Something has changed in the last week.
Even Johnson said the intel he got about Russias plans shocked him.
That package has been in the works for a while. I doubt that is put together in a matter of days.
Last week Ukraine were facing certain defeat, this week they have a chance.
How can this be? We were told Russia has no choice to start of war because of NATO and Nazis or something, could the Russians have possibly lied and it’s just a plain old war of colonial conquest by the last empire left in Europe
We'll see how comfortable they are when ATACMS start hitting mil targets in Mariupol.
They most certainly were not facing certain defeat last week. Sounds like someone has been listening to Russian propaganda too much..
Yip, so true this I think
Astonishing how little prominence this has among the people in Europe. Remember, russia never starts its war with tanks attempting to assault capitals of other states. This is the war, & denying it won't make it disappear, unfortunately
https://twitter.com/OlenaHalushka/status/1782617429916483642
From BBC correspondent which mirrors what someone mentioned earlier that despite all the noise to downplay this package and sanctions and seizure of their assets, the Russians are sure loudly squealing about these issues
It is grey zone tactics I suppose, hybrid warfare.
There's lots of ways to dish it right back in Russia's face if Western countries decided to.
Russia's oil tanker fleet for busting the sanctions and shipping to customers in India and China is in bits (acc. to some articles I have read). Rusty hulks with captains that ignore standard maritime procedures + get away with it.
We all know that Russia will not be held accountable and won't pay a Euro or assist with cleanup if there is a disaster in or near EU waters. They will just laugh in everyone's faces again, and carry on merrily on their way. Rules are for you, not for me.
Seems like these ships should be due some boardings, customs and safety inspections, and impoundment if Western countries in the region(s) involved (Baltic/Arctic) run out of patience with it. I suppose it could take some kind of accident before that will happen though.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/18/swedish-foreign-minister-tobias-billstrom-unsafe-russian-oil-fleet-baltic-sea-environmental-catastrophe
So you think they could of won without artillery shells, air defense munitons, APCs/IFVs etc? Heck they are even running low on bullets!! How do you think that sort of delusional thinking helps Ukraine?
Is this guy also a Russia tankie?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/04/08/europe/ukraine-lose-war-us-congress-zelensky-intl
There is a direct correlation between how dire a picture Ukrainians paint and the aid they receive, they will never again imply that they have enough of anything until Russia collapses
They tried upbeat and positive spin last year and it resulted in a drop in aid (and morale sapping negativity) when they need continued long term support because Russia despite all their propaganda does not have time on their side, while Ukraine with its democratic institutions and western outlook does.
Russia is obviously corrupt from top to bottom. With the aid coming another blow to Russian hopes, could there be an opening for the West to initiate some kind of palace coup against Putin? I presume there are figures close to the top of the regime who are disillusioned with the two year special military operation and who are personally ambitious.
That’s actually a terrifying prospect and another where this country is incredibly vulnerable. I was only a child at the time but I remember the absolute terror in this country when the Kowloon bridge ran aground off the coast of Cork back in the 80’s.
I take a lot of satisfaction from hearing Russians are squirming like yahoo's. They are a nasty lot and get no sympathy in the lest from me.
Bizarre scenes.
We've heard the Kadyrov is on his way out celebrations a few times over the past couple of years. How reliable are the latest leaks? I won't hold my breath.
You may right depending how near these kind of ships come to our coast, if any take the longer route vs the Channel? Had not considered that. Sort of doubt we'd have a breeze what is going on unless someone (UK or other EU member states) fills us in.
Still, probably a more serious issue for the countries at choke points in the Baltic where these tankers have to come in nearer the coast and if something happens around there, the oil will wash up on their shorelines (and destroy their waters).
He sounds terrible. Wonder who they'll replace him with if he croaks. His eldest son is only a teenager
It would be great to see a power struggle with Russian supporters losing. Many in Chechnya don't like the Russians.
Lot of activity over the black sea....something is up
Yip - and I think the USA, the CIA etc looking into that ship a few weeks ago that lost control and hit that bridge. I think they have found other such events that were thought to be accidents. Maybe not .. as in hacked ship software .. Putin & Co behind it as more hybrid warfare stuff.
When that event happened a few weeks back that was the first thing that came to my mind. Was this "out of control" ship made that way by Putin & Co?
Here you go
Also this:
https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1782768999119430081
They've managed to have GPS jamming and spoofing in the Eastern Med and Middle East, in the form of sporadic and continuous disruption, from known western and eastern sources, without major incident, for probably close to a decade now.
Taking away GPS becomes an annoyance, not the be all and end all to civilian transport.
Landing GPS guided weapons and geo mapping becomes a bit difficult though.
Now Wall Street journal is reporting on it
@Valeyard More on this - interesting. Someone defecting? Brought west?
AND This:
I think the point is, maybe not causing much harm but its being done deliberately by Russia. As was said previously here its all scoping exercises by Russia, see what they can/cant get away with. Its like hackers online .. tip away at the edges that are not noticed, take it slowly, get in without causing any alert type thing. So yes, though might not NOW be harmfull, more an annoyance, Russia are NOT doing this for fun .. it is part of hybrid warfare and where its happening could do without it
Another hacker trick .. make some annoying trivial thing happen on a system of an unwitting user. Keep doing this until that user ignores it going forward. Now you have free reign
Depending on which squadron those Rafale belong to, it could also be a show of force, a reminder that France has more than just it's submarines for that special type of "sunshine in a can". Remember, the Rafale can carry the ASMP nuclear-tipped cruise missile and Rafales supported by A330MRTT or KC-135 would be a typical "package" for that type of mission.
Do I think it's likely? No, and even if it is, I would highly doubt that the aircraft in question would be carrying live missiles, they're too valuable for that. But it is a possibility, especially since I don't remember the French Air Force deploying in this manner before.
Didn't know that (?), though I would have assumed FBI/local police would be investigating it, regardless of how clear cut the cause is, given the massive amount of death and destruction.
I suppose one could get paranoid and head off into conspiracy-theory land in ones thinking quite easily, typically an accident really is an accident!
I expect it is European countries that have most to worry about as regards any Russia-generated deniable "accidents".
I agree .. most likely conspiracy theories gone wild. Cannot remember where I saw it. But in the times we are in if it turned out that way I would not be surprised.
This is the FBI investigation:
Oh Look …
2/ Lavrov is the first senior Kremlin official to outright identify the city as a possible Russian operational objective following recent Ukrainian warnings that Russian forces may attempt to seize the city starting in Summer 2024.
3/ Lavrov stated during a radio interview with several prominent Russian state propagandists on April 19 that Kharkiv City “plays an important role” in Putin’s idea of establishing a demilitarized “sanitary zone” in Ukraine to protect Russian border settlements from Ukrainian strikes.
4/ Lavrov stated that Putin has very clearly stated that Russian forces must push the frontline far enough into Ukraine – which Lavrov explicitly defines as into Kharkiv Oblast – to place Russian settlements outside of the Ukrainian strike range.
5/5 This requirement is a very vague definition that could include the entirety of Ukrainian territory as long as an independent Ukrainian state exists and is willing to defend itself.
There was some serious farm related and food stock fires and explosions in the US these past two years. The conspiracists in the US were off on the one world order stuff. In my little pea brained head I was blaming Russia. The Russian terrorist on the Internet would blame a one world order over themselves. Russians are fairly obsessed with foodstocks as it is and believe it's one way to use as a weapon.
The sooner the Putin terrorist government is finished anyway the safer the world will be.
UK RC-135 is usually escorted by Typhoons from Akrotiri… but with the Iran/Israel saga, the US have pulled air support from Operation Inherent Resolve (ops against ISIS et el in Syrian and Iraq) and the RAF have been backfilling.
I imagine the FAF are backfilling the RAF escort duties for the RC-135.
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