Ukraine illegally invaded by Putin's Russia

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:Russia are currently launching a massive bombardment of Ukraine's eastern forces prior to a believed offensive in the east. Next few days may be crucial.

I wonder whether they will look to hold on to the east of the country. Putin would love road links to Crimea, but I can't imagine there are many pro Russians remaining anywhere in Ukraine. Holding territory you have flattened is probably going to raise some resistance.

Sadly, the war in the coming days is likely to be increasingly brutal.

Stephen Kotkin (the expert on Stalin above all other experts) wrote this essay in Foreign Affairs recently.

The Cold War Never Ended
Ukraine, the China Challenge, and the Revival of the West

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/review-essay/2022-04-06/cold-war-never-ended-russia-ukraine-war

twitter.com/laraseligman/status/1517152452063072257

Earlier today:

twitter.com/itvnews/status/1517057143874232321

Place is a fortress:

Putin will clear the facility with chemical weapons. He doesn't afraid of international weapons treaties.

Alvin Flummux wrote:Putin will clear the facility with chemical weapons. He doesn't afraid of international weapons treaties.

Or given the reports I was reading he'll maybe just starve them out. :dread:

Thermobaric bombs would the quickest way if they have open doors and vents. But he cant be seen using them.

I would have thought if there really is still 1,500 Ukrainian troops still left there then they would be better off try to fight their way out, all in one direction rather than staying put now.

In other news

twitter.com/IntelNessa/status/1517176705181532160

Oh dear. That is ......horrible. I hope it was...n't arson.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:I would have thought if there really is still 1,500 Ukrainian troops still left there then they would be better off try to fight their way out, all in one direction rather than staying put now.

In other news

twitter.com/IntelNessa/status/1517176705181532160

One a ha ha ha, One burning building.

twitter.com/IntelNessa/status/1517204723232874496

Two a ha ha ha, Two mysteriously burning buildings today.

Oh and a second Oligarch and his family's bodies were found today. Same as the Moscow one yesterday just in Spain.

Garth wrote:

Place is a fortress:

same vibes

twitter.com/paulmcleary/status/1517329435007111169

twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1517313043218284544

What a shame.

Kezzer wrote:
Garth wrote:

Place is a fortress:

same vibes

just reminds me of this feat of engineering:

I don't know the context of that but :slol:

I thought the "Putin had health issues" thing was more wishful thinking than anything else but maybe there's something to it.

twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1518024361223110656

Ukraine spent seven years begging three PMs for weapons — and no one listened

Very long but well worth reading.

Also seems like the list of Russian Generals getting killed in action or seriously injured is ever growing. Either Ukraine intelligence gathering is far better than expected or they're getting intel from the USA, but the contrast from how everyone expected this war to go (over in days) to how its going is remarkable.

twitter.com/militaryhistori/status/1517936332361895947