Russian Invasion of Ukraine Megathread

[Rezza]

Ostensible Russian military use of civilian trucks as ACPs like the ones from that video of all the cars and buses with Zs on them on the back of a train.

View attachment 3054885View attachment 3054886

https://twitter.com/i/status/1500429829920993280

So, that video was real. Are they running out of working ACPs or something? With vehicles like this, I don't think the Ukrainian would even need NLAW to destroy them

Buchanka-chan lives in all their hearts
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So there are also Azerbaijanis in Ukraine. So many muslims on both sides.
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Holyshit, just how many people and groups are in this war? I better checked if some people in my country actually volunteered there as well

It is not uncommon for generals to be killed on the frontlines. In WW1, in the British Army alone, over 200 generals were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Of those who died, most were killed either by shellfire or sniper fire. About a dozen American generals were killed in Vietnam, and as recently as 2014 a US Army general was killed in Afghanistan. So the fact that a general was near the danger zone, and was killed, is not extraordinary.

What is noteworthy is that Russia has (allegedly) lost two officers of general rank within mere days of the start of the war, among many more of lower, yet still significant, command ranks. It does suggest the Russian forces are having problems and this is having consequences for field commanders trying to rectify them.

I think a lot of people have misconceptions about what generals actually do - they are not all pen-pushers sitting at comfy desks in some grand chief of staff HQ. Most generals are actual soldiers who lead their men on the ground. Not on the frontline, of course, at least not under normal circumstances. But an operation on this scale would require some generals, like major or brigadier generals, coordinating forces.

Especially if there are logistics and communications problems reducing the efficacy of their forces.

And one of the most important thing is, as the article wrote, who are going to replace these officers? As I said before, Individual Replacement matters. You just can't replaced experienced soldiers with fresh recruits or conscripts and expect them to make the same result. And this is officers we're talking about, that's even more harder to replace

(Also to add to that british WWI thing, the officers back then would often also went over the top with their soldiers because they still believe in the romanticized view of war)

 

[doesnotglow]

Does anybody find it interesting how in the US there is massive pressure on American companies to disable business with Russia, but these companies make all their shit in China, a country which is deepening ties with Russia in wake of the loss of business. Treating countries like the latest Twitter cancellation will probably turn out to be the single most focal policy errors in the collapse of American hegemony, especially given the ties of the American elite with the CCP.

 

[mr.moon1488]

"This right here, is why I fight for Allah."
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My god... this is the worst news ever for Russia. This is the scariest news to come from the war so far.

Seems like I recall some story about an ISIS position getting exposed because they got near this while taking a picture, and the guy who drew it gave the location to the Syrian army.

 

[Coccxys]

Buchanka-chan lives in all their hearts
View attachment 3054889

So there are also Azerbaijanis in Ukraine. So many muslims on both sides.
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You will never get to see war footage without someone shouting Allauh Akbar ever again.

 

[White_N]

Putin on the possibility of nuclear war in 2018

Putin: We will go to heaven as martyrs, but they will just die.
Inshallah brothers!

 

[MrJokerRager]

Reminder that Richard Spencer was always a glowie
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Democrats referring to Populist Republican types as "traitors who hate America" is just about as effective as when conservatives use the "Democrats are the real racists" style of talking point.

IIRC before the election, Trump was seen overall good on the economy and foreign policy but horrible at race relations.

They keep using this talking point and it will be just no different than Biden calling someone a nigger and still get the nigger vote. The Republicans will still get the gung ho military voters overall.

I guess it was a smart move for the anti war types to choose the GOP since its immune from those accusations of selling out America to outsiders.

 

[Lone MacReady]

Russian special forces capture a radio station in Berdyansk (link)

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Russian troops in Kharkov use mortars (link)

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May not be the most interesting clips, but it does confirm the assumption that footage of Russian progress can only be recorded by authorized Russian press or social media channels (like WarGonzo). All other videos of Russian movements are being recorded by Ukie civilians, I believe.

Speaking of WarGonzo, they do have a YouTube channel that you can check out here.

I see he's wearing some nice mechanix gloves, good taste.

 

[mindlessobserver]

Thus far I've been fairly impressed with Ukranian propaganda efforts. Undoubtedly it is being amplified by Western sources, but it has been effective domestically for them. Tales such as Snake Island and the "Ghost of Kyiv" have been widely disseminated on social media. If you examine the media and accept their perspective, it appears that Russian soldiers are incompetent, corrupt, and are fighting using equipment in terrible condition. The fuel problem besieging the convoys has been conjured up as being due to Russian troops selling their fuel to get drunk and afford food. The Ukrainians have also painted themselves as benevolent in videos of them feeding crying Russian POWs and allowing them to call their families. Zelensky the Jew has really been putting on a show for the audience and has assumed the role as a competent and uncompromising leader in the face of adversity. His speeches have been widely disseminated and appear everywhere and are edited with dramatic and triumphant background music. His addresses are all over the front page of Plebbit and people perceive him to be devoted to his country. There are comments all over espousing love for Zelensky and how great of a leader he is. Before all of this he had a 15% approval rating, and even that may be quite generous.

Support for Ukraine has reached a level akin to Kony 2012 in that it is a viral meme phenomenon. Celebrities have begun championing the cause and the overall messaging seems similar to that before the start of the Iraq war. There is widespread Russophobia that both the left and right can agree on. In this way, it has become a politically unified front that also supports future NATO expansion. Much of this support is vapid and it has become a fad all over social media. Democrats are behaving like war hawks demanding no-fly zones and ready to start a global conflict by getting NATO involved. Your average person couldn't even locate Ukraine on a map but are now experts in geo-politics and stand in solidarity with their populace despite knowing near zero about the country. The foreign legion propaganda was massively effective and will likely end up netting them a few thousand soldiers.

Russian propaganda has been more focused on painting Ukraine as filled with Nazis that harken back to those of World War II. There are multiple sources accusing Zelensky of developing nuclear weapons and preparing to detonate a dirty bomb in Moscow. Their state media apparatus has been towing the line that Ukraine has been waging economic warfare and sponsoring terrorism against Russia. It is a very popularist MAGA-esque messaging that the special military operation in Ukraine will "make Russia great again." They are really sticking to the line that this conflict is necessary for the country to continue to exist. They are emphasizing NATO and the threat it poses to Russia heavily.

Overall, the US seems determined to draw Russia into a conflict which will devolve into an asymmetrical guerilla war. They want Ukraine to become a quagmire like Afghanistan which sucks Russia in for years. The sanctions are intended to crush their economy and Russia will not be able to declare victory and as such they will be embarrassed on a global scale. The conflict will continue as Russia has to gain something from their attempted conquest to justify their economy shitting the bed. They may very well end up defaulting on their debt and face utter destitution like the fall of the Soviet Union. It is interesting to sit back and analyze the propaganda both sides are utilizing to sell this conflict to their respective populaces.

The tone of this implies that Zelenskyy is being completely duplicitous and that he actually doesn't care what happens to Ukraine. Which is a huge reach. Strongmen who don't give a shit flee with suitcases full of looted money to the south of France or Qatar. They don't stick around as an invading Army closes in.

He is without question putting on a good show. The man is a showman by trade so I would expect nothing less. But there is nothing Nefarious behind it, if the goal is defeating the Russians. Unless of course you want Russia to win the war. Then I suppose it would be infuriating.

 

[Just Some Other Guy]

Unless of course you want Russia to win the war. Then I suppose it would be infuriating.

Or, you know, you're just tired of people being gullible and falling for such blatant emotional propaganda. Especially right on the back of COVID nonsense.

 

[Coccxys]

American companies to disable business with Russia, but these companies make all their shit in China,

Even more fun Russia is the 2nd largest source of oil for China and China is the number 1 producer of plastic on earth. All that plastic bullshit everyone is buying from China is just buying Russian oil by proxy.

 

[naffatune]

Ostensible Russian military use of civilian trucks as ACPs like the ones from that video of all the cars and buses with Zs on them on the back of a train.

View attachment 3054885View attachment 3054886

https://twitter.com/i/status/1500429829920993280

A lot of Russian military trucks have been abandoned, so this is logical. However, I don't think the Rus completely ran out of them; there's still more actual APCs coming in given the footage

 

[Meat Target]

Does anybody find it interesting how in the US there is massive pressure on American companies to disable business with Russia, but these companies make all their shit in China, a country which is deepening ties with Russia in wake of the loss of business. Treating countries like the latest Twitter cancellation will probably turn out to be the single most focal policy errors in the collapse of American hegemony, especially given the ties of the American elite with the CCP.

The Uniparty doesn't wanna run afoul of its benefactors in Beijing.

 

[Strix454]

The tone of this implies that Zelenskyy is being completely duplicitous and that he actually doesn't care what happens to Ukraine. Which is a huge reach. Strongmen who don't give a shit flee with suitcases full of looted money to the south of France or Qatar. They don't stick around as an invading Army closes in.

He is without question putting on a good show. The man is a showman by trade so I would expect nothing less. But there is nothing Nefarious behind it, if the goal is defeating the Russians. Unless of course you want Russia to win the war. Then I suppose it would be infuriating.

Zelensky is and always has been a puppet who does what he is told. He is no strongman and no powerful dictator. The actual "strongmen" have generally already left Ukraine with their suitcases full of looted money. They are watching the war play out from safe havens outside Ukraine. He is also totally disposable as far as the people who actually run Ukraine are concerned. Its important to note that while Putin is more than willing to directly threaten a non-entity like Zelensky, there are no threats directed to any of the Oligarchs in Ukraine.

 

[Kendall Motor Oil]

Why are cat ladies are in charge to begin with lol.

And what can be done to vote them out or get rid of them somehow peacefully.

A life climbing the social ladder, daddy's money, feminism, and men simping. If you've ever seen this group/type of woman run a company or manage a department, you will see their priority is garnering social clout and hen pecking. They do not and never have cared about everyone else below them.

 

[B_mizz]

The tone of this implies that Zelenskyy is being completely duplicitous and that he actually doesn't care what happens to Ukraine. Which is a huge reach. Strongmen who don't give a shit flee with suitcases full of looted money to the south of France or Qatar. They don't stick around as an invading Army closes in.

He is without question putting on a good show. The man is a showman by trade so I would expect nothing less. But there is nothing Nefarious behind it, if the goal is defeating the Russians. Unless of course you want Russia to win the war. Then I suppose it would be infuriating.

He's gonna encourage that they fight to the last Ukrainian, while he sits in a bunker in Poland or Germany, snorting coke and drinking it up. See some of his recent *sniffles* during interviews...

 

[LUNEKO]

Holyshit, just how many people and groups are in this war? I better checked if some people in country actually volunteered there as well

By the end of this i fully expect the wikipedia page for this incident to look like the Russian civil war one

 

[Harvey Danger]

Why are we not sending Hunter Biden to the Ukraine to talk to Zelensky?

- He's an old expert at Ukraine
- He is also an expert in energy sector
- He understands the problems of refugees and human trafficking
- Former Navy Officer

Seems like the perfect guy to be running the Ukraine desk

Trump sent his son-in-law over to the Middle East, and he got 2 peace deals in 3 years. Maybe Biden is afraid his kid will somehow fail to measure up.

 

[naffatune]

Ukrainian BTR-3 sits in a residential area in Izyum. Gotta love the juxtaposition here (link)

 

[Coccxys]

By the end of this i fully expect the wikipedia page for this incident to look like the Russian civil war one
View attachment 3055000

I fully expect the [citation needed] tags to be plastered everywhere too.

 

[Corpun]

Thus far I've been fairly impressed with Ukranian propaganda efforts. Undoubtedly it is being amplified by Western sources, but it has been effective domestically for them. Tales such as Snake Island and the "Ghost of Kyiv" have been widely disseminated on social media. If you examine the media and accept their perspective, it appears that Russian soldiers are incompetent, corrupt, and are fighting using equipment in terrible condition. The fuel problem besieging the convoys has been conjured up as being due to Russian troops selling their fuel to get drunk and afford food. The Ukrainians have also painted themselves as benevolent in videos of them feeding crying Russian POWs and allowing them to call their families. Zelensky the Jew has really been putting on a show for the audience and has assumed the role as a competent and uncompromising leader in the face of adversity. His speeches have been widely disseminated and appear everywhere and are edited with dramatic and triumphant background music. His addresses are all over the front page of Plebbit and people perceive him to be devoted to his country. There are comments all over espousing love for Zelensky and how great of a leader he is. Before all of this he had a 15% approval rating, and even that may be quite generous.

Support for Ukraine has reached a level akin to Kony 2012 in that it is a viral meme phenomenon. Celebrities have begun championing the cause and the overall messaging seems similar to that before the start of the Iraq war. There is widespread Russophobia that both the left and right can agree on. In this way, it has become a politically unified front that also supports future NATO expansion. Much of this support is vapid and it has become a fad all over social media. Democrats are behaving like war hawks demanding no-fly zones and ready to start a global conflict by getting NATO involved. Your average person couldn't even locate Ukraine on a map but are now experts in geo-politics and stand in solidarity with their populace despite knowing near zero about the country. The foreign legion propaganda was massively effective and will likely end up netting them a few thousand soldiers.

Russian propaganda has been more focused on painting Ukraine as filled with Nazis that harken back to those of World War II. There are multiple sources accusing Zelensky of developing nuclear weapons and preparing to detonate a dirty bomb in Moscow. Their state media apparatus has been towing the line that Ukraine has been waging economic warfare and sponsoring terrorism against Russia. It is a very popularist MAGA-esque messaging that the special military operation in Ukraine will "make Russia great again." They are really sticking to the line that this conflict is necessary for the country to continue to exist. They are emphasizing NATO and the threat it poses to Russia heavily.

Overall, the US seems determined to draw Russia into a conflict which will devolve into an asymmetrical guerilla war. They want Ukraine to become a quagmire like Afghanistan which sucks Russia in for years. The sanctions are intended to crush their economy and Russia will not be able to declare victory and as such they will be embarrassed on a global scale. The conflict will continue as Russia has to gain something from their attempted conquest to justify their economy shitting the bed. They may very well end up defaulting on their debt and face utter destitution like the fall of the Soviet Union. It is interesting to sit back and analyze the propaganda both sides are utilizing to sell this conflict to their respective populaces.

Problem is all these propaganda lies have to fall apart on both sides. It's like back in WW2 when after a few years in Russia the German propaganda machine began to break down as people back home realized they weren't crushing Soviet horde after Soviet horde like the films claimed.

Does anybody find it interesting how in the US there is massive pressure on American companies to disable business with Russia, but these companies make all their shit in China, a country which is deepening ties with Russia in wake of the loss of business. Treating countries like the latest Twitter cancellation will probably turn out to be the single most focal policy errors in the collapse of American hegemony, especially given the ties of the American elite with the CCP.

My big worry on making Twitter canceling a weapon of diplomacy is how it can affect nations we are supposed to be allies of, or even internally.

We've already seen companies cancel shit if a state passes election laws or doesn't like troonism. Now imagine if Italy or the UK or somewhere we have political ties to elects a wrong think government, are we suddenly going to be demanding companies stop doing business there and boot them out of NATO?