Russian invasion of Ukraine

I'd like to know more about those signing up as 16 year olds.

My son's ex-girlfriend signed up at 16 because her dad was a controlling bullying shit (he was actually ex-forces) and it was the only way that she could get away from him with him actually supporting what she was doing.

I've just renewed mine and I spotted that the return address includes your application number, so I guess if you put both in the same envelope they will either:
1- (best case) figure it out and all be ok
2- (worst case) one renews and the other renewal fails and the passport is lost making renewal impossible and or long winded and painful

For the cost of an envelope and stamp I'd just send separately.

Thanks!

Obviously.. I didn’t mean to post that here 🤦‍♂️..

Unbiased analysis of the battle for the Donbass by the Austrian military

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpC1kXhW2Lw

Interesting, first time I heard someone not mocking the Russians for bring in T-62's and his analysis on combat fatigue becoming clearer on the Ukrainian side

.

1 Attachment

@greentricky

'.....Sandringham for Office training......'

I think that you meant Sandhurst?

Sandringham is a residence used by the Queen.

Open as a stately house when the Queen is elsewhere.

Seen plenty of gardeners, cleaning staff, police, but never any soldiers.

lol, indeed I did.

…And come back psychologically (or physically, or both) scarred and damaged, released into society thinking you’re a hero, with little or nothing to fall back on. This is what happened to a few lads I know.

Some seemingly well considered analysis videos from within Ukraine, from Denys Davidov.

https://www.youtube.com/c/RoadHomeMotorcycleVlogs/videos

What the Ukrainians think they need to achieve parity, no doubt inflated as an opening negotiating position but the size of what they have been receiving in to context

1000 howitzers caliber 155 mm;
300 MLRS;
500 tanks;
2000 armored vehicles;
1000 drones.

https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1536245024354144257

Then you should put in a lot of work on improving your rhetoric

Sorry, I'm not as eloquent as you. Where I come from the discussion starts and ends with slamming a knife on the table and yelling Perkele!

Canada is already preparing replacement barrels for the M777s. Getting lots of use.

Did We already get tired of talking about Ukraine?

Tbh I think this is a real worry. If the war drags on for a few more months It’ll normalise and become yesterdays news.

Sadly I think this is the case, it’s moving out of the news cycle, despite continuing to be horrific. My only hope is that if it reduces from prominence it might make it easier for Putin to back down.

Whether the situation in Russia mimicks what's going on in the Western world remains to be seen...

Or for Putin to keep going, taking over the whole country

Read Ukraine saying they are suffering 500-1000/day loss of manpower in the Donbass. Seems reasonable to assume Russia is similar, its just going to grind to a halt for both sides isn't it at that rate with a new line of control and then be ongoing skirmishes like 2014-2022?

Thread on how Putin might think the grinding attrition is on his side long term
https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/status/1538987949592875010

and this is the counter arguement
https://twitter.com/MarkHertling/status/1539043835719962628

https://twitter.com/MarkHertling/status/­1539043835719962628

What does RIF stand for in this context?

Reconnaissance in force

Reconnaissance-in-force (RIF) is a type of military operation or military tactics used specifically to probe an enemy's disposition. By mounting an offensive with considerable (but not decisive) force, the commander hopes to elicit a strong reaction by the enemy that reveals its own strength, deployment, and other tactical data. The RIF commander retains the option to fall back with the data or expand the conflict into a full engagement.

I guess Putin's superpower is his subjects' ability to live for decades in the most appalling conditions yet never picking up the courage to demand change in any meaningful way.
It blows my mind how there still are people in eastern Ukraine who seem to think they are better off in their little statelets, despite how sophisticated Ukraine as a whole has become since the orange revolution.

As opposed to 'reconnaissance by fire' used by the US forces in Vietnam which essentially was shooting at bushes to see if they shoot back

Recon in force, an old school Soviet tactic where you drive through and around the enemy quickly in fast moving armoured groups.

Still something we're still waiting for Russia to do effectively in the war.