Things are not going so well for Vlad the Invader and his genocidal project in Ukraine.
Russia just lost three more warplanes and a fuel depot in occupied Crimea, due to Ukrainian targeting with long-range missiles. (The missiles were supplied by Ukraine's American and European allies who, much to Putin's eternal and growing consternation, are way more united than he ever anticipated. Since Putin's full-scale invasion in 2022, both Finland and Sweden have joined NATO, and Ukraine's own membership has become a matter of when, not if.)
And the Russian economy is tanking due to the spiraling costs of Putin's war of aggression. Huge Russian troop losses and an exodus of people fleeing the draft have caused a labor shortage which is driving up wages and fueling inflation. The Russian central bank just raised their interest rate again, to 18%! (Compare this to the current US Federal Reserve fund rate of 5.5%.)
Putin is having so much trouble getting soldiers to fight in Ukraine, he's emptying Russian prisons to find conscripts. But even this desperate move is not working out so well, as a whole battalion of Russian convicts, along with their commanding officer, just mutinied. (And re-arresting the former prisoners may not be easy; when they absconded, they took with them the weapons they had recently been issued.)
[newsweek.com]ukraine-economy-inflation-interest-rate-1931047
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Those celebrating these escalations need their head examined. Do you care about saving Ukranian lives, or only about terminating Russian ones?
Do you know why the NATO West has been reluctant about the use of these long range weapons to hit Russia proper? It's all about the rules of war.
Ukraine has the right to target Russian infrastructure to disrupt supply, absolutely correct. It is a war. But you see, Ukraine is unable to use these weapons without NATO supplying codes, targeting and flight path data. So this means, according to the rules of war, those places supplying the data become legitimate targets for Russia, also disrupting supply lines, communication this time. It is a war.
So this means EWAC planes and bases receiving satellite data, mainland Poland, Germany and the UK and don't forget Pentagon all become legitimate targets. So when Russia hits these targets, which will happen if losses become critical or before, don't bullshit yourselves Russia is being offensive and attacking. They are responding to the introduced use of these long range weapons. So all those cheering war, don't cry when it happens.
"But they were fired from Ukraine". Under the rules of war, is irreverent if they could not have been targeted without direct assistance. Plausible denial regarding direct involvement in the attack is no longer plausible. War.
Ukraine lost the war months ago. They should have accepted the peace in 2022 and their country would still be intact and many still alive today. Including Russians.
NB Read up on the latest with BRICS. Russia not doing so bad with Putin nowhere near isolated.
puff
Level 8
July 30, 2024
0
Putin is not suicidal. He's not going to take on NATO.
puff:
@Flyingsaucesir No, Putin is not suicidal, NATO is. I agree Putin has done everything to not include NATO and remain contained within Ukraine. But a desire not to engage in conflict with NATO should not be mistaken as an unwillingness to protect Russia by all means from an expansionist military alliance..
Early warning radars for nuclear strikes have been taken out. This makes you visually impaired. Would this make you feel more secure or make you prone to being more skitty thus trigger happy do you think? Unsure what just got launched in your direction.
Neutrality for Ukraine was all Russia wanted. Join the EU? Fine, it's just the EU doesn't allow them to join. Just don't join NATO. Why? Because the US moves assets directed at Russia as close to the border as they can. Always have, always will. Historically, European invasions of Russia come through Ukraine. It's not hard to work out Russian concerns of NATO bases are genuine and need to be talked about.
Look at the history of NATO since Bosnia. I would be concerned too so Ukraine neutrality, with security guarantees from both NATO and Russia, makes perfect sense to me.
@puff Hahaha you're such a wacky guy! 
NATO has never had any plans to invade Russia. What an absurd notion. It merely exists as a deterrent to a rogue nation that might do to NATO member states precisely what it is doing to Ukraine right now.
Russia invaded Ukraine, not the other way around. Never forget that.
puff:
@Flyingsaucesir But the US has stated such. And what is NATO but an extension of US power?
Ukraine had a coup de'tat which triggered a civil war in 2014. Over 12,000 had died before Russia invaded in 2022, along with NATO training and arming government forces, introducing CIA bases and biolabs, all admitted.
Never forget that either eg it started a bit earlier than the "unprovoked" Russian invasion.
@puff In 2014 Ukrainians kicked out the Putin puppet regime of Victor Yanukovych, and that's what started the ball rolling. Then Putin sent Russian soldiers without insignia on their uniforms into eastern Ukraine to fight and capture local governments. And before the "little green men" there were plenty of Russian agents provocateur sent in to foment discord and dissent in the Ukrainian civilian population. Putin did not embark on this adventure willy-nilly. There was plenty of thought and preparation beforehand. Nevertheless, with vastly superior numbers and equipment he has so far failed miserably to subjugate his neighbor. That says a lot about how eager Ukrainians are to have the dictator's yoke on their necks.
puff:
@Flyingsaucesir Funny how things can whip the populace up into rising up. Needs agitators to get things moving, a few anonymous "snipers" to move things along even quicker.
Plenty of footage of Victoria Nuland, John McCain stirring up the peasants. Other "Exceptionals" including Biden family.
@puff Love the way you always change the subject when you find you have run out of bullshit arguments. 
(Sound of dusting off hands) 
puff:
@Flyingsaucesir US logic. The Ukrainian government is strengthening ties with Russia, can't have that. Why? Because Russia is authoritarian and undemocratic. Well, lets have a coup then to make Ukraine more democratic........great idea!!!!!!! Then we can start siting CIA outposts and biolabs there, over 20. Send over trainers and the "friendly" government can test their new weapons on the "rebels" who were pissed their elected govt was overthrown. 12,000 in 8 years dead, Ukranian Vs Ukranian.
Elections? Not really an Ukranian thing atm, but still fighting for democracy!!!!!
Thank you for posting that!! I had not been following as closely cuz I got distracted. Makes me happy that Putie got his tushie kicked.
HippieChick58
Level 9
July 30, 2024
4
F*ck Putin . . . . am I allow ed to say that?
bookofmorons
Level 9
July 30, 2024
3
This ain't Russia; you are absolutely allowed to say that! 
I would even say encouraged to say that.
puff:
Of course. No politician is sacred.
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