Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Large explosion rocked Kazan tonight apparently. Russian officials are saying a car exhaust was blocked.

Over 1,000km from the Ukraine but this would be on the wishlist.

Edit: Video of the explosion

Car exhaust, jesus they are struggling coming up with the excuses now.

hard to believe all the hysteria about the risk of escalation if Ukraine attacked targets within Russia.

Ukraine seem to be doing it with frequency now.

How soon will the atacms be delivered or can we presume there may be some already on route and ready for use.

Probably next month. Might have some ready to go in Poland, in which case possibly next week.

It's what grass craves.

In a big red font.

The drip drip drip of weaponry continues.

Just give it to them, it's not like the money is actually leaving America.

A weaker Russia makes China stronger.

Regime change is evitable in Russia, the successors will look East not West.

Unless there is a Hitler style ending to the Putin regime and full occupation of Russia by western forces it’s hard to see an end to this. The current war may stop or freeze like Korea but Russia will use that time to re-arm and ramp up their interference in democratic countries. Any non fighting period will be used by Russia for these purposes. It is an absolute dictatorship in all but name so they can do whatever they like and behave whatever way they like. There should be western military intervention to drive the Russians out of Syria and North Africa to stem the flow of migrants and reduce the turmoil that causes on the home front. But the chances of getting the necessary political will to do that are less than zero and the howls of derision and condemnation from the likes of the UN/China/ BRICS etc would be deafening.

The current western objectives appear to be to squeeze Russia in the hope of precipitating a popular uprising or inner circle move against Putin neither of which seems likely in the short term. A quick end to the war is not on the table.

Russian imperialistic, collectivist and supremacist mindset, coupled with a big dollop of irrationality at the core of their mentality, is so deeply embedded in this nation, that I don’t think it can be compared to any other nation after any other European conflict in history. What I mean to say is that I think Russia will remain a political liability on the edge of Europe, and a horrible model of autocracy, for a good while to come, certainly in all our lifetimes, and that is completely irrespective of the outcome of this war or its consequences. The mentality is simply not ready for democracy or rule of law. They can put on a veneer of it alright, but the majority have no true understanding or appreciation of it. Much like the proponents of any aggressive, supremacist ideology (another certain one comes immediately to mind), the “Russia is great” people (which has to be most Russians, really) see democracy and peaceful co-operation, if they give them any thought in the first place, as others’ weaknesses to be exploited and abused, nothing more.

I myself am from EE so I will admit I can fall prey to the “strongman syndrome” at some points in life. But, perhaps as one of the consequences of their complete and continuous brutalisation of other peoples, as well as self-brutalisation, if you will, throughout history, Russians are on a whole different planet from any other EE states regarding the distorted irrationality of their mindset.

I would think that what we have seen and heard of their military, propagandistic, media and other announcements and pronouncements during this war so far (including Vox-pop here) illustrates the above quite nicely.

Yeah, that was my recollection and my hope with the ATACMS tbh

Which makes the lack of backbone from the west to actually back Ukraine all the more pathetic.

Unfortunately yes and it's not going the change anytime soon by the looks of things....