Putin's Invasion of Ukraine

[Hydra009]

Ukraine deploys Skycarrier (a prop plane that fires interceptor drones)



This is a relatively cheap and efficient way to deliver interceptor drones where they are needed the most (the US shooting 8 Patriot missiles per shahed still makes me sick to my stomach, considering the Ukrainians often have to make do with far, far less)

One thing that's remarkable about Ukrainian innovations is that it's often not so much new technology, it's existing technology used in very clever and cost-effective ways - like a prop plane with a machine gunner used to shoot down shaheds, or a drone equipped with a shotgun to shoot down recon drones, or a drone equipped with a grenade launcher to surprise infantry accustomed to kamikaze drones, or a drone equipped with a flame thrower to destroy Russian equipment/supplies.

[Hydra009]

Well, the ceasefire is over, broken of course by Russia.

They hit a kindergarten, but since the attack was at night, it was thankfully unoccupied. Others in Ukraine haven't been so lucky. In Kryvyi Rih, they killed a couple and their baby, which is deeply screwed up and isn't even a drop in the bucket for Russia. It's like that villain speech "But for me, it was a Tuesday", but it's both figuratively and literally true.

Ukraine has responded - though crucially, not identically. Instead of going after schools and babies, they opted for military targets in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk. A French-made Mirage jet bombed a Russian base. Also, Ukrainian drones are currently en route to targets in Crimea and Russia.

[Hydra009]

Russia's parliament passes law allowing Putin to order invasions of other countries

Thank goodness they cleared that up. Wouldn't want to invade another country illegally, now would we.

According to the bill, Moscow will be legally allowed to send troops abroad to protect Russian citizens who are arrested, investigated, put on trial or abused in any way by foreign states, international courts and organizations that Russia doesn't belong to.

Just fyi "protecting Germans" was what Hitler used as a rationale to invade Czechoslovakia, a step on the road to global war. But Russia under Putin goes one step further, framing international law as a form of "oppression" for which it must retaliate with war. Simply put, wrong us in any way, and it's war.

Make no mistake, Putin is a war-mongering maniac and will undoubtedly remain so for the rest of his life.

[Cassia]

Russia's parliament passes law allowing Putin to order invasions of other countries

Thank goodness they cleared that up. Wouldn't want to invade another country illegally, now would we.

According to the bill, Moscow will be legally allowed to send troops abroad to protect Russian citizens who are arrested, investigated, put on trial or abused in any way by foreign states, international courts and organizations that Russia doesn't belong to.

Just fyi "protecting Germans" was what Hitler used as a rationale to invade Czechoslovakia, a step on the road to global war. But Russia under Putin goes one step further, framing international law as a form of "oppression" for which it must retaliate with war. Simply put, wrong us in any way, and it's war.

Make no mistake, Putin is a war-mongering maniac and will undoubtedly remain so for the rest of his life.

The defensive claim is ridiculous. Russia and Putin are the results from an extremely apathetic population.

[Hydra009]

I just noticed the trial part. One of Russia's key demands, aside from Ukrainian territory, is no warcrimes trials. They fear a Nuremberg 2.0

[theantithesis]

Sentence them to be torn apart by wild dogs.

[Hydra009]

Sentence them to be torn apart by wild dogs.

There's a meme that's been going around of a short video with a very plump doggie and it's often presented as a dog from Bakhmut who eats Russian soldiers. But the reality is different, it's actually a very friendly dog named Sasiska (translated: Sausage) living near the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (no, it's not a mutant) and it's overfed by elderly people living there. The goodest of boys, but definitely needs to lose some weight.

But yes, Russian soldiers are quickly disposed of by nature to make way for the inevitable sunflowers. I've seen footage of feral pigs and wolves helping shall we say complete the circle of life. And while I haven't seen footage of vultures, it's statistically very likely.

There's footage of Russian soldiers walking past the ruined convoys of Russian soldiers who advanced there months or sometimes years before (foreshadowing) and there's skeletal remains still clutching rifles and wearing military helmets. It's footage that wouldn't be out of place on a Megadeth album cover.

[Hydra009]

[Hydra009]

Warcrimes bingo: Russia attacked clearly-marked UN convoy in Ukraine

Russian Telegram channels posted the video of their drone flying into the rear tire of the UN vehicle, very deliberately targetted.

At least one of the videos has since been deleted, possibly to try to obfuscate the culprit, but it's pretty obvious. Besides, once something gets posted to the internet, there's no undoing it.

[Hydra009]

Ukraine has struck a LOT of Russian targets recently. A Be-200 Altair amphibious aircraft (very few of these are in service in Russia, we're talking Viltrumite numbers, so every loss is keenly felt), a Ka-27 helicopter, a Tor-M2 air defense system, a Pantsir-S1 air defense system (another endangered species), and a ship used for transporting ammo/equipment (no idea what was on it at the time of impact, if anything) near occupied Berdyansk port, a missile boat and minesweeper at Kaspiysk, ammo depots near Yepifanivka and Rovenky, logistics and EW depots in occupied Luhansk and Donetsk. In Mariupol, strikes hit a FSB coastal intelligence post, a MR-232 Bussol-S radar, an optical-electronic module, and a fuel depot. And a chemical plant.

And last but not least, Ukraine hit Ryazan oil refinery - with oil-rain aftermath similar to Tuapse. Another ecological disaster and huge economic hit.

I'm having trouble keeping track of all of this. Hell, I probably missed some strikes.

I remember last year and the year before telling you all about Ukraine striking this Pantsir or that Tor or some S-300. It didn't seem super meaningful at the time, but I see now that this thinning of Russian air defense led to all sorts of strikes and panic inside Russia. Russia's too big to be able to protect everything, and they certainly can't protect everything with much of their AA turned into slag. This creates gaps - opportunities.

Putin should've never lifted that Parade ceasefire. Ukraine is kicking in Russia's teeth right now. Russia's military is already significantly degraded, I'd hate to see what they'd look like after 2 more years of oil refineries catching on fire and Russian military equipment getting blasted. At a certain point, North Korea starts looking good in comparison.