll through the Ukraine it doesnt have the manpower or resources to hold it, the Country is big and Russia is poor, the cost of this will likely bankrupt Russia

The regime has built up a reserve of $600b for just this sort of eventuality, so bankruptcy is not happening any time soon. But long-term, you’re right - Russia doesn’t have the resources to permanently occupy all of a hostile Ukraine, or the public support for sustained casualties.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by peter12

Where are the reports that Ukraine is putting up a "hell of a fight?" Seems like most of their heavy assets have already been wiped out.

I think it's more that Ukraine is fighting back and Russia has suffered some losses. They didn't put down weapons and let them walk in. It was always going to end the same way.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by peter12

Where are the reports that Ukraine is putting up a "hell of a fight?" Seems like most of their heavy assets have already been wiped out.

The Ukrainian armed forces said they had shot down five Russian planes and a helicopter - which Russia denies - and inflicted casualties on invading troops.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60504334

I got about 20 tabs open and different outlets are reporting Ukrainians fighting back best they can. Ukraine isn't rolling over, but Russia will eventually pound them which is sad.

[GirlySports]

It's insane having a war in the social media era. imagine if we had twitter when Hitler rolled into the Rhineland.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by nik-

No one seemed to have a problem when Germany discussed securing their energy sources.

The beat goes on...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1496887607422291968

A good chunk of why Putin was confident enough to invade is because of Europe's growing reliance on Russian energy. Maybe this will make Germany rethink their idiotic nuclear plant shutdown.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

https://twitter.com/user/status/1496900368344797184

Gulags are going to start filling up. Poor protesters.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1496920429373571081

[Nyah]

Concentrating on work is damn near impossible today. It seems so odd to do menial things like minor account recs when this is literally happening in real time. Puts things in perspective.