Sanctions against Russia

[willedoo]

putler will probably respond with a heap of cruise missiles launched at civilian targets.

[willedoo]

They picked a good day for it - it's the anniversary of the downing of MH17. Earlier on, several naval drones were intercepted near Sevastopol and the Russians were gloating about it. Makes you wonder if that was just a red herring for the bridge strike. Send a few drones in broad daylight, and while the orcs are busy patting themselves on the back for destroying them, you wreck their bridge. Left jab, right hook.

Edited July 17, 2023 by willedoo

[willedoo]

These things must all be connected. July 17 was also the deadline for Russia extending the grain deal. They've been saying for a long time that if their demands in the deal were not met by July 17, they would not extend. With the suspension of the deal, the Kerch Bridge is now a valid target. If Ukraine can't ship their grain exports through the Black Sea, they've got nothing to lose by attacking the bridge.

[willedoo]

[willedoo]

I've overlaid some place names on this Wiki map to show where the bridge attack was. From what I've read it's about 250 metres out from Tuzla Spit which extends out from the Taman Penninsula on the Russian mainland side (X marks the spot). The main shipping channel and site of the last attack is between Tuzla Island and the Crimean Penninsula. The Russians are saying they will have one lane open by mid September and the other repaired by November. That might be best case scenario for them.

 

[willedoo]

I wonder what putler will do about the BRICS summit next month in South Africa. The S.A. vice president has said it will be better for everyone if putler doesn't come. He said it wouldn't be right to invite him then arrest him under their international obligations. I don't know whether South Africa has issued a formal invitation yet, but it wouldn't surprise if they did and the Kremlin announced that putler was too busy to attend. If that happens, will Xi also be officially unable to attend so his vassal can save a bit of face? If putler doesn't go, his wanted war criminal status will start to hit home to him.

 

There's a possibility his potato head mate Lukashenko in Belarus might end up in the same boat. There's been recent allegations that kidnapped Ukrainian children have been taken to Belarus, but I don't know if anything has been proven yet.

[willedoo]

It seems to take the Russian public a long time to catch on to some things. The government has been encouraging people to take summer holidays in Crimea, telling them everything is under control and their safety is assured. There's an estimated 50,000 Russian tourists in Crimea, most of whom arrived by private car via the Kerch Bridge. Naturally, there's a lot of them trying to go home after the bridge bombing, and authorities are directing them to go via the land bridge route. This takes them through a virtual war zone. Reports from the Russian side talk of long traffic jams and holdups at checkpoints, lack of mobile phone service en route, highly inflated prices for drinking water, and toilets closed down at roadhouses.

 

The Ukrainians could stop it by carrying out more attacks on the Chonhar bridge which had a span knocked out some time back. At this stage, there are no public vehicle ferries crossing the Kerch Straight, freight only. Good luck to them; what sort of dickhead would go for a holiday to Crimea in the middle of a war. Maybe it's a good example how state control of the media can be a powerful tool for governments, with the population living in ignorance.

[onetrack]

If Putin does go to the South African BRICS summit - as he's highly likely to do, to try and drum up more support for his dwindling support base - South Africa will simply give him diplomatic immunity, and Putin will come and go as he pleases.

South Africa has form in this area - they allowed Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir into SA in 2015 when he was subject to an ICC indictment - and the whole mob thumbed their collective noses at the ICC and their arrest warrant for al-Bashir.

 

SA wants to suck up to China, as it sees China as a great ally, who doesn't question what they do - unlike the West. And of course, China is all too willing to "improve friendships with African nations" - as China already has monstrous investment levels in African nations, and enjoys pillaging their natural resources. No doubt a great deal of bribery accompanies that pillaging.

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by onetrack

[Marty_d]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

If Putin does go to the South African BRICS summit - as he's highly likely to do, to try and drum up more support for his dwindling support base - South Africa will simply give him diplomatic immunity, and Putin will come and go as he pleases.

 

SA wants to suck up to China, as it sees China as a great ally, who doesn't question what they do - unlike the West. And of course, China is all too willing to "improve friendships with African nations" - as China already has monstrous investment levels in African nations, and enjoys pillaging their natural resources. No doubt a great deal of bribery accompanies that pillaging.

 

As opposed to Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and a bunch of others,  who spent decades pillaging Africa without the decency of bribery...

[onetrack]

I dunno, Marty - those early colonialists gave the natives a few beads, mirrors, and colourful clothing, for the rights to pillage, didn't they? 

 

I understand a few of them even traded a few firearms to the natives in the hope of a better deal - and probably in the hope, they'd all shoot each other!

[Old Koreelah]

Appreciate Willedoo’s regular reports on that region and often use Google Earth to get an idea of the locations.
No wonder Putin is upset about damage to his bridge; it’s an impressive structure and must have cost a big slice of Russia’s meagre public works budget.

[nomadpete]

My guess is that Putin will feel compelled to go to the BRICS summit in SA.

 

He is a defiant egotist.

He would love to strut in and smile, "Arrest me? Ha! How ya gunna do that? You wouldn't dare." 

 

Do they even have the resources in SA to make it happen?

 

And then Putin would claim to be so powerful the whole world is afraid of him, bows down to him.

 

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by nomadpete
I did proof read, I did, I did.

[nomadpete]

11 hours ago, Marty_d said:

As opposed to Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and a bunch of others,  who spent decades pillaging Africa without the decency of bribery...

True, Marty. Those African mobs have got smarter over the last hundred years or so.

They have embraced the universal modern capitalist  systems of control and bribery.

(Communism, socialism, capitalism, all fall foul of similar power + corruption practices)

[nomadpete]

But that doesn't make it right and fair.

[spenaroo]

2 hours ago, nomadpete said:

My guess is that Putin will feel compelled to go to the BRICS summit in SA.

 

He is a defiant egotist.

He would love to strut in and smile, "Arrest me? Ha! How ya gunna do that? You wouldn't dare." 

 

Do they even have the resources in SA to make it happen?

 

And then Putin would claim to be so powerful the whole world is afraid of him, bows down to him.

 

 

depends on how many guards he brings....
but if I was the CIA... there would be some funding of rebels and gangs who want to embarrass the government, say a hotel siege

Edited July 19, 2023 by spenaroo

[Bruce Tuncks]

Like Obama's left leg huh Nomad?  It's not right and it's not fair.

 

[Old Koreelah]

During WWII the Allies gave up on assasinating Hitler, realising his stupid strategic mistakes was their greatest assett in Germany. 
The same may apply to Putin. 
 

The most likely factor to deter him from attending that SA conference is fear of a palace coup while he’s away.

[facthunter]

I don't think Putler has the guts to do anything BRAVE. Like ALL Bullies.  Nev

[Marty_d]

Maybe he'll send one of his doubles. 

[facthunter]

Double or Nothing? Nev

[onetrack]

I guess he could roll up at BRICS in person, and leave a double on the throne at home, and confuse everyone as to where he actually is? 

[facthunter]

When HE came to Queensland to a G7 meeting he stationed a warship offshore, but it's quite understandable that he was $#1t scared. The fearsome Tony A Bot. had threatened to "shirt front" him. Nev

[facthunter]

I wonder what "shirt front" might mean in Russian?  Nev

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

I wonder what "shirt front" might mean in Russian?  Nev

Disgusting I know, apologies in advance.

 

 

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

The fearsome Tony A Bot. had threatened to "shirt front" him. Nev

And this is all Wingnut did - hugged koalas with him. All BS and hot air.