Only for news & views directly related to the war in Ukraine.
The current open thread for other issues is here.
Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.
Back to Main
March 17, 2024
Ukraine Open Thread 2024-081
Comments
Did you sign the initiative to restore the swiss neutrality?
Posted by: Naive | Mar 17 2024 19:25 utc | 59
Yes, but the struggle against the powerful entities which wants to tear Switzerland into their nimbus will be hard. GAVI, WEF, BIZ and several other groups mostly funded by the well known persons transformed my country into the ‘eye of the hurricane’. But truth and righteousness will prevail.
Posted by: Aarsupilani | Mar 18 2024 11:50 utc | 201
I ma not shadowbanned, and I am not a NATO bot.
I just want to say that pro Russian euphoria is not realistic.
On the other hand we have to understand Russian limitations. Russia is limited in the same way as Iran or China.
Any escalation from their side would be suicidal, as USA/EU is ready to use nuclear weapons. The West is not afraid of anything, has no moral limits and is not a rational player.
Nobody would risk against such an opponent.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 18 2024 12:15 utc | 202
The only way to reverse the trend below is for Russia to do something incredibly stupid like use nukes
📣 NATO suffers because of the “pink pony generation”
the problem with these triumphalistic statements is that, when inquiring minds ask : “ok, so NATO is a paper tiger. It has too few soldiers, most of which are pampered soyboys. It does not have ammo and would only last 15 days in a high-intensity conflict. So then why can’t Russia confidently escalate and for instance strike (conventionally !) NATO bases like Rzeszow and Ramstein ? Isn’t that the point of escalatory dominance, namely that you can escalate higher than your adversary ?”
To which then suddenly the tone is switching and the answers we get are “well.. You know.. Yes of course but Russia should care about not provoking NATO.. They could bring up lots of resources.. Russia hasn’t fully recovered from the fall of the USSR…”
Which leads me to only two alternatives :
– Yes NATO is a token force with weak-willed pussies. But it does have enough escalation means and resources that Russia can’t attack it. In that case, all those feel-good stories are simply useless because NATO has enough deterrence, soyboys or not, to restrain Russia from attacking.
– Or NATO is actually a potent force against which Russia can’t escalate easily or enter into open conflict. In which case those feel-good stories are, you guessed it, still useless.
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 12:15 utc | 203
Which leads me to only two alternatives :
– Yes NATO is a token force with weak-willed pussies. But it does have enough escalation means and resources that Russia can’t attack it. In that case, all those feel-good stories are simply useless because NATO has enough deterrence, soyboys or not, to restrain Russia from attacking.
– Or NATO is actually a potent force against which Russia can’t escalate easily or enter into open conflict. In which case those feel-good stories are, you guessed it, still useless.
The answer is actually pretty simple.
For most of the duration of SMO, Biden/Nato etc. have claimed that Russia is imminently going to ‘nuke Ukraine’.
Well you don’t really need to be a fakir to see it means Nato through Ukraine proxy has been trying to sabotage nuclear plants, and even planning to give them some sort of dirty bombs to blow up, and depleted uranium etc. And maybe they plan to give Ukraine a nuclear bomb to shoot at Russia with the ATACMS or whatever. But Russia has said all along they will never nuke ex-USSR territories, which includes Ukraine.
So technically we can conclude that Nato is prepared to use nuclear weapons against Russian troops to stop them in Ukraine. And/or they are prepared to use them as a part of the scorched earth strategy in eastern and central part of Ukraine. That tells you all you need to know about Nato and its conventional capabilities and how desperate they are to use nukes. In fact, US has had the idea of using low yield nukes to solve ‘regional conflicts’ for a decade or more.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 12:25 utc | 205
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 12:15 utc | 204
NATO has not been able to reach any of her objectives, apart from wrecking the European economy.
Economically disruption of RF, with economic nuclear sanctions. FAILED
Regime change. FAILED
RF isolation from RwO and China. FAILED
Restore 1990 Ukraine borders. FAILED.
Posted by: Mario | Mar 18 2024 12:27 utc | 206
The West is not afraid of anything, has no moral limits and is not a rational player.
Nobody would risk against such an opponent.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 18 2024 12:15 utc | 203
can you please stop with these ursula von der leyen talking points, pushing them ad absurdum?
the west is very much afraid, or else they would have already gone full nuclear as you like to imply.
they have no morals and are irrational, that is true. but they are chickensh*t afraid like schoolboy bullies, trying to push the other side to “attack” them so that they then can go to the headmaster and cry foul.
its so pathetic pushing this narrative form someone supposedly not a nato bot.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Mar 18 2024 12:30 utc | 207
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 11:06 utc | 195
The problem is the objectives changed because Ukraine rejected the 2022 agreement. Since that time Russia has incorporated four oblasts from Ukraine. They still have to expel the foreign invaders from their new territories. Beyond that they would also need a buffer zone to prevent further incursions onto Russian territory.
What you describe are events. Events are not the same thing as objectives. However you can use events to measure your progress compared to what you strive to achieve.
So this does not answer my original question. You say that the objectives changed, my point is that the original or updated objectives were (and are still) vague, and that it’s impossible to say precisely what Russia is trying to achieve.
Also, you probably need Odessa to prevent any threats emerging from the Black Sea. So the objectives have morphed a little, which is not uncommon in warfare. They may change again if Ukraine and its backers continue to be obstinate.
Case in point. Has any Russian state official ever stated they wanted to conquer Odessa ? Not to my knowledge. Yet hundreds or thousands of Z-Anon enthusiasts confidently claim they are able to read between the lines. I mean, how can you know, aside from vague hints or clownish statements from Medvedev ? I’m constantly reminded I don’t know the plans of the General Staff, but this applies also to such statements then. When I listen to Putin, he never says that. It’s always those two meaningless terms, demilitarization and denazification, which are more akin to Rohrschach tests. When will they be achieved and how ?
Finally, Sweden in NATO is inconsequential, compared to Ukraine. There’s a reason they haven’t fought a war in two hundred years.
Posted by: James M. | Mar 18 2024 11:36 utc | 200
Yeah I know, everything is inconsequential, and NATO is a paper tiger -> see my post above.
Seriously, Sweden and Finland are very much consequential. It brings NATO recon forces and aircraft (AWACS) much more possibilities to monitor what’s going on Russia’s northern border, multiplies the possibilities to also track submarine activity. I advise you to read simplicius old articles, which at some point included a very interesting think tank study which explained the crucial role of Ukraine to monitor Russian airspace. However you don’t have to believe me, just read what geopoliticians and military analysts say on the topic.
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 12:30 utc | 208
The US objectives were not those of winning the war, they are those that I have said other times (emptying of warehouses of old weapons in the USA, EU, and former Warsaw Pact countries with an increase in defense budgets and guaranteed orders of US weapons for the future years, separation of Europe from Russia etc..) and those were achieved, it is not true that it was a failure. Then the objective was to continually annoy Russia, and possibly try to destabilize it. Now they are waging a terrorist war, launching drones and missiles even at Moscow and St. Petersburg. It’s not that they do anything, but they are a significant nuisance. And they will force Russia to make a choice sooner or later. And if the choice is to occupy all of Ukraine and install a pro-Russian puppet government, they will also find themselves governing an ethnically Ukrainian part, completely hostile to the Russians and which NATO has already prepared for a war of resistance, with dozens of structures such as Gladio and Stay Behind. That is, Russia will find itself in a quagmire. It’s not that bad guys are necessarily stupid.
Posted by: Cumino | Mar 18 2024 12:42 utc | 209
“Any escalation from their side would be suicidal, as USA/EU is ready to use nuclear weapons.”
LOL
Of The West Empire chief storytellers we know three things (1) they are crazy and believe in their own paranoid fantasies and delusions (2) they do not pay for bombs and bullets and (3) they outsource wars.
Posted by: Simon | Mar 18 2024 12:52 utc | 210
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 12:15 utc | 204
If I had to guess I would say that NATO ground forces are probably mostly a hollow shell indeed, good for colonial warfare and tripwire; the US would be better but still far from its glory days. Airpower however would still be significant and able to deliver at least some heavy blows if not preemptively turned into expensive scrap on the ground. Industry could turn out at least “something” if mobilized and war production ramped up at expense of civilian production. Forget a repeat of ww2 american performance though.
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 18 2024 12:53 utc | 211
And if the choice is to occupy all of Ukraine and install a pro-Russian puppet government, they will also find themselves governing an ethnically Ukrainian part, completely hostile to the Russians and which NATO has already prepared for a war of resistance, with dozens of structures such as Gladio and Stay Behind. That is, Russia will find itself in a quagmire. It’s not that bad guys are necessarily stupid.
Posted by: Cumino | Mar 18 2024 12:42 utc | 210
Most of those would be guerrilas are already dead or will be. The surviving ones might be manageable.
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 18 2024 12:58 utc | 212
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 18 2024 12:58 utc | 213
Ukraine is now relying mostly on FPV drones, as all the Nato super-dooper quality expectations have been blown out of the water. Including Leopard 2s, Abrams tanks (‘best armored tank in the world’), Bradleys. All vulnerable especially to basic ATGMs and Refleks guided missiles out of tank barrels, and even a conventional T-72 one-shotting Abrams.
That said, everything is heavily going to drones. Right now, each FPV drone requires a single operators. But there probably already are AI recognition algorithms used for drones.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 13:02 utc | 213
So technically we can conclude that Nato is prepared to use nuclear weapons against Russian troops to stop them in Ukraine. And/or they are prepared to use them as a part of the scorched earth strategy in eastern and central part of Ukraine. That tells you all you need to know about Nato and its conventional capabilities and how desperate they are to use nukes. In fact, US has had the idea of using low yield nukes to solve ‘regional conflicts’ for a decade or more.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 12:25 utc | 206
If I understand you correctly, what you are saying is that NATO has potentially few scruples to go nuclear compared to Russia.
Now, please tell me if I misinterpret, but this would seem to imply that NATO has less to lose than Russia.
This is a classic dilemna in negotiations. In that case, logically you have two choices :
– appeasement -> negotiating with NATO so that they don’t leverage their escalatory advantage
– counter-escalation -> change your posture so that it is you and not NATO) which has this advantage. How do you do this concretely ? By convincing your adversary that you have the means and willingness to go further than him.
A most interesting question ! How can you go further ? Well, if NATO, as you say, apparently threatens to go nuclear, then there are not a lot of possibilities for Russia except reverting to what a certain shadowbanned is advocating. Don’t you think so ? Or at least, threatening to attack core NATO interests or assets.
Has Russia done anything of the above ? To my knowledge, no, or at least it wasn’t clear and resolute enough. Because if it was, NATO honchos would simply shut their trap.
right now, the third way chosen by Russia seems to be to bludgeon a third-party (Ukraine) which does not cause any damage to NATO, on the contrary, enables it to hone its skills and test its whole ISR infrastructure while risking nothing (evidence : please check the maps showing all the NATO surveillance assets constantly hugging Russia’s borders). This strategy does not look very… “deterrent” to me.
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 13:11 utc | 214
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 13:02 utc | 214
Western strength lays into air and naval power (and the surface portion of the latter is somewhat suspect these days).
Ground forces have withered somewhat.
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 18 2024 13:12 utc | 215
It is really amazing
The Ukrainian Christian peasantry together with the Cossacks rose up (ca. 1660) against their overlords and their intermediaries.
And, now, a comedian, storyteller and snake oil salesman leads them to kill and die.
A round metaphor of the last phase 2020-2049 (?) of the Anglo-imperium 2.0 founded with brilliance and luminosity in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Posted by: Simon | Mar 18 2024 13:24 utc | 216
sorry: 1648
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohdan_Khmelnytsky
Posted by: Simon | Mar 18 2024 13:28 utc | 217
“Most of those would be guerrilas are already dead or will be. The surviving ones might be manageable.”
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 18 2024 12:58
I imagine the best policing operation would be Chechen-style. That seems to have worked.
Posted by: jamesh | Mar 18 2024 13:35 utc | 218
In an attempt to keep Russia from completing a special military operation the city of Odessa is now the key. However, it is also critically important for Moscow to put the Black Sea ports of Odessa and Nikolaev under control, since otherwise the security of Crimea and the entire Black Sea basin cannot be ensured.
Yesterday’s drone strike suggests an “unpacking” of the Transnistrian issue is being prepared. The first steps in this direction can already be observed. We have now had an agreement on security guarantees between Moldova and France, the opening of a French military mission in Chisinau in addition to Sunday’s drone strike.
A great war in Europe is clearly on the horizon and it won’t be limited to the south. In the north, Russia has two critical points of vulnerability: Kaliningrad, isolated from the rest of the country, and the outlet from the Gulf of Finland.
Who will escalate first?
Posted by: Old Sovietologist | Mar 18 2024 13:38 utc | 219
This strategy does not look very… “deterrent” to me.
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 13:11 utc | 215
it has one deterrent, as it shows to any future proxy that beeing used by the empire of lies leads to your downfall. so, once the ukraine proxy is eliminated, other countries could (im not saying the empire will try to force them) potentially stay back and say to nato “do your own stuff and dont drag us in there”.
this of course would only work on countries not completely brainwashed and under the yoke of nato/eu.
but the terrorism will continue im afraid, since this is the only avenue nato has left aside from direct engagement, which they are evidently completely afraid of.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Mar 18 2024 13:43 utc | 220
Old Sovietologist @ 220
The largest NATO base in Europe is being built in Romania.
It will be able to permanently house 10,000 military personnel and their families. The base will cover an area of almost 3,000 hectares in the Constanta district on the Black Sea coast. It will be built on the site of the existing 57th Air Base, named after Mihail Cogalniceanu.
The cost of the project is €2.5 billion. It will include runways, weapons platforms, hangars for military aircraft, as well as schools and a hospital.
“>https://t.me/ZandVchannel/104831
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 18 2024 13:58 utc | 222
Other paying a bloody price for vlads naivity
Posted by: tesla | Mar 17 2024 14:52 utc | 1
Do me a favor and at least use chatGPT to generate your anti Putin screeds, so you don’t sound like a fucking moron. Like shadowbanned does..then it at least sounds plausible, if still unintentionally hilarious.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Mar 18 2024 14:13 utc | 223
it has one deterrent, as it shows to any future proxy that beeing used by the empire of lies leads to your downfall. so, once the ukraine proxy is eliminated, other countries could (im not saying the empire will try to force them) potentially stay back and say to nato “do your own stuff and dont drag us in there”.
this of course would only work on countries not completely brainwashed and under the yoke of nato/eu.
I’m a bit skeptical, and I will explain why. In proxies such as Ukraine (or Romania, or Bulgaria) the common folk do not really have a say. It’s the elites which matter, and they are not particularly expensive – a few billions was enough to buy the Ukrainian elite, lock, stock and barrel.
Now if we look at the Ukraine, has this elite really suffered ? The answer is no. Yes, common people have suffered immensely, with hundreds of thousands of casualties. But the elite ? The Zelensky, the Arakhamia, the Turchinov… Why, they have made up like gangbusters ! It’s win-win-win for them. They skim off millions, jet-set round the globe, and if things go bad they will just retire to Miami.
How would you counteract that ? By maximizing the pain for the elites while minimizing the pain for the common people. Yes, it’s that simple. Logical, even. And here we see Russia is doing exactly the reverse, which a) causes the traumatized people to gather round their leaders, thinking they’re their saviors and b) encourages other elites to switch sides.
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 14:15 utc | 224
Also based on the comments here I’m thinking this psy op is working pretty good.
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Mar 17 2024 16:19 utc | 11
I’ve been asserting the superiority of the Russian strategy ..let’s call it a Putin gambit..in Ukraine here for well over a year, and should have been evident to those paying attention. Yet the braintrust of the West didn’t pivot one iota. They just kept bashing their head into the wall, until now it’s covered with blood and what brains they used to have.
You can smell the stink of desperation on the NATO trolls who have inverted cause and effect. It is Western hubris and brinksmanship that has driven us to the edge of WW3, not Russian restraint. Histories will be written about the utter idiocy of the Maericans. How to take a losing hand and turn it into bankruptcy by betting the house.
Meanwhile in the real world, NATO has no cards left. They can send more support which further fucks their own capacities and will do nothing to change the outcome and in fact Russia might be encouraging this. They can negotiate but..that would be like, losing and after all that soaring rhetoric..they can initiate global thermonuclear war..but that doesn’t bring them a win.
So more sniping around the edges, looking for an opportunity to do, I dunno,.something, anything, rag the puck a while, while the failure cascade continues.
Hire capable people and negotiate. Now.
Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Mar 18 2024 14:23 utc | 225
Micron | Mar 18 2024 14:15 utc | 225
*** I’m a bit skeptical, and I will explain why. In proxies such as Ukraine (or Romania, or Bulgaria) the common folk do not really have a say. It’s the elites which matter, and they are not particularly expensive – a few billions was enough to buy the Ukrainian elite, lock, stock and barrel.
Now if we look at the Ukraine, has this elite really suffered ? The answer is no. Yes, common people have suffered immensely, with hundreds of thousands of casualties. But the elite ? The Zelensky, the Arakhamia, the Turchinov… Why, they have made up like gangbusters ! It’s win-win-win for them. They skim off millions, jet-set round the globe, and if things go bad they will just retire to Miami.
How would you counteract that ? By maximizing the pain for the elites while minimizing the pain for the common people. Yes, it’s that simple. Logical, even. And here we see Russia is doing exactly the reverse, which a) causes the traumatized people to gather round their leaders, thinking they’re their saviors and b) encourages other elites to switch sides.***
Exactly. But to hell with “the elites” of NATO assets changing sides … they can never be trusted, therefore must be eradicated.
It could be called operation “class action”.
Posted by: Cynic | Mar 18 2024 14:40 utc | 226
I think some of the troll anguish is due to the fact that while the Ukraine has thrown everything they have at killing Russians, and have destroyed the Ukraine in the process, the Russians are still fighting with one hand behind their back; giving less than 20% of their attention to the Ukraine problem.
I think they’re frustrated that if they are going to sacrifice themselves trying to kill Russians, at least the Russians should pay more attention to them.
Posted by: William Gruff | Mar 18 2024 14:43 utc | 227
Doctor Eleven | Mar 18 2024 14:23 utc | 226
*** Hire capable people and negotiate. Now.***
Negotiate what, and with who?
The rulers of the West — the political/corporate establishment — simply cannot be trusted at all. The social system of that self appointed “ruling class” ensures they will be thus; a malign compendium of genetics and cultist indoctrination.
While their ‘exceptionalist’, narcissistic Khazarian puppet-masters can be trusted even less.
Posted by: Cynic | Mar 18 2024 14:55 utc | 228
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 14:15 utc | 225
i absolutely understand you here.
i see this more of like i see it the way my son (among others) was bullied in school. what i did back then (which, honestly, is not something i would do now that im older and wiser) was to get him to tell me the names of the idiots that stood beside the main bully, and i “hired” some older teens at the same school to teach those friends of the bully some “lessons”. once bully had no friends anymore to feel strong and brave, the bullying stopped.
sure, hitting the main bully could have solved the problem, but some of those a chronically idiots and he wouldve probably just got another pack of hyenas to follow him around.
now for the common folk in ukraine, im honestly not sure if hitting the elite would have changed anything. ultimately, nato/eu would simply get some other hyenas to lead the common folk (or rather coerce them) into battle, just like the current hyenas are doing it.
so russia has to hit the “common folk”, which are at the end of the day in the military, wheter pressganged or per their own will. as brutal as it may sound, once the elite wont have any common folk or cannonfodder left, they cant to anything, and lose not only the people to govern/dictate/coerce/whatever, but also the land, as theres noone to exploit to keep the land.
killing off zelensky, zaluzhny or kuleba, or some other oligarchs, would at the end of the day lead only faster to an government in exile that nato/eu could exploit to its fullest, with “ukrainian” droneattacks etc from “partisans” on borders etc, and russia then would have to hit them on nato territory. exactly what nato would like to happen.
at the end of the day, russia has chosen this path with absorbing hits, or smaller stings, to ultimatley destroy a proxy and destroy some geopolitical shenanigans our west loves to use for nefarious reasons.
now im with many here that say that nato/us/uk/eu wont back down, no matter what russia chooses to do. in my uneducated eyes they are way in to deep with sunk cost fallacy that the only way forward is either they win, or they dont…
Posted by: Justpassinby | Mar 18 2024 14:57 utc | 229
Use of shotguns for defense against micro UAVs: …
Posted by: UBAH | Mar 17 2024 22:32 utc | 98
Great article, recommended reading.
Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 18 2024 14:59 utc | 230
Posted by: vargas | Mar 18 2024 12:15 utc | 203
I ma not shadowbanned, and I am not a NATO bot.
I just want to say that pro Russian euphoria is not realistic.
On the other hand we have to understand Russian limitations. Russia is limited in the same way as Iran or China.
Any escalation from their side would be suicidal, as USA/EU is ready to use nuclear weapons. The West is not afraid of anything, has no moral limits and is not a rational player.
Nobody would risk against such an opponent.
absolut twisted crap
“…as USA/EU is ready to use nuclear weapons…”
“…The West is not afraid of anything, has no moral limits and is not a rational player…”
WHY don’t they use these nuclear weapons ???
Posted by: ghiwen | Mar 18 2024 15:00 utc | 231
ghiwen | Mar 18 2024 15:00 utc | 232
*** “…as USA/EU is ready to use nuclear weapons…”
“…The West is not afraid of anything, has no moral limits and is not a rational player…”
WHY don’t they use these nuclear weapons ???***
Because they can still extract (from the public) even more wealth for themselves and their cronies by doing it the non-nuclear way. Once they reckon wealth transfer via that process is becoming exhausted, they will look to looting the resources of Russia after a nuclear first-strike which they have convinced themselves will *not* result in *their own* subsequent destruction.
As for the fate of the ordinary public, anywhere, during the entire procedure — they really couldn’t care less.
Posted by: Cynic | Mar 18 2024 15:12 utc | 232
Posted by: Honzo | Mar 18 2024 0:08 utc | 116
Great post, great posts.
Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 18 2024 15:16 utc | 233
Most of those would be guerrilas are already dead or will be. The surviving ones might be manageable.
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 18 2024 12:58 utc | 213
I’m not so sure. They always sent the Russian-speaking ones forward to the front, then those who don’t count for anything, and they spared the real scoundrels as much as possible. First Zaluzhnyj and then Syrsky followed the same pattern. Like all good “social” fans you have all certainties, but it appears to me from the information I have that in Russia they are quite worried about “what to do” with this possible problem.
Posted by: Cumino | Mar 18 2024 15:29 utc | 234
The Atlantic has apparently published an article claiming the Russians are using commercial satellite imagery to target Ukrainian military assets. Funny, if true, but unlikely that the Russians need that kind of help.
Gas prices in US up as Russian refineries go offline due to Ukrainian sabotage. Corollary – Russian oil revenues increase as price of oil spikes.
What is the timeline for construction of the US base in Romania (how long to spend $2.5b)? Couple of years?
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 16:24 utc | 235
Posted by: Cumino | Mar 18 2024 15:29 utc | 235
The sort of idealist nationalists which would provide a critical mass of motivated partisans sufficient for large scale uprisings (Budapest 1956 to get the idea) enlisted early on and are likely attrited or will be eventually. There may be a sizable number of Kraken types willing not to run away to the West and carry out a terror war but it is unlikely to be decisive.
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 18 2024 16:41 utc | 236
@ the pessimist, §236:
The stupid Rumanians can say good-bye to any chance of regaining Bessarabia if they go ahead with this NATO airbase at Constantza. It´ll be used like Ramstein to control the host country. And what´s the next job Brandon will line up for Rumanians? Cannon-fodder to replace the dead Ukrainians.
Rumania needs a Ceausescu moment.
Posted by: John Marks | Mar 18 2024 17:20 utc | 237
the pessimist@236…but they are using commercial satellites….it’s called Star Link….fed out of a Gulf state from what I’ve read. As for western gas prices up, nothing to do with Russia….it takes months to drop as much as 10c per litre and 24hrs to jack it back up 10c per litre…just another excuse to feed the God of Mammon.
Cheers M
…..using gas/petrol at the pump, as the example, it being to most volatile in price fluctuations on a day to day basis….
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Mar 18 2024 17:27 utc | 238
What is the timeline for construction of the US base in Romania (how long to spend $2.5b)? Couple of years?
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 16:24 utc | 236
They did not say but Romania is a dirt poor country, doesn’t have $2.5b they announced for the building. They’ll have to borrow it first, then they’ll have borrow more to cover the daily costs for +10k nato soldiers which will be in the base, in addition to the 5k-10k already in the country. And then there’s the French base too. And the ships they’ll have to buy from UK to pretend to be Ukro navy. BTW, a not small ukro ship was hit today by a Lancet, drone video available everywhere. So ukros have received new ships somehow.
Posted by: rk | Mar 18 2024 17:38 utc | 239
sean the leprechuan@239
Starlink is about front line communications and unrelated. What’s your point?
Gas price blamed on Ukrainian sabotage from press reports. Truth about linkage or not is irrelevant. What public believes is the issue.
rk@240
Ukrainian boats came from US in 2022. Of 4 delivered 2 now out of service.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 17:51 utc | 240
(TG) The scourge of the direction remains formalism in reporting and setting tasks, …
Posted by: Down South | Mar 18 2024 5:45 utc | 154
Time squandered on bureaucratic grab-ass will be redeemed in additional losses of men and material at all levels. Is there anyone who doesn’t instinctively understand that?
Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 18 2024 17:51 utc | 241
More terrorizing Russian civilians by Ukronazis.
Residential building in the village Nikolskoye (Belgorod region), where a Ukrainian shell arrived today. The death toll has risen to four. An entire family was killed.
The girl rescued from the rubble is currently on a ventilator. Her condition is stable and she will undergo surgery tomorrow.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 18 2024 17:58 utc | 242
UAF completely evacuated Tonenkoye and Orlovka, west of Avdeyvka. Per Telegram, @ukraine watch?
Where are the shills to shriek at us that Russia is not moving fast enough?
Taking the day off?
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Mar 18 2024 18:01 utc | 243
Foreign soldiers in trucks at Sofia Airport BULGARIA (PHOTOS)
50 foreign soldiers hid in TIR at Sofia Airport (PHOTOS)
More than 50 foreign soldiers are waiting in line in front of a truck at Sofia Airport. The photos are published by BNEWS. There is no information about where they departed, nor where they came from, but there is doubt that the soldiers boarded a truck with Bulgarian registration and not in a bus. If foreign soldiers have come to Bulgaria to participate in exercises or are part of a rotation of NATO troops, why are they not transported by bus? According to unconfirmed information, it is not only one, but three tires in which the soldiers departed.
A check in FlightRadar24 shows that an Atlas Air plane landed at Sofia Airport yesterday. The flight is CMB – short for CAMBER. This call sign is used by the U.S. Transportation Command to transport troops or military cargo. The plane took off from Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan. The next day, March 17, the plane took off for Frankfurt. There is no information whether this flight is related to the soldiers filmed at Sofia Airport or a coincidence.
https://obektivno.bg/skriha-50-chuzhdi-vojniczi-v-tir-na-letishte-sofiya-snimki/
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 18 2024 18:02 utc | 244
About the Romanian base – the US will finance it, regardless of underlying financial arrangements, and local economy will benefit from its presence. Of course the Romanian government will be further subjugated in the process as well. Will Trump follow through if elected? Maybe if the EU foots the bill.
The US built huge installations in Iraq and Afghanistan at taxpayer expense. Now these investments languish or were abandoned. I suppose the huge embassy complex in the Iraqi Green Zone still has some utility as an intelligence center…
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 18:03 utc | 245
will also find themselves governing an ethnically Ukrainian part, completely hostile to the Russians and which NATO has already prepared for a war of resistance
Posted by: Cumino | Mar 18 2024 12:42 utc | 210
And here you have the real answer for why Russia prefer slow-moving war of attrition to blitzkreig it definitely can do.
What it does is methodically killing brainwashed Banderites. Ze and his team of clowns oblige by sending more. So that after it’s done the remaining few will be easy to catch. This also explaind why Ze haven’t been visited by Iskander yet.
The poor Ukrainian civilians press-ganged and sent to die are just roadkill. Besides, press-ganging is not endearing the West and its puppets to the apolitical and neutral majority of civilians who will end up so pissed off that they will gladly inform on their Banderite neighbors to Russian clean-up crews.
Unlike American top brass, Russians are considering what happens after the war, not just the battle of the day.
Posted by: averros | Mar 18 2024 18:10 utc | 246
Daily shelling of border villages and cities brought a lot of grief and losses to the civilian population, but did not help the Ukrainian Armed Forces tactically and strategically. Once again, we have only become convinced that the Northern Military District is a necessity to destroy the looming danger for the entire Russian people.
Yesterday the enemy shelled Belgorod with cluster munitions throughout the day.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 18 2024 18:11 utc | 247
And if the choice is to occupy all of Ukraine and install a pro-Russian puppet government, they will also find themselves governing an ethnically Ukrainian part, completely hostile to the Russians and which NATO has already prepared for a war of resistance, with dozens of structures such as Gladio and Stay Behind. That is, Russia will find itself in a quagmire. It’s not that bad guys are necessarily stupid.
Posted by: Cumino | Mar 18 2024 12:42 utc | 210
You are really jumping ahead when Ukrainian forces haven’t been expelled from the Donbass after more than 2 years. Russia is being cautious and reserved with its own forces and they are outnumbered by the Ukrainian forces, so that is why it is going slow. The Ukrainian forces are too strong for the Russian forces to move faster than they are now.
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 18 2024 18:15 utc | 248
the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 18:03 utc | 246
US or EU will lend the money, no gifts. That’s the entire nato protection racket, in addition to nuke Russia plan. If by “local economy” you think pimps and prostitutes then yes indeed, they must be already happy. Especially male prostitutes, because you know.
Posted by: rk | Mar 18 2024 18:23 utc | 249
the pessimist@241….they are commercial….you pay, you play….why would Russia not use commercial satellites….just because they have their own…if you’ve paid for the service why can’t you use both? There is a good chance they use commercial satellites from third party countries to assess battle field damage.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Mar 18 2024 18:32 utc | 250
rk@250
10k troops plus what – 10k support personnel? These people plus local support services will boost local economy (no doubt including prostitutes). I seriously doubt Romania will be asked to foot the entire bill, and what they do pay will probably be largely from EU subsidies. That said, these bases are avenues for corruption of local politicians who can benefit financially from their presence. One reason it’s hard to kick the Americans out of Iraq.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 18:34 utc | 251
M@251
Perhaps, through 3rd countries, but if they had to rely on this method it would speak ill of their own capabilities. I seriously doubt the story which is based on “complaints from Ukrainian sources” who see a correlation between strikes with a lag of “days to weeks” between imagery and strikes. I call BS. Perhaps some BDA is done with this method, but the Ukrainians have no idea who the purchaser is – just whiny speculation on their part.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 18:55 utc | 252
vargus
“ Russia must play this game. It cannot escalate against the stronger opponent. Russia can only go nuclear against the West. Conventionally, Russia is weaker against the whole NATO”
In hypersonic ballistic missiles – including conventional ones – Russia is stronger than NATO. Old cruise missiles can mostly be shot down so the hypersonic ballistic missiles are the most important.
Russia can f**k up a lot of NATO assets throughout Europe and the U.S. and absorb any retaliation. We might find this out quite soon.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Mar 18 2024 18:57 utc | 253
Thanks gT (193), but the quoted comment wasn’t mine, but Marvin’s (18). I was only demonstrating to grunzt (100) how Marvin isn’t in the same league as shadowbanned.
Posted by: joey_n | Mar 18 2024 19:45 utc | 254
UAF completely evacuated Tonenkoye and Orlovka, west of Avdeyvka. Per Telegram, @ukraine watch?
Where are the shills to shriek at us that Russia is not moving fast enough?
Taking the day off?
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Mar 18 2024 18:01 utc | 244
But I thought territory (oh excuse me : dirt) wasn’t important ? Russia wasn’t interested in territory, remember ? Has it magically changed all of a sudden and we are now supposed to cheer every square meter ?
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 20:04 utc | 255
Check out this port in Greece:
https://t.me/ForeignAgentIntel/9805
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 18 2024 20:38 utc | 256
For all talking about nuclear Ukraine
There is a good collection of nuclear power plants in the west of Ukraine. Including in Rivne. If Rivne is secured might as well go all the way to Polish border.
Ukraine or post-Ukraine can make all the dirty bombs it wishes. And of course sheer incompetence and lack of staffing could mean any of the western Ukraine NPPs go Chernobyl at any moment.
The only way for those NPPs to be secured is to have them solidly under control of RF.
There will be idiots operating out of Alberta, Chicago, Poland, D.C. London, Brighton Beach for the foreseeable future. Even if they have trivial funding they will continue. As time goes by it will become more and more clear they are just idiots. Very few are going to remain in Ukrainian territory. Those who do will survive by being very quiet.
Posted by: oldhippie | Mar 18 2024 20:40 utc | 257
Micron@256…. territory, no territory, is more a talking point of posters on this board. The only territory ever mentioned by any Russian was Mr Lavrov with his “we need a buffer zone”; pick a size, with longer range western weapons killing more Russian civilians, no one knows where the MOD will stop, should it ever move out of the Donbass.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Mar 18 2024 20:46 utc | 258
Posted by: Cumino | Mar 18 2024 15:29 utc | 235
” the information I have that in Russia they are quite worried about “what to do” with this possible problem.”
Care to point us to this ‘information’?
Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Mar 18 2024 20:49 utc | 259
“It cannot escalate against the stronger opponent.”
LOL, *WHAT* stronger opponent? Certainly not NATO. Russia has no need to escalate.
The myth of Western military supremacy is amazingly persistent despite all the evidence to the contrary.
Posted by: TJandTheBear | Mar 18 2024 20:56 utc | 260
Reuters is reporting the posting title below that screams drums of war as loud as I have heard it….are we at max rhetoric yet?
Putin warns the West a Russia-NATO conflict is just one step from World War Three
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 18 2024 5:41 utc | 153
Bullshit. Reading corrupt western media is bad for one’s mental health. You fell for it, it looks like.
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 21:09 utc | 261
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 21:09 utc | 262
Is this the same organisation that had the headline, ‘Trump threatens bloodbath, if he loses election’. The MSM is corrupt and dying, alternative news organisations are booming, maybe people enjoy real news instead of regime propaganda.
Posted by: Mi;ites | Mar 18 2024 21:14 utc | 262
This is a very bad situation. And Ukraine is wrecked. Slavs are dead. There’s no obvious workable plan for the aftermath. And everywhere, including here, voices are repressed.
Posted by: overshoot | Mar 18 2024 3:07 utc | 136
Lies like the ones you write are denounced as lies. No harassment, to say that a lie is a lie. By agents provocateurs. This is also an obvious fact.
To criticise Russia for not using nuclear weapons is not a fact. It is a way to harass people posting and reading MoA analyses and denigrate Russia.
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 21:15 utc | 263
But I thought territory (oh excuse me : dirt) wasn’t important ? Russia wasn’t interested in territory, remember ? Has it magically changed all of a sudden and we are now supposed to cheer every square meter ?
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 20:04 utc | 256
False rhetoric from a French nazi bastard who still cannot understand that Russia is liberating its own territory from the nazis and the banderists.
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 21:20 utc | 264
Су-34 уничтожили командный пункт ВСУ бомбами М-62 (+ВИДЕО)
Новость обновляется
18.03.2024 – 7:27
Су-34 уничтожили командный пункт ВСУ бомбами М-62 (+ВИДЕО) | Русская весна
Фронтовые бомбардировщики Су-34 уничтожили командный пункт и живую силу войск Украины авиабомбами М-62 с универсальными модулями планирования и коррекции, сообщили в Минобороны РФ.
«Су-34 Воздушно-космических сил России нанесли удар по командному пункту и живой силе противника на южнодонецком направлении в зоне проведения СВО», — рассказали в ведомстве.
Удар наносился авиационными бомбами ФАБ-500 М-62 с универсальными модулями планирования и коррекции (УМПК), которые делают эти боеприпасы управляемыми и высокоточными. Су-34 несёт по четыре таких бомбы, каждая из которых содержит 300 килограммов взрывчатки в тротиловом эквиваленте.
УМПК позволяют наносить удары с безопасного удаления от линии боевого соприкосновения.
Как уточнили в министерстве, получив подтверждение от разведки об уничтожении целей, экипажи Су-34 благополучно вернулись на аэродром вылета.
Читайте также: Путин высказался о санитарной зоне на Украине, чтобы враг не мог атаковать регионы России, о мирных переговорах и бойцах СВО во власти (ВИДЕО)
Присоединяйтесь к «Русской Весне» в Одноклассниках, Telegram, Facebook, ВКонтакте, Twitter, чтобы быть в курсе последних новостей.
Читайте также
Enjoy!
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 21:23 utc | 265
It is just a question when NATO would enter the game.
Russia cannot defeat NATO with hyper-sonic weapons. Their range is limited, there are not so many of them and they are expensive. NATO knows or expect that Russia would not retaliate when attacked.
They probably count on minority complexes of Russian elite or know more then we do.
Posted by: vargas | Mar 18 2024 21:37 utc | 266
Article posted on ZH titled:
“German Lawmaker In Blistering Ukraine Speech To Parliament: “Have You All Lost Your Minds?””
….”Wagenknecht went on: “Our grandiose military experts from the Greens have been telling us for two years now what ‘game changer’ we have to deliver next so that Ukraine can win this war.” The hawks “dream” about using German missiles to “destroy ministries in Moscow,” she said. “And when the pope speaks out against this madness, saying that Kiev should negotiate rather than drive the country to suicide, he was called a ‘Putin troll’.” She then emphasized, “The whole world outside the German political bubble knows that Ukraine cannot with this war. For a long time there has been no winning in Ukraine. There has only been.. bloody dying day in and day out. And Taurus missiles won’t change any of that.”….”
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 18 2024 21:38 utc | 267
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 20:04 utc | 256
That was a tired response, months ago, it’s limpingly, lame today. ALL warfare is a process of attrition, even manoeuvre warfare. Russia decided it was simpler to grind down the defenders, then advance, instead of doing both simultaneously. After the Allied forces had virtually destroyed 12th SS Panzer and attendant divisions, around Caen, the breakouts leading to the Falaise Pocket occurred.
Bottom line, if there are no defenders, or they are unable to effectively defend their assigned frontages, due to low numbers, the front moves. The use of ISR precluded the traditional use of mechanised forces, after the initial invasion, so Russia decided on primarily a war of attrition, which played well with her traditional strengths in artillery and compensated for any weaknesses in her C4 capabilities.
Posted by: Milites | Mar 18 2024 21:39 utc | 268
Til now, some of previous comments are focused only on the “Chances of any only possible following ‘Nuclear War’ games/attacks, concerning NATO vs.RF”.
Even though may thinking, it wouldn’t be the today’s current strategy by either RF/US side.
Because: Other “Nuclear capable weapon states” like .xx., MoA’s commenters know them all, won’t be “ignore” such a WWIII state escalation, for ALL of us (including Rockwell, Gates, CNN etc.)
But first, I’d like to recall a good post of b (on his latest another – but similar adjacent forum of today):
as b has posted above – someone smart guy may imagine as it’s a possible “fake news” having launched (US people ‘blocking anti-natural living styles’, ref. videos), but
that may be not a fake story until having published it as a ‘real story’ by the CNN & its brother media:
“NEW YORK – Citizens protested against rampant consumerism by forming large lines just as shops opened – answering calls by Back-To-Nature to buy less, and
undercutting preliminary reports of record sales. ..”
Now, RF people have successfully finished their elections despite some heroic fire fights against some ballot boxes, but the remaining ‘Democrats in UKR’ have cancelled
any election plans forever.
all R-President Mr. P-Cock-P Z-ski will further ignore “his” folk, up to its very deadly end.
If there are still no elections in UKR and no further combat successes in favor of UKR, then some US/UKR Bio-laboratories should fill some UKR drones with new virus
insects. That’s probably the long-term plan today.
Cheers Rockwell, Gates, WHO etc. !
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 18 2024 21:53 utc | 269
Dima said Ukraine’s attack on the border is completely bogged down and Russians are hunting Vampire and Uragan MLRS systems pretty effectively. Still AFU managed to commit more horrible crimes by launching cluster rounds in Belgorod, 2 people died and 19 injured.
Tonenke is very nearly about to be liberated, the farms south-west of it were liberated which puts the rest of it in a pincer. Orlivka is still contested (no surprise considering vast AFU commitment).
Also after Myrne liberated, that puts additional avenue on Orekhov.
For a very long time, Russians have begun droning Nikolaev, focusing apparently on boats in that area. This is to deter any attempt AFU may have against Kinburn spit.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 21:57 utc | 270
PRO-RUSSIAN GUERILLA FIGHTERS REPORTEDLY DESTROYED UKRAINIAN UAV WAREHOUSE NEAR ODESSA
According to the local reports, pro-Russian guerilla fighters launched a sabotage attack on the Ukrainian military facility in the Odessa region. Last night, a large fire reportedly broke out at the Ukrainian UAV warehouse.
The representative of the pro-Russian underground forces said that the sabotage attack on the warehouse of the AFU volunteers was launched by a group of partisan fighters who are operating in the territory of the Odessa region.
The attack took place in the village of Usatovo located on the outskirts of the city of Odessa. The target was the warehouse where drones and electronic warfare equipment (EW) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were stored.
As a result of a successful operation, more than 50 UAVs, as well as special EW systems aimed to repel enemy drones, including foreign-made anti-drone rifles and other military equipment, were reportedly destroyed.
https://southfront.press/pro-russian-guerilla-fighters-reportedly-destroyed-ukrainian-uav-warehouse-near-odessa/
Posted by: Fyador | Mar 18 2024 22:07 utc | 271
Posted by: Fyador | Mar 18 2024 22:07 utc | 272
As a result of a successful operation, more than 50 UAVs, as well as special EW systems aimed to repel enemy drones, including foreign-made anti-drone rifles and other military equipment, were reportedly destroyed.
If true by any ‘Geo-location’, may me a very good news, otherwise it’s simply a “new wish”.
RF has a newly “some big” problems to repell any of the engaged mercaneries like terrorists (the “Pro-UKR Russian soldiers”) ..
What is that now..? I don’t understand what newly engaged guys/troops as a “Pro Russiy” Fighters , and I cannot follow herto anymore.
Pls. MoA’s help me – since today – to understand the newly operating Anti-Russian Mercendaries.
Thanks.
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 18 2024 22:24 utc | 272
Posted by: vargas | Mar 18 2024 21:37 utc | 267
And another collection of lies. nato people are cowards. They know that the Russian missiles cannot be stopped.
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 22:26 utc | 273
No, Sweden has fought many times in the last 200 years see below.
Posted by: canuck | Mar 18 2024 11:45 utc | 201
Nice Wikipedia compilation but no, you’re not correct. In the first place 2024-200 equals 1824, so anything prior to that ( such as in 1814) doesn’t count. I also specifically stated wars, not police actions or other military deployments. A war is defined as any conflict with more than 1000 battle deaths. Sweden’s battle casualties in total since 1814 haven’t even reached triple digits. More Swedes died in the 2004 tsunami than in any fighting since 1814.
Posted by: James M. | Mar 18 2024 22:31 utc | 274
But I thought territory (oh excuse me : dirt) wasn’t important ? Russia wasn’t interested in territory, remember ? Has it magically changed all of a sudden and we are now supposed to cheer every square meter ?
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 20:04 utc | 256
Did you even read my response to you on the other page? This is technically Russian territory that the Ukrainians are on, so the Russian army has to expel the invaders.
Posted by: James M. | Mar 18 2024 22:34 utc | 275
Weeb Union report:
Russia believes Ukraine is now in the same position as Russia in September 2022, when AFU launched its attack in Kharkov-Izyum region. Then, Russia had less than 200k troops in Ukraine and was fighting the defense battle in Kherson. Ukraine may be at a weak point, enabling Russia launch small scale armored assaults here and there, forcing AFU shuffle troops, and commit their remaining AFVs (in low supply) and artillery (in low supply) to counter the armored attacks.
To continue this analogy, AFU is currently busy with their operation in Krynky (ended only a short while ago), the Kinburn spit attack attempt, and Belgorod area border attack attempts. All of these significantly drain AFU, while they are slowly losing Donbass.
It seems to be a slow process, but eventually its getting there.
He also theorized what the so-called buffer zones could mean and divided into three categories. Mostly it means protecting towns from short range artillery and Himars, and/or long range ATACMS and Storm shadow missiles. The first implies 70km, the latter at least 200km. But that is probably further down the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_G2m5rnQ-I
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 22:34 utc | 276
Posted by: Micron | Mar 18 2024 20:04 utc | 256
Territory is only a side product, not probably any time-tabled objective. When there are gaps, lines tend to move.
Forget about large scale armored maneuver warfare, it died out in WW2 mostly. It only works in the absence of drones (increasingly never), in the absence of a properly equipped army without proper defensive lines in depth.
Ukraine’s summer offensive 2023 was basically no different than US offensive in the war against Iraq in the Persian gulf. If US attempted to renew the same kind of offensive in Zaporozhye, US army would have been slaughtered in the same way as it occurred in 2023.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 22:38 utc | 277
Did you even read my response to you on the other page? This is technically Russian territory that the Ukrainians are on, so the Russian army has to expel the invaders.
Posted by: James M. | Mar 18 2024 22:34 utc | 276
It is not useful to argue with a liar. Those liars do not accept the right of people to autodetermination.
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 22:42 utc | 278
NATO airbase at Constantza
@rk @ the pessimist
The release of information on a new NATO base at Constantza, Romania maybe NATO signaling that they are not interested in a NATO in Odessa.
Essentially saying Odessa is not necessary anymore now that we have Constantza base.
Posted by: Jerr | Mar 18 2024 22:45 utc | 279
Posted by: Naive | Mar 18 2024 22:26 utc | 274
“.. And another collection of lies. nato people are cowards. They know that the Russian missiles cannot be stopped. ..
Pls. listen: You mentioned “nato people” here are not ‘cowards’ in Your sense, but may be supposed as a cowboy fighting against some wolfs in the night to protect his and his father’s cows ..?
So that’s exactly the CIA/Nuland/Blinken remaining persons want to have immediately disappeared / disapproved.
Biden dies. Trump is dying. Where is USA States of America ?
India,China,S-America,Africa,N-Korea : ALL have congratulated the “biggest dictator” of today!
Cheers Mr. P.
____________________
(but do not wait for another Virus attack against Your + China country – please keep any counter measures in-advance – thanks)
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 18 2024 22:47 utc | 280
Re the planned Romanian, Constanta NATO base,
this is a serious strategic loss for Russia. It is only 300 kms from Crimea/Sevastopol, 300kms from Odessa City, 400kms from Kerch bridge, 600kms from Sochi (Russia’s BSN hideout) for any kinds of missiles NATO wish to base there … Taurus, longer range StormShadow, etc, etc.
It is crystal clear that NATO is dead set serious about threatening Crimea and the BSN into the future. And all this despite Russia intending to *DISTANCE NATO* from its assets.
True, some 10,000 NATO troops in Constanta aren’t a terrible land-army threat to RF — even to protect Odessa from RF takeover. But once there, numbers and weapons can/will increase as desired.
This is symptomatic of the resistance the west is gunna go to to stretch the SMO into a forever war and thwart, via PR and posturing, the Kremlin’s desire to weaken, disjoint, defeat, or even disband the whole NATO mission.
I’ll bet Germany is happy about it. It takes some of the threat off Rammstein AB as the primary Russian “naughty-boy” target. US/NATO must have bought-off Romania really nicely.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 18 2024 22:49 utc | 281
Posted by: Jerr | Mar 18 2024 22:45 utc | 280
We hear reports that Ukraine (Nato) is building defensive lines between Nikolaev (west of the river) and Odessa. A Nato base in Constanza might not by itself imply that Nato is not interested in taking Odessa – they probably are, and the base would be used to support Odessa. Generally, Nato is all about expansion which is why they would be interested in Odessa.
Obviously, any Nato ground force can do very little. Nato does not send ‘flagged’ troops to the front in any large quantities, because it would start suffering a lot of casualties quickly, which this time around would all have to be acknowledged.
We certainly also know Boris Johnson and Macron are very fixated on Odessa and Crimea, not least because they are there to protect their handler’s investments in the Black Sea coast of Ukraine, which also holds gas and some oil reserves.
The Russian fighter force is technologically ahead of Nato fighter force and ready to take on Nato in any clash over the Black Sea. The Russian coastal defense force and fleet is capable to sink any Nato force in the Black Sea. In fact, they could pretty much do it from the Caspian sea, with missile frigates supporting air force against Nato.
As far as ground forces and weapons go, Nato is pretty much depleted of artillery and armored equipment. Sure, they provide a continuous trickle to Ukraine, but not enough which causes more casualties for AFU, which means a faster rate of collapse. Simply because not enough weapons equates to more casualties.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 22:57 utc | 282
what would be the outcome if “war” were to ignore the military conflict on the ground and instead direct weapons appropriate to destroy the industries, pipelines and infra structures of the other side.. ? In stead of soldiers shooting each other up, to which the Oligarchs are not only immune, but also making lots of money because of it, the loss would become economic and dig deeply into the pockets of the private elite on both sides?
This thought keeps bothering me? Just what would be the outcome?
Posted by: snake | Mar 18 2024 23:11 utc | 283
The release of information on a new NATO base at Constantza, Romania maybe NATO signaling that they are not interested in a NATO in Odessa.
Essentially saying Odessa is not necessary anymore now that we have Constantza base.
Posted by: Jerr | Mar 18 2024 22:45 utc | 280
Well then, I’m sure they won’t mind if Russia takes Odessa.
Posted by: James M. | Mar 18 2024 23:18 utc | 284
Posted by: snake | Mar 18 2024 23:11 utc | 283
EU is basically dead when it comes to any sort of industrial contribution to Nato. Ironically, the EU sanctions on Russia have through various twists and turns led to its own deindustrialization. All these war bond and ‘war economy’ ideas by Ursula are laughable and basically impossible.
US is the alpha member of the pack, but it’s hugely overrated, especially in the completely propagandized minds of the average western audience. Just recently US army demanded $100 billion additional funding (i.e. on top of the $850 billion or whatever they have now) in order to fulfill their objective for 100k shell production per month. Otherwise it will only be 70k per month.
Nato air force? Just watch Martyanov’s newest video on the mission readiness of the F-35 (hint: abysmal). And this is the mainstay fighter for Nato for the next 25-30 years.
But to answer your question, well, generally speaking all these LNG terminals and tankers are critical for Euronatostan, and there might be plausibly deniability ways to sink or destroy them. It isn’t a complete coincidence the Houthis suddenly developed long range hypersonic anti ship missiles, for instance.
The cost of living crisis is already hitting the west hard. The west generally is in no position for war economy as is, and this is even without military disruption of logistics. The EU, and even US is mostly dependent on importing components, parts and other stuff from China, especially for any war economy purposes. The civilian economy is FULLY dependent on Chinese imports, everything would collapse if EU somehow succeeded cutting off Chinese trade.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 23:21 utc | 285
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 22:38 utc | 278
Since WW2 there have been plenty of large scale armoured engagements and both sides in the Cold War trained and rehearsed for such.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 22:57 utc | 282
The Russian fighter force has still a lot of catching up to do, before it challenges the NATO fighter force. Using the SMO as an accurate representation of the West’s capabilities, is as about as accurate as when the Arab Israeli Wars were used to discern Soviet capabilities. By NATO, I really mean the USAF, the RAF would have been included, but they have been crippled by political interference seeping into all its structures and other NATO countries run largely threadbare forces.
Posted by: Milites | Mar 18 2024 23:21 utc | 286
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 22:57 utc | 282
The Russian fighter force is technologically ahead of Nato fighter force and ready to take on Nato in any clash over the Black Sea. The Russian coastal defense force and fleet is capable to sink any Nato force in the Black Sea. In fact, they could pretty much do it from the Caspian sea, with missile frigates supporting air force against Nato.
As far as ground forces and weapons go, Nato is pretty much depleted of artillery and armored equipment. Sure, they provide a continuous trickle to Ukraine, but not enough which causes more casualties for AFU, which means a faster rate of collapse. Simply because not enough weapons equates to more casualties.
1st: ” and ready to take on Nato in any clash over the Black Sea” :
Answer to you: NO – That’s simply not true. (your wish)
2nd: ” The Russian coastal defense force and fleet is capable to sink any Nato force in the Black Sea. In fact, they could pretty much do it from the Caspian sea, with missile frigates supporting air force against Nato.
Answer to you: That’s simply not true. (your wish)
Black Sea Ops have been reduced to a minimum by RF-Navy.
AA-Stations have to be hidden a very long time from now on (why? ask the Pentagon + Musk Satellites).
. Anti-Air cannot work just today in full favor of RF.
. All RF War-Ships have been retreated to South Black Sea -the current RF borders.
They are therefore in an un-operational state. Understood?
– RF has to establish some Anti-Unarmed-Devices like that of UKR counter NAVAL methods
That’s all – for the next 30 days.
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 18 2024 23:25 utc | 287
Ivanovo paratroopers stormed the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ stronghold north-west of Artemovsk and gained a foothold, improving the position along the front line.
During aerial reconnaissance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ positions, the paratroopers uncovered the main enemy firing points and shelters with a concentration of infantry.
After the work of the artillery of the Airborne Forces, which inflicted fire damage and suppressed the main fire weapons of the enemy. Ivanovo paratroopers, on BMD-2 airborne combat vehicles, were able to approach enemy positions from several directions, where assault groups, under the cover of armored vehicles, quickly captured the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, destroying the enemy with fire from all types of small arms, grenade launchers and hand fragmentation grenades.
After occupying the enemy stronghold, the airborne assault groups carried out a complete clearing of it.
@vdd98
Posted by: MiniMO | Mar 18 2024 23:27 utc | 288
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 18 2024 23:25 utc | 287
Please explain how parking ships in the Black Sea would be relevant in a naval battle against a Nato force in the Black Sea? You only need a way to see or track an enemy ship – and you need a weapon to hit it. This isn’t the age of dreadnoughts and battleships anymore.
The way to spot an enemy ship could be a satellite, and the weapon to hit it is Zircon, the soon-to-be standard ASM weapon for most frigates and corvettes.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 18 2024 23:33 utc | 289
Obama apparently has flown to UK to meet with Rishi Sunak…at this moment is still PM.What is a-foot?
Posted by: Jo | Mar 18 2024 23:47 utc | 290
@286
You must have seen Top Gun!
They said the same about Soviet aircraft over Southeast Asia and Korea. RuAF advantage over NATO/USAF: NATO has to come to them!
The burdens of operating out of the Baltics and Romania is a logistics nightmare. F-35 carries 16000 (three zeroes!) pounds of fuel, and its burdened engine always runs at high power because it is heavy and the exhaust glows like a blowtorch. FLIR sees it forever! And its clumsy “combat maneuvers” mean it can only engage beyond visual range.
@278.@282.
USAF will rely on F-16 (carries only 6000 pounds of fuel) because of above and because F-35 is a huge logistics burden and a lot of it is Lockheed technicians, much of it is the airplanes internal logistics defects, and it huge fuel consumption. Add to that its fire controls need update, actually miniaturized F-22 radars. F-35 is not reliable and takes too much time figuring out how to get it up and running. If they had the parts and equipment to do the fix! F-35 needs an engine powerful enough to run it w/o overheating!
F-35 reliability issues will plague the US for decades! It should have been terminated 10 years ago when it was recognized it would cost $400 billion to get a bunch of aircraft with numerous missed test points.
F-16 is a known logistics tail although it is nearly worn out. It also has the old fire control radar.
Numbers of F-16 and F-15 will be kept flying for many years because USAF is retiring F-22, it cannot afford to keep two highly unreliable aircraft flying at one time!
RuAF will do fine against NATO over the Dneipr!
Posted by: paddy | Mar 18 2024 23:49 utc | 291
Obama-Sunak…could be…..we approve UK taking those German Taurus missiles to send to Ukraine?????
Posted by: Jo | Mar 18 2024 23:49 utc | 292
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Mar 17 2024 18:27 utc | 41
#######
Those comments gave me “Assad must go!” vibes.
Ridiculous. And sad.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 18 2024 23:51 utc | 293
)) Welcome to the best intimate club — https://shorturl.at/fpKL1
Posted by: Belliana | Mar 18 2024 23:52 utc | 294
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 18 2024 23:25 utc | 287
Please explain how parking ships in the Black Sea would be relevant in a naval battle against a Nato force in the Black Sea? You only need a way to see or track an enemy ship – and you need a weapon to hit it. This isn’t the age of dreadnoughts and battleships anymore. ..
Thanks for reply.
You said “You only need a way to see or track an enemy ..”
but that is exactly the reason why I’m not sure, You already have understood thr any possible Anti-Aviation possibilites by the RF’s currently operating commander.
Hiding in back by RF submarine vessels may be a good solution (even in the Caspian Sea), but Caspian Sea has no escaping route.
So, Black Sea is the “matter” now, for both the ””””U’S and RF side.
My suggestion is:
Kill all Radar/Frequency checking unknown devices over the Black Sea.
You Russia have enough fighters to do that. That would be enogh.
Including ALL American-USA flights on Black ÄSea incl. Turkish Airlines.
That’s the way – no other.
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 18 2024 23:56 utc | 295
In a war of NATO vs Russia NATO surveillance assets are fair game and some of the advantages Ukraine now enjoys disappear. NATO air defense is not peer with Russia. Can NATO protect their AWACS platforms? Can they protect their fighters over hostile territory? Neither side has shown all their cards in the current conflict, but Russia has shown they can destroy all types of western AD as well as cruise missiles, etc.
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 19 2024 0:15 utc | 296
Posted by: paddy | Mar 18 2024 23:49 utc | 291
Loved Top Gun, especially the rolling manoeuvres, when being shot at, the Star Wars HUD’s and the Mig-28 pilot’s sinister black ‘Soviet helmets’. Kick ass soundtrack as well.
Until the F-35 goes up against something more dangerous than a spy balloon, I’ll reserve judgement. Seem to remember the F-15 being the butt of similar criticisms and it ate the lunch of most of its opponents, both in friendly exercises and wartime deployments, though it did struggle with Buccaneers and Tornadoes sometimes, though that was probably due to who was flying them.
Talking of engines, you do know the average engine life of the Russian jets, and, pre-SMO, the average monthly flying hours of their front-line combat pilots? You are also aware that the capabilities and effectiveness of an airforce are not based on individual platforms, but are a totality of all components, many of which Russia lags far behind the West.
Posted by: Milites | Mar 19 2024 0:29 utc | 297
The only dissent in NATO is from Hungary and Slovakia, and even that is mostly verbal. Everyone else is following their orders. The attack on Nord Stream made sure about that.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Mar 17 2024 18:27 utc | 41
This is not correct. Germany, Italy, and Denmark have also vocalized opposition. In fact, the only countries that have even given support were Poland and the Baltics. Besides, you only need one state to veto NATO action. And the most important country in the alliance – the US, has stated troops on the ground are a non-starter.
Also, the Nordstream sabotage was conducted by the CIA, a year and a half ago, which is a lifetime in the context of international diplomacy. Current events have superseded any “compliance” the US engendered with that operation.
Posted by: James M. | Mar 19 2024 0:46 utc | 298
@297
I just refreshed myself on GAO about US readiness and training excess costs.
Posted by: paddy | Mar 19 2024 1:23 utc | 299
I wouldn’t just rely on a very Christian-friendly person like Russian Mr. P.
But he still has a few others to fight alongside with him in order to free DPR from the EXTERNAL forces of UKR Military currently, like French mercenaries/soldiers, operating against the civilianRussian population by TEROR attacks.
Shelling by UKR-Terrorists is on-going since 3 days towards ‘Russian civilians, even RF Forces gained some thousands skm meters strategical territory towards the “West”. But, UKR bombings are still arriving in Donetz City, killing “some” civilians.
Kharkiv region have been lost last year, that was a failure as seen today – but can that be repaired nowadays?, like an only-one Abrams-Tank destroyed showed by video .. to re-gain previous RF territory – or not?
Dima: Pls show new REAL destruction of Mr. Z.’s Armed Forces .. thanks.
Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 19 2024 1:43 utc | 300