Russian invasion of Ukraine

poor inter-service coordination means Russian air force chiefs are not confident that their planes wouldn't be shot down by their own troops

There's quite a few threads on various platforms that suggest the strange way they've conducted the war means that the Russian military has no capability (at the moment) for close air support or, conversely, knowing which planes are overhead. It's made worse because lots of the soldiers have no idea where they are or what they're supposed to be doing.

I've just added a browser extension to safari on desktop now that redirects automatically...

Yes I did that yesterday lol

I donated through DEC earlier

I'm sure it's just that this is a touchy subject and you're just passionate about it, but you've tended to take some pretty general points made by others somewhat personally lately and picked a few pointless, one sided arguements. Maybe re-read a few posts before getting too annoyed at people on here that are likely just trying to discuss and understand the same stuff as you in a generally non confrontational way.

And possibly they know the Ukrainians are armed to the teeth with European and US donated ground to air missiles?

There's a load of interesting articles on the Foreign Affairs website at the moment about Russia and Ukraine and new ones daily. None of it is going to make you happy but they're worth reading (and I think worth paying for but YMMV)

That Diane Abbott video looks as suspicious as fuck. Weird cut half way through, body doesn't really move. Lips don't really look like they are moving naturally. This is probably the first time I have ever seen her speak but it looks odd to me.

Almost as odd as the people who said Corbyn was pro IRA, Pro Hamas and pro Sadam Hussein and now saying he's on Putin's side and fully blaming NATO for this situation. Its utter, weapons grade, bollocks. I also find it very hard to believe that Diane Abbot, if she mentioned NATO expansionism as a contributing factor in this conflict is a Putin apologist. She's not as thick as mince, as many would like you to believe.

Perhaps they are worried about the number of SAMs in the area they suffered losses in Afghanistan from Stingers.
(Quickly Googles range of Stinger) maybe they don’t gave enough precision guided munitions that they can launch from 4,800m.
On a he subject of stuff they haven’t used yet not much sign of mortars and they have loads of very big ones.

Why Russia sent the VDV, who the VDV are and why they were the wrong choice
https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1499377671855292423

I agree the video looks odd, hence flagging that I thought it may be a deep fake.

Kamil Galeev's posts are fascinating

not convinced it is a deep fake. looks and sounds genuine to me

The ONLY fact I know about the Russian military uniform is wrong in that article (they say only the VDV wear the stripey T-shirt which is bollocks). As such I’m not sure how much else to believe.

I was rude to @Stonehedge and I rightly apologised.

It is definitely emotive subject, so you may be right.

Reading back that conversation in particular I think it was six of one, half a dozen of the other, but I recognise others may see it differently.

a browser extension

Fuck yeah!
Thanks forum.

That twitter account obviously has an axe to grind. I wouldn't put my hand in the fire to say it it authentic, or that it hasn't been misleadingly edited. Alternatively, if she did say that I think it is profoundly wrong.

political approval not yet given to use unguided munitions instead (they would cause far more civilian deaths)

Can't believe this, they've been shelling cities, dropping cluster munitions, and I believe a thermobaric device. He doesn't seem to be after hearts and minds

What did she say?

I’m not going to comment on the content of the video because I don’t know when it was taken, I’m on my phone so haven’t watched fully etc

what I will say is that I’m worried about the uptick in “reds under the bed” scaremongering, cheerled by the large rump of our political class (some of whom are displaying signs of radicalisation) and given legitimacy by the leader of the opposition. the narrowing of acceptable debate is scary, and has worrying implications that people maybe don’t quite appreciate imo. to paraphrase something I saw someone say recently: if I had seen stories about confused and emotional young men in the UK looking to pick up a gun and fight for ukraine, I'd probably be a bit more careful about calling my domestic political opponents (particularly colleagues within my own party) appeasers and collaborators. don’t mean this as a comment on anyone on here, though I will say I have been quite taken aback by some things I’ve seen said on here re this subject

I have heard suggestions that this is still in the build up phase and first they try to take cities directly if that doesn't work the circle them, cut them off and level them. And the giant convoy
is not stuck but that is just the speed they can move such a huge mass.
All the little positive signs are just because the news cycles are so quick and need constant updates and longer term it will be total destruction.

It is here, but I think it must be fake:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1499375611894190081

I can't believe she could possibly have implied a solution to this was the partitioning of Ukraine

I was rude to @Stonehedge and I rightly apologised.

It is definitely emotive subject, so you may be right.

Reading back that conversation in particular I think it was six of one, half a dozen of the other, but I recognise others may see it differently.

Don't give it a second thought. Honestly. As discussed, you did actually have a valid point to make.

The collective economic cock punching of Russia continues.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/03/ikea-closes-all-stores-and-factories-in-russia-amid-exodus-of-western-firms

That is a lot of people going out of work to further hasten the collapse. The people of Russia will pay a terrible price long after the politicians are gone.

this is a differently cropped version of the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEf7rsMEUaE

here she is denying having said it
https://labourlist.org/2022/03/diane-abbott-we-could-even-support-stop-the-war-under-tony-blair/

There is another possible reason for the use of so many Paratroopers (lots of the destroyed vehicles are BMD s which are used by them).
Until late in WWI both the British and the Germans chose soldiers for regiments on a regional basis, the London Regiment etc. Towards the end of the war the Germans started forming Stormtrooper battalions from their best and most eager soldiers. It was felt by the British this weakened the regular line infantry.
When the Wehrmacht regrew in the 30s they carried on the idea of elite units, if you weren’t very physical or keen you ended up guarding a sewage works near Brussels.
The British took a while to firm Commando and Paratroop units.
German fighting (not guarding) units tended to press attacks harder than British units.
If you have mass armies it’s advantageous to group the keen soldiers together, it doesn’t take many soldiers in a unit to stay in their foxholes rather than charge for an attack to fail.
What I’m saying in brief is conscript armies tend to be of variable quality and reliability Russia may have just used their best and most reliable troops.