So another mass drone attack deep in Russia. Didn't Putin say last week that this would provoke a Russian reaction in accordance with the new nuclear doctrine? Just another bluff that makes Putin appear even weaker to the world. It was better to remain silent than to just bluff and do nothing.
The War in the Ukraine
- Thread starter SampanViking
- Start date
Putin does not bluff. And Russia has plenty of options in the escalation ladder before using nukes.
It is pretty clear the Russians changed the doctrine after the US started using Ukraine as a cloak while attacking Russia's strategic infrastructure. Including their nuclear submarine bases in Northern Russia, the Container and Voronezh radar networks, and the strategic bomber airbases.
It is pretty clear hitting the nuclear submarine bases and the OTH radar network does nothing to help Ukraine in its conventional conflict with Russia but is meant to weaken Russia's nuclear deterrent. So it is clearly US designed chicanery which could be meant as a prelude for a direct US attack on Russia.
The Ukrainians are also chancing on activating the Perimeter system with their activities. Which could lead us all to nuclear annihilation. But sure just ignore that.
"Russia does not do anything". But they invaded Ukraine.
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Putin has to walk a delicate tightrope. If he is too passive, it will invite more aggression. At the same time, he understands that as the conflict grinds on, Ukraine's position is becoming more precarious. So why overcommit when you can let time do its work?
This is why many Russian nationalists are deadset against any negotiation with Ukraine. They want to finish off the country and perhaps even annex most of it (certainly the eastern half) because they fear UA will only be rearmed and perhaps even given nuclear capabilities to ward off any future attack during a prolonged ceasefire. There's speculation that the Kursk misadventure was encouraged by the brits to damage the secret negotiations between UA and RU. It also tells you that Putin would like to end this war, which might explain his relative restraint.
Either way, I don't think Putin has played his hand brilliantly. He was outplayed politically leading up to the maidan coup in 2014, then he trusted the West during the Minsk accords even as Merkel admitted it was all a cover to buy time in order to arm Ukraine. Finally, the Russian military has been pretty mediocre during this war. Nearly three years have passed and the Donbass isn't even conquered yet. But the West should not delude themselves. If Putin is gone, his replacement will likely be much more aggressive and uncompromising. Nobody comes out of this looking good and the long-term prospects of Ukraine are incredibly grim.
This is why many Russian nationalists are deadset against any negotiation with Ukraine. They want to finish off the country and perhaps even annex most of it (certainly the eastern half) because they fear UA will only be rearmed and perhaps even given nuclear capabilities to ward off any future attack during a prolonged ceasefire. There's speculation that the Kursk misadventure was encouraged by the brits to damage the secret negotiations between UA and RU. It also tells you that Putin would like to end this war, which might explain his relative restraint.
Either way, I don't think Putin has played his hand brilliantly. He was outplayed politically leading up to the maidan coup in 2014, then he trusted the West during the Minsk accords even as Merkel admitted it was all a cover to buy time in order to arm Ukraine. Finally, the Russian military has been pretty mediocre during this war. Nearly three years have passed and the Donbass isn't even conquered yet. But the West should not delude themselves. If Putin is gone, his replacement will likely be much more aggressive and uncompromising. Nobody comes out of this looking good and the long-term prospects of Ukraine are incredibly grim.
These Western sock puppets in Ukraine did not mind losing privileged access to their largest trading partner i.e. Russia by signing the association agreement with the EU. As long as they personally profited it did not matter to them that the country of Ukraine sank.
By signing the association agreement with the EU Ukraine agreed to stop their existing highly advantageous trade agreement with Russia. Because part of the way EU association agreements work is that you cannot have preferential trade with anyone else, you cannot enter into any beneficial trade treaty which the EU is not itself a part of.
Back in 2014 the Russian Army simply did not have the numbers to properly invade Ukraine. You could argue they did not have the numbers in 2022 either. So they just annexed Crimea.
In 2014 the Russian Mir card and SPFS did not exist. Russia was still dependent on imports of food from the West.
A full invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2014 was simply impossible.
At best what Russia could have done would be to support the existing Ukrainian government much like they did with Tokayev in Kazakhstan. But for that the Ukranian government had to ask for a Russian military intervention which they never did.
In the meantime Ukraine since 2014 trained an army several hundreds of thousands strong. It is basically the second largest army in Europe after the Russian one. So it is not like this is an easily winnable conflict for Russia.
Russians interceptor FPV drone takes out Ukrainian UAV. The Ukrainians are also doing the same to Russian UAVs. In the end it's going to come down to sheer numbers and manufacturing capability and the Russians got all the cards here.
Kruty Yar and Krasny Yar, the twin villages in the Pokrovsk sector has fallen to Russian forces.
'Many corpses lie along the road, the wounded are not evacuated.'. So describes the situation of the Ukrainians in Ugledar.
Russians captured Nelepovka in the Torestk sector.
Zelensky did not achieve his goals in the USA. --- WSJ.
Ukrainian military train carrying ammunition was hit by an Iskander in Nikolaev. Twelve railway carts were carrying ammunition including Western ones, were destroyed, according to the MoD.
Not going to show the video for obvious reasons, but Group North used a Lancet directly on a group of Ukrainian soldiers evacuating their wounded. As such this means the soldiers are not dispersed, which made the impact with fragmentation warhead deadly. Instead you will see Lancets take out Ukrainian MLRS, after two Russian rockets, most likely Iskander or Tornado-S, take out two other Ukrainian MLRS. Then a Ukrainian APC gets hit by a Lancet.
Ukrainian shelter gets attacked by FPV drones from the 58th SPN.
Su-34 with FAB-250 strikes at the positions of the 81st Brigade in Seversk.
Krasnopol hits a Ukrainian position in Volchansk.
Clearing Ukrainian mines using drone drops. Kursk region.
More footage of the Zaporozhye air strike.
Another Israeli RADA radar reportedly destroyed in the Kursk region.
TOS hits a Ukrainian position in the Kharkhiv sector.
Russians hit Ukrainian hangers with equipment in Zelenivka with FABs.
Demonstration of the new Vandal fiberoptic FPV drone.
Maxxpro and Kirpi destroyed by FPV drones in the Pokrovsk sector, one by the Black Hussars and another by the Sudoplatov.
AFU tank which might be Western, gets hit by an FPV in the back. Kursk oblast.
The Russian MoD reports a X-31P missile hit on a French made CM-200 radar in Odessa.
Kruty Yar and Krasny Yar, the twin villages in the Pokrovsk sector has fallen to Russian forces.
'Many corpses lie along the road, the wounded are not evacuated.'. So describes the situation of the Ukrainians in Ugledar.
Russians captured Nelepovka in the Torestk sector.
Zelensky did not achieve his goals in the USA. --- WSJ.
Ukrainian military train carrying ammunition was hit by an Iskander in Nikolaev. Twelve railway carts were carrying ammunition including Western ones, were destroyed, according to the MoD.
Not going to show the video for obvious reasons, but Group North used a Lancet directly on a group of Ukrainian soldiers evacuating their wounded. As such this means the soldiers are not dispersed, which made the impact with fragmentation warhead deadly. Instead you will see Lancets take out Ukrainian MLRS, after two Russian rockets, most likely Iskander or Tornado-S, take out two other Ukrainian MLRS. Then a Ukrainian APC gets hit by a Lancet.
Ukrainian shelter gets attacked by FPV drones from the 58th SPN.
Su-34 with FAB-250 strikes at the positions of the 81st Brigade in Seversk.
Krasnopol hits a Ukrainian position in Volchansk.
Clearing Ukrainian mines using drone drops. Kursk region.
More footage of the Zaporozhye air strike.
Another Israeli RADA radar reportedly destroyed in the Kursk region.
TOS hits a Ukrainian position in the Kharkhiv sector.
Russians hit Ukrainian hangers with equipment in Zelenivka with FABs.
Demonstration of the new Vandal fiberoptic FPV drone.
Maxxpro and Kirpi destroyed by FPV drones in the Pokrovsk sector, one by the Black Hussars and another by the Sudoplatov.
AFU tank which might be Western, gets hit by an FPV in the back. Kursk oblast.
The Russian MoD reports a X-31P missile hit on a French made CM-200 radar in Odessa.
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Europe still lacks a backbone, always did, and by the looks of it, always will.
He's winning in Ukraine. That may change in the next two years, but for now, he's winning. There will be plenty of chances to retaliate in the future. Who cares about the headlines today? There isn't any threat to Putin's regime by any election, he's immensely popular in Russia.
Ukraine is becoming more and more of a rogue actor, and there are really no political levers you can exert over what is essentially becoming a terrorist state. United States clearly understands the need for restraint, but Ukraine has no such priorities. The question of limiting Ukrainian attacks on Russian critical infrastructure is ultimately a question for Russia's military, not Russia's diplomats. Like Putin said, there's no point in negotiating.
Footage of the attack of the Russian FPV drone "Prince Vandal Novgorodsky" on the Ukrainian tank "Leopard-2A6" of German production. The drone is controlled by the fiber-optic system "Groza-Leska", which allows it to remain invulnerable to electronic warfare. The consequences of the drone's strike on the tank are not shown, the tank itself has a protective canopy, the so-called barbecue, made of mesh. The FPV drone "Vandal" can carry a payload of 3.5 kg. The drone is controlled by a fiber-optic cable at a range of up to 20 km. The video was filmed in the Kursk region of Russia.
This is a sign of weakness, unfortunately.
Ukrainian leaders and bureaucrats are richer than ever, being paid in euros and dollars directly by Western governments and are free to travel the world and buy luxury products. The elite of Kiev and Liviv have a normal life and are better than ever as they have never been hit by missiles or bombs.
While the poor are sent to die in the war and Russia is attacked daily and continues to be invaded in Kursk without reacting appropriately.
All this because Putin never responded to Ukraine's escalations and continues only with the same occasional attacks on power stations and warehouses with little real impact on Ukraine's combat capacity, as weapons, drone parts, electricity and fuel for war continue to come from Europe and the US with impunity, no threat.
At the moment, it is profitable for Ukraine to continue provoking and humiliating Russia. Nobody cares about the situation of the poor in Ukraine and their industry, they are just cannon fodder destined to suffer. What really controls Ukraine is the elite that sold the country to the US and this elite is profiting and safe, as it is clear that Putin is afraid to act as he should.
One of the houses in the western side of Ugledar, the 430th MR Regiment raised it's flag. There are reports that several high rises on the west side has fallen to Russian hands. Ukrainian high command has also given orders to withdraw from Ugledar, too late. The last remaing route of retreat was set up as a fire gauntlet with half of the retreats end up as casualties.
Ukrainian truck found destroyed with an S-60 57mm AA gun on the back.
Ukrainian Kraz truck found destroyed.
ODAB-1500 arrives in Ukrainian positions in Volchansk.
Ukrainian transport hits a mine and stalls. Krasnopol finished it off. Kursk region.
Air strike against a Ukrainian crossing followed by another air strike at a Ukrainian hanger used to store equipment.
Ukrainian supply train in Krasnopolye, Sumy region, was immobilized by Lancet, then finished off with strikes.
Russian rocket strike, IMO Tornado-S, takes out a Vampire MLRS and support vehicles.
An M777 taken out by a Lancet in the Kursk border region. M777s have become rare lately.
Ukrainian Gvozdika SPG taken out by counterbattery. Group North.
Ukrainian truck found destroyed with an S-60 57mm AA gun on the back.
Ukrainian Kraz truck found destroyed.
ODAB-1500 arrives in Ukrainian positions in Volchansk.
Ukrainian transport hits a mine and stalls. Krasnopol finished it off. Kursk region.
Air strike against a Ukrainian crossing followed by another air strike at a Ukrainian hanger used to store equipment.
Ukrainian supply train in Krasnopolye, Sumy region, was immobilized by Lancet, then finished off with strikes.
Russian rocket strike, IMO Tornado-S, takes out a Vampire MLRS and support vehicles.
An M777 taken out by a Lancet in the Kursk border region. M777s have become rare lately.
Ukrainian Gvozdika SPG taken out by counterbattery. Group North.