Russia - threadbanned users in OP

It is a terrorist state.

None of these things threaten the world at large (or at the least, a geographical area much larger than Ukraine) in the way that blowing the NPP would, evil and reckless as these things you mention are. Putin knows this, I think, and I think he knows that he will force NATO to respond directly if Russian forces try this.

I don't remember who said it - probably Michael Clarke - that if it ever comes to a nuclear exchange, the US has basically said to Putin that they won't so much target Russia as target Putin himself. Putin, with his extreme paranoia, does not strike me as the kind of man who's ready to die, and he will know that if that NPP gets blown, whatever plans the U.S. have in place to take him out will go into action. At the point he orders the blowing of the NPP, he's becomes such an imminent threat to general world stability, that he will need to be neutralised, consequences be damned. This is why I think he wouldn't give that order.

Russian position continues to weaken in the high ground near to Klishchiivka, just a small sliver of it is held by them now. My guess is they will abandon it soon.

It's been two month of Ukraine attempting to push the Russians back from the flanks here. It's been a huge grind and it's not clear to me what is being achieved here. I assume it's an attempt to keep the Russian paratroopers fixed.

Life, gratification, death under Russian occupation.

Ukraine have certainly been superior when it comes to attacking supply hubs and logistics during this invasion. The Russian's won't run out of shells but their ability to get them to the front and use them has been greatly hampered at times.

Talk that a lack of shells is biting again with Russian commentators citing it as the reason for why will likely have to pull back out of Kilschiivka.

Prigozhin is gone. Payments stopped coming in. Useful idiots left unpaid.

Was watching that and thinking "meh...not so big".

Then the boom just got boomier....

Ahhh thank you for the update. I didn't realise all of that was happening. Just on way back from Bulgaria definitely notice a lot less people around as I presume it's the Russians not here on holiday.

My Telegram timeline seems to be stuffed with this type of thing in the last week. S-8 unguided rocket pods being mounted on some sort of vehicle.

Women in rare positions of power in male dominated societies often showed aggression to compensate for perceived images of weakness. Hence even in modern times people like Thatcher etc. In more equal societies that trend has largely disappeared.

All evidence and studies show that men have a much greater propensity to violence. Hence almost all murders are committed by men, almost all violent criminals are men. Despots, serial killers,mass shooters - almost always men.

You seem to have a weird anti modern woman streak (not getting any action?), but claiming that gender/sex has no link to violence is an argument you've lost before you even start.

And Putin shows classic toxic male treats: a sense of entitlement and bitter resentment over status, a desire to exact revenge on a former underling that now wants to go its own way. Delusions of grandeur, lack of empathy...

Actually discussed this with my partner last night, we would both (hopfully*) go and fight to protect our daughter and grand daughters, but if one of us had to stay behind we both concluded it would be her, (bookshelves overflowing with my books on war/conflict and military strategy might have had a bearing on that decision).

You obviously haven't met many feminists, but you have been taken in by a lot of faschist/far right/misogynistic bullsh*t, there are 4 feminists in my household, my partner, our daughter and her daughters, (5 if you believe men can be feminists and include me). Those women taught me what feminism is really about, and that is: equity leading to equality. If you think otherwise you have been sadly missled.

*I understand nobody really knows what they would do in such a situation.