Russian invasion of Ukraine

The scale of sexual torture by Russian jailers is mind-boggling. If it was more widely known about, wouldn't there be more support for arming Ukraine and for long range weapon use? The Russian military needs to be crushed. Very upsetting article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/29/carved-on-bodies-and-souls-russias-use-of-male-sexual-torture-in-ukraine

Welp that link is staying blue thanks very much.

War is hell.

So ATACMS are given the green light. Anyone clued up about the impact it might have? Have they been used already? I've done some googling but can't find anything

Ukraine was given them last year so have probably used a few in anger in Russian-held Ukraine. No reports indicating they’ve been used inside pre-2014 Russia yet. Initial analyses suggest Ukraine might be saving some for Russia’s telegraphed strike to retake Kursk with 50k troops incl. Best Koreans. They could be very effective in disrupting troop movements and massing. There is the concern that Ukraine was given warheads with cluster munitions, which are controversial and additionally dangerous if they’re the ones used by the US in the Middle East (which spread hundreds of bomblets that wouldn’t all detonate until a civilian later nudged them).

What are they gonna do? Invade? bomb Kiev? Occupy Crimea and the Donbas?

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Ukraine has previously been blocked from using any US munition to fire on Russian soil.
This meant that Putin/Shoigu could amass an attack force just over the border and Ukraine could not neutralise it until it crossed onto Ukraine territory.

Any troop/equipment amassed within range of the ATACMS is now fair game.
The Ukraine/Russia border is now effectively 190km into Russia.

They’re going to send angry letters to the world press and say scary words in highly choreographed speeches.

Fuck em. Putin isn’t stupid or crazy enough to launch nukes just because his army fails in Ukraine. The main reason we think he might is because we think it’ll endanger him domestically, and he’ll choose to burn the whole planet down rather than lose his power.

What we forget is that he’s fond of living and is used to beating the shite out of his population. There are a lot of steps between a failed Ukraine invasion and the fall of Putin, and as long as Russia isn’t invaded by NATO, I reckon he’ll be the same person he’s always been and will focus on destroying our so much feared Russian internal uprising /aggressively purging real and potential dissidents so that he can continue being cock of the ruinous walk. If NATO doesn’t invade, he won’t chance a direct confrontation, he’ll just take the L, albeit bitterly, and will continue his undeclared sabotage war on the west.

Like this:

from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JzwMM-D_kc

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A Russian navy ship sneaking around in Danish waters following the accusation/suspicion that the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 damaged those cables.
The Russians don't really want this to blow over do they? I guess they want to whip up as much discomfort as they can.

https://yle.fi/a/74-20126657

And then they let it go

https://www.reuters.com/world/sweden-asks-chinese-ship-yi-peng-3-move-swedish-waters-pm-says-2024-11-26/

"Please don't go, we want to investigate you for a serious crime. Oh no you left, please, come back"

Maybe they should have written the captain a more strongly worded letter.

Or, y'know, seized the fucking boat.

But... but... what if it leads to escalation? No, much better to say "please Mr Evil Dictator, be nice to us" and take no further action.

You seem to be well informed about international maritime law?

Stories coming out from Syria about Assad’s prison system are pretty horrific. Well done Ukraine for bogging down Putin and thus helping topple Assad’s actually evil regime.

Sadly, there’s reports that Assad managed to steal a good chunk of the country’s gold reserves before he fled. The new leaders will have hard challenges ahead, although it seems that the leading rebel group has promised not to attack Russia’s air and naval bases in Syria, so what kind of government comes out of this is anyone’s guess.

Since Assad fell, Syria has already been bombed by America, Turkey and Israel, so I think they just don't want to give the Russians an excuse to join in.

Last week the Russian Central Bank sold 1 trillion roubles worth of bonds to Russian banks to raise money to cover the 2024 government deficit. Many of the banks lacked the funds to buy, so now the Central Bank is loaning them money to buy it's own bonds.

Any information as to where the loans come from? Reserves of some kind or are they just printing money for the purposes of printing money?

From what I understand, just printing

What consequences might this have? More inflation? It's already 8.5%.

Don't worry Fred will be here shortly to tell you how it's a sign of the healthiest economy

That would cause hyperinflation of the throbbing vein on one's forehead. So I put him on ignore a while back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TKVv50DhqM

And then there were 3, ... , or none.

could they not just keep the captagon production going for cash flow purposes?

I wonder if sanctions against Russian banks have had any effect on the cybertheft industry that seemed to be housed there?

Poor guys - both sides.
https://liveuamap.com/

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