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"It's an unending Hell. I live in a casement at the bottom of the fort with the light on day and night. You can't go out for fear of shell fragments which fall daily into the trenches and onto the fort. In a word, it is solitude in all its horror; when will this veritable martyrdom end?" - Soldier in Fort Choisel, Verdun 1916
Said quote could easily be attributed to someone at Bakhmut. Horrendous fighting, surprised we haven't seen Satellite photos of no mans land yet.
After the artillery fights Russia apparently attacked all along the line. No breakthroughs so far.
Don't mention the war when talking with Putin...
The Kremlin has urged members of the presidential Human Rights Council “not to upset” Russian leader Vladimir Putin with thorny questions about the war in Ukraine when they meet Wednesday, independent media reported, citing unnamed sources close to the council.
Russia has stopped using Iranian-made kamikaze drones in Ukraine because they don't work in cold weather, a Ukrainian official said.
Yevgeny Silkin, of the Joint Forces Command for Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that Russia had stopped using the Iranian drones, which are made of plastic and other materials that are not frost resistant, according to Ukrainian news agency UNIAN.
The outlet said that the drones have not been used in Ukraine since November 17, which was also the first day that it snowed in Ukraine this year.
Winters in Ukraine can be cold, with mean temperatures often below freezing between December and March.
Russia started to use the Iranian drones in October, as part of a new playbook that targeted power distribution and other critical infrastructure from afar. Ukrainian civilians have also been killed by drone strikes.
Iran and Russia have denied any cooperation on weapons, but Iran later admitted that it had sent Russia weapons, adding that this was before Russia's invasion of Ukraine started.
Multiple reports and Western intelligence assessments have contradicted this.
The UK, US, and EU have put sanctions on the drone manufacturer and some individuals over supplying the weaponry to Russia.
CNN reported in November that Iran was preparing to send more weapons to Ukraine, including short range ballistic missiles. And it reported that Iran and Russia had reached an agreement for Russia to start producing the drones itself.
The UK's ministry of defense said on November 23 that Russia was likely running out of the drones, but that it could purchase more.
Multiple reports have also said that Iran has been training Russia on how to use the drones and other weapons.
On December 3rd, Avril Haines, the US National Intelligence Director, said that winter conditions are expected to slow the war, and that there was already a "reduced tempo."
On December 07 2022 22:08 Magic Powers wrote: 6000 Russian soldiers are reported to have been lost in Bakhmut within just 2 weeks. An unimaginable rate. Total losses throughout the war are estimated to be 88 000.
Well, I don't think it's record breaking either. I think 300-400 soldiers/day was an average a few months ago for some of battles if I remember right. Hopefully Ukraine prepares for spring, I think Russia would do one more push then. If they defend well, who knows.. maybe things will improve greatly to end the war as soon as possible.
Yes, it was. They arrested and put her in jail, specifically so they could trade her for someone else. And they got exactly that. I would be very wary if I were US citizen traveling to Russia because that is bound to happen again.
On December 09 2022 05:20 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: 60 Minutes interview with President Macron. Talks about the war in Ukraine, and energy crisis mostly.
Does it explain why he keeps trying to appease Russia, as if that will somehow do more then just embolden them to invade more countries? Did he skip European history in school? Did no one explain Chamberlain and Nazi appeasement to him?
On December 09 2022 05:20 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: 60 Minutes interview with President Macron. Talks about the war in Ukraine, and energy crisis mostly.
Does it explain why he keeps trying to appease Russia, as if that will somehow do more then just embolden them to invade more countries? Did he skip European history in school? Did no one explain Chamberlain and Nazi appeasement to him?
He states that having Russia in isolation is very dangerous. But peace through diplomacy is better, but it is the decision of Ukraine.
Russia in isolation is very dangerous he says? Then what is current Russia? A peace of cake? Macron needs someone to whack him over the head every time he says something dumb.
On December 09 2022 05:20 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: 60 Minutes interview with President Macron. Talks about the war in Ukraine, and energy crisis mostly.
Does it explain why he keeps trying to appease Russia, as if that will somehow do more then just embolden them to invade more countries? Did he skip European history in school? Did no one explain Chamberlain and Nazi appeasement to him?
He states that having Russia in isolation is very dangerous. But peace through diplomacy is better, but it is the decision of Ukraine.
We tried involving Russia in the world. I seem to remember people gave Merkel a LOT of shit for Russia not being in isolation when this war started.
When will some of you understand that the first responsibility of a leader is his people ? Zelensky is exactly in his role, including the harsh statements he is making to push other leaders for more (but inside they are already really grateful for what they could get, even though it's naturally never enough as long as the war is still going on), and the other western leaders are also, including Macron. You push Russia too much in a corner, and you'll get nukes somewhere/everywhere. It might not be pleasing to hear, but there's no magic solution, it's a shitty world and a cornered animal will bite. If Russia wasn't a nuclear power, it wouldn't have been able to pull so much shit and have that amount of leverage, and the war would have ended already due to overwhelming support from abroad. We live in a world where the slightest mistake can sadly bring the end when you are faced with a madman holding nukes, and armchair assessments everywhere are really starting to make me lose patience.
It might not be pleasing to hear or accept, but it's still the truth.
The only "easy" solution would be a popular uprising, but that will never happen, Russians have never lived "free". Sadly, Putin backed himself into a corner and has no way out. This WILL be ugly, wherever it goes. Even if he is deposed, any "new" leader leaving Ukraine would get immediate internal backlash and would not be able to keep the "moral high ground" AND control the apparatus in Russia. There's no one sane able to do that. The end of the Cold war was a slow process coming from inside the party. There is none of that currently.
On December 09 2022 05:20 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: 60 Minutes interview with President Macron. Talks about the war in Ukraine, and energy crisis mostly.
Does it explain why he keeps trying to appease Russia, as if that will somehow do more then just embolden them to invade more countries? Did he skip European history in school? Did no one explain Chamberlain and Nazi appeasement to him?
He states that having Russia in isolation is very dangerous. But peace through diplomacy is better, but it is the decision of Ukraine.
We tried involving Russia in the world. I seem to remember people gave Merkel a LOT of shit for Russia not being in isolation when this war started.
And it seemed to be working for a while, until their leader's brain turned to mush and thought they could make Russia great again. But we had to try.
On December 09 2022 05:20 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: 60 Minutes interview with President Macron. Talks about the war in Ukraine, and energy crisis mostly.
Does it explain why he keeps trying to appease Russia, as if that will somehow do more then just embolden them to invade more countries? Did he skip European history in school? Did no one explain Chamberlain and Nazi appeasement to him?
He states that having Russia in isolation is very dangerous. But peace through diplomacy is better, but it is the decision of Ukraine.
We tried involving Russia in the world. I seem to remember people gave Merkel a LOT of shit for Russia not being in isolation when this war started.
And it seemed to be working for a while, until their leader's brain turned to mush and thought they could make Russia great again. But we had to try.
I don't blame people for trying, economic integration successfully ended centuries of war in Europe. But now that it has failed for Russia, atleast in the short term, it seems incredibly stupid to keep pushing appeasement.
On December 09 2022 06:05 Nouar wrote:You push Russia too much in a corner, and you'll get nukes somewhere/everywhere.
No, we won't. The nuclear option is a negotiative tool to keep NATO out of the war. That's its only purpose. If Putin tries to use the nuclear card for anything else, he'd just be overplaying it. Russia will lose all Ukrainian territory until the pre-war situation is established once more. Then a ceasefire is likely, because reclaiming Crimea will prove to be especially difficult. Putin has no incentive to use nukes in that scenario.
Bout is a relic of a world where Russia could trade freely with the outside world and had stuff to sell to nations. Hes worthless now and trading him for an american olympian is a good trade.
If anything he's been a huge net plus for this war in draining out the stocks. Russia could really use all those weapons he sold right about now.
On December 09 2022 05:20 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: 60 Minutes interview with President Macron. Talks about the war in Ukraine, and energy crisis mostly.
Does it explain why he keeps trying to appease Russia, as if that will somehow do more then just embolden them to invade more countries? Did he skip European history in school? Did no one explain Chamberlain and Nazi appeasement to him?
The parallel isn't helpful. For example, Nazi Germany didn't have the capability to annihilate a majority of the world's population. If they had, I bet we wouldn't be here now.
If your position is just do whatever it takes to bring Russia to its knees, why don't you just call for an airdrop of special NATO forces directly into Moscow or something? Everyone wants Ukraine to win and everyone sees the need for some kind of brinksmanship. The question is where to draw the line.
On December 09 2022 05:20 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: 60 Minutes interview with President Macron. Talks about the war in Ukraine, and energy crisis mostly.
Does it explain why he keeps trying to appease Russia, as if that will somehow do more then just embolden them to invade more countries? Did he skip European history in school? Did no one explain Chamberlain and Nazi appeasement to him?
The parallel isn't helpful. For example, Nazi Germany didn't have the capability to annihilate a majority of the world's population. If they had, I bet we wouldn't be here now.
If your position is just do whatever it takes to bring Russia to its knees, why don't you just call for an airdrop of special NATO forces directly into Moscow or something? Everyone wants Ukraine to win and everyone sees the need for some kind of brinksmanship. The question is where to draw the line.
Holy mother of strawmen. I say "don't appease" and you jump right to regime change at the end of a gun as my point?
Macron talks about giving Russia security guarantees to take away the threat of NATO to Russia. That's is complete and utter bullshit. This war isn't about NATO threatening Russia, its about Russia wanting to be able to bully its neighbours into subservient vassal states through force of arms. NATO exists as a defensive pact to ward of threats of violence by foreign nations, exactly what Russia uses to maintain its sphere of influence and it absolutely should not compromise on that.
NATO is not threatening Russia, and Russia acknowledged that when it withdraw a lot of its forces along the NATO border to re-direct to the conflict in Ukraine.
And I think the parallel very much works here. Appeasing Nazi Germany did not stop them from invading more countries, and appeasing Russia in its current state will not stop them from invading their neighbours. Economic sanctions that hurt their ability to maintain, equip and pay their military will do a whole lot more. We don't need to invade Russia to make it harder for them to invade another sovereign nation.
Maybe I am stupid, but one way of solving the conflict would be to announce that Ukraine has now nuclear missiles? Doesn't that stops any threat of nuclear retaliation from Russia?
It would be such a huge overstepping over all red lines and beyond, that I think it would work. Because suddenly, russian population would be scared of actions in Ukraine, and that fear would be enough.
Lack of fear of consequences is what is keeping Putin in power.
now, this is only naïve speculation, but who Russia would retaliate to, if it couldn't know who gave the nukes, where they are, and are they real?
On December 09 2022 19:54 0x64 wrote: Maybe I am stupid, but one way of solving the conflict would be to announce that Ukraine has now nuclear missiles? Doesn't that stops any threat of nuclear retaliation from Russia?
It would be such a huge overstepping over all red lines and beyond, that I think it would work. Because suddenly, russian population would be scared of actions in Ukraine, and that fear would be enough.
Lack of fear of consequences is what is keeping Putin in power.
now, this is only naïve speculation, but who Russia would retaliate to, if it couldn't know who gave the nukes, where they are, and are they real?
Ukraine: “get out or we nuke Moscow” Russia: “no” Ukraine: “I’ll do it” Russia: “then we’ll nuke all your cities in response”
EPT
