1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

Wagner becoming a formidable force of barbarians within Ukraine. Now receiving military equipment direct from North Korea

 

“In certain instances, Russian military officials are actually subordinate to Wagner's command,” said John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator at the National Security Council. “It's pretty apparent to us that Wagner is emerging as a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries.”

 

US believes Russian mercenary firm Wagner Group is expanding influence and took delivery of North Korean arms

Kirby said the US estimates Wager currently has about 50,000 personnel deployed inside Ukraine, of which 40,000 could be convicts recruited from Russian prisons. He said the group was spending $100 million per month to fund its operations in Ukraine. 

Last month, Wagner received a delivery of infantry rockets and missiles from North Korea, Kirby said, an indication of how Russia and its military partners continue to seek ways around Western sanctions and export controls.

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-12-22-22/h_436bd7e67edbcf6307b6432165f9bffa

With private armies, like Wagner and the Chechens, and their warlord leaders, are we seeing Russia turn into another Afghanistan?

1 hour ago, ballpoint said:

With private armies, like Wagner and the Chechens, and their warlord leaders, are we seeing Russia turn into another Afghanistan?

Do you mean to wage a successful war for 20 years there? 

2 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Do you mean to wage a successful war for 20 years there? 

In Afghanistan the warlords were locals. In Ukraine, they're not. So not a lot of support for the invaders. Allied aid to Ukraine should shorten the length of the Russians' misadventure.

4 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Wagner becoming a formidable force of barbarians within Ukraine. Now receiving military equipment direct from North Korea

 

“In certain instances, Russian military officials are actually subordinate to Wagner's command,” said John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator at the National Security Council. “It's pretty apparent to us that Wagner is emerging as a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries.”

 

US believes Russian mercenary firm Wagner Group is expanding influence and took delivery of North Korean arms

Kirby said the US estimates Wager currently has about 50,000 personnel deployed inside Ukraine, of which 40,000 could be convicts recruited from Russian prisons. He said the group was spending $100 million per month to fund its operations in Ukraine. 

Last month, Wagner received a delivery of infantry rockets and missiles from North Korea, Kirby said, an indication of how Russia and its military partners continue to seek ways around Western sanctions and export controls.

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-12-22-22/h_436bd7e67edbcf6307b6432165f9bffa

Yevgeny Prigozhin is openly criticizing the Russian military and mocking Sergei Shoigu. 

Prigozhin might even have ambition for the top spot in Kremlin and he desperately need to show results and that is the reasons for the current meat grinder in Bakhmut. 

I will not be surprised if Prigozhin get a bad case of stairwell cancer and Wagner domestically get blamed for Russia's failure in Ukraine. 

55 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

no civilised nation would tolerate faction leaders having private militias, and no modern professional army would contain battalions under private leadership. 

Instead of embarrassed statement I would recommend you to enlighten first yourself - just searching for Blackwater and/or Erik Princ...  (and are we still with Afghanistan?)

13 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

But during coups and Soviet occupation in the 1970s, through civil conflict between Mujahideen groups and government forces in the '80s and '90s,

So, your quote says something different than my post?

Off topic posts about Afghanistan that are hijacking the topic have been removed

5 minutes ago, Saanim said:

So, your quote says something different than my post?

Yes and you edited my post. Topic is here as I pointed out to you in it.

 

Russia destroying evidence of one of its largest war crimes in Ukraine.

 

Moscow-installed authorities in occupied Mariupol have started to demolish the city's drama theatre, a local Ukrainian official said Friday.

The Mariupol drama theatre was hit by a Russian rocket strike in March while hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering inside. It has since become a symbol of Russian aggression during its 10-month invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/12/23/ukraine-war-north-korea-wagner-deny-completing-arms-delivery-a79785

A St Petersburg politician has asked prosecutors to investigate Russian President Vladimir Putin for using the word "war" to describe the conflict in Ukraine, accusing the Kremlin chief of breaking his own law.

Putin has for months described his invasion as a "special military operation". He signed laws in March that prescribe steep fines and jail terms for discrediting or spreading "deliberately false information" about the armed forces, putting people at risk of prosecution if they call the war by its name.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-politician-files-legal-challenge-over-putins-reference-ukraine-war-2022-12-23/
 

Somehow I don’t think Putin will be charged for this ‘crime’……

Part 3 for those interested :

 

 

 

 

I had a good laugh at this article, the only comment I could make would be Dmitry Peskov is self-projecting and gas-lighting in his usual delusional way.......

 

Kremlin says Russia has made significant progress towards 'demilitarising' Ukraine

 

"The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia had made significant progress towards "demilitarising" Ukraine, one of the goals President Vladimir Putin declared when he launched his war against Kyiv 10 months ago".

 

Kremlin says Russia has made significant progress towards 'demilitarising' Ukraine (msn.com)

 

 

Russia at it again, deliberately attacking civilian targets, this time in Cherson:

 

 

In the meantime, while her husband (deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov) was no doubt busy plotting more evil acts against innocent Ukrainian civilians, Svetlana Ivanova spent US$85,000 in a Paris shopping spree.
The word I would describe her (and her husband) with begins with a c, but unfortunately I can’t use that word on this forum.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/wife-of-vladimir-putins-deputy-defense-minister-spent-dollar85000-in-paris-shopping-spree-as-russia-devastated-ukraine-with-bomb-attacks/ar-AA15z8LJ?ocid=FeedManager

6 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

Russia at it again, deliberately attacking civilian targets, this time in Cherson:

 

 

A terrorists version of making significant progress towards "demilitarising" Ukraine.

1 hour ago, rudi49jr said:

In the meantime, while her husband (deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov) was no doubt busy plotting more evil acts against innocent Ukrainian civilians, Svetlana Ivanova spent US$85,000 in a Paris shopping spree.
The word I would describe her (and her husband) with begins with a c, but unfortunately I can’t use that word on this forum.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/wife-of-vladimir-putins-deputy-defense-minister-spent-dollar85000-in-paris-shopping-spree-as-russia-devastated-ukraine-with-bomb-attacks/ar-AA15z8LJ?ocid=FeedManager

Are they not part of any sanctions?

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Are they not part of any sanctions?

From the story in the OP:

 

"Even more shocking are the reports that although Russian Defense Minister Ivanov has been sanctioned by Britain, the European Union and the United States due to his connection to Putin, his wife has not been sanctioned and has therefore been free to live her life despite the still raging war between Russia and Ukraine".

Another very interesting account from a British soldier ( medic ) in Ukraine. Very experienced this one. Married to a Ukrainian , apartment in Bucha ( site of atrocities ) served in Ukrainian marines and was in Mariupol for a time. His account of the early days of the invasion puts you right in the picture.

 

 

Prigozhin is dead meat waking. He wants to expropriate the oligarchs wealth and build a military state. 

https://twitter.com/markito0171/status/1606896537027874816?s=20&t=Y72KKdcwvN8msFEyEi47xw

24 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Prigozhin is dead meat waking. He wants to expropriate the oligarchs wealth and build a military state. 

https://twitter.com/markito0171/status/1606896537027874816?s=20&t=Y72KKdcwvN8msFEyEi47xw

If he seriously starts taking away money from the Russian kleptocracy, he will very probably die a mysterious death (fall down some stairs, or out the window, have a ‘heart attack’), like so many Russian oligarchs before him this year. The world would be a much better place without that scumbag, so here’s hoping he will soon be worm food.

Duma prepares higher taxation for Russians who left country:

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/duma-prepares-higher-taxation-russians-who-left-country-speaker-2022-12-25/
 

The oligarchs have more than enough money to help out mother Russia in this time of need. But they won’t. So what does the Duma do? Purely out of spite, they raise taxes for those who fled the country to save their lives. How pathetic.

regardless how Putin plays it with his cronies, the reality is as simple as 1,2 and 3.... he's getting his rear kicked from all different places and now that Ukraine (finally) decided/has the tools to go on the offensive it's worse for him

Attack in Russia: military complex in Moscow destroyed

Attack in Russia: military complex in Moscow destroyed (msn.com)

6 hours ago, Mavideol said:

regardless how Putin plays it with his cronies, the reality is as simple as 1,2 and 3.... he's getting his rear kicked from all different places and now that Ukraine (finally) decided/has the tools to go on the offensive it's worse for him

Attack in Russia: military complex in Moscow destroyed

Attack in Russia: military complex in Moscow destroyed (msn.com)

Well, unless the Biden Administration gives the Ukrainians the weaponry that allows them to go after the Russian power grid and military targets, the Ukrainians will be at a disadvantage in this regard. Unless they can come up with weaponry of their own to begin to make the Russian civilian population experience the loss of power and the Russian military to realize that being inside Russian borders no longer provides protection.

Why US spending on Ukraine's defence is so cost effective.

 

Encouragement to fight, Russian style.........................

 

 

The Russians are useless at economics but good at war. Make no mistake..The incompetence of Western leaders in waging an effective economic war is leading us up a creek with no paddle. Just my personal opinion, based on Napleon, Hitler,and Gustavus Adolphus. Somebody need's to get with the program, and quick. The time window is closing. The only way I see this going is nuclear. Some people just like to see the world burn -555.

52 minutes ago, nausea said:

The Russians are useless at economics but good at war. Make no mistake..The incompetence of Western leaders in waging an effective economic war is leading us up a creek with no paddle. Just my personal opinion, based on Napleon, Hitler,and Gustavus Adolphus. Somebody need's to get with the program, and quick. The time window is closing. The only way I see this going is nuclear. Some people just like to see the world burn -555.

They certainly are not doing to well in the Ukraine,also the economy is really going downhill.

It all ads up,Russia is losing on the battle field and in economics.

You and i must be getting info from different sources.

Maybe it is good to look at some sources in Russia and i do not mean

the Russian state owned radio and tv channels.

Just look at the %of GDP of the countries involved,taking all of that into

account Russia just can not win.

Already money taken away form hospitals and education in Russia,not a good sign.

The extremer the propaganda the worse the lies,it will not help.

You can cheat some of the people some of the time but you can not cheat all of the people all of the time.

34 minutes ago, nausea said:

The Russians are useless at economics but good at war. Make no mistake..The incompetence of Western leaders in waging an effective economic war is leading us up a creek with no paddle. Just my personal opinion, based on Napleon, Hitler,and Gustavus Adolphus. Somebody need's to get with the program, and quick. The time window is closing. The only way I see this going is nuclear. Some people just like to see the world burn -555.

ภาพคริสต์มาส หิมะตกมากมาย หลานสาวเล่นสกีที่ฝรั่งเศส

You mean the Russians thought they were good at war. They were mistaken

13 hours ago, placeholder said:

Well, unless the Biden Administration gives the Ukrainians the weaponry that allows them to go after the Russian power grid and military targets, the Ukrainians will be at a disadvantage in this regard. Unless they can come up with weaponry of their own to begin to make the Russian civilian population experience the loss of power and the Russian military to realize that being inside Russian borders no longer provides protection.

but things keep moving Ukraine way even without the "new" guns

UPDATE 2-'Incident' at Russia's Engels air base investigated, no damage to civil infrastructure - local governor

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-blasts-reported-engels-air-004524071.html

 

 

1 hour ago, nausea said:

The Russians are useless at economics but good at war. Make no mistake..The incompetence of Western leaders in waging an effective economic war is leading us up a creek with no paddle. Just my personal opinion, based on Napleon, Hitler,and Gustavus Adolphus. Somebody need's to get with the program, and quick. The time window is closing. The only way I see this going is nuclear. Some people just like to see the world burn -555.

The war in Ukraine ???????? could very well be what the Spanish Civil War was to WWII: a test bed for new military equipment and strategies, a massive kick-start to the weapons industry and a warmup to the big one.

Except, it will not be nuclear. Nuclear powers have carte blanche to wage war only as long as the nuclear card never gets played.

Sadly ????,  in our part of the world the PLA will most likely repeat the mistakes and horrors of the rising sun in the '40.