+Nuclear Wessel Posted February 17, 2022 #76 Share Posted February 17, 2022 (edited) Russia-Ukraine live updates: Separatist forces claim 'large-scale' shelling in Donbas - ABC News (go.com) It is starting. Edited February 17, 2022 by Nuclear Wessel 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #77 Share Posted February 17, 2022 And it started with Russian-backed separatists hitting a kindergarten. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/17/shelling-by-russian-backed-separatists-hits-school-in-east-ukraine 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 17, 2022 #78 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Quote President Biden on Thursday said that he believes Russia will invade Ukraine in the next several days, noting that Russia has added more troops to the border. “Yes, I do,” Biden told reporters when asked if Russia will go through with the invasion. “My sense is it will happen within the next several days.” He said the threat of a Russian invasion is “very high.” “Because they have not moved any of their troops out, they’ve moved more troops in, No. 1. No. 2, we have reason to believe that they are engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in,” the president added. “Every indication we have is they are prepared to go into Ukraine, attack Ukraine.” A Biden administration official said Wednesday that Russia has added as many as 7,000 troops at the border with Ukraine, characterizing claims by Moscow that it was withdrawing forces as “false.” The news from the Biden administration directly challenged statements from Russia within the last 24 hours that it has pulled back some forces and are willing to engage in diplomacy. Biden said that he does not intend to hold a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The last time the two spoke was Saturday. “I have no plans to call Putin right now,” the president said. When asked if he believes a diplomatic resolution is still possible, Biden said “yes.” Biden also noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken is addressing the United Nations Security Council on Thursday and plans to lay out a diplomatic path for the Russians. Link 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted February 17, 2022 #79 Share Posted February 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Helen of Annoy said: And it started with Russian-backed separatists hitting a kindergarten. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/17/shelling-by-russian-backed-separatists-hits-school-in-east-ukraine Later on they will call it 'collateral damage' ... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 17, 2022 #80 Share Posted February 17, 2022 If the news is to be believed this is going to happen. Although I don't like the idea of war I must say this seems like an opportunity for NATO to get rid of Putin if they have the stomach for it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #81 Share Posted February 17, 2022 19 minutes ago, Abramelin said: Later on they will call it 'collateral damage' ... Children were in the other room, fortunately. Now the rant. What I'm about to say is disturbing. Unfortunately true too. It was not on accident. The same was done to my country (later to Bosnia too) - primary targets were hospitals, market places, schools, public transport in rush hours... any place crowded with civilians. It's a part of their military doctrine, attack civilian targets to make sure you are inflicting maximal possible psychological damage. Instilling fear, making people panic and give up. Moving them out, creating large refugee movements, then shelling refugee convoys in particular. Multiple rocket launcher wakes you up at 6 AM, you go to work under artillery fire, around noon the air raids start, when you go home it's time for mortars... I hate mortars more than anything in the world. Large caliber is predictable, more-less, mortars aren't. They drive you insane. Now you know, it's not my fault, it's the fault of mortars Kidding. I was insane before the mortars too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Wellington Posted February 17, 2022 #82 Share Posted February 17, 2022 I`m confused, is the war on or off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #83 Share Posted February 17, 2022 6 minutes ago, OverSword said: If the news is to be believed this is going to happen. Although I don't like the idea of war I must say this seems like an opportunity for NATO to get rid of Putin if they have the stomach for it. Russians will have to do it. That's the only clean solution. Russian military, that is. Only they know what security in case of Putin's sudden death is there and how to override it. Putin repeated that one of his demands is withdrawal of NATO out of Eastern and Central Europe. Such demand is so irrational it means only one thing: Putin doesn't want successful diplomatic solutions, he wants confrontation. Is it Alzheimer or painting himself in the corner, having no idea how to back off so he keeps on pushing... either way, poor Russia. Everyone else will suffer a lot to a little damage, but Russia will be screwed with this thing that is apparently escalating for real. Damn shame. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nuclear Wessel Posted February 17, 2022 #84 Share Posted February 17, 2022 13 minutes ago, OverSword said: I must say this seems like an opportunity for NATO to get rid of Putin if they have the stomach for it. You and I both know that getting rid of Putin means the end for all of us. Within the hour most places in the world could become a nuclear wasteland. That is a terrifying thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHunter Posted February 17, 2022 #85 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Interestingly Ukraine, Poland, and the UK have announced a trilateral alliance today. Cant find much about the specifics of the alliance yet though but it does seem Poland and the UK will help Ukraine defend themselves in some fashion. Probably increased intelligence sharing and weapon shipments. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Wellington Posted February 17, 2022 #86 Share Posted February 17, 2022 1 minute ago, DarkHunter said: Interestingly Ukraine, Poland, and the UK have announced a trilateral alliance today. Cant find much about the specifics of the alliance yet though but it does seem Poland and the UK will help Ukraine defend themselves in some fashion. Probably increased intelligence sharing and weapon shipments. Great, I`m going to get nuked 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted February 17, 2022 #87 Share Posted February 17, 2022 15 minutes ago, Helen of Annoy said: Children were in the other room, fortunately. Now the rant. What I'm about to say is disturbing. Unfortunately true too. It was not on accident. The same was done to my country (later to Bosnia too) - primary targets were hospitals, market places, schools, public transport in rush hours... any place crowded with civilians. It's a part of their military doctrine, attack civilian targets to make sure you are inflicting maximal possible psychological damage. Instilling fear, making people panic and give up. Moving them out, creating large refugee movements, then shelling refugee convoys in particular. Multiple rocket launcher wakes you up at 6 AM, you go to work under artillery fire, around noon the air raids start, when you go home it's time for mortars... I hate mortars more than anything in the world. Large caliber is predictable, more-less, mortars aren't. They drive you insane. Now you know, it's not my fault, it's the fault of mortars Kidding. I was insane before the mortars too. Maybe an up to date version of the next song would be appropriate: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted February 17, 2022 #88 Share Posted February 17, 2022 8 minutes ago, Nuclear Wessel said: You and I both know that getting rid of Putin means the end for all of us. Within the hour most places in the world could become a nuclear wasteland. That is a terrifying thought. The only thing that could work is when the Russian people rise up en mass against that rat. I have no great hopes that will happen soon or ever. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 17, 2022 #89 Share Posted February 17, 2022 10 minutes ago, Nuclear Wessel said: You and I both know that getting rid of Putin means the end for all of us. Within the hour most places in the world could become a nuclear wasteland. That is a terrifying thought. I don't believe that's the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted February 17, 2022 #90 Share Posted February 17, 2022 6 minutes ago, Cookie Monster said: Great, I`m going to get nuked It's kind of hard to laugh and feel sad at what you just posted. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #91 Share Posted February 17, 2022 4 minutes ago, Abramelin said: The only thing that could work is when the Russian people rise up en mass against that rat. I have no great hopes that will happen soon or ever. I'm among those people prone to believe that Putin's fear of his falling popularity is one of the reasons for this circus. He's preventing demonstrations and loss of power by deliberately pushing for the state of war. It's secondary if he's going to get something from it, as long as he can cement his position. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #92 Share Posted February 17, 2022 12 minutes ago, Cookie Monster said: Great, I`m going to get nuked Relax, you'll survive. The worthless ones always survive Kidding. You're not worthless. You are the bad example, that's very important purpose. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted February 17, 2022 #93 Share Posted February 17, 2022 2 minutes ago, Helen of Annoy said: I'm among those people prone to believe that Putin's fear of his falling popularity is one of the reasons for this circus. He's preventing demonstrations and loss of power by deliberately pushing for the state of war. It's secondary if he's going to get something from it, as long as he can cement his position. Ok, maybe a stupid question to ask. But what do the socalled common Russians think of this whole circus? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nuclear Wessel Posted February 17, 2022 #94 Share Posted February 17, 2022 22 minutes ago, OverSword said: I don't believe that's the case. Which part of it? The nukes being able to reach pretty much everywhere in the world in that amount of time, or that the end of Putin would be the end of us all? Unless he was killed from the inside, there is no way we are getting rid of him without excessive force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #95 Share Posted February 17, 2022 13 minutes ago, Abramelin said: Ok, maybe a stupid question to ask. But what do the socalled common Russians think of this whole circus? Some love their saint Putin, others are dying inside right now. No one can know the exact percentage. They don't feel it's safe to express your true opinion (if it's not toeing the dictatorship line). I believe it really is so. The same with Belarus. You can see there are people willing to openly demonstrate, but then you see they're beaten, tortured, maimed, blackmailed with lives of their families, kidnapped, murdered... so they keep their mouth shut for a while longer. They better not rise up while the entire military and police and secret services etc are on dictators' side. If they rise now, they'll die in vain. And it's not some fanaticism that keeps military and police on dictator's side, it's pure survival. You get your salary in the military, there's no honest alternative. It has to be military structure that will lead the transfer of power back into democracy. Everything else will be a bloodbath. When salary is late, oligarchs' business not as usual anymore, only coffins are coming home from the front, only then the time will be right. But this constant mentioning of nuclear weapons might speed up the process of Russian elite deciding if they really want to bet on Putin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted February 17, 2022 #96 Share Posted February 17, 2022 3 minutes ago, Helen of Annoy said: It has to be military structure that will lead the transfer of power back into democracy. Everything else will be a bloodbath. Even then it will be a bloodbath: I don't believe the entire army as a whole will be willing to overthrow Putin's regime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted February 17, 2022 #97 Share Posted February 17, 2022 22 minutes ago, Nuclear Wessel said: Which part of it? The nukes being able to reach pretty much everywhere in the world in that amount of time, or that the end of Putin would be the end of us all? Unless he was killed from the inside, there is no way we are getting rid of him without excessive force. That nukes would be used by either side is what I doubt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #98 Share Posted February 17, 2022 20 minutes ago, Abramelin said: Even then it will be a bloodbath: I don't believe the entire army as a whole will be willing to overthrow Putin's regime. No one asked the entire army, it's not their job to think and they won't dare thinking a lot. It's only a question how many top generals will agree it's time to change something, before it's too late, and how many think it can wait for a while longer. Ivashov, respected old-soviet school general, published scathing letter against Putin. He was Putin's close advisor, then they went into an argument, which is why some people say Ivashov is not relevant. But he wouldn't see a point in criticizing Putin so accurately and publicly if he didn't have the support, if he didn't know there are people in Russia who understand and approve that, what he's saying. We can't know about exact anything in Russia, certainly not about the true opinion of their top brass, except indirectly, because they know timing is important thing in the process of staying alive and also, Putin owns the media in Russia, free journalism was literally beaten to death, sometimes in front of reporter's child. Russian media currently says only that what Putin commands them to say. I don't think it's just lonely Ivashov. But who am I to know? It's going to be awful if there's no direct communication and no consensus among generals. But if there is, and if they're not liking what they're seeing lately... it will be a case of hilarious karma. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nuclear Wessel Posted February 17, 2022 #99 Share Posted February 17, 2022 10 minutes ago, OverSword said: That nukes would be used by either side is what I doubt. Hasn't Putin already basically alluded to nuclear war if NATO were to get involved? "Nobody would win", I believe is what he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen of Annoy Posted February 17, 2022 #100 Share Posted February 17, 2022 3 minutes ago, Nuclear Wessel said: Hasn't Putin already basically alluded to nuclear war if NATO were to get involved? "Nobody would win", I believe is what he said. And repeated it, along with the withdrawal of NATO and crap Nothing says "despair" like waving nukes does. He's afraid Which is awful news, people do the stupidest things when they're afraid. And great news, since I doubt an average Russian general was planning to die in nuclear fire tomorrow or so. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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