Russia invades Ukraine. Volume 2

[J4CKO]

TTmonkey said:

What’s the point of having 400 billion over three hundred billion?
Or 300 billion over 200 billion?

Or any number over a couple of billion? All numbers above this become pointless to an individual.

I don’t see any point. Especially if you are Putin.

I’m guessing he doesn’t buy much. He just appropriates it from state funds.

What would he ever be able to buy now?

Thats the point, he has tired of the money, he has more than anyone could ever spend and all the other stuff he could ever buy already.

He has more money than time left, he is nearly seventy (wont be sending a card) and isnt well if reports are to be believed.

Money and stuff can keep you occupied but there is that day when your mortality and health come sharply into view and you realise you have loads of money but not much time left, and your health is failing so you cant enjoy it anyway.

So now its about leaving a mark, a legacy. And being a benevolent leader wont work for a ex KGB bad bd, not in his nature. He has spent his whole life killing and destroying lives so now he is going for the big one, and he is pissed off, very pissed off as his own self image, the image of mighty Russia has been challenged after years of us avoiding eye contact, kowtowing and trying not to piss it off.

But, invading Ukraine, they didnt just fall at his feet as expected, the rest of the world didnt look the other way this time, they said no fk you we are sick off this bullst, now all he has is doing the Monty Python Knight "Just a flesh wound) act sending more and more of his men to their deaths.

So now, mighty Russia is looking a bit less mighty, and all they can do now is threaten us with nukes, its pretty pathetic really. Russia is now bloated, drugged up Elvis compared to lithe Cold War Elvis.

[RizzoTheRat]

CrutyRammers said:

Drone beats tank.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525900772508...

I do wonder if we'll see creation of much cheaper, smaller military drones after this, rather than/as well as just the big reapers etc. Given the track record of military procurement, probably not. But they're clearly useful.

There already are with loitering munitons like Switchblade, but a lot of money is being put in to counter UAV systems too.

[Puggit]

AstonZagato said:

I know a couple of billionaires and met a few more over the years.
They rarely seem to derive much pleasure from their wealth - in terms of having lots of "stuff" but seemingly not having the time to enjoy it, except in snatched moments between working to make even more money.
For them, money has become a way of "keeping score".
I suspect Putin is the same.
He has to have the biggest yacht but can't really go on it - he can't be seen lounging on it and the security aspects are poor
Likewise his vast summer dacha.

His yacht is gone - Italian finance police took it.

[NRS]

I don't think they want a strongman leader, but they do want someone who can stand up to the west in general.

Remember lots will have been raised on how amazing the USSR was, then have the shock of it all collapsing. This was around the time that Russia opened up to capitalism, and so they will associate capitalism with a decline in living standards, and as a problem from the west. Add in the danger of saying too much against Putin or others, it's risky. The ones who are more open will generally leave the country, meaning you can't get enough people to change much even if you didn't get arrested.

[BikeBikeBIke]

Puggit said:

Putin going to use 'silent mobilisation' and recall army veterans

https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/152597188410...

If he ever does I'm sure that's the path he will take but at this stage it's not conscription - just looking for volunteers.

[mickk]

CrutyRammers said:

Drone beats tank.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525900772508...

I do wonder if we'll see creation of much cheaper, smaller military drones after this, rather than/as well as just the big reapers etc. Given the track record of military procurement, probably not. But they're clearly useful.

I initially thought one guy survived then after that last detonation I changed my mind.

[BikeBikeBIke]

NRS said:

I don't think they want a strongman leader, but they do want someone who can stand up to the west in general.

Remember lots will have been raised on how amazing the USSR was, then have the shock of it all collapsing. This was around the time that Russia opened up to capitalism, and so they will associate capitalism with a decline in living standards, and as a problem from the west. Add in the danger of saying too much against Putin or others, it's risky. The ones who are more open will generally leave the country, meaning you can't get enough people to change much even if you didn't get arrested.

I'd agree with all that, especially the last line.

...but maybe the 'elite' realize that a new cold war with the entire world is not sustainable and Russia's only sane future is as a normal democracy.

The only concern is would becoming a true democracy result in the breakup of Russia - so is it even an option for them? I get the feeling Russia is actually an empire where two cities in the West are holding millions of other people hostage throughout Russia.

[Puggit]

Russian aligned women in Luhansk upset that their men were abandoned by the Russian army around Kharkiv. Protests by women are only going to expand across Russia.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1526109...

[TEKNOPUG]

TTmonkey said:

What’s the point of having 400 billion over three hundred billion?
Or 300 billion over 200 billion?

Or any number over a couple of billion? All numbers above this become pointless to an individual.

I don’t see any point. Especially if you are Putin.

I’m guessing he doesn’t buy much. He just appropriates it from state funds.

What would he ever be able to buy now?

Not physical goods but influence, power, control. You can literally bribe entire countries.

[BikeBikeBIke]

mickk said:

CrutyRammers said:

Drone beats tank.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525900772508...

I do wonder if we'll see creation of much cheaper, smaller military drones after this, rather than/as well as just the big reapers etc. Given the track record of military procurement, probably not. But they're clearly useful.

I initially thought one guy survived then after that last detonation I changed my mind.

Other people are saying the tank moved and therefore the driver was alive until the last hit. I can't see the tank move at all? If so maybe there were only two people in there and both escaped at the start. Weird how they knew running away was safer than staying in the tank.

[CrutyRammers]

RizzoTheRat said:

CrutyRammers said:

Drone beats tank.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525900772508...

I do wonder if we'll see creation of much cheaper, smaller military drones after this, rather than/as well as just the big reapers etc. Given the track record of military procurement, probably not. But they're clearly useful.

There already are with loitering munitons like Switchblade, but a lot of money is being put in to counter UAV systems too.

Yes, true of course, forgot about them.

[vonuber]

Puggit said:

Russian aligned women in Luhansk upset that their men were abandoned by the Russian army around Kharkiv. Protests by women are only going to expand across Russia.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1526109...

No sympathy there. They made their bed.

[TriumphStag3.0V8]

BikeBikeBIke said:

mickk said:

CrutyRammers said:

Drone beats tank.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525900772508...

I do wonder if we'll see creation of much cheaper, smaller military drones after this, rather than/as well as just the big reapers etc. Given the track record of military procurement, probably not. But they're clearly useful.

I initially thought one guy survived then after that last detonation I changed my mind.

Other people are saying the tank moved and therefore the driver was alive until the last hit. I can't see the tank move at all? If so maybe there were only two people in there and both escaped at the start. Weird how they knew running away was safer than staying in the tank.

Holy st! I saw them run away after the first hit. They must have been outside the tank to start with as I can't see how they would have time to react and clamber out so quickly.
I saw the third explosion and thought, that was a big bang, and then the fourth it even shook the drone itself!

I can't imagine the two that ran away escaped that! Incredible footage.

[768]

It drives back and forth a bit at around the 44 minute mark onwards.

There was a third guy in the bottom left at the start too. When they go they really go.

[NerveAgent]

BikeBikeBIke said:

mickk said:

CrutyRammers said:

Drone beats tank.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525900772508...

I do wonder if we'll see creation of much cheaper, smaller military drones after this, rather than/as well as just the big reapers etc. Given the track record of military procurement, probably not. But they're clearly useful.

I initially thought one guy survived then after that last detonation I changed my mind.

Other people are saying the tank moved and therefore the driver was alive until the last hit. I can't see the tank move at all? If so maybe there were only two people in there and both escaped at the start. Weird how they knew running away was safer than staying in the tank.

It does appear to move a bit just before the big explosion, about 1m14s

[J4CKO]

Puggit said:

AstonZagato said:

I know a couple of billionaires and met a few more over the years.
They rarely seem to derive much pleasure from their wealth - in terms of having lots of "stuff" but seemingly not having the time to enjoy it, except in snatched moments between working to make even more money.
For them, money has become a way of "keeping score".
I suspect Putin is the same.
He has to have the biggest yacht but can't really go on it - he can't be seen lounging on it and the security aspects are poor
Likewise his vast summer dacha.

His yacht is gone - Italian finance police took it.

Thats the point, he has done that and I suspect he isnt bothered, once he chose to go down this route he would have been aware that never setting foot outside Russia, never going on his gilded gin palace again was probably likely.

Been there done that, and no matter how many Billions you have, you cant buy any more time, Cancer and Parkinsons cant be bought off or killed like everything else in your life so far, and now the rest of the world isnt bowing to your will any more. He is just a big sulky, spoilt kid who spits his dummy out when he cant get his own way.

[Puggit]

"In Russia, in the last 3 days only, there have been 4 attempts to set military enlistment offices on fire. And since the beginning of the war, at least 11 military registration and enlistment offices have been set on fire. Resistance to covert mobilization is growing."

https://twitter.com/MSnegovaya/status/152596974672...

[Derek Smith]

AstonZagato said:

I know a couple of billionaires and met a few more over the years.
They rarely seem to derive much pleasure from their wealth - in terms of having lots of "stuff" but seemingly not having the time to enjoy it, except in snatched moments between working to make even more money.
For them, money has become a way of "keeping score".
I suspect Putin is the same.
He has to have the biggest yacht but can't really go on it - he can't be seen lounging on it and the security aspects are poor
Likewise his vast summer dacha.

I, as an inspector, was sent to take a witness statement from a chap. He was a magistrate and did a fair bit for local charities.

He'd sold his business at the age of about 40, then bought a four-bed between-the-wars house in the wilds of Sussex, so not very wild. Lovely views, manageable garden, pool, office come put-you-up in the garden. I took the statement on the patio. He made me coffee from a proper commercial machine with multiple outlets.

He was very pleasant. I asked him why he merited an inspector, and he seemed quite amused. Laughed a lot and seemed to smile for the rest of the time. He was, he said, quite busy - lots of charities I'd learned, mainly children's - but had put a whole morning by for me. He was not in the lodge, but favoured the Round Table.

Statement over, I was enjoying a second coffee and I asked him about himself. He said he'd seen other businessmen [sic] working hard to gain more money than they could ever spend and then collapsing at their desks at the age of 60 or so. Not for him. His needs were not lavish, his wife had her own interests, and he had 'options' should he ever want to do more. He was a qualified football referee.

One child, whom I had been told had learning difficulties, whom I didn't see nor did I ask about.

He'd cracked it in my mind. He knew it as well.

[CrutyRammers]

BikeBikeBIke said:

mickk said:

CrutyRammers said:

Drone beats tank.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1525900772508...

I do wonder if we'll see creation of much cheaper, smaller military drones after this, rather than/as well as just the big reapers etc. Given the track record of military procurement, probably not. But they're clearly useful.

I initially thought one guy survived then after that last detonation I changed my mind.

Other people are saying the tank moved and therefore the driver was alive until the last hit. I can't see the tank move at all? If so maybe there were only two people in there and both escaped at the start. Weird how they knew running away was safer than staying in the tank.

It's definitely moving before the last hit, it's clear if you full screen the video.

[andy43]

I’m betting there are a lot of military people across the globe quietly crapping themselves about what they’re seeing happening with armoured drones. Silent, cheap, accurate, can be operated by anyone. Unless an army can confidently jam them they’re looking like a very serious threat in modern warfare.