Russia v Ukraine

[TheHowieLama]

On 15/05/2023 at 07:57, SasaS said:

Bump.

 

So, while things are slowly hotting up in general, Ukraine has improved its positions on the flanks north and south of Bakhmut, but is in the process of being pushed out of the remaining blocks it controls in the town. Strange.

Winning, bigly.

[Bjornebye]

 

 

 

 

[SasaS]

15 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

Winning, bigly.

 

From what  I can gather, they are trying to improve their positions so they can contain Russians more easily in Bakhmut as plan A, plan B would be pushing Russians all the way back on the flanks so that their position in the town becomes untenable, I guess in some kind of Stalingrad situation. 

 

B is probably not going to happen, but may be worth pursuing, it would not be of huge strategic importance in terms of situation on the ground but it would surely kill Russian morale, possibly for good.

[Megadrive Man]

Saw this earlier its Bucha, 1 year apart.  Fucking grim.

 

[SasaS]

Isn't this the opposite of grim?

[SasaS]

Mediazona updated Russian casualties confirmed by names, steadily high numbers. New total is 23,286 confirmed names. Names of pilots shot down in one day in Russia recently have been confirmed. Doubt that was a friendly fire incident.

 

Since our latest update on May 5, a total of 1,231 names have been added to the list of casualties. This figure represents the average number of casualties over the past month and a half, which is smaller than the peak we observed at the beginning of the year. During that time, an average of 1,500 to 2,000 deaths were confirmed every two weeks.

 

https://en.zona.media/article/2022/05/11/casualties_eng

[SasaS]

And this.

 

 

[DJLJ]

So now Russians are liberating parts of Russia from the Russians. Trolling is being taken to a whole new level there. 

[Ne Moe Imya]

It's a bit of a weird one, isn't it?
 

On the one hand, it's kind of hilarious that they're printing out ballots for the "referendum" on Belgorod declaring independence. Also that this "Russian offensive" has gone further in a day than the other one did in 9 months in Bakhmut.

 

On the other hand, a few people (at least) have actually died, so it's probably not that funny for them!

 

One has to suspect that the real motive here is to force Russia to re-deploy some troops to their borders, thus reducing the numbers at the location where Ukraine is going to spring their counteroffensive.

[Section_31]

SAS in the house.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/anti-kremlin-militia-freedom-of-russia-legion-overrun-russian-border-village-kozinka

[SasaS]

It seems to me that the Belgorod thing is a pretty stupid move. I cannot see what purpose it serves, other than feeding into the Russian narrative that Ukraine is a danger and must be dealt with. Or sends a message to the allies Ukraine either does not control the forces fighting on its side, or may be a partner of limited reliability.

 

It sounds like some harebrained scheme cocked up by Budanov in that office of his where he purportedly lives. Maybe the oxygen level goes down in the early hours.

[polymerpunkah]

Given that the languare they're using to describe it is the same as that used by Putin to deny involvement in the invasion of the Crimea, it looks like an attempt to troll the stupid fucking cunt.

 

Which seems a strange way to run a war.

[Edward.]

Our Ukrainian family returned home last week. Yesterday we got this message from them “Last night they bombed very hard we hid in the bathroom as it is a long way to the bomb shelter and when the bombs are already flying overhead, it’s better not to leave the house.” 

[Section_31]

I reckon these anti Russian Russians are legit, imagine how easy it is to bribe them to do what you want? I bet there's about 15 people around Putin right now with their own militias and designs on his job. 

[Section_31]

Seal Team 6 over here.

 

 

[SasaS]

There is one thing I don't understand and I have not seen anybody discuss that anywhere, who is paying for Wagner? I understand that the prisoners recruitment was some kind of arrangement with the MoD, but the "proper Wagner" must be extremely expensive and they have been using thousands of personnel over the 15-month period, which is very long engagement for a huge PMC.

 

Well equipped, trained and experienced mercenaries usually cost several times more than the professional or mobilized soldiers. Is this funded by Prigozhin himself or is the MoD paying for them? It must be the most expensive way of waging a big war. Even if they pay partially through business interest which, again, is much more difficult to actually put into practice than in Africa.

[Section_31]

The yanks used loads of Blackwater in Iraq, I don't think it's about them being better it's all sorts of other shady shit. Backhanders get exchanged for big contracts etc. Putin has probably got shares in Wagner.

 

We use the likes of G4S for embassy security and what not.

[SasaS]

32 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

The yanks used loads of Blackwater in Iraq, I don't think it's about them being better it's all sorts of other shady shit. Backhanders get exchanged for big contracts etc. Putin has probably got shares in Wagner.

 

We use the likes of G4S for embassy security and what not.

 

And Blackwater was very expensive, also, as far as I recall, they were used mainly as security. We are talking about thousands, fighting for months in a full scale war against a proper army, not African village militia or small groups of Iraqi insurgents with a few RPGs.

[Bobby Hundreds]

On 23/05/2023 at 15:56, Edward. said:

Our Ukrainian family returned home last week. Yesterday we got this message from them “Last night they bombed very hard we hid in the bathroom as it is a long way to the bomb shelter and when the bombs are already flying overhead, it’s better not to leave the house.” 

Didn't they even sign off with "wish you were here"

[TheHowieLama]

3 hours ago, SasaS said:

 

And Blackwater was very expensive, also, as far as I recall, they were used mainly as security. We are talking about thousands, fighting for months in a full scale war against a proper army, not African village militia or small groups of Iraqi insurgents with a few RPGs.

 

The last thing Putin is worried about is finding huge sums of untraceable cash.

[SasaS]

14 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

The last thing Putin is worried about is finding huge sums of untraceable cash.

Some figures will eventually have to be explained.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/government-budget-value

[TheHowieLama]

The sum of the some will be off by @ a billion.

[Edward.]

6 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Didn't they even sign off with "wish you were here"

They have told us we are welcome to visit anytime.

[Bruce Spanner]

17 hours ago, SasaS said:

 

And Blackwater was very expensive, also, as far as I recall, they were used mainly as security. We are talking about thousands, fighting for months in a full scale war against a proper army, not African village militia or small groups of Iraqi insurgents with a few RPGs.

Wagner are pillaging North Africa and funnelling their I’ll gotten gains through Saudi/UAE

 

They are, to a degree, self sustaining and looking at the bigger picture of their own power post conflict and see the investment now as worthwhile.

[SasaS]

1 hour ago, Bruce Spanner said:

Wagner are pillaging North Africa and funnelling their I’ll gotten gains through Saudi/UAE

 

They are, to a degree, self sustaining and looking at the bigger picture of their own power post conflict and see the investment now as worthwhile.

 

So what you are saying is they are employed in Ukraine as a volunteer force which costs Russia nothing?