Jason Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 13 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said: Right, but why can't the US just gift stuff to Ukraine? I assume a limitation of the act that allows this? Apparently he can. I'm guessing he's doing this so Ukraine doesn't have to pay to transport the weapons? Or maybe just because it's Biden and he wants to ratchet up the pressure on the Republicans gradually. Quote Federal law allows an American president to declare military systems surplus to need, assign them a value—potentially zero dollars—and give them away on the condition that the recipient transport them. Quote And while Biden could send excess defense articles directly to Ukraine, he initially is using EDA as leverage in ring trades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mclumber1 Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 Give away the weapons for for free, but have the EU foot the transport bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 1 Author Share Posted February 1 16 hours ago, chakoo said: Post photos or videos from the performance if possible. Last night was amazing. Was really great to meet and speak with the ballet dancers (about half our group speaks Ukrainian, and about half their group spoke English). A few photos from last night, as well as our Hopak. Funny story about our performance: the Ukrainian National Ballet asked a group in each city they performed in to join them onstage for their (Ballet's) Hopak. However, we submitted ours to them and asked them to join ours. They agreed, but do to time constraints with the tour they weren't able to actually learn it well enough in time, so they asked us to just perform it ourselves, and they performed their own after. Huge honour in that sense. Zabutnyy Dance Company - Hopak: Me backstage as we warm up and prepare: One of my boots: Post-show with us and the Ballet: 3 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUFKAK Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mclumber1 Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 Ukraine allegedly sunk another Russian Navy ship - a missile Corvette was taken out by what appears to be drone jet skis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 1 Author Share Posted February 1 EU agrees €50bn package for Ukraine as Viktor Orbán bows to pressure | European Union | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM Hungarian prime minister, who had vowed to block the funding, relented after series of 11th-hour meetings 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 1 Author Share Posted February 1 6 minutes ago, mclumber1 said: Ukraine allegedly sunk another Russian Navy ship - a missile Corvette was taken out by what appears to be drone jet skis. https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1753011305466740859?s=20 Video of the hit from multiple vantage points—it looks like at least 2-3 drones hit it. Another ship promoted to submarine. Image of the ship sinking: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUFKAK Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 37 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said: EU agrees €50bn package for Ukraine as Viktor Orbán bows to pressure | European Union | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM Hungarian prime minister, who had vowed to block the funding, relented after series of 11th-hour meetings Good, fuck Orban, wish Hungary would Brexit since they can’t get kicked tf out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CayceG Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 1 hour ago, CitizenVectron said: https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1753011305466740859?s=20 Video of the hit from multiple vantage points—it looks like at least 2-3 drones hit it. Another ship promoted to submarine. Image of the ship sinking: Beautiful shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spork3245 Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 31 minutes ago, TUFKAK said: Good, fuck Orban I dunno, I feel like I could do better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris- Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 @Commissar SFLUFAN are you no longer posting IAW updates? No big deal if you aren’t, but I found them quite informative, so I figured I’d ask? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 There has been a toooooonne of agitprop by Russia for over a year saying that Zelenskyy was going to do this (in order to stoke internal divisions by claiming Zaluzhny was planning to run against Zelenskyy for President) so there is still a chance that this is false and that western media are falling for it. But could be true: Ukraine informs U.S. of decision to fire top general Valery Zaluzhny - The Washington Post WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM White House officials did not endorse or object to the planned ouster of Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, saying it’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s choice to make. My understanding is there is tension between the two re: a full draft to basically double or triple the Ukrainian military. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CayceG Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 Za and Ze simply don't trust one another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 3 Author Share Posted February 3 Canada is going to donate up to 83,000 CRV7 air-to-surface rockets to Ukraine. They were retired in 2000 and set to be scrapped, but at least 8,000 are still in full working order, and the rest can be cobbled together for working parts. Not super high tech, but good for helicopters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 4 Author Share Posted February 4 Tucker Carlson is in Moscow, and is apparently going to interview Putin. I hope the Ukrainians take this opportunity seriously. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbob42 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 30 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said: Tucker Carlson is in Moscow, and is apparently going to interview Putin. I hope the Ukrainians take this opportunity seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitgod Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 Come Mr. Carlson, let me show you the view from my 10th floor balcony. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 On 2/1/2024 at 6:23 PM, Chris- said: @Commissar SFLUFAN are you no longer posting IAW updates? No big deal if you aren’t, but I found them quite informative, so I figured I’d ask? Apologies for the delayed response to this! It was just a matter that the current battlefield stalemate situation coupled with the very real possibility that no further US military aid would be forthcoming along with the general sense that there really is no foreseeable path to a Ukrainian victory was contributing to my overall sense of general despondency about the future so I decided that it was probably best for me to quietly cease those daily postings. 1 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris- Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 10 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said: Apologies for the delayed response to this! It was just a matter that the current battlefield stalemate situation coupled with the very real possibility that no further US military aid would be forthcoming along with the general sense that there really is no foreseeable path to a Ukrainian victory was contributing to my overall sense of general despondency about the future so I decided that it was probably best for me to quietly cease those daily postings. Well thank you for doing it as long as you did! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 Ukrainians are in Sudan targeting Russian forces: Ukrainian special forces ‘in Sudan operating against Russian mercenaries’ | Sudan | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM Video reportedly from Ukrainian intelligence shows captured Russian saying he is from Wagner group 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 It appears to be part of Budanov's (intelligence) promised campaign to hunt down Wagner forces worldwide after what they did in Ukraine: Kyrylo Budanov: the Ukrainian military spy chief who ‘likes the darkness’ WWW.FT.COM General who has survived 10 assassination attempts keeps Russia guessing about his directorate’s reach and abilities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 7 Author Share Posted February 7 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 The Ukrainians are learning a harsh lesson that the Kurds and many others have learned throughout history: the United States of America simply cannot be trusted. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSpreader Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 11 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said: The Ukrainians are learning a harsh lesson that the Kurds and many others have learned throughout history: the United States of America simply cannot be trusted. The French learned it first Native Americans Mexico Saddam Hussein learned it Taliban learned it Everyone's learned it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUFKAK Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/08/europe/zaluzhnyi-ukraine-military-chief-dismissed-intl/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CayceG Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 The new head of the military was the commander who led the defense of Kyiv during the initial phases of the invasion. So I'm cautiously optimistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 8 Author Share Posted February 8 In other news... МО РФ предложило установить единый предельный возраст пребывания на службе при мобилизации TASS.RU Предельный возраст в период мобилизации составит для всех высших офицеров до 70 лет, для остальных контрактников - 65 лет Russia is proposing to raise the maximum age of mobilized soldiers to 65. For reference, the current life expectancy for men in Russia is 64. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 8 Author Share Posted February 8 It sounds like from Ukrainian sources that people there see this move as: Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine needs to keep some sort of forward momentum in terms of retaking some ground, otherwise the west will completely abandon Ukraine Zaluzhny would not sign off on wasting gear/men on this sort of stuff - this is why Ukraine often lost ground to Russia but managed to exact 10:1 or even 20:1 casualties Syrsky is willing to throw men and gear at any mark on the map in order to take it or hold it (he's the one that held on to Bakhmut for so long) So it really comes down to: which form of strategy and tactics can defeat Russia: the NATO model (Zaluzhny), or the Soviet model (Syrsky)? Right now the Soviet model of ground warfare is proving superior as Russia continue to take small chunks of land, even at the cost of men and gear. If Ukraine emulates it, will it help? I have no doubt that the NATO model is superior if you have air support, but the west hesitated for far too long on getting Ukraine the gear they needed. If Ukraine had been given HIMARS, F-16s, ATACMS, NASAMS, Patriot, Bradleys, tanks, and more in 2022, then I think Russia would possibly have lost Crimea by now. But the west is weak and lacks resolve. Zelenskyy possibly believes that if he shifts Ukraine back to the Soviet mindset of sacrifice for the greater good (which likely means a big conscription) then he can hold of Russia. I believe he can, but the one thing the Soviet model needs (even more than men) is artillery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mclumber1 Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 29 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said: It sounds like from Ukrainian sources that people there see this move as: Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine needs to keep some sort of forward momentum in terms of retaking some ground, otherwise the west will completely abandon Ukraine Zaluzhny would not sign off on wasting gear/men on this sort of stuff - this is why Ukraine often lost ground to Russia but managed to exact 10:1 or even 20:1 casualties Syrsky is willing to throw men and gear at any mark on the map in order to take it or hold it (he's the one that held on to Bakhmut for so long) So it really comes down to: which form of strategy and tactics can defeat Russia: the NATO model (Zaluzhny), or the Soviet model (Syrsky)? Right now the Soviet model of ground warfare is proving superior as Russia continue to take small chunks of land, even at the cost of men and gear. If Ukraine emulates it, will it help? I have no doubt that the NATO model is superior if you have air support, but the west hesitated for far too long on getting Ukraine the gear they needed. If Ukraine had been given HIMARS, F-16s, ATACMS, NASAMS, Patriot, Bradleys, tanks, and more in 2022, then I think Russia would possibly have lost Crimea by now. But the west is weak and lacks resolve. Zelenskyy possibly believes that if he shifts Ukraine back to the Soviet mindset of sacrifice for the greater good (which likely means a big conscription) then he can hold of Russia. I believe he can, but the one thing the Soviet model needs (even more than men) is artillery. Does Ukraine possess the ability to produce NATO artillery shells? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUFKAK Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 Conservatives went from support our troops to support our comrades again, they’re fucking traitors and they do not deserve a seat at the table, fuck them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massdriver Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 GOP senators defy Trump by advancing foreign aid bill - POLITICO WWW.POLITICO.COM The vote was a decisive 67-27. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 Musk needs to answer a few questions...right after the US government nationalizes SpaceX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CayceG Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 The trouble with that is at the front SpaceX can't turn off Russia's Starlinks without hitting Ukraine's since the proximity is too close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted February 13 Author Share Posted February 13 Elon Musk is now calling for the west to stop supporting Ukraine. GOP house leader just said they won't take up the aid bill the Senate is about to pass. I think this is it, and the US has decided to lose the war to Russia. So fucking weak. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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