Russian Invasion of Ukraine

[EmirOfShmo]

Ukrainian defenders kill 960 Russians and destroy 59 armoured combat vehicles and 51 artillery systems in one day

 

Ukraine’s Defence Forces continue to make progress towards defeating the Russians, as they killed 960 Russian soldiers and destroyed 59 armoured combat vehicles, 51 artillery systems and 22 tanks belonging to the Russians over the past day alone.

 

https://post.news/@/ukrpravda/2bLj3vU1prAgjbuVEnJVE1Y4y4O

 

[China]

How long before this guy ingests some polonium tea or accidentally falls out of a window onto a bullet?

 

Boris Nadezhdin: Putin's would-be opponent vows to end Ukraine war

 

A would-be challenger to Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would end the war in Ukraine on day one of his presidency.

 

Boris Nadezhdin told the BBC he was unlikely to win 17 March elections but Mr Putin would not last six more years.

But he offered a vision of a Russia without the incumbent, where conflicts would end and relations were restored.

"Putin has made a lot of mistakes, not just with the special military operation," Mr Nadezhdin says.

Mr Putin has headed Russia since the beginning of the millennium, his rule becoming increasingly authoritarian.

He has won several presidential elections comfortably, but in recent years no serious opposition has been allowed. The Kremlin maintains that elections are fair and he is genuinely popular.

Opposition leader Alexey Navalny, once seen as a major threat to the president's authority, has been in jail since 2021.

Other opponents have been assassinated, jailed, or forced into exile.

But Mr Nadezhdin, a local councillor for more than three decades, is seen as a former insider of the regime whose criticism of the Kremlin has so far been tolerated.

His team says he has gathered more than 100,000 signatures, enough to stand as a candidate.

He believes he will be allowed to stand in the elections, although unconfirmed sources say anti-war candidates will be barred.

This was the case with former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova, whose candidacy was blocked in December.

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Mr Nadezhdin was not seen as a rival but would be allowed to stand if he met the necessary conditions.

The veteran politician says he has been criticising Mr Putin for the last 10 years.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Germany unearths pro-Russia disinformation campaign on X

 

Digital forensic experts in Germany have uncovered a vast, pro-Russia disinformation campaign against the government using tens of thousands of fake accounts on the social media platform X.

 

The German foreign ministry, which commissioned the study after suspecting it was being targeted by bots, said the findings highlighted the need for governments to systematically tackle the growing number of disinformation campaigns and recognise the effect they could have on elections.

 

Using specialised monitoring software, the experts uncovered a huge trail of posts over a one-month period from 10 December, which amounted to a sophisticated and concerted onslaught on Berlin’s support for Ukraine. More than 1m German-language posts were sent from an estimated 50,000 fake accounts, amounting to a rate of two every second.

 

The overwhelming tone of the messages was the suggestion that the government of Olaf Scholz was neglecting the needs of Germans as a result of its support for Ukraine, both in terms of weapons and aid, as well as by taking in more than a million refugees.

 

Der Spiegel, which had access to the findings, reported that the fake accounts had matching comments attached to them, often using hashtags popular at the time, such as #Oktoberfest or #Bundesliga, in a concerted effort to reach as wide an audience as possible.

 

In one of the most impactful fake messages, in terms of the number of people it reached and the amount of feedback it generated, Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, appeared to be declaring from her own account on X that government support for Ukraine was crumbling. A small Cyrillic figure that had crept into the post apparently mistakenly was the only obvious factor immediately identifying it as fake.

 

The posts are typically linked to well-known media sites, using a link shortener so that the false domain names are not immediately obvious.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Russia accidentally bombed itself again, the fourth time this month, UK intel says

 

A Russian plane accidentally dropped two bombs on Russian territory, according to UK intelligence, marking the fourth time it's happened this month.

 

The UK Ministry of Defence highlighted the incidents in an intelligence update on Tuesday, citing a report by the independent Telegram news channel Astra.

 

According to the report, a Russian aircraft discharged two FAB-250 bombs in the Belgorod region last Saturday. One hit a farm in Postnikov and another struck an urban street in Streletskaya, prompting the evacuation of about 150 residents living close by, per the outlet.

 

No injuries were reported, and the bombs were defused on Sunday, it said.

 

This is the fourth such incident this month and the fifth over the last 12 months, the MOD said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[LD0506]

[China]

E.U. Reaches Deal on Fund for Ukraine

 

After weeks of standoff, European Union leaders brought Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary on board and agreed on Thursday to create a 50-billion-euro fund for Ukraine, providing a critical lifeline to a country at risk of financial meltdown in the midst of war with Russia.

 

The breakthrough was an especially significant one for both Ukraine and the European Union. For Ukraine, it offered stability and assurance as American aid is held up in Congress.

 

For the E.U., it demonstrated European resolve to stand united in support of Ukraine against Russia, even if the United States wobbles, as well as a determination to bring an often obstructionist Mr. Orban to heel.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

 

[Fergasun]

Good video, but scary that a few drones can sink a $70M warship. 

 

Came here to talk about the Tucker Carlson video and Putin video.  No doubt it will attempt to make Biden appear weak and bolster Trump.  BTW Tucker, if you post it on your website, it can't get censored.  I also love that he says Elon Musk has promised not to hide it on Twitter - X... what happened to free speech absolutist?   Oh. No mentiom that Putin started this war. Putin invaded.  He thought it was gonna be done in a month. 

 

His goal is total economic decimation of Ukraine and attempt to re-establish the old soviet union. He wants to harm NATO.  He's succeeding in destroying Ukraine's future and America is not paying for a majority of the war as Tucker implied. Maybe we are paying a third to half.  

 

Maybe Tucker can bring back the actual journalists for American newspapers who were jailed for their reporting. 

 

After 20 years as an adult. I can only say that anyone who is happy to be using their weapons of war to invade another country is a moron and tyrant against life.  As much as we felt a response was necessary after 9/11, to hold those responsible to account.  Iraq was a pointless waste and after Bin Laden was killed, pretty much accomplished our initial goals.  I don't remember many older generstion saying "this war will be a mistake, remember Vietnam."  Specifically Iraq.   We made a lot more people and families get hurt and a lot of money disappear too.  

 

People can call me names and pacifist and yes, I do think a strong military is important for national defense.  But we should not invade countries lightly.

 

 

[China]

 

One of the things I find interesting about this videdo is that they report a T-62 tank being destroyed.  How bad are the Russians faring with their armor if they're using 60 year old tanks.

[Riggo-toni]

@China, It gets worse (or better I should say) - Even T55s have been deployed on the front lines (initially they had only been brought in to sit in bunker pits so that the turret could be used as a stationary  cannon).

[Gurgeh]

Maybe Zelenskiy's first real misstep since the invasion

 

Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander | Ukraine | The Guardian

 

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fired his top army commander, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, in Ukraine’s biggest military shake-up since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly two years ago...

 

In an eight-minute video explaining the decision, Zelenskiy denied any political motivation, and said the difficult situation that Ukrainian troops are facing at the front required a new approach... Tension between Zelenskiy and his top commander has been increasing for months, according to insiders. Zaluzhnyi rarely made public statements or gave interviews, but when he did it often irritated the president’s office. 

 

Zaluzhnyi was highly regarded among troops on the frontline, with a reputation for bravery, modesty and good humour, and also became a cult figure in Ukrainian society more broadly.

 

 

[TradeTheBeal!]

 

[Gurgeh]

Equipment losses in Russia’s war on Ukraine mount (iiss.org)

 

The IISS will publish its assessment of Russian equipment losses on 13 February with the release of The Military Balance 2024. The losses are estimated to include more than 3,000 armoured fighting vehicles in the past year alone and close to 8,800 since February 2022.

 

...Overall, we estimate that two years after the full-scale invasion, the number of MBTs in service in the Ukrainian armed forces remains near pre-war levels, while the number of APCs and IFVs has increased thanks to Western support. However, Ukrainian efforts to field additional combat elements have outpaced equipment supply, leaving some units lacking equipment to be even close to full strength.

 

...Despite losing hundreds of armoured vehicles and artillery pieces per month on average, Russia has been able to keep its active inventory numbers stable. For 2023, we estimate that Russia was able to reactivate at least 1,180 to 1,280 MBTs and around 2,470 IFVs and APCs from storage. On top of that, Moscow was able to manufacture new tanks and other armoured vehicles, though precise numbers are difficult to glean even from satellite images.

 

It is our assessment, therefore, that Russia will be able to sustain its assault on Ukraine at current attrition rates for another 2–3 years, and maybe even longer.

 

(in terms of quality, the Ukrainians have much improved their equipment, while the Russians are often fielding refurbished vehicles from decades ago. But as the document notes, they have no shortage of old tanks and vehicles, and an old tank is better than no tank)

[China]

There was a young Russian soldier, who, just before battle, told his sergeant that he didn't have a rifle.

"That's no problem, son," said the sergeant. "Here, take this broom. Just point it at the Ukranians, and go 'Bangety Bang Bang'."

"But what about a bayonet, Sarge?" asked the young (and gullible) recruit.

The sergeant pulls a piece of straw from the end of the broom, and attaches it to the handle end. "Here, use this... just go, 'Stabity Stab Stab'."

The recruit ends up alone on the battlefield, holding just his broom. Suddenly, a Ukranian soldier charges at him.

The recruit points the broom. "Bangety Bang Bang!" The Ukranian falls dead. More Ukranians appear. The recruit, amazed at his good luck, goes "Bangety Bang Bang! Stabity Stab Stab!" He mows down the enemy by the dozens.

Finally, the battlefield is clear, except for one Ukranian soldier walking slowly toward him. "Bangety Bang Bang! shouts the recruit.

The Ukranian keeps coming.

"Bangety Bang Bang!" repeats the recruit, to no avail. He gets desperate. "Bangety Bang Bang! Stabity Stab Stab!"

It's no use. The Ukranian keeps coming. The last thing the recruit hears as he's stomped into the ground was...

"Tankety Tank Tank."

[China]

GOP senators speak with Trump about Ukraine aid loan pitch

 

GOP senators said they spoke with former President Trump this week about his pitch to provide aid to Ukraine as a loan with strings attached, just ahead of the upper chamber passing a bipartisan $95 billion foreign aid package.

 

Republicans say they reached out to Trump about the idea and spoke to him on a Monday call. 

 

“There was a group of us, and we were discussing on kind getting an understanding what he’s what he was thinking, and if he was serious about this, because if he is, then let’s figure out how to actually work this,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said. “And it was actually a great conversation.” 

 

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said he also spoke with Trump, along with a handful of members, on the group call about the idea, which he said he thinks is getting “a lot of momentum” and argued isn’t “overly offensive to the recipients.” 

 

“I mean, why shouldn’t Ukraine, which is mineral rich with the things that we need as a free country, or for that matter, frozen Russian assets that we have, why wouldn’t we make those things available to the American taxpayer to replenish the generosity,” Cramer said late Monday.

 

Cramer voted in favor of the package that passed the Senate 70-29 early Tuesday morning and contained $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. Mullin voted against it.

 

About $26 billion in funding would go toward replenishing U.S. weapons and munitions provided to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, a bill summary outlines. The bill also includes billions of dollars in funding for the submarine industrial base and measures aimed at bolstering artillery and munitions.

 

In a Saturday post on Truth Social, the former president said no funds “in the form of foreign aid should be given to any country unless it is done as a loan.” 

 

He argued the loan could be made on “EXTRAORDINARILY GOOD TERMS,” with no interest and “unlimited life,” but certain strings attached.  

 

Quote

“THE DEAL SHOULD BE (CONTINGENT!) THAT THE U.S. IS HELPING YOU, AS A NATION, BUT IF THE COUNTRY WE ARE HELPING EVER TURNS AGAINST US, OR STRIKES IT RICH SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, THE LOAN WILL BE PAID OFF AND THE MONEY RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote.  

 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has long backed more aid for Ukraine but voted against the Senate aid package, notably endorsed the idea Monday, arguing the “supplemental aid package should be a loan to the countries in question, as suggested by President Trump.” 

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Larry]

2 hours ago, China said:

GOP senators said they spoke with former President Trump this week about his pitch to provide aid to Ukraine as a loan with strings attached

 

Didn't he already have a "perfectly good phone call" where he did that?  

[China]

US gov’t looks to unload seized $300M Russian superyacht over $600K in monthly upkeep

 

The US government asked a judge for permission to sell a $300 million Russian superyacht seized in 2022 — citing the fact that it’s been costing taxpayers $600,000 a month to maintain.

 

The hefty monthly tab includes $360,000 in payments to the 348-foot vessel’s crew, plus $75,000 for fuel and $165,000 in other maintenance, like waste removal and food, according to court papers filed by the US in Manhattan on Friday obtained by Bloomberg.

 

The superyacht, called Amadea, reportedly belongs to Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, an alleged money launderer sanctioned by the US in 2018 as one of several oligarchs who profited from the Kremlin “through corruption and its malign activities around the globe, including the occupation of Crimea,” according to the Justice Department.

 

 

Kerimov, 57, is worth $9.1 billion, according to Bloomberg’s calculations, which he built making hefty bets on Russian companies across a variety of industries after the fall of the Soviet Union, the outlet reported.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

[Gurgeh]

 

I wonder how many of these drones you could make for the cost of one aircraft carrier?

[ixcuincle]

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dies in prison, officials say https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alexey-navalny-dead-in-russia-prison-officials-say/

[Gurgeh]

The consequences of all these months of blocking support for Ukraine. Never thought I'd see the day when a major US political party effectively backed an avowed foe of the United States in his invasion of a democracy we'd pledged to protect. 

 

Ukrainian forces withdraw from Avdiivka to avoid encirclement, army chief says | Ukraine | The Guardian

 

Ukraine’s First Tank Brigade said during a visit on Thursday that their ability to strike the Russians had been cut dramatically since November.

“Back then, we could fire every half hour, to stop them from relaxing and disrupt their movements, now we have to be very selective, and only fire for defence,” said their commander, who gave his call-sign, Titushko, in accordance with Ukrainian army regulations.

 

“We cannot target only one vehicle, we only aim when we see a concentration of hardware,” he added.

 

With the frontlines largely static in recent months, the capture of Avdiivka would mark Russia’s first major gain since taking Bakhmut last May.

[PeterMP]

It is a sad time to be an American.  Just a reminder of what we promised Ukraine and how we're partly to blame for Ukraine being in the situation they are in:

 

"When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine had the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal on its territory. When Ukrainian-Russian negotiations on removing these weapons from Ukraine appeared to break down in September 1993, the U.S. government engaged in a trilateral process with Ukraine and Russia. The result was the Trilateral Statement, signed in January 1994, under which Ukraine agreed to transfer the nuclear warheads to Russia for elimination. In return, Ukraine received security assurances from the United States, Russia and Britain; compensation for the economic value of the highly-enriched uranium in the warheads (which could be blended down and converted into fuel for nuclear reactors); and assistance from the United States in dismantling the missiles, missile silos, bombers and nuclear infrastructure on its territory."

 

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-trilateral-process-the-united-states-ukraine-russia-and-nuclear-weapons/

 

We should pay for the Ukrainian defense because we promised to because they did something that we considered beneficial to us (not give weapons grade uranium to the highest bidders or use it to build their own nuclear program).

Edited February 17 by PeterMP

[DCSaints_fan]

2 hours ago, PeterMP said:

We should pay for the Ukrainian defense because we promised to because they did something that we considered beneficial to us (not give weapons grade uranium to the highest bidders or use it to build their own nuclear program).

I think technically its only nuclear attack, but I see the point

 

Edit:  It was all attacks, not just nuclear

 

Quote

2. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

 

https://policymemos.hks.harvard.edu/files/policymemos/files/2-23-22_ukraine-the_budapest_memo.pdf?m=1645824948

 

 

Unfortunately we are entering the era of realpolitik and "treaties are only pieces of paper"

Edited February 17 by DCSaints_fan

[Gurgeh]

3 minutes ago, DCSaints_fan said:

I think technically its only nuclear attack, but I see the point

 

Unfortunately we are entering the era of realpolitik and "treaties are only pieces of paper"

 

Technically we agreed to protect their 1994 borders (amongst other things), which would of course include Crimea, in exchange for them handing over all the nukes they had. The lesson everyone will take from this is never hand over your nukes, and that's going to make the world a much more dangerous place for all of us.

 

Budapest Memorandum - Wikipedia

 

"According to the three memoranda, Russia, the US and the UK confirmed their recognition of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine becoming parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and effectively removing all Soviet nuclear weapons from their soil, and that they agreed to the following:

 

1. Respect the signatory's independence and sovereignty in the existing borders (in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act).
2. Refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of the signatories to the memorandum, and undertake that none of their weapons will ever be used against these countries, except in cases of self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

(etc.)"

 

 

 

 

 

[PokerPacker]

Russian pilot that surrendered a Helicopter to Ukraine was murdered in Spain.  I assume carrying out military kills in NATO countries will be met with minimal response.

 

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-02-19/russian-pilot-who-defected-to-ukraine-shot-dead-in-spain-reports

[ixcuincle]