Russian invasion of Ukraine

So isis have claimed it

The attack is very similar to the Bataclan theatre attack in Paris in 2015. Russia helped Assad to fight Isis in Syria and this looks like payback - unless you believe the false flag theory. Very difficult politically for Putin, whose only official enemy is rhe West.

The threat warning from the US was eerily specific, even mentioning concerts.

I find the subtext is even more interesting: the US has access to intelligence concerning Russia’s state security that Russia itself doesn’t have; the intelligence is so granular that they could specify concert venues as a target; and the intelligence is reliable enough that they publicly disclosed it weeks ago.

The intelligence may not have come from inside Russia but from intercepted phone calls or messages from IS members based in the Middle East, or perhaps from a spy inside IS who learned of the general plan but not the detail.

Putin is so obsessed with his existential war with the West that he has chosen to ignore the threat posed by Islamist terrorists. His feeble claim that they fled to Ukraine after the attack will fool no one - especially not the hardliners he needs to keep on side.

All you need to know about the professionalism of Russian security
services: Russian military correspondents proudly share a video where
a uniformed security officer cuts off the ear of a suspect in the
Moscow attack and forces him to eat it.

https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1771558851982029020

I've seen news sources I normally consider decent to describe how the suspect's ear was cut off as an act of "revenge". To me, this both presumes guilt and implicitly suggests handing out punishment is part of a cop's role. Putin's populism really has a way of seeping through.

Unsurprisingly, two British racists have been identified as fighting for Russia in Ukraine. It was bound to happen. They’re white, so it will be interesting to see what this government’s response is, beyond verbally condemning them.

Not sure what's more surprising, Ukraine converting 2 seater light aircraft into ultra long range UAVs or Russia failing to stop them.

The latter.

Ukraine lowering the mobilisation age to 25 to fill manpower gaps, not as low as people had been speculating

https://twitter.com/JayinKyiv/status/1777742231648022695

Cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones hitting Ukraine now.

With Ukraine Aid on hold, russians destroy 🇺🇦 energy system with
full impunity, like in a shooting range.

Because - “not a dime for Ukraine!” in the US Congress. For America,
it’s the lowest of the low in decades. US ally gets killed. And the US
just watching.

https://twitter.com/olex_scherba/status/1778354341604209052

One would hope that this would get people in the UK who zealously believe the US will be there for them if SHTF to snap out of their delusion.

No permanent friends or enemies, after all.

That Twitter thread is full of Russian trolls, which mirrors the situation in the US House of Representatives. From McCarthyism to this.

Here's some better news.

A large majority of MEPs voted down the EU's budget and will continue to do so until Ukraine is given 7 more Patriot systems.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1778394368992329948

US officials now telling Reuters, off the record, that China is providing Russia with machinery and technology used in expanding their defense industry to a size not seen since the Cold War. And at a faster pace than what was expected.

The lack of attention on the bombing of an embassy in Damascus is surprising. It shouldn’t matter that it belongs to Iran, diplomatic property and personnel should be inviolable, or it weakens the foundations of the international legal framework that took generations to build. Despite that, there’s a deafening silence.

(If Hamas soldiers were killed, good riddance, but targeting terrorists shouldn’t be a blank cheque to do whatever one wants)

Why post about that here? One possible positive thing to come out of heightened tension in Iran is that they might keep more of the supply of drones etc they’re sending to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Russia now build their shahed drones domestically I think, effectively under a licensing agreement

Hate to be gloomy, but I think Ukraine's defeat is inevitable. Russia's supply of weapons and recruits is several times what Ukraine has. The US and Europe could not match it, even if they wanted to.

Hate to be gloomy

Methinks your post history belies this somewhat.

Russia's supply of weapons and recruits is several times what Ukraine has. The US and Europe could not match it, even if they wanted to.

Any figures to back this up?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293174/nato-russia-military-comparison/

Germany sending another patriot battery
https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1779227308949209447?t=I-fCXDskIgbNKRHW7G7eQw&s=19

Everyone accepts that currently Ukraine is struggling with manpower and US officials this week have said that Russia now has a larger army than it did at the start of the conflict and they vastly underestimated Russias ability to reconstitute forces, its a bigger country with a bigger pool to pull from

Equipment is a different matter and if the West gets supplies flowing again then Ukraine will be better armed and should be able as a minium to force a stalemate. Not providing AD is allowing Russia to currently destroy the energy infrastructure and domestic manufacturing base