Mandy Lifeboats Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 The UK have given Ukraine an unknown number of Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles. They have a range of 450km. Ukraine can probably take out the Crimea Bridge whenever they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 1, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 1, 2023 Significant? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 1 hour ago, bickster said: Significant? The Nicaraguans will not be silenced. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted May 1, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted May 1, 2023 Why isn't this bigger news? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Lifeboats Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Russian sources are reporting a large drone attack on Crimea at the moment. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnkarl Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 So when Ukraine took out Russia's rear with HIMARS in our favourite place Zaporizhzhia, they reacted by digging more fortifications. The issue was that several soldiers of the detatchment around Melitopol seems to have been infected by anthrax because they dug through a grave full of dead cattle, and now the line is really thinly manned because of it. First they dig in the soil in Chernobyl, and now this. Russia really takes the cake for highest operative intelligence. Russian troops digging trenches in Ukraine reportedly infected with anthrax Quote Russian troops were reportedly infected with anthrax after unearthing a burial site for cattle while digging defensive trenches in southern Ukraine.... Could be PR, but I wouldn't put it past them and it's being reported by Reuters among others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 The US releasing some information on the conflict Quote More than 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in fighting in Ukraine since December, the US estimates. A further 80,000 have been wounded, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, citing newly declassified intelligence. Half of the dead are from the Wagner mercenary company, who have been attacking the eastern Bakhmut city. Russia has been trying to take the small city since last year in a grinding war of attrition. Moscow currently holds most of Bakhmut, but Ukrainian troops are still control a small portion of the city in the west. The fierce battle has taken on huge symbolic importance for both sides. Ukrainian officials have also said they are using the battle to kill as many of Russia's troops as possible and wear down its reserves. "Russia's attempt at an offensive in the Donbas [region] largely through Bakhmut has failed," Mr Kirby told reporters. "Russia has been unable to seize any real strategic and significant territory. "We estimate that Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including over 20,000 killed in action," he added. The toll in Bakhmut accounts for losses since the start of December, according to the US figures. "The bottom line is that Russia's attempted offensive has backfired after months of fighting and extraordinary losses," Mr Kirby said. 80,000 injured and 20,000 Russians dead since December alone. How long till Russia realise they will never be allowed to succeed? How long till Russia rises up against this regime? link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 2, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2023 6 minutes ago, Genie said: The US releasing some information on the conflict 80,000 injured and 20,000 Russians dead since December alone. How long till Russia realise they will never be allowed to succeed? How long till Russia rises up against this regime? link An awful lot of those aren't regular soldiers though. Wagner has been the main protagonist in Bakhmut. Not exclusively but probably heading towards 70% of those casualties. Russia will consider it a saving on prison food 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 2, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 (edited) 14 hours ago, bickster said: Significant? Nope. It's the UN, the most pointless organisation on the planet. Russia still has its seat on the security council and Veto power despite invading Ukraine. That tells you how pointless the UN is. Also it's a good time to consider all those UN soliders that are peacekeeping in Sudan.... Oh wait.... Edited May 2, 2023 by villa89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 2, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2023 3 minutes ago, villa89 said: Nope. It's the UN, the most pointless organisation on the planet. Russia still has its seat on the security council and Veto power despite invading Ukraine. That tells you how pointless the UN is. Also it's a good time to consider all those UN soliders that are peacekeeping in Sudan.... Oh wait.... The significance lies outside the UN itself, it's China going against Putin. It's sending a message more powerful than anything the UN would ever do. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 Imagine how shit Russia would be at war if the conflict wasn’t next door? It couldn’t be easier from a logistical point of view, but they still fail miserably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 2, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2023 Just now, Genie said: It couldn’t be easier from a logistical point of view, Russian military logistics rely on railways because the roads are so shit. Saboteurs keep attacking railways, though there hasn't been much of that seen in the public domain recently because by taking the ground they did in the summer offensive, they nullified the Belgorod rail route and the other routes are too far behind the lines, anyway that's way off tangent The problem here isn't really with logistics any more, it's more about not actually having the stockpiles they thought they had. Russian stockpiles have proved to be depleted through black market sales of inventory (Corruption) and poor warehousing conditions (corruption again). Even their missile attack the other day in retaliation for the Sevastopol Fuel depo / refinery attack was a tad pathetic in comparison to previous attacks. In the past they've launched up to a hundred or so missiles, this time it was less than 20. And in an attempt to get a good news story they attacked a warehouse that was packed with solid fuel sections of old Russian ICBMs that were in the process of being decommissioned. It made a huge explosion but all they did was make a huge explosion. They'll have spun that in Russia as a huge military target with massive losses of equipment and ammo. They are desperate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustibrooks Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 16 hours ago, bickster said: Significant? I’ve been seeing headlines and small bits here and there about China playing peacekeeper these days. They’ve managed to mediate and strike some deals between Iran and Saudi for example and now they are trying to get Russia and Ukraine to have a ceasefire. Whether the latter works or not is another question but I guess China see some sort of big opportunity on the world stage by doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnkarl Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 4 minutes ago, Rustibrooks said: I’ve been seeing headlines and small bits here and there about China playing peacekeeper these days. They’ve managed to mediate and strike some deals between Iran and Saudi for example and now they are trying to get Russia and Ukraine to have a ceasefire. Whether the latter works or not is another question but I guess China see some sort of big opportunity on the world stage by doing this. The thing is Ukraine has the West in their corner, 2/3's of all the world's spending power, the best military alliance in the world, while Saudi Arabia and Iran are small fish to us. Ukraine will get the backing they need to not be so desperate as to fall for China's baiting. China is interested in Russia retaining parts of Ukraine so that they have an excuse for Taiwan and the other areas they want to take by force. The next week will be warm and dry in South Ukraine. Something's in the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobsons Choice Posted May 3, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted May 3, 2023 So it's looking more like Russia did the Pipeline, then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 3, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 3, 2023 3 hours ago, HKP90 said: So it's looking more like Russia did the Pipeline, then? When did it ever not look like Russia did the pipeline? But yes more and more evidence is now in the public domain that the obvious perpetrator was the one that did it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted May 3, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 3, 2023 10 minutes ago, bickster said: When did it ever not look like Russia did the pipeline? At the time, while I thought Russians were the most likely culprits, there was no clear evidence (obviously) either way. It was possible to make an argument as to why it could have been a number of different actors (and in each case there were also arguments as to why it wouldn't be them). I think I'm saying, even with more info now, it's not crystal clear who did it. What I didn't write at the time is that there were NATO exercises in the sea near the pipeline at the time of the explosions. The photos of the Russian ship with the sub have only been released/come to light in the past week - why? And how do we know when they were actually taken? In essence, the logic very strongly points to Russia, most likely with the approval of/on the orders of Putin, and it always has, but it's not absolutely clear cut, still, in terms of "what we know as fact". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 3, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 3, 2023 58 hour Curfew in Kherson from Friday Evening. Quote 10:42am: Ukraine's Kherson announces 58-hour curfew from Friday The city of Kherson near the front line in southern Ukraine will be under curfew for 58 hours from Friday evening, a local official said, as Ukraine prepares for a spring offensive. "During these 58 hours, it is forbidden to move on the streets of the city. The city will also be closed for entry and exit," said Kherson regional military administration head Oleksandr Prokudin via Telegram, advising residents to stock up on food and medicine. Prokudin said residents could go for short walks near their houses or visit shops but should carry identity documents with them. France 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Townsend Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 On 02/05/2023 at 09:45, Genie said: Imagine how shit Russia would be at war if the conflict wasn’t next door? It couldn’t be easier from a logistical point of view, but they still fail miserably. No matter how powerful a country is it won't win a war just because it is next door. If you aren't wanted there you aren't wanted there. Plenty if examples of this around the world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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