The chatter is becoming louder.
I'm just sniffing the air - I think Putin's goose is cooked.
A furtive glance from one comrade to another, answered by a nod, and that's it.
It will probably be his own security that get tasked to deal with him.
Like Russia with Wagner group... plausible deniability...
play them at their own game and they want to go home with the ball... pathetic
There's only one way for Russian morale now, and it's not uphill...
The usual bollocks from their rabble rousers. Note how they go on about the New World Order too. I'm surprised they didn't chuck in the WEF and the Soros/Rothschilds/Jews on top. Russian propaganda and the more simple minded Russians on the ground are big into this kinda conspiracy stuff. As I've noticed so are many of their western supporters.
This "we're fighting NATO on the ground" is their latest coping mechanism. "If we were just fighting Ukrainian nazis this would be all be over and the mighty forces of Mother Russia would have already prevailed". The joke is if they believe that a couple of thousand actual NATO combatants are on the ground in Ukraine and this not the many many thousands of Ukrainians is what's fúcking them up, that makes them look even more lacklustre.
Now clearly NATO forces are helping them with intel, or I'd be gobsmacked if they weren't and they've gotten dribs and drabs of weapons and out of country training(which has yet to really be in play AFAIK) but it's down to Ukrainians and the foreign types going under their own steam. Tha said I would not be too shocked to find out later that there aren't small and deniable groups of US/UK/etc special forces in country. Older "officially retired" Seals, SAS and so on.
Now is the most dangerous time since the invasion begun.
I don't see much evidence of this on Telegram. Quite a bit of talk about hanging the general involved in the Kharkiv debacle, but remarkably little criticism of Putin.
They might not have a choice. Ukrainians captured a fair few TOR systems. If they dont surrender.....
I wonder if the siloviki could manage to depose him and keep control of power. I presume they could but it would be very interesting to see who they would replace him with. Medvedev has been auditioning for the part - I think he realised that the perception of him was that he was too enamoured with the West so he's been trying to outdo the crazies with anti-Western rants online.
I don’t know if there’s any basis for the rumours of surrender, but the claims would certainly sow doubt in the minds of Orcs. You’d hate to leave it too late to surrender if the guys around you were thinking of doing it.
Yeah you’re right.
How wide and deep is the Dnieper river?
The battle for Donbas was also critical for grinding down Russian reserves. That's one of the reasons why Russia had to pull units out of Kharkiv when the Kherson offensive began, they simply didn't have enough units in reserve that they could throw into that fight.
And while the battle was equally bloody for Ukraine, Ukraine had, and still has, an ongoing recruitment and training program for new soldiers, as well as a steady stream of western equipment to bolster their own inventory, allowing Ukraine to refill their ranks probably just as quickly as Russia, if not more so. The main differentiator being that Ukrainian recruits are benefitting from the military reforms Ukraine undertook post 2014, meaning that they'll likely have better tactical and technical training when they hit the field. I don't think I'll have to mention the differences in morale and motivation.
as opposed to what? what other option did Ukraine have but to keep fighting for the Donbas?
More rumors of a coup Nervous Kremlin faces growing efforts from all sides within Russia to topple Putin as coup rumours swell in Moscow (cityam.com)
It’s a pity Ukraine sacrificed so many of its men in the battle for Donbass months back.
Maybe it bought them a bit of time but still sad.
Their position in Kherson is clearly toast, I think it's a matter of time until they're forced out. What I don't buy for a second is that they are negotiating a surrender.
Russia suspends sending troops to Ukraine
Russian command suspends dispatch of new military units to Ukraine – General Staff | Ukrainska Pravda
That original story was from what looked like a fringe-y site, but others are picking it up now, too. This lad on twitter has been vouched for on this thread (I think) earlier:
The Ukrainian military claimed on Monday that it had retaken more territory in the south and was reiterating calls for Russian units fighting west of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region to surrender.
As Ukraine makes advances in the northeast of the country, its military has been carrying out another campaign in the south. There, thousands of Russian soldiers west of the Dnipro River appear to be increasingly isolated as Ukrainian attacks erode Russian defenses and shell bridges over the river, cutting the Russians off from resupply.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/09/12/world/ukraine-russia-war
And perhaps when they use their phones to scan them - munitions will fall from the sky.
Just another version of the palaver shipped out by the Kremlin logicians - that they were obliged to invade Ukraine to stop the creep of NATO. Rubbish and they know it, Ukraine was not about to join NATO and neither were Finland & Sweden. Tired logic.
It's a logical progression of the tactical situation. Consider the parameters.
It's a bit like Hemingway's old gag about 'how did you go bankrupt?' ('Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.')
The Russian position has been falling apart gradually. Now it's happening suddenly.
Surrender cards ...
They are fairly quick with the psychological warfare.
This sounds like bollocks to be honest.
And yet nobody is planning to use one or many
A Ukrainian collaborator in Kherson is in hospital in critical condition after being targeted by partisans, her bodyguard is dead.
Whatever about the Kherson offensive not being a success they have so far liberated 500km square of heavily defended frontlines. There's only so much west of Kherson they can lose before the Ukrainians could enter the city. And those only going to be one winner there.
Russians are not pleased that "African Americans" seem to have been involved in the recent Ukrainian offensive in Kharkiv.
My preferred outcome from this war is for Putin to get a lead head massage.
Ukraine to get the optimum desired borders.
As many Russians (those that didn’t commit war crimes) as possible to get home safely.
Those that committed war crimes to be punished. A lot of those will have sat behind desks in Moscow.
A formula for reparations to be made to Ukraine over a long period of time so actually manageable.
The new leader of Russia to be able to give assurances that they will not inflict carnage on Ukraine again and are willing to work with the West in their mutual interests.
That’s all. I’m a man of simple needs.
Definitely. There was a systematic plan to exterminate Ukrainian individuals who would not accept or be a threat to the New Russian regime. I believe that's exactly why they brought mobile crematoriums with them.
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://we.vanillicon.com/v2/e050b53be62f0ae2404c620976170938.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://we.vanillicon.com/v2/eedacf599b4135dfd56d6fdbddcbd867.svg)