Some dumb comments by a US official:

U.S. Weapons Stockpile Risks Running Low (le gasp!)

QuoteU.S. weapons stockpiles could run out in several months if the Biden administration continues to send war-fighting supplies to Ukraine, defense experts told Congress. "It's a huge threat to our security," Ellen Lord, former under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said at an Armed Services Committee hearing.

Lord said the U.S. has sent almost a quarter of its stockpile of Stinger missiles to Ukraine. David Berteau, president of the Professional Services Council, said that since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. is readying almost one-third of available weapons stockpiles with no current contracts to replenish them.

Point #1 - this conflict is only 2 months old and it has already gotten to the point where Russia is doing its last big push with massed tanks.  They're on plan B and there is no plan C.

This is the most pivotal phase of the war.  There is no better time to send them that doesn't involve time travel.  You know a bad time to send them?  Months from now!  If you send them now, you won't have to send any months from now.  So don't worry about months from now.

Point #2 - How in the kentucky-fried hell does dropping to two-thirds of a stockpile of Stingers endanger US security in any way, shape, or form?  Who's going to invade, Canada?

And more generally, stockpiles are made to be used in a crisis.  This is the mother of all crises.  Unless there's a hell of a compelling argument why those rockets should be sitting in a warehouse instead of in the hands of people who are going to use them to defend women and children (and also curb Russian expansion in eastern europe), then get them to Poland asap!  500 a day, if you can.  Whatever you've got, if you can't.

QuotePoint #2 - How in the kentucky-fried hell does dropping to two-thirds of a stockpile of Stingers endanger US security in any way, shape, or form?  Who's going to invade, Canada?

China, in some form, would be most likely to wage war on us; though I would wager it would almost certainly be a war of soft power rather than brute force. We are so beholden to Chinese production that if they were to sanction us... it would be like we were Russia under EU sanctions.

From there, just let society collapse in America and then come in and clean up, either through "peacekeeping" operations & "reeducation", corrupt officials turning American citizens into slaves for China, or warlords spawned through partisan ideologies and climate change limiting resources.

Realistically that fight will be within the next decade or two as climate change is ramping up significantly and causing resource scarcity (war in the world's breadbasket doesn't help either) - we can either prepare for it and try to avoid it, or stumble into it like we did with Russia.

We can still show strength and avoid falling to our own arrogance, but the way society is progressing I'm not going to hold my breath; we are taught from birth to be arrogant and entitled, or at the very least idolize people with that "fuck over anyone to get what you want"-business mindset or, even worse, "influencers".

It's not judgement, it just is what it is.

Quote from: Shiranu on April 27, 2022, 02:43:45 AMChina, in some form, would be most likely to wage war on us;

They could, but it'd destroy both countries' economies, not to mention making Fallout happen irl.

Besides, Chinese ambitions at the moment lie with Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other parts of southeast Asia.  Unlike Russia, they've never had global imperial ambitions.

If anything, China is viewing Russia as a prime example of what NOT to do.

Putin's forces struggling in Ukraine because "they don't like to fight in the rain"

Then go home!

Russian ammo depot burns in Belograd region (yes, again)

QuoteThe governor of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that, according to preliminary data, an ammunition depot is burning near the village of Stara Nelidovka.

When asked about the mysterious explosions in 3 Russian regions, the Advisor to President Zellensky had this to say:

QuoteIf you [Russians] decided to attack another country, to indiscriminately kill people there, to drive tanks over the bodies of civilians – and if you are using depots in your regions to supply the weapons of this mass murder, then sooner or later you will have to repay your debts. You won't be able to sit it out given the intensity and the scale of Russian military invasion in Ukraine.

And so the disarmament of murderers' depots in the Belgorod and Voronezh Regions is an entirely natural process. Karma is a b***h."

Suffice it to say that no tears were shed and Ukrainian's pre-war stockpile of Fs has been completely depleted.

US fed Ukraine intel that helped Ukraine shoot down a russian plane carrying hundreds of invaders

QuoteThe US passed intelligence on planned Russian missile strikes to Ukraine so it could move military assets out of the way, often with moments to spare, NBC News reported, citing US officials.

"The Russian military has literally been cratering empty fields where air defenses were once set up," a US official told NBC News. "It has had an enormous impact on the Russian military's ability on the ground."

QuoteIn another case, US intelligence helped Ukraine shoot down a Russian transport plane containing hundreds of troops that was headed to help seize Hostomel Airport near Kyiv, NBC News reported.

This is pretty special:

"If you [Russians] decided to attack another country, to indiscriminately kill people there, to drive tanks over the bodies of civilians – and if you are using depots in your regions to supply the weapons of this mass murder, then sooner or later you will have to repay your debts. You won't be able to sit it out given the intensity and the scale of Russian military invasion in Ukraine. And so the disarmament of murderers' depots in the Belgorod and Voronezh Regions is an entirely natural process. Karma is a b***h."

Poor Russia is getting a boo-boo lip now that Ukraine is striking back.  Those dirty bastards are actually hitting oil depots and weapon storage facilities.  And remember, Lavrov warned us if this continues, he's going to hold his breath until he turns blue and then nuke the world, because Ukraine is being naughty.

In a year, their economy will be in shambles, their military depleted, and their citizens angry.  Nice way to run a railroad Vlad.

I really, really, really hope that they don't actually use nukes. Russia has 14 time zones, and that is their main reason that they can survive a nuclear holocaust- the vast land area.

Quote from: Dark Lightning on April 27, 2022, 09:35:46 PMI really, really, really hope that they don't actually use nukes. Russia has 14 time zones, and that is their main reason that they can survive a nuclear holocaust- the vast land area.

If Putin launches nuclear bombs, it'll be the last mistake he ever makes. Assuming his military could even get the bombs off the ground. Given their recent performance, they might just accidentally nuke their own country.

Any idiot leaders who start talking about committing nuclear war or survivability, needs to be executed by their subjects immediately. BTW, Russian people should know they have little survivability advantage (if any) as they are clustered in urban areas at nearly the same rate as in the US and they have fewer cities. Hundreds of millions of people will die and the political entities of Russia and the US will effectively cease to exist and vast regions such as New England and Moscow will be totally uninhabitable for generations.

Vlad could have started this war by sending a low yield nuke onto Kiev.  He didn't do it because it was unacceptable. It still is - only more so.

It is a sign of massive weakness that makes these statements absurd.

Vlad.  Find a bunker.  Save the world time.   

Ukraine to be equipped with NATO weapons

Russia has a bloody lip right now, but it's going to get its teeth kicked in if this continues.

Well, shit. If it boils down to a nuclear exchange, I'll shoot myself first to avoid radiation sickness. I'm not afraid of death, but I've had enough pain in my life, and radiation sickness is painful. This is the closest I've been to that feeling since Kennedy and Khrushchev faced off over missiles in Cuba. I was 10 YO at that time, and distinctly recall "drop" drills.

I think I'll pull through.

Russia has threatened a lot of stuff over the past two months, including attacking most of its neighbors, attacking arms shipments, even attacking any country that donates arms. They even threatened the UK in particular with...something a few days ago.  Last I checked, the UK is still standing.

In fact, they haven't made good on virtually any threat, except for very small, petty threats like cutting Poland off from gas.

So why sorry about words alone?

Russian losses accelerate: 400 KIA in one day

They also lost 31 tanks,  47 armored vehicles, and 10 artillery in one day.

Unsustainable.  Their front will collapse and then they will either rout or be overrun.