Russian Invasion of Ukraine

[The Sisko]

On 5/18/2023 at 11:37 AM, China said:

Russian T-72 will split US-made Abrams 'like nuts' entering Kyiv - Kadyrov

 

Russian Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov asserted the superiority of upgraded Russian T-72 main battle tanks (MBT) to the US M1 Abrams on Tuesday, after a Monday announcement that Ukrainian soldiers were to soon train on the American MBT.

 

Kadyrov said that the Abrams was like a children's pedal car, and that the improved version of the T-72 was "real power."

 

The T-72 "surpasses foreign equipment in combat power, control, protection and ease of use. With it, any attack is like fishing on a yacht – a pleasure!" Kadyrov wrote on Telegram, alongside a video of him riding in the armored vehicle's turret.

 

"On such a tank we will enter Kyiv and carry out denazification, simultaneously splitting the Abrams like nuts! "

 

Click on the link for the full article

[FootballZombie]

In very short order the Patriot system has put HIMARS on notice in regards to popular Ukraine baby names over the next 10 years.

 

Glorious Madness.

[China]

Russia bans Obama, Maddow, Colbert over sanctions

 

Russia has banned hundreds of U.S. citizens, including former President Obama, political commentator Rachel Maddow and late-night host Stephen Colbert, from entering its territory in response to the U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine war.

 

The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a Friday post on its website it is blocking entry for 500 Americans in response to the sanctions it said are designed to inflict the most damage possible on officials and civilians in Russia. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

[China]

Spy chief reveals Ukraine has been assassinating Russian pro-war propagandists far from the frontlines

 

A Ukrainian spy chief revealed that Kyiv has been assassinating Russian pro-war propagandists far behind enemy lines — and they've had the help of some Russian citizens to complete their sabotage missions. 

 

In a series of interviews reported on by The Times, Major-General Kyrylo Budanov — the head of Ukraine's military intelligence service — said his agents have been targeting, locating, and killing Kremlin-backed propagandists who've cheered on Russia's invasion.

 

"We've already successfully targeted quite a few people," Budanov said, The Times reported. "There have been well-publicized cases everyone knows about, thanks to the media coverage."

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

23 hours ago, China said:

Russia bans Obama, Maddow, Colbert over sanctions

 

Russia has banned hundreds of U.S. citizens, including former President Obama, political commentator Rachel Maddow and late-night host Stephen Colbert, from entering its territory in response to the U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine war.

 

The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a Friday post on its website it is blocking entry for 500 Americans in response to the sanctions it said are designed to inflict the most damage possible on officials and civilians in Russia. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

 

[China]

Russia says Wagner private army, with help from Russian troops, seized Bakhmut

 

Russia’s defense ministry said early Sunday that forces of the Wagner private army, with the support of Russian troops, seized the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

 

The ministry statement on the Telegram channel came about eight hours after a similar claim by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. Ukrainian authorities at that time said fighting for Bakhmut was continuing.

 

The eight-month battle for the city in eastern Ukraine is the longest and probably most bloody of the conflict in Ukraine.

 

Using the city’s Soviet-era name, the Russian ministry said, “In the Artyomovsk tactical direction, the assault teams of the Wagner private military company with the support of artillery and aviation of the southern battlegroup has completed the liberation of the city of Artyomovsk.”

 

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials about the latest claim.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[TradeTheBeal!]

 

[FootballZombie]

Daym Biden. You don't gotta do 'em like that.

Savage.

 

[Gurgeh]

17 hours ago, China said:

Russia says Wagner private army, with help from Russian troops, seized Bakhmut

 

Russia’s defense ministry said early Sunday that forces of the Wagner private army, with the support of Russian troops, seized the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

 

The ministry statement on the Telegram channel came about eight hours after a similar claim by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. Ukrainian authorities at that time said fighting for Bakhmut was continuing.

 

The eight-month battle for the city in eastern Ukraine is the longest and probably most bloody of the conflict in Ukraine.

 

Using the city’s Soviet-era name, the Russian ministry said, “In the Artyomovsk tactical direction, the assault teams of the Wagner private military company with the support of artillery and aviation of the southern battlegroup has completed the liberation of the city of Artyomovsk.”

 

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials about the latest claim.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Both sides might regard this as "job done". The Russians can claim they achieved what they set out to do, without admitting the horrendous cost to them. The Ukrainians can say they tied down the most effective military units in the Russian army for months, fighting over a city with little strategic value.

 

I suspect though that the Russians have decided enough is enough trying to push any further, as they'll be needing the troops elsewhere.

[TradeTheBeal!]

Big Monday.

 

 

[Fan since a Fetus]

How dare you attack us when we are attacking you! We fight on your soil, which is ours, not our soil which is also ours. 
 

You’ve made me bleed my own blood!

Edited May 23, 2023 by Fan since a Fetus

[EmirOfShmo]

 

[China]

 

 

[China]

Russian Deputy Minister Dies Suddenly After Slamming ‘Fascist Invasion’ of Ukraine

 

A senior Russian lawmaker who was reportedly critical of the invasion of Ukraine died over the weekend, the Russian government confirmed, in the latest unexpected fatality of a prominent figure since the war began.

 

In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education confirmed that Deputy Science Minister Pyotr Kucherenko, 46, died on Saturday. The ministry said he “became ill” while on board a plane carrying Russian delegates home after a business trip to Cuba. The flight made an emergency landing in southern Russia but doctors couldn’t save him, the ministry added.

 

The statement said the ministry offered its “deepest condolences” to Kucherenko’s friends and family. No cause of death was released. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Methinks he drank the polonium tea.

[Long n Left]

12 hours ago, China said:

Russian Deputy Minister Dies Suddenly After Slamming ‘Fascist Invasion’ of Ukraine

 

A senior Russian lawmaker who was reportedly critical of the invasion of Ukraine died over the weekend, the Russian government confirmed, in the latest unexpected fatality of a prominent figure since the war began.

 

In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education confirmed that Deputy Science Minister Pyotr Kucherenko, 46, died on Saturday. The ministry said he “became ill” while on board a plane carrying Russian delegates home after a business trip to Cuba. The flight made an emergency landing in southern Russia but doctors couldn’t save him, the ministry added.

 

The statement said the ministry offered its “deepest condolences” to Kucherenko’s friends and family. No cause of death was released. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Methinks he drank the polonium tea.

After Navalny, if I were a Russian, I’d be going commando.

[China]

Russian Volunteer Corps denies military equipment damaged, combatants killed during Belgorod Oblast incursion

 

The Russian Volunteer Corps, one of the Russian anti-government groups who have declared themselves to be fighting on Ukraine's side, denied claims made by Russian officials on May 23 regarding the destruction of their military equipment and casualties among their combatants.

 

Russian officials' claims come after armed men calling themselves the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps recorded videos saying they had crossed into Russia and taken hold of bordering villages in Belgorod Oblast on May 22.

 

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, announced a "counter-terrorism operation" in the region on May 22 amid the reported attacks. The "counter-terrorism operation" was called off on May 23 after Russian officials declared victory against the groups.

 

The Russian Defense Ministry said on May 23 they had defeated the "Ukrainian formations," claiming to have "killed 70 combatants" and destroyed four armored combat vehicles and five trucks while "driving the remaining formations from Belgorod Oblast back into Ukrainian territory."

 

However, the Russian Volunteer Corps denied these claims. According to the Russian Volunteer Corps, their soldiers wear MultiCam patterns, not the pixelated camouflage shown in the photo posted by Russian authorities.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Switchgear]

[China]

Russia denies fire at Ministry of Defense, says state media

 

Russia has denied reports of a fire at its Ministry of Defense building in central Moscow, according to state news agency TASS, after the agency cited emergency services saying that a blaze had broken out on the balcony.

 

“A fire broke-out on a balcony at the Ministry of Defense building on Frunzenskaya Naberezhnaya,” TASS initially quoted an emergency services source as saying, also noting that emergency services are working at the scene.

 

Local officials later said a fire had not been detected at the building, TASS reported.

 

“The presence of a fire has not been confirmed, as no fire was detected by the fire brigade upon arrival. Neither is there any information about victims,” TASS quoted Moscow’s Ministry of Emergency Situations.

 

Video seen by CNN showed smoke surrounding the Defense Ministry building and a woman heard saying, “The smell of burning is horrible.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Putin claimed a 400-year-old map proved Ukraine isn't a real country, not noticing it has 'Ukraine' written on it

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday cited a 17th-Century map of Europe to back his discredited thesis that Ukraine isn't a real country, a claim that he's used to justify Russia's unprovoked invasion.

 

But, even on the terms of Putin's thesis, there was a problem: the document clearly marks part of the territory as being "Ukraine."

 

In a meeting with the chairman of Russia's constitutional court, Valery Zorkin, the two pored over a map made by a 17th century cartographer for France's King Louis XIV.

 

The Kremlin published a video of the encounter, in which Putin and Zorkin hold the map up as proof that a Ukrainian nation is a historical fiction.

 

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Larry]

Long ago, I was a fan of the RPG "Paranoia".  

 

One of the things the booklets had was illustrations of computer screens, with statements from "The Computer" that ran the world.  

 

One such screen read:  "You are in error.  No one is screaming."  

Just now, China said:

Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday cited a 17th-Century map of Europe to back his discredited thesis that Ukraine isn't a real country, a claim that he's used to justify Russia's unprovoked invasion.

 

Taking lessons from Israel?  

 

[PokerPacker]

8 hours ago, China said:

Putin claimed a 400-year-old map proved Ukraine isn't a real country, not noticing it has 'Ukraine' written on it

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday cited a 17th-Century map of Europe to back his discredited thesis that Ukraine isn't a real country, a claim that he's used to justify Russia's unprovoked invasion.

 

But, even on the terms of Putin's thesis, there was a problem: the document clearly marks part of the territory as being "Ukraine."

 

In a meeting with the chairman of Russia's constitutional court, Valery Zorkin, the two pored over a map made by a 17th century cartographer for France's King Louis XIV.

 

The Kremlin published a video of the encounter, in which Putin and Zorkin hold the map up as proof that a Ukrainian nation is a historical fiction.

 

 

Click on the link for the full article

Time to get out the ol' Sharpie

[China]

[Wildbunny]

9 hours ago, Larry said:

Long ago, I was a fan of the RPG "Paranoia".  

Best RPG ever.

[Dan T.]

My guess is that Putin's aim is to prolong this war through his hoped-for reelection of Donald Trump and a subsequent collapse of U.S. support for Ukraine's war effort.  And he will engineer a meddling effort in the 2024 U.S. election that will dwarf Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.

 

The first sign is that recent list of Americans Putin sanctioned - opponents of Trump and foes of the insurrection.

[CousinsCowgirl84]

2 hours ago, Dan T. said:

My guess is that Putin's aim is to prolong this war through his hoped-for reelection of Donald Trump and a subsequent collapse of U.S. support for Ukraine's war effort.  And he will engineer a meddling effort in the 2024 U.S. election that will dwarf Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.

 

The first sign is that recent list of Americans Putin sanctioned - opponents of Trump and foes of the insurrection.

Yea, but he will still have to deal with Europe… namely the UK and to a lesser degree Poland and Eastern European countries…. Obviously not as potent as what the us military provides (not to mention it’s intelligence) but with the war of attrition already well under way, I don’t think it is obvious that Russia can sun even if us assistance dries up. And besides, who knows what trump will actually do.  He says stuff all the time he can’t back up.