Russian invasion of Ukraine

As of yesterday, the US and UK govs were estimating a minimum of 2,000 Russian dead.

the ruskies will lap it up, if a country like the U.K. can get behind a spoon fed brexit agenda with free access to a polar view then there isn’t much hope for a lightbulb moment in your average russian mindset.

The United Nations General Assembly just overwhelmingly voted to
condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was a ringing global
denunciation by the world against Russia.

The vote was 141 nations in favor of the move and five nations were
against it, with 35 countries abstaining.

As the results were placed on the screen in the chamber, a rare
standing ovation occurred.

The result while legally non-binding carries some political weight
globally, though it is doubtful if it will change Moscow’s military
aggression.

The pointlessness of it...

I think his strategy was to take Kyiv then “give” it away in return for territory in the south.

498 soldiers killed

Fuck me, that's quite a lot, isn't it, all things considered

Ukraine number for Russian dead is ~5,900. Kremlin number is 498. US intel is over 2,000.

And that's only the official line

498 is more than UK service personnel losses in Afghanistan over 20 years

Shocking waste of life

This is good on latest US intelligence:

https://twitter.com/JackDetsch

Russia has sent the "vast majority" of 150,000 troops arrayed on Ukraine's border into the country: senior U.S. defense official. U.S. "not surprised" that Russia is sending many conscripts.

US has not seen Russia preparing more forces to deploy to Ukraine beyond more than 150,000 troops already arrayed on border: senior U.S. defense official

Ukraine's airspace still "very contested" a week after Russia's invasion: senior U.S. defense official. Russia has focused bombings on military targets and air defense sites, officials have said.

Russia's integration of ground forces, air power, and missiles "appears to be lacking": senior U.S. defense official

I think the Russians claim that they lost 5,000 in the first Chechen war, the one they lost.

Either 10% of the way there, nearly halfway or over that death toll already...depending on who you believe.

Could be a lot more soon:

U.S. believes that Russia’s 40-mile long military convoy of tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery near Kyiv is “stalled,” per senior US defense official. Ukraine also targeting convoy, which is still experiencing supply and logistics problems, the official said.

U.S. believes Ukrainian troops are targeting Russia's stalled 40-mile convoy of tanks and artillery that is "stalled" miles from Kyiv city center: senior U.S. defense official.

Hopefully this stalled convoy will go down as one of the worst blunders in military history.

.

Military units start to become ineffective once they take 10% casualties so some Russian units must be over that by now.

UN vote today
Russia, Eritrea, North Korea, Syria and Belarus voted against

1 Attachment

Hopefully this stalled convoy will go down as one of the worst blunders in military history.

Hitler's equivalent led to one of the worst traffic jams in history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad

The initial advance of the 6th Army was so successful that Hitler intervened and ordered the 4th Panzer Army to join Army Group South (A) to the south. A massive road block resulted when the 4th Panzer and the 1st Panzer choked the roads, stopping both in their tracks while they cleared the mess of thousands of vehicles. The traffic jam is thought to have delayed the advance by at least one week. With the advance now slowed, Hitler changed his mind and reassigned the 4th Panzer Army back to the attack on Stalingrad.

That week allowed the Soviet Union to get more material deployed to Stalingrad leading ultimately to the loss of the German 6th army.

i bet those countries on the African continent where russian sponsored mercenaries/militia training is in operation is very similar to the abstained from voting list...

Honestly. Humans can’t get out of our own way can we… People of colour fleeing Ukraine attacked by Polish nationalists

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/02/people-of-colour-fleeing-ukraine-attacked-by-polish-nationalists?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I'm sad to say that, as a generalisation, Polaks have form for not embracing those who's skin isn't white. They're not too keen on queers either.
ETA: When news of this transpired a couple of days ago, my first thought was the above, rather than reports of the refugee's papers not being in order, or anything else.

The shelling looks to me like an attempt to make Kyiv and Kharkiv into Grozny. It worked for Putin in Chechnya after all. If the govt flees to Lviv it makes partitioning the country easier.

Abramovich selling Chelsea, writing off his loans and donating proceeds to Ukraine. Fucking hell.

Assuaging a guilty conscience...

Who is going to administer the money? Probably going into Putin's 'rebuilding' coffers

Maybe but even so thats pretty great. Tho i dont know how much loans the club has perhaps its a zero sum game.

One of the biggest charity donations in history buys you something but what is he also signalling to Moscow by doing it? Absolutely fascinating.