The Ukraine war thread

[Renauda]

Not sure about any these outcomes in 2023:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-63987113

Still, I would wager any one of them is more plausible than a single one of Medvedev’s predictions George posted in the other thread.

[Mik]

@Renauda

I don’t either, but I sure like the predictions of retaking Crimea. From their lips to God’s ear.

[Renauda]

@Mik

Yes, it would be just desserts for the Kremlin.

Particularly in light of statements made by Lavrov and Peskov the last 24 hours:

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2022/12/27/ukraine-pitches-peace-conference-even-as-russia-issues-threat

[Renauda]

Why am I not surprised?

"We fight with our brains. They fight with numbers. Because their resources --we're not revealing some secret here -- are much greater than ours," he said.

In some locations, including in Bakhmut, photographs and videos posted by military bloggers and even the soldiers themselves point to outdated battlefield tactics that are reminiscent of World War-I trench warfare, in which waves of infantrymen advance across open fields and try to storm enemy trenches, only to be mowed down by gunfire.

"They just push and shove their way through. And a lot of them die. Because they have no tactics, nothing of the sort," another soldier said. "They just go like meat. There were some cases when the infantry said that they went in without any [armed vehicles], or without machine guns."

Full story:

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kreminna-battle-recapture-russia-supply-lines/32197165.html

[George K]

Darth Putin posts another W.

[George K]

Meanwhile Catherine II goes away - again.

Thread:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1608367805170339842.html

[Renauda]

Maybe the Russians should consider painting invasion stripes on their aircraft:

[Mik]

Rest in pieces.

[George K]

@Renauda they need to hone their IFF software.

Maybe some new chips will fix that.

Oh...wait...

[jon-nyc]

[George K]

@jon-nyc

[George K]

Actors:

More:

[George K]

She's everywhere...

She's a soldier, a sailor, a devout Christian, a flight attendant,

[George K]

Santa delivers some gifts in Ukraine.

[Renauda]

See in particular the embedded video from the BBC’s Moscow correspondent:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64138731

[George K]

[George K]

George Friedman: The State of Play in Ukraine

[George K]

Putin orders weekend truce in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered his armed forces to observe a unilateral 36-hour cease-fire in Ukraine this weekend for the Orthodox Christmas holiday, the first such sweeping truce move in the nearly 11-month-old war. Kyiv indicated it wouldn’t follow suit.

Putin did not appear to condition his cease-fire order on Ukraine’s acceptance, and it wasn’t clear whether hostilities would actually pause on the 1,100-kilometer (684-mile) front line or elsewhere. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the Russian move as playing for time to regroup its invasion forces and prepare additional attacks.

At various points during the war that began Feb. 24, Russian authorities have ordered limited, local truces to allow civilian evacuations or other humanitarian purposes. Thursday’s order was the first time Putin has directed his troops to observe a cease-fire throughout Ukraine.

“Based on the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the combat areas, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a cease-fire and give them the opportunity to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on the Day of the Nativity of Christ,” Putin’s order said.

[George K]

The Wagner "Doctor" captured.

[Jolly]

In case y'all didn't see:

https://nodebb.the-new-coffee-room.club/topic/21393/amx-10

BTW, the 105 gun is not compatible with NATO 105mm.