Will Putin Invade Ukraine?

[Hydra009]

Today's invader KIA: 850

[Hydra009]

An explanation for the above:

Russian Marines Just Attempted Another Frontal Assault On Ukrainian Positions Around Pavlivka. The Result Was Predictably Bloody

The 155th Marine Brigade back in November suffered devastating losses in sloppy, frontal attacks against entrenched Ukrainians around Pavlivka, in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. Last week, the brigade tried the same dumb tactics against an even more fortified foe in nearby Vuhledar—and seemingly suffered yet another horrific defeat.

Ukrainian missile teams lay in wait for the Russian marines who managed to get through the artillery fire. One video from the 72nd Mechanized Brigade depicts Javelin missile strikes on two T-80 tanks and a BMP-3 fighting vehicle from the 155th Marine Brigade. A photo that appeared on Telegram purports to depict a trench filled with dead Russian marines.

Russian planners and commanders seem to be incapable of learning even the simplest battlefield lessons. For example: support your infantry with artillery. Don't attack uphill. Try flanking the enemy.

It's not all dumb tactics, of course.  There are attempts to cut off Ukrainian supply lines in Bakhmut, for example.  So don't think that they're always so dumb.  But sometimes, they do very poor tactics with predictable results.  Putin doesn't care.  He'll send another battalion tomorrow.

[Hydra009]

[Hydra009]

Both things are basically true, and have been most of the war. 

Russia has huge manpower losses in exchange for minor gains.  Ukrainian defenders are often outnumbered and holding their own, but it is a tense situation and western aid could make or break ownership of the currently besieged town and the next counteroffensive.

[Hydra009]

"Invade Crimea" Hmmm...I wonder who did that?  🤔

Edit - she even said "take it back", acknowledging that Russia stole land while at the same calling it "insanity" to push invaders out of your own territory.

[the_antithesis]

"Invade Crimea" Hmmm...I wonder who did that?  🤔

Edit - she even said "take it back", acknowledging that Russia stole land while at the same calling it "insanity" to push invaders out of your own territory.

Let's invade her house and shit in her bed. Then when she tried to get us to leave, we'll call her insane.

Stop aligning yourselves with despots, Republicans, or people are going to think you're assholes.

[Hydra009]

Austria and Hungary agree to not send weapons to Ukraine

What fantastic allies :/

Thankfully, pretty much the entirety of Europe, North America, and others can pick up the slack, but damn, that's terrible news to break.

Especially since those Allied nations will no doubt be at the forefront of the new International Order, so you really don't want them to be mad with you.  In the center of this new order will be a victorious Ukraine which will have experienced more death as a result of a lack of substantive help in their time of deepest need.  Definitely something that will have repurcussions in the future.

Putin tried very hard to fracture Allied support for Ukraine, and damned if he hasn't succeed in some areas.  Certainly Trump and Orban were big wins for him and losses for democracy.

[Hydra009]

General Atomics (US weapons maker) offers to sell to Ukraine two Reaper drones for $1

The deal also would require Kyiv to spend about $10 million to prepare and ship the aircraft to Ukraine, and about $8 million each year for maintenance

They always screw ya on shipping.  :/

Still, they normally go for $32 million a piece, so $18 million for two for a year isn't a bad deal.

[Dark Lightning]

I'd really hate to be a Russian soldier faced with Reapers. They live up to their name.

[Hydra009]

I'd really hate to be a Russian soldier faced with Reapers. They live up to their name.

Or a logistics truck driver.

[Hydra009]

Skill issue: Ukrainian Soviet-era tanks outperform Russian Soviet-era tanks

In footage released online in December, a Ukrainian T-64BV and a Russian T-72B3 tank engaged in a deadly duel in the east of the country. Although the Ukrainian armor was older, it finished off its Russian opponent with a single long-range shot.

According to the report, when the war began, the Russian invasion force's 2,800 "combat-ready tanks" vastly outnumbered the approximately 900 total tanks in the Ukrainian military.

Since then, Russia has lost over 3,200 tanks - more than the invasion force started with (they've brought more out of storage since)

[Hydra009]

Russia faces new energy-exporting crisis

The European Union will ban imports of refined Russian fuels on February 5, adding to its embargo on seaborne Russian crude oil that began in December.

China and India softened the blow of the previous sanctions/cap on Russian crude oil. Will they come to Russia's aid when it comes to refined oil?

[Hydra009]

920 Russian KIA yesterday

[Hydra009]

"What station you need, General?"

France supplies sophisticated anti-air/missile/drone radar to Ukraine to guard the skies

Ukraine's defense minister said Wednesday that Ukrainian lives will be saved by a sophisticated air-defense radar that France is supplying and which is powerful enough to spot incoming missiles and exploding drones in the skies over all of Ukraine's capital and its surrounding region.

Reznikov described the French-made GM200 as a "very effective" improvement for Ukraine's network of about 300 different types of air-defense radars.

[Hydra009]

Speaking of air defense, I missed this article back in December, so this is not exactly breaking news, but it's important:

Germany to send two Skynex air defense systems to Ukraine by 2024

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyshield (each system is made up of 4 guns, 1 control node, and 1 radar, all mounted on military trucks, so they can move around as needed)  Essentially, this is an autocannon that sprays drones with chunks of metal - basically like throwing fistfuls of rocks against a kite.  Even if some or most rocks miss, some of them will hit their target and any damage is likely to be catastrophic.