Russia v Ukraine

[TheSire]

2 hours ago, Baltar said:

I hope this puts to bed the myth that Russia would invade Europe should they conquer Ukraine. I can't believe people were falling for this Cold War-style, fear-mongering bollocks. The Russian army would struggle to invade and subjugate my local pub, much less Western Europe. Even a mercenary group is marching to Moscow unopposed. The Russian military is useless. The idea they pose even a remote threat to NATO is laughable. Apart from the smallest nation members, I doubt Russia could militarily defeat a single NATO nation in a conventional conflict, much less the entire alliance.

They've struggled in Ukraine but it didn't stop them either.

[TheHowieLama]

3 minutes ago, TheSire said:

They've struggled in Ukraine but it didn't stop them either.

 

Stop them from what? Invading?

[TheSire]

3 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

Stop them from what? Invading?

Oui. They ARE slightly shit but they're so insecure and feel they have to show everyone how great they are so you can't really rule out future attempts at invasion if they did end up taking Ukraine.

[TheHowieLama]

Just now, TheSire said:

Oui. They ARE slightly shit but they're so insecure and feel they have to show everyone how great they are so you can't really rule out future attempts at invasion if they did end up taking Ukraine.

 

I think you can, because they haven't. Do you think there is a chance they do at this point?

Maybe you could if that had stormed through Ukraine but the reality is they have done very little on that front and have bolstered NATO all around.

[TheHowieLama]

34 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

 

"They wanted to disband the Wagner military company. We embarked on a march of justice on 23 June.

In 24 hours, we got to within 200 km of Moscow. In this time we did not spill a single drop of our fighters' blood.

Now the moment has come when blood could be spilled. Understanding responsibility [for the chance] that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our columns around and going back to field camps as planned."

Prigozhni's statement has been viewed on his Telegram channel more than three million times.

 

 

The military mastermind had not considered this??

[polymerpunkah]

If nothing else, hopefully Prighozin accidentally falls out of a motor-boat and gets prodded to death by a military-trained dolphin; Wagner loses it's leader, in Ukraine and around the world.

[Leyton388]

.

 

[TheSire]

6 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

I think you can, because they haven't. Do you think there is a chance they do at this point?

Maybe you could if that had stormed through Ukraine but the reality is they have done very little on that front and have bolstered NATO all around.

I think they would have loved to do so but obviously they're not going anywhere in Ukraine so it's not going to happen as things stand. The whole thing has massively backfired for Russia hasn't it?

[TheHowieLama]

2 minutes ago, TheSire said:

I think they would have loved to do so but obviously they're not going anywhere in Ukraine so it's not going to happen as things stand. The whole thing has massively backfired for Russia hasn't it?

 

I would agree.

 

Isn't that what would prevent any future attempts? I imagine the countries that border them do not have the same fear they had 30 months ago. 

Add that to China basically sitting on their hands and that axis would seem to be considerably weaker than it was.

[SasaS]

There will be considerable political fall-out from this still.

[Captain Howdy]

Top call from fatty to invade Ukraine. It’s gone really well, I’m impressed

[Bobby Hundreds]

I think once the dust settles the rest of the world should eliminate Wagner and any other private/corporate mercenary group. Murderers for hire, legitimised because they wear camo! No thanks 

[Leyton388]

19 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

I think once the dust settles the rest of the world should eliminate Wagner and any other private/corporate mercenary group. Murderers for hire, legitimised because they wear camo! No thanks 

 

Be a quick job for the likes of the SAS and other special forces. 

[Anubis]

So they’ve all come to a cosy deal.

 

Prigozhin getting Skripal’d in 12 months time.

[Kepler-186]

The host of the podcast In Moscow’s Shadow was on the Beeb this morning, Mark Galeotti. 

 

https://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/

I’ve started it from the beginning but it covers the build up to the invasion last year in later episodes. 
 

In his interview this morning he said the next generation of politician kleptocrats just want to get back to siphoning money into their pockets, buying up West London and chilling on the mega yachts. 

 

[SasaS]

Well, that was a nice 24-hour glimpse into a basket case that is Russia.

 

Meanwhile, Polish Rochan Consulting thinks Ukrainian offensive is behind schedule and now more or less stuck. Michael Kaufman said on the War on the Rocks podcast it is behind schedule but it is too soon to tell will it be successful. Arty Green opined a couple of days ago in an interview that everything was going well, lessons have been learned, arms provided, they will be grinding them down for about two months (he is usually less optimistic).

 

Rohan gave some of it's weekly briefing for free (they are pretty good):  

 

https://rochanconsulting.substack.com/p/ukraine-conflict-monitor-17-june

[redheart]

1 hour ago, Kepler-186 said:

The host of the podcast In Moscow’s Shadow was on the Beeb this morning, Mark Galeotti. 

 

https://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/

I’ve started it from the beginning but it covers the build up to the invasion last year in later episodes. 
 

In his interview this morning he said the next generation of politician kleptocrats just want to get back to siphoning money into their pockets, buying up West London and chilling on the mega yachts. 

 

 

I know Mark and was taught by him. Top bloke

[Kepler-186]

25 minutes ago, redheart said:

 

I know Mark and was taught by him. Top bloke

Brilliant that. I’ve got a lot to catch up on but the pod is very listenable.
 

I’m still trying to work through TraumaZone on iPlayer but the latest one I saw introduced the war in Chechnya mid 90s. 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheHowieLama]

Wagner lads seemed to be pretty well received by the public, as in, like rock stars. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

[Section_31]

6 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

Wagner lads seemed to be pretty well received by the public, as in, like rock stars. 

Somewhat short sighted given most of them are rapists and whatnot.

[JagSquared]

12 hours ago, Section_31 said:

Somewhat short sighted given most of them are rapists and whatnot.

Let’s be fair some of them are murderers too.

[JagSquared]

Also what’s the deal now he’s been exiled to Belarus? Has he taken all his mercenaries with him and therefore they won’t be fighting in Ukraine now? Or have they been moved under the army control.

[Section_31]

2 minutes ago, JagSquared said:

Also what’s the deal now he’s been exiled to Belarus? Has he taken all his mercenaries with him and therefore they won’t be fighting in Ukraine now? Or have they been moved under the army control.

 

I think some have been moved into the army, no doubt a few will have accidents.

 

The exile thing is mad, yeah he may have been bought off but he'll only ever be able to spend it in Belarus.

 

I reckon there's a longer game here. Some turds will be circling no doubt.

[TheHowieLama]

Russian intelligence services threatened to harm the families of Wagner leaders before Yevgeny Prigozhin called of the advance to Moscow, according to UK security sources.