But they sent those helmets though. The reluctance to properly sanction Russia and send support to Ukraine from many of the power countries in the world is bewildering. I understand that all efforts to avoid a massive multiregional war is prudent, yet the scrambling to make a plan that should have been in place weeks ago leads one to believe that the people in charge of whether the world will be destroyed or not aren't nearly as competent as we'd hope to believe .
They just agreed to send 400 grenade launchers. Pretty big shift in their plan
My sense is though that Europe, much like Russians and Ukrainians themselves thought Russia was just bluffing and the US/UK were overstating the risk.
They just agreed to send 400 grenade launchers. Pretty big shift in their plan
My sense is though that Europe, much like Russians and Ukrainians themselves thought Russia was just bluffing and the US/UK were overstating the risk.
They were clearly wrong
Everyone can think that they were bluffing and that's fine. They still should have had a solid contingency plan in place in case of what we are seeing now.
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This feels like one of those instances you ask for forgiveness later, not permission. Sorry Germany, get bent.
As someone who deals with ITARS, controlled goods, end user certificates etc, this #### has become so bureaucratic and the penalties are so stiff it's really not that easy even if on the surface in a situation like this it should be.
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An update from my wife and her family, who are currently bunkered down in their apartment close to Kharkov.
A lot of the focus has been on Kyiv, and rightfully so. However a large battle is taking place for Kharkov as well, which is the 2nd largest city in Ukraine and largely Russian speaking.
All night she heard tanks rolling through, yelling from soldiers coming through the forested areas around them, and gunfire and explosions in the distance. There are now 6 of them bunkered down in their single room apartment.
Since they are close to the border, she said that a lot of soliders are coming through the forested areas and end up in her village. Most of them are very young soldiers with Chechan accents. They sometimes ask the people in the village for food, or how to get to Kharkov. The road to Kharkov is a couple minutes away, so they just go on their way once they see it.
Strangely enough, and I'm not sure if this is on purpose or just random, but none of them seem to have GPS or working cell phone signals. They ask the villagers where to go and say they have no signal. The village itself still has internet. I'm not sure if was done purposely to cut their signal if it's not a UA service provider trying to access their network (or if that is even possible). I just though it was weird that while the tanks are able to just follow the road to Kharkov, the soldiers on foot are getting lost in the forests are asking locals where to go, and the locals still have internet.
As mentioned, many are very young men who were told they were coming to do training, and told last minute they were to attack. Just goes to show how much Russian leaders think of their own soldiers. Disgusting leadership that hopefully will be swinging from the gallows one day.
Overall my wife and family are doing as well as can be. They are still trapped in the village and unable to leave, probably for a while now, before making an attempt to leave the country, however that may be. Some villagers tried to walk in the forest towards Kharkov, but ran into Russian troops who told them to go back, so as to not get in the line of fire. Personally with all the fighting going on in Kharkov and troops attempting to surround the city, I think the best bet is to just stay in the village, which is largely being left alone. There are no UA soldiers there. There is no resistance. For that reason, I think they are off the radar for the time being. Scary stuff though and while my anxiety is a little less today, I'm still on edge from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed, constantly in touch with my wife on the situation.
I will end this update by saying that I am well aware of the saying "loose lips sink ships". If there is anything in my posts that anyone with any kind of intelligence or military background thinks is inappropriate to post in the slim chance it might put someone in danger, please PM met and let me know. I won't be offended and will immediately edit any of my posts. I don't want to post any detailed locations or photos anymore for that reason, other than this is occurring near Kharkov. However I do know in this digital age that any posts on CP show up on Google, and already had a CP member recognize me on Reddit which is obviously a worldwide platform. I just want to give some updates on my wife's situation with her and her family, being they are in the NE region and their experiences.
Some balls seem to be rolling now, but it still seems like the Ukrainians have to hold out for another 24-48 for things to actually happen. I don't think these additional sanctions would have been implemented had this been over in a night.
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It seems to me that the relatively successful Ukraine resistance is likely reducing the Russian fear factor with their neighbors and former Soviet nations. Regardless the outcome here I suspect this has long term impacts on Russian relations. Without the fear factor in the region and with the hit they're taking in the Western world, the long term cost to Russia could be very significant. CNN was reporting earlier that according to US intelligence 50% of Russian military assets were deployed in Ukraine. Wow.
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I'm getting worried that the Ukrainians are doing too well. Messed up as that sounds, the Russian army looks terrible right now, and I'm not sure that the Russian madman in chief won't consider mass atrocity before accepting prolonged embarrassment.
There could be a shift from trying to take Ukraine to trying to destroy it. #### Putin.
It seems to me that the relatively successful Ukraine resistance is likely reducing the Russian fear factor with their neighbors and former Soviet nations. Regardless the outcome here I suspect this has long term impacts on Russian relations. Without the fear factor in the region and with the hit they're taking in the Western world, the long term cost to Russia could be very significant. CNN was reporting earlier that according to US intelligence 50% of Russian military assets were deployed in Ukraine. Wow.
I believe that’s 50% of what was amassed on the border. A fraction of the full Russian military complex.
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Wife just wrote me. She saw a steady stream of tanks heading to Kharkov for the past couple days. Then eerie quiet for a couple hours this afternoon. Now the attack, whatever is planned, is continuing at a torrid pace, louder than ever. She told me she will be as strong as she can and that's all we can do. Turning her phone and lights off so to remain dark. This will be the hardest night of her life and mine too.
#### Putin so much. Nobody deserves this.
Last edited by Huntingwhale; 02-26-2022 at 10:18 AM.
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I'm getting worried that the Ukrainians are doing too well. Messed up as that sounds, the Russian army looks terrible right now, and I'm not sure that the Russian madman in chief won't consider mass atrocity before accepting prolonged embarrassment.
There could be a shift from trying to take Ukraine to trying to destroy it. #### Putin.
I was talking with a friend last night who’s a military history prof, and he thinks if the Ukrainians dig in and deny the Russians a decisive victory, the Russians will “do a Grozny” on Kiev. That is, use their artillery (the strongest arm of the Russian military) to siege and flatten the place.
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If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
Wife just wrote me. She saw a steady stream of tanks heading to Kharkov for the past couple days. Then eerie quiet for a couple hours this afternoon. Now the attack, whatever is planned, is continuing at a torrid pace, louder than ever. She told me she will be as strong as she can and that's all we can do. Turning her phone and lights off so to remain dark. This will be the hardest night of her life and mine too.
#### Putin so much. Nobody deserves this.
Good luck to you and yours.
Have you received some good advice to help them shelter in place as safety as possible? I'm just thinking about flying debris from windows and such. It absolutely sucks and isn't right that anyone should ever have to think about this kind of thing.
I was talking with a friend last night who’s a military history prof, and he thinks if the Ukrainians dig in and deny the Russians a decisive victory, the Russians will “do a Grozny” on Kiev. That is, use their artillery (the strongest arm of the Russian military) to siege and flatten the place.
I think if Russia does this, the West gets pushed further and further towards providing real military support. Maybe even direct air attacks on positions. You can't just flatten a city of 2 million people.
