Putin's Invasion of Ukraine

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Russia bombards Kyiv, damages Orthodox Monastery and UNESCO site Pechersk Lavra

This is how it normally looks:



This is what it looks like now:



I never again want to hear anything from anyone about how Russia is a defender of Christianity.

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It's not all bad news, a Russian Tu-22 crashed. It wasn't shot down, it just crashed. But it's one less Russian bomber, so I'll take it.

Ukraine continues to strike Russian logistics

Ukraine's Da Vinci 1st Separate Assault Regiment later confirmed strikes on the Chonhar road bridge, a railway bridge, a pontoon crossing, and military trucks in the area.

"The throughput capacity of the pontoons is low, forcing trucks to queue up for them and become ready targets for us," the unit said in a statement, adding that the operation was "part of a unified plan" to disrupt Russian logistics routes from occupied Crimea.

Russian Federal Oil Reserve Kopaevo is burning

Ukraine struck a seaport in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, sparking a fire at an oil terminal

Temporarily-occupied Donetsk region is experiencing a severe gasoline shortage

This was reported by Russian propagandist Romanov Lite.

According to him, fuel periodically becomes available at individual gas stations but sells out almost immediately. He claims that no gas stations with available fuel can be found along the Donetsk—Avilo-Uspenka highway. A similar situation has reportedly developed in occupied Donetsk.

Belorussian Dictator Lukashenko apologized to Zelenskyy for earlier saber-rattling

Lukashenko said his comments had been a response to what he described as threats from Ukraine, including statements that Kyiv had identified hundreds of potential targets in Belarus and knew his whereabouts.

Yeah...that from Madyar and it was AFTER Lukashenko repeatedly threatened to join the war and invade Ukraine. Madyar said that if they did, he had hundreds of targets that would be immediately hit in retaliation.

Lukashenko must be getting up there in age, because he either had a senior moment or he's deliberately lying about the sequence of events in order to back-justify his actions. So this gives it the air of a not-apology.

Belarus invading was never in the deck because:
1) Belarus isn't exactly a military powerhouse and its military is needed inside its borders to keep Lukashenko in power
2) Ukraine's northern border has long been fortified for obvious reasons
3) Ukraine's drone technology has gotten considerably better and made any sort of massed assault a foolish idea
4) It's been 4 years already, if they were going to do it, they absolutely would've done it already.

So all 6 people in the world who were biting their nails about Belarus, you can relax.

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Ukraine strikes Moscow oil refinery

Ukraine strikes Shadow Fleet oil tanker

UK seizes Shadow Fleet oil tanker

Russian Frigate Admiral Grigorovich Fires Warning Shots at British Yacht in the English Channel

Hackers have breached the Russian Glaz/Groza combat control system and gained access to its data

This is one of the worst things that can possibly happen to a military from an information security perspective. This system is used by the Russians to plot the positions of allies and enemies. Well, if your enemy gets hold of it, they know exactly where your forces are located. You're hosed.

Apparently, this was administered through Telegram groups, which is bizarre not only because Russia does not own that software, but also because Putin officially banned telegram.

After the breach, hackers replaced part of the cartographic data with images of the Ukrainian flag and various inscriptions.

“Numerous complaints from users about the breach have been recorded: they cannot connect to the application, are unable to remove images that keep reappearing, and administrators are trying to fix the problem,” Where is Russia today reported.

The Russians are still trying to use that software AFTER the breach? That's like using the Enigma machines after Turing figured it out and every Enigma message also prints out a drawing of the Union Jack.

Possibly coincidentally or possibly not, Ukrainian forces raided a Russian observation post and took 5 prisoners

And this was several days ago, but hacking isn't the only way Ukraine is getting access to sensitive Russian intel: Zelenskyy shows Kremlin reports allegedly delivered to Putin

Granted, knowing that the Kremlin thinks that popular support for the United Russia party and Putin himself is dwindling but still high isn't exactly useful information (and it's a pretty safe bet that support for Putin is a lot lower than the Kremlin thinks - there's a reason why Prigozhin got cheers during his thunder run to Moscow). But let's say that a report comes across Putin's desk on how to counter the Ukrainian drones or restore Russian logistics - Zelenskyy being able to accurately predict Putin is a HUGE deal. Putin can't win against someone who knows his every move.

And now, your moment of zen:

Kremlin analysts acknowledge that holding the State Duma will require “significantly more falsifications” than in previous electoral cycles

[Cassia]

It's been a very bad month for Russia so far. Oil prices may come down.

[Cassia]

Belarus "special" forces

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Yeah, there's a reason they haven't been sent to actual combat. It's like that meme where one military shows off its martial arts / gymnastics routine and another just pilots drones, slaughtering the more "macho" military.

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Ukraine strikes Moscow oil storage, sending the lid flying

Moscow oil refinery struck again, sending huge plume of smoke over the area

This is both a massive refinery (40% of Moscow region's production) and situated in the most well-defended part of Russia. Russia's largest cities are no longer safe.

Update: there is now oil-rain in Moscow. Authorities have told asthma-sufferers to stay indoors due to the smog outside.

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Heh.

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Meanwhile, Russian logistics are collapsing.

I saw a video of a truck in Belgorod getting hit by a done. It was waiting at a red light, the drone swooped low and hit it right in the windshield/engine. Perfect shot. What's amazing to me is that no one got out to help - they kept on going like it was no thing. In a different video, a Russian woman was remarking how a fire in the distance would normally be a cause for concern and alarm and people would want to go tend to the problem, now everyone just thinks 'probably a Ukrainian drone' and ignores it. Don't look up!

Ukraine struck the Kerch-Dzhankoy railway bridge. Afaik, every road and bridge has now been hit around Crimea except the Kerch bridge itself. Russia has started to cautiously reuse the badly damaged Kerch bridge, and I don't foresee it staying standing for very much longer. Earlier, Ukraine knocked out all the northern Crimea bridges except one, then long lines of vehicles gathered at that one, then the Ukrainians hit that one along with the gathered vehicles.

Ukraine is now using camouflaged anti-vehicle mines dropped by drones

They blend right into the concrete, so they just look like the debris normally scattered along the roads from destroyed vehicles. Very difficult to detect. So in addition to all its other headaches, Russia must now carefully sweep roads clear of mines before proceeding.

[Unbeliever]

Meidas Touch

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE as Moscow BURNS TO THE GROUND!!!!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wt3SwCoSkGY ... Kl3OPBAOmu