Ukraine 4

[Maj. Bill Martin]

It's basically a raid -- land, blow sh*t up, then leave.  Really just for propaganda.

The Ukrainians lack the ability to do anything approaching a significant amphibious operation, much less keeping those troops supplied after the landing.  Can't see the Russians relocating any significant forces to deter future landings.  They'll just up their levels of air/naval alert, and perhaps the rear-area troops will get a bit more active.  Still a fun thing to do, and no real reason not to do it.

[Timber Rattler]

It's basically a raid -- land, blow sh*t up, then leave.  Really just for propaganda.

The Ukrainians lack the ability to do anything approaching a significant amphibious operation, much less keeping those troops supplied after the landing.  Can't see the Russians relocating any significant forces to deter future landings.  They'll just up their levels of air/naval alert, and perhaps the rear-area troops will get a bit more active.  Still a fun thing to do, and no real reason not to do it.

They might have been the ones who took out that S-400 SAM site.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1694294328317743123

[240B]

[PeteS in CA]

The Su-27 and Su-30 are mid-late 80s Soviet analogs to the F-15C and F-15E (i.e. single and dual seat). So in addition to losing a valuable transport helicopter, some fairly modern Russian fighters and strike-fighters are going to have to wait a bit longer for parts.

[240B]

Half a Mil - not bad

[240B]

[PeteS in CA]

Russia Today,

The Covid vaccines used in Russia were all developed and produced in Russia, Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona, CoviVac, and Sputnik Light (may not have been deployed), but Russia Today's target audience isn't supposed to know that. Another thing Russia Today's target audience isn't supposed to know is that none of those vaccines use Bogey-mRNA technology.

More importantly, a distraction attempt, no matter how silly, signifies that there is something from which someone wants a distraction.

[240B]

The article says, "Evidence from multiple monitoring systems from around the globe support association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and myocarditis." The article is citing global evidence around the world, and not just what is happening in Russia.

Also, it was a private plane with a private pilot. The pilot could have been any nationality, not necessarily Russian.

[Hoodat]

It was almost certainly symbolic, and intended mostly to rile up the Orcs.

Here are the soldiers who did it.  They are hightailing it back to Odesa while a Russian Su-25 strafes them with a 30mm autocannon.

from r/UkraineWarVideoReport

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/15zza06/another_video_from_the_work_of_one_of_the_gur/

[Kamaji]

That is colloquially called "muddying the waters" - Russian propaganda designed to detract from Putin's otherwise obvious culpability.

[Timber Rattler]

That is colloquially called "muddying the waters" - Russian propaganda designed to detract from Putin's otherwise obvious culpability.

Yeah, the vaccine had absolutely nothing to do with the shootdown (and that's what it was).  And it was no coincidence that Utkin was aboard too...Putin got two birds with one stone.  He waited long enough to let things simmer down from Prigozhin's mutiny, separated him from his men, and than BANG...he's dead, and "Mr. Wagner" Utkin too for good measure!

[Kamaji]

Ukraine launches missile strike on Russian airfield housing Putin's supersonic bombers

Footage shows a suspected modified S-200 missile in an explosion near the base
Strike came during what may have been war's busiest night of Ukrainian attacks

By WILL STEWART and ELENA SALVONI
25 August 2023

Ukraine launched a spectacular overnight missile strike inside Russia today at a military airfield where Vladimir Putin's supersonic Tu-22M3 strategic bombers are based.

Footage shows a suspected modified S-200 missile in a giant explosion in darkness at or near the Shaykovka military airfield, southwest of Moscow.

Russia claims to have shot down an S-200 missile. There is so far no independent information on damage from the attack.

The bombardment came during what may have been the busiest night of Ukrainian attacks on Russia and Russian-held territory during the war.

Two major Moscow international airports - Vnukovo and Domodedovo - were closed, leading to significant disruption for incoming and outgoing planes.

Russian air defences were also in action in Tula region, south of the capital, which borders Kaluga region amid suspected drone attacks.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12444869/Ukraine-launches-missile-strike-Russian-airfield-supersonic-bombers.html

[rangerrebew]

Ukraine to cost half-trillion more if war ends now
Ukraine war will end up being the most costly and perhaps corrupt foreign operation ever carried out by the United States
By STEPHEN BRYEN
AUGUST 23, 2023
 

If the Ukraine war ended tomorrow, the United States still would need to send hundreds of billions in aid to that country. The bill includes continuation of military assistance, budget support for the Ukrainian government and reconstruction assistance.

President Biden has just asked for another US$24 billion to support Ukraine, primarily for military equipment but also budget support ($7.3 billion). While Congress is increasingly skeptical about another huge chunk of money to fund an endless conflict, this is peanuts compared with what will be asked after the war ends.
 
The World Bank has done a revised estimate on reconstruction needs, based on data from the first year of the war (February 2022 to February 2023).  The Bank says that Ukraine needs $411 billion for reconstruction over a ten-year period.

https://asiatimes.com/2023/08/ukraine-to-cost-half-trillion-more-if-war-ends-now/

[rangerrebew]

Putin Can’t Hide This: 260,000 Dead And Wounded In Ukraine For Russia
The Russian campaign in Ukraine isn’t going well. That is no secret to anyone who has been even vaguely following the 19-month conflict.


ByStavros Atlamazoglou
Published 6 seconds ago
 

The Russian campaign in Ukraine isn’t going well. That is no secret to anyone who has been even vaguely following the 19-month conflict.

In a rare move to become more involved in his invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited the headquarters responsible for a “special military operation” in the neighboring country.

Putin Visits the Front
Over the weekend, Putin visited the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, about 90 miles from the frontlines in Ukraine.

The Southern Military District hosts the staff that is responsible for running the “special military operation” in Ukraine. The Wagner Group briefly captured the headquarters in June when it launched its surprise mutiny.

In Rostov-on-Don, the Russian leader held a meeting with some of his most senior military officers, including Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov, who is also running the “special military operation” in Ukraine; Putin appointed him in that position in January.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/08/putin-cant-hide-this-260000-dead-and-wounded-in-ukraine-for-russia/

[DefiantMassRINO]

Why would dead and wounded be a concern to Russian leadership?

Historically, the Russian/Soviet militaries have not lot high casualties dissuade them from a battle plan.  They just keep sending in more soldiers, and shooting the ones that attempt to retreat.

Ukraine may become another Afghanistan for the Russians/Soviets, as the West uses the conflict to bleed the Russians dry.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Ukraine would need to conduct policy that grew GDP rapidly.  Ukraine has natural resources. The industrial and manufacturing capacity in the Donbas has been degraded.

The best approach for Ukraine is to not hamstring their recovery by imposing Green policy restrictions on them.  Coal and Natural gas are the fuels that will allow for the quickest restoration of their electric grid.  Ukraine will also need to rebuild transportation infrastructure with minimal delay.  Delays for environmental nonsense - salamanders, newts, spotted owls, etc. - will increase the costs of time and money for economic recovery.

Once Ukraine has a stable economy with stable GDP growth, then, may afford the luxury of Green nonsense.

[PeteS in CA]

The article says, "Evidence from multiple monitoring systems from around the globe support association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and myocarditis." The article is citing global evidence around the world, and not just what is happening in Russia.

Also, it was a private plane with a private pilot. The pilot could have been any nationality, not necessarily Russian.

Headline says: Prigozhin pilot had post vaccine myocarditis, heart attack may be cause of crash. The headline clearly claims a Covid vaccine caused the crash.

The pilot's name was Alexei Levshin. That is an obviously Slavic name. And do you really think it even slightly plausible that Prigozhin would trust a pilot who was not a Wagner Group member? In other words, IF Levshin had been vaccinated against Covid - is there evidence he was? - he most likely received a Russian developed vaccine (none of which use Bogey-mRNA vaccine technology).

In the real world the most likely causes of the crash are surface-to-air missile or air-to-air missiles. Witness reports mention two smoke trails toward the area from which Prigozhin's plane fell, making missiles the likely suspects, at this point.

[Kamaji]

Headline says: Prigozhin pilot had post vaccine myocarditis, heart attack may be cause of crash. The headline clearly claims a Covid vaccine caused the crash.

The pilot's name was Alexei Levshin. That is an obviously Slavic name. And do you really think it even slightly plausible that Prigozhin would trust a pilot who was not a Wagner Group member? In other words, IF Levshin had been vaccinated against Covid - is there evidence he was? - he most likely received a Russian developed vaccine (none of which use Bogey-mRNA vaccine technology).

In the real world the most likely causes of the crash are surface-to-air missile or air-to-air missiles. Witness reports mention two smoke trails toward the area from which Prigozhin's plane fell, making missiles the likely suspects, at this point.

It may also have been an on-board bomb.

[PeteS in CA]

It may also have been an on-board bomb.

That is another common theory.

[GtHawk]

Um why would we need to send more financial aid to a country I thought was oil rich? And why isn't there any sort of agreement to recompense the American people for all the treasure taken from them to support the Ukraine? Why isn't MotherF'kn Russia that is on the hook to pay for their aggression? There was no problem making Germany and thee Austro Hungarian empire pay for it's aggression. Why is it now always the American people who get the shit end of the stick? The only difference this time vs. every war/conflict the the American taxpayer has underwritten since WWII is that, so far no child of an American sacrificed life, limb or mind in the name of stopping communism or moslem terrorism.

[ScottinVA]

Meanwhile, I looked in at the slums of TOS and found them to be typically and laughably apoplectic at this:

https://americanwirenews.com/defense-department-announces-it-will-now-train-ukrainian-pilots-ground-crews-on-f-16s-in-arizona/

🇺🇦👍

[Cyber Liberty]

Meanwhile, I looked in at the slums of TOS and found them to be typically and laughably apoplectic at this:

https://americanwirenews.com/defense-department-announces-it-will-now-train-ukrainian-pilots-ground-crews-on-f-16s-in-arizona/

🇺🇦👍

Tucson is an odd choice.  I was sure it would be Luke.

[ScottinVA]

That 260k figure is probably a conservative estimate.  By comparison, the orcs lost 15,000 over the span of the entire incursion in Afghanistan.  The number of dead orcs is going to go significantly higher once the Ukrainians break through those defensive lines.

[PeteS in CA]

Um why would we need to send more financial aid to a country I thought was oil rich? ...

Ukraine is "oil rich"? Got data to support that statement?

Per this webpage, https://www.worldometers.info/oil/ukraine-oil/ , in 2016 Ukraine's oil consumption was nearly 5 times its production. Also in that data, Ukraine's 2016 oil production was 61st out of 127 countries for which the site has production data.

But looking at the data here, https://www.worldometers.info/oil/oil-production-by-country/ , Russia is the third highest oil producer in the world.

[240B]