If this is true then I'd imagine HIMARS will just target them immediately
The latest Rybar map indicates some progress for Ukraine in Kherson, looks like the attempt to flood the Inhulets didn't help.
The northern most positions of the Russians look vulnerable. My guess is that we are going to see them pull back very soon.
Ukraine has attacked Crimea several times, but Russia couldn't do anything about it. Russia has threatened everyone with "the bomb" hundreds of times by now. Only Putin apologists still pretend they are actual threats.
When are these sanctions going to kick in?
Russia still able to buy and sell with rubbles.
Russia can't buy anything of value without using an intermediary currency like the US dollar (or less often Eur) because the rouble is a trash currency that only has a synthetic notional value and can't be banked. No one wants it. If someone approached you in the street and offered to buy your coat for 1 thousand US dollars, or 2 thousand dollars in roubles at the notional exchange rate, which currency are you taking? Only the fool would take the roubles because you've basically sold your coat for monopoly money if you did.
They attempted a currency pairing with the likes of India as a middle finger to the sanctions, but the Indians quickly realised that for stability it needed to be dollar mediated, so basically it's all for show and is completely pointless.
Now, for those that are willing to trade with Russia, as above, transactions are 90 percent of the time dollar transactions. For the government, 60 percent of their foreign reserves are frozen offshore, and they are operating off surpluses from energy sales (again, the claim is that contracts are being realised in roubles is false, but it's a synthetic bit of financial alchemy, they are in fact eur/usd transactions in reality). Similarly, in the private sector, even if they could buy with the unfrozen foreign currency washing around their system, no one with anything worthwhile to sell will give them anything. There's a grey market for sure, but it ends up being hideously expensive for firms. Hello grotesque inflation on everyday consumer items far worse than anything in Europe.
They are running out of luck with oil, as they have been basically selling oil at a loss below benchmark prices and break-even prices and oil actually rather than gas is the big ticket item for Russia. Russia in an autocracy with a closed book national accounts system - they can say "all is well" but economists are now concluding that Russia is operating at a deficit. But Yurt! Don't all countries operate at a deficit? Well, Russia has an energy curse, for the last couple of decades they have not been particularly creditworthy, and their economy has been doped-up on energy sales, so they haven't had to go to the markets on rainy days. When energy sales go south nobody will lend to them because of sanctions. So they have to spunk their unfrozen domestic reserves on the war and in the expensive grey economy to get what they need to keep firms alive.
They also hold significant amounts of gold reserves. Great! Vladimir say. No, Vladimir, you've been liquidating your gold reserves on the war at too fast a pace and the price of gold is tanking (and smart money is going towards the US dollar).
In short, Russia is f*cked and the sanctions are working despite Tankies delusions. They'll be eating tree bark to survive this time next year if this keeps up.
That ‘Declan Ganley’ guy….?
We heard similar about Poland, Latvia, Lithuanian, Estonia, Moldova, Romania , Georgia, East Germany.
But things change
If Russia withdraws from Kherson, doesn't that mean all the predictions of Russia's 20,000 best professional soldiers dug in waiting for Ukrainians ,and the Ukrainans would face huge losses as a result are wrong
So much for expert opinions
well originally they were uruk hai they all died at an airport. Then it was orc their not doing to well. I wager is just goblins now.
Lord of the rings ref if anyone is lost. Edit.
Yes, the sad fact of the Russian invasion is that people will die. Is that your point?
Lot of Ukraine civilians dying & tortured under Russian occupation
Am sure mass graves will be found where ever these sub human life form .leave
Welcome to boards.ie. 😀
Maintaining and reestablishing a countries sovereignty is about as far aaway from 'nothing' as you can get.
Welcome to Boards.
I'm sure, in fact, I'm positive that every Ukranian mother is well aware of the sacrifices needed to be made in order to protect their Homeland.
What do you propose, let Russia take over whatever territory they wish? Is this coming from a pacifist belief?
Pacifism doesn't work well against those who will happily murder you for gain, spite or plain auld fun.
Could be-
But what about the incalculable amount of lives saved in other nations by having Russia stopped in its tracks in Ukraine.
Putin is loop de loop nuts and his own people have failed to take care of him.
More and more commentators are now convinced that Russia has lost anyway, so the quickest way to end this would be a Russian retreat. Unfortunately that hasn't happened yet so they now require encouragement.
Russia has lagged so far behind the evolutionary rate of other nations that one wonders what kind of tainted stock they descended from, and boy have they descended !!!
The commanders will be first over the pontoon and the rest will get HIMAR'd.
Saw a Ukr statement earlier said it was russian infighting over "spoils".
As the front line gets closer to the river ,then the ukr self propelled artillery will be too, the Russians must be planning on using their artillery on the east side of the river as cover, and what-ever air power they can reasonably safely project .. they'll want to get their best units back first- but their also the best units to cover a retreat ..and for the Ukrainians, they want the Russians to retreat, rather than stubbornly hold on to the city ,soaking up resources and risking the Ukrainian residents,and infrastructure..
That twitter account is Russian by a Putin supporter. Obviously a cnut so.
What about the RU putting the crosses up to create confusion/ deflection?
Ukrainian aviation conducted 13 airstrikes against Russian military and equipments gatherings, 3 positions of air defense units. Air defense shot down 5 UAVs and Ka-52 helicopter. Ukrainian artillery and missile troops conducted strikes against over 200 targets, - General Staff of Armed Forces of Ukraine says in the morning report
one slow push in the darkness to Kherson continues
Had to share this, thought it was quite apt for this thread sometimes....
This is just perfect.
It also goes to show not ALL useful idiots need to be paid for...
Yes just about covers every shade of apologist we have seen on this thread. The last two contrarian and peacenik are the most common we see here. I know one or two in the hard right category offline. Whenever I challenge them with facts they just back down and pretend it’s all a bit of craic to them. But if the Russians were more successful they would be a lot more uppity.
Also with Crimea, I suspect the Russians know damn well how cheeky they’ve been in making that peninsula “Russia” by way of Green Men and sham referenda. It’s not really *Russia*-Russia, just a bonus bit they play act as being Russia in the hope that the world will eventually go; “Grand, alright then, Crimea can be Russian now..”
I feel that they know it’s up for grabs and invasion there would be different to attempting to invade north or east into Russia proper. That all said, they really can’t afford to lose Crimea either. It would likely finish them as a naval power.
Yes definitely more
than
I particularly love giving the contrarian variant a good shoeing.
Always convinced they know more than the "manufactured consent" of the Western media.
Always convinced they have some inside knowledge. Only they can interpret the impenetrable Russian soul and mindset.
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