Russia Ukraine Update Thread

a reply to: JinMI

I've been watching China what they want is to be able to take advantage of Russia. It's not in China's best interest to help Russia win. What China wants is a waekened Russia dependent on them for survival. This way they can import food and oil at less than market value all the while removing them from Asia. The territorial disputes are over China will get back their disputed territories and the Russian claims on the South China sea are over as well. Once Russia is solely dependent on China watch Russia lose its Asian territories people don't realize there are far more Chinese in these areas than Russians. All china has to do is wait for the Russian economy to falter hell they might even just buy it from them.

So selling them arms is off the table they need Russia to lose.

a reply to: dragonridr

What they hope for is the NATO/US to be drawn into a war.

They are already staging their forces on their coast. If we get drawn in they are going to take Taiwan.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: dragonridr

What they hope for is the NATO/US to be drawn into a war.

They are already staging their forces on their coast. If we get drawn in they are going to take Taiwan.

Sorry but that doesn't make any sense at all...

China needs a peaceful and economical solid Europe & US to keep buying to them and enrich them.

China won't touch in Taiwan let's say... For the next ten years or so... Peace ✌️

a reply to: dragonridr

"Heckuva job, Vladimir!"

Putin's fixation with NATO and certainty that China won't take advantage of Russian troubles is ... odd. I strongly doubt he will be well remembered by Russians in the future.

Cheers

More 16 March updates.

Russia is increasingly pulling forces from its international bases and redeploying damaged units that were rotated out early in the invasion of Ukraine to replace mounting casualties.

Social media users observed elements of Russia’s 58th Combined Arms Army based in Russia‘s proxy republic in Georgia, South Ossetia, redeploying in likely transit to Ukraine on March 15.

The Ukrainian General Staff additionally reported that Russia is forming additional battalion tactical groups (BTGs) by consolidating units that suffered losses in the first 10 days of the Russian invasion and graduating cadets from military higher education early to replace officer losses.

These manpower issues strongly indicate that among the other obvious defects in the Russian military, they don't have a working system to replace losses in units in combat. Combining damaged units together is an option of last resort; much better to pull units out of the line and rebuild them to effective strength.

Cheers

originally posted by: Jamie2018
Theatre with ‘1200 people inside’ destroyed by Russia

The Theatre of War? Wag the Dog?

The Telegraph

Survivors 'emerging alive' from bombed theatre in Mariupol

People are beginning to emerge alive from a theatre in Mariupol that had reportedly been sheltering at least 1,000 civilians when it was bombed by Russian forces, local authorities said on Thursday.
Casualty numbers were still unknown on Thursday morning with rescuers struggling to reach those trapped under the rubble.

But the region's former governor said there were definitely some survivors.

"Truly good news from Mariupol on the morning of the 22nd day of the war after a horrific night: The bombshelter has withstood. Rescuers are clearing out the debris, people are coming out of there alive," said Serhiy Taruta, a Mariupol native.

Also:
Reuters

Ukraine says Russia strikes Mariupol theatre sheltering residents, Moscow denies attack

The ministry said many people were trapped in the theatre and accused Russia of committing a war crime. It said the number of casualties was not yet known. Reuters could not independently verify the information.

Russia denies targeting civilians.

Russian state media accuses the Azov battalion of bombing the Mariupol theater (again):
Telegram


Video of the previous airstrike on Mariupol hospital that Russian representatives were blaming on Azov Battalion (before denying the bombing took place):
Independent

Why Russians need Mariupol so much?

BBC News

Ukraine war: Why Kherson and Mariupol are key to Russian success

While Russian troops in the north and east of Ukraine have struggled to seize important targets, including the capital Kyiv, their advance into southern Ukraine appears to be more successful.
[...]Russian troops are moving into Ukraine from Crimea, spreading east towards Mariupol and west towards Odesa, threatening to cut off Ukraine's maritime access which would inflict huge economic damage on the country.

If Mariupol falls, it would give Russia control of one of Ukraine's biggest ports and create a land corridor between Crimea and the Russian-backed regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

A look at the map below shows how crucial the peninsula is as a base to the assault on southern Ukraine:

Putin needs Mariupol for his corridor to his annexed Crimea region.

Russia's Chechen fighters made their way in Mariupol to the Azovstal plant.


Azov Brigade ukrofascists in Mariupol are losing their heads literally. Chechen knives are becoming blunt from so much cutting

...Seems to be 'slightly' concerned about day-to-day Russians rising up...

Reddit (more mins of video)

Higher caste? Self-purification? Slavish consciousness?
Also Putin: "We are liberating Ukraine from the Nazis"...

Ukrainian forces in Odessa have decided to place tanks beside historical sites. Maybe thinking they can be used as a shield or just plain stupidity.

a reply to: Grimpachi

With Russia indiscriminate targeting the likes of apparent buildings and hospitals with cruise missile and thermobaric rocket barrage i don't image they are apt to care one iota as to the destruction of historical sites if it achieves there goals.

* - Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro(12:47). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - The Oleshki mayor made a new statement in which he said Russian troops now left the city

* - Russian troops entered the town of Oleshki. They are going to be located in the city, said Mayor Yevhen Ryschuk

* - Vinnytska Oblast, Cherkaska Oblast(11:18). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Zhytomyr(11:18). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - As a result of the shelling of Chernihiv by Russian army on March 16, 53 people were killed

* - Russian airstrike targeted Malyn town in Zhytomyr region yesterday

* - Russian Foreign Ministry: Talks with Ukraine continue via video link to discuss military and political issues

* - Moldova calls on Russia to withdraw from Transnistria. Moldovan President Maia Sandu called for the removal of munitions and "complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces" from the unrecognized breakaway region during a UN General Assembly meeting on March 16

* - (The source is state-funded media. Please, be aware, do not rely on this source without proper objective analysis of facts to form a judgment.)
Russian Ministry of Defense at morning briefing shows debris from what it calls "Bayraktar" drone shot in Kyiv region

* - Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: Negotiations with Ukraine discuss military and political files

* - Multiple Russian aircraft moving east from Moscow: -RuAF Tupolev Tu-204-300 RSD3 -RuAF Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B RSD71 -RuAF A319-115CJ RSD72 -RuAF An-148-100E RSD73 -RuAF Ilyushin Il-96-300PU RSD74 -RuAF Tupolev Tu-214PU RSD78 -RuAF Tupolev Tu-214SR RSD79 -RuAF SuperJet 100-95B RSD80 -RuAF Tupolev Tu-154M RFF7576 -RuAF Tupolev Tu-154M RFF9947

* - As a result of shelling by the Russian army, the church of the "Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God" at Kholodna Hora in Kharkiv was damaged

* - Shelter under Mariupol Drama theater is safe and opened now, people are being evacuated - Serhiy Taruta

* - Zelensky: Russia is destroying schools and hospitals in all Ukrainian cities

* - Ukrainian Defense Minister: We must stop Russian military operations in our country

* - Clashes continue at southern frontlines

* - Powerline damaged near Zaporizhiye Nuclear Power Plant. Repairs impossible now due to active fighting

* - Russian troops shelled with MLRS GRAD Maryanske village in Dnipropetrovsk region, water pumping station damaged

* - Over 100 suspected saboteurs detained in Kyiv in last days - Head of Kyiv military administration

* - Intensive clashes in Izyum district and city

* - British Military Intelligence: Russia's invasion of Ukraine has slowed dramatically on all fronts

* - Heavy damage and casualties in Merefa in overnight shelling

* - Heavy shelling targeted Rubizhne, Popasna and Sieverodonetsk overnight, over 27 houses damaged in Rubizhne

* - 1 killed, 3 wounded after missile intercepted over Darnitsky district of Kyiv

As a reminder -

Just so people know and understand. Information from war zones can become confusing as there will no doubt be info released from the players (on both sides) involved that might not necessarily be true.

As such take everything as a possibility and NOT as absolute truth.

The very first casualty in a war is the truth and all warfare is based on deception

a reply to: andy06shake

They released that info to the public so at least to me it is obvious they are telling them to move it or lose it.

Just like with the bomb outside of the hospital. Do you really think they missed a big target like that when there are dozens of videos showing them hitting much smaller targets with pinpoint accuracy?

A day or two before they had issued a statement that their intelligence determined the hospital had been taken over by the military even saying they had an indoor shooting range. It was a message with force. Russian military does that sort of thing.

Their targeting isn't as indiscriminate as MSM claims. oh, I am sure there has been unintended collateral damage but they have held back far more than we did going into Iraq.

a reply to: majesticgent

hey its ok Boris has done that a couple of times no biggie right
but yeh when putin does it , its off to jail with ye

the hypocrisy is laughable

these politicians are all #s
not one can be trusted

a reply to: Grimpachi

As i have said i don't agree with what was perpetrated in Iraq anymore than i do Ukraine.

To my knowledge thermobaric rockets and cruise missile attack don't discriminate between civilians and armed combatants.

What's obvious is that Russia don't give a rats arse who they have to kill or what they have to destroy to achieve there occupation as is clearly evidenced by the destruction and death across the nation.

There are apparently almost three million people that have now fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, they are not running for no reason.

Choose the believe as you wish all the same.

a reply to: andy06shake

There was one thermobaric rocket used to strike an oil well. There wasn't anything indiscriminate about it. The nature of the explosion prevented setting the well on fire.

Cruise missiles are pretty damn precise. On the other hand, Ukraine firing a tochka ballistic missiles with cluster munitions at Donetsk is indiscriminate by design.

a reply to: Grimpachi

Again none of those weapons systems discriminate between civilian/military targets, including the cluster munitions.

You can spell it anyway you wish Grimpachi but the use of such weaponry on cities and civilians is just plain wrong.

And if you don't like what we done in Iraq then you must also hate what Russia is perpetrating against the Ukraine and her people.

Tell me this where are the Ukraine supposed to go since Russia is surrounding there cities, are they simply supposed to capitulate and surrender?

Because that not lightly to be on the cards now or in the future, so a hell of a lot of innocent people are about to lose there freedom and life's down to Putin wishing to see a return of his nation to former glory that's never going to materialise.

The entire situation is just wrong on so many level one does not even know where to begin.

Flightradar24

* - JAKE11 - Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint / USAF - Patrolling Poland - Kaliningrad/Belarus/Ukraine border
* - MMF18 - Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint / NATO (Netherlands) - Over Poland near Ukraine border
* - DUKE51 - Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk / US Army - Near Polish-Ukraine border (Lviv)
* - DUKE40 - Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk / US Army - Over SE Poland
* - DUKE40 - Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk / US Army - Over SE Poland (different helo heading south w/ same call sign)
* - LK32 - Lockheed EP-3E Orion / USAF - Over Romania patrolling black sea / Moldova border
* - RSD72 - Airbus A319-115CJ / Rossiya - Special Flight Squadron - Near Mongolia
* - YANK01 - Beech RC-12X Guardrail / US Army - over Lithuania
* - Yank02 - Beech RC-12X Guardrail / US Army - over Lithuania
* - CL60 - Bombardier Challenger 650 / unknown - over Romania patrolling Ukraine/Moldova border
* - ROF1104 - Bombardier Challenger 650 / Romania Air Force - unknown mission
* - RRR9924 - Airbus KC2 Voyager (A330-243MRTT) / RAF - circles over Romania
* - ROF2705 - Airbus KC2 Voyager (A330-243MRTT) / Romania Air Force
* - R8P01 - Schiebel Camcopter S-100 (drone) / unknown - Over Romania Black Sea
* - RRR7227 - Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint / RAF - Over Romania
* - PUNK46 - Over Hungary unk type aircraft / unk owner / unk destination
* - FALCN33 - Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint / USAF - over Bulgaria
* - SVF622 - Gulfstream IV / Swedish air force - flying circles over Baltic Sea near Latvia/Lithuania/Kalinigrad

a reply to: andy06shake

arent they technically Russian historical sites too though ?
therefore it would be silly to target such places as theyd effectively be destroying their own history
unless of course that is what they want to do