As the sanctions and the huge costs of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine drag Russia's economy down, the effects on the population are becoming more obvious. Food inflation is closer to 20% rents are skyrocketing, poverty is widespread and Russians are starting to have to queue for food.

Russia is now spending 40% of its dwindling budget on the war and non-war related industries are collapsing as are the health sector and old age care. Domestic airlines are collapsing, fuel prices are shooting up and due to a shortage of manpower food production is dropping.

The estimated 320,000 casualties that Russia has suffered are beginning to be noticed even after the huge efforts the FSB is making to cover up the losses (such as banning wives of soldiers groups) with the majority of Russians now in favour of ending the war.

Russians are comparing the situation now with the 1980s when the USSR collapsed after being exhausted from the Afghan war.

"Food inflation is closer to 20% rents are skyrocketing, poverty is widespread"
- Are you talking about Australia or Russia ?
I think our food inflation might be a bit higher than 20% though

Most of what you write is blatent lies or wishful thinking from the same people who brought us the fabled 'Ghost of Kiev' and 'Iraqi WMD's'.
- But SM's a bit retarded you see, and he falls for the same BS every single time.

The only story here is that the west failed in it's war against Russia, using the Ukrainians as it's proxy.
Ukraine is not going to take its territory back.
The West has run out of money and weapons and Ukrainians have run out of troops.

The only path to the end of the conflict is Ukraine's unconditional surrender to Russia terms.
Russia will achieve it's goals, Ukraine must denazify, demilitarise and remain neutral from NATO.

This is the price of the Wests foolish and relentless push to expand NATO, including funding right-wing extremist opposition groups and conducting coups any time an elected leader did not support joining NATO.

Ukraine, as well as it's economy and people has been completely destroyed, a generation of it's young men wiped out.

But that's ok, because it's good for US jobs.
The US has the blood of half a million Ukrainians and a million more wounded on it's hands, but that's what the US does.

It didn't take Putin's fanboy Baldrick long to react and start posting Russian propaganda.

The information I post is readily available from reputable sources such as the Russian central bank and other major sources. This idiot keeps reporting clear BS from Russian propaganda sources and is completely unable to provide any reputable sources for his lies.

Here are a few indisputable facts:
Russia is selling less oil and gas at lower prices than it did before its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has announced that it is spending at least 40% of its entire budget on the war effort.
Subsidies have stopped leading to huge fuel cost increases for Russians increasing the cost of production.
Nearly 1 million of the most educated Russians have fled from conscription and nearly 1m have been conscripted to make up for the roughly 320,000 killed or crippled.
food production has struggled with labour shortages and high fuel and machinery costs.
The Ruble has collapsed to about 90 to the $ making imports more expensive.
The Russian airline industry is becoming dangerous and is collapsing.

etc. Russia's economy is not OK and Russia's army is losing men, armour and aircraft faster than it can replace them.

Russia is losing this war.

"Russia is losing this war."

You see this is the problem right here

Realistically there's no way possible Ukraine can take back it's lost territory, so Ukraine just can't win.

The problem with this war is that Ukrainians have always been focused on taking back territory, even the US expects them to make territorial gains for the weapons and equipment it has sent.

Russian military doctrine on the other hand is not primarily focussed on taking ground.
Their primary aim is to destroy the opposing military including their will to fight.
Russia will half-capture a town, leave it semi-encircled.
They leave it that way on purpose to allow Ukraine to send more men into the cauldron which Russia can annihilate from all directions.
Russia will step back and give up territory on purpose when necessary and re-establish a better defensive line to lure the Ukrainians in.

Ukraine is the defending nation, but Russia (and the West) force Ukraine to attack while the Russians are in defense.

Next batch of Ukrainian recruits look a little iffy. NATO standards?
http://twitter.com/simpatico771/status/1736203919515074844

Stop sending people to die already.
These people have no business fighting the Russian military.
They are not going to achieve any battlefield gains.
They are all going to die like those before them.

80 to 90% of the Ukrainian men dragged off the street and (insufficiently) trained by the West are either dead, or wounded so badly they cannot return to combat.
Dragging this war on is more about Biden trying to save face in an election year, and less about helping Ukraine win, which is now out of the question.

Russia has already lost. But their leadership and their western flying-monkeys can't admit it...even to themselves.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/defence-deal-with-finland-will-give-us-access-to-15-military-bases-on-russian-border/ar-AA1lzcbE

Has anyone heard of what Cubans think about that conflict ?

Baldrick,

Russia's cunning plan to throw men at the Ukrainian lines until they run out of ammunition? Which army is Russia planning to destroy? Just in, Russia has just shot down another of its own Su 25s. Genius.

As Russia has been stealing EU planes, US investments etc, it looks as though the West will simply confiscate the $300bn of Russian savings and use this money to pay for weapons for Ukraine and whatever is left as reparations for the damage done to Ukraine.

Russia is suffering 5x to 10x the casualties that Ukraine is.

Russia is clearly losing this war.

"Russia's cunning plan to throw men at the Ukrainian lines until they run out of ammunition?"
- Russia doesn't have to throw anything at anyone.
They can just sit behind their OWN defensive lines which the Ukrainians have shown THEY CANT BREACH, and wait in defense - if they choose.

The Ukrainians ARE out of ammunition though.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67714719
Ukraine war: Shell shortages force us to limit firing, Ukrainian troops tell BBC

It's the Ukrainians themselves that have the task of going on the offense to take the land back.
How are Ukrainians going to take territory back with no ammunition?
No de-mining equipment? no air support?

And mostly all of Ukraine's well trained soldiers are already dead.
You're asking a ragtag group of untrained men and women dragged off the street by force to go up against Russian military who are hardened by years of combat, and produce results - with nothing with which to complete said task with.

Maybe they can chuck rocks at the Russians?

It's impossible, it can't be done, the war is lost for Ukraine.

Russia won't stand still.
They will continue to slowly grind down the Ukrainians military capabilities.
Ukraine has effectively lost the war, but the fighting will continue for a while longer at least.

- And Russia has more territory to take.

And I'm not sure there's enough support in the US to keep giving military aid.
30 U.S. House Democrats Urge Biden To Seek Negotiated Settlement To War In Ukraine
http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-house-democrats-biden-settlement-negotiations/32098773.html
- And you know the Republicans have put their foot down.
Even Lindsay Graham says no money for Ukraine without the border issues resolved, and that guy has called for Putin's assassination.

Were you not bragging about this the other day?

Ukrainian Marines on ‘Suicide Mission’ in Crossing the Dnipro River
http://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/world/europe/ukraine-kherson-river-russia.html
'Soldiers frustrated by positive reports from Ukrainian officials break their silence, describing the effort as brutalizing and, ultimately, futile.'

Read that part and take it in SM.
'frustrated by positive reports from Ukrainian officials'
(That's quite an understatement, from what I hear from reports of Ukrainians in Krynky)

Meaning: The source you get your info from is telling you lies.

"Soldiers and marines who have taken part in the river crossings described the offensive as brutalizing and futile, as waves of Ukrainian troops have been struck down on the river banks or in the water, even before they reach the other side.

Fresh troops arriving on the east bank have to step on soldiers’ bodies that lie tangled in the churned mud, said Oleksiy, an experienced soldier who fought in Krynky in October and has since crossed multiple times to help evacuate the wounded.

Some of the dead marines have been lying there for as long as two months, as units have been unable to retrieve the bodies because of the intense shelling, said Volodymyr, a deputy company commander who was attending the funeral of one of his men."

Hi AC,

Putin is resolved to keep fighting, and Russia is getting lots of assistance from her allies. Note though that if Russian forces withdrew there would be no risk of Russia being invaded whereas Ukraine would be no more if its army stopped fighting. Russian war expenditure is about three times that of Ukraine, and there is thus far no shortage of troops to throw at the front lines. Drones now play a major role in the Ukrainian defence, and I still believe that Russia's main vulnerability is its capacity to maintain its electronic warfare systems. The meat wave tactics have been Russia's moa, but it is incredibly costly in troops and equipment.

I really don't understand sm's view of you. We are simply observers who care about the world. The only difference is what we make of things.

Baldrick,

Your cherry-picking of reports ignores that Russia has failed to dislodge Ukrainian fighters in Krynky often suffering massive casualties themselves from artillery and drones on the heights on the west bank of the river.

Over the last few months, it has been Russia desperately trying to storm Avdivka, Kupiansk etc throwing 1000s of men and armour against entrenched Ukrainian positions. These Russians have been massacred leaving destroyed armour, weapons and rotting Russians cluttering up the fields.

Russia is still losing more tanks than it can replace, and satellite images show how the old tank storage areas are emptying as Russians try to patch up ancient tanks to send to the front. Most Russian soldiers are now having to walk through open fields through cluster shells to the front with most being killed before even reaching the front.

"Germany's support for Ukraine is to be 'massively expanded' next year
Germany’s aid for Ukraine will be “massively expanded” next year, the foreign minister said Monday as Kyiv heads into its second winter since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Germany has become one of Ukraine’s top military suppliers since the war started in February 2022, sending material that includes tanks, armored personnel carriers, air defense systems and Patriot missile systems.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said as she arrived Monday at a meeting with European Union counterparts that, even as Europe grapples with the war between Israel and Hamas, it’s still important to “face the geopolitical challenge here.”

She said that will include helping Ukraine through the coming winter months and “our support will be massively expanded for next year.”

Over the weekend, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported that Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition wants to increase Germany’s military aid for 2024 from the 4 billion euros initially planned to 8 billion euros. It said parliament’s budget committee will need to sign off on the plan later this week."

Where is this Dnipro River ?

"Where is this Dnipro River ?"

Its quite close to the Dnieper River which in turn is fed by the Dnepr River which has its head-waters in the Dynapro River.

"Your cherry-picking of reports ignores that Russia has failed to dislodge Ukrainian fighters in Krynky often suffering massive casualties themselves from artillery and drones on the heights on the west bank of the river."

I'm not sure they are too concerned about it.
It's a fire-bag, Ukraine just keeps feeding men into the meat grinder and achieving nothing.
The Ukrainian soldiers there are almost in total revolt.
They know they're just being used as cannon fodder, so that Zelensky can show the west it's made some gains, and get more weapons and funding.

"Over the last few months, it has been Russia desperately trying to storm Avdivka, Kupiansk etc throwing 1000s of men and armour against entrenched Ukrainian positions."

Kupiansk is important as a demoralising factor.
It takes away the gains they made in their counteroffensive last year, even though Russians withdrew because they were overstretched.
Andreevka is important because it's from this town that Ukraine has been attacking Donetsk City since 2014 targeting civilians.

"Germany's support for Ukraine is to be 'massively expanded' next year"
- Hungary is blocking further Ukrainian aid.

Germany and the EU have committed economic suicide.
German leaders should be hanged in the public square for what they have done to the country to please the US.
And money does not equal instant weapons.
Europe can't even supply the 1 million artillery shells it already promised.

http://www.politico.eu/article/arms-makers-cant-drop-exports-to-meet-ukraine-ammo-target-says-defense-agency-chief/

"Foreign Minister Annalena Bareback"
- About all she'd be useful for...

Ukraine's haddit.
They're not going to breach Russian defensive lines and recapture any more territory, but they will lose more men and territory the longer they mess around.
This whole war is the fault of US foreign policy.

Is Ukraine really a part of US National Security interests?
- No, not unless the US plans on conquering the whole world.

Ukraine’s army is struggling to find good recruits
http://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/ukraine-s-army-is-struggling-to-find-good-recruits-20231218-p5es3r.html

>>Army chiefs are struggling to fill places with the willing; some are resorting to conscription raids on gyms and shopping centres. Few of those who are signed up this way make good soldiers.

“We’re seeing 45- to 47-year-olds,” one senior officer complains. “They are out of breath by the time they reach the front line.”<<

Fyi, the average age of a Ukrainian soldier is 43.

>>...The task is to convince potential recruits. 'Conductor', one of the men deployed to the ill-fated unit in the Donbas, says he is committed to serving his country, “but only in a way that can be useful”.

In the meantime, he is occupied '24/7' in securing a transfer away from the assault forces. “You can’t just write people’s lives off like this,” he says.<<

Is this war about the Ukrainian people?
- American policy makers say they'll fight to the last Ukrainian!
Or is it about conquest, and good old-fashioned robbery?

Are you supporting the Ukrainians dying?
Or are you supporting Western bankers?

War and Theft: The Takeover of Ukraine’s Agricultural Land
http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/war-theft-takeover-ukraine-agricultural-land

The total amount of land controlled by oligarchs, corrupt individuals, and large agribusinesses is over nine million hectares — exceeding 28 percent of Ukraine’s arable land. The largest landholders are a mix of Ukrainian oligarchs and foreign interests — mostly European and North American as well as the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia. Prominent US pension funds, foundations, and university endowments are invested through NCH Capital, a US-based private equity fund.

Several agribusinesses, still largely controlled by oligarchs, have opened up to Western banks and investment funds — including prominent ones such as Kopernik, BNP, or Vanguard — who now control part of their shares. Most of the large landholders are substantially indebted to Western funds and institutions, notably the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank.

Western financing to Ukraine in recent years has been tied to a drastic structural adjustment program that has required austerity and privatization measures, including the creation of a land market for the sale of agricultural land. President Zelenskyy put the land reform into law in 2020 against the will of the vast majority of the population who feared it would exacerbate corruption and reinforce control by powerful interests in the agricultural sector. Findings of the report concur with these concerns. While large landholders are securing massive financing from Western financial institutions, Ukrainian farmers — essential for ensuring domestic food supply — receive virtually no support. With the land market in place, amidst high economic stress and war, this difference of treatment will lead to more land consolidation by large agribusinesses.

The report also sounds the alarm that Ukraine’s crippling debt is being used as a leverage by the financial institutions to drive post-war reconstruction towards further privatization and liberalization reforms in several sectors, including agriculture."

"Is this war about the Ukrainian people?"

No...its about the desire of the backward looking Russia rulers trying to re-establish Russia hegemony over eastern Europe. They've failed... although some haven't noticed.

mhaze,
This war has nothing to do with Russia's actions and everything the do with hostile US actions against other nations.

Putin doesn't need the land, he wants security.
Every hundred years or so someone attacks Russia.
The Mongols, the French, The Germans, The Americans.

They are not giving up Crimea or willing to lose access to the Black Sea.
Sevastopol will not be a NATO naval base.
They do not want US nukes right on their doorstep.

Putin said he wasn't going to cop it in 2008.
This is the Wests fault for their unrelenting push to expand NATO.
As well as the meddling in other nations internal affairs, including coups.

It's not democracy when you impose your will on another nation.
That's making them a conquered vassal state, whom at the direction of the US, forced an end to negotiations in April 2022, lied and claimed Russia lost the 'Seige of Kiev' when Russia's only plan was to force Ukraine into negotiations and they left Kiev as a show of goodwill after initial documents were signed.

The West wouldn't allow this, claiming it might 'embolden China' forced a continuation of the war leading to half a million Ukrainians dead and another million wounded.

Lloyd Austin stated 'We're doing this to harm Russia'
Stoltenberg stated 'This is all about NATO expansion'
And people like Lindsay Graham said 'We will fight to the last Ukrainian, and isn't it great we are creating US jobs'.
Merkel, Hollande and Poroshenko said 'Minsk agreements were to buy time to build up Ukrainian military'

The West are liars and thieves willing to get anyone killed so long as they have their way.
Ukraine will be lucky if it lasts another few months.
The US couldn't beat Iran, let alone Russia.

"This war has nothing to do with Russia's actions"

Oh my bad!!

No wait. I just checked my history books and the war started when Putin's Russia invaded the Donbass and tried to capture Kiev (and wasn't that a raging success?).

Its very true that, once the war started and the western leadership was alerted to the avarice nature of the Russia regime, they then responded by seeking to lay Russia low. But had the Putin not sent troops across the Ukrainian eastern and northern borders, there would be no war.

I know that you've invented all sorts of (invalid) rationalisations to try to excuse the Russia aggression but the fact remains that there'd be no death on the steppes today is Putin didn't seek to expand his territory and absorb more people into his fading regime.

And in the end it was all for nothing. He's tanked his economy, decimated the cream of his youth, caused other nations, who realised they were next, to huddle closer to NATO, and forced his nation to subsume their independence to China. All for nothing.

You really are a clueless idiot.
Seriously, like dumb as a box of rocks dumb.
It was the West who was expanding THEIR empire with NATO.

Diplomatic Cable:

NYET MEANS NYET: RUSSIA'S NATO ENLARGEMENT REDLINES
http://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08MOSCOW265_a.html
Date: 2008 February 1, 14:25 (Friday)
Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1. (C) Summary. Following a muted first reaction to
Ukraine's intent to seek a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP)
at the Bucharest summit (ref A), Foreign Minister Lavrov and
other senior officials have reiterated strong opposition,
stressing that Russia would view further eastward expansion
as a potential military threat. NATO enlargement,
particularly to Ukraine, remains "an emotional and neuralgic"
issue for Russia, but strategic policy considerations also
underlie strong opposition to NATO membership for Ukraine and
Georgia. In Ukraine, these include fears that the issue
could potentially split the country in two, leading to
violence or even, some claim, civil war, which would force
Russia to decide whether to intervene. Additionally, the GOR
and experts continue to claim that Ukrainian NATO membership
would have a major impact on Russia's defense industry,
Russian-Ukrainian family connections, and bilateral relations
generally. In Georgia, the GOR fears continued instability
and "provocative acts" in the separatist regions. End
summary.

- With thanks to Julian Assange.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_218172.htm
"The background was that President Putin declared in the autumn of 2021, and actually sent a draft treaty that they wanted NATO to sign, to promise no more NATO enlargement. That was what he sent us. And was a pre-condition for not invade Ukraine. Of course we didn't sign that.

The opposite happened. He wanted us to sign that promise, never to enlarge NATO. He wanted us to remove our military infrastructure in all Allies that have joined NATO since 1997, meaning half of NATO, all the Central and Eastern Europe, we should remove NATO from that part of our Alliance, introducing some kind of B, or second class membership. We rejected that."

So he went to war to prevent NATO, more NATO, close to his borders."

Hi AC,

I think that the reason countries join NATO is not to invade Russia, but for fear of being invaded by Russia. Many NATO member countries have had autocracy imposed on them by Russia and have no desire to become vassal states again. I doubt that Russia can maintain the war for much longer as this would explain why they are throwing everything at the Ukrainians: the meatwave tactic supersized, probably trying to exhaust ammunition.

Now let me get this straight AC! You think that if Russia makes a demand that NATO essentially dismantle their defensive structures and NATO decides to not do it, that means the war is caused by NATO. Wow!

You keep on raving about international law but clearly you have little understanding of it. Making demands on enemies to effectively disarm doesn't justify going to war against them when they refuse.

How you going there Fester,
"I think that the reason countries join NATO is not to invade Russia, but for fear of being invaded by Russia."
That would seem logical, however I think there's more to it.

I'm fairly certain that European countries know damn well that Putin's Russia has no interest in invading anyone.
They tried everything to avoid having to go to war in Ukraine, the red lines had already been clearly stated, but the US obviously wanted a conflict, that's why they forced Zelensky to can the negotiation agreements with the promise that they would back him 'As long as it takes'.
I think the Wests first aim was creating a situation that would lead to Putins ousting, but equally important is an obsession with taking Crimea as a NATO base for the west.

Americas a bastard.
In the same way that pharmaceutical companies don't want healthy people, the MIC doesn't want peace.
The US likes to get everyone thinking their neighbours are their enemies.

They'd arm New Zealand if the could.
Then they'd tell us NZ is a threat, and after Australia arms up big, they'd go the Indonesians and tell them Australia was a threat.

The US has a Department of Defense (For war)
- But there isn't and Department of Peace.

And look how America carries on, more weapons sales is good for jobs and the economy.

Best money ever spent Lindsay Graham brags, jobs and profits for America, while Ukrainians do the dying to hurt our enemy Russia.

You know my position, I don't like sanctions or overthrows.
One is collective punishment to remove a disliked foreign leader.
i.e conquest by a foreign power.
The other is also conquest and meddling in another nations internal affairs.
- Where's the respect for soverignty?

Hi mhaze,
"Now let me get this straight AC! You think that if Russia makes a demand that NATO essentially dismantle their defensive structures and NATO decides to not do it, that means the war is caused by NATO. Wow!"

- Not necessarily, but I think it might be a realistic starting point for serious negotiations.
- Ask for more than what you want,
and negotiate back to 'NO NATO expansion' in Ukraine.
(That's if what Stoltenberg said is accurate)

It's not as if the West didn't break their word expanding eastwards.
They did give those assurances, despite their being no formal treaty.

If this is a 'rules based order' then shouldn't those rules be the same for everyone?

If the US has the Monroe Doctrine which holds that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign powers is a potentially hostile act against the United States, then why can't Russia play by the same rules regarding NATO nukes on their border?

As for Ukraine, the US and NATO set the precedent for recognising breakaway states and accepting their 'right to collective defense' with Yugoslavia and Kosovo.

And if you want to get serious, you need to look at the nuclear treaties.
You can't put US nukes on Russias border with a 1 minute flight from launch to Moscow, if Russian nukes take 3 minutes to hit America.
It's reckless, Russia's forced to make faster decisions and it creates room for miscalculations.
After the USSR fell, NATO expanded eastwards and placed interceptors which could not only be used for defense but also for offense.
When players don't play by the rules then the treaties break down.
- Those treaties are the only stops standing in between peace and nuclear war.
The US refused to discuss or negotiate Russia's security concerns.
Deliberate failure of diplomacy, because they wanted conflict instead.
True for both current conflicts actually.

- Unless you actually prefer conflict instead?
and one side underestimates their adversary, and things don't turn out the way one plans,
with thousands of innocent people caught in the middle killed.

http://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1737241426335781242

"According to multiple U.S. Officials, Preparations are now underway for a Military Operation against the Houthi Terrorist Group in Yemen by the United States and other Countries involved with Operation Prosperity Guardian, with the Goal of the Operation being the Total Destruction of the Houthi’s Capability to launch further Attacks on Commercial Shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden."

This is going to get interesting, no doubt.

Baldrick (aka AC) has zero understanding of international law, economics or even warfare.

The only reason the Russian army hasn't collapsed is because Putin has in essence moved to almost complete mobilisation of the economy and manpower to support his illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The reality is that the Russian economy was never strong to start with, and now it is getting beaten by an army/navy/airforce that is a fraction of the size simply because due to help from NATO its army is better equipped with better weapons and better trained soldiers.

Russia is bleeding men, materiel and money. Russia is losing this war.

Interesting fact:

The attacks by the Houthi Islamic terrorists have stopped most of the shipping going through the Suez Canal including nearly all of Russia's Ural oil and grain shipping to India and China, and most of China's exports to Europe.

Baldrick keeps pushing the lies that Russia invaded Ukraine because it might join NATO. That the first illegal invasion began in 2014 seems to elude him. Putin always intended to invade Ukraine because the lunatic Putin considered Ukraine a renegade province of Russia and because he thought that he could get away with it.

Clearly, it was a huge mistake as Russia's economy is slowly collapsing and its military is being obliterated.

Russia is losing this war.

Instead of regurgitating meaninglessness crap about something you can do nothing about as anonymous yappers, try writing to that wonderful, peace-keeping United Nations with your monotonous ideas. There's nobody here who can do anything about Russia, Ukraine, or much else at all. After a couple of decades of this sort of crap, I'm thinking of doing more reading and crosswords in the few years left to me, rather than be part of all this bullsh-t.

You are just clinging on to hope SM,
You bought in to the lies. your sources feed you BS.
- They tell you what you want to hear.

The Ukrainian government is delusional.
'There is no question that we will win' they say.

Listen to what Blinken is saying right here:
http://twitter.com/AXChristoforou/status/1737565230488576405
"First, to emphasize something that you said, other than the supplemental request that the President has made of Congress, there is no magic pot of money that we can draw from. The assistance, the support that we have designated for Ukraine, that is running out; it's running down. We are nearly out of money, that we need, and we are nearly out of time. I can't put a precise date on it, but that's the direction this is moving in."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/12/13/remarks-by-president-biden-and-president-zelenskyy-of-ukraine-in-joint-press-conference-2/
"We’ll continue to supply Ukraine with critical weapons and equipment as long as we can, including $200 million I just approved today in a critical needed equipment: additional air-defense interceptors, artillery, and ammunition."

* Notice that 'As long as it takes' is now 'As long as we can'?

"Interesting fact: The attacks by the Houthi Islamic terrorists have stopped most of the shipping going through the Suez Canal including nearly all of Russia's Ural oil and grain shipping to India and China, and most of China's exports to Europe."

'Interesting fact' Charter Boat? Okay...

http://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1737482322918707432
Yemen's Houthis allow Russian tankers to pass through without attacking them as they pass through the Suez Canal.
They promised to capture or sink almost all other ships.

U.S., European officials broach topic of peace negotiations with Ukraine, sources say
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-european-officials-broach-topic-peace-negotiations-ukraine-sources-rcna123628

The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal with Russia

Mike Benz: How Dangerous is the CIA?
http://www.youtube.com/live/WnMnGn7XgfU

"My conversation with former State Department official Mike Benz, delves into the intriguing intersection of music festivals, concerts, and intelligence operations, specifically focusing on the CIA's alleged use of these cultural events to influence and facilitate regime change. Mr. Benz, drawing upon his expertise and experience, will provide insights into the covert strategies employed by intelligence agencies in leveraging the universal appeal of music to shape perceptions and catalyze political change."

This video is interesting because it shows how far the CIA and it's cutout National Endowment for Democracy are willing to go to ferment civil unrest and regime change.

Worth a watch for anyone who thinks protests are 'grassroots'

Bad day for Russia.

Three state-of-the-art Su 34s were shot down within minutes nearly 50km within Russian-occupied airspace while trying to launch glide bombs. It is suspected that Ukraine has moved at least one patriot battery close to Kherson city.

As for the Red Sea, Russia's tankers can only move a fraction of their oil. Ships from all other countries China and India are no longer going through the Red Sea.

As for Kherson Russia just launched a massive attack on Krynky and they were massacred and there is no front where Russia is making any gains without massive casualties.

The EU has is giving Ukraine EU50bn, The first 40 F16s are due to arrive with their weapons in next couple of months and more patriot batteries are arriving in Ukraine.

Russia is losing this war.

Shadowminister

The downing of three Su34s was done by using shorter range radar near the front line to detect the aircraft and then activating the patriot systems further back. It is very significant as glide bombs are Russia's most significant weapon against the Ukrainian front lines. With western jets Ukraine will also have a counter to Russian helicopters, another very significant weapon. The combined effect could allow the Ukrainians to take Crimea, so it is no wonder that Russia is throwing their all at the Ukrainians presently.

Russia has a very large army in Ukraine. It is not a pushover. Western support is critical, but I an far more optimistic of the Ukrainians being able to advance once they have the jets. In the meantime their strategy of dealing with glide bombs will significantly strengthen their front lines.

These comments from author and political commentator, Lionel Shriver, make more sense than the back and forth twaddle going on here:

“Russia had nearly four times the population of Ukraine before the war; given the reduced population in Kyiv-controlled areas, the countries are now mismatched in manpower by a factor of five. With its legacy and political future on the line, Putin is clearly all-in for the long haul. The easily manipulated Russian public have not rebelled. Putin’s inner sanctum hasn't staged a couple. Russian GDP has increased since last year. The rouble started rising against the dollar. Western sanctions have failed”, and:

“Sitting back and giving Ukrainians just enough weaponry to keep fighting to the last man and woman, only for the country to finally end up where we always knew it would, is not just immoral. It's murder”.

ttbn

If Ukraine loses it is finished as a nation. Russia can withdraw its forces from Ukraine at any time and faces no threat of invasion.

Russia might have large numbers of troops to draw on, but the viability of its army in Ukraine is dependent upon the military hardware to support them. Throughout the war Ukraine has developed effective strategies of dealing with many of Russia's methods of attack. The latest use of the Patriot system and the prospect of having western aircraft offers the prospect of diminishing attacks by Russian aircraft, which has been a major impediment to the Ukrainian military. The recent downing of Russian aircraft will give the nations supporting Ukraine more confidence that their continued supply of military aid is not futile.

The show of unity by western nations against unprovoked authoritarian aggression will also serve as protect other countries from a similar fate. I feel more optimistic of Ukraine's prospects over the next six months. Russia's recent loss of over 200 armoured vehicles and 13,000 troops in Avdiivka, as well as the loss of a similar number of armoured vehicles in Kherson, is evidence of how effective Ukraine's military has become without an effective counter to Russian air attacks.

I think that life is about to get much tougher for the Russian army.

I see that Putin is now becoming desperate enough to call for negotiations. The massive losses the Russian army is suffering, the failing economy, the risk that the West will confiscate his $300bn of ill-gotten gains to fund Ukraine and the arrival of F16s and new patriot systems means that Russia is slowly but surely bleeding out.

Russia is losing this war.

Russia is losing this war.
Shadowminister,
That does however not translate into Ukraine winning it. The whole world is now affected by the consequences of idealism that is dependent on others’ funds. Just wait till some US state(s) decide to pull a similar stunt. There are no winners, only increasingly more losers.f

"I see that Putin is now becoming desperate enough to call for negotiations."
- Putin has been calling for negotiations since before the invasion ever happened, and every day since, but they are not changing their stance from demanding de-nazification, demilitarisation and neutrality (No NATO)
And if this cannot be accommodated by diplomatic means they will achieve it militarily.
Russia has currently prepared for the conflict to last until 2027.

Meanwhile Englands in recession, the German housing bubble has just begun to burst, many other EU nations that supported these things against Russia are themselves and their citizens (economies) paying a heavy price.

"The massive losses the Russian army is suffering, the failing economy, the risk that the West will confiscate his $300bn of ill-gotten gains to fund Ukraine and the arrival of F16s and new patriot systems means that Russia is slowly but surely bleeding out."

Pointless talk that won't change anything...
The 'massive losses' is a lie, it's projection.
Ukraine are taking far more losses than the Russians.
Russia can replenish it's troops and weapons, Ukraine is struggling to do so.
Confiscating that money will do more harm to the trust of western financial system than it will to Russia, and as for the F-16s, they won't change the war. Russia has taken down some 60 fighter planes since the beginning of October.

The F-16s will get blown out of the sky, but at least it looks like the west is doing 'something' which Biden needs to do as there is an upcoming presidential election.

Russia's integrated air defense in superior to the Wests, and Ukraine's air defense has taken a beating already.

Beyond this Russians are starting to make small advances right across the front line, while the Ukrainians have sent their women to the front lines.

It won't be long now until the Ukrainian military really starts to break down.
Ukraine cannot take back territory, but Russians can and will take more Ukrainian territory.

Every day the Ukrainian military gets weaker, whilst the Russian military gets stronger.

Hi AC,

What is known with certainty is that three Russian jets were shot down in Kherson. As a consequence the Russians have stopped using glide bombs against the Ukrainian bridgehead over the Dnipro and are instead deploying more troops and armour to stop the advance.

As to the fortunes of Ukraine and Russia, we will have to wait and see, but if Ukraine can use Patriot systems along the front the effect won't be insignificant.

Baldrick,

What are you smoking? Russia is sending waves of troops against entrenched positions, hundreds of accurate artillery pieces and 1000s of deadly drone operators. Russia is estimated to be losing 7 men and tanks/etc to every man/tank/etc that Ukraine is losing.

Russia's oil and gas revenues have fallen 70% compared to 2021 (figures from Russia's central bank) and in 2023 the budget deficit is running at between US$15bn and US$25bn every month. Russia's economy is a slowly evolving train wreck. The only part of the economy is the war machine that is building $bns of targets for Ukraine.

Russia is losing this war.

Hi Fester,
"What is known with certainty is that three Russian jets were shot down in Kherson."
- Hopefully all the pilots are ok..
"As a consequence the Russians have stopped using glide bombs against the Ukrainian bridgehead over the Dnipro and are instead deploying more troops and armour to stop the advance."
If so, it'll likely only be temporarily.
They'll look at why the planes were downed, look to destroy the Patriot system, or find some other strategy.
"As to the fortunes of Ukraine and Russia, we will have to wait and see, but if Ukraine can use Patriot systems along the front the effect won't be insignificant."
- Likely they brought this Patriot system closer to the front to deal with some of the Russian fighter / bombers.
It's maybe just as likely they've already moved the Patriot system back than left it closer to the front permanently where it's more vulnerable.

"What are you smoking? Russia is sending waves of troops against entrenched positions, hundreds of accurate artillery pieces and 1000s of deadly drone operators. Russia is estimated to be losing 7 men and tanks/etc to every man/tank/etc that Ukraine is losing."

They must be really tough fighting women SM.
Maybe the Ghost of Kiev has made a comeback.
Don't believe everything you hear, Russians are advancing all across the front.
http://twitter.com/Suriyakmaps
http://twitter.com/GeromanAT/status/1737492053011935643

Hi AC,

Two radars are used. One short range to detect the jets and the Patriot system kept safely behind the front and only switched on if the short range radar detects a threat. Yes, if the short range radar can be disabled the Russians can then use glide bombs.

A critical weapon for both sides are the drones, especially the ones with thermal imaging cameras. Note that with Avdiivka the Russian strategy has been to get within drone range of the supply road. Finding effective defences against drones remains a challenge for both sides.

Baldrick,

Russia is advancing on all fronts, Bollocks, at best they are getting a few 100m here and there at a tremendous cost charging into thick minefields, entrenched forces and heavy artillery and drones. Less than half the Russian soldiers sent to assault the Ukrainians are killed before they even reach the front line and then sit in trenches swarmed by drones dropping grenades.

The Russian front lines are covered by rotting Russians and burnt-out Russian tanks and APVs.

Russia's economy is circling the drain and Putin is getting desperate.

PS.

Another Russian Su 34 has just been shot down.

The Russians have claimed that in retaliation they have shot down 4 F16s. This is an incredible feat considering that none have yet been delivered.

Now a Russian Su 30 was shot down over the black sea and a large ship is on fire in an occupied Crimean port.

Russia is having a really bad week, no wonder Putin is desperate for a cease-fire.

Shadowminister

That is the advantage of having long range weapons that are accurate. You might be interested in the following article suggesting that drones have been more effective than artillery.

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3804868-drones-much-more-effective-than-artillery-in-destroying-russian-military-hardware.html

Now where might Russia's drones be coming from?

For the cherry on the cake the modern Russian landing ship, the Novocherkassk was hit by 2 storm shadow missiles and was destroyed in a massive explosion that scattered chunks of the ship and crew throughout the port city.

2 more Russian planes were shot down while attempting to drop glide bombs from 50km behind the lines.

The toll for this week is 7 Russian Jets and 1 landing ship.

Here is a photo of the Russian front lines littered with Russian corpses. Putin does not give a crap about Russian soldiers.

http://t.me/pilotblog/8754?single

FYI

http://www.youtube.com/shorts/A1KZzILcV1Y?feature=share

"The Russians have claimed that in retaliation they have shot down 4 F16s. This is an incredible feat considering that none have yet been delivered."

- I'm not sure that's true.
I mean, I'm not sure that any F-16's have been shot down, but I am fairly certain some F-16's have already been delivered to Ukraine.

Nothing you've mentioned will change the course of the war SM.
If Ukraine can't take back territory, it can't win.
You're living through this war on hope alone.
There's nothing tangible you can point to which will change the situation for Ukraine.

Wasting Ukraines limited munitions killing civilians in Belgorod is not going to help Ukraine's military situation in any way.
But it will convince Russia it must take Kharkov.

Hi Fester,
"Now where might Russia's drones be coming from?"
- Build them themselves.

Drones have completely changed the face of modern warfare.
A complete game-changer, changed the game in such a way that it can't be played in the same way anymore.

Hi AC,

Russia might assemble their drones, but they don't make them, at least not the electronics. Putin has gambled heavily on breaking through while the Ukrainians were low on resources. How much he has gambled should become apparent over the coming months.

"Putin has gambled heavily on breaking through while the Ukrainians were low on resources. How much he has gambled should become apparent over the coming months."

It's hardly a gamble, Ukraine can't win.
You can tell yourselves otherwise.

There's 2 different narratives.
The Russian one and the Ukrainian / Western one.

Well if you lot would prefer to trust the most corrupt nation in Europe and a narrative written by the CIA, I don't know what to tell you.

If you went and looked at both sides media release in regards to the last few days Russian missile strikes you would see the contrast.

Russia says all targets were destroyed
Ukraine says 90% of missiles were intercepted.
One side is lying much more than the other (it needs to), and you lot largely get your info from that side that is lying to you..
You can watch footage of KH-101 missiles flying over Kiev unchallenged.
The Ukrainian air defence is on the verge of non-existent.
More patriot batteries were destroyed a few days ago, as well as other AD systems that were warehoused.

Why do you think Russia sends large missile barrages all the way to Lviv?
To get Ukraine to fire everything they have, expend the number of interceptors and allow Russia to locate the batteries, which it then destroys with Kinzhals.

The only reality is that Ukraine is throwing men and womens lives away in a hopeless cause, but we'll get there, you people will get there, in due course.
There's no path to military victory for Kiev, or Blackrock.

Baldrick,

The few civilians killed in the attack on military positions Belgorad are a tiny fraction of those civilians deliberately targeted in Ukraine. Russia tried to bring this up at the UN and slapped down.

This is the Russian front line near Synkivka that you claimed Russia had captured months ago.

http://t.me/combat_ftg/5431

Notice the carpet of dead Russians and burnt-out Russian tanks and AFVs and here is an honest assessment by Russians of their prospects:

http://t.me/combat_ftg/5432

As for Russia winning the war, its offensives gained as much territory as the Ukrainian offensives in 2023 with Russia taking far higher casualties.

Here's also some facts:

The first F16s have not yet been delivered and will arrive with the first batch of trained Ukrainian pilots soon. What has been delivered is the supporting repair and maintenance equipment and munitions.

Russia has lost 20% of its remaining black sea fleet in the last 4 months, has lost 350,000 soldiers killed and badly wounded so far along with nearly 6000 tanks and 1000s of AFVs and plenty of aircraft and helicopters.

I see that a lone saboteur managed to burn a Russian Su34 to the ground.

Russia is losing this war.

The few civilians killed in the attack on military positions Belgorad are a tiny fraction of those civilians deliberately targeted in Ukraine.

We've been through this already you fool.

If Russia targets a residential building it will be because the Ukrainians probably have western mercenaries, or other Western military, intelligence or arm suppliers staying there; and sometimes you have dud missiles from air defence or others that missed their targets come down and land on residential buildings.

This is completely different to Ukraine doing it deliberately.
As they have been doing in Donetsk City for 8+ years.

How the hell does that work anyway?
Do we only count the made up Ukrainian civilian casualties and ignore the consistent and endless attacks on civilians by Team Ukraine.
- Like only 'your' made up civilian casualties matter, but not actual civilian casualties that Ukrainians target deliberately for 8 years they don't matter?

- Ah, I thought so.

Team USA do all this underhanded war crimes type stuff, even tell you hey we're going to send cluster bombs! Then Ukraine target civilians in Belgorod with cluster bombs... and you're like only those evil others do bad things, not the US and certainly not Israel.

The part you always miss SM is that you are a victim of western propaganda, the concept just doesn't even register with you, you think only those other 'evil' countries tell lies, meanwhile you gotta huge big soup spoon just shovelling down fresh warm servings of total bullshite.

If you want to get a perfect example of how to target civilians, look no further than your leader-of-a-terrorist-state mate Netanyahu.

That guy probably goes home each night and gets his jollies off thinking about how many Palestinian women and babies he murdered that day the sicko, probably similar deal with some of his other crazy right messianic cabinet.

I'm sure I heard him openly talking something along the lines of:
'This is what everything has been for', [implying:] that his whole purpose and career was dedicated to the task of ridding Israel of the Palestinians.

"The few civilians killed in the attack on military positions Belgorad are a tiny fraction of those civilians deliberately targeted in Ukraine."
- Military positions? Huh?
I thought the Ukrainians deliberately attacked a market (again)
[Rolls eyes]

Hi AC,

Russia is short of ammunition and equipment as well, and it does not seem to have made much of Ukraine's recant shortfall of munitions. Further, Ukraine seems to have made significant innovations, allowing rapid and effective targeting of troops and equipment near the front lines as well as negating the threat of artillery and more recently glide bombs. Russia has innovated as well, but "wonder weapons" like the tos flamethrower and terminator tend to get destroyed quickly if they are deployed on the front.

Ukraine's biggest advantage is its ability to accurately target far behind the front lines. The supply of more weapons to Ukraine will substantially enhance this advantage.

Baldrick,

You moron, Russia's strikes on Ukraine killed about 60 civilians none of which were anywhere near a military position. The Russians are as barbaric as Hamas. As declared in the UN, the attack on Belgorad was both justified and proportional.

I see that India and China are cutting back on Russian oil and are seeking bigger discounts. This ties in with shipping companies being heavily fined for buying oil at above the price cap.

I also see that Russia is desperately trying to recruit foreign fighters to replace their 360,000 killed or wounded, and their tank and armoured vehicle storages are rapidly emptying to try and replace the 6000 tanks and 11000 armoured vehicles that Russia has lost over the last 22 months not to mention the 100s of aircraft and helicopters lost.

I also see that Russia has burnt through most of its financial reserves in 2023 and is still running a monthly budget deficit of about US15bn. Russia's oil and gas revenues have dropped by about 70% since 2021, inflation is soaring, its domestic air fleet is falling apart and its people are fleeing the country.

2024 is looking far worse for Russia, and already queues for food are starting.

Russia is losing this war.

"As declared in the UN, the attack on Belgorad was both justified and proportional."

Ukraine attacks a residential area with cluster bombs and the UN says it was justified and proportional?

Link to article please.

"I also see that Russia is desperately trying to recruit foreign fighters to replace their 360,000 killed or wounded, and their tank and armoured vehicle storages are rapidly emptying to try and replace the 6000 tanks and 11000 armoured vehicles that Russia has lost over the last 22 months not to mention the 100s of aircraft and helicopters lost."

Lol, Ukraine is dragging women away at gunpoint and sending them to the front after a few short weeks of training which is insufficent to prepare them to defend themselves on the battlefield.

They are being sent to slaughter.
The Ukrainians are not friends of the West.
They are just a tool the West can use to try and hurt Putin.

Meanwhile Russians have 42,000 people volunteer for military service every month.

Russians have a saying 'Thank you Joe Biden'
They are grateful for the sanctions as they could never have gotten the economic growth and decoupling from the West otherwise.

The Russian Maccas is doing way better than the real one, Russia got the entire food chain dropped in it's lap.

The west are so entirely stupid.
They encouraged those companies to leave,
They thought they could create a political crisis that would oust Putin.

Europeans are the dumbest human beings on the planet.

Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama start a war with Assad and millions of Syrians and other Middle Easterners pour into Europe.

Does Europe say anything at all to the US for creating the problem?
Hell No.
US blows up Nordstream pipeline, which deindustrialises Europe.
Do they say anything?
Hell No.

Shultz is standing up there next to Biden not saying a damn word while Biden lies through his teeth.

You're funny SM
Remember when you were so excited about Ukraine's upcoming counteroffensive?
Excited about the tanks and equipment, remember?

The counteroffensive failed abysmally, one for the history books.
There's no more tanks, no more equipment and you are short of ammunition and people.
Running out of meat-waves even.
No possible way to even launch another counteroffensive, because there's no military equipment to do so.

The US are too effing scared to even field a damn M1 tank on the battlefield, and somehow they were going to save Ukraine?

Somehow Ukraine are going to re-do the counteroffensive, this time not kill themselves flinging themselves at a wall of steele?

I'm sorry to tell you this, but all those men are dead.
They had to expand the cemeteries to lay them all to rest.

Even if Ukraine does find people
(There's no volunteers, the ones it finds certainly don't want to die for their country, those men are already gone)

The hunt for the male population of Ukraine continues...
In the meantime I guess the women will face overwhelmingly disproportionate artillery barrages.

They must feel so empowered.
And somehow you believe Russia is losing.
Ahahahahahaha

Oh and don't worry about Russias missile shortage.
They can always get rockets from Al Qassam brigades or Hezbollah or North Korea.

Mind you, Russian artillery production is up 17.5 times since the start of the SMO when production was about 300,000 year.
- Europe still hasn't been able to deliver more than 300,000 in total of those million shells it promised right?

Ukraine couldn't win this war now if it had disintegration rays and the death star.

Hi AC,

At the start of the war Russia was firing up to 60k artillery rounds per day. Now Russia fires about 10k artillery rounds per day, and that figure is above the current rate of production and procurement. Further, Russia has lost most of its counter-battery radar systems, further reducing accuracy.

You might also note that drones deployed on the front lines have many times the strike rate of unguided artillery, so it is unsurprising to see both sides developing their drone capability.

How do you think Russia will fare when Ukraine accesses more medium and long range missiles? Crimea could fall this year.

Hi Fester,
'Boots on the ground'

If you were to take the aircraft, artillery, missiles, tanks, drones etc out of the equation...
- At the end of the day, you still need experienced boots on the grounds to go in and dig the enemy out.

Why Giving Ukraine Longer-Range Missiles Will Make No Difference
http://youtu.be/7KrSwAaLXQU

Shoigu says Russian army is most combat capable in world
http://tass.com/defense/1723781

>>Since February 2022, the output of tanks has increased 5.6 times, armored vehicles - 3.5-3.6 times, drones - 16.8 times, and artillery shells - 17.5 times.

The defense industry has upgraded over a hundred arms and hardware units and is rapidly creating new ones. "The weapons that were designed and tested in ordinary conditions for 5-8 years, today reach serial production in 4-7 months. That has not happened since the Great Patriotic War," the minister said.

The Ground Forces have received 1.53 thousand new and upgraded tanks, over 2.5 thousand infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. The Aerospace Forces received 237 airplanes and helicopters, while the Navy got eight warships, four multirole submarines, and a strategic nuclear submarine.

Volunteers

Over 1,500 men daily apply to join the military service. Close to 490 thousand contracted men and volunteers have been enlisted since the beginning of the year. "The number of foreign volunteers increased seven times," the minister said.<<

"Crimea could fall this year."

I keep telling you all, it's not going to happen - why?
Because Russia already sees it as Russian territory and will launch nukes before it allows the West to take it. Simple.
- But in any case how is Ukraine going to take it back?

I see no plan on the table to take back anything.
Ukraine has moved to a defensive posture I'm told so there's no real plan for a new counteroffensive to take back anything.
Not that I'd know where they'd get the equipment from even if the did find people to put in boots.
It's all pie in the sky, nothing more than band aiding the situation to try and get through to November.

Hi AC,

Some time back the Russian army could use their artillery advantage to advance. Later they could deliver devastating barrages of glide bombs. The Ukrainians have developed effective countermeasures to these strategies. Further, Ukraine has far more accurate weaponry over a 50km to 300km range, which is a large advantage.

Russia will need to innovate. Meat waves won't win the war for them.

'Russia will need to innovate.'

I heard that with the FPV drones, they're actually making them with 3D printers in houses close to the front lines.

The people designing and assembling them are working closely with the operators, so there's a lot of feedback going back and forth and improvements are occurring quite fast.

In the beginning for example they learned technology that could locate not just the drone but also the drone operator, and an enemy could send their own drone to target an enemy drone operator.
So they had to find solutions, countermeasures to protect operators.

As for the new lancets, I think now some of the latest ones have AI, can identify and fire on targets autonomously (meaning there's no signal to an operator to identify or to jam) apparently they can also work as a swarm of up to several hundred at a time.

I've even seen footage of drones delivering food and drinks to soldiers.

As for the current situation, I think its going to be Ukraine that will continue to struggle against drone and missile attacks with a degraded air defense.

I heard Zuluznhy had a meltdown the other day saying he needed people.

Baldrick,

Please stop posting the lies from the Russian MOD you just make yourself look stupid. You have long been claiming that Russia had destroyed 4x as many aircraft as it ever had and tanks, etc that they never had.

The figures of tanks, APVs aircraft and helicopters produced that you claim are so far above Russia's capabilities as to be ludicrous.

Russia is making about 40 new tanks monthly; any more are antiques dragged out of long storage that are "upgraded" with a lick of paint. If Russia delivered 5 new aircraft in 2023 it would be a lot, the same goes for helicopters. In 2023 Russia delivered 6000t of new shipping while Ukraine sunk 11000t of Russian shipping.

Ukraine has never used meat wave attacks which is why their casualties are a fraction of Russia's. Russia uses meat wave attacks because their tanks and APVs are usually destroyed before even reaching the front lines.

As for 1500 men volunteering for service a day, it is probably closer to 15 as most know that it is a death sentence and there is no rotation.

Russia's winter offensive has been an abject failure with horrific casualties, Russia's economy is circling the drain and Russia is losing this war.

Russia's army is not even the most combat-capable in Ukraine.

"Ukraine has never used meat wave attacks."
What do you think happened when your counteroffensive had failed and Ukraine was sending troops in through minefields on foot?

Ukraine are the experts of meat wave attacks.

"As for 1500 men volunteering for service a day, it is probably closer to 15 as most know that it is a death sentence and there is no rotation."
[SM pops fingers in ears - screams 'I'm not listening!!'
- You buy into every lie and piece of CIA produced Ukrainian propaganda there is, you even make things up to suit your own winning narrative.
Go find some beheaded babies and some Iraqi WMDs, you fool.
Maybe you can cheer on some dead women and kids.

I'm going to really enjoy the Ukrainian military and political collapse.
Even more so to see how you'll chuck the tantrum of the century.

It will be interesting to see what lasts longer - the Russia/Ukraine conflict or this bullsh-t fest.

How stupid could you be.

You spend billions overthrowing the country, spend years building up the military, spend years killing civilians in the Donbass trying to provoke a war with Putin, then you finally get what you want.

Then you advertise your counteroffensive plan, telling yourself "We don't need air support, the Russians will run away"
(That's what your war plan was based on - let's believe all our own false rhetoric 'Russia is just a gas station masquerading as a country'
- Lets advertise our plans, lets underestimate our adversary.

Then the US warmongers get their asses handed to them spectacularly.
Their whole entire war plan is laid to waste, along with the army the west built for it, without achieving anything.

It would've been better for Ukraine if those 100,000 troops just committed suicide instead.
At least you might still have the equipment to have a real crack at breaking the Russian defensive lines, but now you don't.

Idiots in America and Europe running around saying 'We can't let Putin win', lol.
You lost the war you started yourselves already.
It's gold. Priceless.

The display of incompetence is astounding.
Great job demilitarising the West, deindustrialising Europe and helping to make Russia and China stronger.

This current leadership class are so incompetent, they don't need an enemy to destroy their own nations.

Look at them.
We promote the least competent.
They're promoted through loyalty to the party and the elites, not their own ability or merit to do whats needed to be done for the best interests of the people.

Baldrick,

You stupidly cheered the Russians deliberately killing women and children all the while parroting Russian propaganda. You are consistently wrong in declaring the Russian destruction of equipment that was never there, that the Kharkiv offensive was a trap set by the Russians, that Ukraine would never liberate Kherson city etc. Your record of being wrong is nearly 100%.

Now you are making up impossible production figures for tanks etc. How stupid are you really? Russia is not the USSR. Russia's GDP is about 10% bigger than Australia's and a little more than 1/2 that of the UK. Its industry is focused on oil and gas and its manufacturing has been gutted much of it used to be in Ukraine such as its helicopter engines and parts for its jets and much of the avionics came from the West.

Russia has a manpower shortage as since the first illegal invasion in 2014 nearly 4 million highly productive Russians have fled and the army and war production has led to food shortages with shelves bare of eggs and chicken and rampant inflation.

There is already resistance growing in Russia with wives and mothers demanding the return of their husbands and sons.

Russia is losing this war.

"You stupidly cheered the Russians deliberately killing women and children all the while parroting Russian propaganda."

I never cheered on anyone killing anyone.
I supported a negotiated settlement, and still do.

"Your record of being wrong is nearly 100%."
- I don't care if I am so long as the neoconservative warmongers fail.

"Now you are making up impossible production figures for tanks etc. How stupid are you really?"

This what the Russian MOD stated.
There's plenty of articles in the Washington Post and NYT about how the West including Europe being unable to match Russian military production, and that the West will also run out of Patriot interceptors soon.

Your arguments are the arguments of foreign Russia haters, who cherry-pick a few small things and then try to make a mountain out of nothing.
Putin's approval rating is still around 80%.
If the West is so stupid it thinks that deliberately bombing civilians will create civil unrest and a political crisis that might lead to Putins ousting, then they are idiots.
It's going to create the opposite, unify the Russians against the Western threat and harden their resolve to win.

That was their whole plan you know.
It was never about Ukrainian military conquest.
It was about creating a political crisis in Russia that would lead to Putin's ousting.
Somehow Americas think Russian will embrace the idea of installing western puppet rulers like Navalny.
They are desperate and deranged.

'Russia is losing this war.'
Ukraine are the ones losing men and short on weapons, ammunition and money to fund the country.
They're also the ones losing territory so I'm not sure what delusional metrics you base your argument on.
Wishful thinking is about all you've got there SM

"There is already resistance growing in Russia with wives and mothers demanding the return of their husbands and sons."

Every Russian knows of the Great Patriotic War.
"Go, and don't come back until the task is complete, my love."
- They know what has to be done.

They don't want their husbands or sons to die but they know the sacrifice that must be made.
It's in their DNA.

All of this could've been avoided if not for the Wests belligerent ways.
I told you a long time ago, I don't support sanctions or overthrows.
- Too many innocent people end up dead.

You don't understand this, because you don't have any standards of ethics or principles.

Baldrick,

So you admit that you are nearly always wrong but don't care. Idiot. You keep on using Russian MOD figures even when they are obviously and ludicrously exaggerated.

Russia started this war first by illegally invading Crimea then the Donbas then by trying to conquer the whole of Ukraine. Russia is the land of warmongering Nazis.

You support tyrants and terrorists, and your morals stink.

Russia is losing this war.

"So you admit that you are nearly always wrong but don't care."
- No I didn't 'admit' I was wrong, what do you think this is, - a confessional? I said I don't care if I am.

I'm hardly going to argue over every detail with a moron like you who gets his figures directly from the most corrupt country on the planet and buys into every bit of propaganda from the 3 letter agency running the show there is.

"Russia started this war first by illegally invading Crimea then the Donbas then by trying to conquer the whole of Ukraine."

Russia didn't start this war, the West did with plans for NATO expansion after they conducted a coup against a democratically elected leader, even Stoltenberg admitted it.

Stephen F. Cohen: NATO expansion and Russia
http://youtu.be/mciLyG9iexE

Nov 2013 (Pre-Maidan): Ukraine Deputy has proof of USA staging civil war in Ukraine
http://youtu.be/y9hOl8TuBUM

"You support tyrants and terrorists, and your morals stink".
- You support the murder of women and kids - you don't have morals.
And you support neoconservatives and their endless wars.

Russia is Ready to FINISH Ukraine as NATO Admits TOTAL FAILURE
http://youtu.be/4jMIV5cRAxA

Ukraine says it failed to shoot down 33 Russian missiles in deadly attack
http://abcnews.go.com/International/ukraine-failed-shoot-down-33-russian-missiles-deadly-attack/story?id=106193589

"Ukraine's Air Force said Monday it was only able to shoot down 18 of the 51 Russian missiles fired overnight at targets across Ukraine, and that 33 of the missiles could have hit their intended targets."

Ukrainian air defense is now depleted.
Ukraine has never admitted to such a low amount of interceptions.
I know that 2 Patriot systems and stored interceptors were destroyed in the second missile barrage a few days ago.
One was protecting Kiev, and the other was inside a railway car in Kherson.

Russian Missile Strikes Defeat Ukrainian Air Defenses, Kyiv Notes Shortage of US Patriot Systems
http://www.kyivpost.com/post/26466

Russia is trying to mess up Ukraine's air defense by deploying decoy flares on its missiles, soldier says
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-trying-mess-ukraines-air-121338204.html

See Fester, both sides are constantly innovating, trying to get an edge on the other.
I heard that Russian use of glide bombs has also resumed.

It is believed that a missile strike has killed Putin's top war commander General Valery Gerasimov.

Russia has destroyed zero Ukraine patriot batteries, and the only missiles to get through hit civilian areas. Another Russian war crime.

In the last 3 days, Russia lost 30 tanks and 60 APVs.

Russia's combat effectiveness is less than 50% of what it was in Feb 2022.

Russia is losing this war.

"It is believed that a missile strike has killed Putin's top war commander General Valery Gerasimov."

- Maybe by gullible morons like you.
This news has been out for 3 days, no evidence for it.

"Russia has destroyed zero Ukraine patriot batteries, and the only missiles to get through hit civilian areas. Another Russian war crime."
- There's a number of missiles Ukraine can't hit.

You'd be one of the morons that thinks Ukraine can shoot down Kinzhals

"Russia's combat effectiveness is less than 50% of what it was in Feb 2022."
- Ukraine's must be about 10% then because Russia is making small gains all across the front.

"On January 2nd, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the Kremlin deployed one of the country’s 1K148 Yastreb-AV counter-battery radar systems to Ukraine, a machine it described as one of its most modern radars valued at about US250m. It lasted less than 2 hours on the battlefield before Ukrainian HIMARS destroyed it."

Russia is losing this war.

Well that sucks for them, but it doesn't mean they're losing the war.

Why don't we talk about the absurd fantasy that Ukraine can take back Crimea?
This is the lying basis for which the USA wish to kick this can down the road a little longer.
So many people I've watched, military analysts etc. say it's NOT REALISTICALLY POSSIBLE.
These are the same people who said your stupid counteroffensive would fail, and it did - spectacularly.

THE ABSURDITY OF THE NEOCON NARRATIVE ON UKRAINE TAKING BACK EASTERN REGIONS AND CRIMEA
http://www.youtube.com/live/7Ydb-6-imqw

Why Ukraine's 2024 Strategy Will Fail & Why Isolating Crimea is Impossible
http://youtu.be/OICQE1vIqz0

Democrats don't want to lose this war on Biden's watch as it will affect his re-election.
Republicans don't want to inherit this losing war on their watch.
Neoconservatives want more wars.

America spend 15 years creating this mess, since they announced in 2008 plans for Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO.
America blew the whole thing, failing to create a political crisis that would lead to Putins ousting, failing to win the war in Ukraine, they wasted their counter-offensive, convinced themselves the Russians would run away, and blew it at the final mile because of elections and funding, what a joke.

When America starts a fight with China and we are dragged in, and it's an election year and America says sorry Australia, it's not politically convenient for us to assist you right now...
- About what we could expect from that crumbling empire.

America can't even fight the Houthis.
They're almost begging them, please stop.
If the situation escalates, they might be the losers at the end of the day.

Hi AC,

You should recognise the three pillars of Russian propaganda in Ukraine. One is the notion that western military aid will only cause needless death and destruction. The second is that the conduct of a war in Ukraine is having no impact upon Russian military resources. The third is that by helping Ukraine, western nations might provoke a larger war.

The war against Russia still has strong support among Ukrainians. Critical for them is the supply of weapons. Ukrainian commanders realise that Russia will run out of resources to maintain the war, so for them it is a lobbying and waiting game.

Me thinks 'the three pillars of Russian propaganda'
- Is western propaganda.

"The war against Russia still has strong support among Ukrainians."
Yeah, I've seen how enthusiastic people are to go to the front when recruiters are dragging men off the street into vans.

No good options for them AC, but far more Ukrainians think capitulation to Russia the worst choice of all. I think that the Ukrainian army is waiting for the arrival of more weapons as they believe they will enhance any offensive operations they conduct. I also think that Russia has been going all out conducting assaults as they realise that things are about to get a lot tougher.

I'll be surprised if Ukraine doesn't try to take back Crimea this year.

"No good options for them AC, but far more Ukrainians think capitulation to Russia the worst choice of all."

These would be western Ukrainians.
To think that they killed half a million of their own people and wounded another million more,
for a land occupied by people that don't wish to be a part of Ukraine post western coup.

They have options - surrender or die.
They can choose the former or Russia will facilitate the latter.
It's really straightforward.

(I guess that's not really a good option though)

They've already killed all their young men: an entire generation, and now they are down to sending the women to die as well.
Once they're dead their will be no future Ukrainian people anyway.

The longer it goes on, the more land Russia will take and the more Ukrainians will be buried in their beloved black soil.

Lets say Russia loses 20 million people?
Where is Ukraine if it loses 20 million people?

Russia will survive, Ukraine will be a memory.
If both sides are keeping score, and the scores are level, then Ukraine loses.

I think the reason why they are trying to get those Ukrainians in Europe back is because many of them that left are Pro-Russian.
Ukraine wants to use the pro-Russian Ukrainians to fight the Russians.

R.I.P. Gonzalo Lira.

http://twitter.com/simpatico771/status/1746247653992567122
"WOW....the official air defense reports keep getting worse and worse.
They failed to intercept anything in last night's attack, not even Shahed drones.
I think we can officially surmise their AD is almost completely depleted at this point."

Remember how the West used to spack out and lose it's mind accusing Putin of killing journalists?
(Accuse is keyword here, we don't know he actually did)

Look at what hypocrites the West is.
Israel and Ukraine have both been deliberately targeting journalists.
And both those countries have Western support.

Any Western government official who talks about 'human rights' probably has the right to be smacked across the face.

Hi AC,

Have you wondered why the Ukrainian positions aren't being hit heavily with glide bombs? I have heard that the Russian army is sending them out in apcs to de-mine fields. I would guess that more value is placed with protecting the front lines against air assaults, so it might be about allocating resources more effectively. Russia might face a similar dilemma soon as to where it places its tanks and artillery.

Is LLoyd Austin (aka Darth Vader) missing?

Is this story about him having prostate surgery just a cover?

Some people are saying he was in Ukraine during recent Russian drone and missile strikes.

Russian Claim: Austin Dead In Ukraine
https://archive.is/X2qmy

The story about being missing in hospital and the government had no knowledge doesn't add up.
He needs to be on hand 24/7 in case the US is attacked, or else someone else has to temporarily stand in.

http://twitter.com/peacemaket71/status/1746574508394250533
>>Lloyd Austin...dead? conspiracy?
According to an FSB agent, Russian intelligence has tracked up to 8 of Austin's trips from Poland to Ukraine since early 2023. “We knew Austin was in the Ukraine and discovered their meeting place.” Twenty cruise missiles, he said, destroyed buildings on the surface and collapsed a labyrinth of interconnected chambers underground. A battle damage assessment revealed that the impact destroyed structures and created craters, leaving only rubble. “Nothing on this earth will survive what we sent. Yes, he is dead. They must be dead," the FSB agent said, adding that the targets were Ukrainian army commanders and Austin was just a bonus...<<

Medical Centre officials have given a statement about his medical care.
http://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3639728/statement-from-walter-reed-national-military-medical-center-officials-on-secret/

Two Russian surveillance aircraft out of action AC.

Hi Fester,
Yes, I heard. An A-50 and an IL-22.
The video I watched last night said the info is not yet confirmed but it may have been an accident, friendly fire.

The Russians Lost 2 Reconnaissance Planes Over The Sea Of Azov. Military Summary For 2024.01.15
http://youtu.be/RJcAyFk99_w

Just after I posted this comment yesterday I came across some more info.
The Russians are saying the Kremlin has no information about such an event, a denial of sorts.

Some say the planes did in fact land and weren't lost.
I've seen images of an IL-22 that was apparently damaged.
- Hard to know the truth on this one.

http://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1746885340126728209

Zelensky threatens Putin's children and grandchildren. Huge mistake. "Scarface" Tony Montana vs Sosa
http://youtu.be/XIKqhDFrlE8

Zelensky threatens Putin’s grandchildren
http://www.rt.com/russia/590754-zelensky-davos-putin-grandchildren/
The Ukrainian leader got personal in his speech at the Davos World Economic Forum

Baldrick,

The A50 worth about $350m was destroyed the IL22 managed to limp back to an airfield, but from the SOS recordings, it was a close thing with several casualties. Also, the photos provided by Russian military bloggers show damage consistent with a missile strike. This plane needs major repairs and will certainly never fly in this war again.

As for friendly fire, this is certainly a strong possibility given the trigger-happy Russian AA crews, but I don't see how this is a positive for Russia. However, from Ukrainian transmissions, it is clear that it was tracking the A50 and was fully aware when it was shot down. That the A50's flight path co-incided with the range of the patriot system, an ambush similar to the 3 Su34s shot down recently is also highly probable.

Russia is losing this war on all fronts:

The last 6 months have seen massive casualties in Russian manpower, tanks planes, helicopters etc far faster than Russia can replace them.
Similarly, the Russian economy is circling the drain. With the huge diversion of funds and manpower to the military, all other sectors are suffering.
Russians are freezing because heating cannot be maintained, the car industry is Kaput, and the health system is so focused on wounded soldiers that everyone else struggles for even basic health services.
The Russian domestic airline system is collapsing due to sanctions and the government is running a deficit of about $15bn per month.

All of this will be exacerbated when the West confiscates $300bn of Russian savings and gives it to Ukraine to rebuild and fight Russia.

Resistance is starting in Russia and Putin's time to conduct this war is shrinking.

It's funny you know SM

I listen to ex-diplomats, ex-military, military analysts, legal experts, political scientists etc.

- And you listen to Joe Bloggs

Why is it that all the people I listen to say the western narrative you sell is total bs?

Watch this video, this is live from Russia, they laugh at suggestions the economy is suffering, they are grateful for the sanctions.
http://www.youtube.com/live/Qr_lqNKNhZw

Baldrick,

Joe Blogs is not the only person I listen to. These include experts from various places including Yale, and Harvard, and specialists in measuring economic progress. They all use data from Russia's central bank, global oil and gas prices, production, etc and are clear about where the gaps in their predictions are.

You, however, rely solely on trolls from twitter or Youtube. You really are a joke.

Russia has a pissant-sized economy about 4% of the size of Western Europe and less than 2% of the economies of the countries supporting Ukraine.

At the moment Russia may be holding the line at a tremendous cost, but its industry and economy are collapsing.

Russia is losing this war.

The Russian government ran a deficit of about $30-something billion last year, where as the US ran a deficit of 1 trillion...
America has interest payments well over a trillion p/a and de-dollarisation continues.

Russia has become the largest economy in Europe whilst Europe has committed economic suicide.
Russia has found other buyers for it's oil and gas, Europe couldn't get the same deal it once had even if it wanted to.
- But it still buys Russian oil from India at a significant premium.
Even America has quietly been buying Russian oil again.

Ukraine isn't winning.
The West has gotten half a million Ukrainians killed (for the sake of Blackrock and Vanguard)
Ukraine has been selling off all it's national assets at pennies on the dollar.

America has not only destroyed Ukraine, it has also destroyed Europe, and not only that, has destroyed itself as well.

Putin standing up to the bully saying "No, don't accept this, we will fight you" This has precipitated other countries to think "maybe the bully isn't that tough after all".

Africa has kicked France out of Africa, Russia and China are best buddies, The US has lost significant influence in the middle east and elsewhere.
And Trump is likely to win.

Putin seems to be winning the war in Ukraine—for now
http://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/30/putin-seems-to-be-winning-the-war-in-ukraine-for-now

The media lies to everyone.
They say "The counter-offensive did not achieve the expected results"

They're weasel words.

The fact is the Ukrainian counter-offensive WAS DEFEATED.
They lost, they did not achieve the military objectives.
Everything the West could muster to throw at the Russians amounted to nothing
- except money for the MIC, US jobs.
They got 90,000 Ukrainians killed for no gains at all.
They lost. There's no more military assets for a new counter-offensive.

Ukraine has been defeated.
They are not going to take back any more territory.

Baldrick,

The Russian budget deficit was $36bn even after selling tons of gold and dipping heavily into the wealth fund which is emptying rapidly.

Ukraine's counter-offensive was underwhelming, but they held onto the ground they captured. Russia's winter offensive has been a complete cockup losing 10000s of troops and hundreds of tanks etc for virtually no gain.

The recent loss of 7 Su34s and two spy planes shot down by Ukraine is a major blow as they can't quickly be replaced.

There are riots in the caucuses public services are collapsing, and Russia is about to lose the $300bn stored in Western banks.

Russia is losing this war.

Tata Steel to shut down Port Talbot blast furnaces, putting 3,000 jobs at risk
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/18/tata-steel-to-shut-down-port-talbot-blast-furnaces-3000-jobs-at-risk
'Firm rejects union plan, leaving UK on course to become only major economy unable to make steel from scratch'

Putin threatens Britain's fish and chips:
Russia declares fishing war with UK, banning our trawlers from Barents Sea and its supplies of cod and haddock
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12978367/Putin-threatens-Britains-fish-chips-Russia-declares-fishing-war-UK-banning-trawlers-Barents-Sea-supplies-cod-haddock.html
'A massive amount of cod and haddock sold in fish and chips shops across the country is traditionally sourced from these waters - according to UK Fisheries data, a whopping 566,784 tonnes of cod was scooped in the Barents Sea just last year alone. '

How Russia Won the Sanctions War With the West
http://www.newsweek.com/how-russia-won-sanctions-war-west-opinion-1861645

"It is now abundantly clear that Russia has defeated the Western sanctions regime that was intended to cripple its economy and force its withdrawal from Ukraine. Instead of collapsing, the Russian economy is growing rapidly. Russia's GDP grew by an impressive 5.5 percent in the third quarter of 2023. Final figures for the year are not yet in, but Russian GDP growth for all of 2023 should exceed 3 percent. Ironically, the Russians are doing rather better than those who imposed sanctions on them. In 2023, the U.S. economy grew by 2.4 percent while the German economy shrank, and the EU as a whole grew by less than 1 percent. Instead of withdrawing from Ukraine, Russia has increased the size of its invasion force from 190,000 troops in February 2022 to more than 600,000 today.

Between February 2022 and February 2023, Western countries imposed on Russia the most extensive sanctions regime seen since World War II. In all, several thousand sanctions on Russian individuals, businesses, and government institutions caused only a mild recession in 2022 which the Russians quickly turned around. How did they do it? Very simply. The Russians have a lot of gold, grain, oil, and friends, all of which they used effectively to defeat the sanctions. Any realistic war game could have easily predicted all of this..."

[Cont.]
"NATO's wonder-weapons like HIMARS and Leopard tanks failed to fuel an effective Ukrainian counter-offensive. Diplomacy failed to isolate Russia, which is busy reviewing numerous applications to join it in the BRICS organization. Economic warfare has been a bust. This has led some to now consider the mother of all sanctions.

At present, Russian Central Bank assets have been frozen, which means they cannot be used, but still belong to Russia. Some foreign policy advisors are now proposing that these assets should be confiscated and handed over to Ukraine. Regardless of its legality, that is a very dumb idea. Taking the assets of Russia's central bank would encourage just about everyone to find an alternative to the dollar as their reserve currency. That won't be easy, but if the alternative is losing all your money if you annoy Washington, people will find a way. Nothing would do more to unite the Russian people in their hatred of the West, support for President Vladimir Putin and determination to continue the war than stealing what they consider to be their money; which, in fact, it is. And how do you think Putin would react? Well, for one, he will confiscate all Western assets in Russia. Is the U.S. Treasury prepared to compensate the mostly German owners of those assets for their losses?

Sanctions are cheap and easy to impose, but they seldom work. While they make it look like you are doing something meaningful, they are, in fact, often little more than economic virtue signaling. Economic sanctions have certainly not changed the outcome in Ukraine. Kyiv is out of men, out of money, out of artillery shells and out of time. The West should stop giving money to a man with a hole in his pocket."

[Cont.]
... And you think Russia is losing.
Keep up the great work then, is all I can say.
300 bln to put the nail into the coffin of the US empire is probably a small price to pay from a Russian perspective.

'Any realistic war game could have easily predicted all of this.'
My sources did predict much of it.
You sides hopes of destroying Russia were always founded in fantasy.
Remember 'Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country'
The counter-offensive was based on the premise that Russians would 'run away'.

The West, as well as the morons you listen to people are the worlds most incompetent idiots.

Do you have the humility to reflect upon the Wests past choices and assumptions and accept this analysis?
Or will you continue to support the 'doubling down on stupid' mentality, which only results in more people killed for nothing?

Did I not clearly detail the Wests stupidity the other day?
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=22806&page=0#394000

Seriously, Team Biden, Van der Leyen, Bearbock, Truedeau, Sholtz, Zelensky, Albo.
What a bunch of clueless incompetent fools, ALL OF THEM!

Baldrick,

You post Bullsh1te constantly. Only a moron would think that the sanctions haven't had a huge effect. For starters a 70% drop in oil and gas revenue, oil refineries stopping because they cannot get spares, the rapid increases in food prices and food shortages. Dumping of local subsidies for fuel, the collapse of the Russian air industry and the collapse of local infrastructure, health etc.

And the noose is closing.

Russia is losing this war.

Geez you cling on desperately to hope.

The Russians are laughing, saying "Thank you Joe Biden"
- I'll even show you the footage

This is Alexander Zyryanov, director of the Novosibirsk Region Development Corporation, the third largest region after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

"President Putin has been at the helm for many years and we remember the 1990s when life was very challenging we can see a lot of change for the better and during the special military operation his support has grown because we understand what we're fighting for. In my job I'm responsible for the economy of the Novosibirsk region for building new plants and facilities and this year we have seen the biggest volume of investment for the whole period that I have been in the office. We have outperformed in our plan almost fourfold our initial plan
was to raise 4 billion rubles we have raised almost 20, so the support of President Putin is unquestionable and this is not propaganda this is something that I come across on a daily basis and we have a joke that we thank President Biden for the sanctions. So had it not been for the sanctions that Joe Biden implemented our economy wouldn't have been growing at such a pace."

http://www.youtube.com/live/RCxZeePx96I&t=327

Here's the Wests plan:

Proposed Plan for Victory in Ukraine
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Proposed-Plan-for-Victory-in-Ukraine.pdf
A path to victory for Ukraine will require (1) providing critical weapons to Ukraine at the speed of relevance, (2) tightening sanctions on the Putin regime, and (3) transferring frozen Russian sovereign assets to Ukraine.

- Firstly, the US and Europe don't have anymore weapons.
The US has had some 50+ drawdowns packages from their inventories.
New weapons have to be placed on order, and there's no more money unless congress approves it.
Even if they have money, that doesn't mean weapons instantly appear.
So providing weapons at the speed of relevance is not possible, certainly not possible in order to have enough equipment for another counter-offensive, and then you need trained combat ready troops.
Where are you going to get them from?
Russia has been destroying many European troops fighting for Ukraine as well you know?
Sanctions - It's not working
Stealing the 300 billion from Russia to fund it's enemy?
Sending Russian speaking people to the front to fight and die for Ukraine?

This is not a plan for Ukraine to win the war
It's a plan so that Biden doesn't lose the election, which is unlikely anyway, he's going to lose unless they can force Trump out of the race.

Meanwhile it's the West losing the economic war, the war you seem to forget.
All these European governments are going to disappear soon.
- If there's not insurrection first.

Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer: Is Ukraine Finished?
http://www.youtube.com/live/UyS6XImWOP4?t=420

Judge: "How bad are things in Ukraine, is it on its last legs?"

Shaffer "Um, yeah it is, there's no way of putting a happy face on this I think people at Davos and NATO spokesman and all these other
NATO leaders, it's like they're literally living in an alternate world. The Russians... I don't know how to say this without sounding
Pro- Russian. The Russians have won. There's no path forward for the
Ukrainian military to return to an offensive, it's just not possible - the numbers aren't there. The Russians now have the option, not that I'm saying it'll exercise it - I have no inside knowledge I don't talk to any Russians just looking at the tea leaves and looking at the
situation that the Russians are going to have the option now in the spring to go back on the offensive, and they wouldn't have to work that hard to do it."

I listen to this stuff every day SM, many different people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Everyone is saying Ukraine IS DONE.

Tony Shaffer doesn't even like or support Putin.
He thinks he's a thug.

You think you know better than all these other experts?
You made the one grave mistake, you listen to the propaganda.
- The stuff that's meant to fool the Ukrainian people to keep on sending their loved ones to die.
- The stuff that's meant to keep money flowing to the military industrial complex, and then back into U.S. congressmens pockets.

Baldrick,

Tony Shaffer is hardly an expert more like a fwit shill. You must be desperate to quote him. Your sources are dubious at best and outright liars at worst and have been consistently wrong.

According to your moron Ukraine has been on its last legs for nearly 2 years yet has consistently managed to beat the snot out of the Russian forces including routing them in Kharkiv and Kherson. Russia's winter offensive has been a complete disaster fertilizing Ukrainian fields with 10000s of Russian men.

Russia's economy is a train smash, and its army is estimated to have lost 60% of its fighting capacity.

Russia is losing this war.

There's plenty more like him saying the same thing.
Youd criticise anyone that didn't tell you what you wanted to hear.
All these people are wrong, yet you and Joe Bloggs are the experts.

Meanwhile your Krysky Bridgehead is crumbling
130 odd Ukrainians have refused to even go there to fight.
Russians have made inroads in Southern Avdiivka
And they've taken a village in the Siversk direction on the high ground, just to name a few advances.
Ukraine is losing towns and territory, and you'd better get used to it.
I did hear there's an F-16 buzzing around though.
I hope they get some footage of it being destroyed.
Where's your M1's?
- Not fit for the task, right, too heavy.
I've been waiting to see one of them get blown up too.
- But captured would be better.

Keep living the dream

IF there is no potential to mount another counter-offensive and reclaim lost territory, then the most Ukrainians can hope for is to hold the line while the Russians use them as target practice.

Sure you might kill 'some' Russians, (But you will never be able to kill them all)
- AND their own people are going to keep dying too
- AND their not going to get any territory back.

If you're not going to get your territory back, then why send more men to die and risk losing further territory as well?
Maybe Ukraine wants it's country to be more destroyed than it already is?
Maybe it WANTS to lose more of it's territory?

Ukraine should try to negotiate, (common sense would dictate it) Unfortunately they can't because 'not negotiating' has been included in the Ukrainian constitution, so Ukraine just has to keep sending its people to die, for nothing.

And somehow all this is for 'western values'?
- What values?

American Imperialism and death?
US jobs?

The simplest and most likely answer tends to be the right one.
What is that answer in this situation.

Have you heard?
The Russians are fighting with shovels...
Their on the brink of collapse...
They're almost out of missiles...
The Ghost of Kiev shot down 79 planes - in a single day!
Saddam Hussein has WMD's!

The answer is - 'You've been played for a fool, again'.

A fascinating vid of fpv drone use in the Ukraine war. Imagine if they find a way to attach shaped charges to jet drones. It may allow the destruction of aircraft with $1000 munitions. Russian aggression could be stopped with sanctions targeting drone electronics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PVwe8CDsI8

I see your video was made by proud Ukrainian Nazis Fester...
(Look at the logo in the top left corner of your video)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Waffen_Grenadier_Division_of_the_SS_(1st_Galician)

Both sides are getting pretty good with drones.
This isn't just a benefit for Ukrainians but a benefit for Russians too.
They probably learn pretty quickly what works against each other as well as how to better defend from each other.
I think I heard Russia has superiority in drone warfare in Ukraine, but don't quote me on it...
War has changed, expensive military equipment can be destroyed with relatively cheap weapons.
This is now a new reality for everyone.

Drone development is happening pretty quickly.
I've seen new bigger drones that can drop weapons on multiple targets not just a single target.

Baldrick,

Your posts are so full of crap and lies that they are laughable.

Russia is taking huge casualties an order of magnitude more than Ukraine. Russia's economy is in the toilet and protests from wives and widows of draftees are becoming commonplace.

Russia is losing this war and the sooner it capitulates the more of its economy it may save.

Hi AC,

Regardless of origin, the effectiveness and economy of drones is clear, turning cheap ordinance into guided weapons capable of destroying even the best Russian tanks.

Yes, there are implications for both sides, but I'd point out that Russia is subject to critical technology sanctions, so its ability to support electronic warfare is challenging.

Fester,

Russia has lost a couple of massive oil depots because its air defences are so ineffective. Also losing a $400m A50 and an Il22 command vehicle were not high points for the joke that is the Russian Army.

Shadowminister,

Yes, I did see that. The Ukrainians are awesome innovators, but Europe and the US need to listen to their Nato and Pentagon advisors. For all its faults, the Russian army is very large and dangerous, is receiving plenty of assistance from its allies, and has no moral constraint. I just hope that the Ukrainians can hold back the Russian bear until the much needed military aid arrives.

Did you see that China refused to send Ukraine an order of Shahid type drones?

"Did you see that China refused to send Ukraine an order of Shahid type drones?"

Why are you not surprised?
China already made a peace proposal that Ukraine did not support.
Why would China now sell them weapons to target their allies including in assassinations?
And did they not already bring in a law stating they will not sell drones for military use?
You expect China to break their own rules to help US and Ukraine?
China knows that after Russia, they're next so why would they assist Ukraine in this most stupid of western foreign policies?

Ukraine: Zelensky may soon oust military chief Zaluzhny
http://asiatimes.com/2024/01/ukraine-zelensky-may-soon-oust-military-chief-zaluzhny/
'Ukrainian leader reputedly set to replace Zaluzhny with intel chief Budanov as his cash-strapped government prepares to lose the war '

"Putting aside the credibility, or lack thereof, of any imminent Russian threat to Europe, the US is changing its policy and is recognizing that it cannot win a conventional war against Russia. (Which also means that it can’t win a conventional war against China, maybe not even Iran or the minuscule Houthis.)

All of this is clearly visible in Iraq where US bases and installations are regularly bombed by Iranian militias, following orders from Tehran. Their goal is for US troops to leave Iraq and Syria and, accomplishing that, demonstrate that the US is unreliable and unfit to depend upon.

The new Ukraine policy has been emerging over recent months. If understood correctly, the policy is designed to deal with the new reality that Ukraine will lose the war and Ukraine’s government may need to evacuate Kiev. Putting Budanov in effective control, including for the relocation of Ukraine’s capital, probably to Lviv, is the bedrock of the policy.

Operationally, the policy will likely be to use special operations, assassinations, bombings and any other means, including possibly blowing up a nuclear reactor, to punish the Russians and keep them off balance."

The Real Reason Thousands Are Fleeing Conscription in Ukraine
http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-real-reason-thousands-are-fleeing-conscription-in-ukraine
'Men who are hiding from the war tell The Daily Beast they do not trust the military system and fear they’ll be sent to the frontline without proper training.'

Hi AC,

I doubt anyone could believe that waging war can create prosperity, yet you seem to believe that Russia is doing as much whilst also believing that the democratic world is on the road to ruin by supporting Ukraine.

It's kind of like believing that Russia would use a heavy transport aircraft to carry 68 Ukrainian pows to Belgorod. Maybe it was flying backwards?

"I doubt anyone could believe that waging war can create prosperity, yet you seem to believe that Russia is doing as much whilst also believing that the democratic world is on the road to ruin by supporting Ukraine."

War causes needless loss of life and mass destruction.
No war ever happened without some innocent person paying a huge price for it.
- Which is why I oppose US overthrows.
Overthrows are 'End's justify the means' terrorist mentality.
I don't support it.

War is also expensive, and a huge burden upon the citizenry as well as the men and women fighting it.

That said, I think standing up to the west is having a positive impact on the soul of the Russian people, and I think that despite the negative impacts of the war and sanctions there has also been positive unintended impacts domestically of boosting production and investment within the country.

'democratic world is on the road to ruin'
Absolutely.
Ukraine was a fools errand from the start and these western people are doubling down on stupid.
They are harming themselves more than the people they intended.

As for 'on the road to ruin', I'd argue it's already in the dustbin.
Watch what Lavrov says at the start of this video.
http://youtu.be/jPVoWRZV3DQ
It's all about threats and bulling - their own allies included.
No different than in Washington itself, it's all threats, bulling blackmail, interests of the oligarch / donor class against the interests of the people - did you see this:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/24/arizona-republican-jeff-dewit-resigns-over-kari-lake-bribe

The fish rots from the head, the reason we have all this crap in the world is because its run by madmen in high places mostly the US, some in the UK and Europe.
Right now its the oligarch and donor class, backers of the Uniparty supporting their favorite Neocon warmongering globalist Nikki Haley (Clone of Hillary) try to beat off Trump.

Baldrick,

You are raving again. The US didn't overthrow the Ukraine.
There are no Nazis in Ukraine.
Russia is not making a profit from the war but is running enormous deficits. Russia will reach 3rd world status soon.
Europe is doing far better than Russia and is ramping up ammunition production.
Russia has had 3 strategic aircraft shot down in 2 days
Russia's black sea fleet is cowering in Russia,
Russia's oil depots and ammunition factories are being blown up

Russia is losing this war.

Hi AC,

One point to add on Russia's economy is that Putin was helped greatly at the start of the war by the spike in commodity prices, but that is no longer the case. Were it not for China bankrolling the war Russia would have collapsed long ago. China is as much the aggressor as Russia AC, and when Russia runs out of military hardware China will be free to take back whatever territory Russia took from it in the past. Taiwan isn't the only territory in dispute.

Ukrainians are getting slaughtered badly now.
I've heard numbers of 17 dead Ukrainians for every 1 dead Russian.

Ukrainian media has noted a sharp increase in dead and wounded where as mediazona reports Russian dead and wounded decreasing.

Baldrick,

There is no way that Russia can hold onto the Ukrainian lands it stole. It is heading for bankruptcy, and the sanctions etc costing Russia $bns/ day will never be lifted while it continues to illegally occupy Ukraine.

[Deleted for abuse.]

'Australia must seriously consider re-introducing a form of national service after NATO warned civilians to prepare for an all-out war with Russia within 20 years, writes Dr. Alexey Muraviev.'

- NATO did not warn 'Australian' citizens you lying POS.
Australia is not at risk of invasion by Russia.
There is no reason for Australians to fight against Russia in Ukraine, Europe or anywhere else.

These EUROTRASH elite, and their Western Neocon friends who seem to have this attitude of pontificating and dictating to everyone else, want to round up the peasants to die for their global causes...
- Which included starting the damn fight in the first place.

And we are a gutless bunch pissants, if we are turning to the Pacific Islanders saying "Would you at all, possibly, mind dying for us in Europe by any chance?"

It's time the people told the elite class 'F-ck off and fight your own damn wars'
- They are the ones causing and promoting them.

Baldrick,

The only [deleted abuse] that believe that the occupied land belongs to Russia are Russian trolls and Putin [deleted abuse] fanboys. Russia is burning through its soldiers, aircraft, tanks etc at a rate that Russia can't replace. Ukraine is now destroying oil depots and refineries 1000s of km from Ukraine.

Russia's reserves are running out, Russia's airlines are crippled possibly permanently and Russia's pissant economy is circling the drain.

Russians are freezing and their infrastructure is failing.

Russia is losing this war.

"Russia is burning through its soldiers, aircraft, tanks etc at a rate that Russia can't replace."

You're living in a fantasy world Charter Boat

Russia has 140 million people Ukraine has 20 million people.
Russians are killing Ukrainians at multiples higher than their losses.
NATO's cupboard is empty, and future production takes time, money can't fix this.
Russian production far exceeds that of the Collective West
They have allies who will support them if needed
They are not going to collapse economically, and the west is not going to cause civil unrest or oust Putin.
When Ukraine runs out of shells their artillery will be useless
When Ukraine runs out of bullets their rifles will be useless
And they're running out of men to replace losses,
Their lines will run thin and then they will break
Their soldiers are not volunteering to fight, they are being dragged off the street.
That says they don't want to die for a war Ukraine is losing anyway.

"Ukraine is now destroying oil depots and refineries 1000s of km from Ukraine."
- It was probably always going to come to this as they get more desperate.
You can probably expect to see more of these missile and drone attacks inside Russia,
- But it's not really a sign that Ukraine is winning.

It may in fact be a sign that they have given up trying to retake ground, because they can't do it and they take too many losses, and are fighting in defence and looking to focus on other forms of attacks.

Baldrick,

Ukraine's population is 44m, not 20m [deleted abuse]. Ukraine has just got Euro 50 000 000 000 in aid on top of the weapons and ammunition it is receiving from the EU.

Russia has just lost another Black Sea ship, an SU25 and an SU34 this week and a few aircraft in Crimea yesterday along with ammunition storage and AA radar systems.

http://www.voanews.com/a/ukrainian-drone-strike-causes-massive-blaze-at-russian-oil-depot/7447043.html

Russia is losing this war.

Shadowminister,

A lot of Ukrainians have fled the country and many in recently invaded Ukraine have been forcibly deported to Russia.

What impresses me is the fantastic job the Ukrainian forces have done repelling frequent Russian meat waves and armoured assaults with cheap drones and cluster munitions. After that hit on the corvette I get the impression that the Ukrainians have greatly improved their capability in recent months.

"After that hit on the corvette I get the impression that the Ukrainians have greatly improved their capability in recent months."

No, I think you are reading the situation wrong Fester,
- Sure they've probably made improvements in their drone warfare, both sides have but what you're seeing is that their war is moving towards an insurgency.

They can't retake territory.
They can't even put up adequate defense any more, they have minimal air defense.
They're sending whole female units in, and they will be slaughtered.
They've used up their last reservists, any attempt to bring in more troops to plug holes means moving troops from other areas of the battlefield - and thus thinning their defensive lines.

They will likely replace Valerie Zuluznhy with Kyrylo Budanov, which reflects transition away from recapturing territory towards insurgency.

Avdeevka is being cut in half, and looks likely to fall soon.
The West is going nuts over the Putin / Carlson interview.

Preview here:
http://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1754939251257475555

Baldrick,

Russia is whining like a little girl when it gets a taste of its own medicine. Because Russia is so large, it is extremely difficult to protect its assets and now fuel depots, oil refineries, power stations and factories are being blown up several times a week.

Russia's finances are dire after the US and EU started fining shipping companies for purchasing oil above the price cap. Also, banks in Turkey, India, Cyprus and China are closing Russian bank accounts when threatened with secondary sanctions. Russian oil tankers are floating off India and Sri Lanka as banks won't transact with Russia.

At the same time, Russia's expenditure on the war is consuming over 40% of its annual budget.

From your claims that Avdivvka was operationally surrounded on Oct 2023, Russia has lost about 20,000 men, 1000s of tanks and armoured vehicles about 10 fighter bombers etc just trying to capture a small suburb of Donetsk that used to house about 15,000 people.

Russia is now running out of tanks and is fielding T55s and T62s from their antique storage areas.

Russia's economy is crashing which is probably why the idiot Putin is so desperate to negotiate because even he recognises that Russia is losing this war that Putin started.

Ukrainians have committed their last reserves.
They face collapse within weeks if things don't change
And Zelensky faces a political crisis losing Avdeevka.

Central Avdeevka has already been captured, the city will fall.
I think the Russians mite be having a crack at Chasiv Yar as well, amongst other places they are making gains.

Every single time Russians are advancing, we get all this bs narrative so the Ukrainians can cling to hope.
Sell your winning bs story to them, even they don't believe it anymore.
No-one's volunteering to fight for the country.

Losing Avdeevka means no more tagetting civilians in Donetsk City.

And as for losses, Russian losses are weighed against military gains.
Ukraine doesn't have any on the battlefield only pointless pinprick attacks for propaganda that have no strategic objective.
Ukraine's losses are for nothing.

If Ukraine was winning Biden wouldn't be panicking and saying failure to support further funding for Ukraine was criminally negligent.
The wars over, but determination and desperation will keep the killing going for a little while yet.

Russia's not willing to negotiate on any other terms than the ones they set in the beginning.
Demilitarise, Denazify, and no NATO.

Furthermore, I don't think Republicans want to inherit this losing Democrat sh*tshow of a war in November, and if Biden loses, the wars over for Ukraine anyway.
Probably why they can't let Trump win.

Tick-Tock, times running out, and so are Ukranian men who are able to fight.

Bold Ukrainian Soldiers Defect To Russia, Joining The Frontline Battle Against Ukraine!
http://youtu.be/bGBc6Pza3G8

They know whos winning SM, they even say so.

Ukraine is rushing to reinforce the Avdeevka cauldron with it's best forces, providing Russia an opportunity to remove these fighters from the battlefield.
i.e meatwaves having fabs dropped on them.

Also they are rounding up anyone they can and send them to the front.
Some villages are fighting back against these recruiters.

Bakhmut cost Ukraine 90,000 troops to defend.

Baldrick,

Lying again I see. Where do you get these figures from? your mates in Russia I guess. Ukraine's casualties in Bakhmut were closer to 5000 far less than the 40 000 that Russia lost.

You have been claiming for 2 years that Ukraine have committed their last reserves, yet they continue to massacre the Russians whose main function is to fertilize Ukrainian soil.

Russia has lost about 350,000 troops, 4000 tanks 8000 AFVs, 300 odd fixed-wing aircraft 1/3rd of the black sea fleet.

Russia is going bankrupt and is fielding antique equipment to try and replace all the tanks etc that they have lost.

"Ukraine's casualties in Bakhmut were closer to 5000"
- Lol, yeah right... if that's what you think, whatever

"Russia has lost about 350,000 troops"

http://en.zona.media/article/2022/05/20/casualties_eng
43,460 Russian casualties corroborated by publicly available data as of 2 February
+ 1,176 last two weeks
5,216 total casualties among new recruits

FYI the website above is not a Pro-Putin website
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediazona

"Russia is going bankrupt and is fielding antique equipment to try and replace all the tanks etc that they have lost."
- So why Biden and EU throwing a hissyfit if things are going so well?
Ukrainians are being chewed up at an alarming rate.
I heard some people talk about 1 Russian killed per 20 Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, Ukraine prepares for a pointless de-blocking operation which will cost the Ukrainians precious manpower. The Russians know it’s coming and it’s going to be a slaughter.
Ukraine is moving troops from the north and thinning out their defensive lines there.
http://youtu.be/8OoOmXp9UhI

http://twitter.com/Kalibrated_Maps/status/1757267259414970602

Avdeevka is a firebag.
Russia will leave the lid off the cauldron so Ukraine can feed more men into the meat grinder.
Ukraine will take 50% losses just getting in and out of the place because Russia has fire control over the routes in and out.

Baldrick,

You are lying by omission by excluding the parts that contradict you.

From your source:

"Over the past year and a half of monitoring, we’ve concluded that open sources can reveal roughly half of all military deaths. This ratio greatly depends on the region, age, and social status (for example, the deaths of the young tend to be reported on social media more frequently; obituaries are more commonly written for soldiers than for prisoners, etc.), so we don’t consistently rely on it in our calculations. However, it serves as a very rough and approximate estimate: 43,000 obituaries found on social networks suggest approximately 80–90,000 actual deaths.

Therefore, the remaining 230,000 in Burns’ estimate would represent the wounded, which also appears quite realistic given the number of fatalities. Military experts often cite a “3 to 1” ratio, meaning three wounded for every one killed (based on the World War II data). However, the wounded-to-killed ratio greatly depends on the nature of combat on the ground and battlefield conditions. In our joint investigation with Meduza last year, we found that the ratio to the killed could range from 4 to 1 to 1.7 to 1 (if we are counting only severe injuries).

In the last two weeks, 15 military personnel ranked Lieutenant Colonel and above were added to our list. As always, this doesn’t mean all these individuals died within the last fortnight: the exact dates of death for five are unknown, two died in January, and the rest are casualties from June to November 2023."

You have also failed to address the collapsing Russian economy or the rapid depletion of tanks, APVs, helicopters, jets etc.

What about Ukrainian deaths, we're talking some 400,000+
And they are probably taking a lot more than 3 to 1 ratio casualties.
I've heard there's some 100,000 amputees.

Russian economy's ok, doing a whole lot better than Europe, and the situation has been revised upwards by the IMF several times.

Sure Russias lost men and military equipment, but they can make more - military equipment, and they have a huge population with which to get new recruits and have the time to train them properly as well.

Last year the only significant battle at this time was in Bakhmut.
Right now Avdeevka is not the only place in Ukraine under significant attack.
Russia is attacking and making gains across the entire front line.

Baldrick,

More lies I see. Russian casualties to Ukrainian casualties are at least 5 dead or wounded Russians to 1 Ukrainian.

Also:

http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-sanction-oil-tankers-shadow-fleet-crude-exports-price-cap-2024-2

Secondary sanctions starting to bite:

"Efforts to clamp down on vessels breaching Western restrictions on Russia are showing results, with nearly half of sanctioned oil tankers now idle, Bloomberg reported.

Of the 50 tankers targeted by the US Treasury since October, 21 have failed to load on new cargo.

These ships fell into Western crosshairs for trading Moscow's crude above the $60 price cap, a Group of Seven measure implemented to limit Russian energy revenue. Such restrictions took form in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022; additional curbs include caps on refined products.

But the system has faltered since its introduction, as some companies continue ferrying Russian crude above the set price limit. It's partially done through the Kremlin's "shadow fleet," a collective of vessels with hard-to-track owners that circumvent the use of Western insurance and tankers.

To counteract this, the Treasury sanctioned eight individual vessels between last October and December. Before 2023's end, another 24 tankers were added to the list, as the department focused on a shipping company owned by the Russian state-controlled Sovcomflot, Bloomberg said.

The United Arab Emirates-based Hennesea Holdings, owner of 18 ships, was sanctioned in January. Most recently, the Sovcomflot tanker NS Leader was named on Thursday, causing the carrier to reverse course near Portugal and head back toward Russia.

It's a crackdown that's weighing on crude prices, as Russia's Urals crude is sinking toward deeper discounts against Dated Brent. Meanwhile, for tankers still trading, US sanctions have compelled some markets to rethink the imports."

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/02/07/major-chinese-bank-halts-all-settlements-with-russia-vedomosti-a84001

A key Chinese bank used by Russian importers has stopped all settlements with Russia, setting the stage for a “logistics collapse” in the coming weeks, the business daily Vedomosti reported Wednesday, citing anonymous businesspeople and financial consultants familiar with the matter.

Chouzhou Commercial Bank, which became the main transaction channel for Russian importers after the invasion of Ukraine, reportedly notified clients last week that it was terminating relations with all Russian and Belarusian organizations.

With Chinese New Year scheduled for Feb. 10-17, an “almost imminent logistics collapse” will hobble exports to Russia at least until March, one of Vedomosti's sources was quoted as saying.

There is “very little chance” that Russian imports from China would resume after the public holiday, said Pavel Bazhanov, an expert in Chinese law.

Turkish Banks Close Russian Corporate Accounts Over Secondary Sanctions – Vedomosti

Chouzhou Commercial Bank’s transactions stopped across major payment systems, including SWIFT, China’s CIPS and Russia’s SPFS, one of Vedomosti’s sources was quoted as saying.

Legal expert Bazhanov said the Chinese cross-border payment systems PingPong and Xtransfer have also halted settlements.

“Even if the movement of money through national systems isn’t visible to the Americans or Europeans, it’s all clearly reflected in the reporting that Western counterparts may demand from the bank,” another source was quoted as saying.

Russia’s Central Bank, the People’s Bank of China and Chouzhou did not respond to requests for comment, according to Vedomosti.

Later on Wednesday, the Kremlin acknowledged that Russian companies were having problems with Chinese banks.

“We have a dialogue with our Chinese friends and, of course, we will solve all the problems that arise,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a briefing call Wednesday.

In December, Washington threatened to cut off access to its financial system for foreign banks linked to companies that support Russia’s defence industry.

Beijing has not joined Western sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, and some of the country's largest banks meanwhile have extended billions of dollars worth of credit to Russia since the start of the war.

China has, complied with Western sanctions

None of which will result in regaining Crimea or the lost Ukrainian territories which are now a part of the Russian Federation.

Baldrick,

If Russia goes bankrupt, it loses the war and may have another revolution to oust the war criminal Putin.

I see that Russia has lost another Black Sea ship the Cesar Kunikov.

Nice looking ship, do you have confirmation it sank?
I like the look of soviet ships, makes me sad when they're sunk, but they are just war machines and this is a war.
- Had a crew of up to 87, assuming there were no other troops on board...

Meanwhile, missile strikes are killing Ukrainians by the hundreds.
War is horrible, these people get blown to pieces, but not as bad as Israel, who gets joy in doing the same to women and kids.

Iskander Strike At Selydove 500+ killed | Chasiv Yar Is Collapsing
http://youtu.be/4UIAugZvZfA

30% Of Personnel Have Already Left Avdiivka
http://youtu.be/Ohn3Ji-6UBQ

http://twitter.com/Kalibrated_Maps/status/1757462739537031674
http://twitter.com/Kalibrated_Maps/status/1757857211995312553

http://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1757479560252145929

"Selidovo seems to be real and really, really bad. Hospitals in nearby cities overflowing. Local chats panicking. SBU frantically searching for whoever gave up the coordinates of such a big troop concentration. Also the new cluster warheads for Iskander-M missiles are hellish. Quite possibly the largest one-time loss of life for the AFU in this war (so far)."

- Ouch.

Apparently the Ukrainians are working to scrub the internet of any reporting...

Baldrick,

You seem to get great pleasure at the killing by Russians of innocent Ukrainian women and children, you are a monster and I guess a closet neo nazi.

It has been confirmed that the Caesar Kunikov was sunk with the loss of all the crew. The massive explosion shows that it was most likely carrying munitions.

Its captain and crew are now feeding the fish.

Baldrick,

You obviously get great joy from Putin's genocidal attacks on Ukrainian citizens.

Unlike Israel, Russia makes no effort to protect innocent women and children.

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2024/02/14/ukraine-sea-drone-destroys-russian-warship-black-sea-bell-cnntm-vpx.cnn

Big explosion of munitions aboard, and no survivors.

It looks like the Russian Admiralty will need glass-bottomed boats to inspect the black sea fleet.

"You seem to get great pleasure at the killing by Russians of innocent Ukrainian women and children, you are a monster and I guess a closet neo nazi."
- I don't get any joy from the death of any innocents regardless of which side they're on, and you're the one supporting Ukrainian Nazis who revere a mass murderer of innocent people - Stepan Bandera.
I even feel a little bit sad for the Ukrainian conscripts, and even the Russian prisoners who died after joining Wagner.

It's the Western powers who create all the conflict.

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs: Does The CIA Destabilize the World?
http://www.youtube.com/live/7aOj41uYuK0

"It has been confirmed that the Caesar Kunikov was sunk with the loss of all the crew. The massive explosion shows that it was most likely carrying munitions."
- The Black Sea has really been the only area where Ukraine has had any success, but it's not really hampering the Russians on the battlefield.

"Unlike Israel, Russia makes no effort to protect innocent women and children."
- We need only look at the statistics to know that statement is completely false.

http://twitter.com/squatsons/status/1757930772689023065
'The Russians are bombing Avdeevka like they have air superiority now.
The Fabs seem endless.'

Baldrick,

Once again your information is bollocks, the Iskander strike on Selidovo did not hit any military targets only a civilian housing building killing 30 women and children and zero soldiers. Your gloating is disgusting.

Not only do the Russians lie about their genocidal attacks, but they are hopelessly incompetent.

Actually, from what I'm hearing... NO MORE NAZI's

The Azov Brigade, became the 3rd Assault Brigade in 2022
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Assault_Brigade

These were Zuluznhy's guys.
Zuluznhy is close with Poroshenko and Klitchko and they don't like Zelensky.
After the situation with Zuluznhy not leaving his post when fired a week or so back, Zelensky probably thought these guys posed the threat of a military coup.
I don't know if the Ukrainians tipped off the Russians
(So Zelensky could get rid of these fighters aligned with Zuluznhy)
Or if Russia was able to figure out this large troop concentration on it's own;

But apparently 3 Battalions at Selydove have been wiped out with 2 Iskanders.

As for the situation in Avdeevka, Russians (local commanders not the MOD) have issued an ultimatum - surrender or die.
I think I heard yesterday that 50 surrendered.

The Ukrainians are having trouble getting reinforcements into Avdeevka because the roads are boggy and can't easily be used, and also they are under fire.
Russian flags are flying over Avdeevka.

I'm only 6 minutes into this video and Ritter is talking about this attack at Selydove
http://www.youtube.com/live/-vDJC8htY9o

The parts I've discussed but they haven't yet mentioned I heard in other videos somewhere...

http://twitter.com/squatsons/status/1758170759107604811

'So the Azov boys got slaughtered behind Avdeevka and then they were finished off in the city.
The losses in the 3rd are colossal.'

Ukrainians are being routed in Avdeevka.
They say there's 8000 Ukrainians left there altogether.
3500 in the central part of the city, and 4500 in the coke plant.
They're not going to be able to escape the city easily.
There's only unsealed roads and there's probably at least 8 inches of mud and they'd be under artillery fire and a target for drones.

The remaining troops from the 3rd Assault Brigade were sent to provide some support for the existing troops retreat from the city, but they decided not to go in and are defending from Lastochkyne, west of the city.
- This caused a panic with the remaining troops inside the city, who've realised they're on their own.

Attempts To Escape From The Encirclement Turned Out To Be A Disaster.
Military Summary For 2024.2.16
http://youtu.be/jDXR2dc7enk

Navalny Died in Prison, Cause of Death is Being Established
http://sputnikglobe.com/20240216/navalny-died-in-prison-cause-of-death-is-being-established-1116820649.html

Russia has lost 8 soldiers for every 1 that Ukraine has lost. As with Bakhmut Ukraine has made a slaughter ground for the Russians with the Russians losing more men than the area even housed.

Russia is losing all the ships that carried its oil and has little industry other than war. Costs are skyrocketing and revenue is shrinking. Russia is being bled dry.

Russia is losing this war.

Navalny was imprisoned by Putin and was 100% the responsibility of the Russian prison system and the West will hold Putin responsible.

That Navalny died just before the election which is probably not a coincidence.

Yes because he was running for office from his Siberian gulag

http://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1758683953194549683
'They're running. Avdeevka has fallen. Isolated pockets of AFU troops remain in the city.'

http://twitter.com/squatsons/status/1758680953382482423
'Ukrainians have announced a full withdrawal from Avdeevka, Russia.
This was a complete botched defense that ended just catastrophically.
The “withdrawal” is really a rout and the 3rd took massive losses for no real good reason.
First city of 2024 captured by the Russians.'

I see that Ukraine has just shot down another 3 Russian jets that used aviation bombs. That's 10 so far.

It is looking as though the Russian air force is evaporating.

The RuAF dropped 250+ FABs on Avdeevka on the final day before the city fell SM.
If anything this shows that Ukrainian air defense has been more or less completely degraded.
Maybe they found some manpads or stingers laying around somewhere.

The RuAF is far more active now than they were in the early days of the war, so it's not entirely unexpected that they might take some losses.
It is a war after all.

Usually militaries become worn out, exhausted and depleted as a war drags on.
This is not the case with Russia, the more this war continues, the stronger they get, in contrast the Ukrainian military has become a lot weaker now than they were 18 mths ago.

Every day that passes brings Ukraine closer to total collapse.
I've heard the Ukrainians are now talking amongst themselves about a coup detat.

If a lot of Ukrainians are captured in Avdeevka, it's going to have a significant demoralising effect on the Ukrainians and their government.

http://twitter.com/squatsons/status/1758831946359054688
Russians raising the flag over the Avdeevka Coke plant.

Zelensky must be throwing a fit right now:
"You must seen more men to defend my coke plant!"
Advisor: "It's not that kind of coke Volodymyr"

You'd better get used to the territorial losses SM
There's plenty more where Avdeevka came from.

You can either support negotiated settlement and an end to the carnage;
Or keep sending Ukrainians to die so Americans and Europeans in their comfy air-con office suites can enrich themselves.

I told you all what was going to happen, but you refused to listen to good sense.
It's easy to scream for others to go fight and die when you're not putting yourself at risk.

No need to chuck a tantrum and try to point score,
Just accept the situation on the ground, it's not going to get any better.
They're just sending Ukrainians to die so Biden can try to save face.
Too many people wearing suits and with snouts in troughs have a financial interest in the outcome.
The people dying and left to rot where they fall, well they're not important (apparently).
Western leaders will be trying to figure out who else they can send to die.
Western terrorists conclude 'the ends justifies the means'
http://twitter.com/squatsons/status/1758854008939139335

No refunds.
http://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1758981903330234855
"Jay in Kiev says America is now viewed with disdain in Ukraine, accuses the US of ‘betraying’ the country and causing ‘thousands’ of deaths."

"What did they think 'To the last Ukrainian' meant?"

Ukraine managed a well-organised withdrawal leaving behind a flattened Avdivvka sprinkled with Russian corpses and 3 shot down Russian Jets. 2x Su34s and one Su35.

What about the murder of Navalny?

No they didn't.
Your listening to the narrative of the side that was just defeated.
They didn't even have defensive lines prepared in the rear.
There were mass casualties and hundreds of surrenders.
There's dead Ukrainians left to rot all over the place.
- I've seen the footage
Many had to try and escape through mud on foot.
- I've seen that footage as well.

All you have to do is look at the thumbnail images and the name of the videos to know that it was not an orderly withdrawal, it was a debacle, and many AFU are livid about it.

http://www.youtube.com/@militarysummary/videos

"What about the murder of Navalny?"

What about it?
Does Russia involve itself in the matters of inmates in Alabama prisons?
If it did, the US would rightly say 'mind your own business'.

These are internal matters for the Russian Federation.
Screaming about it only advertises that he was an agent of the West.

He dies a month before a Russian presidential election in prison?
This has got western propaganda attack written all over it.
What the hell did Putin have to gain from his death? Nothing.
- Better to leave him there alive to rot.

He was going to spend his days in a Russian prison.
Working with foreign agents (CIA and MI6) to create civil unrest and overthrow the government, should've rightly earned him a firing squad for treason anyway.
He was never going to become President and he had no further usefulness to the West except one final thing.
- Die.

The West does not murder opposition leaders. I believe that the West is organising a new round of sanctions on Russia because of this foul murder.

I believe that Russia lost another 2 jets (one Su34 and one Su35) in Avdivvka as they came within the reach of a patriot system.

A shipment of Russians returning home from the fighting at Avdivvka:

http://t.me/pilotblog/10023

Aftermath of Himars strike on Russian base:

https//t.me/pilotblog/10045

6 of Russia's best fighter Jets were shot down in 3 days!!

"WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. will announce a major package of sanctions against Russia on Friday over the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the two-year Ukraine war, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday.
Biden, speaking to reporters as he departed on a trip to California, did not give details.
The latest sanctions on Russia will target a range of items, including the country's defense and industrial bases, along with sources of revenue for the economy, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
The package will "hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr. Navalny" and for its actions over the course of the war in Ukraine, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said.
A senior U.S. official said a sanctions package was already being planned to mark the second anniversary of the war, which Washington will now reconsider and supplement in response to Navalny's death.
The Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, is discussing sanctions over Navalny's death on a trip to Europe this week, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Nelson, in visits to Germany, Belgium and France ahead of the second anniversary of the Ukraine war, is also discussing Washington's authority to target those funding Russia's war production efforts even if they are in third countries, the Treasury said. It said the U.S. is "aggressively pursuing those who attempt to evade our sanctions.
The United States already has issued a wide array of sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 2022, including on Russian President Vladimir Putin, officials and banks."

I told you Navalny was worth more to the West dead than alive.
There's your motive.

HIMARS - Apperently 65 KIA, if you believe the numbers.

"is also discussing Washington's authority to target those funding Russia's war production efforts even if they are in third countries"
- Washington doesn't have any authority to target anyone in a foreign country;
It's a 'claimed' authority which doesn't actually exist.

Baldrick,

I saw the photos, there were plenty of rotting Russians. They were lining up for the parade when they were hit with 2x cluster HIMARS missiles.

Enjoy the photos:

http://t.me/combat_ftg/6145

Washington is targeting any helpers for the Russian war machine or economy. Targeting the illegal invaders of Ukraine is perfectly acceptable.

P.S. A lot of Russian refinery workers seem to be smoking as a couple of Russian refineries seem to be catching fire every week.

The number of killed or seriously wounded Russians is now close to 400,000. Dead Russians are the greatest Ukrainian export.

Russia is losing this war.

"I saw the photos, there were plenty of rotting Russians. They were lining up for the parade when they were hit with 2x cluster HIMARS missiles."

Poor bastards.
I saw some Russian footage as well earlier and there was quite a few dead Ukrainians left where they fell as well.

I'm pretty sure the Russians got the Ukrainians like this as well a few weeks back.
Seems like both sides have been caught out at one time or another with large troop concentrations too close too the front.

If you think I enjoy war and point scoring the dead you're wrong.
All these poor blokes going at it because those in government decide to sort things out on the battlefield...
I understand why it happened but I don't particularity enjoy it.

http://twitter.com/squatsons/status/1759335186985083226
Russian forces advancing out of Avdeevka pass by some of the Ukrainians who were orderly withdrawn from the city.

In other news...

I wonder if this will set the cat amongst the pigeons...

China offers backing to Hungary in security matters, law enforcement
http://kyivindependent.com/china-offers-backing-to-hungary-on-security-law-enforcement/

Hundreds of Ukrainian Troops Feared Captured or Missing in Chaotic Retreat
http://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/us/politics/ukraine-prisoners-avdiivka-russia.html
'The fall of Avdiivka to Russia may be more significant than it initially seemed as Ukraine struggles with morale and recruitment.'

>>Hundreds of Ukrainian troops may have been captured by advancing Russian units or disappeared during Ukraine’s chaotic retreat from the eastern city of Avdiivka, according to senior Western officials and soldiers fighting for Ukraine, a devastating loss that could deal a blow to already weakening morale.

The Russian capture of Avdiivka has emerged as a significant symbolic loss for Ukrainian troops, a sign of the battlefield impact of the failure of the U.S. Congress, so far, to approve more military assistance as dwindling supplies of artillery shells make it even harder to hold the line.

Estimates of how many Ukrainians were captured or missing vary, and a precise count may not be possible until Ukraine solidifies new defensive lines outside the city. But two soldiers with knowledge of Ukraine’s retreat estimated that 850 to 1,000 soldiers appear to have been captured or are unaccounted for. The Western officials said that range seemed accurate.

American officials say the loss of Avdiivka is not a significant strategic setback, arguing that Russian gains in eastern Ukraine will not necessarily lead to any collapse of Ukrainian lines and that Moscow is unlikely to be able to follow up with another major offensive.<<

Not sure that last bit of info is accurate:

The Russians Assembled An Army Of 200 Thousand For The Spring Offensive. Military Summary 2024.02.19
http://youtu.be/3BRYpbwduSI

- But I don't think they'll be going on any big arrow offensives just yet, just small positional advances in line with their current 'aggressive attrition' strategy.

Also, stupid Americans are just giving away their tech...
http://twitter.com/Sprinter99800/status/1760200112968491324
I bet the houthis jammed or took over the controls to capture it, just like the Iranians did to the 'Beast of Kandahar'.
The Iranians are pretty cluey figuring out technology.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1209/Downed-US-drone-How-Iran-caught-the-beast

Baldrick,

No one cares what China offers, Hungary still needs to comply with EU rules.

As for the captured Ukrainian soldiers, Russia was losing more than 1000 soldiers per day storming the town as well as at least 7 front-line fighters in the last week (yes another SU34 was shot down last night). In fact, in capturing Avdivvka Russia lost more soldiers than men women and children that lived in the town.

Of the 100s of Russian prisoners taken recently many were old (>50) or sick and disabled.

Here is more information on another Russian battalion HIMARSed yesterday:

http://t.me/pilotblog/10061

With all their refineries blowing up Russia is losing this war.

"Putin calls up his Dad's army:

Russia 'will raise the age limit of military personnel by 20 YEARS to 70' as leader desperately looks for more troops to fight his war in Ukraine"

It looks as though Russia is running out of soldiers as Ukraine killed the last conscription intake.

http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-novosibirsk-coffins-soaring-losses-deaths-ukraine/32288107.html

No wonder Rusia is losing this war

Not saying it's all bs, but it all seems like a convenient distraction away from the loss of Avdeevka, some of it like the troop losses you frequently claim I certainly doubt.
How are they going to inflict the losses you claim when thy're running low on weapons and ammunition?
And Ukraine has lost several more villages since Avdeevka, Russia is advancing in many places across the front, Ukrainians have been running away.

You do realise that Ukraine has a vested interest in selling a good story regardless of events on the ground right?
They have to convince a skeptical West to continue arming Ukrainian troops and there isn't much left to give, that's why Ukraine is losing territory.

"In fact, in capturing Avdivvka Russia lost more soldiers than men women and children that lived in the town."
- Statements like this are what the losers tell themselves to try and cope with the loss, how many Ukrainian lives were lost just to lose Avdeevka anyway, which was THE MOST fortified town along the front line. At least Russian losses weren't for nothing, like the Ukrainians were.

Ukraine would've had an extra 60K to 70K troops for it's counteroffensive had it just withdrawn from Bakhmut earlier.
Ukraine blew the counteroffensive trying to defend what would be inevitably lost.
Even Australia's Mick Ryan was recently screaming for the Ukrainians to withdraw from Avdeevka sooner.

War in Ukraine Is Turning in Putin’s Favor After Months of Stalemate
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-21/putin-s-war-russia-s-attack-on-ukraine-enters-a-third-year-key-events

"Russia 'will raise the age limit of military personnel by 20 YEARS to 70' as leader desperately looks for more troops to fight his war in Ukraine"
- Let me know when the Russian MOD announces it, not British Intelligence to manipulate Russians on BBC world news and Radio Free Europe.

I told you months ago these Western CIA propagandists need to find a way to sell a defeat as a victory, and you've been consistent in falling for it.

Baldrick,

Lying again I see. Also, Russia had another A50 shot down over Russia by the Ukrainians. I see that a Russian mil blogger who stated that more than 17000 Rotting Russians were killed taking Avdivvka was harassed and needed to shoot himself.

The Losers (Russia) have to lie to their population about their massive losses in Ukraine to prevent riots.

There is zero chance that Navalny killed himself which is why the Russian state won't surrender the body to the family.

Russia's economy is circling the drain and Russia is losing this war.

"Lying again I see. Also, Russia had another A50 shot down over Russia by the Ukrainians."

Well, it's probably not entirely unexpected...
Since the Ukrainian military is running out of men and ammunition the US has to do something right?
Providing intel on the A-50's is probably something they can do including the limited number of long range weapons available to them.
And the sanctions haven't had the desired effect, Russia is still selling it's resources and goods, so they have money to provide lots of jobs and build more planes...

Russia can replace the planes, but Ukraine isn't getting it's territory back, it's losing territory all across the front, and it's going to get worse.

"The Losers (Russia) have to lie to their population about their massive losses in Ukraine to prevent riots."
- Russia losing?
It does not look like Ukraine is winning sorry
Where's their military? I'm confused... it's all gone.
With air defence almost non-existent in many villages, Russia is going to drop FAB 1500's on them, then hit the with TOS heavy flamethrowers and then walk in and mop up the mess, hopefully not too many conscripted women.

"There is zero chance that Navalny killed himself which is why the Russian state won't surrender the body to the family."
- Have you heard what his mums been saying?
She said Yulia Navalnaya hadn't visited him for 2 years.
- but she visits him a day before he dies with 'medicine' and gifts (novichok) and then heads straight to the Munich Security Conference standing by ready to give her speech. And wtf was she doing meeting with Biden a few days later?
- Either Navalny willfully took one for the cause, since he was jailed for like 20+ years anyway, and had no more use to the West, or she was the one who likely poisoned him.
This is the likely scenario in my opinion.
There was no reason for Putin to get rid of him.
They're whingeing about returning the body, because they know exactly what they will find, because they gave it to him.

They will try to exploit Navalny's death every way possible, and in that, was the motive to get rid of him.

Putin wasn't risking anything in leaving him to rot in Siberia for the next 20+ years.
Navalny was discredited in Russia already and had no political future.

Baldrick,

Firstly another Su34 bites the dust in Kherson ;)

"They will try to exploit Navalny's death in every way possible, and in that, was the motive to get rid of him."

This has to be the stupidest post you have ever made. I suggest you read what you write before posting. However, thanks for admitting that Navalny was murdered by Putin (who is becoming more like Stalin every day)

Finally, your complete ignorance of economics or History is clear in your posts.

The reason the Soviet Union collapsed was because the government spent so much on the military until the economy collapsed, much like what Russia is doing now. Russia is now running a war economy with 40% of its budget spent on the war with Ukraine.

Here are some stats:

It costs $35 to $45 to extract a barrel of oil in Russia depending on location. The sale price is capped at $60. The net revenue from oil and gas has dropped by nearly 70% from 2021. Revenue from most other exports has also dropped as Russia has to sell it at a discount.

The only export getting near to the full price is gold which as a reserve, Russia has flogged off most of its stocks to pay for the war.

Russia has been heavily dipping into its "wealth fund" which is nearly exhausted. 2023 saw Russia running massive deficits mostly due to the massive cost of the war to Russia and the huge casualties they are suffering.

Banks in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and China are now refusing to deal with Russia due to the risks of secondary sanctions.

"This has to be the stupidest post you have ever made. I suggest you read what you write before posting. However, thanks for admitting that Navalny was murdered by Putin."
- Only because you can't comprehend cui bono or occum's razor and I never admitted Putin killed him.

I see Ukraine is losing Robotyne.
There goes their one counter-offensive accomplishment.

I needed a good laugh.

Russian DRONE chases German FM Baerbock motorcade, scares her to death, runs with tail between legs.
http://youtu.be/fsowbXzfJ0Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDOsv6twWnI&ab_channel=USATODAY

This one is hilarious!

What else is hilarious is the use of T55 and T62 antique tanks. Clearly, Russia is running out of newer tanks.

The Russian economic collapse is becoming more evident with the collapse of QIWI Bank with HO in Moscow.

Russia is losing this war and 100s of 1000s of men, 1000s of tanks and other equipment.

Baldrick,

If you use Cui Bono or Occam's razor in both cases the needle points clearly to Putin as the main beneficiary with the greatest motive and opportunity in the murder of Navalny.

Among the 500 new sanctions on Russia most of which focus on secondary sanctions include the shipyards in South Korea and Japan which were about to deliver 4x LNG carriers which now won't go to Russia and also can't refund the deposits.

Most Banks worldwide are cutting ties with Russia and the heavy fines are reducing the ships prepared to transport Russian oil.

No sanctions will be removed while Russia occupies Ukrainian land.

Russia is losing this war.

"If you use Cui Bono or Occam's razor in both cases the needle points clearly to Putin as the main beneficiary with the greatest motive and opportunity in the murder of Navalny."
- Only for idiots like you who already have a western ignorance based bias and think the west never do anything wrong, but everything Russia and Putin do is bad.
- If that's what you think then I've got some WMD's I can sell you, fool.
- Navalny died of a blood clot, so the 'official' report says, and they released the body.

Like I said weeks ago, probably had too many COVID booster shots.
- And that's why I'm proudly unvaxxed.

Quote:

"The threat of secondary sanctions on financial institutions that help Russia bypass its own restrictions is proving effective, the US deputy treasury secretary, Wally Adeyemo, has told Reuters.

Data cited by the Treasury shows financial flows between Russia and several countries, such as Kazakhstan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, have meaningfully decreased.

That's after an executive order was signed last December, giving the US leeway to sanction non-Russian institutions that facilitate restricted transactions with Moscow or are tied to the country's military industry.

"We are sending an unmistakable message: Anyone supporting Russia's unlawful war effort is at risk of losing access to the US financial system," the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, then said about the order.

Adeyemo said at-risk institutions had since turned more cautious, and some had shown concern about losing access to the US dollar. The currency accounts for nearly half of global financial transactions.

"From their CEOs on down, they started requesting meetings with us to say, 'What can we do to make sure that we keep access to the dollar,'" he told Reuters, adding that large banks were also part of the discussion: "Because ultimately for them, even though they may do some business with Russia, it pales in comparison to the amount of business they do with the United States or the business they do in the dollar."

Russia is going bankrupt and is losing this war.

OOPS, another 2 Su34s shot down over Avdiivka.

Baldrick,

Concerning Cui Bono or Occam's razor, you have not indicated any Cui Bono for the West as there is no benefit to the EU or US from his murder and the opportunity was zero as his only visitor before his death was his mother.

As for the release of his body, it was only after a week from when he was murdered and no independent autopsy was allowed. As for the bogus cause of death, no one believes it.

"The Ukrainian air force claimed it has shot down 10 Russian warplanes in 10 days: nine of the Russian air force’s best Sukhoi Su-34 and Sukhoi Su-35 fighter-bombers and also a rare Beriev A-50 radar plane.

This is many, many more warplanes than the Russians can afford to lose in a little more than a week. Hamstrung by foreign sanctions, the Russian aerospace industry is struggling to produce more than a couple of dozen new warplanes a year.

All that is to say, the Russians are losing jets 20 times faster than they can replace them.

The Ukrainian defence ministry announced this month’s ninth and tenth shoot-downs—both involving Su-34s—on Tuesday. “Oops, we did it again!” the ministry quipped. “And now it's 10 destroyed Russian planes in 10 days!”

How the Ukrainians are shooting down so many jets is unclear. It’s possible the Ukrainian air force has assigned some of its American-made Patriot missile launchers to mobile air defence groups that move quickly in close proximity to the 600-mile front line of Russia’s two-year wider war on Ukraine, ambushing Russian jets with 90-mile-range PAC-2 missiles then swiftly relocating to avoid counterattack."

Russia is losing this war

"Concerning Cui Bono or Occam's razor, you have not indicated any Cui Bono for the West as there is no benefit to the EU or US from his murder and the opportunity was zero as his only visitor before his death was his mother."
- Of course it benefits the West, just in propaganda value alone.
- Secondly it will allow new sanctions, new laws 'like the Magninsky act'
- It elevates Yulia Navalnaya as a hard-done-by widow - to an activist or spokesperson role.
- And who knows what else, but you're a fool if you see no benefit.
There was certainly no benefit to Putin a month before his election.
He's not going to win any elections or achieve anything else in jail.
And his mother was not the only person to see him.

Navalnaya had not visited him in 2 years, (was galavanting around with her new Russian boyfriend) but she did so on Feb 14, with 'medicine' and gifts a day before he died, then she headed straight to the Munich security conference standing by ready for her speech about his death.

"The Ukrainian air force claimed it has shot down 10 Russian warplanes in 10 days: nine of the Russian air force’s best Sukhoi Su-34 and Sukhoi Su-35 fighter-bombers and also a rare Beriev A-50 radar plane."
Yes, but Russia is bombing the shite out of everything and making advances on all fronts.

Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, steps forward to lead the Russian opposition – 3 points to understand
http://theconversation.com/yulia-navalnaya-widow-of-alexei-navalny-steps-forward-to-lead-the-russian-opposition-3-points-to-understand-224050

- Exactly as I said.

I'm not sure I said it on this thread or the thread in the main forum, but I definitely said it.
Maybe in the general forum somewhere, but I told you all she was being prepared to take his place.
Maybe someone else can confirm I stated it a week or so back

I told you all on another thread Navalny was in a Siberian Gulag, wasn't going to get out for 20+ years and was discredited in Russia, and that his wife was being positioned as a activist and spokesperson, but not necessarily a politician.
I told you that Navalny had no further usefulness for the West except for one last thing.
- Being dead.

Now I'm going to have to go sift through the threads to try and find where I said it.

From article:
"1. There’s a long history of women subbing for men
Widowhood was the main route American women took to becoming a member of Congress for decades, when they assumed their husbands’ seats, from the 1920s through the 1960s...
Women also often ascend in the political arena under tragic circumstances."

Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, tells European Parliament her husband's body was abused
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-28/yulia-navalnaya-widow-alexei-navalny-european-parliament/103524778

Now we're never going to bloody well hear the end of it;
- That's the motive.

It's 'The Scripals', with a political opponent.
- Navalny was worth more to the West dead than alive.
This is his last service to the cause.

Baldrick,

Give it a rest. Only Putin fanboys or the most delusional believe anything other than Putin had Navalny killed. Your arguments that the West killed him or that the US organised the Maidan overthrow are pathetic and have zero evidence. Any critic of the tyrant Putin is either imprisoned or killed.

As for the 500 new sanctions applied on the 2nd anniversary of the illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, these appear to be the most severe so far. Banks around the world (including China, India, UAE, etc) are closing all accounts associated with Russia or its allies. Ports are closing access to Russian ships and those uninsured ships. Putin's revenue is shrinking and his costs are ramping up.

I also see that the G7 is looking to unfreeze Putin's piggy bank of nearly $300bn to spend on sending ammunition, Missiles, tanks etc to Ukraine to kill Russians. With Sweden Joining NATO Russia's Baltic fleet is trapped, and Russia's border with NATO has nearly tripled.

Russia is losing this war.

Oops, we did it again another Su34 was shot down last night.

Russia can't replace these planes at anywhere near the rate they are being destroyed. What is the T55 version of the Su34?

Russia is losing this war.

Probably the Su-27 Frogfoot, workhorse of the RuAF.
Tough little bugger.
Though I'm not sure it's from the same era.
The older tanks you speak of are used as artillery pieces.
Russia is pumping out new and reconditioned tanks at a significant quantity now.

The Russian military industrial output has ramped up a whole lot since the start of the war,
If these RuAF losses are accurate
(and I say 'if' because I haven't seen footage of the burned out wrecks)
Then it doesn't matter too much anyway.
In the meantime the Russians are breaking the back of the Ukrainians will to fight and gaining territory right across the front line.

Imagine a fight with Mike Tyson.
The US are hoping Ukraine can stay on it's feet till November
But Mikes figured out how his opponent fights and is going to knock him out.

Trump is now the likely Republican Presidential nominee.
And he will direct his party to block any further military aid.

Ukraine couldn't win even if they called up all the NATO troops in Europe.
Their ammo and equipment has been depleted.

Macron suggested sending troops to Ukraine and the other Europeans all backed away.
It's over, Ukraine is being annihilated, and they deserve what they get.
This is what happens if you allow the US to fund right-wing NAZI nationalist opposition in your country and allow them to take power.

Baldrick, what have you been smoking? If Nato entered the war, Russia's survival in Ukraine would be measured in hours not days.

Russia is bleeding out. Your Mike Tyson has been shot in the back.

Russia has lost 13 frontline aircraft in less than 2 weeks and now has to field T55s and T62s because most of the modern Russian tanks are now scrap iron.

Putin has banned the sale of refined petroleum products for 6 months because Russia is struggling to meet its own market needs when it used to make $bns from exports.

Russia is losing this war.

'Russia is losing this war'.
- Tell that to the dead, wounded, shellshocked and poorly trained Ukrainian soldiers getting FAB 1500's and TOS Heavy flamethrower dumped on them.
What's left will be out of ammunition completely soon, maybe they can fight with shovels?

I hear the Ukrainians made a 'strategic withdrawal', that's how they're selling it.
- No, they're being routed.

Keep reading that propaganda, maybe Ukraine can win by magic.
Will the Ghost of Kiev save the day?
No, because he already got killed.

Baldrick

I will tell it to the 100s of 1000s of mothers of dead Russian soldiers and pilots. All those poor Russians dragged to the front to die most of them before they ever fire a shot equipped with tanks and APCs from the 1950s. Russians are being routed.

Russia is becoming bankrupt, there are riots and independent movements in the caucuses and Putin's grip on power is slipping. Banks worldwide are closing Russian accounts and oil and gas sales are becoming less profitable.

Russia is losing this war.

"I will tell it to the 100s of 1000s of mothers of dead Russian soldiers and pilots. All those poor Russians dragged to the front to die most of them before they ever fire a shot equipped with tanks and APCs from the 1950s. Russians are being routed."

Now I know you really are full of crap.

meanwhile...

U.S. Media ADMITS Russia’s Economy Booming Despite Western Sanctions!
http://youtu.be/Z0Etr-smOLg

Baldrick, The Jimmy Dore Show seriously?

This moron other than outright lying has the economic knowledge of an ant.

The Russian economy is now a war economy. The GDP has risen because the Russian government is spending huge amounts on the war, making weapons and sending them to the front to be destroyed with the soldiers, not on roads, health, education or any infrastructure. Not only that but Russia is drawing down on its shrinking reserves to feed the war machine. When the reserves run out Russia will need to print money.

In the meantime, Russia has stopped exporting oil products and crude oil production in Russia has dropped from 11m bpd to 9m bpd.

So while gov expenditure is increasing gov revenue is shrinking and it is only a matter of time before Russia goes bankrupt.

Other lies Jimmy Dore stated were.

1 The Ruble is stronger than before the war. lie has lost about 50% of its value and virtually no one will touch it.
2 The US has spent more than $100 on the war. Lie
etc.

Russia's airforce has virtually stopped flying as its pilots are afraid of being shot down. Chickens can't fly.

Baldrick,

Yet another Russian ship sunk. This time a brand new patrol ship Sergei Kotov. Along with 2 KA 52 helicopters.

Russians are being annihilated.

All the sailors are safe, and it is built inside Russia on the Volga, and can easily be replaced.
Overwhelmed by sea-borne drones apparently;
94m in length, armed with Kinzhals, launched in 2022 - so barely 2 years old.

I will say though that Russia has lost far too many ships in the Black Sea
It's the one area of the war where they've never really gotten on top of things very well.

Ukrainian soldiers are breaking records for dying in significant numbers,
Twice this past week they lost 1400 in a day, what a waste of human life.

Baldrick,

Everything you post is a lie.

7 sailors died on the latest ship added to the Russian submarine fleet.
A new ship can be built for $70m in about 3 years, so practically gone.
you also missed the 2 K52 helicopters destroyed on the ground and the helicopter that went down with the ship.

The last few days have been Russian meat waves attacking strong defences. The 1400 KIA are probably Russians rotting in the fields while the number of defenders lost is about 1/5 of that.

Meanwhile, a major rail bridge at Samara has blown up that was used for military equipment.

There is resistance building up in Russia as the living standards plummet due to Putin's illegal war and several armed resistances against Putin have started. Russia's economy is circling the drain.

The ICJ has issued arrest warrants for Generals responsible for planning attacks on Ukraine civilians.

Russia is losing this war.

Russia is losing this war.

Looks more and more like Trump will win in November.
Wonder how that will change things.

Baldrick,

Even if Trump wins, and it is a big IF as while his support amongst Republican voters is strong, the liberals that hate him and voted him out of office haven't gone away:

1 Trump won't be sworn in until late Jan 2025,
2 There is no guarantee that he won't support Ukraine.
3 Sanctions won't be lifted until Russia retreats from Ukraine and will only get tougher. (ie secondary sanctions and for example sanctions on all food produced by Russia and Belarus.)
4 Weapons from the EU Canada etc are ramping up.

Meanwhile
1 In 2023 Russia's net gained 0.02% of Ukraine for massive losses in soldiers, armoured vehicles, aircraft and ships, faster than they can be replaced.
2 Russia's oil and gas revenues continue to fall,
3 Russia continues to draw down on cash reserves,
4 Russia's inflation is climbing faster than official figures
5 Some provinces / Caucuses are in open revolt against the war.
6 Ukrainian sabotage groups are destroying Russian infrastructure at a rapidly increasing rate.

The question is what state is Russia going to be in by the inauguration of the next president?

Russia is losing this war.