sburke

yep he's been added. Confirming with @Haiduk on Col Vladimir Kryvolapov regarding rank - of the 810th Marine Bde

Russia fascists busy "denazifying" A soldier with neo-Nazi symbols on his arm was given a medal by a Russia-backed separatist republic for killing Ukrainian 'nationalists' (msn.com) and good riddance Putin's ultranationalist ally and clown dies at 75 (msn.com)

my neighborhood at 4 years old. My parents are probably somewhere around but not in the picture. Hopefully looking on in disgust, we moved shortly thereafter. We aren't so removed from fascism as we'd like to think. Untold Black History: The Baker Incident (The 1963 Race Riot In Folcroft, PA) | Don Diva Magazine

Nah, the tractor brigade will keep them all running and not crashing... unlike that fun Armata moment.

I dunno. Remember that video clip posted recently about the recruiting, and they asked why she was filming, and her reply was "for the Hague". I think the war has changed a lot of things. The veneer is gone. We have a forum member no less who's views have changed. Probably the worst thing this invasion has done for Putin is put Ukrainian nationalism in hyper drive. After this war I think you'll see a surge in institutions and the arts dedicated to Ukrainian history and very explicitly anti-Russian.

This is the one part he gets wrong. Russia's problem won't be external. They will be internal. Who would want to invade that dump anyway?

well from the info that caused that Regimental commander to commit suicide you may have to round down that Russian stock quite a bit. That is if you want to count functional tanks versus scrap metal. The reserve is apparently in really bad shape.

Hey, Russia is talking about revoking that idiot Depardieu's passport because he dared criticize Putin. Sounds like a fair trade. Then they can send these guys down to the Donbas. Welcome home boys, grab a gun when the guy in front of you dies.

we actually have had Russians here speaking up. Doing joint events against the war with local Ukrainian student and community groups.

Understood. More a question as to where the ammo dumps and railheads are. The drone has a 50 mile range. I don't know where the frontline is and where the railheads would be. It is a good idea assuming that it is within range of the drone. I couldn't tell from that article any of those factors.

posted this earlier today Behind the Front Lines, Russia’s Military Struggles to Supply Its Forces - WSJ Here is the gist of it While hitting the rail lines has some potential, I'd (in my oh so ignorant view of how things probably really work) would consider targeting further north. The Donbas front is heavily defended and fortified. The Northern axis out of Izyum is not. The main road from Belgorod to Izyum passes through Vovchans'k in Ukraine 36 miles from downtown Kharkov. I'd be running switchblades there on a regular basis with other drones monitoring the highway to give warning of supply convoy movements. Even if you just deter them you are now forcing more wear and tear as well as fuel consumption on the supply columns as well as complicating traffic movement. All that is assuming you have to choose between the two. If not... have at em on both sides.

As the old magic 8 ball used to say "Outlook not so good" U.S. impedes Russia’s debt payments as new sanctions package emerges (msn.com) “Beginning today, the U.S. Treasury will not permit any dollar debt payments to be made from Russian government accounts at U.S. financial institutions,” a Treasury Department spokeswoman said in a news release. “Russia must choose between draining remaining valuable dollar reserves or new revenue coming in, or default. … This will further deplete the resources Putin is using to continue his war against Ukraine and will cause more uncertainty and challenges for their financial system.”

TC. "hey is that a drone?" Driver "yeeeaaahhhhhhhhh!!" Pedal to the metal baby!

Russia says it received $3.6 billion less than it forecast from March oil and gas sales, suggesting the Ukraine war and Western sanctions hit exports (msn.com)

some discussion of Ukraine's possible use of laser designators and better drone technology. @Haiduknot sure of his source accuracy, but he generally writes good stuff. One Shot, One Kill: Ukrainian Gunners Fire Laser-Guided Shells At Russian Vehicles (msn.com)

It gets complicated. Most relatively well-off countries have declining birth rates for a lot of different reasons. Generally, what alters the demographics is immigration. This can and has created a lot of social upheaval due to perceptions about cultural change. Immigration increases diversity which can be perceived as a threat by other groups. If you look at Japan for example, immigration has long been deterred and the result is a rapidly aging but generally uniform non diverse population. In the US you have an increasingly diverse population that is aging more slowly, but with a lot of social issues due to that immigration. US Aging Population Problems & Healthcare Issues (businessinsider.com) Europe's population is aging rapidly. Here's how to turn that into an opportunity | CNN

Italy just kicked out 30 Russian diplomats. We are up to 230 so far in the EU.

the massacre in Bucha has had a lot of knock-on effects that are really bad for Putin including in China. China isn't quite the monolith we tend to see it as nor is it as confident as an external viewer may think. China's social dynamic is a bit like Russia's in the sense that there is a social contract more or less that as long as most people see economic improvement, they are willing to accept a lot. Problem is that contract is shaky with some of the demographics China is facing. Chinese Citizens Decry Bucha Killings on Social Media (msn.com)

This came recommended from Scott Coulson Behind the Front Lines, Russia’s Military Struggles to Supply Its Forces - WSJ

Every time I think I am getting a bit hardened to the reality of how brutal this war is I see something else that just leaves me gaping.

it is 150 km from Belgorod to Izium that passes by Kharkov. Assuming at a minimum they have to secure 3 km on each side of their supply route that is 450 sq km they need to establish control over. (that is just accounting for AT teams not arty) Assuming the northern pincer has a goal of Kramatorsk that is almost another 60 km. Mariupol is about 180 km from Kramatorsk. Russia could try to dig in, but they simply don't have the manpower. Assuming they could even pull off an advance of that length. Every km Russia advances is just that much more ground they have to secure for an increasingly tenuous and vulnerable supply line.

Like these guys? Conscripts sent to fight by pro-Russia Donbas get little training, old rifles, poor supplies - sources (msn.com)

I'm beyond the point of trying to guess why etc on this. problem is my brain can't wrap itself around how anyone could do this and therefore searches for brutal but logical reasons and honestly, I think that is inherently flawed. I can't think like these guys so there is no way I'll be able to hit their reasoning state. They are just fkn animals.

Germany Expels 40 Russian Diplomats With Suspected Spy-Agency Links (msn.com)

Finland Races Toward Likely NATO Membership as Putin's Warnings Backfire (msn.com)