Oh! I think I understand .... even if fleetingly.

I was very surprised to read that part of the German contribution is supplies of Panzerfaust 3: I didn't know they had kept on the name from WW II, though having said that, the appearance is not radically different.

For the first time, more than half of Finns are in favour of their country joining NATO, according to a poll commissioned by public broadcasting company Yle.

Pr00ne,
What is your professional take on that? I feel that if there were mileage in it it would have been addressed before now?

The last texts of a Russian conscript to his mother before he was killed.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2d7610c9b.jpeg

Sorry, you can't, they are a charter member of the club. Without the protections of veto, they don't join. This isn't rocket science. UN is not a matter of equality in membership. Some members are more equal than others. Russia is one such member.

Your appeal to "just war theory" will probably evoke sniggers in Moscow, and a few other places.

@tdracer:
Uh, no, that one isn't gonna go anywhere.
Republic of China (that would be the government that went into exile on Taiwan, Kuomintang), was the original UN Member, but eventually People Republic of China replaced them. You can thank Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon for getting the ball rolling on that.
The Russians were not dumb enough not to ensure that they were the replacement for Soviet Union when CCCP became CIS after the Wall fell.

Mind you, I grinned in empathetic support the other day, about an hour after Putin launched "Operation let's go get Ukraine" when the Ukrainian (was watching this on CSPAN) ambassador addressed the Security Council and said to the sitting president of that body (the Russian gent) "you should vacate your chair, since your country started this war."

Hey, may as well raise the point. :ok:

@ORAC: what are the odds that bit you posted is factual, versus "something posted on the internet of dubious provenance" in your estimation?

The trouble has got to be distribution across the country though, I noted the film of the guns and ammunition being supplied to the public they were using dumper trucks as opposed to military, which makes sense, less of an obvious target.

I was under the assumption that the S400 was the bees knees of air defence systems so am surprised that Ukraine seems able to operate their TB2s over the battle space and possibly even into Russia.

1st March

quite a haul :)

These farmers are getting ambitious, an SA-8 Gecko system, just what you need to scare low flying birds off your crops.

That Russian convoy moving to Kyiv is now 64km long!
Oh for a couple of fully loaded A-10s... what a Turkey shoot.

I would have thought with the off road mud issues that appear to be hampering the Russians, take out the front and rear of that convoy and it will be a target rich environment.

mud problems see

https://news7f.com/russian-tank-stuc...lt-on-ukraine/

Let's Put In a cheer for Чернoзем aka black earth aka mud.

The Finns specialised in mottis. Disable the front and back of a convoy traversing a forest, mud an effective substitute, but forest supplies better cover. Chop the convoy into pieces. Target field kitchens (and fuel tankers).

Bring in the in-laws. Thermal sights helpful in night attacks.

It may be worth noting that penetrations are close to the borders, a possible additional confirmation of fuel shortages to be added to the many reports of Russians running out of gas.

Also of note are the generous contributions of aircraft and ordinance from Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Beyond Lukashenko and Xi, Putin seems short of friends.

Funny how General Mud and General Winter were the Soviets' friends in WWII. It looks like General Mud has changed sides now

Have to say I find it odd that nobody seems to have mentioned the similarities (and obvious differences) between these events and Operation Barbarossa

Similar situation and scenario in Sweden. Putin really has got the exact opposite of what he wanted to achieve here.

If the case was made back in 1991 then it may have had some legitimacy. The fact that it wasn't, and Russia has continued in situ as a voting member for the subsequent 21 years and been accepted as such by the rest of the permanent Security Council and indeed the entire UN membership would, I imagine, render any attempt to make such a claim now null and void.

Until the veto of the members of the Permanent security council is removed the UN will not amount to a jot in cases such as Ukraine.

I think their mobile SAM and gun systems would be a real issue for anything like an A-10.

this was discussed already before the invasion started.