They are simply not to be trusted. They've been trying to conquer Europe for centuries. It didn't just stop because of WW2. They've been doing it via the EU over the last few decades. It is clear that they are happy to divy up Europe influence with Russia. You get the east, we get the centre and south.
I just find it remarkable that people think Germany are to be a trustworthy country. One of the greatest marketing campaigns ever seen.
They should be frozen out of the EU until a proper investigation goes into Schroeder and Russia/Gazprom. Until they have proven they have gotten their **** together, found their conspirators, they can't come back.
Fair point but a different story when it comes to direct German involvement in military adventures
The Nigel Farage fanclub thread is elsewhere
Wow that really does expose very succinctly the German Chancellor for the utter disgrace that he is to put it mildly.
That's making the big assumption that Russian separatists in the Donbas don't want to be "Russian" and have changed their minds. For all we know the separatists there want the Russians in the disputed areas. The Russian forces are also more likely to act quite differently to those welcoming them in, the way it seems they expected in wider Ukraine(and were sorely mistaken). In the North of Ireland Troubles, which side were British soldiers and authorities more prone to target? This is probably going to become more concentrated as Ukrainian nationalists in the Donbas have understandably far more reasons to flee the Russian invaders than the separatists.
It can't be denied that we're getting mostly one side in this and the other Russian side can't be trusted, so we don't know and won't know for a while.
"Key hub of Russia's espionage and intelligence networks in Europe". Any supporting evidence for that claim?
How exactly do you think the Russian embassy in Dublin is actively assisting in the Ukraine invasion? Operatives placing GPS trackers on the countless arms shipments from Ireland? Oh wait; there aren't any. Injecting toxins into humanitarian supplies maybe? Stealing batteries from defibrillators?
Wow, her son's grandad was a Dutch naval colonel. Mad.
The Ukraine war has seen Russia losing a significant number of aircraft, tanks and armored vehicles. The biggest shock, though, was the revelation that Moscow’s most advanced non-stealth fighter plane, Su-35, had been shot down by Ukrainian forces.
.....
Now, as scientists in the United States and the United Kingdom investigate the remnants of a fighter jet, experts believe it might make a “huge difference” in how the West conducts air-to-air warfare with both Russia and China, inflicting a severe blow to Russia’s military and industrial complex.
It will be interesting what intel they can extract from the wreckage.
She was married to the son of a NATO colonel? Wut?... And her current boyfriend was anti putin, but isn't any more? Jaysus, you wouldn't know where you'd be standing with these feckers.
I mean are people really advocating for dramatically altering how diplomacy is conducted and how citizens access services between nations whilst we're in the middle of an actual war in Europe which has plenty of potential to spill over to more expansive conflict?
This is the right time to start unilaterally closing down countless embassies just out of some sort of show of solidarity against Russia? Because supplying Ukraine with money, aid, and weapons and accusing Russia of literal war crimes and genocide isn't already doing so?
The situation is already immensely complex and regional and international relationships are being strained. I don't see how now is the time for any of this. It sure as **** isn't going to stop Putin in Ukraine; if anything it's likely to force him further down into his bunker and strengthen his domestic support.
The only recent footage of the Ukrainian Air Force have been footage of them getting shot down or burning on the ground; unfortunately. They've been trying to use their Su-24s/25s to hit Russian convoys and positions so they're the ones getting shot down.
I think they're primarily using the MiG-29s to deter Russia from launching any air sorties deep into Ukrainian held territory rather than trying to use them offensively.
Also we need to remember that the Ukrainian Air Force had at one point hundreds of aircraft; but only a relatively small number of them were kept operational. So with the help of parts and external assistance they could get quite a decent number of aircraft operational again.
It’s hard to imagine how the Russian military could have significantly improved since the Kyiv fiasco. With enough western support Ukraine could have a massive victory in the Donbas battle. Unfortunately, that will mean mass slaughter of civilians by Russia, so the most optimistic outcome will still be terrible.
Yeah this is the thing I'm worried about too. There have been a significant number of funerals and deaths announced of experienced Ukrainian pilots; and a lot of downed aircraft which didn't appear to have Ukrainian pilots able to eject.
Although reports have stated that Ukraine has significantly more pilots than aircraft; it's not clear what kind of pilots. One would hope a number of them are currently in other countries receiving training on other aircraft...
Vlad the jailer.
'Do you ever get the feeling you are being followed, that someone is listening to your phone conversations, watching you in the shower and in your bedroom?
Well we at the FSB would like to ensure you that this is not the case, but just to make sure there hasn't been a terrible mistake, please provide details of places and times and situations where you experienced these 'feelings' and we will do our utmost to check, and then ensure that whatever was the real cause, doesn't make such mistakes again.'
"Russia has successfully test-fired its ‘Satan’ nuclear missile, Vladimir Putin has claimed as he issued a chilling threat to the West.
The Russian president said early on Thursday morning that the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile - nicknamed Satan 2 - would make Moscow’s enemies “think twice”.
“I congratulate you on the successful launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile,” Putin told the army in televised remarks.
“This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice.”"
I don't think there was any point in Biden cancelling the scheduled Minuteman test out of fears of misunderstanding and provocation. Just another sign of weakness from Putin's perspective.
More threats
Watch: Russia Tests New Missile, Putin Says "Can Hit Any Target On Earth" (ndtv.com)
"This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice," Putin said.
One big difference Jack, with Kyiv they were further away from their border, rail network and resupply so were massively stretched logistically(remember the miles and miles of support trucks on one road) and had no support among the locals, which their army at least seemed to expect(remember in the very early days videos of Russian tanks giving way to Ukrainian cars) and the same locals put up way more effective resistance than they ever expected. They screwed up in a big way there. It still staggers me that they ever went for Kyiv.
With Donbas it's on their border. They have a direct route to resupply and because of the near decade long civil war there more already in use avenues to get that supply of men and materiel to the front. The terrain is more suited to tanks and artillery, both of which the defenders simply can't match them with. The Ukrainians will have to defend and then go on the attack. And the Russians will have more local separatist support, even if it's only intel. And will have learned from the early mistakes. Even if they don't they can just pile more men and materiel into that region than they could have with Kyiv. Ukraine can't to nearly the same degree. Though as we've seen dogged defenders of a homeland are a force multiplier so they can still hurt the Russians and hopefully will, but it'll be a much harder task to push them back.
Kyiv was like you trying to punch your neighbour over your garden wall and him ducking and weaving and getting his own digs in, Donbas is like you're in your neighbours garden and there's now two of you. Not that I'm suggesting you'd punch your neighbour. 😁
Seems like Ukraine have been able to get about 20 aircraft fighter jets up and running with Western supplied parts; that's quite a few:
Also confirmation that training and delivery of the new howitzers have begun:
I really hope they get a bunch of guided rounds too; that could be a game changer for digging out Russian positions and priority vehicles.
Not sure that's a great example considering the Nationalists welcomed the soldiers initially to save them from the B specials, loyalists etc.
TBH I'd rather have twenty Reaper drones than fifty, even a hundred jet fighters. Cost far less, easier to train to fly, easier to maintain, easier to get across borders, easier to sneak around, no risk no human operators, can deliver weapons with pinpoint accuracy and can gather intel and operate for hours. I reckon if all America did was just deploy her drone fleet in Ukraine Russian forces would be in serious trouble and do it while sitting in portacabins in Nevada.
If we ever needed a reason to do our best to wean ourselves from depending on these two countries, we have it now. Our ideals are just too far apart.
Su-47 - I've really gone and done it now, letting the most advanced cat out of the bag.
Kiev is 100km from Belarus border.
No 5000 not 3000 not 1000 km.
100km
The proximity of Russia to any place they've tried to take in Ukraine hasn't really panned out as the major success it should be.
Their shitness it military operational structure and tactics has though.
I don't see proximity helping much here either. Unless their tactics change they are again doomed to failure. Such as the losses occured in the last two days indicate again
I don't need to provide supporting evidence for general knowledge.
Catching up on the thread, but are the Ukrainians repairing their Migs, out of the Peckhams guide book?
Are these lads invincible?
They even had time drop in for a pint on the way back - Russians have nothing on them
More details on break through here.
they're making a show of the Russian forces.
This goes both ways, this is why the west have been reluctant to give ukraine advance weapons, it would take them along time to learn how to use them, maintain them and if they fell into the wrongs hands of russia or china
The Ukrain presidential plane landed in Shannon earlier today, apparently with the Ukrainian PM on board.
Surprised have not seen any mention of it anywhere.
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