Русский корабль - иди нахуй

[Mantis Toboggan, MD 1501]

The fact that the ICC is talking about investigating war crimes has got to be providing some pressure on the Russian leaders as well.  Imagine how much it would suck to be a senior Russian leader and be confined to Russia.
 
 

I doubt Putin gives a shit about this.

[lemonlime 5503]

I don't normally watch cable news, but was having trouble focusing on anything else.  And saw an interview with Mark Warner, in which he seemed to hint that he expected a massive cyber attack from Russia.

[Longhornlove 4883]

3 hours ago, StruggleBus said:

I agree. There is a large chunk of typically anti-war people that seem to want war with Russia. And those people are literally retarded.

We have to stay out of this unless article 5 is triggered then it is the NATO not us.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Longhornlove

[Bateshorn 9937]

55 minutes ago, Telegraph_it said:

 

probably have to be plural. I took some physics at UT. 

Lib Arts major here. i was told there’d be no math. 
 

 

[Fico 1791]

24 minutes ago, MillerEP said:

^Worth the read

https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/ukraine-through-russias-eyes

Here is a good article that helps explain the Russian strategic strategy thus far. In short, the FSB conducted a survey in Ukraine in February:

 

Trust in the office of the president sat at 27%, with 67% distrustful of the presidency. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had poor approval ratings at −34, but a high proportion of Ukrainians polled still professed that they would vote for him over other candidates. The Ukrainian Army, both regular and reserve, was highly trusted, with 68% of the population supportive, as were military veterans, while regional and municipal governments were comparatively well-trusted with over 40% of the population having a favourable opinion of them.

However, other institutions enjoyed approval figures that ranged from mediocre to poor, including the police at 28% and domestic security services at 23%. Trust in the Rada – the Ukrainian parliament – and in political parties was abysmal, at 11% and 8% respectively. And when it came to willingness to serve in the military or otherwise resist a foreign invasion, 40% of respondents stated that they would not defend Ukraine.

[Mantis Toboggan, MD 1501]

We have to stay out of this unless article 5 is triggered then it is the UN not us.

NATO

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

28 minutes ago, freyguy said:

Well-placed artillery can make quick work of that advancing line.  My hope is there's a big surprise and they all surrender once they hit their destination. 

Fire finder radar and counter battery artillery are things. Do the Ukrainians have sufficient mechanized artillery pieces and the ability to move and fire like we do?

I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure they Russians have MLRS systems with cluster munitions available if they don’t.  Maybe one volley.  Or two, and then displace rearwards as quickly as possible?

 

[SL Xpress 7518]

1 minute ago, Longhornlove said:

We have to stay out of this unless article 5 is triggered then it is the UN not us.

You meant NATO. I know you meant NATO. 

[Bateshorn 9937]

35 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

I just don't see how Ukraine holds off a 40 mile convey of Russian forces. I think this ends badly in the next few days, which will be really sad.

Well, I’m not sure how smaller  German units could have held off a huge convoy of Allied forces during Market Garden, but shit be cray

[Fico 1791]

Just now, Bateshorn said:

Well, I’m not sure how smaller  German units could have held off a huge convoy of Allied forces during Market Garden, but shit be cray

So you are saying Germany needs to send some PaK 40s 

[Deej 76903]

4 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

You meant NATO. I know you meant NATO. 

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

13 minutes ago, Longhornlove said:

Our planes and the ones we sell are drastically different, especially the weapons systems. Not sure someone else can fly it if they haven't been through extensive training and we damn sure can't provide the pilot. It isn't as easy as hopping in and cruising around the neighborhood.

We can't but there's plenty of EU pilots that can fly good enough equipment - doesn't have to be our most cutting edge stuff.  My old man designed/re-designed plenty of bombers/fighter jets for the military/air force.  I think I know just a little about this.  

To this day, I think my highlight as a kid was getting up close and personal with an SR71 and getting to learn about all it can do in the 80's.  Pretty sure it wasn't fully declassified (gave up its capabilities etc) until the early 90's. 

Edit:  dual citizen pilots as well...acting like it's impossible is BS. 

Edited March 1, 2022 by ChiTownDoc

[FartingMonk 3608]

Hell at this point maybe Putin just tells his dudes to sit still for two months and declare a victory and say the Nazis were vanquished and go home.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10356]

19 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

RIP! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

[dcbc 14508]

12 minutes ago, Longhornlove said:

Our planes and the ones we sell are drastically different, especially the weapons systems. Not sure someone else can fly it if they haven't been through extensive training and we damn sure can't provide the pilot. It isn't as easy as hopping in and cruising around the neighborhood.

You've got to think in Russian.

 

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

13 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

No Ukrainian pilot can fly a US-built jet. Hence why they are getting old Soviet birds. The US isn’t putting anyone in way of being shot down there, it’s a risk no one supports. If a US solider is found in Ukraine, shit is fucked. 

I mean US built jets with a pilot from Europe.  You can bet there's at least someone there that can fly some of our jets.  Let's see how this plays out - I would be completely shocked if we don't see euro involvement.  I maintained then and now we would, and should, keep our own boots on the ground out of this.  But we can give plenty of help without our actual soldiers/pilots there.  

[EuroHorn 3268]

 

[SL Xpress 7518]

1 minute ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

Fire finder radar and counter battery artillery are things. Do the Ukrainians have sufficient mechanized artillery pieces and the ability to move and fire like we do?

I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure they Russians have MLRS systems with cluster munitions available if they don’t.  Maybe one volley.  Or two, and then displace rearwards as quickly as possible?

 

The artillery Ukraine has is older Russian models. Few of them are mobile. Ukraine lacks replacement parts, and they’re stationed at the line of control in the east. 
 

The west has been very hesitant to sell Ukraine any kind of advanced equipment. A big part of the timing of this invasion is the sense that has been changing. Arguably the most effective air to ground attack Ukraine has been deploying has come from the Turkish TB-2 armed drones. These were fired for the first time in October of last year. 
 

If part of Putin’s calculation for this invasion is that he’d better do it now or they’d never be able to mount a successful invasion in the future, that part of his calculus at least looks very much correct. 

[Viper 12112]

39 minutes ago, Stella Link said:

Anyone know if the Russian Consulate office in Houston is still open with all of this?

I hear the tea is to die for

[BillyGoatHill 4312]

7 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Well, I’m not sure how smaller  German units could have held off a huge convoy of Allied forces during Market Garden, but shit be cray

" It was the single road."... "No, It was a bridge too far."

[FartingMonk 3608]

Just now, ChiTownDoc said:

I mean US built jets with a pilot from Europe.  You can bet there's at least someone there that can fly some of our jets.  Let's see how this plays out - I would be completely shocked if we don't see euro involvement.  I maintained then and now we would, and should, keep our own boots on the ground out of this.  But we can give plenty of help without our actual soldiers/pilots there.  

Ummm, basically if a European country got involved right now.  That would get us involved.  Europe has got plenty of jets they can use to fly.  The minute one flies a combat mission into Ukraine it changes the entire outlook and Vlad may start slinging missiles around.  Unless Sweden or Finland decided to jump in but why are they going to?  

[Longhornlove 4883]

11 minutes ago, Mantis Toboggan, MD said:

NATO

Thanks for correcting me.

[alincoln 2385]

5 minutes ago, ChiTownDoc said:

We can't but there's plenty of EU pilots that can fly good enough equipment - doesn't have to be our most cutting edge stuff.  My old man designed/re-designed plenty of bombers/fighter jets for the military/air force.  I think I know just a little about this. 

Lol 

[dcbc 14508]

9 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Well, I’m not sure how smaller  German units could have held off a huge convoy of Allied forces during Market Garden, but shit be cray

 

7 minutes ago, Fico said:

So you are saying Germany needs to send some PaK 40s 

 

 

[GabrielsHorn 2186]

 

[Longhornlove 4883]

11 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

You meant NATO. I know you meant NATO. 

Yes, yes, getting pissed watching retard politicians and bureaucrats lobbying for crap that could trigger retaliation, all for money from the MIC.

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

Just now, FartingMonk said:

Ummm, basically if a European country got involved right now.  That would get us involved.  Europe has got plenty of jets they can use to fly.  The minute one flies a combat mission into Ukraine it changes the entire outlook and Vlad may start slinging missiles around.  Unless Sweden or Finland decided to jump in but why are they going to?  

I agree they have plenty of jets - this all started with me saying one or two jets with the proper ground support can do a lot of damage to them.  Somehow it got twisted in the jets having to be from us.  We can and will give support...doesn't need to be jets. 

And I do think it won't be easy but Russia will take Kiev at some point - I do NOT think they'll keep it.  But Putin at this point has to show he took it.  He can negotiate whatever afterwards but not taking Kiev even for a few days is even more of a disaster than whatever we are seeing now with his embarrassing performance. 

[Kennythetiger 9456]

7 minutes ago, EuroHorn said:

 

Surprised that thing has a steering wheel. Seems a skid steer/ bulldozer system would work better. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

I read a reply to that Twitter thread and it made sense. Maybe the Kyiv operation is a distraction to keep troops away from the real objectives in the south.

Take over the natural gas areas east and west, and that dam that supplies crimea? Is there anything in Kyiv worth having?

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

3 minutes ago, alincoln said:

Lol 

I mean I do know a little, a lot by no means.  But is someone here more experienced?  Love to hear from them.  If you don't think there's very capable fighter jets that can be flown by euro pilots then I think you're wrong.  That's my lightly educated guess.  

[Deej 76903]

Tom Herman has been impressed with Russia's "keep it close" strategy thus far. 

[PTINS 3481]

3 minutes ago, Gravy Train said:

If that "40 mile train" grew from 17 miles over the weekend, how much of it was added by Belarusans?

No fuel, cold days and nights, snow is still falling and the ground is thawed.  It's mudstuck hell off that road, and you can't shuttle a bridge ahead. 

My $.02 worth.

The accordion effect of a long line of cars stretches out as bits and pieces bunch up and stretch out over time. Growing from 17 miles to 40 miles doesn't necessarily mean more vehicles, probably just more space between the front & the back. Statistcally, a few of them broke down, and everyone that passes them slows down and rubbernecks, if not stopping and offering assistance.

The spring thaw and muddy conditions prevents them from going off road and advancing along a front as opposed to a single column. It wouldn't take much to create a bottleneck at the front that creates a long line of stationary targets. Poor Russian training, planning & communications, switched street signs, and a long time for a motivated UA to plan an attack isn't quite as bothersome as some have suggested. 

The last 5 days have shown numerous pictures of Russian columns destroyed, damaged or abandoned and I expect, and hope, a significant portion of this one will end up looking the same. 

All the same, I wouldn't mind hearing about some close air support and the ensuing turket shoot. 

[Covri 6253]

17 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

You meant NATO. I know you meant NATO. 

NAFTA

 

[Constant 6754]

 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10356]

Has any reason been given why power is still on in all the major cities Russia is attacking? I would think that would be the first thing you knock out?

[Deej 76903]

"In Ukraine, power take out you."

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Deej

[SL Xpress 7518]

6 minutes ago, ChiTownDoc said:

I mean I do know a little, a lot by no means.  But is someone here more experienced?  Love to hear from them.  If you don't think there's very capable fighter jets that can be flown by euro pilots then I think you're wrong.  That's my lightly educated guess.  

You're good. Dropping the Dad reference as evidence of your expertise is what got the lol. Don't know what to say to you, other than it was earned.

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

Just now, SL Xpress said:

You're good. Dropping the Dad reference as evidence of your expertise is what got the lol. Don't know what to say to you, other than it was earned.

He's not dead and I talk to him.  I can put him on?  He hasn't lost all his marbles yet.  He does think I'm an idiot which would score points, I'd think.  

[troph 24905]

27 minutes ago, Fico said:

https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/ukraine-through-russias-eyes

Here is a good article that helps explain the Russian strategic strategy thus far. In short, the FSB conducted a survey in Ukraine in February:

 

Trust in the office of the president sat at 27%, with 67% distrustful of the presidency. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had poor approval ratings at −34, but a high proportion of Ukrainians polled still professed that they would vote for him over other candidates. The Ukrainian Army, both regular and reserve, was highly trusted, with 68% of the population supportive, as were military veterans, while regional and municipal governments were comparatively well-trusted with over 40% of the population having a favourable opinion of them.

However, other institutions enjoyed approval figures that ranged from mediocre to poor, including the police at 28% and domestic security services at 23%. Trust in the Rada – the Ukrainian parliament – and in political parties was abysmal, at 11% and 8% respectively. And when it came to willingness to serve in the military or otherwise resist a foreign invasion, 40% of respondents stated that they would not defend Ukraine.

Fantastic post thank you!! 

[Trey3216 15355]

4 hours ago, SL Xpress said:

No offense, but Hollywood and the NBA are chicken feed regarding the symbiotic relationship between China and the US.  China is basically the US manufacturing base, outside of defense. They possess a ridiculous percentage of the world’s rare earth production. They are one of the biggest purchasers of US debt and saleable assets (all those dollars we spend on Chinese made goods have to go somewhere). 

China in many ways is just as dependent on the US for their continued economic growth. There are a lot of people on both sides of the Pacific who would prefer the two economies weren’t as intrinsically linked as they are. But getting them unlinked would not only be an excruciating process leading to a substantial decline in the standard of living for both countries - likely catastrophic, actually - but would also make the world a much more dangerous place for all of mankind.

Not saying I don’t wish the US was a little less dependent on China, because I do. But it’s one of those be careful what you wish for wishes. No one should be putting China and Russia in the same sentence in terms of isolating them. The economic consequences of this with Russia are going to be much more far reaching than we can imagine. This is a shock to the modern economic system of an unprecedented degree.  Russia is country of 144 million with a minuscule GDP. They are a factor in one industry - oil and gas - that the world still has the ability to fill the gap in production, although distribution isn’t seamless. 

Doing something similar with China would make the 2008 housing bubble seem like a golden age of economic prosperity. 

Inn many ways dependent???!!!   Lol.   China couldn’t feed their population and maintain their party if it weren’t for the US consumer.  

[phdhorn 6224]

1 hour ago, Deej said:

That, and you don't know how to fly a jet.

Ah, so then a Russian pilot...

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

5 minutes ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

Has any reason been given why power is still on in all the major cities Russia is attacking? I would think that would be the first thing you knock out?

They are doing such a shitty job, it makes you wonder WTF is really going on.  The power, the lack of support.  The dropping elite units into 0 degree water.  I'm not sure how much of this is true but if even half of what we hear is true...they're failing miserably. 

[Parliament 14292]

I don't follow the markets close, but I assume the collapse of the Ruble has made Russian Sugarbaby futures crater as well?  Can anyone confirm?

[F250 28817]

1 hour ago, SL Xpress said:

The thing I’ve seen numerous times, and it’s the same thing tickling the back of our brains for all of us who follow some of this stuff obsessively, is why do the Russians seems so completely and utterly incompetent in this campaign versus what we’ve seen in Syria? I’ve seen speculation regarding that which makes sense, but it still astounds me. I followed them in Georgia versus Crimea and the Donbas, and the improvement was night and day. The stuff we’re seeing now harkens back to their incompetence in Georgia, and in Chechnya both 1 and 2. 
 

The special forces landing and capturing airports then left to fend for themselves with no support coming in. The constant separation between forward offensive forces and their support, leaving the support vulnerable and the assault out of gas and food. The grounding of the preponderance of their Air Force. The indiscriminate use of helicopters with no additional air support, leaving them naked to ground based attacks, with no reprisals.  The lack of night gear. The lack of intelligence warfare. The lack of information warfare. The lack of cyber attacks. 
 

The whole thing has been bizarre to me. 
 

It's like a team winning a NY6 bowl game then getting wrecked by Troy State the following season.

[TexasEd 8077]

Just saw a video on CNN.com that might explain the convoy. It was on the NW of Kyiv and was dozens of blown up Russian equipment. The road they are on might be blocked or driving in means they are next 

I tried to link it but it looks like it was pulled. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19428]

52 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah, the F-16 actually competes/competed with the A-10 for CAS/BAI roles and the SU-25 is a bit more analogous to the F-16.

I didn’t mean to imply it was the equal of the A10, just that it was the Russian close air support and ground attack aircraft and they were getting some of them from Bulgaria. 

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

1 minute ago, Trey3216 said:

Inn many ways dependent???!!!   Lol.   China couldn’t feed their population and maintain their party if it weren’t for the US consumer.  

Yep, I like people who don't see how we matter to them, only how they matter to us.  It's a 2 way street.  China is fucking garbage without us.  Is Russia or NK gonna buy all their bullshit?  Give me a break.  

[hookemATL 11859]

6 minutes ago, Deej said:

"In Ukraine, power take out you."

 

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

1 minute ago, Parliament said:

I don't follow the markets close, but I assume the collapse of the Ruble has made Russian Sugarbaby futures crater as well?  Can anyone confirm?

They can't get paid on onlyfans so they're gonna have to suck actual cocks...for peanuts I'm guessing.  War is brutal.  

[Deej 76903]

2 minutes ago, Parliament said:

I don't follow the markets close, but I assume the collapse of the Ruble has made Russian Sugarbaby futures crater as well?  Can anyone confirm?

Uncle Boobs would, but his mouth is full.