Russia's War Against Ukraine

[Crossroads]

Gift link to a rather good FT article on Russia's war of recolonisation in Ukraine by Mr Ilves, ex-president of Estonia.

https://twitter.com/IlvesToomas/status/1693144436773962200

[GDS_Starfury]

GOOD MORNING!

[GDS_Starfury]

[Crossroads]

 

[Skoop]

Lol, only the Russians could fuck up a moon landing in 2023.  I'm kinda of baffled why they even bothered with the Ukraine war raging.  Seems those resources were wasted, but hey it's Russia... the whole thing was probably some domestic propaganda bullshit...

[Uberhaus]

Lol, only the Russians could fuck up a moon landing in 2023.  I'm kinda of baffled why they even bothered with the Ukraine war raging.  Seems those resources were wasted, but hey it's Russia... the whole thing was probably some domestic propaganda bullshit...

and why were they racing the Indians to find water on the moon? 
The Soviet Union was a signatory to the Outer Space Treaty, where "outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means", amongst other things. I'm sure the Russians would have held themselves to the treaty as they have clearly demonstrated their ethics and honest dealings, especially in the last two years.

Best hat meme yet.  Queue the Russians declaring the moon a terrorist entity, just tell them that the Nazi moon theme is taken already and probably trademarked.

[ArizonaTank]

The Dutch PM has said that up to 42 F-16s will be donated to Ukraine. Additionally, Denmark has said it will send some as well.

Given the long and vacillating history of aircraft donations in this war, I can't help being skeptical, but I am still very hopeful. 

Also, I can't help thinking that given the fickle politics and logistics issues, the Falcons will trickle into Ukraine and therefore not be as game-changing as they might be otherwise. 

Anyway, some good news I believe.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/netherlands-denmark-commit-to-deliver-f16s-to-ukraine-dutch-pm-rutte/ar-AA1fw83H?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=9fee93d389e943e4a43c211ae86b4659&ei=12

[Crossroads]

Lol, only the Russians could fuck up a moon landing in 2023.  I'm kinda of baffled why they even bothered with the Ukraine war raging.  Seems those resources were wasted, but hey it's Russia... the whole thing was probably some domestic propaganda bullshit...

Live footage now available.

https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/1693236350424629719

[Gusington]

Saw that report on casualty figures yesterday, I think. It is quite sobering.

[GDS_Starfury]

the difference between a NATO and russian tank hitting a mine.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1693170645343871284

[GDS_Starfury]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1693390848744915095

[JasonPratt]

Apparently, two of those bombers were droned; the side and front photos were of the one that was lost more spectacularly. The other is iffy, which in Russian translates to 'gone'.

Even if all F-16s arrive (with their logistic tail) in Ukraine, and can be operate without being droned and ATG'd out quickly by Russia, and the Ukrainian runways don't crumple their relatively delicate landing gear... the pilots need A LOT of training to be mission operative, including flying propeller craft first (from a report I saw going into some realistic detail of what would be necessary) because they're starting practically from scratch. All things considered, they won't feasibly show up in theater until late NEXT year.

But of course, if they don't at least try to start now they definitely won't have them any earlier if at all, so...!

[JasonPratt]

This is a reminder that China's economy is also self-destructing due to Godawful practices, and once it goes down that's going to make a big difference on its support for Russia -- in any of several ways. This video doesn't talk about that, but updates one of the big dominoes about to take down China's economy: Evergrande and China's infamous empty new cities.

(The clickbaity title is wrong, as usual, but less wrong than usual. ;) )

This video also doesn't talk about the impact this will have on China's BRICS ponzi-scheme plans, but that's another big domino about to fall and it's kind of a race to see which will take down the other first -- plus that R in the acronym is Russia, who badly needs everyone else in that acronym to pull their asses out of the economic firestorm. Three of the brics are in desperate trouble, though (including South Africa), and I'm not too sure about Brazil overall. India can't subsidize them all herself; and she's stuck on the flanks of both China and Russia, so yay there. 

Come to think of it, with Pakistan also going down the drain (somewhat literally thanks to epic horror-flooding this year), the collapse of China and Russia as functioning states could free up several Muslim nations in the area to gang up in a superstate based on claims of being the one true Caliphate and launching jihads to raid infidel sub-states nearby for loot to survive on (and otherwise enslaving them).

So imagine like forty nations and sub-states suddenly violating Fezziwig's most well-known rule: never get involved in a land war in Asia. Or, alternately, go play Vicky 2 or 3 across the span of what became Imperial Russia and modern national China eventually.

[GDS_Starfury]

and the Ukrainian runways don't crumple their relatively delicate landing gear...

what makes you think that an F-16s landing gear is flimsy?
I found this but its an issue thats supposed to be fixed now.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/long-standing-problem-with-f-16-landing-gear-caused-december-2019-mishap-at-kunsan/

[GDS_Starfury]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1693549839592624323