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On December 13 2025 01:20 Billyboy wrote: It’s a crazy long shot, but maybe this is finally the thing that brings Zeo into the light, that well western media is far from perfect. Russian media is just flat out lying to you.
My experience is that there is too much emotional weight associated with certain narratives for many people from countries that have gone through wars for the possibility of a rational discussion based on evidence and open mind to ever occur.
I have observed that with several Serbian people when it comes to their perception of the west, I have lived that in my own family with the Falklands war and it’s of course at play with lots of Russian folks. You won’t change the cornerstone of someone’s worldview with an internet discussion especially when that worldview is so loaded.
Heh, a nation without a navy is beating 3rd strongest navy in the world on a sea it doesn't have access to. Ukrainian special forces struck 2 Russian ships transporting weapons and military equipment. Again on the Caspian Sea.
Also, Russian troops in Kupyansk are now encircled and cut off from their main lines as Ukraine has retaken large swaths of land around it and liberated some settlements in the Kharkiv region.
Zelensky even went there and took a video of himself in Kupyansk area (next to a huge Kupyansk sign marking the city outskirts).
A successful counterattack is obviously good news but a successful withdrawal to the next prepared line is also good news. We should avoid the trap of thinking that holding any of these towns is a strategic necessity for Ukraine. The overall strategy just requires prolonging the pain for Russia.
On December 13 2025 05:16 KwarK wrote: A successful counterattack is obviously good news but a successful withdrawal to the next prepared line is also good news. We should avoid the trap of thinking that holding any of these towns is a strategic necessity for Ukraine. The overall strategy just requires prolonging the pain for Russia.
I agree, but if they can take some of the land back instead of retreating it's double the success since Russia now has to waste more resources to get back to the place they've already been to by wasting a lot of resources.
It's also great for optics since not long ago Putin was saying that if Ukraine won't sign the peace deal more towns will share the fate of Kupyansk and here we are a few days later with Kupyansk almost liberated. This really breaks Russian narrative and also Trump's narrative of Russia being able to take everything if they really wanted to.
On December 13 2025 05:16 KwarK wrote: A successful counterattack is obviously good news but a successful withdrawal to the next prepared line is also good news. We should avoid the trap of thinking that holding any of these towns is a strategic necessity for Ukraine. The overall strategy just requires prolonging the pain for Russia.
I agree, but if they can take some of the land back instead of retreating it's double the success since Russia now has to waste more resources to get back to the place they've already been to by wasting a lot of resources.
It's also great for optics since not long ago Putin was saying that if Ukraine won't sign the peace deal more towns will share the fate of Kupyansk and here we are a few days later with Kupyansk almost liberated. This really breaks Russian narrative and also Trump's narrative of Russia being able to take everything if they really wanted to.
Russia can take it if they really want to. They just need to start lobbing nukes at a few border cities and clearly stating Kiev is next. If Ukraine doesn't surrender they then need to follow through.
Long term that is probably worse for Russia but they can technically win the war somewhat rapidly if they want to.
On December 13 2025 05:16 KwarK wrote: A successful counterattack is obviously good news but a successful withdrawal to the next prepared line is also good news. We should avoid the trap of thinking that holding any of these towns is a strategic necessity for Ukraine. The overall strategy just requires prolonging the pain for Russia.
I agree, but if they can take some of the land back instead of retreating it's double the success since Russia now has to waste more resources to get back to the place they've already been to by wasting a lot of resources.
It's also great for optics since not long ago Putin was saying that if Ukraine won't sign the peace deal more towns will share the fate of Kupyansk and here we are a few days later with Kupyansk almost liberated. This really breaks Russian narrative and also Trump's narrative of Russia being able to take everything if they really wanted to.
Russia can take it if they really want to. They just need to start lobbing nukes at a few border cities and clearly stating Kiev is next. If Ukraine doesn't surrender they then need to follow through.
Long term that is probably worse for Russia but they can technically win the war somewhat rapidly if they want to.
Nuke works much better defensively than offensively. never underestimate what 40 million people 800 km from your capital can do to your country when you remove any hope from them and show your true colors.
Also if their nukes are failing for lack of maintenance and corruption... You'd rather not have tried to nuke someone and missed...
On December 13 2025 05:16 KwarK wrote: A successful counterattack is obviously good news but a successful withdrawal to the next prepared line is also good news. We should avoid the trap of thinking that holding any of these towns is a strategic necessity for Ukraine. The overall strategy just requires prolonging the pain for Russia.
I agree, but if they can take some of the land back instead of retreating it's double the success since Russia now has to waste more resources to get back to the place they've already been to by wasting a lot of resources.
It's also great for optics since not long ago Putin was saying that if Ukraine won't sign the peace deal more towns will share the fate of Kupyansk and here we are a few days later with Kupyansk almost liberated. This really breaks Russian narrative and also Trump's narrative of Russia being able to take everything if they really wanted to.
Russia can take it if they really want to. They just need to start lobbing nukes at a few border cities and clearly stating Kiev is next. If Ukraine doesn't surrender they then need to follow through.
Long term that is probably worse for Russia but they can technically win the war somewhat rapidly if they want to.
Not entierly sure you can win a war by having your country turn to glass. One thing is for sure, everyone in the world would lose in this scenario
Ukraine could make a dirty bomb and saturate central Moscow today if it wanted to. It has some deterrent options. Russia’s stated nuclear use policy prohibits that kind of offensive use in any case though.
On December 13 2025 05:16 KwarK wrote: A successful counterattack is obviously good news but a successful withdrawal to the next prepared line is also good news. We should avoid the trap of thinking that holding any of these towns is a strategic necessity for Ukraine. The overall strategy just requires prolonging the pain for Russia.
I agree, but if they can take some of the land back instead of retreating it's double the success since Russia now has to waste more resources to get back to the place they've already been to by wasting a lot of resources.
It's also great for optics since not long ago Putin was saying that if Ukraine won't sign the peace deal more towns will share the fate of Kupyansk and here we are a few days later with Kupyansk almost liberated. This really breaks Russian narrative and also Trump's narrative of Russia being able to take everything if they really wanted to.
Russia can take it if they really want to. They just need to start lobbing nukes at a few border cities and clearly stating Kiev is next. If Ukraine doesn't surrender they then need to follow through.
Long term that is probably worse for Russia but they can technically win the war somewhat rapidly if they want to.
Russia using nukes is a sure fire way for Russia to lose the war abruptly.
On December 13 2025 08:59 KwarK wrote: Ukraine could make a dirty bomb and saturate central Moscow today if it wanted to. It has some deterrent options. Russia’s stated nuclear use policy prohibits that kind of offensive use in any case though.
I guess a lot of people forget that most of Russia's nukes, rockets, ballistic missiles etc. were developed and built in Ukraine. They've got plenty of specialists in those fields which is one of the reasons they're able to iterate so quickly on their long range attack capabilities.
On December 13 2025 08:59 KwarK wrote: Ukraine could make a dirty bomb and saturate central Moscow today if it wanted to. It has some deterrent options. Russia’s stated nuclear use policy prohibits that kind of offensive use in any case though.
I guess a lot of people forget that most of Russia's nukes, rockets, ballistic missiles etc. were developed and built in Ukraine. They've got plenty of specialists in those fields which is one of the reasons they're able to iterate so quickly on their long range attack capabilities.
"I mean it's not rocket science" oh wait... Maybe Russia is so busy winning it forgot it had nukes to win in 3 days.
On December 13 2025 08:59 KwarK wrote: Ukraine could make a dirty bomb and saturate central Moscow today if it wanted to. It has some deterrent options. Russia’s stated nuclear use policy prohibits that kind of offensive use in any case though.
I guess a lot of people forget that most of Russia's nukes, rockets, ballistic missiles etc. were developed and built in Ukraine. They've got plenty of specialists in those fields which is one of the reasons they're able to iterate so quickly on their long range attack capabilities.
"I mean it's not rocket science" oh wait... Maybe Russia is so busy winning it forgot it had nukes to win in 3 days.
Their last ICBM test didn't go very well so we can assume most of their cold war era arsenal is not really fit for duty. If they launched nukes and failed it would be a total disaster for them.
Russian colonel general Kozovlev, who was awarded a gold star medal for taking Kupyansk by Putin personally on the 9th of December is now missing and presumed dead.
On December 14 2025 22:09 Manit0u wrote: Russian colonel general Kozovlev, who was awarded a gold star medal for taking Kupyansk by Putin personally on the 9th of December is now missing and presumed dead.
Russian Colonel General top to bottom speedrun record?
Edit: Seems Ukraine got him, rather than another window jumper
On December 14 2025 22:09 Manit0u wrote: Russian colonel general Kozovlev, who was awarded a gold star medal for taking Kupyansk by Putin personally on the 9th of December is now missing and presumed dead.
Handing out medals for allegedly taking a town you had under your control over three years ago during an offensive war would be an embarrassment anywhere outside Russia. Not to mention wrecking your economy for it, the "liberation" being a fantasy in the first place and the recipient getting killed immediately after.
These morons will never realize they're a bad joke, no amount of ridicule is enough. Especially now that Trump is constantly pumping their tyres and they're getting validation from their dad, the USA, that they so desperately crave.
Russia is now facing another crisis at home. Nearly 7000 road transport firms are on the brink of bankruptcy. Between sanctions, fuel shortages and high interest rates their operating costs have increased by about 50% and the workload has also increased because they had to pick up stuff that was also previously transported by cargo trains (which are now transporting military equipment to the front).
This puts a really big strain on the civilian logistics sector. Obviously Moscow and St. Petersburg are prioritized for deliveries but this leaves a lot of the smaller regions with empty shelves and prices of basic goods are skyrocketing - stores are now putting butter in special locked containers, eggs, chicken and vegetables are often missing entirely, even potatoes become unaffordable and they're the basic survival food for the poor as prices rise faster than pay.
There was also the closed borders to the south that made a lot of transports get stuck. Probably adds to that shortage.
I still think EU countries should have had open borders for truck drivers at the start of the war. Removes available man power from Russia and covers one of the largest sectors with personnel shortage in Europe. This could have happened years ago by actively working to remove the manpower pool willing to stay away a long time to do their work.
On December 16 2025 00:52 Yurie wrote: There was also the closed borders to the south that made a lot of transports get stuck. Probably adds to that shortage.
I still think EU countries should have had open borders for truck drivers at the start of the war. Removes available man power from Russia and covers one of the largest sectors with personnel shortage in Europe. This could have happened years ago by actively working to remove the manpower pool willing to stay away a long time to do their work.
Even without those measures Russia has huge manpower shortages in the sector. Some of them are dying at the front lines and quite a lot of them are driving military trucks since normal transport firms can't compete with military sign-up bonuses.
Overall you have a culmination of multiple factors:
loss of some supply chains due to sanctions
manpower shortages
increased costs and time required for transportation (normal 3 day delivery is now extended to 10+ days)
increased demand as trains are no longer an option for transportation
lack of spare parts for western-made trucks
very high interest rates on loans
Truck transport firms in theory should be booming now but all of those factors together are suffocating them instead and they're going under.
Now we have new Russian cope. As Ukrainian underwater drone sunk their $400 million Kilo class submarine in the port of Novorosyisk Russian channels started talking about their navy not mattering at all because they're a land-based superpower and that's how they'll win.
As a bonus, the West is losing a lot of idiots to Russia it seems and I don't actually mind that:
EPT
