The Archbishop of Tehran has spoken.
Which district has Jennifer Lawrence?
Khamenei: NATO is a dangerous entity. The West is totally opposed to a strong, independent Russia. If the way is opened for NATO, it will recognize no limits. If it hadn't been stopped in Ukraine, it would have later started a similar war in Crimea
Another jet retires
The Russians are as corrupt as the day is long. Russia could be a great superpower and the kind of country that people would emigrate to in numbers if it managed its plentiful resources correctly but it's still running off of an instinct inherited from the 19th century where democracy has turned into ruling by right and the serfs out in the country barely have running water.
Unfortunately, the cultural foundations of such a societal setup are too deeply embedded for anyone to fix it at short notice, but we can work to neuter them and prevent the spread of their toxic ideology.
Plenty of greedy bankers in Switzerland unfortunately, then and now. I can concede that their neutrality is "fluid" up to a certain point but there does seem to be some lines that they choose not to cross.
I know that some here believe that the sanctions have gone too far and that it has negatively impacted their neutrality and I fully believe that it will be put to a vote in the not so distant future. I just hope that the people reject that notion and perhaps also extend the sanctions in the future. I'd be very surprised if the Swiss status quo changes dramatically though, it's a very conservative country.
Again reasonable. They had little choice but to engage in some kind of relationship with Germany. Though they went over and beyond what was necessary by facilitating the hoarding of illegally obtained money by the Nazis.
it’s mostly relevant just to highlight that their neutrality is and always has been contextual and it means what they choose it to mean.
I can't really speak for the Swiss during WW2, or now really but I can understand their stance somewhat in WW2. The choices were pretty much remain neutral or be invaded seeing as the entire country was surrounded by Axis controlled lands. There were also plenty of pro nazis in Switzerland unfortunately but then again there were also some in Ireland. It wasn't till towards the end of the war that the real extent of the atrocities came to light.
In any case I don't see what WW2 Switzerland neutrality has to do with the current conflict except that I guess it paves the way for their neutrality today.
Definitely but I say if you even have a few of them guarding behind the lines it frees up proper trained soldiers to front lines or if there put on the front lines and are made attack Ukrainian positions at the very least Ukraine is wasting ammo etc. On them. I'm sure there killing a few Ukrainian military but nothing on the amount Ukraine are killing them.
Not quite, they actually ended up getting bombed a few times for their efforts. And to be honest, some of those ere pretty bad, given Switzerland's supposed neutrality. The bombing of Schaffhausen by 47 B-24s on April 1st 1944 is probably the worst, resulting in 40 fatalities and 270 injured on the ground. Officially, it was a navigational error and the attack was claimed to be aimed at Ludwigshafen, 200 kilometers to the north, but I personally find it hard to believe that 47 B-24 Liberators could get that far off course, even with severe tail winds.
If there some ex-military among them, you could probably turn them into soldiers, but a lot of the others are just going to be unfocussed layabouts. Men who have ended up in the slammer are not likely to be disciplined or professional or types that will respond well to authority. I was reading that they have been very low calibre on the battlefield so far.
A month of training…
Russian war correspondent and milblogger Maksim Fomin stated that Russia has begun a “volunteer mobilization,” where every region must generate at least one volunteer battalion. The term “volunteer mobilization” likely implies that the Kremlin ordered the 85 “federal subjects” (regions, including occupied Sevastopol and Crimea) to recruit and financially incentivize volunteers to form new battalions, rather than referring to literal mobilization relying on conscription or the compulsory activation of all reservists in Russia. Russian outlets reported that regional officials recruit men up to 50 years old (or 60 for separate military specialties) for six-month contracts and offer salaries averaging 220,000 to 350,000 rubles per month (approximately $3,750 to $6,000).Separate regions offer an immediate enlistment bonus that averages 200,000 rubles (approximately $3,400) issued from the region‘s budget and social benefits for the servicemen and their families. Russian media has already confirmed the creation or deployment of volunteer battalions in Kursk, Primorskyi Krai, Republic of Bashkortostan, Chuvashia Republic, Chechnya, Republic of Tatarstan, Moscow City, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, and Orenburg Oblasts in late June and early July.Tyumen Oblast officials announced the formation of volunteer units (not specifically a battalion) on July 7.
Volunteer battalions could generate around 34,000 new servicemen by the end of August if each federal subject produces at least one military unit of 400 men. Some Russian reports and documentation suggest that the Kremlin seeks to recruit an estimated 400 soldiers per battalion, who will receive a month of training before deploying to Ukraine. The number of men may vary as some federal subjects such as Republic of Tatarstan and Chechnya are establishing two and four volunteer battalions, respectively. It is possible that some federal subjects may delay or not participate in the establishment of the battalions, with officials in Volgograd reportedly remaining silent on the formation of the new units.Newly formed battalions are currently departing to training grounds and will likely complete their month-long training by end of August but they will not be combat ready in such a short time period.
It wasnt a problem in ww2 though for the swiss
They played both sides no problem then
Probably the case but some would have military experience and let's be fair if there killed on the Battlefield its one less person in a Russian prison they need to guard so a win win for Russia. They get more people to fight in Ukraine and if they die 1 less for Russia to guard back in their jails/gulags. Only thing is I wouldn't want to be captured by some of them I can only imagine what they they would do to Ukrainian service people if they capture them and I can only imagine what some of them would be like around civilians. Some of them shouldn't ever see the light of day and now they have a gun and let loose in Ukraine.
It's extremely high risk making young men from the Caucuses jump into the meat grinder. If those republics turn on Moscow, all hell will break loose.
And yes, he rather does look like Cantona doesn't he? Anyone seen King Eric lately? Exactly the type of thing he'd get up to.
The spokesman of the battalion named after Sheikh Mansur, Islam Belokiev, said that the Ichkerians have started preparations for hostilities in Chechnya. Ichkeria is divided into three fronts and 16 sectors. There is an intensive collection of information on cities where the Russians are deployed for attacks.
"If Chechnya trembles, Russia will collapse" Belokiev
Didn't see this posted but could have missed it. Could be just bluster but time will tell. Also, I think he looks a bit like Eric Cantona.
Some of the responses here are as entertaining as the subject-
Anonymous Operations on Twitter: "Russia Says It’s Losing Because Ukraine Has Experimental Mutant Troops Created in Secret Biolabss https://t.co/xP4Gjld9ML" / Twitter
Much of it came from Kremlin propaganda aimed at the serfs. "We're one of the greatest nations on earth" etc. What it ignored was just how rancid and corrupt the place has become under Putin - a second rate banana republic with delusions de grandeur. The corruption and kleptocracy is a huge factor.
It really was a joke thinking that Russia was a peer military power of the US. The professionalism and power projection capacity of the US (at least when you task them with conventional warfare and not trying to turn Afghanistan into South Korea) is decades ahead of Russia. It's not even a conversation.
The worst thing the west could do now is hesitate. Like the saying goes 'He who hesitates...'
Personally I think it is appalling. Soldiers/civilians' welfare goes beyond politics. At least it should. They can't say 'It's not politically correct to help you'. Even some decent Russian soldiers and medics help wounded Ukrainians.
I read something yesterday about the conscripted convicts turning out to be useless in battle. Hardly a surprise - a lot of them would be ill disciplined layabouts and drug addicts and so on.
Two thing from those articles:
1. They can't find people to hose down the human remains from the husks of javelin destroyed tanks to make the frame somehow serviceable again. F*cking grim
2. The Wagner Group mercenaries are now just convicts sprung from prison.
Dial up the pressure on Russia, they'll crack soon. Let the rockets rain down on their sorry skulls. The mid-August assessment from the first article seems highly optimistic, but we could well see the collapse before the year's end and before winter. I can't see them having the stomach to be getting slaughtered en-masse in the snow with no equipment and without even rations getting to the front.
Good point
Explosion reported near Nikopol
Yup you could, which is more or less the definition the Swiss would have used during WW2. They adjust the definition they use as it suits them.
Obviously they can do whatever the want but I don't think there is anything moral or principled about their stand.
Depends on your definition of neutral I guess and your version does not correspond to the reality. You could also say that you export arms equally to all nations whether at war or not and this would still be considered as neutral under some definitions.
Interesting article with quotes/references about Russian supply issues
The theory is that when Russians break, they will break quickly as happened near Kiev
Edit:
The ammunition in question was 35mm autocannon rounds for the "Gepard" (German for Cheetah) tracked AA vehicles that Germany has committed to send to Ukraine as per the latest official list provided by the federal government in Berlin:
Military support for Ukraine | Federal Government (bundesregierung.de)
At the moment, the Bundeswehr has enough ammunition to supply each of the 30 "Gepard" vehicles with 6000 rounds of ammunition, which is basically nothing. In a news dated July 11th, German news channel n-tv states that the chancellery was able to find a new supplier in Norway that is able to produce the 35mm rounds for "Gepard". Tests of the new ammunition supposedly took place at the Bundeswehr's Putlos training range this week, according to the n-tv article. The same article also states that the first vehicles are supposed to be delivered before the end of the month.
Article (German): Ukraine-Krieg: Hersteller für fehlende "Gepard"-Munition gefunden - Wehrressort in Norwegen - n-tv.de
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