Russia on brink of ... NOPE! Russia INVADES Ukraine!

[Zorba]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1498166122515816449

Sucks for average Joe Russian. Hopefully they'll take to the streets and demand Putin's head.

 

[sandorski]

And down it slides... it will fall much further before the day is finished.

View attachment 57983

The Hyperinflation will be difficult to ignore.

 

[K1052]

It's unfortunate so many average people will be damaged by the economic measures but there really is no choice. May they place all the blame on the appropriate party in the Kremlin.

 

[Muse]

If Russia really is this terrible at rolling over a next door neighbor that it can, on paper, easily defeat, than this was an extremely terrible move on Putin's part. If it's just a tactic to create a fall sense of hope before smashing it, I wouldn't be totally surprised.

A video I saw today from a westerner (American?) who's in an apartment in Kiev said that Russia's trying to not destroy Ukraine in the process of bringing it to its knees. They want it as part of Russia, not a vacant lot, destroyed. There may be a lot of truth in that, at least in these first 5 days. What happens now, I don't know.

His video was too long (~18 minutes? I didn't get more than 1/3 -1/2 way through), I think he was pretty full of himself and probably suffering from cabin fever, he seemed pretty pleased with himself.

 

[Muse]

This is what I'm wondering

Re: who will fly those supplied jets:

Saw info suggesting they were Russian and that Ukrainian pilots know how to fly them. If American, they wouldn't.

 

[sandorski]

Farmers enjoying the spoils of war.

GTA Ukraine

 

[zinfamous]

We are already overtly "in" this. Economic war has been declared. We are actively funneling tons of resources, arms, and supplies straight to the Ukrainian army.

This IS our fight.
The hundreds of thousands, if not millions of refugees fleeing into NATO makes this our fight.

Cities in eastern Ukraine need humanitarian supplies for millions of people. Russia is cutting them off and laying siege. A few weeks / months from now, that'll be a genocide. To save lives we must rapidly clear a path to eastern Ukraine, for food, water, fuel. And we must slaughter every single Russian standing in our way.

I'm....coming around to your attitude on this.

 

[Muse]

How are "we" actually getting all this stuff in? I assume we aren't just loading up a C-130 and dropping it off a Kyiv International Airport.

I figure there's a fair chance they aren't saying. "Classified."

 

[zinfamous]

Man, this is pretty much going to be like 90-94 era Russia after this is over with for a lot of Russian citizens. Probably not that bad. At least, the post-Putin fallout, however that works out, will be brutal for quite some time, but I think depending on how the power structure works out, the world could come to working quickly with Russia.

...of course, that just breads more resentment from the very same elements that think exactly like Putin, because a lot of them aren't going anywhere. Just...clerks and yes men just biding their time in the invisible trenches of the politburo. Just like Putin.

spit-balling ideal scenario, is something with an international committee observing the election, trusted, known Russian leaders, very local--Navalny, Kasparov, probably some of those past journalists, even writer/poets. It's a very patriarchal, macho society, but they also swoon for artists like no other such culture does. So I dunno...that's the sort of thing that "the west" tends to hope for, but anything that meets quick approval from the UN and other independent committees is going to be sold as western puppetry, and probably quite successfully, within 5 or 6 years.

You're going to have to clear out so many levels of entrenched power structure, significantly in the civilian legislature and as well the military, but you probably can't take out all the pieces. But whatever happens, it can never be perfect for anyone and a lot of regular Russian citizens are going to be generationally punished for this.

 

[RnR_au]

Not sure how reliable this is, but wouldn't surprise me.


The thing is... even if they get Zelensky, would Ukraine then suddenly roll over? I don't think so.

 

[rommelrommel]

Assassinating him seems likely to harden their resolve.

 

[sandorski]

Hopefully we see their burnt out vehicles soon...I am under the impression we should all be impressed, but I'm curious as to what they could do that thousands of others have failed to do so far.

 

[sportage]

Putin bringing up nukes is just another failed attempt to scare.... I don't know to scare who exactly? Scare us? Scare the NATO countries? Scare Ukraine?
This Putin stunt sounds exactly like what Donald Trump's little brain would think up if Trump were in Putin's place. The more we know Trump, the more we can predict Putin. Having experienced someone like Donald Trump is quite telling of how Vladimir Putin operates.

Seriously. Think about it. The lies, the misinformation, the creating of conspiracies, the creating or fake boogiemen. All from the Trump playbook, or is it the other way around?

 

[rommelrommel]

He’s spooked Europe successfully quite a few times, and what other cards does he have to play?

Sure, he can commit more forces to Ukraine, but he can’t attack a NATO country. He can’t stop the weapons and intel transfers. He can’t stop the sanctions.

While not in the same league, this has been a Hitler-esque overplay of assuming that because a tactic has worked before that it will work again.

 

[Jaskalas]

The tales of fresh Russian conscripts not knowing wtf they are doing is incredible to behold.
Putin randomly and suddenly decided that Russians and Ukrainians alike had to be slaughtered.
Our response needs to be clear. Russia can surrender to live. Not to conquer them but to make peace.
Otherwise, if there must be slaughter, it will be a one way delivery until they have had their fill. Go back to their border and they will not be harmed.

 

[RnR_au]

wtaf??!?

 

[Leeea]

I saw this earlier today in a Twitter thread that was linked here, it had IIRC Olexander Scherba attribution. If I knew how to link that video specifically here, I would have.

Is that really in Kiev? The extent of the destruction astounds me. I wonder how that happened. I presume all those destroyed vehicles are Russian. I wish there was a translation to English provided, i.e. captions. That guy obviously had a lot to say, was very emotional.

If true, we know what happened to the 3 mile Russian convoy of doom.

wtaf??!?
View attachment 58016

View attachment 58017

It turns out it is one thing to launch cyberattacks and go all black hat. Just a few highly skilled individuals with minimal resources.

It is another thing entirely to protect your own stuff.

 

[rommelrommel]

wtaf??!?
View attachment 58016

View attachment 58017

It would fit with the general theme we’re hearing. Poorly trained conscripts, lack of food, fuel, ammo, air defence, etc. Russia hasn’t fought a near peer in a very long time. Would they be using old ass radios, at least for some units? Seems plausible.

 

[RnR_au]

Bad news for businesses inside of Russia.

Russia has more than doubled its key interest rate after the rouble slumped by 30% against the US dollar.

Bank of Russia said it raised the rate to 20% from 9.5% to help cushion the impact on prices of the rouble's slide.

BBC

 

[m8d]

Not sure how reliable this is, but wouldn't surprise me.
View attachment 58014

The thing is... even if they get Zelensky, would Ukraine then suddenly roll over? I don't think so.

Is that the same group that got their asses handed to them by U.S forces in Syria?

 

[RnR_au]

Is that the same group that got its asses handed to them by U.S forces in Syria?

Yup. They were fed some really bad intel. Hopefully the same will happen again.

 

[sportage]

War Is Hell

 

[RnR_au]

Hmm... maybe 'low level' criminals would be ok. Would be kinda crazy to give killers guns. This ain't the suicide squad movie.

 

[cytg111]

Man, this is pretty much going to be like 90-94 era Russia after this is over with for a lot of Russian citizens. Probably not that bad. At least, the post-Putin fallout, however that works out, will be brutal for quite some time, but I think depending on how the power structure works out, the world could come to working quickly with Russia.

...of course, that just breads more resentment from the very same elements that think exactly like Putin, because a lot of them aren't going anywhere. Just...clerks and yes men just biding their time in the invisible trenches of the politburo. Just like Putin.

spit-balling ideal scenario, is something with an international committee observing the election, trusted, known Russian leaders, very local--Navalny, Kasparov, probably some of those past journalists, even writer/poets. It's a very patriarchal, macho society, but they also swoon for artists like no other such culture does. So I dunno...that's the sort of thing that "the west" tends to hope for, but anything that meets quick approval from the UN and other independent committees is going to be sold as western puppetry, and probably quite successfully, within 5 or 6 years.

You're going to have to clear out so many levels of entrenched power structure, significantly in the civilian legislature and as well the military, but you probably can't take out all the pieces. But whatever happens, it can never be perfect for anyone and a lot of regular Russian citizens are going to be generationally punished for this.

Yes, best and not at all unthinkable outcome here is a total deconstruction of the Russian mafia state and return the soil to its people.

 

[Iron Woode]

Demonstrators hold Ukrainian flags during an anti-war protest at the Brandenburg gate in Berlin, Germany, February 27, 2022. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

That is a hell of a lot of people.