Russia v Ukraine

[Bjornebye 33,758]

It's gonna kick the fuck off again.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/12/europe/ukraine-zelensky-front-lines/index.html

 

Ukraine's President heads to the trenches as Russia masses its troops

EXCLUSIVE by Matthew Chance, CNN

Updated 1152 GMT (1952 HKT) April 12, 2021

On the front lines in eastern Ukraine (CNN)Ankle-deep in thick black sludge, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky moves stealthily with his troops in single file through the warren of trenches and tunnels that form the tense front lines in the east of his country.

It feels more like the early 20th century than a modern conflict, with tired, nervous soldiers gripping their rifles around him as they reach open ground, scanning the area for movement across no-mans-land.

They know snipers, likely trained by Russians, say Ukrainian officials are looking for a chance to fire. More than 20 of their comrades have been gunned down already this year.

It's eerily quiet with an occasional crack of a gunshot in the distance shattering the calm, keeping everybody on edge.

 

 

[cochyn 925]

Been rumbling  on for years this. Russian backed separatists holding onto eastern Ukraine. Just happens to be parliamentary elections in October. Could just be an early hustings?

[Bjornebye 33,758]

2 minutes ago, cochyn said:

Been rumbling  on for years this. Russian backed separatists holding onto eastern Ukraine. Just happens to be parliamentary elections in October. Could just be an early hustings?

Yeah you hope it's just a whose got a bigger dick exercise but something tells me a land invasion is imminent. Did they ever find out who shot that plane down?  I know they were blaming each other but my attention was more on the missing Malaysian one. 

[YorkshireRed 2,804]

I know we’ve at least one poster on here married to a Ukrainian, so they might tell me different, but having worked in both countries it’s always struck me how spectacularly unaware they seem to be about these types of things.
 

Probably more so in Russia but still...

 

Makes me wonder what they get told about the behaviour of our governments that gets glossed over here. 

[Bjornebye 33,758]

2 minutes ago, YorkshireRed said:

I know we’ve at least one poster on here married to a Ukrainian, so they might tell me different, but having worked in both countries it’s always struck me how spectacularly unaware they seem to be about these types of things.
 

Probably more so in Russia but still...

 

Makes me wonder what they get told about the behaviour of our governments that gets glossed over here. 

Can't be as bad as 6 times world cup winners North Korea 

[Strontium 11,216]

1 hour ago, YorkshireRed said:

I know we’ve at least one poster on here married to a Ukrainian, so they might tell me different, but having worked in both countries it’s always struck me how spectacularly unaware they seem to be about these types of things.
 

Probably more so in Russia but still...

 

Makes me wonder what they get told about the behaviour of our governments that gets glossed over here. 

 

I used to think Brits were nationalistic until I encountered Russians. Somewhat unreconstructed from a racial point of view too, if the numerous references to "Africans" in the England national f**tb*ll team are anything to go by.

 

Probable the worst crime: they are the biggest cheats and hackers in multiplayer gaming.

[Section_31 25,142]

What's George Galloway got to say about this? 

[Strontium 11,216]

Galloway is an employee of the Russian state, so you can probably guess.

[Captain Turdseye 15,007]

Send Harry Hill over there. Then we’ll know who wins in less time than it takes for an ad break. 

[M_B 945]

Sudentenland part 2. Wouldn't be suprised if they try to annx everything up to the Dnieper.

 

Nato won't do a thing, and Putin knows it.

[Remmie 6,986]

2 hours ago, YorkshireRed said:

I know we’ve at least one poster on here married to a Ukrainian, so they might tell me different, but having worked in both countries it’s always struck me how spectacularly unaware they seem to be about these types of things.
 

Probably more so in Russia but still...

 

Makes me wonder what they get told about the behaviour of our governments that gets glossed over here. 

You want unaware (probably not), I was in Kyiv buying cheese and killing time whilst there was an uprising and people were getting snipered in Maidan. 

 

It's fucking awful all this, but luckily my wife is from the furthest possible spot in Ukraine from all the trouble. They tried to conscript my father in law to fight over there, but he has high blood pressure and my wife got him to drink lots of coffee and Coca-Cola before a hospital appointment so he was exempted on health grounds. 

[Bruce Spanner 5,896]

Britain and the US signed a treaty guaranteeing Ukrain's "independence and sovereignty" in 1994.

 

They signed it in exchange for Ukraine getting rid of its nuclear arsenal.

 

So, if Russia invades we're duty bound to go to their rescue.

 

Cool.

[Anubis 21,565]

9 minutes ago, Bruce Spanner said:

Britain and the US signed a treaty guaranteeing Ukrain's "independence and sovereignty" in 1994.

 

They signed it in exchange for Ukraine getting rid of its nuclear arsenal.

 

So, if Russia invades we're duty bound to go to their rescue.

 

Cool.

 

So Remmie might end up conscripted to fight over there?

[M_B 945]

It didn't stop them annexing the Crimea and we did nothing over that. Same thing will happen.

[Bruce Spanner 5,896]

10 minutes ago, Anubis said:

 

So Remmie might end up conscripted to fight over there?

 

Fingers crossed, we need eyes on the ground over there and with his jovial nature and natural bonhomie he'd be the best amongst us to be on the first flight.

[SasaS 3,208]

14 minutes ago, Bruce Spanner said:

Britain and the US signed a treaty guaranteeing Ukrain's "independence and sovereignty" in 1994.

 

They signed it in exchange for Ukraine getting rid of its nuclear arsenal.

 

So, if Russia invades we're duty bound to go to their rescue.

 

Cool.

 

Duty did save Czechoslovakia and Poland in the 30s from Germany.

[Anubis 21,565]

6 minutes ago, M_B said:

It didn't stop them annexing the Crimea and we did nothing over that. Same thing will happen.

 

The West had almost certainly factored that in when they encouraged the 'orange' uprising by right-wing groups. The West got what it wanted - Ukraine opened up to western influence and a series of nice, fat IMF loans - they even have a loan from the UK.

 

Russia acted to secure it's naval bases in the Crimea. Both sides got what they wanted.

[M_B 945]

You think then that Biden would put his foot down? Can't see it myself. And obviously Johnson wouldn't cause the Russians would wipe the floor with the British Army.

 

All depends on whether or not Biden would take a stand, but I can't see him getting the American public to support a confrontation over it.

[Bruce Spanner 5,896]

2 minutes ago, M_B said:

You think then that Biden would put his foot down? Can't see it myself. And obviously Johnson wouldn't cause the Russians would wipe the floor with the British Army.

 

All depends on whether or not Biden would take a stand, but I can't see him getting the American public to support a confrontation over it.

 

Yep, more pointless sanctions and international condemnation will be the order of the day.

 

Though both nations have just identified Russia as their international bogeyman, so you never know.

[Nunavut Patrick 4,923]

We must send Remmie there his massive pigs would foil any mission guidance system and save the Donbas. Or Crimea. Possibly both.

 

I dated a woman whose mother’s side was Ukrainian and her uncle had to cancel a trip home

for fear of being conscripted. It didn’t last long which is a shame as apparently her Baba made goose neck stuffing which was to die for. 

[Nunavut Patrick 4,923]

Oh and leave the Slauvitich brewery alone as well. 

[Lee909 13,006]

3 minutes ago, Colonel Kurtz said:

I think the Russian armed forces are massively over hyped. A few years ago but not decades, a chap bought a Russian submarine straight from their navy, sailed it to london and opened it as a tourist attraction. We went and it was like a steam train, all cast iron levers, brass gauges and not a computer screen anywhere in sight. Looked like something from the Victorian age but it had been in service in the Baltic sea only weeks before. I think it’s in an estuary in Kent now. 

It was commissioned in the 60's and a diesel-electric patrol sub, and only used as a training vessel until they sold it in the early 90s. It wasn't used in any active service for years. Even the last built of that class was out of service over 20 years ago. 

[Bobby Hundreds 10,445]

How can Russia even fund an army when Putin and the Oligarchs have rinsed the country and continue to do so. 

[Remmie 6,986]

1 hour ago, Anubis said:

 

So Remmie might end up conscripted to fight over there?

I am fully committed to while away hours buying cheese in the middle of a war one. 

 

Alternatively its the ultimate 80s B movie: Pigs vs Commies

[clangers 710]

2 hours ago, Colonel Kurtz said:

I think the Russian armed forces are massively over hyped. A few years ago but not decades, a chap bought a Russian submarine straight from their navy, sailed it to london and opened it as a tourist attraction. We went and it was like a steam train, all cast iron levers, brass gauges and not a computer screen anywhere in sight. Looked like something from the Victorian age but it had been in service in the Baltic sea only weeks before. I think it’s in an estuary in Kent now. 

It is, they have a lot of mothballed cold war era kit, most of it won't even be serviceable. They have a small but effective strike capability that rivals the US but as we saw in Syria whilst their performance was hugely impressive for the first few days once they started needing to rotate and service equipment their effectiveness dropped significantly. Only the US at the moment can realistically maintain a level of capability and supply it over a longer period of time. China may one day rival that given their spending.