Russia Invades Ukraine. Volume 4

[BikeBikeBIke]

RichFN2 said:

On the other hand it greatly raises the risk of other countries getting drawn into this conflict.

If Putin thought he could gain by attacking other countries he already would have.

He isn't waiting for an excuse, he just doesn't think it will help him.

[borcy]

RichFN2 said:

If those quotes are true then that's a pretty ballsy move by Macron

On one hand standing up to Putin like no other president/prime minister/chancellor has so far and could be enough to help Ukraine win in this war.

On the other hand it greatly raises the risk of other countries getting drawn into this conflict. Donating hardware is one thing, sending troops in that could end up in a direct battle with Russian troops is about as extreme as it gets.

I'm on the fence for now.

It's part of his strategic ambiguity. Will they or won't they? He got blown off by Putin now Macron is turning the tables.

[Digga]

Good link on how Ukraine are now beginning to strategically target Russian rail transport:

https://x.com/schizointel/status/17860380147637661...

[borcy]

https://news.sky.com/story/cameron-backs-ukrainian...

Cameron supports strikes in Russia with UK weapons.

[Digga]

borcy said:

https://news.sky.com/story/cameron-backs-ukrainian...

Cameron supports strikes in Russia with UK weapons.

That sap was, in no small measure, responsibe for the hold and hazard that both Russia and China represent to UK.

[BikeBikeBIke]

Digga said:

That sap was, in no small measure, responsibe for the hold and hazard that both Russia and China represent to UK.

That's true.

His whole policy seemed to be to aggravate Russia and suck up to China.

However, that seems self evidently now, but at the time it was the conventional wisdom.

[RizzoTheRat]

Cheib said:

The cluster ATACMS have 900 “bomblets”, there’s another version which has a unitary warhead alongside 300 “bomblets and then there’s a version with just a “big bang” unitary warhead. Not sure which are short range and which long range.

If Ukraine had enough of them to use them liberally for a few weeks you could imagine them making a massive dent in Russia’s capabilities.

I thought cluster munitions were illegal? Admittedly so is invading your neighbor and using cluster munitions on them...

I was surprised the US had stocks of them but it appears they never ratified the Oslo convention, and Ukraine aren't signatories, so that's all ok.
However it seems there is stuff in the convention about not assisting anyone who doing things outlawed by the convention, which could potentially cause some other nations a legal headache in supporting Ukraine.

It seems to be quite complicated....
https://verfassungsblog.de/cluster-munition-and-in...

[Puggit]

Just seen a news report that Ukraine will start operating F-16s next week. Let's see...

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-...

[Puggit]

RizzoTheRat said:

Cheib said:

The cluster ATACMS have 900 “bomblets”, there’s another version which has a unitary warhead alongside 300 “bomblets and then there’s a version with just a “big bang” unitary warhead. Not sure which are short range and which long range.

If Ukraine had enough of them to use them liberally for a few weeks you could imagine them making a massive dent in Russia’s capabilities.

I thought cluster munitions were illegal? Admittedly so is invading your neighbor and using cluster munitions on them...

I was surprised the US had stocks of them but it appears they never ratified the Oslo convention, and Ukraine aren't signatories, so that's all ok.
However it seems there is stuff in the convention about not assisting anyone who doing things outlawed by the convention, which could potentially cause some other nations a legal headache in supporting Ukraine.

It seems to be quite complicated....
https://verfassungsblog.de/cluster-munition-and-in...

Russia used cluster munitions on civilian areas of Odesa this week (killing 4 humans and a dog), frankly Ukraine can do what they like with them.

[TheJimi]

Puggit said:

Just seen a news report that Ukraine will start operating F-16s next week. Let's see...

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-...

Why the hell are they telegraphing this?

[trickywoo]

TheJimi said:

Puggit said:

Just seen a news report that Ukraine will start operating F-16s next week. Let's see...

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-...

Why the hell are they telegraphing this?

They’ll know soon enough when su57s start getting a fox 3 visit.

Edited by trickywoo on Friday 3rd May 10:47

[Lotobear]

TheJimi said:

Puggit said:

Just seen a news report that Ukraine will start operating F-16s next week. Let's see...

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-...

Why the hell are they telegraphing this?

Perhaps it's a ploy to dupe Russia into moving around some of it's air defence equipment into the range of ATACMS etc?

[BikeBikeBIke]

China won't fall into the same trap Europe did and become reliant on Russian gas:

https://x.com/shashj/status/1786312909250773000

By using gas as a blackmail tool Putin has lowered the value of Russian Gas for decades. Probably forever if the world reduces its need for fossil fuels.

There seem to be an awful lot of limits to this limitless partnership.

[jshell]

borcy said:

https://news.sky.com/story/cameron-backs-ukrainian...

Cameron supports strikes in Russia with UK weapons.

The guy that turned Libya from some semblence of a society into a lawless, violent nightmare with open air slave markets.

Yeah, let's listen to that utter fk!

[MesoForm]

Lotobear said:

TheJimi said:

Puggit said:

Just seen a news report that Ukraine will start operating F-16s next week. Let's see...

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-...

Why the hell are they telegraphing this?

Perhaps it's a ploy to dupe Russia into moving around some of it's air defence equipment into the range of ATACMS etc?

Or to make the Russian air defence troops more twitchy and more likely to shoot down their own planes? I'm sure there's a good reason for announcing it as it's not like Ukraine has made a habit of releasing information they shouldn't have up to this point.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

jshell said:

The guy that turned Libya from some semblence of a society into a lawless, violent nightmare with open air slave markets.

Yeah, let's listen to that utter fk!

Even by your standards of hyperbole that's a bit of a stretch.

[Rumblestripe]

MesoForm said:

Lotobear said:

TheJimi said:

Puggit said:

Just seen a news report that Ukraine will start operating F-16s next week. Let's see...

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-...

Why the hell are they telegraphing this?

Perhaps it's a ploy to dupe Russia into moving around some of it's air defence equipment into the range of ATACMS etc?

Or to make the Russian air defence troops more twitchy and more likely to shoot down their own planes? I'm sure there's a good reason for announcing it as it's not like Ukraine has made a habit of releasing information they shouldn't have up to this point.

Or.

They are already flying and we are the only ones that don't know about it.

But now we do.

[Digga]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

jshell said:

The guy that turned Libya from some semblence of a society into a lawless, violent nightmare with open air slave markets.

Yeah, let's listen to that utter fk!

Even by your standards of hyperbole that's a bit of a stretch.

It's not really. Libya and Iraq were both lamentable. Cameron and Blair are both first order tts.

[Spare tyre]

Lotobear said:

TheJimi said:

Puggit said:

Just seen a news report that Ukraine will start operating F-16s next week. Let's see...

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-...

Why the hell are they telegraphing this?

Perhaps it's a ploy to dupe Russia into moving around some of it's air defence equipment into the range of ATACMS etc?

My thoughts exactly, you are going to be less cocky if you think an f16 might be coming over the horizon

[borcy]

https://unrollnow.com/status/1786181552210149828

Thread about issues around Russian manpower