Sanctions against Russia

[willedoo]

Ukraine is in a bad way. They've basically run out of Patriot and other air defence missiles. Russia has been hammering them with missile attacks and most of them are now getting through. Yesterday they destroyed one of Ukraine's major power stations near Kyiv. On the front it's not much better as artillery stocks are critically low. Ukrainian artillery is rationed to the point where the Russian artillery is outgunning them 10 to 1. Things are not looking good; it's now six months that Ukraine aid has been blocked in the U.S. congress. Biden is part of the problem as well. There's still a few billion left in the presidential drawdown authority that he won't release. I don't know whether that's intentional or not as the PDA is a complicated beast full of bureaucracy and creative accounting.

 

Ukraine is losing territory every day now, but at least they are only small gains by the Russians at this stage. The risk is the Ukrainian front collapsing due to lack of ammunition and Russia making large gains. I think putler has the idea that whatever he can grab now, he will be able to keep. Some help from Europe is on the way, but the question is when it will arrive. The president of the Czech Republic (an absolute legend and one of Ukraine's strongest allies) has organised a drive to source 800,000 155mm shells from various suppliers around the world. This has since turned into about a million, so will be a good help if it arrives soon. Also the European Parliament has voted to suspend the approval process for the European Council's budget until Ukraine is given seven Patriot systems.

[red750]

Russia-Ukraine war: 'They aren't ready to die' - the smuggler charging thousands to escape army conscription.

 

 

Watch video here.

[willedoo]

This low res screen shot reminds me of the photos of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan with long columns of BTRs carrying troops. It's the Russians withdrawing from the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. More meat for putler's Ukraine meat grinder. This might be a make or break year for putler. The Russians are slowly advancing in Ukraine, funding for the Ukrainian side is slowing, the world is distracted by Gaza, and in an election year, the Americans are fighting each other. The icing on the cake for him will be if Trump wins. A likely scenario is a Trump win= a putin win. On top of all that, the IMF is tipping the Russian economy to grow more that any other advanced economy. It's all there for putler to take if he plays his cards right. It would explain his renewed confidence lately; he knows he might finally have a chance of getting away with it.

 

Edited April 18 by willedoo

[facthunter]

And what a bloody awful example THAT would set for other aspiring tyrants, and where will Putler stop?

[spenaroo]

every A-10 pilot looking at that footage is frothing at the mouth.

 

brrrrrt, just one pass please, they are all lined up for us.

[Marty_d]

Maybe Ukraine should be targeting Putin's palace with a few drones.  Even if they don't get the arsehole it would piss him off.

[Jerry_Atrick]

True.. but that is vindictive, and they can't waste what supplies they have on vindictiveness.

[willedoo]

There seems to be a possibility that U.S. Speaker Mike Johnson is finally coming to his senses on Ukraine aid. He's mentioned intel briefings so maybe he's finally grasped the picture. It's looking like a vote might happen soon. It will be interesting to see if the nutters in his party try to roll him for supporting aid to Ukraine. Reagan would roll over in his grave if he knew putin had bought the GOP.

[willedoo]

In other news, it's looking like the Ukrainians had a good strike on the airbase at Dzhankoi in Crimea. An S-400 air defence system has been taken out with launchers and radars destroyed. Also a couple of S-300 that were under repair. Ukrainian military intelligence have said they will soon be releasing more detail on aircraft damage and personnel casualties.

[red750]

Moment Russian nuclear bomber crashes while on fire over Russia
©Provided by Daily Mail
This is the shocking moment a £228 million ($283m) Russian nuclear bomber hurtled to the ground in flames over Russia after being struck by a Ukrainian missile this morning. Video showed the abrupt descent of one of Putin's Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, pluming smoke before crashing over the Stavropol region in southern Russia. The Ukrainian military claimed responsibility for the crash, saying in a statement that it knocked the plane out of the air with anti-aircraft missiles.

 

 

See slie show here.

 

 

[willedoo]

On 14/03/2024 at 3:17 PM, red750 said:

IL-76 crash video.

The first photo is this Ilyushin 76 crash from a month ago.

[willedoo]

The Ukrainians will be happy after bringing down one of the big bombers.

[willedoo]

There's a good video clip on Xcrement of the Tu-22M3 coming down in a flat spin with it's arse on fire.

 

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1781204526919303276

[Jerry_Atrick]

Didn't see a mushroom cloud

[pmccarthy]

We are a bit sensitive about mushrooms in Victoria at present.

[red750]

12 hours ago, willedoo said:

The first photo is this Ilyushin 76 crash from a month ago.

Straight copy and paste from the linked report slide show. 

[willedoo]

45 minutes ago, red750 said:

Straight copy and paste from the linked report slide show. 

Peter, that link doesn't work. Maybe copying missed a bit of the URL.

[red750]

You're right, it's a very long link. Recopied, and the first photo in the slideshow has been replaced.

 

Try this one.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/putin-s-283m-bomber-shot-out-of-the-sky-before-spiralling-in-flames/ss-AA1nihSN?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=306dcce4590445b09cbd3dbd94bb5f20&ei=5

[willedoo]

I read somewhere that the two pilots ejected. Only problem with that is that it has a crew of four. There's a navigator and wizzo in the back.

[willedoo]

Ukraine used to have 43 Tu-22M3s and 17 Tu-22M2s. They gave them up along with 423 Kh-22 cruise missiles back in the 1990's via the American led threat reduction programme. It's ironic that all these years later their neighbour is using that very same missile and aircraft type to destroy Ukraine.

[willedoo]

It's good to see the Ukraine aid bill finally pass in the U.S. House of Representatives. It now has to go back to the Senate to pass there then get signed by the President. The Democrats have a majority in the Senate so that should pass ok. No Democrats voted against it in the lower house. The majority of Republicans voted against it, 100 for and 112 against the bill. It's good to see House Speaker Mike Johnson finally allow a vote on the bill after months of obstruction by the Republicans. It's been a complete turnaround for him.

[willedoo]

I was listening to Nightlife on the ABC radio and the presenter had a lengthy three way conversation with Bill Browder and Professor Paul Dibb on the state of the Ukraine/Russia war. Paul Dibb said he was expecting it to be a long war which could run for several more years. As it stands, it's over ten years since the start of the conflict in Crimea and the Donbass and more than two years since the start of the full scale invasion.

[facthunter]

Just a BIT longer than 3 days and they will shower you with Roses..Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

Russia's war with Afghanistan went for how long?

 

[willedoo]

So far I think their casualty rate is ten times the total in Afghanistan.