Russia Invades

[Lancasterclaret]

Any idea what date they will join?

Been ratified by all NATO members so I would say that technically they are in NATO

You have to remember that they have been allied partners of NATO for a fair few years as well, so the only change I suspect is that you will see Finnish troops, ships and aircraft in NATO battlegroups throughout Europe

The fact that they felt sufficiently alarmed by Russian actions (and their history with them being less than stellar!) to do this just highlights both how much Putin overreached and NATO opinion of Russian strengths and weaknesses

Essentially Russia cannot do anything about this, and hasn't been able to do for a while, but by invading Ukraine they have told everyone that they don't care if they can't actually do stuff, they are willing to do it anyway

[yTib]

Is Nato really a defensive alliance?

https://www.royalgazette.com/letters-to ... -alliance/

Worth a read.

nothing you've ever posted on here is worth a read bluelabradonkey.

[Hipper]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... story.html

Both Turkey and Hungary were obstacles to Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Sweden still isn't agreed.

[Lowbankclaret]

I don't understand what he was exposed for?

As far as I can see Sarah Ashton is exposing him for not being contracted to the Ukraine Armed Forces.

Do foreign volunteers need to be contracted? Can they not just travel over and create their own small group of fighters with other volunteers and locals?

He was doing videos of him being in combat, pretending to be an active soldier and getting people to donate hundreds of thousands pounds . When he was never in combat.

[Lancasterclaret]

I'm loving the idea that the Ukrainian Armed forces just let volunteers run around shooting at Russians whenever they feel like it

They essentially join the AFU as regular military units

You can't run an army any other way, the Russians are proving with Wagner

[KRBFC]

He was doing videos of him being in combat, pretending to be an active soldier and getting people to donate hundreds of thousands pounds . When he was never in combat.

but he was in combat (there's footage of that) just not as a registered soldier for the Ukrainian Army, right? I did a little reading and saw he never claimed to be apart of the official army. I wasn't sure how that works, can volunteers just form their own small group and fight without registering as an official soldier? i'm not sure how that would work logistically with coordinated military attacks but I assume Ukraine were desperate for all 18+ year old men to stay and pick up a gun.

[KRBFC]

I'm loving the idea that the Ukrainian Armed forces just let volunteers run around shooting at Russians whenever they feel like it

They essentially join the AFU as regular military units

You can't run an army any other way, the Russians are proving with Wagner

Well the Azov Battalion and Da Vinci Wolves were not part of the official armed forces at one stage, just volunteer units.

[NewClaret]

Russian war blogger killed in explosion in St Petersburg cafe:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65155075

[Lancasterclaret]

Well the Azov Battalion and Da Vinci Wolves were not part of the official armed forces at one stage, just volunteer units.

They operated under the C & C of the Ukrainian Armed Forces though

I don't know what the crack was pre-2014, but the evolution of the AFU to an essentially NATO trained formation hasn't happened overnight but it has happened with great success

Russia is fighting this war with questionable tactics and certainly non-military objectives but it still had a lot of (in theory) capable troops and equipment but even so

Pretty impressive to see

[AmbleClaret]

Russian war blogger killed in explosion in St Petersburg cafe:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65155075

Handy that.

[Lancasterclaret]

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/stat ... 0863395847

Finland to officially join NATO tomorrow

The complete strategic failure of Russian policy is clear for all to see

[CoolClaret]

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/stat ... 0863395847

Finland to officially join NATO tomorrow

The complete strategic failure of Russian policy is clear for all to see

Huge dub.

[Boss Hogg]

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/stat ... 0863395847

Finland to officially join NATO tomorrow

The complete strategic failure of Russian policy is clear for all to see

Unless you live in Russia.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

https://twitter.com/InfoAgeStrategy/sta ... 12C7A&s=19

Interesting opinion on China/Russia.

[Lowbankclaret]

https://twitter.com/InfoAgeStrategy/sta ... 12C7A&s=19

Interesting opinion on China/Russia.

Absolutely Chine is thinking of invading Russia. It’s so weak now.

The first thing the Chinese leader did was invite the leaders of the stans countries on the borders to come to China.

They have oil and gas controlled by Russia or they defect to China .

Be an interesting year

[Lancasterclaret]

Guys, the same reason that Ukraine isn't going to invade Russia is exactly the same why China isn't going to attack Russia

I'm sure China would love to get their hands on the "Northern Resource Area" but they don't have to

Russia has handed China economic dominance of itself by buying heavily discounted Russian oil, while the performance and attitude of Russia in Ukraine has the stans really worried and ready to look elsewhere for support and help, and the longer the war goes on, the more reliant Russia will be on that market

its not just the NATO expansion that Russia has totally strategically lost, its the battle for influence on its southern border as well

And what have they got instead?

Some expressions of support from Africa and thats it

[Lowbankclaret]

Guys, the same reason that Ukraine isn't going to invade Russia is exactly the same why China isn't going to attack Russia

I'm sure China would love to get their hands on the "Northern Resource Area" but they don't have to

Russia has handed China economic dominance of itself by buying heavily discounted Russian oil, while the performance and attitude of Russia in Ukraine has the stans really worried and ready to look elsewhere for support and help, and the longer the war goes on, the more reliant Russia will be on that market

its not just the NATO expansion that Russia has totally strategically lost, its the battle for influence on its southern border as well

And what have they got instead?

Some expressions of support from Africa and thats it

#disagree The

[GodIsADeeJay81]

China doesn't have to attack Russia.
They could retake that land via negotiations and agreements etc.

[SocialistClaret]

[yTib]

a strange part of me thinks putin wanted this all along.

[simonclaret]

An interesting insight into Putin's paranoia.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... cret-train

[Here's-Johnny]

An interesting insight into Putin's paranoia.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... cret-train

Id guess most World leaders are looking over there shoulder at some point not that unusual.

[Lip]

Come in No 40.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21947653/ ... ell-putin/

[AlargeClaret]

An interesting insight into Putin's paranoia.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... cret-train

This guy’s gonna spend his life looking over his shoulder that’s for sure.

[Hipper]

The story of the 331st Guards Parachute Regiment:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65179074

[Taffy on the wing]

It's all gone very quiet on here.........anything going on? I don't use Twitter.
I thought the Ukrainian counter offensive might have started by now.

[Colburn_Claret]

It's all gone very quiet on here.........anything going on? I don't use Twitter.
I thought the Ukrainian counter offensive might have started by now.

Hopefully when it starts we'll know nothing about it. The biggest weapon is surprise.

[Lancasterclaret]

It's all gone very quiet on here.........anything going on? I don't use Twitter.
I thought the Ukrainian counter offensive might have started by now.

Russia isn't going anywhere and its winter offensive with 300,000 extra troops has not achieved what they wanted/needed

Ukraine will attack when it is the perfect time (the leak of US papers from the Pentagon shows just how much they know about the Russian military situation and its all going to Ukraine) for it

End of the month?

[Hipper]

It's all gone very quiet on here.........anything going on? I don't use Twitter.
I thought the Ukrainian counter offensive might have started by now.

Not much. A kind of eerie silence before a storm perhaps?

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgr ... ril-8-2023

[GodIsADeeJay81]

https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/ ... gbS6g&s=19

China poking around Taiwan...

[Lancasterclaret]

https://twitter.com/pjasinski/status/16 ... 5820926977

British soldiers saluting Ukrainian troops who have completed their training and are heading back to the front

[NewClaret]

https://twitter.com/pjasinski/status/16 ... 5820926977

British soldiers saluting Ukrainian troops who have completed their training and are heading back to the front

Very moving.

[Colburn_Claret]

https://twitter.com/pjasinski/status/16 ... 5820926977

British soldiers saluting Ukrainian troops who have completed their training and are heading back to the front

Wathgill Camp, just a few miles from home. I hadn't realised they were training there.
Good luck, and success to all of them.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

BBC News - Ukraine war: Leak shows Western special forces on the ground
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65245065

[Elbarad]

There is a video going around supposedly taken by Russians of them cutting the head off a live Ukrainian POW. I have not seen it by choice but supposedly it is all over telegram. War is by it’s very nature brutal but this is barbarism.

[Goalposts]

There is a video going around supposedly taken by Russians of them cutting the head off a live Ukrainian POW. I have not seen it by choice but supposedly it is all over telegram. War is by it’s very nature brutal but this is barbarism.

It’s been geoconfirmed as Wagner forces and there are two UKR soilders who they behead. Genuinely horrific on an isis scale.. its possible that as its Wagner putin may use it as leverage to arrest those Wagner involved.. but in truth that’s what happens when rapists , murderers , and total physcopaths are recruited from prisons and mental institutions…

[SocialistClaret]

It’s been geoconfirmed as Wagner forces and there are two UKR soilders who they behead. Genuinely horrific on an isis scale.. its possible that as its Wagner putin may use it as leverage to arrest those Wagner involved.. but in truth that’s what happens when rapists , murderers , and total physcopaths are recruited from prisons and mental institutions…

Russia's been isis-like for a long time. Long before this war. What we saw from them though was a Christian version of isis not at war. Now they're warring we see the same ****.

[bfcjg]

Can we keep it to the specific Ukraine invasion topic, elements attempting to divert to other areas will get it locked.

[Volvoclaret]

Well done Mods

[Lowbankclaret]

BBC News - Ukraine war: Leak shows Western special forces on the ground
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65245065

I did mention this, post xmas after speaking to people with family serving.

[Zom Zom]

I just wish we could bring this to an end. I'm not into the politics of it all, I wouldn't know where to begin, but how far does this have to go? How extreme does it need to be before the rest of the world says 'That's enough'?

[Vino blanco]

I just wish we could bring this to an end. I'm not into the politics of it all, I wouldn't know where to begin, but how far does this have to go? How extreme does it need to be before the rest of the world says 'That's enough'?
[/quote
Putin doesn't care what the rest of the world says.]

[bfcjg]

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/border-panic- ... 37574.html
I should imagine the border is very porous in places.

[Lancasterclaret]

I just wish we could bring this to an end. I'm not into the politics of it all, I wouldn't know where to begin, but how far does this have to go? How extreme does it need to be before the rest of the world says 'That's enough'?

Quite liking the idea that someone can tell Putin what to do

Of course it should end right now, but that would involve Russia admitting that it can't win, or Ukraine surrendering and we are all back to square one waiting for Russia to attack someone else

Neither look likely at the moment

[Pendle Bella]

The war in Ukraine was planned by the United States/Uk/Nato well before any Russian boot stepped over the border in 2022!

Please tell what country Russia are planning to pop into next.

[ClaretLoup]

Just to update you on a bit of history . Russian boots stepped over the border in 2014 when they invaded Crimea and assisted separatist movements in Eastern Ukraine.

[box_of_frogs]

I see the Russian bot is back.

[SocialistClaret]

It's amazing how everything Russia does is always America's fault. Russia amassed over a hundred thousand troops on Ukraine's border throughout the 2021-22 winter and then launched an invasion in Feb 2022 all because of the United States. They annexed Crimea and attempted to assassinate at least two of Ukraine's leaders all because the United States made them do it.

Maybe it's all mind control and Putin is secretly being controlled by the CIA, and probably Israel somehow. It's always the jews somehow too, right Bella? They did 9/11 too you know. And they got us relegated last year. Probably. I dunno, ask Pendle Bella. They'll explain.

[Enola Gay]

The war in Ukraine was planned by the United States/Uk/Nato well before any Russian boot stepped over the border in 2022!

Please tell what country Russia are planning to pop into next.

So what you're really saying is... Russia are f******g stupid enough to fall for anyone else's sh*t?

на хуй, дурак...

[Robbie_painter]

The war in Ukraine was planned by the United States/Uk/Nato well before any Russian boot stepped over the border in 2022!

Please tell what country Russia are planning to pop into next.

Literally skipped to the last page on this thread and happened upon this little gem.It’s unreal to think people actually think this ****.