Holien

Utter BS.... someone visiting peacefully doesn't push anyone. Please don't fall for the BS rhetoric being spewed by China.

Erwin why are they more likely? What evidence have you seen and can share with us? (Hold on while I open a fresh packet of popcorn and sit back...)

Would you like to expand on this point?

I am and has made me smile, I know the games played by board level €ick heads and that will have super pissed Putler off.

Prove us wrong let's see you post something useful . I know who has provided us lots of useful information and I appreciate his time and effort in doing that and it ain't you...

Better the Devil you know? Rock and a hard place.... If Russia collaspes he goes too...

Thanks for the update Haiduk. Anyone seen a summary map with all ammo dump hits on it? Seems like a pattern is building and its got to make a difference to the Russian forces.

Add into the pot that to have this much artillery concentrated in such a small area increases the backend logistics of getting the ammunition to the guns. In some ways it simplifies logistics but only if your road and railway net can support that volume of ammunition. This could mean more ammunition stored in a location that can be reached by Ukrainian fire. I think that we might have seen the effectiveness of this concentration being used against the Russians. The Ukrainians have hit some big ammunition dumps.

Would have loved to give this a run through but just cuts across a trip to USA so would not be able to do the turns required. I hope it goes well and will keep eye open for future events...

This could be why no tanks or AFV from any country as the images of them burning on Russian TV will be too much. Sure a Gun is OK as it doesn't give a real clue to the general public as to who supplied it.

ARE WE THERE YET!! FFS I hope that we are and Russia will be embarrassed for the foreseeable future. (Beyond my remaining years..) Steve and The Capt thanks for your continued insights...

Thanks for the quick response. I think the other forum member has got it wrong, pity. But as you say it is a massive undertaking.

Sorry Womble I must have missed that Poland was actually laying the Ukrainian gauge railway to the Baltic. Can you kindly post where that was discussed here? I have just done a quick Google and can find the desire for it but no actual work being done, maybe our Polish friends can chip in? It certainly has been mentioned in this rather long thread that having to cross handle between the gauges doesn't help the process, so I was intrigued to read Poland was actively working on it, but on the other forum it was not backed up by a link. Btw I must say your tone of response was a bit poor.

I have read on another forum that Poland is working on converting a railway to the Ukrainian gauge to allow trains to carry grain straight through to a Baltic port. Not seen any reports on this but if true it could help break the blockade.

I am not so sure it really shows that, if the same was done in a "Western Country" you would hit upon a similar set of comments. Nice to see a few folk understood the Orc question just by their response. The reason why we keep having issues in this world is that it is made up of people and people are basically the same. Sure in a country where you are beaten up for expressing a political view opposite to the ruling party folk will on the whole decide they prefer not to be beaten up.... You will get % some folk that get into power and use whatever tools they can to stay in power and pevert power for their own ends and tell people BS to justify it. You then get a smaller % portion of powewr crazed folk that decide that their version of the truth needs to be imposed on others outside their country.... Anyway thanks for posting and it gave me an interesting insight to "modern" Russia. Hmmm that is not always the case but not really for a debate here... Right now back to lurking mode and stop myself from asking ARE WE THERE YET!!! (for when Russia is kicked out of Ukraine)... June has just begun.....

The fruit of war in Ukraine https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-deadly-fruit-shells-rockets/31871324.html https://gdb.rferl.org/0a630000-0aff-0242-abe3-08da3fc2ea44_w866_r0_s_d2.jpeg

Just made me smile, the Germans acting quickly...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61529877 Let's hope the deals made behind the scenes hold. Gpig sums up my feelings and I just despair for what is happening.

Unless the Russian submarines can be dealt with too I am not sure just dealing with the surface ships will deal with the blockade. I am all for sinking more Russian surface ships, but that is only one part of the problem.

Yep people should understand this, BUT the vast majority of folk are what Steve rightly called unsophisticated and want just simple messages, they don’t understand complexity and just focus on their day to day living with little regard for what’s outside their horizon. The Mood music is changing in Europe and the world and it is not helping Ukraine. I hope what Steve said a few pages back is true and that the work is done and Ukraine have enough on hand to finish the job as I fear there might be a window on how much help is given, especially if it looks like Ukraine is winning. Some Humans are pretty fickle…

Yep my neck of the woods is very "positive" towards UK support towards Ukraine of the war. I live in a small village and folk have a reasonable life style. Just a comment I picked up on a BBC 2 Talk show hosted by Mr Vine as I was driving somewhere and I thought hmmm the mood can change. So I agree at the moment the UK on the whole seems to be backing the level of support we are giving. I guess cynically it’s a great testing range for our new weapon systems. Seeing Brimstone and NLaw in use and tweaking them if any issues found. As ever Steve is pretty spot on with his analysis of the situation that has led to the economic instability and there are a lot of causes that have nothing to do with Ukraine. But for the unsophisticated who are more akin to goldfish the last thing they hear and if it’s simple is what gets the blame. Just human nature and it’s exploited by those trying to achieve power. So there will be pressure building at some stage to scale back expenditure. As Noted by Steve... Ultimately I think Steve is spot on with this. I think the timescale maybe sooner than a year, but the ultimate sentiment is I think correct. (I hope so but of course we could always be wrong...) My point in what I wrote is that we can not assume that Ukraine will always have support from the West for unlimited aid so the sooner Russia is kicked out the sooner the unsophisticated can be focused on some other issue..

On another forum this has been mentioned and it's from watching the interviews with the Russian POWs. They have said it during the interviews. Not sure how we will know for sure if true as it could be just a bogeyman story put around the Russian units to keep them "motivated". Of course it could be true in some cases. We will never be certain unless an incident happens in front of a cctv camera and caught on film.

Just seen this on another site I follow and just made me smile...

Yep an unintended consequence of the war, people getting to see how other countries behave and operate by staying there. My whole world view was changed after a year as an exchange student in America with folk from all over the world. That one year was the most influential on my education than any amount of time spent in a classroom. I hope they have learnt good lessons and that Ukraine benefits.

Yep the mood music is shifting here in the UK with dire economic forecasts and costs going to hit worst the poorest with a predicted loss of 20% disposable income. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61469532 Already I have heard mention by folk on the street in the UK that we should not be spending so much money in Ukraine and we should be helping the cost of living crisis at home. The war in Ukraine is being blamed for these problems and while their is still popular support once people have to choose heating or food the support will slip away and political posturing move to focus on the economic crisis heading our way. Many families don't have a 20% margin to absorb the price rises coming down the tracks. Ukraine has to win soon and can't afford to wait until winter so let's hope Russian forces do just collapse with a few well aimed kicks with the fresh reserves and weapons systems being brought to bear. I am hoping that August is possible.