Russia's War Against Ukraine

[Uberhaus]

I wonder what the RC-135V is watching?  The question is whether the Russian amphibious force will be used or is a diversion like the stationing of MEUs off Kuwait in Desert Storm.  But, Atkinson states in Crusade that the Marines would have staged an amphibious attack but the Iraqi army just collapsed making an attack unneccessary.

[Jarhead0331]

I wonder what the RC-135V is watching?

The Rivet Joint is capable of detecting and collecting intelligence across the full spectrum of electronic signals.

[Uberhaus]

I wonder what the RC-135V is watching?

The Rivet Joint is capable of detecting and collecting intelligence across the full spectrum of electronic signals.

This is interesting, I was wondering what anti-shipping defences Ukraine and apparently, they won't be operational until Spring. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/01/27/ukraines-anti-ship-missiles-might-arrive-too-late-for-a-war-with-russia/?sh=1c6859f639c7 
However, the UK is sending ASM https://navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/february/11378-ukraine-to-receive-anti-ship-missiles-from-the-uk.html

[Uberhaus]

I wonder what the RC-135V is watching?

The Rivet Joint is capable of detecting and collecting intelligence across the full spectrum of electronic signals.

Just had an epiphany brain-fart.  One duty the RC-135 and others will perform will be to prevent the Russian Navy from having a 'remember the Maine incident". 

[Gusington]

The videos, images and info in this link make it more difficult to believe that this build up is just some kind of posturing or a ruse. If it is, at minimum, it's a very financially expensive ruse:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/europe/russia-ukraine-troops-social-media-video-intl/index.html

"Russia's current military buildup near Ukraine is unprecedented," tweeted Rob Lee, from the Department of War Studies at King's College London. "This is not like previous war scares or the buildup in the spring [of 2021]. The amount of Russian aerial, ground, and naval military power near Ukraine now is quantifiably far greater."

[Pete Dero]

I have heard some interesting ideas from local reporters : they claim it isn't Ukraine becoming part of NATO that worries Putin the most, but the example Ukraine may be to his nation.
Ukraine is becoming more and more a succesful democracy by western standards after the Maidan protests led to closer ties with Europe and the removal of President Yanukovych.

Putin can't allow such an example, so close to Russia, as it could spark some ideas in to his own population.  How unlikely it may be, he can't allow people believing he could be removed in the same manner.

[Gusington]

^I can believe that. Very, very similar to what the Soviet Union did in Hungary and Czeceslovakia too.

[Sir Slash]

Pete's got a very good point. How can Putin have any kind of open contact between his and a relatively free Ukraine without it demonstrating to the Russian people the value of Western Style democratic reforms? It'd be, 'Putin-g' ideas it their heads. 

[ArizonaTank]

Things are starting to move faster....but in what direction?

-Russia indicates that some of its units are returning to their garrisons. US stock market rejoices. Ukrainians say they will believe it when they see it. The Pentagon cautions that the units might just repositioning. Did someone "blink"?

-Russian Parliament voted to recognize two parts of Ukraine's Donbas region as independent republics. These are areas where Russia has been supporting pro-Russian rebels.

-Russian media is reporting a failed "terror" attack in Donbas.

-Putin claims today that the Ukrainians are committing what he calls "genocide" in Donbas.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putin-baselessly-claims-genocide-is-happening-in-areas-of-ukraine-controlled-by-kremlin-backed-rebels/ar-AATT2Fh?ocid=msedgntp

[Gusington]

^Those last two could be the false flag incidents we've been told about, which Putin will use as invasion pretext.

As of right now everything I am reading and watching is calling BS on the Russian troop pullback. The total number of Russian troops along the Ukrainian borders has actually gone up to 150,000, roughly.

Ukraine has also put together a new list of equipment to request from NATO - not weapons but things like field hospitals, radiation detectors, EOD detection equipment and other items.

Tomorrow (today now in Ukraine) is 0 hour, according to U.S. and most allies intelligence.

[Pete Dero]

As of right now everything I am reading and watching is calling BS on the Russian troop pullback. The total number of Russian troops along the Ukrainian borders has actually gone up to 150,000, roughly.

Маскировка (Maskirovka).  Like they did with great success during Operation Bagration in 1944 (coincidentally also on the Ukrainian Front). https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Operation_Bagration#Strategic_aims_and_deception

[Gusington]

^Yes. As of right now most of the world just seems to be anxious and confused while trying to figure out what is going through Putin's mind. So...more of the same.

[W8taminute]

I bet Putin is hoping that there are no WW2 historians in positions of power to counter his moves. 

[Jarhead0331]

Watching the air traffic in and out of the Black Sea area and Ukrainian air space, one interesting thing I have observed is an unusually high number of commercial liner aircraft registered out of Bermuda. Either Ukraine and Bermuda share a very lucrative tourist industry, or someone is using these planes as proxy aircraft to transport who knows what into the region.

[Uberhaus]

Assets