Russia - threadbanned users in OP

I think it could go on well into 24, but at a largely static phase. Dug in and artillery fire across the line.

If the Russian line collapsed I wouldn't be surprised.

I think Putin is correct in that Russian people are much tougher than the West, no comparison really but that's not much use when you are fighting a war you don't believe in, short of clothes, ammunition, food etc because it has all been stolen and the officer sending you in to a wall of fire is pissed.

Long way to go yet to eventual Russian defeat.

Russian soldiers shot down a bomb that was dropped from a helicopter of Ukrainian forces.

It all depends on how putin deciphers their nuclear doctrine.

If and granted its a big "If", Putin, in his head, actually sees the likes of Crimea as being an actual integral part of russia, he could see any attack by Ukraine as a direct attack on mainland russia, which, according to russian nuclear doctrine, is a legitimate excuse for using its nuclear deterrent.

Of course, the odds of him being that dumb as to ensure his own, his regime and his countries destruction are slim, but this world has thrown up plenty of unforeseen surprises throughout history.

Perchance a Swiss discussion board would be more to one's liking?

Hmm.. if he does formally declare war it won't just be aimed at his domestic audience. As you say it will have little or no effect on Ukraine.

But he'll be targeting Europe and 'the west' with the message. If it happens, expect to see a raft of commentary that 'the west' needs to be cautious now as regards supplies to Ukraine for fear of escalating etc. We'll see the usual posters here throwing their hands up in the air and warning of nuclear armageddon etc

So it will be just as much a response to the growing calls to send tanks and more advanced military equipment to Ukraine, to try and frighten the horses. Will it work? Probably already incorporated in decision making.

The losses will register even more sharply if the Russians are lumping new soldiers from the same districts together in the same units like the "Pals" Battalions of the Somme. One bad day at the front and an entire community is shattered. If that starts to happen in urban areas even Putin might not be able to keep a lid on it.

Russia has used up something like 60% of its missiles already. It's now using ballistic missiles as a bombing tactic as it's cannot use either its air force or its smaller missiles for tactical bombing. Russia cannot replace any missile it fires. At some stage it will have to start to consider what will happen as it's stock is depleted

The point I was making that Russia potentially using ballistic missiles is incorrect as they have fired over 200 at Ukraine so far. It's not a new tactic.

As for missiles, even Ukraine acknowledge that Russia is still producing scores of each type of missiles each month. So I don't know where you're getting that Russia cannot replace any missile it fires. They can, but if they fire more than they produce, they eat into their stockpile. Hence why the mass attacks are getting further spaced out.

To be fair......

A lad running towards you while wa.nking would definitely give you a moments pause.

I came back from 2 weeks military refresh training as I fall in the military age category and will be enlisted if my country is attakced. And yes, with the weapon in my hands. For sure, I might not last long, but before I die I will try to cut down as many fascist orcs as possible. As for 'my weapon'...perhaps stop watching porn so much. Ah, and of course, lets stick here 'your ma'joke too.

Yes, I read that too, Putins speech. Wonder if Putin attended their funerals though? When / if the next round of mobilizations start, I'd be keeping a close eye on Samara to see what is the reaction there, where most of the dead were from. During the first "limited" mobilization, in Dagestan I think it was, the relatives fought with the military and police to prevent their menfolk being taken away. They were taken none the less, but at least it shows that not every Republic is in favor of Putins war.

NATO countries should give Ukraine a few nuclear missiles that are launchable from trucks instead of tanks. Nukes stopped the slaughter in Japan in 1945.

They don't have to use them. They don't want to use them. But the potential for their use should bear down on Russia. They themselves have been threatening the west with them over the past year many times, it's time it was reciprocated. Russia just need to withdraw from Ukraine and should be allowed to do so peacefully. If they don't, leave it up to Ukraine to decide how they want to use them.

Let's not be naïve. Ukraine and the Baltic states will need the nuclear deterrent to prevent a reoccurrence of this madness. So give it to them now, sooner rather than later. It won't be NATO attacking them, so they won't be able to strike the west back, Ukraine is not in NATO, Ukraine on it's own will be able to invoke MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). Russia will skulk away with it's tail between it's legs if it's cities are put under the same threat of destruction as Ukraine's are under

Yes, but the thing is, as it stands, only Russia is threatening to go Nuclear, no one else is. And that makes Russia a pariah world-wide, even amongst its so called allies, China, North Korea and Iran. Its very important that the west and Ukraine continue to hold the moral high ground, especially when the west have more than enough conventional weapons to completely destroy Russia's armed forces. The big problem / issue now is to get all the weapons that Ukraine needs to not only defend against the Ruzzians, but to push them back into Russia, where they were pre Crimea invasion. And ideally further back into Russia so that there's a 100 klm minimum buffer zone.

Yes, since Feb 2022, this has been clear. Putin has been very carefully tiptoeing around NATO Countrys.....he knows very well what the outcome would be if he did attack them.