I was under the impression that the bombing of cities was started by accident. Some German pilot got lost on his way to a military target on a dark and foggy night, and just dropped his bombs anywhere, which turned out to be London. Churchill was livid that the Germans would do such a thing, and he responded by bombing a German city, and it just escalated from there. Aerial bombing of cities - Wikipedia
What's worse is that a lot of the 71k were Russian army regulars. That likely reduced the quality of the average Russian soldier in Ukraine by a fair amount, and the introduction of draftees with a few hours of training reduced it even further. Having someone behind the front lines who is going to shoot you if you think about retreating has to be a major distraction for the front line troops.
Ukraine update: The tank isn't dead, but the helicopter... Updates from the previous day. Interesting about this new modern warfare is this little segment at the front of their update on how helicopters are mostly dead. As to what others are saying - no matter how you slice it - this war has been devastating to the modern russian army.
Flow Chart ... Proceed with Bad Man Putin —> Does Source Accord with Bad Man Putin ? —> If Yes, Safe to Continue —> If Not, Dismiss Source as Russian Troll ...
Russia is currently trying to bomb civilian targets in Ukraine into the Stone Age. What… you’re expecting the Nobel peace prize?
You’re confused. It is Ukraine that has been indiscriminately shelling civilians in the Donbas, whereas Russia is targeting energy grid with precision munitions. If unpalatable, see flow chart.
More comedy from Russia. During a Ukrainian counter-offensive, the Russians were opening a box of new quadcopter drones (children's toys, not military grade), but they couldn't get them in the air because they had to download software first. They were overrun by Ukraine's army and had to abandon their drones. I can picture Mickey Mouse giving operating instructions on a VHS tape while the Russian soldiers desperately begged him to speed up his sales pitch for Mickey Mouse ears and matching t-shirt. "Talk faster, comrade, or I shoot TV box!" Russian soldiers in Kharkiv region couldn’t immediately launch drones during Ukrainian counter-offensive because of a software installation Come on, Russia! If the weather is good, how about just flying a kite? No software download required.
Putin begs Ukraine for a "safety guarantee" for its ships in the Black Sea. Somebody is scared . . . "You sank my battleship!" Ukraine Latest: Putin Demands Safety Guarantee for Russian Ships
Oh, I totally agree his combat-dodging, faux-tough-guy [rear end] has no problem with it. But the people end up with the last vote on that referendum.
Proceed with Bad Man Putin —> Does Source Accord with Bad Man Putin ? —> If Yes, Sage to Continue —> If No ...
Here's an idea: if Russia wants safety for its vessels in the Black Sea, how about the get the hell out of Ukraine? just sayin....
Warning: satire ... Moscow plunged into darkness as Russian officials concede that energy grid is degraded to the extent it may have to be completely rebuilt. Conditions on the ground are primitive. Locals shop for groceries with flash lights. Muscovites wait in long lines to recover a few bottles of drinking water, never mind getting enough for cleaning and washing. Conditions are so dire that authorities are in early discussions regarding the possibility of mass-evacuating cities and fears of a new migrant crisis are emerging. Russian families have submitted 300,000 inquiries concerning the whereabouts of loved ones on the battlefield. An eighth conscription has been activated which may incorporate elderly men and women. A long-awaited counter-offensive has been cancelled as the army is essentially out of artillery shells and lacks air cover. Russian authorities concede they may be losing 1,000 troops a day. Nonetheless, mini-attacks continue, nearly all repelled and with heavy losses. Troops may be in short supply, but determination is not. The navy was sunk or scuttled the first week of the war. The Air Force has nearly been eradicated. Air defense is almost entirely ineffective vs a seemingly continuous rain of cruise missiles. Russia is relegated to using its few remaining jet fighters to chase cheap plastic drones. And for perhaps the first time in aerial history, a multi-million dollar fighter jet is essentially taken out by a cheap loitering munition. Despite a prodigious flow of weaponry from 30+ countries, the war machine is in the process of being destroyed twice over. The once proud nation is at grave risk of being reduced to a rump state with little or no access to the sea. And now the enemy has added 300,000 reservists and is sending an endless supply of heavy weaponry into theatre. All this said, astonishingly, there are crazed individuals who believe that Russia is losing the war and accomplishing anything less than exposing the Ukraine military as anything less than weak and incompetent ...
why do the grain ships need a military escort? Are there pirates in those areas? If Russia wants to inspect them at the port to assure no weapons are being moved in you don't need a battleship to inspect grain ships.
Putin on brink as 'number of groups' ready to seize power as Ukraine loss threatens Russia (msn.com) Vladimir Putin appears to be losing the war, as Ukrainian forces are gradually retaking Russian-controlled territories in their massive counteroffensive launched in late August. If Ukrainian forces keep their momentum and retake their territory, Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky claims the Russian President will lose power. And regional politicians could be the key to toppling Putin, Mr Khodorkovsky added.
Their economy is taking a hit. Not as much as originally predicted, but around a 3.5 - 4.0 % contraction. That is very roughly $60B annually And expected to continue. Quite a few are losing big money and all because of a crazy decision of one man.
I haven't looked at a map recently but has Ukrainian forces made it all the way to the southeastern border. Wouldn't that cut off the land bridge from Russia to Crimea that Putin is so desperate for?
