Ukraine war mega thread

[Backspin]

[bsnub]

The sounds of war have become louder in Belgorod, a mid-sized Russian city about 25 miles (40km) from the Ukrainian border. And the blasts are more frequent.

“On Sunday, we were woken up again by explosions. You never know if it’s them or us firing,” said Vladimir, a shopkeeper in the city.

Locals such as Vladimir first witnessed Russia’s military buildup at the start of the year, when thousands of troops amassed near Belgorod before Moscow’s attack in late February.

“When the conflict started, we would hear rockets being launched into Ukraine. But now we get hit too. It is a different sound.”

As the war has dragged on and Russia failed in its objective to quickly seize Kyiv, officials in Belgorod and other border cities have in recent weeks reported a series of attacks by Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine has not directly accepted responsibility but has described the incidents as payback and “karma” for Russia, almost three months after it invaded its neighbour.

The apparent Ukrainian attacks, which started when two helicopters struck an oil depot in Belgorod on 1 April, have brought a new element into the war, raising the previously unthinkable possibility that some of the devastating damage that Moscow has inflicted on Ukraine will come to Russia’s own territory.

“We talk a lot about what is happening, of course. The atmosphere in the city is sort of tense,” said Anna, a local teacher.

“Life goes on, but sometimes it is impossible to ignore it, like the time the city was in thick smoke,” she said, referring to the fuel depot attack.

In this week alone, officials in Belgorod reported at least three attacks. Last week, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region, claimed a strike on a small town in the area had killed one Russian civilian.

During the last week, Ukrainian forces have recaptured villages from Russian troops north and north-east of Kharkiv, pushing them back towards the border near Belgorod. This has given some relief to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, which is only an hour’s drive from Belgorod and has been under enemy bombardment since the war began in February.

And while the consensus among military experts remains that Ukraine will not aim for a push into Russian territory, its advances have been met with unease in Belgorod and across Russia.

In a recent live Q and A with locals, Gladkov was forced to answer questions from worried voters about what the recent Ukrainian advances would mean for Belgorod. The governor tried to offer reassurance but admitted that certain parts of the region were under “constant shelling”.

He has also raised the city threat levels to “yellow”, the second-highest in a three-tier system, and a heavier police presence is now being felt across the city, according to Anna.

There have also been reports of two fires at defence ministry facilities in the Belgorod region as well as damage inflicted to a key Russian railway bridge, leading to speculation that Ukrainian saboteurs have been active on Russian territory. Russian officials have not commented on the incidents, and it remains unclear what caused the fires.

Nikita Parmenov, a journalist at the independent Fonar outlet, said the lack of information regarding some of the recent fires has led to “fears and gossip that Ukrainians have infiltrated the towns and villages in the region”.

Still, despite the direct threat posed by Ukraine, Parmenov said there were no visible signs of an upsurge in patriotism in Belgorod.

“Many here have direct links with Ukraine, they talk to relatives across the border. It feels like we have a better understanding of what is going on than most regions in Russia,” said the journalist, who has himself been in contact with his aunt from Odesa.

“Enthusiasm for the special military operation feels muted. It has torn some families apart, while others prefer not to speak about the conflict with their friends and siblings in Ukraine.”

But it is not just Ukrainian attacks that have disrupted life on Russia’s borderlands – the war has had broader effects, too. Since the start of the invasion, Moscow has suspended the work of 11 airports in parts of central and southern Russia that are close to Ukraine, citing the “difficult situation surrounding Ukraine”, and hindering travel for millions of Russians.

Among the airports shut are those serving popular holiday destinations, including some in the annexed Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea resort towns of Gelendzhik and Krasnodar.
“I am expecting a disastrous summer holiday season,” said one hotel owner in Sevastopol.

During the first weekend of May, when Russians usually travel to the country’s south, the hotel occupancy rate in Crimea was 10–15%, according to a study by the Russian business outlet Kommersant.

The Crimean tourism industry expects that up to 70% of hotel rooms will remain empty over the summer holidays because of difficulties travelling to Crimea and worries that the peninsula is too close to the war.

“It is going to be a tough summer,” said the owner of the mid-sized Crimean hotel. “But in war, you have to make sacrifices.”

‘Now we get hit too’: Belgorod, the Russian city on the Ukraine frontline | Russia | The Guardian

[bsnub]

[David48atTD]

After a long national discussion on sending heavy weapons to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced that Germany would send 7 PzH 2000 howitzers to counter Russian troops.

“With this we are adding to the five Dutch self-propelled howitzers to reach a total of twelve,” Lambrecht’s ministry said in a tweet, adding that “howitzer training in Germany has been prepared and will begin next week.” (it takes a month of training)

In this video Defense Updates analyzes how German origin PzH 2000 howitzers could wreak havoc on Russian Forces


Lot's of Bla bla to start ... start to watch from the 2.25 min mark.

[David48atTD]

Earlier BS was rabbiting on about Russia sending it's advanced T-90M Tank into the war.

Well, the is not Russia's most potent tank.

But the reasons the Armata T-14 tank is not engaging in the war is explained below.

Again, watch the first bit up to the 1.15 mark then skip through to the 2.20 mark to avoid the ad

[sabang]

The Mariupol surrender is a HUGE psychological break against the Ukraine.

Many Ukrainians—the Mariupol garrison and its family members throughout the country, and nationalist public opinion generally—lived in la-la-land for two whole months…..

…..thinking the garrison could/would be de-blockaded…..

…..then that the Pope, or Macron, or Lloyd Austin, or the ChiComs, or even Eurovision fans, would convince Russia to let the Mariupol forces simply… go.
LOL.

Now, everyone understands, if you are surrounded by Russia, you have two options:

Surrender. Or death.
That’s it.

There will be no de-blockade, the Pope won’t ride to the rescue, and Russia doesn’t care what its NATO enemies think.

This is a huge psychological shift, comparable to what happened to the Germans after Stalingrad.

After Stalingrad, the Germans, if faced with an imminent risk of encirclement, with very few exceptions, ran the hell away (or tried to.)

And, the Ukrainian army, despite all the “Iron Cross” emblems on its hardware, is no Wehrmacht.

This bodes ill for the Ukraine’s attempt to hold and defend the Severodonetsk-Lisichansk agglomeration in northern Lugansk—a hard-core Russian loyalist area, and likely the next big “cauldron.”

Those two cities combined, are roughly half the size of Mariupol.

Russian and Lugansk/Donetsk forces moving in on them, will be more numerous, and (by now) much more experienced than the forces that took Mariupol.

Now, today, the Ukrainians in this area, know that if (when) they are cut off, further resistance is pointless.

Will some resist, for some time? Of course.

But it won’t be a two-month affair, as with Mariupol.

Again, it’s a shift in thinking.

Details of the Mariupol Surrender – Ukraine War & Aftermath

[bsnub]

The Mariupol surrender is a HUGE psychological break against the Ukraine.

No it's not. More of your BS. They have been anticipating it for ages. Everyone knew this would happen sooner or later. The key observation is what a heroic effort it was to be cut off and totally surrounded for so long all while tying up several battalion tactical groups.

Nice shit source as usual.

[sabang]

Russia hit a Ukrainian military base–Desna–46 miles northeast of Kiev with a missile that hit a barrack and left at least 250 Ukrainian soldiers dead:

Russian is communicating with explosives, not squirrels.

FULL- More Ukrainian Squirrels for the Desperate West to Chase



How many more foreign suckers are you willing to send to their death snubs? How much more is the poor American taxpayer willing to pay for this folly ($50bn+ now, and counting)? How long before sensible Peace negotiations must begin? Lloyd Austin has been making overtures. How much longer do you want to economically weaken your European 'allies', and threaten Africa with mass starvation? How much do you like to see China picking up the pieces?

[bsnub]

You really are a moron. Nice shit propaganda source. You live in a fantasy land just like your sidekick skiddy. Dumb and dumber.

[bsnub]

[sabang]

[bsnub]

Oh, great! It is the clown Scott Ritter. Another one from Sabwangs clown car of bozo propagandist clowns that he constantly parades around on this shit thread. Move along or your time will be wasted with this utter shit video.

[David48atTD]

Russia hit a Ukrainian military base–Desna–46 miles northeast of Kiev with a missile that hit a barrack and left at least 250 Ukrainian soldiers dead:

OK ... let's take this apart.

Assuming that the image is true, that missile hit, what?, 6 rooms?

40 Ukrainian soldiers dead in each room? Hardly.

Little fire, the damage is confined to a small space.


So, next to the Author of the article ... a US Citizen, sitting on his fat arse in some US protected neighbourhood is espousing stuff he knows fuck all about.

From his WIKI page ...

Larry C. Johnson is a former analyst at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
He is the co-owner and CEO of BERG Associates, LLC.
He is best known for spreading a hoax in 2008 that Republican operatives had a videotape of Michelle Obama complaining about "whitey"

IMHO I would not consider him a reliable source for intel from the depths of a military installation in Ukraine.

[David48atTD]

So, who does Larry C. Johnson rely on for his 'facts' ... well he turns to the blogs of an Russian ex-militarily dude Andrei Martyanov, who also isn't in the thick of it in Ukraine.
Reminiscence of the Future... : They Tried Again...

But did pen such classics as ...

Seriously !

[bsnub]

Larry C. Johnson is a former analyst at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
He is the co-owner and CEO of BERG Associates, LLC.

Just another fake news purveyor and member of sabangs clown car of propagandist fools. Nothing to see there.

[panama hat]

IMHO I would not consider him a reliable source for intel from the depths of a military installation in Ukraine.

This has become a specialty of sabang's and has been Backspit;s for years . . . constantly throw as much shit and as many lies as possible as fact-checking takes time. By the time another of their brainfart lies has been show as just that they are already on their tenth lie after that.

Trump did exactly that

[harrybarracuda]

This has become a specialty of sabang's and has been Backspit;s for years . . . constantly throw as much shit and as many lies as possible as fact-checking takes time. By the time another of their brainfart lies has been show as just that they are already on their tenth lie after that.

Trump did exactly that

In fairness you don't need to fact check it as the dumb shits are usually recycling.

[sabang]

constantly throw as much shit and as many lies as possible as fact-checking takes time. By the time another of their brainfart lies has been show as just that they are already on their tenth lie after that.

Zing!! And there you have the Ukrainian propaganda and mindless MSM parroting described in a nutshell. Well done! You have to cast your net much wider to get any idea what is actually happening there. Even then, you can rely on very little at face value.

[Backspin]

War of the last week explained in 7 minutes

[David48atTD]

War of the last week explained in 7 minutes

"War of the last week explained in 7 minutes" as explained by Mark Sleboda, a Moscow-based geopolitical analyst who is a regular pundit on RT, Sputnik and CGTN and other outlets.

The same commentator who just penned, and I quote

With NeoNazi deathsquad #Azov surrendering in #Azovstal, #Mariupol is fully liberated from the Putsch regime and De-Nazified. Eight long years after voting in a referendum to become part of the Donetsk People's Republic, #Mariupol is home.

https://twitter.com/MarkSleboda1/sta...7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[bsnub]

ou have to cast your net much wider to get any idea what is actually happening there.

One thing is for sure, you and your dimwitted sidekick skiddy are so pumped up on fake news and propaganda that whatever you two clowns post the exact opposite is likely the truth.

Judging by what you two morons post, you both have no clue WTF is actually going on. It is utterly laughable at this point.

War of the last week explained in 7 minutes" as explained by Mark Sleboda, a Moscow-based geopolitical analyst who is a regular pundit on RT, Sputnik and CGTN and other outlets.

So another moron for Sabwangs and skiddies clown car of buffoonery.

[sabang]

Phew, for a minute there I thought the Ghost of Kiev, Martyrs of Snake island, and the hero Granny who brought down a Russian drone with a tin of tomatoes was fake News! Thanks for setting me right snubs. The mass surrender in Mariupol is most definitely fake news though.

[sabang]

Absolute Classic.

[David48atTD]

^ Yep, quite a gaff that was.

I wonder what I'll be capable of when I get to his age?

[sabang]

I think he is younger than slowjo.