Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Good theories there. I am not sure that Ukraine actually shot down those IL76's though?

But indeed, it sounds plausible. Plan A, rush the capital's airport, fly in thousands of paratroopers, take over key institutions and TV, declare victory to the nation, over in hours. With a backup three day plan B to encircle the capital. It's obvious things went very, very wrong with Russian plans.

I suspect that arrangements may be in place between Russian military and the "West" in the event that Putin goes full rogue.

The "West" may even have had a "quiet word" in Putin's ear, to the effect that his nuclear plans, if implemented, might not execute as he envisages.

Too late now Tony, sanctions are coming back in your face more than you could imagine.

Was discussing this with someone upthread and they reckoned if Putin dropped a nuke or two on Ukraine the West would have to respond with massive air strikes on the Russian motherland. But IMO that would seriously risk nuclear escalation and what exactly would be the point? To 'teach Putin a lesson'? Surely he would be far beyond the point of learning lessons at that stage?

If he does go down that road your plan is about the best the West could do in response

Many have been brainwashed into believing the Ukrainians are actual Nazis. If they are resisting the invasion, that must mean they are anti-Russia, "therefore they must be Nazis".

I would level the same accusation at the Irish government, because it is their and Macron's fault. Here there is both excise and VAT applied, so when the price rises, the government gets a huge tax windfall it shouldn't bloody get because VAT is a percentage. It is well within the remit of governments to maintain the amount of revenue they get from fossil fuels when prices rise dramatically by either having a wholly excise flat rate system or by decreasing the VAT in times like these. But what actually happens is they rub their greedy little mitts together in glee at the prospect of the windfall.

All Ukrainians share your hopes.

Early days, yet, lad.

Anyway, the idea that America tries to topple leaders based on which currency they choose to sell their oil and gas in has been fairly well combed over and debunked.

This isn't to mention that Putin's dropping of the dollar came after he decided to invade Ukraine and the backlash which followed. If anyone deserves the fate of Saddam and Gaddafi, it's Putin.

Anyway, until the next uninspired episode of "Yes, Russia are executing people in the streets, but what about America?" ...

With what has and is being uncovered in the village Dacha, something a soldier with the territorial defense forces (Sergeiy Torovik (53) said when they had found dead bodies in a basement of a house... “We found 18 bodies in there,”....“They had been torturing people. Some of them had their ears cut off. Others had teeth pulled out. There were kids like 14, 16 years old, some adults. They just took the bodies away yesterday.”

I posted about this parasite, Alexei Milchakov, way back in the thread. What the territorial defense soldier witnessed is identical to the crimes Milchakov committed while in Donbas. He went from mutilating and decapitating animals to serving in the army where he mutilated corpses by cutting off the ears and the nose. He could well have escalated in the war to the additional crimes above, psychopaths like this escalate in crime. It's been confirmed that he is fighting in this conflict with the Wagner group, so I suspect it has something to do with this

Alexei Milchakov is a Russian neo-Nazi, who commanded the so-called ‘Batman’ Spetsnaz Rapid Response Unit operating out of Luhansk that reported directly to the GRU. this is where he won the reputation of being a sadist and is known for his barbarity fighting against Ukraine in Donbas, 2014-15. A level of depravity akin to the SS-Dirlewanger Brigade. I'm not surprised as he was convicted in his native St Petersburg over his sadistic cruelty to animals. Milchakov was an instructor in a camp where 300 young Russians were trained to be fighters in the Moscow region. The subversive and reconnaissance military group 'Rusich' which includes Russian nationalists set up by him was also utilized the training of young and old recruits, and waq present in Donbas. In addition to this Milchakov went on to fight with the Wagner Group in Syria

I agree with Sergeiy, the soldier:

“The Russian soldiers are lower than animals. Animals don’t do what they did. We shouldn’t take them hostage. They must die. They must be destroyed.”

They are too stupid to be capable of comprehending any kind of universal fairness.

They are intellectually infantile and unable to appreciate any other person's existence, let alone quality of life.

Some of them enjoy doing these things and take full advantage of the smokescreen of war.