Attrition can manifest itself in all sorts of different ways; from Sputnik: https://sputnikglobe.com/20240519/ukraines-biggest-smelter-under-threat-due-to-mobilization-induced-worker-shortages-1118528690.html

Ukraine’s Biggest Smelter Under Threat Due to Mobilization-Induced Worker Shortages
Kiev adopted a new bill to tighten the screws on drafting last month. The bill came into effect on May 18 and looks to replenish Ukrainian forces that have been depleted by two years of armed conflict with Russia.
Ongoing mobilization in Ukraine has ridden roughshod over Ukraine’s largest mining and smelting plant, the ArcelorMittal Krivoy Rog, its chief executive Mauro Longobardo has told the Financial Times.
“If they [Ukrainian authorities] continue to mobilize, we will not have enough [staff] to operate. We are talking here about the existence of the company,” he stressed.
According to him, one way to secure the survival of the plant has been through hiring more female workers, with the firm placing huge billboards across the southern city of Krivoy Rog featuring young women in orange overalls with slogans such as “Ladies really run things here!” in a bid to lure employees.
The company’s recruitment strategy is partly aimed at replacing mobilized men, as well as the thousands of male workers who have moved to safer parts of Ukraine, Longobardo said. He admitted that the strategy was initiated because hiring men has become a very tricky task.
The ArcelorMittal Krivoy Rog CEO also referred to the negative impact of military recruiters’ tactics, who he said had begun standing at the entrance to the plant during shift changes, “prompting some employees to turn back home and call in sick and potential new recruits to steer clear of the company.”
Similarly, the Ukrainian government lacks “a unified vision for large enterprises,” with the Economy Ministry trying to be supportive and the Defense Ministry putting “psychological pressure” on male staff, per Longobardo.
By struggling to fill vacancies, the plant was forced to cut production, including for steel used in shielding energy facilities from Russian airstrikes, the ArcelorMittal Krivoy Rog chief executive said. “In the end, I think the country is losing out,” he concluded.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 12:39 utc | 4

The strategic goal of every war is to last longer.
Since all wars are devices for enriching war profiteers.
That is why Russia wont win outright and why the Waste will randomly bomb Russian civilians for no apparent reason: you need to have lasting hostilities in order to justify big money moves.

Posted by: Greg Galloway | May 19 2024 12:49 utc | 6

(…) Such waste of human life. (…)
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | May 19 2024 12:06 utc | 3
The Waste won’t stop until Russia hits their military assets outside of Ukraine, which is inevitable if the escalation continues and more Russian civilians are victimized.
Posted by: norecovery | May 19 2024 13:17 utc | 8
No jokes, seriously: in VVP’s place, what would you do now?

Posted by: Elber | May 19 2024 13:29 utc | 8

Ukraine Weekly Update, 17th May 2024: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-weekly-update-264

Posted by: https://robcampbell. | May 19 2024 13:49 utc | 10

Ukrainians? They made their own bed.
Russia seems to have created a couple of bridge heads, one in the north and one at Chasov Yar across the canal.
Nowhere else, by either side has there been a successful contested river crossing. Stoltenberg will have to flap his hands a bit more. Americans and Europeans out of ammo…

Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 19 2024 14:33 utc | 12

Ukrainian losses for May 19th, as reported by the Russian defence ministry:
– Sever Group (Kharkov): 230 troops, 2 AFV, 10 motor vehicles, 2 artillery pieces
– Zapad Group (Luhansk area): 440 troops, 2 motor vehicles, 4 artillery pieces
– Yug Group (Donetsk north): 680 troops, 2 tanks, 2 IFVs, 10 motor vehicles, 6 artillery pieces
– Tsentr Group (Donetsk south): 345 troops, 2 AFV, 2 motor vehicle, 1 artillery pieces
– Vostok Group (southern front): 105 troops, 2 AFV, 3 motor vehicles, 2 artillery pieces
– Dnepr Group: 80 troops, 5 motor vehicles, 3 artillery pieces
In total: 1,880 troops (at least 2,000 with undercounting), 2 tanks, 8 AFV/IFV, 28 motor vehicles, 18 artillery pieces.
The troop losses are now above the previous 1,500 – 2,000 a day range. Artillery losses are extremely high at 18 in one day. Only 2 tanks and 8 AFV/IFV vs. 28 motor vehicles points to the increasing “infantry + technicals” nature of the Ukrainian army.
The assault on Chasiv Yar has now begun, The Battle For Chasiv Yar Has Started | Northern Volchansk Was Abandoned, which will lead to an increase in Ukie losses. In Kharkov, the Russians have not yet committed second and third wave troops. Also, a new front opening up near Sumy is also becoming an increasing possibility. The Ukie daily loss rates are already catastrophic relative to their front-line force strength, and these will only escalate as we enter the summer. The front line is increasingly giving way as the Ukie army is stretched further and further.
At the same time there are numerous pictures and videos of empty Ukrainian streets as the population attempts to dodge the new conscription law, there will be no new willing participants in their own death. Only those lead kicking and screaming to the front, not exactly effective and reliable troops.

Posted by: Roger | May 19 2024 15:10 utc | 14

According to military summary channel, a short video I couldn’t upload here, truckers have blocked the Odessa to Kiev highway in protest about the new mobilisation law and their government. Could be interesting.

Posted by: Eoin Clancy | May 19 2024 15:40 utc | 16

https://t.me/Novichok_Rossiya_2/7449

🇷🇺🇺🇦 The Bilche-Volitsa Gas compressor Station in the Lvov region of Ukraine was destroyed.
All main Buildings, main control room (management), SERB (operations and equipment), Administration Building, entrance (security alarm), gas pump unit (very significant damage) were destroyed. Worn gas pipes remain available. The second largest gas storage facility in Europe – that’s all.

https://t.me/infomil_live/6657

GV “North” is not slowing down on the issue of genocide of artillery systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkov region.
The Lancet UAV hit another Grad MLRS of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the village. Dergachi, Kharkov region.
The high density of reconnaissance UAVs and the absence of a shortage of high-precision weapons allows the Russian army to implement the concept of isolating the combat area. It is worth noting that so far everything looks very encouraging. If the pace continues, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will experience a shortage not of ammunition, but of artillery installations.
Video from @vysokygovorit

https://t.me/milinfolive/122490

The former Danish self-propelled gun CAESAR on the Tatra T815 (8×8) chassis of the Ukrainian Armed Forces received an FPV-kamikaze arrival from the 36th combined arms army of the Vostok group of forces. Footage: @voin_dv

Posted by: anon2020 | May 19 2024 15:43 utc | 18

Posted by: Eoin Clancy | May 19 2024 15:41 utc | 18
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 15:46 utc | 20
Sorry folks, should‘ve refreshed before posting.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 15:51 utc | 20

Question: is there any information on the mobilisation of the Ukrainian jews? If any?

Posted by: Naive | May 19 2024 16:04 utc | 22

Question: is there any information on the mobilisation of the Ukrainian jews? If any?

Posted by: Naive | May 19 2024 16:04 utc | 22
Short answer: no idea.
Longer answer: no idea where to start looking for such information, or even if it exists. Can’t imagine the Ukrainian press-gangs are exactly fastidious in their DEI monitoring to ensure equal inclusion of under-represented minority groups.
Is it actually important anyway? Cannon fodder is cannon fodder, I’m sure the Russian “meat-grinder” doesn’t care!

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 16:15 utc | 24

https://t.me/vysokygovorit/15867

Surprisingly, in Belbek there is a covered parking lot for VIPs; apparently Timur Ivanov at one time decided that the construction of this type of structure was much more important than shelters for combat aircraft. Well, of course, you can park your expensive car in a VIP shelter and at the same time drink champagne with whores; the military doesn’t need hangars. The bloggers who write about them do not understand anything and discredit them. I really hope that the new Minister of Defense will correct this stupidity with combat aircraft standing in the open air as soon as possible.
By the way, it wouldn’t hurt to check those bastards who defended the bastard and wrote that shelters were not needed in an appropriate manner. Maybe they weren’t just licking the boss’s ass, but were directly working for the enemy.

https://t.me/voenacher/66161

Forwarded from Andrey Medvedev
You know, Sanya, if all this were still unpredictable, it would probably be perceived somehow differently. Without annoyance and irritation.
But no. Even after the raids on Moscow and the airfield in Engels (when does everyone remember this?), military correspondents, military bloggers, independent military analysts began to write that the enemy was now simply training. It tests our air defense and our response to attacks in general. He looks at our capabilities and evaluates them. Moreover, NATO helps him by supplying data from satellites.
We all wrote that in Ukraine work is underway on long-range UAVs, and as soon as the enemy has normal copies in sufficient quantities, raids will become widespread.
I once said on 60 Minutes that the enemy is going to massively use swarms of drones at the front. When five to seven FPV flies towards the target. This is exactly what is happening now. I was only mistaken in one thing, believing that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would have time to prepare all this for last year’s offensive. Did not have time. But already in Krynki, such tactics were used.
What did we all hear in response? In correspondence, so to speak, discussion. From various professional experts and people specially trained in anti-crisis PR (well, that is, they think they know how to do this).
“Don’t spread panic, this is all nonsense, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not have long-range drones, the morale of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is low, no one wants to fight, support from the West is falling, there are no engineers in Ukraine, drones are launched from Russian territory by all sorts of infiltrators and traitors, you yourself are dispersing the traitors panic, our air defense can do anything, you don’t have SMERSH, there are people smarter than you at the headquarters.” And so on. In style, concrete shelters for airplanes are not needed, because they are expensive and, again, you don’t understand anything.
And okay, this would all just be a debate in the information field. We argue and argue. But the trouble is that all these people, presenting themselves as experts, participated in the preparation of reports, certificates, and various analytics that were sent to different offices. The measures you write about, in particular the mobile air defense groups, were not taken in advance, because many thought that they were not necessary. “Kyiv has nothing anyway.”
And now, suddenly, there are massive UAV raids.
You can make mistakes, but you can’t lie, as is now customary to repeat. You especially can’t lie to yourself.
Because this leads to tragedies and failures. And there will be no help from God for those who are wicked.
It’s like in medicine. The doctor makes a diagnosis. And the patient must agree that he has a certain problem, and it needs to be eliminated, cured. There is a second option, not to accept the situation. To say, no, I am healthy and will not undergo treatment.
And then the options. It will go away on its own. Or terminal stage.
I don’t really believe in “it will go away on its own.” But here it depends. Personal choice of what to believe and act or sit back.

https://t.me/voenacher/66164

Can you imagine, they put a ground-based air defense installation on the deck of a ship?
It seems that something like this slipped through the media when they saw the installation of combat modules of the Tor-M2KM air defense system. This is a normal method and is not the first time it has been used.
By the 2030s, the US Marine Corps plans to increase the number of air defense systems at its disposal. These are the familiar Stinger MANPADS and the new medium-range missiles, MRIC – Medium-Range Intercept Capability. Well, new ones. A towed launcher for 20 Tamir missiles, which are used in the Israeli air defense system. The guidance radar for it is AN/TPS-80. That is, a technique proven in practice.
But the element of small anti-drone protection will be a 30mm uninhabited turret, all with those Stinger missiles. It can be installed on two types of chassis – the classic American JLTV jeep, or on a lightweight Polaris-type buggy. In this case, the complex consists of two vehicles, the second one is equipped with a 360-degree radar, an optical/infrared surveillance station, an electronic warfare and fire control system. And communication also works through this “head”.
Why did we start by installing Thor on the deck of a Black Sea Fleet ship? The fact is that back in 2019, a second head with detection equipment was installed on the deck of the landing ship USS Boxer to protect against drones. Work out the technique, so to speak. So there is no need to be shy about innovations, even if they, with their land color, violate the beauty of the ship’s ball paint
P.S. In the photo, the Bell UH-1Y Venom is the heir to the glorious Iroquois from the Vietnam era, of which the ILC has 127 units on its list.

Posted by: anon2020 | May 19 2024 16:24 utc | 26

A good article on the realities of attempting to even maintain the numbers and effectiveness of the Ukie army, Old men belong here. How Ukrainian Armed Forces have become 40+ age army and whether lowering mobilisation age will affect combat capability, some quotes:

Yurii Fedorenko, the commander of the Achilles Battalion of the 92nd Assault Brigade, had a baptism of fire at the beginning of the Joint Forces Operation in 2014. At the time he was 23 years old and a National Guard contract soldier. Fedorenko took part in the battles in Donetsk Oblast. He was injured and was decommissioned as unfit for continued service. In 2022, he rejoined the army as a volunteer.
“At the age of 23, my work was related to assault operations, mainly in urban development. Back then, I could carry a load of 50 kilograms over long distances, and I could recover from the effort much more quickly than I can now at the age of 33”, the Achilles battalion commander told Ukrainska Pravda.
“Now I would hardly be able to carry the kind of load I did when I was 23. And imagine a 45-year-old, likely to have some medical issues by then, needing to walk to a combat position 6 kilometre away while carrying up to 50 kilograms of personal equipment”, he added.
In addition to physical conditions, older fighters are inferior to younger ones in terms of their adaptability to new conditions, speed of reaction, and ability to master new weapons and technologies. The advantages of young military personnel over older ones were cited by all the sources, including 43-year-old Oleksandr Yabchanka, the commander of the “Honour” company of the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion.

The article argues that due to the 1990s demographic collapse, and mass outward migration of young people, the lowering of the recruitment age will net only about 100,000 extra troops, and that may be optimistic given that some already volunteered and many are doing whatever they have to to not be sent to the front. Even 100,000 is about 2 months Ukie losses at the current rate, and it will be unhappy hardly trained soldiers replacing more motivated and much better trained and experienced dead ones.

Posted by: Roger | May 19 2024 16:44 utc | 28

Colonel Jacques Baud, The War in Ukraine is Over as Russia Has Destroyed Ukraine’s Army
A good discussion, very good take on the utter inefficiency of integrating many different types of vehicles and equipment, delivered at highly unpredictable times.

Posted by: Roger | May 19 2024 16:48 utc | 30

Question: is there any information on the mobilisation of the Ukrainian jews? If any?
Posted by: Naive | May 19 2024 16:04 utc | 22
Don’t be silly. The nail clipping of one Jew is worth more than dozens of goy/cattle. They do the lying while the gentiles do the dying.

Posted by: Robert E.Smith | May 19 2024 17:02 utc | 32

Roger, your link points to Wikileaks.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 16:53 utc | 31
This is the correct link:
https://www.theinteldrop.org/2024/05/14/the-war-in-ukraine-is-over-as-russia-has-destroyed-ukraines-army-col-jacques-baud/

Posted by: Zet | May 19 2024 17:20 utc | 34

german handelsblatt :

Berlin. According to a media report, the German government wants to massively increase military aid for Ukraine this year. The Federal Ministry of Defense has therefore announced an additional requirement of 3.8 billion euros for military support, reported the newspaper “Bild am Sonntag”.
So far this year, the coalition government has provided 7.1 billion euros for military aid. However, the sum is almost completely planned, with only 300 million euros still available for new ammunition and weapons purchases, the newspaper writes, citing government circles. The over-budgeted expenditure is to be submitted to parliament for approval in June.
The finance ministry of Christian Lindner (FDP) has signaled its approval. “Germany must not fail to strengthen the defense of Ukraine. If possible, we should deliver more weapons this year,” BamS quoted information from ministry circles. A suspension of the debt brake is not necessary. “If a consensus can be reached within the government, we will find ways in the current financial year.”
According to the report, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has announced an additional requirement of 6.7 billion euros for the Bundeswehr in the 2025 budget. His ministry is to estimate the sum of 15 billion euros for aid to Ukraine.

Posted by: Justpassinby | May 19 2024 17:40 utc | 36

Fun, but known, fact:
Karaganda suffered the most severe electromagnetic pulse effects ever observed when its electrical power plant was set on fire by currents induced in a 1,000 km (620 mi) long shallow buried power cable by Soviet Test ‘184’ on 22 October 1962. The test was part of the Soviet Project K nuclear tests (ABM System A proof tests), and consisted of a 300-kiloton high-altitude nuclear explosion at an altitude of 290 km (180 mi) over Zhezkazgan.
Prompt gamma ray-produced EMP induced a current of 2,500 amps measured by spark gaps in a 570 km (350 mi) stretch of overhead telephone line to Zharyq, blowing all the protective fuses. The late-time MHD-EMP was of low enough frequency to enable it to penetrate 90 cm (35 in) into the ground, overloading a shallow buried lead and steel tape-protected 1,000 km (620 mi) long power cable between Aqmola (now called Astana) and Almaty. It fired circuit breakers and set the Karaganda power plant on fire.
Posted by: whirlX | May 19 2024 16:16 utc | 25
Not sure if it belongs in this topic but as energy is becoming a major target in ucraine it might.
If we’re talking about inducing mega ampere currents in a line, wouldn’t it be easier, instead of high atmosphere 100s of kt nukes, to phisically reach a high voltage line and using some of the tech already studied in fusion , to synch discharge many 100 kva capacitors to induce a mega ampere pulse right up the adversary’s line?
Should fry a lot of stuff linked to the line…

Posted by: Newbie | May 19 2024 18:04 utc | 38

Posted by: Naive | May 19 2024 17:45 utc | 37
If Ukraine was winning, they wouldn’t need to be shooting at static civilian targets.
It was already established early 2023 that the reason AFU is shooting at towns is that RUAF destroyed so many artillery radars, that they were hence forth incapable of counter-battery fire. Also, perhaps the M-777 barrels wore out so quickly that they became inaccurate, there was no one to fix or change the barrels, so they resorted to bombing towns. First in Donbass, later when they got Himars and Vampyres (replacing dwindling Grads) they started shelling Belgorod.
It’s still possible to shell Belgorod and towns in Donbass, but barrel artillery is mostly out of range. Himars is the only thing that can do it, and now we start getting into critical issues of ‘target prioritizing’.
It was reported early during the RUAF Kharkov advance that AFU quickly rushed barreled artillery as close to the front as possible to get a few more shots at Belgorod while they still could. This is the reason why RUAF was able to destroy so many of them.

Posted by: unimperator | May 19 2024 18:38 utc | 40

@ Newbie, §38:
I´m sure that, if this were effective, the Americans would be trying it on Russia.
Posted by: John Marks | May 19 2024 18:35 utc | 39
Not sure, it’s mainly the chinese who have worked on mega ampere pinchers for their fusion research-

Posted by: Newbie | May 19 2024 18:43 utc | 42

@40 unimperator
Re himars
Himars make excellent counter battery weapons. I saw plenty of video showing himars taking out artillery.
They did use lots of vampyres to shell Belgorod although I’m dubious they were just killing civilians for the heck of it. Belgorod was the staging city for the northern army, I’m guessing. No doubt they shed no tears for russian civilians but that’s collateral damage as they say.

Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | May 19 2024 19:31 utc | 44

If Ukraine was winning, they wouldn’t need to be shooting at static civilian targets.
Posted by: unimperator | May 19 2024 18:38 utc | 40
Of course. Russia is “winning” since the start. But the SMO is not over yet. I am making no prognosis. It is enough to watch the events day by day. All forecasts about the end of the SMO were wrong. And still are. It is the reason I like B. He is analysing the current situation, but no stupid forecast about the end.

Posted by: Naive | May 19 2024 19:48 utc | 46

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 19:40 utc | 45
Could be a false flag to mobilise even more if possible the western supports.

Posted by: Naive | May 19 2024 19:49 utc | 48

It seems to be the case that all of the expensive artillery, missile launchers, and tracked vehicles, of the AFU are now exceptionally vulnerable when either moved about, or placed in unfoftified positions that the Russian Federation are able to mark. I see that as both an evolution of how the war is being fought, and the ability to target AFU assets. Previously the AFU had compelled Russian forces to relocate, and their artillery, missile lunchers, and tracked vehicles, were able to operate without flocks of Russian drones flying overhead.
Now Russia has fleets of drones, presumably better satellite based observation, and subsequent analysis, and more accurately launched and guided attack drones, and missiles. And of course the FAB bombs now being equipped with wings and a guidance package are a game changer all by themself.
So I think the Kremlin is very much satisfied with the style and pace of the conflict. It keeps the AFU where it has to continually react in a hurried fashion to new Russian aggressions, small and large, along the line of conflict, and their doing so continually exposes all of their prime assets to being attacked while they are out of cover, and in unfortified positions.
Eventually a lot of the AFU will have to withdraw back to a new line of defenses, and a lot of that movement will have to take place over some stretches of open ground. Without a lot of armored vehicles to rapidly transport the troops, they will inevitably be exposed to getting cut down by drones, or in the case of the enemy following on behind them, cut down by artillery fire.
Which has me wondering, what AFU units will get tasked with taking on the duties of the rear guard? Even if granted some of the rarer by the day armored vehicles to make their eventual retreat, those would likely be destroyed in short order by an enemy eager to push through collapsing lines. So the defenders of an orderly retreat would themself have to make their escape on foot.
Only competent veterans are fit to provide cover for a retreat, and so they’d know what would be asked of them. I’m thinking of how lately we’re seeing the far right units starting to refuse to take on chores that would grind them up, so who drew short straw to cover any future withdrawals could be extremely important to how that worked out.
Kiev being Kiev would prefer to use gobs of cannon fodder for that role, but doing so is the recipe for a rout. So far the AFU has been acquitting itself remarkably well as it concedes villages to the advancing enemy, but such discipline is prone to disappearing in a hurry when things go very bad, very quickly.

Posted by: Babel-17 | May 19 2024 20:15 utc | 50

…….
Construction work might be impossible because anyone who shows up for work may be kidnapped. Maybe gravediggers and fire depts too.
Posted by: Eighthman | May 19 2024 16:06 utc | 23
May the bar forgive me, but Eighthman’s insightful comment reminded me of a Kids in the Hall skit that serves as a hilarious analogy to how unscrupulous AFU conscription might operate.
https://youtu.be/5dXFS6piv58?si=Jf7_M20HDDaJi7N5

Posted by: Babel-17 | May 19 2024 20:33 utc | 52

Berlin. According to a media report, the German government wants to massively increase military aid for Ukraine this year. The Federal Ministry of Defense has therefore announced an additional requirement of 3.8 billion euros for military support, reported the newspaper “Bild am Sonntag”.
Posted by: Justpassinby | May 19 2024 17:40 utc | 36
This is what I am constantly talking about.
There is no limit in EU dedication to this war.
And Russia cannot escalate fearing the conflict with NATO.
Terrible situation for Russia.

Posted by: vargas | May 19 2024 20:36 utc | 54

“…I’m dubious they were just killing civilians for the heck of it. Belgorod was the staging city for the northern army, I’m guessing.”
There’s a load of cowardly, chickenshit cope right there.
“I’m dubious” and “I’m guessing.”? No, you’re in denial. You suck Nazi cock and cheerlead and enable fascist atrocities, all while trying to pretend you’re one of the “good guys”. Of course, it’s impossible to be the “good guys” when your hero-proxies are villainous scum that fully deserve extermination like the sub-human societal jetsam they are.
The truth is there are no military targets in Belgorod. Unlike the vile Nazi scum you so adore, the Russians do not hide their forces behind the skirts of little girls. There are no (as in zero) instances in the entire conflict of the Russians positioning any military personnel or hardware near civilians. None. It hasn’t happened once. Only your “side” has done that, and numerous reports from early in the conflict show that American military advisers were explicitly recommending the Ukrainian Nazis intermingle their forces with civilians, and make hospitals, schools, and apartment buildings into firing positions. The Russians have never done that; only you scum.
You are not the “good guys”. You are “the baddies”, but unlike the characters in the comedy skit, you are too cowardly and stupid to do even the most minimal introspection to see it.
In fact, you have never been on the side of good in your entire life. Don’t believe me? Then name a single military or covert action intervention by the US and its chihuahuas that has been conducted since you were born that has had resulted in good. You can’t, can you? Of course not, because there has not been one. Every single collective act of violence by the USA in your life has been on the side of the most villainous fascist thugs available in the world. Batista, Diem, the Shah, Mobutu, Pinochet, and of course the zionists and so on. Every single regime in the world that the US backs and aligns with is in all cases the very worst one to be ruling in their respective countries. You are batting a thousand, but for the bad guys. That is because you are on of the “baddies”.
With the reality of your character being so horrible, it is no wonder Americans and their sycophants are so deeply steeped in delusion. It is the only way to cast yourselves as the hero in the cartoon about yourselves playing in your heads.

Posted by: William Gruff | May 19 2024 20:44 utc | 56

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | May 19 2024 20:35 utc | 53
No argument to that from me, cracks are appearing in the armor the AFU shows to the world, but I give them credit for not outright panicking and surrendering enmasse. As Dr. Evil might say, that’s the friggin’ Russian Federation army they’re facing, and it’s like sharks with lasers.
I can’t imagine any other Western trained army doing better, or even near as well. As some will note, that’s because they too are Russian. Ha, now I’m reminded of the old bombastic comment regarding the Amercan Civil War, which said it was the most stupendous conflict ever seen, because it was Americans fighting Americans.

Posted by: Babel-17 | May 19 2024 20:52 utc | 58

This is what I am constantly talking about.
There is no limit in EU dedication to this war.

Posted by: vargas | May 19 2024 20:36 utc | 54
There is no limit to the vacuous vapours emitted by the EU. Sure, they can trumpet this or that amount of €billions, what they can’t do is conjure up the steel, brass and chemicals for munitions/weapons manufacturing, or conjure up the skilled and experienced manufacturing workforce to actually make the stuff. All they can do is increase the debt levels of the member nations, which works until it doesn’t.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 21:01 utc | 60

This report by Dmitri Kovalevich is ten days old. Forgive me if it has been posted before but it is worth reading as a reminder that underneath the headlines Ukraine is falling apart. A majority of its people are probably pinning their hopes on a Russian victory as the most efficient means of ridding themselves of a NATO supported fascist regime which regards to young people of Ukraine as cannon fodder to be expended in the government’s endless quest for subsidies and marketable supplies.
AS NATO supplies Ukraine with weapons systems it has to accompany them with trained technicians and soldiers to use them and to make sure that they are not stolen and exported.
“…the new law is being very negatively received by Ukrainian society. Media is focused on the negative responses, explaining that a great many civilians fear dying at the front, while those already conscripted see no possibility of demobilization, not even in the long term. Essentially, a Ukrainian soldier has only three paths out of military service short of three years: death, serious injury and disability, or being taken prisoner by the Russian armed forces.
“Ukrainian MPs say they plan to further strengthen punishment for evading conscription. They are now discussing increasing fines, blocking of bank accounts, seizure of property, and a number of other measures “up to the harshest ones”, says a member of the legislature cited in Strana. Ukrainian courts are already issuing summons nearly every day for those evading conscription. Thousands have already been sentenced to prison terms.
“But the courts cannot cope with the number of such cases because there are tens of thousands in every region of the country. According to UA-Reporter, Ukrainian lawyer Yuriy Demchenko has made an inquiry to the Justice Ministry revealing there are currently about 34,000 vacant spots in Ukrainian prisons for those already convicted of evasion of military service. According to him, it is simply impossible for the authorities to put all evaders and deserters in jail. For example, in Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine alone, according to official information, there are 40,000 men wanted for evading service.
“Border guards in the Transcarpathia region in southwest Ukraine, meanwhile, are reportedly building miles of new, barbed-wire fencing along the country’s border there, making the region appear as a concentration camp because minefields laid by Russian armed forces already block some routes to the north and east. Authorities say they are building the fencing to ‘save lives’, that is, to prevent people from undertaking the often highly risky gambit of crossing mountain rivers in order to escape the country.
“The most popular Google query in Ukraine these days is ‘How to swim across the Tisa’. The Tisa (Tisza) River originates in the eastern part of Transcarpathia, eventually flowing into the Black Sea, roughly tracing Ukraine’s borders with Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia along the way.
https://multipluralworld.com/an-expired-presidential-term-and-further-curbs-on-political-rights-in-ukraine-as-the-russian-military-advances/

Posted by: bevin | May 19 2024 21:08 utc | 62

Some wanting a deeper than average understanding of what the civilized world is up against, may find this interesting & helpful

Triumph Over Violence
“One of the most important documentary films about fascism by Soviet director Mikhail Romm. Based entirely on newsreel shooting by cinematographers and photographers from Germany, the Soviet Union, the United States, Italy, Britain, and other countries, the film is based on authentic documents from numerous historical archives. The entire film is accompanied by the voiceover of film director Mikhail Romm. With anger and pain, with deep sadness, and at times with a murderous irony, he comments on events, reflects on dictatorships and dictators, on the crowd that submits to them and deifies them, speaking confidentially to the viewer. With his outstanding film, Mikhail Romm truly revolutionized documentary film making.”
https://youtu.be/MLR3g6E2pZA?si=3jMsmIjWDJ7n1qRR
Year of production: 1965
2 hrs, 15 mins, 39 seconds
Digitally restored by Mosfilm Cinema Concern
===========

Fascism is not defined by the number of its victims, but by the way it kills them.
-Jean-Paul Sartre (1953)
The last resource of the bourgeoisie is fascism, which replaces social and historical criteria with biological and zoological standards so as thus to free itself from any and all restrictions in the struggle for capitalist property.
-Leon Trotsky (1939)
Fascism, with its violence, gets rid of everything: it attacks universities, it closes them and crushes them; it attacks intellectuals, represses them and persecutes them; it attacks political parties; it attacks trade union organizations; it attacks all mass and cultural organizations. Therefore, nothing is more violent, more retrograde and more illegal than fascism.
– Fidel Castro (1971)
-What was fascism in Italy, in Germany? The exaltation of racial prejudices. Instead of fighting racial prejudice, which is what a revolution does, fascism exalts prejudice and turns it into hatred.
-Fidel Castro (1978)

Posted by: Toby C | May 19 2024 21:16 utc | 64

Posted by: Toby C | May 19 2024 21:16 utc | 64
All fascinating stuff I’m sure, plenty of fodder for the more voluble of trolls to get their teeth into. Having said that I’m not finding any further insight into the current situation in Ukraine from your post. Spending part of one’s working life in the railway industry makes one develop an allergic reaction to derailments…

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 19 2024 21:30 utc | 66

Posted by: UWDude | May 19 2024 21:58 utc | 67
To clarify with analogy, as I am sure many of you are shocked:
It is wrong to kick a man in the balls during a boxing match, but it is righteous to do so to a man trying to rob you.

Posted by: UWDude | May 19 2024 22:07 utc | 68

Haven’t heard much about the French troops attached to a Ukrainian combat unit in an active combat zone. Anyone have anything?

Posted by: David C | May 19 2024 22:54 utc | 70

To clarify with analogy, as I am sure many of you are shocked:
It is wrong to kick a man in the balls during a boxing match, but it is righteous to do so to a man trying to rob you.
Posted by: UWDude | May 19 2024 22:07 utc | 68
—-
Well, you just shot yourself in the foot with THAT little analogy. Let me rephrase it for you:
It is wrong to kill non-combatant civilians in a war, but it is OK to kill soldiers trying to kill you.
Or to invert the logic:
Why, in your worldview, is it just as right to kill a civilian who is not trying to kill you as a soldier who is, but not ok to kick a boxer who wants to put you on the ground by knocking you unconscious. Perhaps no-rules UFC is more to your liking.
So what makes you respect the Rules of Boxing Sport, but disregard long established Rules of War? You seriously need to study the evolution of wars throughout history and better keep up to date with the evolution of human morality. You sound like your perspective is stuck back in Mongol times — ie, kill everyone and everything that gets in your way of conquering lands and people you desire. You say you disagree with war(s) per se, but once declared, anything goes. Perhaps that’s why the SMO is an SMO and not an all out war against the Ukrainian people.

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | May 19 2024 23:04 utc | 72

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | May 19 2024 23:04 utc | 72
Why did John McCain believe the usa was righteous? Because we do not torture.
If the USA never tortured any vietnamese, never killed a vietnamese civilian, would that mean the USAs war in Vietnam was just?
Would that mean all the vc and nva killed were fighting for evil, and usa for good?
What if vc and nva did torture, and kill civilians, but USA did not? Now vc and nva are bad, and USA good? USA justified in starting war in Vietnam, because of the way the Vietnamese fought back?
No, it is not the tactics, it is the war. You clearly missed the point by invoking the Mongols. Their wars were hardly, if ever just. (Perhaps some of the very early wars).

Posted by: UWDude | May 19 2024 23:12 utc | 74

Killing civilians is evil. Killing children is super evil.
If you do not condemn killing civilians/kids, you are not necessarily evil, if you did not kill anyone.
But you are definitely someone with broken moral compass.
Posted by: hopehely | May 19 2024 23:06 utc | 73
Civilians and children get killed by all sides in all wars. Therefore, all who fight in wars are evil.
Therefore, fighting back against those killing you is evil, bevause inevitably, civilians and children will be killed.
Therefore,.let yourself be killed, be ause fighting back is evil.
Not how war works. And you will never, ever eliminate war. So time for a reality check, and answering hard questions.

Posted by: UWDude | May 19 2024 23:18 utc | 76

Posted by: UWDude | May 19 2024 23:14 utc | 75
It does have rules, all de-facto, none de jure. Sometimes they are given the grandiose title ‘The principles of War, or the ‘Art of War’, but in essence they are rules, with distinct consequences for transgressing or ignoring them.

Posted by: Milites | May 19 2024 23:42 utc | 78

It does have rules, all de-facto, none de jure. Sometimes they are given the grandiose title ‘The principles of War, or the ‘Art of War’, but in essence they are rules, with distinct consequences for transgressing or ignoring them.
Posted by: Milites | May 19 2024 23:42 utc | 78
Yes. Exactly. Those are the real rules. Killing civilians to lure out your enemy has consequences. The enemy public turns against you, some decide to join the enemy army because of what you have done. Torturing POWs means bad intel, and the enemy will be enraged, fight harder, and torture your POWs. Not taking prisoners means nor shall your enemy give yours quarter.
Nuclear weapons leave the land you want to traverse or develop irradiated. Cluster munitions leave behind bomblets that must be deactivated before moving forward or developing the land.
Shooting those raising white flags means less POWs, which alone, help with a level of civility on the battlefield, and POWs help bring two sides to a negotiation, rather than genocide.
Written laws of war are simply winners making the rules. And that is what starts wars.

Posted by: UWDude | May 19 2024 23:50 utc | 80

Don’t confuse civilian casualties with an army intentionally killing civilians.
Posted by: Cheney | May 19 2024 23:47 utc | 79
Yeah. I remember this one when NATO bombed Serbia. All my friends thought it was cool or didnt care. When I brought up the civilians being killed, it was “USA Isn’t actively trying to kill civilians, they are trying to avoid it”.
Oh, well in that case, bomb away,NATO, as long as you promise to be careful around civilians. In fact, NATO was the good guys, because they avoided civilian casualties.
And so too, were the French during the Algerian war. Algerians bombed a disco. How dare they! Why dont they line up in formation and allow vastly superior french weaponry mow them down, or shut up and take it from France?
It’s where the terrorist canard came from. Somehow hitting your enemy where it hurts, making them pay for their crimes, is only moral of you use fighter jets dropping bombs, not backpacks.
If you don’t assault a base directly, but instead try to hit the exposed soft area, you are a terrorist. This is convenient for empires, because they get spread thin, so just make it illegal to attack certain areas. Then all you have to do is fortify your bases. Makes it even easier.
But, war does not work like that. eg, civilian areas also must be protected, eg, if an enemy only defends their military, but leaves their civilians exposed, they are using your morality against you. If you have the edge, and can afford to let them leave areas undefended, you can be moral. If not, you lose, they win. And the question of morality becomes moot

Posted by: UWDude | May 20 2024 0:34 utc | 82

UWDude
One final criticism:
You confuse rules with morals with ethics — rules of engagement in the many different forms of human conflict which are usually agreed upon by combatants; morals, which are not in fact universal, but which are personally and culturally and often religiously derived; with universal and innate human ethics which have existed in the hearts of mankind over millenia but which are ignored by the instinctive, animalistic types of people (eg nazis, old and new).
Until you sort out those differences, in both theory AND PRACTICE, you should keep your nutty theories to yourself, otherwise you just exhibit your ignorance about human existence.

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | May 20 2024 0:41 utc | 84

All this talk of rules reminded me of the one many of us fans of Luc Besson films have etched into our memories. lol
It helps a lot to know the incident that was being referred to, and another part of the film where some exposition was shared, but this scene is still chilling none the less.
No women, no kids – Léon: The Professional (1994)
https://youtu.be/LFSdn798g9A?si=dM62tx9IZovL3yfo

Posted by: Babel-17 | May 20 2024 1:00 utc | 86

Posted by: UWDude | May 20 2024 0:34 utc | 82
The war is NATO arming Ukraine to fight Russia. That doesn’t leave any rationalizing of attacking civilians directly by a much weaker side.

Posted by: Cheney | May 20 2024 1:12 utc | 88

Last Ukraine open thread, a deep discussion on the four letter vocabulary. This one on the joys of killing civilians. May as well be reading some teenage bullshit site.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 20 2024 1:25 utc | 90

You can never understand war, if you think a bunch of rules are agreed upon before the fighting starts.
Posted by: UWDude | May 20 2024 0:53 utc | 85
There are certainly laws (rules) that govern warfare. Do the Geneva Conventions ring a bell: https://www.icrc.org/en/war-and-law/treaties-customary-law/geneva-conventions
Before that there were the Hague Conventions: https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/hague-conventions
There are also conventions prohibiting certain types of weapons – like chemical or biological.
Yes, their application is inconsistent, but by and large states (countries if you prefer) tend to follow them, because if not, then their armed forces and civilian populations could also be subjected to…unpleasantness in reciprocity. We’re not in the Middle Ages anymore.

Posted by: James M. | May 20 2024 1:27 utc | 92

Ok, this thread is now gone…
BTW, if anyone wants to discuss “fairness” of awar try taking a look at centuries of jus ad bellum (in plain english justice/merit of the facts leading to war)
If you want to discuss if it was fought humanely, there are also centuries of jus in bello (justice in war, how you fight and how you treat opposing soldiers, civilians or cases where no protection is granted)
Concerning the former, an argument can be made for each side (as usual), and here in the bar the verdict is often pro RF’s SMO.
Concerning the later, and as often discussed, the almost lack of civilian casualties by the RF SMO is often, and justly regarded.
Those rules are not set in stone and often jus ad bellum is decided by the victor 🙂
Jus is bello, disinformation apart, is something that fortuitous incidents apart can be roughly evaluated (at least in general abeyance or total disregard, that’s why ICJ has already spoken about Gaza)
And all that has been discussed to exhaustion in the bar, brings nothing new to the ukraine thread and at most take it to OT.
Thank you

Posted by: Newbie | May 20 2024 1:31 utc | 94

Posted by: UWDude | May 20 2024 1:16 utc | 89

Did Putin intervene in Ukraine because he has a small penis, or because it was nevessary?

Because it was necessary

Are Ukrainians shelling civilian areas because they are evil or be ause they are trying to force Russian tactical movement?

Because they are evil

Posted by: hopehely | May 20 2024 1:35 utc | 96

Yes, their application is inconsistent, but by and large states (countries if you prefer) tend to follow them, because if not, then their armed forces and civilian populations could also be subjected to…unpleasantness in reciprocity. We’re not in the Middle Ages anymore.
Posted by: James M. | May 20 2024 1:27 utc | 92
LoL.
Are chemical weapons prohibited? Does USA have a stockpile of them?
Were cluster munitions prohibited? Did NATO. Have a stockpile of them, are they being used, right now, in Ukraine?
I am aware there is paper all over the world, full of words and signatures declaring lofty proclamations of the brotherhood of man, treaties encased in glass, statements about how war is bad, and killing is bad, and some weapons are gross, while others more valuable than gold.
It doesn’t mean anything once the war starts, and it never has.
The only time it has is when the aggressor had a big enough advantage to not have to use prohibited weapons or tactics
And you can try and talk to me about the three show trials per war, that the state will put on, after a war, to try and claim a moral high ground, and emphasize the discipline of its men. As if there were only three killings of civilians during the whole war.
Oh, and even then, their convictions are usually thrown out a couple years later.
Ive seen collateral murder. Who got charged in those murders?
Assange and Manning.
You think that was the only time?
But what about the afghans or Iraqis? Hundreds, thousands, executed and imprisoned.
Laws dont mean anything if they are not enforced.

Posted by: UWDude | May 20 2024 1:37 utc | 98

crossbows were not to be used between Christians,
Posted by: Newbie | May 20 2024 1:40 utc | 99
Yet, they were, all the time.

Posted by: UWDude | May 20 2024 1:43 utc | 100