Russia Ukraine Update Thread - part 2

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

Perhaps Putin's desperation to avoid a declaration of war against Ukraine and officially call up conscripts for service in that war is more desperate than known. Despite Russia retaining influence in Central Asia (the Stans), poor pay and conditions and nationalist sentiments prevent the Russian army from using those areas as a recruiting ground.

In comparison, in WW2, Germany's dire personnel shortages saw the evil and deranged Nazi ideologue cast aside in favour of opening service in the SS to people from the likes of Ukraine and Muslims from the Balkans.

originally posted by: dragonridr
Its true Russia no longer has the ability to produce its own tech.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union, successive Russian governments have been so corrupt and stupid that they have failed to develop their economy. Why bother? There's plenty of cash flowing to the politicians and oligarchs through the exploitation of oil and gas, forestry and stuff dug out of the ground.

Russia is not a diversified economy, hence the adage "developing", rather than "developed" that can be applied to economies in the West.

EDIT to add that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 300K of the brightest Russians have left Russia. It is precisely these people who need to be in Russia if that country has any future economic usefulness.

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
2 August Update

Key Takeaways

* Unconfirmed social media reports suggest that Iran may have sent the first batch of drones to Russia and sent pilots and maintenance personnel to train on the Russian Su-35, potentially suggesting that Iran may seek to use recent aviation agreements to facilitate the acquisition of Russian combat aircraft.

Looks like Russian's are returning the favour to Iran...................

"Russia's space agency to launch Iranian satellite into orbit" www.swissinfo.ch...

This sounds bad

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is out of control, says IAEA

The head of the United Nations' nuclear agency has said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine is "completely out of control". "Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated," Rafael Grossi told news agency Associated Press. The site, held by Russian forces since early March, is Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Mr Grossi said on Monday that his team had been ready to visit the plant for the past two months. But they have so far been unable to carry out the mission, he said.

"completely out of control"

a reply to: xpert11

I read today that Russia's "elite" airborne troops are now recruiting prison inmates.

Cheers

originally posted by: xpert11
In comparison, in WW2, Germany's dire personnel shortages saw the evil and deranged Nazi ideologue cast aside in favour of opening service in the SS to people from the likes of Ukraine and Muslims from the Balkans.

Little known fact, perhaps due to the relentless Russian WW2 revisionism, but hundreds of thousands of ethic Russians also supported Nazi Germany. And why not? Stalin was a monster.

a reply to: xpert11

Putin seems to be squeezing the Tartar groups in Russia for manpower - he is forcing the groups like Buryats, Chuvash, Chechen , etc to form battalions to be sent to Ukraine to fight

Has several advantages from Putin point of view in that increases Russians manpower, aka Boots on ground, without the politically explosive problem of conscripting ethnic Russians and other Slavs to fight and suffer casualties in an increasing
unpopular war .

I thought their was a war of attrition, battle for the very survival of Ukraine and a looming threat of global nuclear war going on over there?

It must be over now...

www.cnn.com...

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
Seems like peace loving Putin now wants to stir up trouble in Kosovo.

The man's a menace:

www.aa.com.tr...

Clearly propaganda

3 August Update

Key Takeaways

* Russian forces are likely using Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Enerhodar to play on Western fears of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine, attempting to thereby degrade the will of Western powers to provide military support to a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

* Russian forces likely set fire to the prison complex holding Ukrainian POWs in occupied Donetsk Oblast but blamed Ukraine for an alleged precision strike using Western-supplied military equipment, likely to increase US hesitancy to continue providing HIMARS to Ukraine.

* Moscow is likely continuing efforts to leverage its relationship with Tehran in order to secure drones for use in Ukraine.

* Russian forces conducted a limited ground attack northwest of Slovyansk and continued efforts to advance on Bakhmut from the northeast, east, and southeast.

* Russian forces are prioritizing frontal assaults on Avdiivka and failed to gain ground in Pisky.

* Russian forces are reportedly forming a strike group to prevent Ukrainian counteroffensives in northern Kherson Oblast or counterattack against them.

* Russian occupation authorities may allow both in-person and online voting in upcoming pseudo-referenda on the annexation of occupied Ukrainian territory into Russia, enabling more straightforward Russian vote rigging.

More at URL above.

Cheers

a reply to: Kenzo

Russia probably don't care if the nuclear plant fails and a catastrophe happens. It's not their land that will be destroyed. In fact, they will probably ensure it does fail on the basis that "if we cannot have it, then no one will". All so mediaeval and backwards.

a reply to: paraphi

Their methods how they flatten places in Ukraine , not caring civilian deaths proves they dont care. If that nuclear plant blows it would mean just what was Russias goal , destroy country .

Dnieper river runs to Black sea, so any bigger radiation would also effect black sea , which has NATO countrys like Turkey.

Reckless mentality...

If you like things that go "boom" in the dark....footage of the 40-car russian ammunition train eating a HIMARS sammich.

twitter.com...

Edit: after this incident, Russia decided to try again, but using a smokescreen to hide from HIMARS....they accidentally blew up their own train and all of it's contents.

www.newsweek.com...

originally posted by: Kenzo
a reply to: paraphi

Their methods how they flatten places in Ukraine , not caring civilian deaths proves they dont care. If that nuclear plant blows it would mean just what was Russias goal , destroy country .

Dnieper river runs to Black sea, so any bigger radiation would also effect black sea , which has NATO countrys like Turkey.

Reckless mentality...

Russia's leaders do have a care free "Reckless mentality" and they'll waste millions of lives if necessary now they have full control of the media.

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if they sacrifice the whole European region you mention and just upsticks and move their civilisation east of the Urals like they did with their industry during WW2. New capital of Russia Vladivostok but they destroyed the Nazi threat and the whole of Europe so the new Red Square they will build can celebrate the latest Patriotic War.

Nothing would surprise me the way the world is going.

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

Russia had started to shift forces in the East to the South east and South. Apparently Ukraine advances near Kherson, coupled with destroying the bridge, has freaked Russia out. I also think it has to do with Crimea as well.

Interesting video:


gagadget.com...