Russian invasion of Ukraine

Pals units were also stopped after ww1 after units had their men killed on a single day. In Hull, where I grew up, an entire neighbourhood signed up and then “vanished” in Gallipoli. The government of the day realised the damage to morale (in the short term) and life (after the war) was potentially crippling.

That said, paratroops are supposed to be shock troops deployed to hold places whilst the infantry and armour turn up. They did try it in this invasion to seize airports but it wasn’t a great success.

Presumably Putin hasn’t watched “A Bridge too Far” or looked up why the Germans didn’t jump much after Crete.

I’ll also argue the point in that tweet that Paras have to be physically large. Unless the Russian parachute has a greater maximum load than ours. I did an Orienteering exercise in the snow on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales with a Para who told me if you added his weight and it he weight of his CEFO(complete equipment fighting order). It was more than the max load of a parachute. We got seriously lost in the snow and did a lot of chatting waiting for dawn.

Are they actually sacking staff as well? I'd imagine keeping their staff on payroll would make for a nice PR story

Edit: staff are still on pay:

These decisions have a direct impact on 15,000 IKEA co-workers. The
ambitions of the company groups are long term and we have secured
employment and income stability for the immediate future and provide
support to them and their families in the region.

Source

All these analyses of why the Russians are doing this or that, failing this way then that way, etc is just fucking dark. Post Trump, I'm not writing anyone or anything off based on assumed stupidity as I simply don't think it's that.

There's obviously a severe lack of respect for life and general decency though, and that's far worse.

I never realised that Russian paras are for terrifying rebels and mutineers. There's a parallel with Putin's father, who was in one of Stalin's NKVD destruction battalions in WW2. Their job was to terrify Soviet civilians and stop them siding with the Nazis. They massacred large numbers of women and children. I wonder whether an unrestrained Putin would willingly murder tens or hundreds of thousands of civilians, the way Stain did?

Rumour that Aeroflot will not return aircraft leased from EU countries participating in sanctions.

There’s Hanlon’s Razor (don’t ascribe to malice what could better be ascribed to stupidity). Sadly I think we are on Putins Razor now which is the opposite.

Attaching regiments to regional areas started in the 1870s with the Cardwell reforms for example The 15th of Foot became The East Yorkshire Regiment who were amalgamated into The Prince of Wales Own Yorkshire Regiment who amalgamated with The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment and The Green Howard’s (by far the best of the 3) into The Yorkshire Regiment.
Pals regiments were part of The Kitchener army the Hull ones may have been called 6th battalion The East Yorkshire Regiment ? They used to take on regular regiments traditions.
For example The Green Howard’s have a regimental day Alma Day a battle in the Crimean war.

There were also reserve regiments based on occupations The Post Office rifles, Civil service etc, there is still The Inns of Court Yeomanry(The Devils Own).

Oh and The Artists Rifles.

The Inns of Court Yeomanry(The Devils Own).

AKA my next door neighbours in London. It's a bit weird leaving work to find chaps in military fatigues marching up and down Lincoln's Inn.

Speculation also that Russia is lacking air to air missiles

My great grandfather was in the east Yorks as it happens. Regular army though, not just for the war.

You know “The Devils Own”bit is a piss take

Watching C4 news, so fucking dark how one man can change the course of 10's, 100's of millions of lifes

Well, I've done a fair bit of devilling in my time as a baby barrister.

You might be closer to the truth than you thought:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/mar/03/roman-abramovich-funds-for-war-victims-not-only-to-ukrainians

@andyp Lebedev podcast was amazing, same series has one about Modi too, very good as well

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

This is why I'm not piling on and attributing things to malice, just saying that revenant seems to be picking fights where fights are not too be had, seemingly because he thinks certain Mraks have a view they don't, they're just very pointedly saying things they've seen, not arguing a point they've attributed to them.

Maybe give it a rest now?

Marginally light relief - but good on the Cat Federation!

An international cat federation has said it's banning all Russian cats from entering its competitions.

In a statement on its website the Fédération Internationale Féline said it was "horrified" by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and had subsequently decided to disallow Russian cats from competing in its competitions, which take place around the world.

As well as this, it said that no cats bred in Russia would be allowed to be registered with its organisation outside of Russia.

The rules will be in place until the end of May, when they will be reviewed.

It added that it would dedicate a part of its budget to support cat breeders in Ukraine who are suffering because of the current situation.

Sorry if re-post but an interesting article in Time, published shortly before the invasion (02/02/2022), joins up some of the dots of the last few years, Putin, Zelensky, Medvedchuk...

https://time.com/6144109/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-viktor-medvedchuk/

And on some of the other, Ukranian oligarchs:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2022/02/24/richest-ukrainians-with-billions-to-lose-close-ranks-as-putin-unleashes-war/?sh=28e829056d72

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/ukraine-nuclear-power-plant-fire-zaporizhzhia-russian-shelling?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Russian shelling causing a fire at a nearby nuclear plant. I mean what the actual fuck is putin thinking?

I mean what the actual fuck is putin thinking?

I assume "Шок и трепет" considering their historical precedent for the tactic.

That’s beyond shock and awe though. First time ever that a nuclear facility has been attacked by a foreign regime. The largest one in Europe at that.

It is almost the literal definition of shock and awe. It may be miscalculated (and it is), but its "here's what we're prepared to do"- be afraid. As is the massive convoy, as is- arguably- Putin's entire Ukrainian invasion, war crimes and all.
A faltering superpower trying to prove its relevancy.

On the other side of the internet:

Maria Butina, who was convicted in 2018 of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Russia within the United States is organising a campaign to collect humanitarian aid for refugees... from Donetsk and Luhansk. :))

Interesting to check other posts of those who have love for the regime embedded so deep in their DNA.

https://www.facebook.com/mvbutina

Nice t shirt as well.

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