Eerily similar. Guess that's because geography doesn't change much and the same points still make natural boundaries. — Count Timothy von Icarus
↪ssu Pity poor boethius who thought this could never happen. — Olivier5
One wonders why the Telgram platform isn't shut down or "policed". Maybe Putin too relies on them for info... :smirk: — Olivier5
A minute of silence for the fallen on both sides!
:death: :flower: — Agent Smith
Who knows how many civilians, children, non-combatants have been killed... Destroying infrastructure doesn't help. — jorndoe
There you are going on against a lot of military analysts, to whom it's their actual job to analyze these.Ukraine had a serious offensive there that did not work. It's now said that it was a "faint" to attack around Kharkiv, but that doesn't seem the case to me. — boethius
Really?Kharkiv is simply not a strategically important offensive. — boethius
Telegram actively evaded blocking. — SophistiCat
There you are going on against a lot of military analysts, to whom it's their actual job to analyze these. — ssu
Really? — ssu
Nope. Anyone serious hasn't said that.The same analysts that said Russian troops have low morale and will completely collapse ... like 2 days into the war? — boethius
With every tenth Ukrainian being a refugee, the GDP having crashed and the possibility of hyperinflation would be devastating politically in peacetime. But Ukraine is facing an all out war and the people do understand it. Even if Russia's objective isn't to take of all of Ukraine, basically just the Novorossiya-part, it is an existential fight for the Ukrainians. That Russia has now postponed those referendums to join Russia tells very clearly to Ukrainians what is at stake. And there's still the option that Putin goes for martial law.So, yes, militarily speaking that Ukraine can do any offensive is certainly good for Ukraine, but losing the power grid (potentially permanently) is bad for Ukraine. — boethius
Nope. Anyone serious hasn't said that. — ssu
With every tenth Ukrainian being a refugee, the GDP having crashed and the possibility of hyperinflation would be devastating politically in peacetime. — ssu
Even if Russia's objective isn't to take of all of Ukraine, basically just the Novorossiya-part, it is an existential fight for the Ukrainians. — ssu
That Russia has now postponed those referendums to join Russia tells very clearly to Ukrainians what is at stake. And there's still the option that Putin goes for martial law. — ssu
For us Europeans, living in our comfortable peacetime, energy shortages can be a huge issue. — ssu
↪ssu Pity poor boethius who thought this could never happen.
— Olivier5
What are you talking about? — boethius
Kharkiv is simply not a strategically important offensive. — boethius
You seem to be of the opinion that Ukraine could not win this war. It can, and it will! — Olivier5
Ukraine is not capable of invading and conquering Russia. That's what "winning a war" means. — boethius
With every tenth Ukrainian being a refugee, the GDP having crashed and the possibility of hyperinflation would be devastating politically in peacetime. — ssu
What?I'm not talking about those things, but the electricity grid which is required for things like the train system. — boethius
To have connection to the sea, or a long coastline as Ukraine has enjoyed, is quite existential.So even if Russia's objective is not to threaten the existence of Ukraine ... it's still an existential fight for Ukraine? — boethius
I'm not sure I understand what you mean here about postponing the elections. — boethius
A referendum on joining Russia has been postponed by the Russian occupation authorities in Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, due to security concerns.
As the brutal war in Eastern Europe entered day 195 on Tuesday, a purported referendum on joining Russia has been postponed by the Russian occupation authorities in Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, due to security concerns. According to Kirill Stremousov, the Deputy Head of the territory's military-civilian administration, the Kherson region is prepared for a vote on joining Russia but has postponed it because of security concerns.
During an interview with the Rossiya-1 television channel, Stremousov said, “We have got prepared for voting. We wanted to organize the referendum in the near future, but because of the current developments, I think we will take a pause.” He continued by saying, “It is quite explainable from the practical point of view. We are not running before the hounds and are focused on our key task - to feed people, to ensure their security".
According to the BBC report, the deputy head of the Russian-appointed administration asserted, “This is being paused because of the security situation". He further added that intense Ukrainian bombardment rendered a crucial Kherson bridge inoperable.
Hmmm... has then Israel won any of it's wars against it's neoghbors? It still has them around and never have Israeli soldiers entered Damascus, Amman or Cairo.Even if they pushed Russia out of Ukraine that's still not "winning" a war, the war would still be on and Russia could re-invade anytime which is not an end to war in a "winning" state. — boethius
referendum on joining Russia has been postponed by the Russian occupation authorities in Kherson
In February, Putin met with Xi in Beijing. Now, Xi will meet Putin somewhere in Central Asia just a month before Xi is poised to cement his place as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong.
Meaning what? — magritte
Still, couldn't they arrest the most negative milbloggers and send them to jail for 15 years? — Olivier5
There's obviously a lot of disgruntlement and dissatisfaction how this war is going in Russia. Putin is no Stalin and even if his Russia is totalitarian, it isn't as totalitarian as Stalin's Russia was. Yet people are killed in prominent positions: too many people die in "accidents" to be real accidents.Good question. I find this puzzling as well. Russian authoritarianism hasn't quite morphed into totalitarianism. I suppose the regime isn't ready to unleash Stalinist purges on its supporters. — SophistiCat
With his army on the back foot, is escalation over Ukraine Vladimir Putin’s only real option?
Putin's options:
Invade Moldova
Send a ‘stabilisation force’ to Kazakhstan
Full mobilisation
Draw NATO in
Arrange a radiological ‘accident’
Use tactical nuclear weapons — Banno
No, this is only what it means for people who want to invade other people's land. But for people not bent on invading other countries, winning a war can mean something else, to be defined in each specific case. — Olivier5
Hmmm... has then Israel won any of it's wars against it's neoghbors? It still has them around and never have Israeli soldiers entered Damascus, Amman or Cairo. — ssu
Following the war, Egypt initiated clashes along the Suez Canal in what became known as the War of Attrition. — Wikipedia - Six day War
After following other Arab nations in declaring war, Mauritania remained in a declared state of war with Israel until about 1999. — Wikipedia - Six day War
Could the Russians hold Donbas and Crimea if they settled into just those regions? — jorndoe
It seems to me people are attributing a little too much to this offensive. The fact that the captured territory was defended by tripwire troops implies it was not of any importance to Russia. — Tzeentch
The only goal, in my opinion, that Ukraine has achieved is that it has signalled to the West to still be capable of offensives, in the hopes to garner more aid. An army that cannot conduct offensives is broken and has in essence already lost - an impression that certainly must have crept in with Western leaders after the failed Kherson offensive. — Tzeentch
Foxes and sour grapes, again. When the Russian are booted out of Ukraine, you will say that Ukraine was not strategically important! :-) — Olivier5
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