Russia Ukraine Update Thread

Just read that Russian soldiers were wearing Ukrainian uniforms and attacking how is Putin getting away with this crap sounds like he's getting desperate .


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US official: Putin has more than 50% "of his total assembled power" inside Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has more than 50% "of his total assembled power now committed inside Ukraine,” a senior US defense official told reporters Saturday.

The official said the 50% consists of “largely combat power.”

"Clearly he’s gonna have to sustain them," the official said. "I just don’t have a breakdown by company or by unit of what he’s got. The farthest we’re willing to go comfortably is that he’s got more than 50% of his total assembled power now committed inside Ukraine."

If true, Putin is all in on whatever his, true, objective is for Ukraine.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Is there an international authority set up yet to monitor, investigate, and prosecute war crimes?

a reply to: WeDemBoyz

They even have a right to use chemical weapons.......It's their land and nobody can tell them how they can and can not defend it.

The international community banned the use of chemical and biological weapons after World War 1 and reinforced the ban in 1972 and 1993 by prohibiting their development, stockpiling and transfer. Advances in science and technology raise concerns that restraints on their use may be ignored or eroded.

Link

So I refer back to Nuremberg. You are comparing apples and oranges.

a reply to: all2human
...and Trudeau is well within his rights to do what he's doing to Canadians is he?
Or whatever his name is down in Victoria, Australia.
OK, I get it, Leaders are welcome to take away the freedoms of their own people.... but woe betide anyone who tries to take away the freedoms of another country..... gottcha

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
Just read that Russian soldiers were wearing Ukrainian uniforms and attacking how is Putin getting away with this crap sounds like he's getting desperate .


Twitter

Sounds pretty standard for Russian military. We don't have to support Putin but we also don't have to label everything he does different from the US as "desperate."

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Oooh.... how about all those armed 'militia' who were playing at being cops in Canada with no 'insignia?
Hmmmmm.
PS.... in case you haven't noticed, most people on here are basically approving 'by any means necessary' for Ukraine to defend itself...... so, why can't Russia do this.....? Armies have used this kind of subterfuge ever since the first rock was chucked

a reply to: angelchemuel

Not in the same league Jane.

They may be incompetents who should never have been allowed anywhere near High Office etc but to compare them to Putin really is a stretch.
Our 'leaders' have many failings and our political systems are broken....but we're a fair bit away from the extremes of Putin's regime.

a reply to: angelchemuel

In those countries(mine) the government doesn't slaughter citizens when they don't get their way
i understand what you are saying but its apples and onions

More unsettling comments out of Russia if accurate-this time from Ex President Medvedev:

'We don't need diplomatic relations with the west anymore'-He added that it was time for Russia to 'padlock the embassies' and 'continue contacts looking at each other through binoculars and gun sights.'
Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and deputy head of Russia's security council, said the West's 'wonderful (sanctions) will not change a thing, of course'.
He said the sanctions also gave Russia a good reason to pull out of a dialogue on strategic (nuclear) stability and, potentially, from the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) signed with Washington in 2010 and extended in 2021.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

That sounds like a recipe for escalation IMO

With many nations supplying Ukraine with military aid and arms, Poland even goes as far as to say they are delivering said aid via convoy, how will Russia respond?

Surely they know if they attack any of these convoys they will broaden the conflict, but if they do not their mission objectives will be hindered if not outright thwarted by this aid.

Is this is considered as other countries "intervening" and will there be "severe consequnces" as Putin threatened???

Of course everyone here is aware that this supply is why the Europeans and their ally, the US, are reluctant to impose any serious sanctions on Russia. Russia's economy is largely supported by its energy sales, and we are carefully avoiding impacting that, so the sanctions are just for show.

But it should be noted that a significant portion of the pipelines that supply Europe with natural gas and oil go through Ukraine.


The Ukrainians are starting to feel abandoned and betrayed by the West. If we aren't going to support them kinetically (which is a whole other argument), the least we could do is impose serious economic sanctions that actually have teeth. If we don't, what if some disgruntled Ukrainian or even the Ukrainian military decides to blow up some of these pipelines to stick it to Europe?

Honestly, if we don't get serious about these sanctions, I hope they do. It's disgraceful that we have allowed ourselves to become this dependent on Russia that we can't even stand up to them invading a major European country like this. Serves us right if the Ukrainians decide to take matters into their own hands.

originally posted by: Silcone Synapse
More unsettling comments out of Russia if accurate-this time from Ex President Medvedev:

'We don't need diplomatic relations with the west anymore'-He added that it was time for Russia to 'padlock the embassies' and 'continue contacts looking at each other through binoculars and gun sights.'
Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and deputy head of Russia's security council, said the West's 'wonderful (sanctions) will not change a thing, of course'.
He said the sanctions also gave Russia a good reason to pull out of a dialogue on strategic (nuclear) stability and, potentially, from the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) signed with Washington in 2010 and extended in 2021.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

That sounds like a recipe for escalation IMO

Yes, this is officially the start of the new Cold War between Russia and NATO both sides reminding the others of their nuclear weapons.

a reply to: Freeborn
Tell that to the Canadian's or Ausies in our Commonwealth.....
Rainbows
Jane

There will be much more footage of the invasion of putins troops and armament. The internet and streaming video sill allow us to watch the invasion in real time.

news.sky.com...

americanmilitarynews.com...

www.q13fox.com...

a reply to: all2human
"There are none so blind as those who refuse to see"

a reply to: majesticgent

Whatever we're trying to send Ukraine now is too little too late. The time to arm them was months ago.

For reference, the US just approved a new aid package of $350M. We give Israel about 10x that annually, and they're not fighting a military superpower.

originally posted by: majesticgent
US official: Putin has more than 50% "of his total assembled power" inside Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has more than 50% "of his total assembled power now committed inside Ukraine,” a senior US defense official told reporters Saturday.

The official said the 50% consists of “largely combat power.”

"Clearly he’s gonna have to sustain them," the official said. "I just don’t have a breakdown by company or by unit of what he’s got. The farthest we’re willing to go comfortably is that he’s got more than 50% of his total assembled power now committed inside Ukraine."

If true, Putin is all in on whatever his, true, objective is for Ukraine.

And this is why everyone will flood Ukraine with weopons. The potential to decrease Russian military power is to great.

US security assistance to Ukraine has arrived within "last couple of days," senior defense official says
From CNN's Oren Liebermann

US security assistance to Ukraine has arrived “within the last couple of days,” a senior defense official said Saturday, indicating that US President Joe Biden's administration has continued to send in aid even after Russia launched its invasion.

“We have continued to flow assistance to the Ukrainians, even since the airspace has become disputed and contested, and we’re going to continue to look for additional venues to do that,” the official said on a call with reporters.
Late Friday night, the US approved another $350 million in security assistance to Ukraine. In a statement Saturday morning, the State Department announced that it would include “lethal defensive assistance” that would help Ukraine deal with armored, airborne and other threats.

Though the senior defense official would not detail the exact types of equipment beyond Javelin anti-armor missiles, the US has provided Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine in the last few weeks.

The official would not say how the assistance would arrive in Ukraine.

Since Ukraine’s airspace is contested, the US has not flown any aircraft into or over Ukraine. But countries like Poland have openly stated that they have sent ammunition into Ukraine with ground convoys, one of the only viable options given the current situation.

“I think you'd have to assume that ground routes would certainly be on the list of options that we would consider,” the defense official said without providing further details.

a reply to: Freeborn

Putin is a de facto dictator who allows for no dissention at all.

I wonder how much of that is due to constant western meddling? How can you possibly rule a country like post Soviet Russia in a benevolent, friendly and open manner when the west, especially the US/UK undermine every bit of liberty and leeway. How many NGOs, media, artists, companies, businessesmen,... were/are connected to the CIA in one way or another?

Trying to force a regime change via artificial or artificially boosted color revolution and aiming at a breakup of the Russian Federation. And above all prevent Russia from getting too close with the rest of Europe, especially France and Germany because that would seriously challenge US hegemony.

originally posted by: angelchemuel
a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Oooh.... how about all those armed 'militia' who were playing at being cops in Canada with no 'insignia?
Hmmmmm.
PS.... in case you haven't noticed, most people on here are basically approving 'by any means necessary' for Ukraine to defend itself...... so, why can't Russia do this.....? Armies have used this kind of subterfuge ever since the first rock was chucked

Hmmm, because they are the aggressor.
Ukraine has the right to defend 'by any means necessary', Russia on the other hand could just retreat.