Assault on Kiev: Russian helicopters swoop above Ukraine's capital

[JerseytoBKK]

US State Department:

"Based on a careful analysis of the law and available facts, I have determined that members of Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine."

"These acts are not random or spontaneous; they are part of the Kremlin’s widespread and systematic attack against Ukraine’s civilian population."

 

https://www.state.gov/crimes-against-humanity-in-ukraine/

 

Powerful statement. Now back it up with powerful actions instead of token gestures like 31 Abrams.

 

[Rimmer]

Russia’s losses up to 200,000 soldiers, most killed by artillery – UK MoD

 

According to UK intel, the level of Russian losses has increased significantly since September 2022, when "partial mobilization" was announced.

 

The agency notes that by modern standards of warfare, Russian forces have a very high death toll in terms of the ratio of killed to wounded.

 

This is almost certainly due to the extremely unsatisfactory medical care of most of the personnel, the UK intelligence agency said.

 

See more:

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-losses-200-000-soldiers-111700262.html

[Mavideol]

13 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Just read in a Dutch online newspaper that The Netherlands are going to expel another 10 Russian ‘diplomats’. The Russian trade representation in Amsterdam is going to have to close as well.
I guess relations between the two countries are at a new low. Good. Hit them where it hurts. Now all the EU has to do is confiscate all the seized assets and money from blacklisted Russian oligarchs and hand it over to Ukraine so they can keep financing their war against the fascist and terrorist regime in Moscow. 

great news and the latest update is the Dutch close their Saint Petersburg Consulate but it appears the Dutch are not alone, more EU countries joining in

Netherlands expels Russian diplomats, closes trade mission

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/netherlands-expels-russian-diplomats-closes-trade-mission

 

The Dutch government on Saturday said it would close its consulate in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and that it would limit the number of Russian diplomats allowed at the Russian embassy in The Hague.

 

https://www.livemint.com/news/world/netherlands-expels-russian-diplomats-after-spy-smuggling-claim-11676756587087.html

 

After the Netherlands announced Tuesday it was expelling 17 Russian diplomats, several more European countries are doing the same.

 

Belgium said Tuesday it would expel 21 Russians, the Czech Republic said it was expelling one, while Ireland announced it would expel four officials.

 

https://www.voanews.com/a/netherlands-expels-17-russian-diplomats-/6506238.html

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by Mavideol

[sammieuk1]

17 hours ago, Black Ops said:

 

Expecting a bridge to fall down and a few cruisers to go plop very soon well done Rishi you got something right for a change ????

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, JerseytoBKK said:

US State Department:

"Based on a careful analysis of the law and available facts, I have determined that members of Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine."

"These acts are not random or spontaneous; they are part of the Kremlin’s widespread and systematic attack against Ukraine’s civilian population."

 

https://www.state.gov/crimes-against-humanity-in-ukraine/

 

Powerful statement. Now back it up with powerful actions instead of token gestures like 31 Abrams.

 

Short of starting WW3, what more can they do?

[tgw]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Short of starting WW3, what more can they do?

Ukraine needs
- longer range precision missiles

- more of modern tanks in numbers (Leo 2, Abrams, ...)
- more IFV

- artillery, guns and ammo
- more Gepards

- western fighter/bomber jets

 

[Mavideol]

if this could be true, the world would take a big breath of relieve....

Quite likely' Vladimir Putin is poisoned, claims former KGB spy

https://au.yahoo.com/news/vladimir-putin-likely-poisoned-claims-former-kgb-spy-230904950.html

 

[Mavideol]

it still amazes me see these piece of shxt saying stupid things and keeping a straight face

 

Ukraine-Russia news – live: ‘Hybrid war unleashed against us,’ claims Russian envoy

Russia’s ambassador to the US has accused Washington of trying to justify its own actions in fomenting the crisis in Ukraine by alleging Russia had committed crimes against humanity.

“We regard such insinuations as an unprecedented attempt to demonise Russia in the framework of the hybrid war unleashed against us,” envoy Anatoly Antonov was quoted saying by Russia’s Tass state news agency.

 

https://au.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-russia-news-live-zelensky-073255495.html

[Mavideol]

All Russian citizens should be aware and know what their dictator leader is up to

 

Vladimir Putin finding it ‘increasingly difficult to insulate Russians from Ukraine war,’ says UK

https://au.yahoo.com/news/vladimir-putin-finding-increasingly-difficult-125257682.html

 

 

 

 

[JerseytoBKK]

20 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Short of starting WW3, what more can they do?

Instead of 31 Abrams, it should be 300. The argument that it's too complicated to maintain is BS. Retired Gen Ben Hodges talked about it over 6 months ago. Ukraine can do what the US did in Iraq. Hire a company to provide field level maintenance. 100 experienced mechanics at $1,000 day for 120 days = $12M. Add in overhead and profit for the supplier and you're under $20M. During those 120 days the 50 2 man teams are also training Ukrainian mechanics so that they'll take over after the initial contract is finished. For more extensive repairs there are already facilities in Poland.

 

How about sending 100 F-16? Again the need to train pilots for 6-12 months is a smokescreen. When Ruzzia invaded, Ukraine put out a call for international volunteers. They quickly had to amend the call to experienced volunteers because so many wanted to join. If the US announced they are sending 100 F-16s, then Ukraine could form an international volunteer air wing staffed with experienced F-16 pilots. I doubt it would take more than a week to get over 150 volunteers. Would probably have to state that current active duty foreign pilots couldn't resign from their own air force to limit the number of volunteers. 

 

Ukraine sank the Moskva. Blew up Putin's pride and joy Kerch bridge. Regularly bomb "Ruzzian (occupied) territory". Western countries have sent Himars, advanced APCs, long range artillery and now Western tanks. All the talk about WW3 is just Ruzzia propagandists trying to scare people. As long as Ukrainian tanks aren't driving towards Moscow, there will be no WW3. 

[Tug]

If I may jerseytobbk the training of Ukrainian pilots and tankers wouldn’t take that long plus those Ukrainian patriots have been tested in the crucible of combat against a numerically superior foe defending their homes families sovereignty and dare I say the right to exist against the criminals attacking them they will be a quick study augmented by volunteers and contractual maintenance agreements.slava Ukraine ???????? evict the raping fascist from your lands!

[rudi49jr]

Very disturbing news, if true: China may be on brink of supplying arms to Russia, says Blinken.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/19/china-may-be-on-brink-of-supplying-arms-to-russia-says-blinken

[rudi49jr]

Even Putin’s OWN spooks believe he is a ‘bullying narcissistic liar who can’t be trusted’.

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21344313/putin-spies-leaked-bullying-narcissistic-liar/?utm_campaign=native_share&utm_source=sharebar_native&utm_medium=sharebar_native

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Very disturbing news, if true: China may be on brink of supplying arms to Russia, says Blinken.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/19/china-may-be-on-brink-of-supplying-arms-to-russia-says-blinken

Did you expect anything else? IMO CCP is not beholden to any other country. They will do whatever Xi wants them to do.

Given they are a permanent member of the security council in the UN, IMO they can veto any UN resolution ( tell me if I'm wrong about that ) against them, and as long as they are the main source of rare earth metals that the west desires for it's technology, they are probably immune to more than rhetoric or sanctions.

[tgw]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

What on earth are you on about?

Those "100 experienced mechanics" would have to be experienced on Abrams, ergo US ex soldiers.

You think Russia would give a stuff if they were not actually current serving soldiers, and Iraq has no equivalence here.

 

IMO you are either not thinking it through or you're dreaming.

I think it's you who is ignoring facts - there already are dozens if not hundreds of ex-US military volunteers in Ukraine.

[tgw]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

The American taxpayer may disagree with you.

This isn't WW3 ( yet ) and the US isn't being threatened. IMO this is another proxy war in the Great Game, just like Vietnam and Afghanistan ( when the Russians were in it ) were before.

 

Hopefully, wise heads will prevail and it won't become another Vietnam style morass in which the US get sucked in to the point that they have to get out and it ends badly, as happened in Vietnam.

the whole world is being threatened.

stopping Ruzzia doesn't stop only Ruzzia but also stops China, North Korea, and who knows how many other little frustrated megalomaniac wannabee Hitlers.

 

and for the US and the rest of the (free) world, investing tanks and planes in Ukraine is very cheap compared to waging a real war against Ruzzia. It's the best investment to secure durable peace.

 

Regarding your last paragraph - Ruzzia has already lost a multiple of what the US lost in Vietnam. And they are still sending fresh cannon fodder. That's the disadvantage of living in a dictatorship - public opinion matters only when a revolt is looming.

 

How many more Ukrainians have to die? Let's give Ukraine the means to shift the losses ratio by a few columns and give them the means to kick Ruzzia out of Ukrainian territory. Nobody wants to attack Ruzzia, just push them out and back to where they belong. And then a cordon sanitaire around it.

"Nobody wants to build a wall" ... let's remind Putin of these words of Walter Ulbricht, except it's a real quote this time.

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by tgw

[Rimmer]

Some off topic / troll posts have been removed

[billyo]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Did you expect anything else? IMO CCP is not beholden to any other country. They will do whatever Xi wants them to do.

Given they are a permanent member of the security council in the UN, IMO they can veto any UN resolution ( tell me if I'm wrong about that ) against them, and as long as they are the main source of rare earth metals that the west desires for it's technology, they are probably immune to more than rhetoric or sanctions.

Whilst China didn't want this war and would prefer trade war to kinetic war it has happened. It is in their strategic long term interests to see the US and NATO bogged down in a European war and if by arming Russia they advance that interest then that is what they will do. It will be an ideal opportunity as well to test out their tech in a war zone to see how it copes with US western/tech. They are playing the long game game as they always have and always will. Russia will end up as a client state with their huge natural reserves available to China almost on demand.

 

Geopolitical strategy is deeply cynical - human rights, democracy and all that stuff is an afterthought not a strategy. General Wesley Clark laid it out in a stark speech back in 2007.

 

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by billyo

[Social Media]

Summary

1. US President Joe Biden has made a surprise visit to Kyiv – his first visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded almost a year ago
2. It comes as the anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches on 24 February
3. Biden is expected to visit neighbouring Poland next
4. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels will discuss how to make sure Ukrainian forces have enough ammunition
5. Russian forces have sustained "very high losses" in their assault on the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, according to UK intelligence
6. Moscow's troops have been battling to break through Ukrainian defences around in the town in the Donbas region
7. Ukraine's President Zelensky has described the situation as "very difficult" but says "we are breaking the invader

[Eric Loh]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/18/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/china-italy-xi-jinping-peace-speech-ukraine/

 

China's top diplomat will meet Putin for talks on a possible peace settlement for Ukraine. Lets pray and hope all these efforts will put an end to this needless war and sufferings of Ukrainians. ????

[Social Media]

 

[Mavideol]

1 minute ago, Black Ops said:

 

I don't know how much Putin has to celebrate as things appear to go downhill for him and his cronies

Very high losses for two ‘elite’ Russian brigades in new Putin attacks, say British defence chiefs

https://au.yahoo.com/news/very-high-losses-two-elite-073456200.html

 

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

54 minutes ago, Black Ops said:

Summary

1. US President Joe Biden has made a surprise visit to Kyiv – his first visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded almost a year ago
2. It comes as the anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches on 24 February
3. Biden is expected to visit neighbouring Poland next
4. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels will discuss how to make sure Ukrainian forces have enough ammunition
5. Russian forces have sustained "very high losses" in their assault on the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, according to UK intelligence
6. Moscow's troops have been battling to break through Ukrainian defences around in the town in the Donbas region
7. Ukraine's President Zelensky has described the situation as "very difficult" but says "we are breaking the invader

Great speech by both Zelensky and Biden. Putin was wrong, after one year the West is united and stronger than ever to defeat Russia in its illegal invasion.

 

 

[Tug]

My president makes me proud to be an American in my humble opinion he is using his office to promote the ideals and taking the actions that make America great ???? slava Ukraine ???????? 

[rudi49jr]

This is - among other things - what Russia has in store for ‘enemy’ states: “Russia targets Netherlands' North Sea infrastructure, says Dutch intelligence agency.”

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-netherlands-infrastructur/update-1-russia-targets-netherlands-north-sea-infrastructure-says-dutch-intelligence-agency-idUSL1N3500G0
 

THE HAGUE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Russia has in recent months tried to gain intelligence to sabotage critical infrastructure in the Dutch part of the North Sea, Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD said on Monday.

A Russian ship has been detected at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea as it tried to map out energy infrastructure, MIVD head General Jan Swillens said at a news conference. The vessel was escorted out of the North Sea by Dutch marine and coast guard ships before any sabotage effort could become successful, he added.

He also said that not 10, but 17 Russian ‘diplomats’ had been expelled from The Netherlands last week.

 

[Mavideol]

17 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

This is - among other things - what Russia has in store for ‘enemy’ states: “Russia targets Netherlands' North Sea infrastructure, says Dutch intelligence agency.”

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-netherlands-infrastructur/update-1-russia-targets-netherlands-north-sea-infrastructure-says-dutch-intelligence-agency-idUSL1N3500G0
 

THE HAGUE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Russia has in recent months tried to gain intelligence to sabotage critical infrastructure in the Dutch part of the North Sea, Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD said on Monday.

A Russian ship has been detected at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea as it tried to map out energy infrastructure, MIVD head General Jan Swillens said at a news conference. The vessel was escorted out of the North Sea by Dutch marine and coast guard ships before any sabotage effort could become successful, he added.

He also said that not 10, but 17 Russian ‘diplomats’ had been expelled from The Netherlands last week.

 

Vlad always has one up his sleeve and Lukashenko felt for it  555

Revealed: Leaked document shows how Russia plans to take over Belarus

The document, written for Putin’s Presidential Administration, envisages the total incorporation of Belarus into a “Union State” with Russia by 2030.

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-belarus-strategy-document-230035184.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

[Mavideol]

the best Valentine's Day the Orcs could have gotten....

Russian troops killed deploying devastating rockets in Valentine's Day massacre

https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-troops-killed-deploying-devastating-202103768.html

Very high losses for two ‘elite’ Russian brigades in new Putin attacks, say British defence chiefs

https://au.news.yahoo.com/very-high-losses-two-elite-073456200.html

Edited February 21, 2023 by Mavideol

[Mavideol]

Vlad and the Wagner love affair is down the pipes.... my take on the matter? power struggle and ready for grabs by Wagner group mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin .... just my input

Russian officials are denying ammunition to Wagner fighters - group founder

https://au.news.yahoo.com/russian-officials-denying-ammunition-wagner-130709012.html

[rudi49jr]

This is how low he will stoop: Putin heralds unit that provided MH17-striking missile with honorific title.

 

https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2023/02/21/putin-heralds-unit-that-provided-mh17-striking-missile-with-honorific-title-en-news
 

What a petty, petty man. I hope he gets rectal cancer. 

[thaibeachlovers]

Just heard on Al Jazeera that Russia has suspended participation in the New Start treaty. The world edges closer to nuclear winter- madness.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/21/what-is-new-start-treaty/

The announcement sparked alarm among Western officials, who warned about the disintegration of the global arms-control architecture.

 

Time to rethink western strategy in Ukraine?