Russia invades Ukraine

[Huntingwhale]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1565586779926925312

Incredible footage from a news team deep in Donbas following a UA team of medics as they attempt to navigate and evacuate the injured. A bit squeamish at the end, but this deserves to be seen.

[CroFlames]

Man I hope this offensive is effective. And the next one and the next one.

Then when Ukraine is rid of the invaders, the West helps set up an effective Maginot line on the Eastern Ukraine border. Russia can't be trusted as a country anymore.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Man I hope this offensive is effective. And the next one and the next one.

Then when Ukraine is rid of the invaders, the West helps set up an effective Maginot line on the Eastern Ukraine border. Russia can't be trusted as a country anymore.

Either way it should push Russia's invasion into another mud season where their vehicles will be easy pickings for Ukraine's new drones and artillery:

https://www.politico.com/newsletters...nd%20artillery.

Can Russia really afford another round of losses like this?

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by blankall

Either way it should push Russia's invasion into another mud season where their vehicles will be easy pickings for Ukraine's new drones and artillery:

https://www.politico.com/newsletters...nd%20artillery.

Can Russia really afford another round of losses like this?

16 x 105mm howitzers? Yeah, no big deal.

Carl Gs? They are good against 1940s armour. Special forces use them for bunker busting. Maybe the AFU will use them for the same. What the article doesn't say is that US special forces units had to turn in their Carl Gs to give to the Ukrainians.

HARMs? Russians are able to shoot those down.

[Pointman]

Putin is in Kaliningrad right now. Makes me wonder why NATO didn't shot down his plane. This is an honest and earnest question. He's inside NATO airspace.

[Mull]

Originally Posted by Pointman

Putin is in Kaliningrad right now. Makes me wonder why NATO didn't shot down his plane. This is an honest and earnest question. He's inside NATO airspace.

Is he or did he do the route around like the other planes there?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Pointman

Putin is in Kaliningrad right now. Makes me wonder why NATO didn't shot down his plane. This is an honest and earnest question. He's inside NATO airspace.

Pretty sure NATO commanders have no interest in starting WWIII.

[Mull]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Pretty sure NATO commanders have no interest in starting WWIII.

Or as per usual people are jumping to conclusions.

The idea that Putin is in kalingrad and therefore is in nato airspace is a pretty good stretch to make nato look weak.

Unless evidence is posted otherwise, Putin took non nato airspace in- via the Baltic Sea

[CaptainCrunch]

Russia has turned off the gas to Europe through Nord 1 with no date or time line on resuming service.

They know that Germany came back empty handed in terms of alternative supply from his visit here and they're going to turn up the pressure.

[opendoor]

Yes, I'm sure Russia was waiting with bated breath to see if Germany (who has no LNG import facilities) could get gas from Canada (who has no LNG export facilities) before making their next move.

Ultimately, Russia holds the cards there. But least Germany has filled their gas stores almost to capacity, so that'll help somewhat.

[Cappy]

I would suspect that nato and Russia have some sort of flyover agreement for the exclave. At least the independent countries would. Nato is not at war with Russia so I assume that agreement would still be in place

[Cappy]

Wouldn’t the US be the better market to go ask for NG. They produce oodles more (not sure of their consumption) and would have way better export terminals no? Honest question

[Mull]

Originally Posted by Cappy

I would suspect that nato and Russia have some sort of flyover agreement for the exclave. At least the independent countries would. Nato is not at war with Russia so I assume that agreement would still be in place

After watching Twitter reporting on Russian flights and reading story’s I am nearly sure you’re incorrect about this.

For example

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...nt-2022-02-26/

“Lithuania is the shortest route from mainland Russia to its Kaliningrad exclave, sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea's eastern coast. The ban would force Russian flights to take a longer detour via the Baltic Sea.”

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Mull

After watching Twitter reporting on Russian flights and reading story’s I am nearly sure you’re incorrect about this.

For example

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...nt-2022-02-26/

“Lithuania is the shortest route from mainland Russia to its Kaliningrad exclave, sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea's eastern coast. The ban would force Russian flights to take a longer detour via the Baltic Sea.”

Ah fair enough. Part of the sanctions at the beginning would make perfect sense

[Pointman]

Originally Posted by Mull

Or as per usual people are jumping to conclusions.

The idea that Putin is in kalingrad and therefore is in nato airspace is a pretty good stretch to make nato look weak.

Unless evidence is posted otherwise, Putin took non nato airspace in- via the Baltic Sea

"Inside NATO airspace" was probably wrong way to put it. I meant he's in the Russian enclave encircled by NATO. I didn't mean that he has violated NATO airspace and thus is a legit target but rather that even if he took a route through a narrow path between Sweden and Baltics, his plane was likely well within reach and an easy target to hit.

[Pointman]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Pretty sure NATO commanders have no interest in starting WWIII.

So, is common thinking that Putin's death would trigger a WWIII rather than stop this invasion altogether? At the start of the invasion there was a lot of talk about how assassinating Putin would stop this madness altogether. There were even rumors about Putin retreating into a bunker deep in Siberia. Now Putin is not afraid to fly to Kaliningrad. Any flight from Moscow to Kaliningrad is basically at NATO's missile gunpoint. Seems like NATO doesn't believe that this war is a one man's madness.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Pointman

So, is common thinking that Putin's death would trigger a WWIII rather than stop this invasion altogether? At the start of the invasion there was a lot of talk about how assassinating Putin would stop this madness altogether. There were even rumors about Putin retreating into a bunker deep in Siberia. Now Putin is not afraid to fly to Kaliningrad. Any flight from Moscow to Kaliningrad is basically at NATO's missile gunpoint. Seems like NATO doesn't believe that this war is a one man's madness.

Assassinating world leaders is still kind of a no-no. (Well, openly at least.) Also, you'd have to know very sure which plane he is in, and make sure you don't miss. And it would be a very open act of war, as there would be no denianility. And you'd have to feel very confident that the next guy in power is better.

That's a lot of ifs. Tempting, but probably not worth it.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Itse

Assassinating world leaders is still kind of a no-no. (Well, openly at least.) Also, you'd have to know very sure which plane he is in, and make sure you don't miss. And it would be a very open act of war, as there would be no denianility. And you'd have to feel very confident that the next guy in power is better.

That's a lot of ifs. Tempting, but probably not worth it.

Russia is pretty good at accidentally shooting down planes with no repercussions. Maybe NATO could try the same tactic. "Us, shoot down a plane? No, that was Belarus. Not us."

And no, I'm not really serious, but they have gotten away with a lot of murder with that.

[Mull]

Originally Posted by Pointman

"Inside NATO airspace" was probably wrong way to put it. I meant he's in the Russian enclave encircled by NATO. I didn't mean that he has violated NATO airspace and thus is a legit target but rather that even if he took a route through a narrow path between Sweden and Baltics, his plane was likely well within reach and an easy target to hit.

Come on. I thought you were an honest poster here.

Either I was wrong or you have sucked in that Russian propaganda hard.

NATO is an defensive alliance.
NATO is not at war with Russia.
Shooting down Putins plane would be an act of war.

I know the Russian government would have you believe that NATO would take out Putin if they could- but this is just not likely true.

[Red Slinger]

Originally Posted by Pointman

So, is common thinking that Putin's death would trigger a WWIII rather than stop this invasion altogether? At the start of the invasion there was a lot of talk about how assassinating Putin would stop this madness altogether. There were even rumors about Putin retreating into a bunker deep in Siberia. Now Putin is not afraid to fly to Kaliningrad. Any flight from Moscow to Kaliningrad is basically at NATO's missile gunpoint. Seems like NATO doesn't believe that this war is a one man's madness.

From what I recall, most of the talk of a Putin assassination was regarding someone in Russia or even his inner circle. If NATO or any country besides Ukraine were to shoot down his plane it would absolutely lead to a dramatic escalation, up to and possibly including a world war and use of nuclear weapons.

I don't think NATO sees Putin as a madman but rather as a jilted lover who refuses to let go of Ukraine and the former Soviet empire. Putin is the embodiment, voice and hand of the fragile, collective Russian ego. Killing Putin may solve a short-term problem or it might not. Russia needs a collective cultural enema to wash away hundreds of years of serfdom under the Czars and almost a century under the Bolsheviks.