Russia - threadbanned users in OP

"Russia should take care of the rights of Russian speakers in Russia. Where there is no freedom of speech, poverty thrives and where human life is worthless. They say,to see Paris and die. For Russians, it is to steal a toilet and die" - Zelensky

Apparently the Ukrainians are working hard to clear and restore areas they are retaking

"If at the beginning of this week de-mining took place in 70 settlements, today 184 settlements have been de-mined. Of course, much remains to be done. But the pace, I think, is pretty good.

Humanitarian headquarters are already operating in more than 500 de-occupied settlements. Almost 100 settlements are added daily, to which we return medical and educational services, the work of social protection bodies, financial institutions.

We are restoring transport connections at a fairly fast pace. Plus 96 settlements today, where the transport connection was returned. Plus 183 settlements where gas stations have resumed work. Plus 90 settlements where electricity was restored. We return water supply, gas supply, mobile connection." - From Zelensky's speech last night

So actions speaking louder than words ( especially when words are forbidden !!! ) Great stuff!!! Slava Ukraine ☺️

Like you said, cannibalizing parts may keep some aircraft going for some time, but that will come to a halt sooner or later. Generally, ( in cars / trucks etc) different components are being modified as time goes on, this is a normal part of the process. The engineers design a car, the factory builds it, and the buyer tests it out, and so modifications are part and parcel of the whole set up. You can find when looking for a particular part, that on such and such a date, it was changed, and it now has a new part Nr superseding the original. Theres absolutely no guarantee that taking a part from an identical car that it will work in your one. And I'd imagine that in Aircraft, its an even worse situation. There is absolutely no guarantee that the engines in one Boeing will be the same as the engines in the one parked beside it, because its the buyers who specify which engines they want in their planes. Sure they will manage to keep some flying, but not anywhere near all of them.

Crazy they've been holed up there so long

A spokesman for the Odessa region authorities, Serhiy Bratchuk, wrote on Telegram that Russia had led four submarines out of the base in the annexed Crimea to the open sea.

According to Bratczuk, these are project 877 (Pałtus) submarines that can launch missiles from a depth of up to 50 meters. Therefore, they are difficult to detect by radars.

In the areas liberated from Russian occupation, Ukrainian sappers have already started to remove the mines left by the enemy.

"The Russian air force has resumed attacks on the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, the enemy is trying to storm the industrial complex, which is the last stronghold of the city's defenders, adviser to the president of Ukraine, Oleksya Arestovych, announced on Saturday on public television."

So Putin's orders didn't last long....

The Germans know their economy will be in bits for the medium term without cheap Russian oil and gas. They want to normalise relations with Russia as soon as they can get away with.

Also, the idea that Germany, with a failing economy, will be spending vast amounts of money to rebuild Ukraine is a fantasy. Germany will not do that or want Ukraine in the EU in the medium term.

David McWilliams wrote a blistering article last week saying Germany using "economic" reasons for not being more involved in the war is nonsense and a total cop out on their part. They've gone missing when nearly everyone else in Europe is stepping up to the plate.

They have already lost a tractor and it's driver, a forestry truck with one dead one severely injured, a man out walking his dog. That's just the reports I have noticed, Im sure there are unfortunately more.

That famous jack Russell ordnance detecting dog has been credited with de-mining half of Bucha.

Lovely orcs.

Before this all started, Biden gave an absolute assurance that Nordstream 2 would not be going ahead unless he approved it. I'm sure most had more conventional explanations of what he meant, but it seems most likely to me he meant that the pipeline had been mined or that a US sub would just put a torpedo into it. Perhaps Scholz needs the possibility of such a scenario brought up with him regarding Nordstream 1.