Busy day for the Russians, too.

Russian Il-76 military transport plane crashes in Sudan, and not for the first time.  This isn't even the first time they've recently lost a Il-76 in Sudan.  Keeping all these plane crashes straight is like trying to remember every drop of rain that falls during a hurricane.  Malfunction, all crew dead, yadda yadda lada...

Russian oil tanker hit by Ukrainian "Sea Baby" naval drone.  There's really great footage of the strike captured by a second naval drone.

QuoteThe ship was traveling at top speed through Ukraine's exclusive economic zone, with its transponder turned off, when it was hit, the SBU source said.

The vessel had been moving toward Russia's Novorossiysk port terminal, a key Russian oil hub, the source added.

It's likely that the oil tanker was not loaded with oil, since Ukraine prefers to hit them while they're empty to avoid an ecological disaster on their own shore and allies' shores.  Still, it leaks its own fuel and if it sinks, it'll definitely add to the overcrowding problem down there with the Moskva, other warships, tankers, ferries, planes, helicopters, etc.

Ukraine also seized a shadow fleet vessel which boldly docked at Odessa.  Not every day the enemy ties their horse to your hitching rail.  This one is accused of illegally transporting agricultural products from Crimea.  The ship's owner "regularly changed the name of the ship and the formal beneficiaries to third countries".

Not Stonks: Russia's Syzran oil refinery shuts down indefinitely.  The refinery is just east of Moscow, and was hit by Ukraine on December 5th.

Russian forces were smashed at Pokrovsk (I'm telling you guys, it's always unease and panic in pro-Ukrainian onlookers for days/weeks/months, then bam, the Ukrainians make minor miracles happen)

The battle for Pokrovsk is of course far from over, but that's the point - Putin has declared it captured several times so far, and the Ukrainians are proving him wrong over and over again.  Putin is a liar, Russian equipment and manpower is thrown into the Ukrainan woodchipper - gone forever - and the Ukrainians hold on for one more day.  This is a very good outcome, given the difficult circumstances.

<<update: I'm looking at the uncensored footage right now and there's at least 7 brightly burning Russian vehicles in a line, all on a small strip of road.  Highway of Death vibes.>>

And the cherry on top: the US House authorizes aid to Ukraine

QuoteThe bill reauthorizes the use of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), a Pentagon-led program that supplies arms to Ukraine through contracts with U.S. defense companies. It stipulates that Ukraine will receive $400 million per year via the USAI for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

The legislation bars the Pentagon from reducing the number of troops "permanently stationed in or deployed" to Europe below 76,000 for longer than 45 days.

It also requires the Defense Department to notify Congress within 48 hours of any decision to restrict intelligence sharing with Ukraine, according to Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna.

Those last two provisions would be strange in any other administration, but we're in the situation we're in and this administration has threatened just that.  Kremlin agent or not, there is a certain pattern of behavior that's clearly hostile to Ukraine.  Whatever is motivating it is of less importance than fact that it's going on under our noses and souring our relations with Ukraine and other allies.  Broken trust is not easily mended.  Kudos to the House for stepping up.

"It's about drugs, not oil" so Trump pardons the drug dealer and seizes the oil tanker.  Sounds legit.  :/

That would be an obvious abuse of power. Not that anyone's been stopping Trump from abusing his power all year...

Busy night for Russia

All that is true and it's even worse than that.  Infantry often arrive without needed gear and have to pay the commander for that out of pocket and for outrageous prices.  Also, some of the commanders will procure alcohol/drugs for the soldiers (I mean, how else are they going to get it?), also at significant markup.  That huge signing bonus gets spent quick.

Though I should note that some commanders frown heavily on substance abuse, especially when it interferes with combat operations and sometimes heap all sorts of physical abuse on offenders, everything from just slapping them around to shocking them to tying them to a tree in very cold conditions or putting them in a hole.  Which commander you get is just the luck of the draw.

"It's a fart, fart better thing I do than any living thing has ever done before, because I'm just that good." The Donald.

Here we go. The U.S. has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, officials said Wednesday, escalating tensions between the two countries.


"As you probably know, we've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large. Largest one ever seized, actually. And other things are happening, so you'll be seeing that later and you'll be talking about that later with some other people."

When asked by a reporter what will happen to the oil on the ship, Mr. Trump responded, "Well we keep it, I guess. "I assume we're going to keep the oil."


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-seized-oil-tanker-off-the-coast-of-venezuela-trump-says/

Here's lookin' at you, kid.🐌

Quote from: drunkenshoe on December 10, 2025, 04:52:32 AM

And me, swinging both ways with whatever my adhd adorable brain feels like...

I'm the archictect. The wife is the racoon. No meth, but she's definately been rummaging around in there for something.