Russian warship, go f**k yourself!

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121699750#Comment_121699750

It's not easily repairable infrastructure, all their thermal heating systems are 1970-1980's soviet era pipeline system heated with huge volumes of water, their having one of their worst winters in decades, and its putting savage pressure on the systems without any drone attacks....

Watching a clip last night and it would cost north of 200 billion to replace russias aging systems when eventually the existing systems totally fails due to age/wear and tear https://en.thebell.io/kremlin-steps-in-as-local-heating-systems-collapse/

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121699108#Comment_121699108

It's winter, little is happening. Also, the funding from the US has stalled (and Orban is holding up Europe) meaning Ukraine can't do much in terms of offensive actions.

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121698423#Comment_121698423

Like clockwork.

Zelensky has dipped in popularity since the outbreak of the war but keep in mind he is still currently well north of 60% support across the nation, which is light years ahead of pretty much any other leader in Europe. Plus according to the most recent polls he is considered one of the most trusted key figures in Ukraine.

There's a lot going on we don't know, perhaps the general will be replaced, or perhaps something else will happen. It's a war, generals get replaced.

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121700288#Comment_121700288

I don't know but Ukraine seems to have been able to repair their presumably identical systems after much bigger hits. I would assume that they aren't able to do as much damage as either missiles with up to 500kg of explosives or even the Iranian drones with 100kg.

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121700651#Comment_121700651

And Putin is at what 80 or 90%?

It's hardly going to be published if zelenskys popularity falls off a cliff. We're told the approved message through the media.

If Ukraine are winning it's strange that the architect of that win would be getting sacked.

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121700713#Comment_121700713

Predictable responses.

Putin is a dictator, we have no idea of his true popularity. The fact that you attempt a comparison is of course absurd not to mention revealing.

It's hardly going to be published if zelenskys popularity falls off a cliff. We're told the approved message through the media.

Conspiracy stuff.

If Ukraine are winning it's strange that the architect of that win would be getting sacked.

No one is "winning" the war. It's more complex than that. Ukraine has 80% approx and Russia 20%, at the moment it's pretty much a stalemate.

We have little idea what's going on behind the scenes and as mentioned generals get replaced, sacked and moved around. It's normal in war-time. Ukraine is under a very high pressure situation, so it's unsurprising there will be high level disagreements, personality clashes, doctrine issues and so on.

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121700872#Comment_121700872

Zelensky increasingly looks like a dictator. Has control over the media and does seem to be making sure any rivals to his power are kept in check. Exactly what you would expect Putin to do...

Putin makes sure his reported popularity is high. Why wouldn't zelensky? Even if not for himself but for the pov of maintaining a strong appearance to maintain unity in Ukraine, to the rest of the world to get more aid and to Russia so they don't think a collapse is possible.

What has zaluhzny done wrong? By all accounts he's played a blinder. There would seem to be no reason to sack him unless zelensky is getting nervous about his own position. Incompetence would be the only other reason but nobody has reported this to be the case.

It's not normal to sack someone who's doing an excellent job...

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701049#Comment_121701049

Zelensky is not Putin stop attempting to compare.

What has zaluhzny done wrong? By all accounts he's played a blinder

The counter-offensive didn't go as planned, it's probably a shake-up. During war very tough decisions have to be made, that can include removing or reshuffling popular figures, which can create huge tension. Everyone is well aware of the optics and how Putin and his supporters will seize on it - but unfortunately grim decisions have to be made. I'm not saying it's right or wrong but we simply don't have the full story.

deirdremf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701131#Comment_121701131

True, Zelensky didn't wipe Grozny off the face of the earth.

On the other hand, he did make a heap of political parties illegal, which isn't a typically democratic action. In fact it's one of the first things any up and coming dictator does.

So I guess the jury is still out on how far down the dictatorship road he is willing to go.

Tonynewholland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701278#Comment_121701278

The way he sacked the ambassador to the UK was fairly dictator like

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701278#Comment_121701278

On the other hand, he did make a heap of political parties illegal, which isn't a typically democratic action. In fact it's one of the first things any up and coming dictator does.

To be fair that statement is overly simplistic and needs some context; they were outlawed as they were Russian puppet parties and he could see the writing on the wall with Russia/Ukraine.

1373

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701049#Comment_121701049

When you have the enemy at the gates, a murderous, raping and exterminating enemy and your own population having plenty of enemy supporters, then the last thing you need is a Liberal leader . You need total control and order or else

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701918#Comment_121701918

Exactly!!! Prior to the invasion, Putin's men were already in powerful positions within the Ukrainian Govt, to the extent that Putins commanders had already picked out which apartments they would live in, which venues they would celebrate the successful transfer of power. Except Zelensky didn't see it like that, and the rest is as they say, History, there was a big outcry too when he kicked out the Russian Orthodox Church leaders, but like the present Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, they were all KGB operatives behind the robes. But it made (still does) great anti-Zelensky propaganda.

Dohnjoe

https://twitter.com/olex_scherba/status/1750224310407450796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1750224310407450796%7Ctwgr%5E77312435a18641d307a73c3a4222b156422822ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kyivpost.com%2Fpost%2F27398

From the Kyiv Post

"Natalia, one of the agents, demonstrates a rundown two-bedroom apartment in the city center, priced at 5 million rubles ($50,000). Despite its state, Natalia emphasizes the potential for return on investment, highlighting the apartment’s spacious layout."

"Here we need to look not at what this apartment has experienced but at the future. The apartment has a very large area and a chic layout. If you invest in it and put it in order, it will be an invaluable investment,” Natalia says.

“We see that the owners of this apartment left their homes in a great hurry, while leaving everything, both personal belongings and children’s things,” she adds."

Lovely.

1373

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703483#Comment_121703483

Putin was encouraging Russian banks to open branches in his newly acquired territories, obviously a big drive to make his insanity look normal

Field east

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701049#Comment_121701049

Re your first paragraph , the Russians have blown out ALL THE WINDOWS in UKr whereas in Russia they are all largely in place so Zalensky is at a destination disadvantage!!!!!

Field east

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701278#Comment_121701278

In times of a serious national ‘UPHEAVEL’ is it not the case that individuals/governments have to leave certain laws/rules/regulations aside/frozen until the situation has . Did we not do something like this during Covid when the government gave powers to Min for Health, Stephen Donnelly, to do what he thought appropriate re addressing Covid issues instead of having to go to the Dail to seek approval as would be the case in normal times.?

deirdremf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709498#Comment_121709498

I take your point, but neither Zelensky nor Putin would fit into the democratic mould as we know it.

I support neither of them, and was appalled at the invasion of Ukraine. I didn't for a minute believe it would happen, and was proved wrong. I am very sad that it happened.

My opinion, politically as opposed to militarily, is that we have been watching a complete realignment of the world order over tha last 10 years or so. I am not judging this on an ethical scale, just trying to look objectively at events as I understand them. As far as I can see, the world is tilting away from US hegemony, and this move by Russia is one step in that direction. There are many other steps, sometimes in the opposite direction such as Milei's election in Argentina and Bolsonaro's in Brazil. Then there are countries that want to keep a foot in the US camp while putting the other in the new camp - such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia joining the BRICS grouping while keeping their ties to the USA.

As regards ethics, I find it hard to see ethics on either side in the Ukraine war, although Putin trying to Make Russia Great Again seems lower on that scale than Zelensky. As regards the other main actor here, although he remains in the background - I mean Biden - well his arming of Israel and his acceptance of the genocide in Gaza demonstrate his ethics very clearly.

Dohnjoe

One is a democratically elected leader, internationally well respected, high domestic support

"There isn't much difference between that leader and a dictator"

One country has brutally invaded another neutral country, which is defending itself

"It's hard to see ethics on either side"

Typical both-sides-ism red flags.

Back when I was protesting Bush's invasion of Iraq, I met individuals like this, campists who found themselves on the same page as anyone "simply for being opposed to the United States or the West, including authoritarian governments who would otherwise not follow their beliefs."

It's black and white thinking, reductionist history, whereby countries are personalities that are to be opposed or supported. It's really as simple as that on a base level.

This is very similar, it boils down to "America bad, therefore Ukrainian leader sort of bad because he's aligned". They are just careful not to admit it directly, instead they pad it out to make it appear "objective".

Next time you see someone being obsessively critical of Zelensky or sharing similar views to Putin, this stuff usually isn't far behind.

yosemitesam1

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/02/06/a-ukrainian-brigade-ran-low-on-ammo-that-plus-some-bad-weather-was-all-the-advantage-russian-troops-needed-to-breach-avdiivka/

Fairly bleak situation. You would imagine a retreat is better than sending old mechanics to their deaths to defend a non strategic town

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733455#Comment_121733455

"Non strategic town"

It's key to secure Avdiivka to roll on to Donetsk and Luhansk.

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733455#Comment_121733455

Zelensky moves against his commanding general now aren't helping the situation,remembering back its Zelensky who pushed the summer offensive demanding results, the smart thing after the disastrous first few weeks of it would of been to call a halt and conserve manpower/ammo/equipment, they didn't and with the us/eu dithering on aid, it looks like Putin is in the driving seat

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733548#Comment_121733548

It pretty much looks like they lost 100k+ men since the counteroffensive began. Maybe Russia is happy with whatever kill ratios are being achieved

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121734583#Comment_121734583

To have any hope, they needed to drop conscription age down to 18 last summer/autumn and have these reserves now available to them, russia was always going to grind it out, how Zelensky thought it was going to be so easy to achieve his stated goals on reflection was sheer arrogance, he started to believe his own hype,

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121734951#Comment_121734951

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/08/ukraine-soldiers-shortage-infantry-russia/

Definitely looks like a Ukrainian collapse could be possible if they don't have adequate fortifications to fall back on as well as more men.

If they are that short on men it really does look as if the attack across the dnipro was a real act of desperation.

The Russians will be in a strong negotiating position to end this. Much better than had some sort of truce been called last winter.

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121738473#Comment_121738473

I really wish you'd stop with this overly simplistic and ridiculous truce "solution" you keep suggesting. Russia aren't interested in one, and if you'd really looked in to how Russia/Putin operates you'd realise who really benefits from any truce/pause.

Russia were and continue to be in a stronger position; the shear scale of resources available always means that. Ukraine is fighting for its very existence.

Jinglejangle69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121734583#Comment_121734583

Have you a source for this 100k figure?

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121739280#Comment_121739280

They had a reserve of men before the counteroffensive. Now they seem to have shortages of men everywhere according to reports. Presumably that difference between now and then are dead or severely injured

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121739265#Comment_121739265

So the solution is to either fight until Ukraine or Russia run out of men?

It's going to come to some sort of ending. Don't think a triumphant Ukrainian victory is a realistic expectation for the solution...

Leaves negotiating with Russia and probably living under it's influence forevermore, heavily fortifying the frontline to effectively stop any more attacks effectively until the Russians run out of steam or losing/collapsing.

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121739393#Comment_121739393

The "Negotiating with Russia" is frightfully naïve in the hope that it would be in anyway genuine. You really need to look in to what Russia and Putin have done and would do in that situation.

The solution is for others to front up an support Ukraine or realise that Russia will be on our (EU) doorsteps, both figuratively and literally, within 5-10 years.