Will Putin Invade Ukraine?

[Dark Lightning]

I think in many ways the US is hyper-politicized. By all accounts the Russians citizens are pretty much head-in-the-sand when it comes to politics. They don't really even have "politics" as they are wary to even say anything.

Not head-in-the-sand so much as massively misinformed. It's such a police state, there.

It would be really nice if the media laid off the bullhorn about all the trivial shit, and simply reported the news instead of "interpreting" it. Just show me a politician saying something, as opposed to saying "what they really meant", or outright lying. Faux News and OANN, and "Truth" Social, your game is obvious.

[Hydra009]

Poland's lower house declares Russia a state sponsor of terrorism

I'm surprised that wasn't already in the books, considering Poland's history with Russia.

[Hydra009]

Mysterious fire burns at Siberian oil refinery, one of Russia's largest

[Hydra009]

Temporarily-occupied Ukrainian city of Donetsk hit with drone strikes

Military base in Luhansk also hit

[Hydra009]

Supposedly, Putin is gearing up for a fresh run on Kyiv, sometime between January and March.



Certainly an ambitious target.  Far too ambitious for a country struggling to take villages.

But on the other hand, it is in keeping with Putin's Hitleresque policy of spending its troops lives on political objectives rather than sensible strategic targets.  Presumably, he's been briefed that Ukrainian forces are tied up on the frontlines and the road to Kyiv is wide open (forget that he was also told the same thing this February)

This could turn out to not be true for one of several reasons:

1) Russian propaganda for domestic consumption - "Russian is strongk!  Russia no lose!  Russia will into Kiev!"

2) Russian propaganda for foreign consumption - to scare Allies and maybe cause the steady stream of arms shipments to waiver.  And especially to scare Ukraine into putting its upcoming Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive on hold by pointlessly tying up its units in preparation for an attack that isn't coming, both of which would help Russia tremendously.

3) Ukrainian propaganda to drum up foreign support - to scare Allies to ward off complacency and get them to offer even stronger arms to Ukraine, which will then be used to make the Zaporizhzhia offensive that much easier and potentially end the war much more quickly, saving many lives.

[Hydra009]

Russians searching online for how to surrender doubles in November, 70k searches per month

[Hydra009]

In Kyiv, a defender managed to shoot down a Russian cruise missle with just a machine gun

This pairs nicely with the previous story of a grandma who destroyed a Russian drone by throwing a jar of tomatoes at it

[Hydra009]

Russian morgues overflowing after HIMARS strikes on Melitopol

🌻🌻🌻

[Hydra009]

A collaborator caught spying for the Russians receives a 12-year sentence

His primary mission was to reveal the coordinates of any HIMARS so Russians could target them.

His secondary mission was to locate critical infrastructure for Russian missile attacks.

He failed at his primary mission, but succeeded at his secondary mission, passing info to the invaders that allowed them to carry out a strike on the water intake system in the city of Selidove.

[ferdmonger]

(14 yo)

"What.  Me worry?"  (Does kind of have that Alfred E. Neuman look.)

[Hydra009]

Mysterious explosions rock Crimea, Belogrod, and Kursk

Reportedly, there's another wave of Russians leaving Crimea.

Coincidentally, the US has declared that Ukraine has the military strength to liberate Crimea, though they worry about Putin's reaction. 

Personally, I don't much worry or care about dictators being unhappy, my sympathies are more with the people they threaten.  But hey, you do you.

[Hydra009]

Elite Russian brigade basically wiped out, taking so many losses that it'll take years to rebuild

A Russian brigade is around 2000 - 8000 soldiers, so we're talking lots and lots of casualties.

[Hydra009]

US weapons turn the tables on the Russians, allow Ukrainians to inflict heavy losses in artillery duels

🌻

[Hydra009]

Russian soldiers turn to Wikipedia for weapon-handling instructions

LOL good luck!

I hope they donate, because it truly is the most useful encyclopedia in the world if Russians can use it for weapons training and Ukrainians can use it to track Russian defeats and retreats.

[Unbeliever]

LOL good luck!

You're starting to sound like Eclectic!
LOL