International Russia/Ukraine Megathread V13

[nhbfan8080]

. Ukraine counter-offensive against Russia yields only small gains in first 2 months - BBC News
Ukraine is not doing as well as people think. They have fallen short of their own expectations. Ultimately, time is not on Ukraine's side. By autumn, the rainy season will have arrived, turning unpaved roads into mud and making further advances difficult, if not impossible. By the time that ends, in the spring, the US presidential election cycle will be under way. If Ukraine cannot show any decisive gains on the battlefield by then, it is far from certain that US and NATO support will continue at their current high levels. Meanwhile Russia simply has to hang on to the territory it has illegally seized.

I think it was posted earlier, but its been estimated that 10% of Ukrainians are already in the military so the available pool of manpower is small and they are facing enlistment shortages for months. Russia is trying hard not to go the draft route and Ukraine needs to pile on the pressure during this offensive to force Putin to make the unpopular move.

 

[SandisLL]

I think it was posted earlier, but its been estimated that 10% of Ukrainians are already in the military so the available pool of manpower is small and they are facing enlistment shortages for months. Russia is trying hard not to go the draft route and Ukraine needs to pile on the pressure during this offensive to force Putin to make the unpopular move.

These estimates are useless.

If Ukraine will use financial resources properly ( they till today aren't doing this ,) they might still even to afford to hire mercenaries, like Russia is doing on regular basis. Maybe Ukr elite is too money hungry to pay decent money and to use prisoners is something below their moral codex?

 

[Bojka]

There is a huge difference though, Ukrainian elites didn't chose this war, Russian elite did.

Zelensky could had simply ran away with suitcases full of cash the moment the war started yet chose to stay despite knowing the "second best" (widely believed at the time) army of the world just invaded from several points at once, he could had been trapped in Kyiv.

Calling him an hypocrite because he is doing the duty of the president of a nation is weird, because its not a choice he made (to get invaded) and his duty is to save his country.

On the other hand you have Putin who goes into hiding the moment he smells danger, Putin could also end up the war tomorrow yet chooses not to.

Nobody expected a TV personality to stay in Ukraine and rally up the defense of the nation, nobody would pester him for running away like others have tried.

That has nothing to do with what I said. I compared Zelensky to the ethical standard that he (and users in this thread) are attempting to hold Ukrainian men to. If he won't conscript his or his wife's male family members, then he has no moral authority as he is a hypocrite. If he isn't applying the law evenly, then he isn't doing his duty either. And he has been awarded quite a few suitcases of cash regardless.

Try to respond without engaging in whataboutism or forming a strawman. Thanks.

 

[Blayt7hh]

That has nothing to do with what I said. I compared Zelensky to the ethical standard that he (and users in this thread) are attempting to hold Ukrainian men to. If he won't conscript his or his wife's male family members, then he has no moral authority as he is a hypocrite. If he isn't applying the law evenly, then he isn't doing his duty either. And he has been awarded quite a few suitcases of cash regardless.

Try to respond without engaging in whataboutism or forming a strawman. Thanks.

Who has he exempted?

 

[Bojka]

Who has he exempted?

I can't find much information about their families. I entered the conversation by asking if there have been any reports of top officials' family members being on the front lines. If such a thing was actually happening, I thought it would undoubtedly be known about as it would be good for morale. It would make the government look impartial when everyone, including Ukrainians, fully expects corruption.

I find it hard to believe that there would be zero fighting age men in the families of Zelensky or his wife and, in the absence of any knowledge about them fighting, it isn't much of an assumption to make that they are being shielded.

The original question I asked still stands though if anyone has an answer to it that challenges this assumption.

My criticism of Zelensky hinges on it being true. But, I think everyone, including you, would be utterly shocked if it wasn't.

 

[Blayt7hh]

I can't find much information about their families. I entered the conversation by asking if there have been any reports of top officials' family members being on the front lines. I thought, if such a thing was actually happening, it would undoubtedly be known as it would be good for morale. It would make the government look impartial when everyone, including Ukrainians, fully expects corruption.

I find it hard to believe that there would be zero fighting age men in the families of Zelensky or his wife and, in the absence of any knowledge about them fighting, it isn't much of an assumption to make that they are being shielded from duty.

The original question I asked still stands though if anyone has an answer to it that challenges my assumption.

My criticism of Zelensky hinges on this assumption being true. I think everyone, including you, would be utterly shocked if it wasn't.

Ok so really you’re wasting everyone’s time?

Also you realize he’s not personally sending out draft notices right?

 

[PEB]

This is interesting for people interested in making a trip to Ukriane.

 

[Bojka]

Ok so really you’re wasting everyone’s time?

Also you realize he’s not personally sending out draft notices right?

You think the president of a nation like Ukraine doesn't have the authority to prevent his family from being conscripted? lol @ accusing me of wasting your time and then arguing something like that. This thread really is the trash bin of this sub-forum, which is saying a lot.

 

[LeonardoBjj]

Russia puts advanced Sarmat nuclear missile system on ‘combat duty’
Russian space agency chief Yuri Borisov says new intercontinental ballistic missile system is now in service, Russia’s news agencies report.

Moscow has put into service an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said would make Russia’s enemies “think twice” about their threats, according to reported comments by the head of the country’s space agency.

Yuri Borisov, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said Sarmat missiles have “assumed combat duty”, according to Russian news agency reports on Friday.

“The Sarmat strategic system has assumed combat alert posture,” the state-run TASS news agency quoted the Roscosmos chief as saying.

“Based on experts’ estimates, the RS-28 Sarmat is capable of delivering a MIRVed warhead weighing up to 10 tonnes to any location worldwide, both over the North and South Poles,” TASS said in its report.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that he was not in a position to confirm reports that Russia had put the Sarmat on combat readiness.

Putin said in February that the Sarmat – one of several advanced weapons in Russia’s arsenal – would be ready for deployment soon.

In 2022, some two months after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Putin said the Sarmat would “reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those, who in the heat of aggressive rhetoric try to threaten our country, think twice”.

The Sarmat is an underground silo-based missile that Russian officials say can carry up to 15 nuclear warheads, though the United States military estimates its capacity to be 10 warheads.

Known to NATO military allies by the codename “Satan”, the missile reportedly has a short initial launch phase, which gives little time for surveillance systems to track its takeoff.

Weighing more than 200 tonnes, the Sarmat has a range of some 18,000km (11,000 miles) and was developed to replace Russia’s older generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICMBs) that dated from the 1980s.

Russia test-fired the Sarmat missile in April 2022 in the Plesetsk region of the country, located some 800km (almost 500 miles) north of Moscow, and the launched missiles hit targets on the Kamchatka peninsula, in Russia’s far east region.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023...-sarmat-nuclear-missile-system-on-combat-duty

 

[PEB]

Russia losing over 600 soldiers a day in combat in what seems to be the most difficult times during the war as Ukrainians are slowly making progress. The pace has also picked up considerably as it seems Ukraine seeking to stretch Russian lines thin.

EDIT: Side note Russia released a pro Russian propaganda film and the theaters have been completely empty of people. Seems like the war is finally resonating with people.

 

[Ruthless Ryan]

They just want to slobber on Russia man, it's best to ignore them. Apparently the US somehow started this war by forcing Russia to invade Ukraine.

True, Putin himself said that Russia is just trying to stop the war the west started. Poor Putin must be hard being a victim all the time.

 

[Cole train]

I can't find much information about their families. I entered the conversation by asking if there have been any reports of top officials' family members being on the front lines. I thought, if such a thing was actually happening, it would undoubtedly be known about as it would be good for morale. It would make the government look impartial when everyone, including Ukrainians, fully expects corruption.

I find it hard to believe that there would be zero fighting age men in the families of Zelensky or his wife and, in the absence of any knowledge about them fighting, it isn't much of an assumption to make that they are being shielded from duty.

The original question I asked still stands though if anyone has an answer to it that challenges my assumption.

My criticism of Zelensky hinges on this assumption being true. I think everyone, including you, would be utterly shocked if it wasn't.

Pretty much all of ukr elites kids got away from country when this began

That being said by february this year 4 of ukr politicians were officially members of armed forces.Plus there were some attempts at resistance by some politicians when war began and there are some volunteer medical/supply stuff led by deputies etc according to this article, its in russian though

(Hope it answers question a little bit)


https://glavcom.ua/ru/news/kto-iz-d...rhaem-fejki-rossijskoj-propahandy-905988.html

 

[The XL]

Just like at any other war at any other point in modern history, politicans and elites exempt themselves and their families from war. That's why I fully support common folk from refusing to fight. Don't fight and die for the wars of evil rich men, it makes no sense.

 

[lsa]

The war is moving close to NATO territory with new Ukrainian grain exports.

Two ports have become increasingly important to Ukraine during the Russian invasion. The Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail, located deep inland on the Danube River, now account for about half of all grain exports out of Ukraine. Before the war, the ports on the Danube had virtually no impact on grain exports. The Russians have also detected the increased river traffic through the Danube and have responded with several air strikes along the river. Thus, according to Uffe Dreesen, the war in Ukraine has moved very close to NATO territory, as Romania is part of the defense alliance. "The Russians are going straight to the limit by attacking Izmail. The distance is 500 meters across to the Romanian side of the Danube River. But the Russians are also cautious, and they do not want to give NATO an excuse to attack, says the TV 2 correspondent."

https://nyheder.tv2.dk/udland/2023-...d-ny-ukrainsk-korneksport-siger-korrespondent

Thats really a risky move by the Russians.

 

[SandisLL]

Israeli National Anthem - "Hatikvah" (HE/EN) - YouTube
Israel MoD today had signed some export permits for us in reality to replace lethal aid we hed sent to ukr.

 

[Rod1]

You don't need depleted uranium rounds for that..

The US doesn't even needs A-10 to defeat terrorists driving Toyotas, but alas.

 

[Rod1]

That has nothing to do with what I said. I compared Zelensky to the ethical standard that he (and users in this thread) are attempting to hold Ukrainian men to.

Ok.

If he won't conscript his or his wife's male family members, then he has no moral authority as he is a hypocrite.

He has the legal authority.

If he isn't applying the law evenly,

Any source on this.

then he isn't doing his duty either.

Except he definitively is.

And he has been awarded quite a few suitcases of cash regardless.

Any information on corruption cases by Zelensky?

Try to respond without engaging in whataboutism or forming a strawman. Thanks.

The post i was quoting mentioned Russians, but i guess you were responding to another poster.

On its own merits, Zelensky isn't an hypocrite in this case because he isn't a pro-War president the hypocrisy is when you have warhawks who are pro-war but avoid it.

 

[Blayt7hh]

You think the president of a nation like Ukraine doesn't have the authority to prevent his family from being conscripted? lol @ accusing me of wasting your time and then arguing something like that. This thread really is the trash bin of this sub-forum, which is saying a lot.

Your posts are trash. You’re trying to say everyone in here is a hypocrite for supporting conscription when Zelensky maybe exempted some people? 1. No one in here exempted anyone, 2. You don’t even know if he did.

 

[Bojka]

Your posts are trash. You’re trying to say everyone in here is a hypocrite for supporting conscription when Zelensky maybe exempted some people? 1. No one in here exempted anyone, 2. You don’t even know if he did.

Supporting self-determination for Ukraine, but not for Ukrainians is peak hypocrisy among other things.

 

[lsa]

Sorry for an OT post but its not really worth making a thread over.
And I suspect it has to do with Russia / NATO / Ukraine in some way.
Is something going down?

A Lockheed C-5 Galaxy from USAF has landed in Sweden today.
Swedish military claims they dont know why.
"They have applied for and been granted permission to enter Swedish airspace and then land," says Fredrik Helmertz, on-duty communications officer at the Swedish Armed Forces"