bickster

Nah there's months and months of this to go yet. There'll be advances and wins for Ukraine but even with the new tanks the only way it will be over relatively quickly is Russian capitulation I hope that does happen but I can't see it. I along with others here really do think they'll begin to punch a hole southwards to the sea through Melitopol and Mariupol whilst just holding the Donbas front. That will have a number of effects It will split the Russians into two separate fractured groups It will cut the supply lines to those west of the hole and Crimea.Once they've done that or even whilst they are doing that, attempt to properly take out the Kerch Bridge. That cuts off any land supply to Crimea and makes it very hard to supply those troops to the west of the hole That will have a huge negative effect on Russian moral on top of the huge logistics problem of resupplying Crimea It would eventually force the Black Sea fleet back to mainland Russia too Going back to the Kerch Bridge I'm failry dure if they do reach the sea, the bridge is then in HIMARS range and vitually the only way to supply Crimea would be by sea acorss the Kerch Straight because shipping in the Sea of Azov and the near Black Sea would absolutely be in Ukrainian range, the same would also be true of most Crimean airfields Russia may have no option but to abandon Crimea. It may be impossible for them to be there. Many thousands of troops could be isolated. This would be no retreat from Kherson situation I think the core central Donabas area will be the last to be liberated That is just my inner armchair general speaking and it isn't based on any knowledge or information I've read

One of our work emails has had nothing but dodgy malware spam originating from outlook.com most of the day

I think you need to do a little more research before your brain tells you to type

Every now and again I have to torture myself

No, they definitely are arsed about it, they have to for many reasons, including but not limited to; Push the Russian Black Sea Fleet further from Ukraine's mainland by taking control of Sevastopol The natural resources of Crimea are huge, Ukraine want them including the oil and gas They have promised their people that they will take Crimea There will never be peace in Ukraine until Crimea is retaken and secured Not retaking Crimea will represent a form of winning for Russia

I still read that as Doctor Congo

Shouldn't need much of an introduction Still a superb album Burial - Untrue

Now I've warmed up I'm onto Le Mystére des Voix Bulgares The history of this record is a little bizarre, this actual recording of Bulgarian Folk Music was first released in 1975 after 15 years of research into Bulgarian Folk music by a Swiss Ethnomusicologist, before this a similar recording was released by Elektra records in 1966 and that album was originally released on a French label in 1955. So fast forward to1985 and Ivo Watts-Russell (owner of 4AD records) was introduced to this album from a 4th generation cassette copy by Peter Murphy (Lead singer of Bauhaus) and he became so enthralled by it, he decided to obtain the rights and re-released it on 4AD. Now if you think at the time the Cocteau Twins were still on 4AD and this does sound like a choir of Elizabeth Frazers it was oddly in tune with the current zeitgeist. This version was released to great critical acclaim and not just from the music press but some very notable musicians. Graham Nash declared after listening to the album: "Every musician who considers himself accomplished should listen to (this group’s album) and rethink everything he knows (about singing)." It really is quite beautiful

It's a nice present from Germany for Zelensky's birthday

I'm WFH today so I get to choose the music I work to. It's bloody freezing as I can't use the heating until the boiler guy has shown up to service it but anyway... The Mogwai soundtrack to the Zidane film. Now on the surface of it, this is a three sided double album. I'm not sure I've ever paid attention to what I always assumed was a blank side D. It isn't blank, it has two untitled tracks on it and they are bloody great, I think the best two tracks on the album

They have the Kornet which has taken out both Bradley and Abrams in Iraq. It has a longer range and more explosive (with a dual warhead) than either the NLAW or the Javelin however it is also a two man unit so isn't anywhere near as portable as the Nato units which are light and can be carried by one man who can still operate a conventional rifle with it over his shoulder

I think 8 Turkish Leopard 2s were confirmed destroyed in Syria. 6 of them with Russian 9M133 Kornet missiles used by ISIL These were Leopard 2A4s which aren't the current specification and weren't upgraded by Germany to deal with explosive devices after Germany discovered they were being used against Kurdish Forces

When the talk of NATO MBTs for Ukraine hotted up, the Russians tried to hint by placing their stock of Armata in a military staging post for the offensive, knowing this would be picked up on the other side. A yes but.... Armata. Well British Intelligence posted this today

It’s not really. It’s evidence of pressure being put onto senior civil servants to lie for the government but it’s not really proof, it’s one man’s account. You’d need a good degree of corroboration for it to be proof of anything

For Vintage VTers…ITSOTP

Akanji is almost ever present in the league since City bought him, something I haven't seen said by any FPL pundits

Its wrong Wiki

Not remotely true Germany itself used them in Kosovo, Turkey used them in SYria

Of what?

You forgot the IRA mortar attack on 10 Downing St The Warrington bombing Baltic Exchange bomb Bishopsgate Bomb Docklands Bomb Yeah 90s all the way baby

NYTimes via Yahoo

Huff Post saying Zahawi gone by PMQs

Mirror Its just laughable at this stage

Revel in the news that this is from the polling company he part owns and the ownership of which was responsible for the income he didn't pay tax on When Tory voters think you should go...