Russia/Ukraine conflict

[wdolson]

Russia ammunition stored near border catches fire, official blames heat

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region, said people near the village of Timonovo were evacuated after the ammunition started to spontaneously combust. Last week inhabitants of Timonovo and Soloti, 15 km (9 miles) from Ukraine, were evacuated after a nearby ammunition storage depot...

www.yahoo.com

"In a few months we will find out whether Russian ammunition can explode because of the cold," Ukraine's defense ministry said in a tweet on Tuesday.

"The five main causes of sudden explosions in Russia are: winter, spring, summer, autumn and smoking."

Jokes aside this may be an indication that Russia is trying to use ammunition that has been in storage too long. How long until trains start blowing up?

 

[madodel]

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 23

Russian government sources confirmed that Russia is bringing Ukrainian children to Russia and having Russian families adopt them. Russian federal subject (region) Krasnodar Krai’s Family and Childhood Administration posted about a program under which Russian authorities transferred over 1,000 children from Mariupol to Tyumen, Irkutsk, Kemerov, and Altay Krai where Russian families have adopted them.[1] The Administration stated that over 300 children are still waiting to “meet their new families” and that citizens who decide to adopt these children will be provided with a one-time bonus by the state.[2] Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) additionally reported that Russian officials transferred 30 Ukrainian children from Khartsyzk, Ilovaysk, and Zuhres in occupied Donetsk Oblast to Nizhny Novgorod under the guise of having the children participate in youth educational-training programs.[3] The forcible transfer of children of one group to another “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group“ is a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.[4]​

 

[bkp_duke]

‘Vampire’ to transform Ukraine pickups into deadly missile launchers

The L3Harris-made Vampire will be included in the nearly $3 billion in aid announced Wednesday.

www.c4isrnet.com

Interesting, basically a pickup truck mounted anti-UAV rocket system.

 

[JRP3]

‘Vampire’ to transform Ukraine pickups into deadly missile launchers

The L3Harris-made Vampire will be included in the nearly $3 billion in aid announced Wednesday.

www.c4isrnet.com

Interesting, basically a pickup truck mounted anti-UAV rocket system.

Elon needs to send a Cybertruck prototype with one mounted.

 

[RobStark]

 

[bkp_duke]

View attachment 845211

I'd buy that. SEXY CT

 

[TheTalkingMule]

Posted this in the oil thread....

ICYMI - Russia is negotiating selling its oil at big discounts under long-term contracts | Forexlive

www.forexlive.com

• Russia has had initial talks with some Asian buyers
• possible discounts are in the range of up to 30%
• this would assist in securing export markets to those Asian buyers. Russia will soon be locked out of exports to the EU.

 

[madodel]

Posted this in the oil thread....

ICYMI - Russia is negotiating selling its oil at big discounts under long-term contracts | Forexlive

www.forexlive.com

They need cash to pay all those families to adopt stolen children.

 

[CatB]

Hope this isn't too OT, but I listened to this podcast today and liked this very down-to-earth perspective on the war.
Rough Translation: The Cat Must Still Be Fed : Up First
tl;dr: Red Hook, NY's local newspaper hired an introverted data groupie in eastern Ukraine in Dec 2021. When the war broke out, he described how the war is impacting his small-town life, and his cat. He's very anti-war, and neither pro-Russian, nor pro-Ukrainian, just pro-peace.

Pavel's War - The Daily Catch

www.thedailycatch.org

 

[mars_or_bust]

Hope this isn't too OT, but I listened to this podcast today and liked this very down-to-earth perspective on the war.
Rough Translation: The Cat Must Still Be Fed : Up First
tl;dr: Red Hook, NY's local newspaper hired an introverted data groupie in eastern Ukraine in Dec 2021. When the war broke out, he described how the war is impacting his small-town life, and his cat. He's very anti-war, and neither pro-Russian, nor pro-Ukrainian, just pro-peace.

Pavel's War - The Daily Catch

www.thedailycatch.org

Didn't read this, but in general I really dislike the phrase "neither pro-Russian, nor pro-Ukrainian, just pro-peace.". Pro peace means one side wins. So you have to be pro Russian or pro Ukrainian. Actually pro Ukrainian, because if Russia wins, other countries are next in line to be invaded.

 

[MC3OZ]

I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion. Because the current flavor of patriotism is to brand the Russians as Nazi level evil. Anything less than that is considered as treason.

But the sensible course of action for all involved is to broker an immediate cease fire.

- Desist the idiotic idea of taking Ukraine into NATO, and give guarantees to Putin that won't happen,
- In exchange, Russia to give Ukraine a level of autonomy that it previously had.
- give the Russians unfettered access to Crimea (Russians have taken it anyway)
- and a secure a land route from Russia to Crimea through Eastern Ukraine, through the areas already where the Russians forces are well entrenched.

This gives Russians a face saving victory. And Ukraine can get back to being productive and peaceful as an independent nation. And we can focus our energies on the real threat that will definitely bring in WW3 if unchecked - Chinese aggression in eastern pacific that goes far beyond the borders or Taiwan.

We are not in a position to dictate a solution to Ukraine.

I doubt that still Ukraine wants to join NATO, this was not a high priority issue for both sides. Ukraine wanted to join NATO to prevent the invasion, Russia used the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO as part of their excuse for invading.

Both sides want Crimea, specifically Ukraine wants to take it back. The issue is gas resources off the coast of Crimea, and oil reserves in eastern Ukraine. The war is mainly about Fossil Fuel reserves which both sides want. Both also want Crimea as they see it as legitimately part of their territory.

The only deal both sides would possibly accept is a return to the December 2021 borders, reparations from Russia, and some negotiated settlement on water for Crimea.

In the very early days I was optimistic about a negotiated settlement, the longer the war has dragged on the less likely a settlement has looked.

The EU needs to consider the lack of Russian gas as a war, and make a "war effort" to counter the problem.

Even if the west stopped supplying Ukraine with weapons, they are more than capable of making their own weapons, and are likely becoming increasingly capable.

 

[CatB]

Didn't read this, but in general I really dislike the phrase "neither pro-Russian, nor pro-Ukrainian, just pro-peace.". Pro peace means one side wins. So you have to be pro Russian or pro Ukrainian. Actually pro Ukrainian, because if Russia wins, other countries are next in line to be invaded.

I agree it sounds dangerously naive, because - agree again - peace at any cost leaves Putler in a position to try again. I guess that’s what I found fascinating about this podcast, it gave me more empathy for someone who is just sick of war. It’s easy for us to say it may take another year or two, but if citizens are fatigued, and I wouldn’t blame them, Zelenskyy has his work cut out for him at home as well.

It’s also raises some thought-provoking issues about the role of journalism and how people cope. And it shares some insights into what life is like for an average citizen there now.

 

[CatB]

@MC3OZ
I think the Russian nationalism and genocide are another huge concern in this situation. Natural resources may be the economic driver of this, but there are also religious and cultural drivers for this conflict. As there seem to be for most wars.

 

[wdolson]

Russia has a paranoid mindset. Russian/Soviet governments have wanted to protect mother Russia from their enemies for many centuries.

When Russians use the term "Nazi", they don't mean 1940s Germans, the term has come to mean any enemy of Russia.

Russia also wants a buffer zone of "sub-humans" who are friendly to Russia to protect them from their true enemies like the United States and its "puppets" in western Europe. This is Russia's government's view, not objective reality.

Russia does want to occupy Ukraine's resource belts at minimum to protect Russia economically. If Ukrainian oil and gas were to come online it would enable Europe to disconnect from Russian gas painlessly leaving Russia economically weaker. Russia couldn't allow that to happen.

At this point the most likely thing to end this war will be something happening outside Ukraine. For the Ukrainians it could come from losing western resources. Many things could happen in Russia to collapse their war effort from unrest, the army refusing to fight, or running low on critical resources like ammunition.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

Russia has a paranoid mindset. Russian/Soviet governments have wanted to protect mother Russia from their enemies for many centuries.

When Russians use the term "Nazi", they don't mean 1940s Germans, the term has come to mean any enemy of Putler's RuSSia.

Russia also wants a buffer zone of "sub-humans" who are friendly to Russia to protect them from their true enemies like the United States and its "puppets" in western Europe. This is Russia's government's view, not objective reality.

Russia does want to occupy Ukraine's resource belts at minimum to protect Russia economically. If Ukrainian oil and gas were to come online it would enable Europe to disconnect from Russian gas painlessly leaving Russia economically weaker. Russia couldn't allow that to happen.

At this point the most likely thing to end this war will be something happening outside Ukraine. For the Ukrainians it could come from losing western resources. Many things could happen in Russia to collapse their war effort from unrest, the army refusing to fight, or running low on critical resources like ammunition.

I decided to help you a little and amended your post accordingly. You're very welcome!

RuSSia’s Fascist Military Dictator Putler claims that he wants to protect mother RuSSia from enemies. Enemies are defined as any other Democratic country.

When RuSSia’s Fascist Military Dictator Putler uses the term "Nazi", he doesn't mean 1940s Germans, the term has come to mean any enemy of Fascist RuSSia under his absolute dictatorial rule.

RuSSia’s Fascist Military Dictator Putler also wants a buffer zone of "sub-humans" who are friendly to Fascist RuSSia to protect Putler from his true enemies like the United States and it’s "puppets" in western Europe. This is RuSSia's government's view, not objective reality.

RuSSia’s Fascist Military Dictator Putler does want to occupy Ukraine's resource belts at minimum to protect RuSSia economically. If Ukrainian oil and gas were to come online it would enable Europe to disconnect from RuSSian gas painlessly leaving RuSSia economically weaker. RuSSia’s Fascist Military Dictator Putler couldn't allow that to happen.

At this point the most likely thing to end this war will be something happening outside Ukraine. For the Ukrainians it could come from losing western resources – but all Good Forces on this planet allowing – this will not happen. Many things could happen in RuSSia to collapse their war effort from unrest, the army refusing to fight, or running low on critical resources like ammunition.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

2022/08/28 - 11:43
Russian mercenary Igor Mangushev (Bereg) made a performance with the skull of a Ukrainian soldier killed near Azovstal. He said that Russia is at war not with people but with the Ukrainian idea, so all Ukrainians must be killed, Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazanskyy reported.

WARNING!
This link might be NSFW since it seemingly and allegedly contains a photograph and a movie with an actual human skull...

https://euromaidanpress.com/2022/08/28/russian-mercenary-made-performance-with-skull-of-killed-ukrainian-soldier/

Credit goes to (in Swedish):

Rysk soldat uppträdde med ukrainsk döskalle, "alla måste dödas" - rysk ansvarig för åtal mot krigsprotestanter fick BMW molotovad - rysk stridsvagnsdirektör åtalas för förskingring - luftvärn aktivt över Sevastopol - flera depåer himarsade

Kriget i Ukraina fortsätter och ryska försök till anfall i Donbasutbuktningen slogs tillbaka. I skrivande stund gick flyglarmen i stora delar av Ukraina. Ukraina himarsade flera depåer på Chersonfronten och ryskt luftvärn var återigen aktivt över Sevastopol på ockuperade Krym. En rysk soldat uppträd

cornucopia.se

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

New from Perun:

Russian Arms Exports - Will the Ukraine invasion tank their market share?​

Throughout the cold war, the Soviet Union dominated as a supplier of arms to the world, rivaling, and sometimes exceeding the United States as a source of global arms exports.

With the fall of the Union, the former Soviet arms industry struggled, but the Russian Federation steadily rebuilt its share of the global market, resting on a reputation as a reliable seller of 'rugged, reliable and affordable' weapons to those in the world without the diplomatic alignment, cash, or desire to purchase Western made equipment.

By 2014, Russian arms exports started to suffer reverses, damaged by sanctions and being cut off from industrial integration with Ukraine. But the industry survived.

Then February 2022 came, and an avalanche of import restrictions, banking and financial sanctions were joined with very public images of missile failures, turret tossing tanks, and an under-performing air-force. With the worst marketing one could hope for, this video explores the potential future for the Russian arms export sector, and its vital role in supporting the sustainability of Russian research and production efforts /...

 

[UncaNed]

@MC3OZ
I think the Russian nationalism and genocide are another huge concern in this situation. Natural resources may be the economic driver of this, but there are also religious and cultural drivers for this conflict. As there seem to be for most wars.

Imagine no religion.



Sigh...

 

[UncaNed]

Russia has a paranoid mindset. Russian/Soviet governments have wanted to protect mother Russia from their enemies for many centuries.

When Russians use the term "Nazi", they don't mean 1940s Germans, the term has come to mean any enemy of Russia.

Russia also wants a buffer zone of "sub-humans" who are friendly to Russia to protect them from their true enemies like the United States and its "puppets" in western Europe. This is Russia's government's view, not objective reality.

Russia does want to occupy Ukraine's resource belts at minimum to protect Russia economically. If Ukrainian oil and gas were to come online it would enable Europe to disconnect from Russian gas painlessly leaving Russia economically weaker. Russia couldn't allow that to happen.

At this point the most likely thing to end this war will be something happening outside Ukraine. For the Ukrainians it could come from losing western resources. Many things could happen in Russia to collapse their war effort from unrest, the army refusing to fight, or running low on critical resources like ammunition.

Sounds like Ukraine producing their own oil and gas is exactly what the west needs to ensure and protect.

 

[Tony73]

Sounds like Ukraine producing their own oil and gas is exactly what the west needs to ensure and protect.

The west needs to emphasize renewables and nuclear energy