Russia - threadbanned users in OP

New Year's Eve TV with Solovyov and chums looks like it was a barrel of laughs 😊

Shades of Winston Churchill 1940 about the speech, but with more human and emotive touches as well obviously.

The gulf between him and that 'thing' in the Kremlin is immense.

Wow. He really puts all his media and dramatic savy (delivery, editing, images chosen and evoked) to incredibly good and important use. Rarely has a person slotted into place in a political moment in time (or in history, if you will) so fittingly.

Although, my favourite remains the “Read my lips” message, I’m only sorry that it was only ever published online and not actually delivered by him. That one was the Churchill speech moment for me, actually much more powerful even. Goosebumps.

There's not going to be a peaceful end to this. Ukraine are not idiots and will not try any large scale manoeuvres in the muddy part's of winter. They are mostly on the defensive except for the Svatove line where they are both defending and attacking.

Their strategy seems to be missile strikes on Russian bases behind the frontlines to soften them up. It's frustrating after so much happened last year I just hope they've continued success in retaking more territory when next summer arrives.

There was no BS. I responded to the posted. I stated their were rumours flying around about an explosions North and South of Moscow. I didn't post links as I was waiting to see if they could be verified.

I also said the whole thing was a big If and just as likely to be an insurance scam job. But you already knew that.

End of story.

Solovyov the only one at the table taking a drink, the other three thinking I know what happens if I drink this.

Magnificant speech. Echoes of Churchill's "Blood, sweat and tears" with the enhancements modern technology can bring, and also mentioning the future, dare I say it, "sunlit uplands" in the sense those words had before Boris Johnson made a joke of them. It also struck me that Zelensky never once highlighted his own role in events and indeed only uses the word "I" three or four times in a seventeen minute speech and and even then it's when praising or encouraging others. I don't recall hearing the word "me" once. The contrast with a fake "leader" like Trump couldn't be more striking.

Unfortunately that's enough to do a lot more damage to their grid, but the one trick pony is hopefully about to run low on that one trick.

The purposing, planning, intelligence quality and deliberation behind Ukraine's actions like these strikes is very impressive. It's not Putin whose a couple of chess moves ahead.

Detentions in Moscow-

Probably what may happen (think it kind of already is happening...?) is that the gap between them launching very substantial cruise/ballistic missile barrages will get larger, the quantity launched in them will reduce, and/or maybe the quality of the likes of their modern cruise missiles will degrade further as Russia has to use some poorer quality components + hacks to make any new ones (once the old stock is gone).

I have to say I have my doubts about them ever running out of such missiles as things stand.

Articles on sanctions evasion by Russia from November:

Unfortunately, Russia still seems to be able to access some "dual use" high tech stuff coming from the West or involving the technology/IP of Western countries that either already is sanctioned [or if not, should be sanctioned].

A number of 3rd countries are selling them this stuff, likely profiting massively off this war + the growing Russian desperation (would expect their suppliers will soak them!) and acting as conduits like Turkey, China. Another benefit of the long era of thoughtless/naive globalisation. Hard to stop it, but really I think some secondary sanctions should be starting to come in - esp. on Turkey given it is in NATO (on paper anyway!). They really have been permitted a huge amount of freedom so far to play both sides for their own benefit free of cost rather than make any choices.

Some pain should be doled out to any suppliers that may be fulfilling sudden large spikes in ordering of equipment from likes of Turkey and not asking questions at all + just taking the windfall profit. I dunno maybe make a few strong public examples if can be proven etc??

I think Russia will go full steam ahead firing as many missiles as possible until they reach about 10% left. They'll keep these and will only fire newly produced missiles along with Iranian missiles which they'll have acquired by then.

They fired over 1000 cruise missiles this year with over 700 either shot down or malfunctioned. I think next year they will fire less and a higher % will be shot down.

I think next year is the year they'll exhaust Russian stocks of many different types of weapons including combat vehicles and will be down to using absolute trash by years end. I also think they'll have exhausted whatever Iran and north Korea can spare.

If Ukraine have a net win in 2023 they're fucked because unlike Russia they seem to be get better trained and better weapons so only getting stronger. Ukraine will never settle for a ceasefire so Russia will have no option but to keep throwing cannon fodder at the lines to hold them back.

Russia of course has the option to just leave but even if they accept defeat I'd expect Putin to order his entire army to defend Crimea where Ukraine would take heavy losses to take back an area that's 50% Russia already.

The fact remains Putin could just leave, humiliated of course but he'd probably get away with never having to pay reparations, handing anybody over and sanctions would be lifted as long as Ukraine were free to join the EU and NATO.

"Happy new year to all Russians and Ukrainians"

Get lost with your sanctimonious stance and barely hidden support for the Russian invaders :(

I think the EU should ask Switzerland and Hungary for a full accounting of their commerce with Iran, Russia and their close allies. They are more likely a problem than Turkey, who are building a drone factory in Ukraine. Israel needs a serious looking at by the US, also.

Much as I am hesitant about notable Turkish duplicity and don't trust them, the objective facts are that they have been vastly more helpful than many countries you'd think should have been more onside. They have supplied lots of offensive weapons, unlike Israel or the Swiss; they supplied offensive drones, whereas the US didn't and still refuses to. They closed the Bosporus straights to Russian warships and they assisted massively with enabling Ukrainian grain exports by really sticking it to Putin and forcing him to allow it to happen.

I really am gritting my teeth in defending Turkey in any way, but the facts require it.