The Russian invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts and the vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands.
The Ministry of Defence provided the following intelligence update.
- The Russian invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts.
- Russian forces have made minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days and they continue to suffer heavy losses.
- Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated. The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 17 March 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/OdjSV0U43C
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/gxOTw78P0M
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 17, 2022
How do things look overall?
As things stand this morning, the vast majority of Ukrainian territory remains in Ukrainian hands. pic.twitter.com/N6IueuTCCU
— George Allison (@geoallison) March 17, 2022
Last week, the UK government unveiled plans to provide vital energy support to Ukrainian hospitals and shelters. The UK will donate more than 500 mobile generators to help keep the lights on in Ukraine, the government has announced today.
“The generators have been directly requested by President Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK in recent discussions with the Prime Minister and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng. They will provide much needed energy to essential facilities across Ukraine, including hospitals, shelters and water treatment plants which have lost power during the ongoing Russian invasion.”
The UK government has created a dedicated taskforce, including distribution network operators and the Energy Networks Association, to source and send the generators to Ukraine which could provide enough to power around 20,000 homes or equivalent buildings.
Been reading about the views of some Russians in a small town where they were burying a commander of a mechanised division and the more I listen to indoctrinated Russians continue to peddle the load of BS that the fighting is justified because NATO “wants to place nukes in Ukraine”, the more I hope the Ukranians give Russian forces a bloody good hiding. I seriously question if these people are even capable of independent thought and opinion.
Well…if we didnt want to deploy Nukes in Ukraine before Im sure we do now. Ukraine will survive and come out of the war as heroic upholders of democracy whilst Russia’s economy will tank. Its people will become markedly poorer. Id hope any Russian would be able to question. Why cant i buy or service a car? Why cant I travel abroad? Why are interest rates so high? Why is consumer price inflation 35%. Why are my savings worth 50% less? Why is my pension now essentially worthless leading to widespread aged related poverty in a country with a very… Read more »
I suspect it will play to Putin’s “the West hates Russia” propaganda. 😐
Amazing how the imagined war with NATO threat …is now becoming a reality, maybe that is the game Putin is playing? If he does conquer Ukraine then yes NATO will be right on his border ….
NATO’s already on his border anyway in the Baltics. And the fixation on buffer zones doesn’t make much sense in a world in which each side’s nuclear weapons (many launched from submarines) can destroy the other 20 times over.
The West should be making every effort also to point out that Russia has vast mineral wealth and with a relatively small population given the size of the country, the average quality of life in Russia should be high. Then show images of the $billion yachts and palaces of the Oligarchs and anyone associated with Putin and say this is where your wealth has gone. Meanwhile the Red Arrows should paint a giant Ukrainian flag in the sky just on the Polish side of the border from Kaliningrad….(ok perhaps not that one but nothing wrong with a bit of psyops… Read more »
I agree with all of that. And then perhaps a giant rock concert right on the border that the good people of Russia are welcome to attend. Just to show Putin that it’s his beef, not Russia’s, and what he has done is treason to every innocent citizen on either side of the border.
A concert is a great idea.
Let’s deploy David Hasselhoff!
Mr Bell, have a like.
Sanctions & an impoverished, repressed population hasn’t yet achieved regime change in N Korea or Syria. It could be decades before we see any change in Russia for all the suffering it causes ordinary Russians. Those that don’t drink themselves to death are used to suffering.
You have to understand that in Russia control of information and freedom of speech has been part of the political and cultural makeup for a very long time. Most Russians would not dare to express any dissent openly because of the fear of arrest, however a lot of Russians know no different. Think in terms of the BBC and ITV and if they were controlled by the state from their inception to only state the party line, if your access to social media was controlled and the all other media outlets were controlled as well, it makes it very difficult… Read more »
Reading that sales of VPN software has gone up by nearly 3000% in Russia since the restriction were put in place. Hopefully many of these are not just to let them access Netflix but also to see press coverage from abroad.
Yes, but look at Russian jokes going back to Soviet days. People knew the Kremlin was lying to them. Why should it be different now?
Same in China.
My grandmother used to say there’s no such thing as can’t there’s only won’t. Thanks to the Gorbachev glasnost and perestroika era and the internet many Russians are not only capable but a few are willing to speak out, risking arrest and detention.
In my view the key person is Kyrill, the Russian Patriarch. He needs to find his courage and confront Putin publicly. The Russians are decent long-suffering people and need to be freed from this Putin paranoia. If Kyrill tells them it’s crap they will believe him. Happy Patrick’s ☘️
You make a really important point re role of the church – Russia has changed – on the plus side access to global news and liberal society via internet, on the negative, loss of the checks/balances that the USSR politburo imposed. There will be hundreds of thousands of middle class professionals, many of who speak English, horrified at what is happening but crazy Putin is more immovable than in the days of the USSR
Unfortunately Paul , Putin has probably got something on Bishop Kyrill that he can threaten him with if he doesn’t agree with actions that he is taking Some sordid little secret which would destroy his standing in the Russian orthodox Church remember Putin being ex KGB would have had access too thousand of Soviet era files ,when the Church was under heavy scrutiny for Non Party alliance.
Even if he doesnt have any life altering secrets on him he will certainly hold a gun to his head!
I can’t see the Bishop offering himself up for Martyrdom he’s in too much of a comfortable position so he’ll tow the party line regardless James
Or just invent some life altering secrets about him and leak it to the Russian state-controlled media.
Going by the levels of propaganda you are 100% right.
Doubt it. Tea is less messy.
Sadly very true!
No it’s simpler than that, Putin is harsh on western liberalism such as equality rights which Kyrill views as undermining church teachings.
Fundermentalism if its not in the Good book it’s heresy, they’ll be burning people at the stake next
They’ve been burning innocent civillians in their homes, flats, hospitals and schools, so not a great leap forward Tommo!
Agree with you on that one David ,
Putin had a rant on TV attacking oligarchs speaking against the war. “I do not judge those with villas in Miami or the French Riviera. Or who can’t get by without oysters or foie gras or so called gender freedoms. The problem is they mentally exist there, and not here, with our people, with Russia”
Yes unfortunately it’s a partnership that works for both. Unfortunately a religious leader and being a good person do not always go hand in hand.
Putin uses the ‘moral decline’ of the west to get support from Kyrill, who is more in business to feather his own nest than to save souls. It’s worth remembering though that between 1917 and 1939 the number of churches in Russia fell from 20,000 to 400. The Russian people are religiously conservative. Putin and Kyrill form an unholy but stable alliance. A lot of orthodox priests have stopped mentioning Kyrill in their Sunday prayers. In order to survive both communist and fascists authoritarian regimes normally require either atheism or a national ‘tame’ state church. China’s dealings with the Vatican… Read more »
Well actually China did what Henry VIII did, and has nationalised the Catholic Church in its country to take control of it.
Not making excuses, but I suspect a part may be Kyrill’s experience during the Soviet era with a state hostile to the Orthodox Church. Putin is utterly ruthless towards people he regards as ‘traitors’ (cf Novichok, Polonium) so Kyrill’s days would certainly be numbered if he said anything to upset Putin now.
“Not making excuses..”. Yeh, in one of my more generous moments I had the same thought. As they say, better the devil you know.
All the while forgetting that the Ukrainians gave up a massive stockpile of nucs and could easily have kept some basic ones. But instead trusted the P5 to guarantee its freedom in exchange for getting rid of them.
Hardly a poster child for nuclear non proliferation?
That worked well then.
Yes unfortunately, the world of geopolitics has always been defend yourself or suffer the consequences, nations that depend on others for defence always tend to come a cropper at some point.
Well Putin has made Germany see sense & buy F-35A to deliver US B61 if it ever came to it. Way to go, Vlad!
‘I seriously question if these people are even capable of independent thought and opinion.’
I’m amazed, Guardianista’s exist even in rural Russia it seems…..’
Stop with the Guardian, it’s no better or worse than any other U.K. broadsheet. If you only get your information from one source your always getting an unbalanced view.
‘Stop with the Guardian, it’s no better or worse than any other U.K. broadsheet.’
On that I’m afraid we will have to disagree.
I was watching some YouTube videos that raise some interesting questions. The short of it is most of the info we have about russian progress is from Ukrainian tweets and social media, which are unlikely to post about Russia successes. Additionally a lot of pro Russian media sources have been closed down in the west. Meaning we don’t really have a accurate picture of progress or lack there off. It reminded me of gulf war 1. at the time I was switching between news channels, and you had CNN reporting of US forces destroying Iraq forces, very much flag flying… Read more »
Morning Steve, it does appear that even reading between the lines, the Russians have largely stalled and totally failed to meet their key objectives. When this appalling tragedy is over, we will see just how poorly the Russians have performed, they have lost a large number of troops ( without doubt) and every day they are loosing more and more personal , tanks, APC’s, Helicopters etc. I doubt they can keep this up for much longer. I expect Civilian casualties to be heavy unfortunately. That said, Ukrainian War preparation has without doubt kept the casualties down, they could have been… Read more »
I really hope this war ends Putin, but I doubt it will mean him being replaced by someone less extreme. Governments tend to pack themselves with similar thinking people and so whoever replaces him will likely have similar views, just kept under wraps for a bit whilst they take control.
Even Medvedev who Putin swapped places with because of his term limits would be a vast improvement. While he is strong on protecting Russian interests, once he became his own man as president he was pushing for more openness, democracy, true seperation of powers, free media, etc. Unfortunately he had to step aside for Putin’s return.
‘Had to’ lol …probably a wise decision-the man isn’t stupid…
“Ukraine Fog of War: What’s Really Happening?”
I’m guessing thats one of the video you watched, it is a good one.
He’s done a couple explaining about logistics and stuff. How Armour can only move 80km at most from a supply depo. Then they have to stop wait for the supplies to catch up then the Armour can advance again.
The pipeline the Russians are making going all the way back to Belarus to fuel their armour is interesting as well. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that sort of thing before.
…interesting about the pipeline. …errr, the Allies did PLUTO (vast network of cross-channel fuel pipes) for D-Day and beyond during WWII.
“Pipe Line Under the Ocean”
It’s got to be pretty easy to sabotage or destroy a pipeline.
Pipe line under the ocean, the pumping station on the Isle of Wight was disguised as as Ice cream parlour Albert
…now looks like its a Crazy Golf site 😉
I’ve honestly never heard of Pluto before.
Ah! The many lessons to be learned from history, and this excellent forum 🙂
Also check out, in the UK, all the dayglo-orange pipe marker posts that you see in the hedgerows for a modern-day equivalent for aircraft fuel.
Albert, At this very moment a piece of our Aviation history is now being levelled and cleared the old fuel reservoirs for RAF Tangmere at the chichester/Bognor Roundabout they’ve bulldozed the grass mounds too show the concrete structures under neath another WW2 and Cold war facility consigned too memory
Oh dear. Done all I can in my life to try and preserve our history in memory of those who gave so much so am just in Zen mode these days. Thwarted ultimately by MoD’s need for £££s and lack of understanding of own heritage, lies told by previous PM, and lack of awareness by most politicians and Public. You can see this attitude in say Borris, who should be very aware of history, but does not really get the British stuff and the need to preserve our heritage. Forget history and you risk events repeating themselves…. yet again.
Thanks Albert since I left the Navy I’ve witnessed the loss of such places as the Anti submarine warfare and Clearence Diver base at HMS Vernon, Submarine base and submariners training base at HMS Dolphin, the Live firing range and Gunners training base at HMS Cambridge I can’t see why they were surplus too requirement Even Eastney Barracks and RM museum are now upmarket dwellingswith views of the Solent , I just hope that the MOD are still Leaseholders of the lands they sit in in case of War they can be returned to the Military .
…don’t get me going on MoD Defence Estates…F$£*kwi*s!
😂😂
My exact same sentiments Albert Half of the married quarters Estate where My wife and I were living were given over to the City Council within a month ,the Police would be there on a daily bases, Anti social behaviour all hours of the day and night washing would go missing from the communal lines We Moved
The task and purpose with Chris cappy has done some good videos on the Ukraine situation. As he says though this is just his take on the situation as is anyone’s view.
As much as I’m hopeful of a quick end to this I’m sceptical.
If Russia can encircle the main areas they will cut off resupply to Ukraine. The Russians have went for supply lines, power and utilities. Without these it becomes very hard for Ukraine to keep going.
I pray for a quick finish to this.
Ukraine was never a threat to Russia.
All well and good BUT how are they going to secure it? Wide open for sabotaging and drone strikes! Desperate move I reckon.
Anyone catch anything of Putin’s latest rambling speech? Truly terrifying stuff and reminiscent of certain far right leaders of old. He’s talking about purging the “fifth column” of people who are supposedly anti Russian, basically anyone who has the courage to voice their disapproval of the war and his regime. His state of mind is a huge concern.
The one about “spitting out bugs that fly in your mouth” ? Yep, he looked and sounded deranged.
Of course the latest in electronic warfare are remotely controlled flies with microchip technology… they can be used fir observation or if coated with a neurotoxin prove fatal. Putin wasn’t using a metaphor…
This is most probably why they have turned to using these. I hope the monies seized from Russian oligarchs will help to pay for the damage caused to Ukraine and help rebuild it once the war is over. “Evidence is emerging from the conflict in Ukraine appearing to show that Russian forces are utilizing guided rockets – the 9M544 and 9M549 – with video and photographs of the remains of these types appearing across social media. The 9M544 and 9M549 are understood to be the latest guided rockets fired from Russia’s Tornado-S system. According to official information, these have a… Read more »
90% of Russians get their entire news from either totally government controlled TV or TV controlled by oligarchs beholden to Putin. Only a small proportion have internet and access to western media when it’s not being blocked. They tend to be the younger generation. Evidently Putin’s strongest support base is women over the age of 50. But at some point the number of casualties will start to become a talking point as sons etc die. Eventually someone wants to know what happened to a son, brother, father etc. Dont know about everyone else but I am getting fed up watching… Read more »
To be fair so do we. Most of the newspapers have heavy links to Russia. One of the MPs used parliamentary privilege to talk about the daily express taking milions from russian backers and how farage took it also. We are lucky to have the BBC, it might not be perfect but at least it’s not foreign owned/controlled.
Farage claims he took no Russian Money in 2018, as was claimed. He has said he will sue if it is repeated outside Parliament.
The BBC only represents remainer, overpaid, public sector, gold plated pension, leftie luvvie urban types. It has not got a clue about Britain beyond the M25.
I heard the farage interview, I can’t remember how he phased it but it was massively open to interpretation, as he didn’t say no money he just said from a specific person. Same trick Boris used on his flat redecoratation, which turned out to be partially true as the money was diverted through a third party. Money was still paid
Saying he would sue the person is nice and easy when he knows he can’t do so. He didn’t however sue the newspaper that reported the payments in the first place.
Laura K does not represent me. Neither does any news presenter on over 100k a year.
Many in the BBC should have ripped Bluffer’s head off for being the utter cockwombling liar he is – they didn’t.
I’d suggest the BBC are bit more con than you would think.
Farage also said that he had never met the Russian ambassador, despite there being a very clear photograph showing him doing exactly that. As regards Russian money, to quote a certain working girl, “well, he would say that, wouldn’t he”.
Have to say the regional evening BBC news programs are not bad. SW, NI for example; just local news presented by quite normal relaxed sounding people with no attempt to tell you what to think. Its the national BBC presenters ( also Sky) who seem quite unable to take what the invited expert says without embellishing it with their politically correct interpretation. They don’t seem to have an ‘off’ switch.
I feel much the same.
If we do get involved then a warning to the Kremlin; we will keep all fighting inside Ukraine and not strike targets inside Russia… Unless he strikes targets in NATO.
Escalate step by step – don’t go ‘full Monty’ overnight. Thankfully, much of what is going on in the west of Ukraine is being disguised or not reported – Good! The fact that four (five?) top commanders have been eliminated is obviously the result of electronic interception and I speculate the Ukrainians tactical picture is very real time due to outside intelligence assets being made available to them. Even the most loyal Putin stooge must now realise that the Putin Kremlin hasn’t a hope of running a compliant Ukraine as its client state.
I’d hope if an RAF crew got the drop on RusMil braid, they’d get a bonus, maybe a week in an 8 star hotel 🙂
Feel the same Greg. We’ve thrown most leverage we had away declaring we won’t intervene. Quietly ratted on out 1994 Nuclear disarmament obligations too, just letting Putin get on with devestating & massacaring Ukraine. Funny how it’s all about us “risking WW3” rather than Putin doing it regardless. Total failure of western statecraft.
Like!
Absolutely agree – Why was it allowed to get to this in the first place is my question.
Fear controls Russia. Lots of good folks there but with Tyrants like Putin the state is bound to fail and it is. Not only hurting outside the borders but destroying the state itself, surly someone with a back bone can see that and stand up for all concerned and put Putin down. ONLY WAY is to rid the World of him and his kind. Human Race civilised, not by a long long way………….
Russia is a nation of chavs and trailer trash and much the same as MAGA in the USA or the BNP in the UK no amount of truth from independent media will open their eyes. The only difference is in the UK or the USA such people are 20% of the population and in Russia they are 80%. Such people are generally so hate filled and badly educated that nothing short of total military failure with their own children lying dead at their feet will change their minds on anything aka Germany and Japan 1945. Putin will be around until… Read more »
When both you and your country have both clearly failed at so many things it’s easy to whip up a nationalistic pride around mis truths and skewed view of history. Both China and Russia are complete s**t holes outside the big cities and telling those people that it’s ok you live in squalor because the mother land has made great achievements and is a “super power” goes to giving people with nothing some pride. Then factor in the evil “white western” people trying to destroy the motherland and you get the basis for all Russian and Chinese media messaging.
Interesting speech from little big man Putin this morning, he’s getting more “Das fuhrer” by the day…! Among his bizarre ranting, he singled out the oligarchs for specific criticism, that is extremely noteworthy… When you consider he had his own night of the long knives a few years back and got rid of oligarchs that weren’t on message, it strongly suggests that powerful elements within Russia are now moving against him. I think we are starting to see the beginning of his autocratic authority starting to crack, the oligarchs that keep little Adolf Putin on his throne are starting to… Read more »
One can hope.
You might try paying attention to some news sources other than the BBC, Sky News, or the Guardian. The statement that only 20% of the US supports MAGA and Trump is ludicrously false and absurdly ignorant to anyone who actually knows what is going on in the US. Trump came within 43,000 votes of beating Joe Biden. Biden won the three decisive states of Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin by 0.6% of the vote. Switch those 43,000 votes and you have a tied electoral vote. Biden’s overwhelming popular vote victories in California and New York skew the popular vote. Just because… Read more »
It’s much easier for someone to say everyone who has a different view point to them is stupid. What is needed is to try to understand why people have a different opinion and what do you need to do to understand where they are coming from and to also show them why you believe you are correct. Used to be finding common ground. In the instant internet days you can constantly find people who will back up your view point no matter how crazy it is. In previous times you would have to discuss with someone. It can lead to… Read more »
There may be plenty of Trump supporters in electorally strategic locations – that doesn’t make them any more intelligent, or any less racially motivated.
I see you have no clue of what intelligence works, but i bet you are racially-Marxist motivated.
Maybe you should read Thomas Sowell to get some clue about the world.
It’s not so much the way that the US chooses to govern itself. It’s that it is next to impossible to change it. Their constitution needs to be ripped up & started over. They did not like the unelected British king, so designed a constitution that gave them an elected king & each state an elected prince. The world has moved on, but they are stuck with an old constitution that is unfixable. Most modern countries have either far newer constitutions (some have had several) or are figure head monarchies or equivalent.
As the invasion stalls, Russian troops are beginning to take it out on Ukranian civilians with multiple reported cases in the media of unprovoked killings. We need to give the Ukrainians the ability to protect themselves from air attack, and to be ready to sanction Chinese businesses if China provides support to Putin.
It seems now Russia is resorting to theft….why am I not surprised. They have seized many aircraft ( civvy) leased by Western companies to Russian companies effectively nationalising them.
You could argue the same with the sanctions. This is errecitvely a cold war, both sides are effectively nationalising / stealing each others assets.
🙄
Yes, but what happens when one falls out of the sky, due to a lack of spares?
US/NATO could retaliate, by cancelling their Gov. bonds($) held by Russia in its foreign currency reserve. And could also take assets of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Surely, rather than a “No-Fly” Zone, the west should be helping Ukraine obtain higher altitude/longer-range SAM systems that they are familiar with or can be quickly trained on. e.g. S-400s or something so that they can impose their own Zone. I thought there was talk of doing that? Start off in the far West of Ukraine to protect civilians and grow it across to the East ASAP – protected with nests of Stingers/Starstreak whatever. There seems to be an IFF issue identifying who is who, but the lower-level Ukranian drones should get through to do the business, so just concentrate… Read more »
…and for God’s sake somebody give them some long-range land-based anti-ship missiles for the south.
Some ex soviet equipment was passed to Ukraine from former Warsaw Pact, now in NATO nations. Need to see if there are any other ex soviet, missiles, tanks, guns, ammo, that can still be given to Ukraine.
Not sure if they have any left…but
http://www.military-today.com/missiles/neptun.htm
They would do nicely but do they actually have any of them on the ground?
They have their own, they make their own. Can’t understand why they’ve not used them.
I think the US is try to source ex soviet SAM from eastern block countries. If this is true I’m still stumped why the supply of Migs is a issue. Decent integrated airdefence is essentially a no fly zone.
This is pleasantly surprising. Unlike some I never expected the Russians to be able to overwhelm Ukraine in a week, but with Mariupol mostly in their hands and a land bridge between the eastern and southern fronts, I did think they would be able to advance rapidly to the Dnieper as the Ukrainians withdrew under threat of encirclement. Probably, that was the the Russian plan, since their best equipment and personnel were in the south and the northern attack on Kyiv with second rate troops appears to have been a diversion. So hearing that the invasion has fully stalled now… Read more »
As Steve (above) comments, we are seeing one side only of the conflict. The fact is that Russia has achieved some of its targets but the tempo dropped off soon after these early successes. However, they are still well inside Ukraine and, evidently, lethal. A war of attrition is replacing blitzkrieg. The issue now it seems to me is who can last longest. That is rash, spiteful and deluded adventure has failed in its strategic goals – the reverse is true – is now obvious. It is what comes next. Ignoring Russia and China for the moment, the west has… Read more »
In the Cuban missile crisis we had JFK, MacMillan, DeGaulle. Now we have Biden, Boris, Macron. God help the West!
This is the weakest political class I have ever seen. If they all dropped dead or changed sex and ran off with a domestic, who is any better? The rule now is anyone who is decent and has a brain won’t go into politics. This isn’t party political either. They are all terrible!
I only vote out of a sense of duty these days. Thousands of Brits have died and suffered during wartime and more generally fighting for political representation down the centuries (thinking about the likes of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, etc), so that we might enjoy the freedoms we do today. That includes my grand dad who fought on the Somme during WW1. I knew him as a young child and he was a grumpy old man with a short temper. Turns out he had a metal plate in his head… Only found out years after he passed. So I vote with… Read more »
I have a similar background to recall. I once was a ‘believer’ but I would settle for today is a competent government that respected its people.
Have to agree with youy Barry. In the furnace of crisis only dross seems to come to the top.
Bollocks
We have Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
More cajones than Chuck Norris.
Putin certainly has demonstrated beyond any doubt why so many ex-Soviet satallites don’t want to be under Russian control any more & why they need protecting. He’s shooting Russian interests in the foot, if not the head.
Some estimates say Putin’s war is costing Russia $20 billion a day.
What was always amusing was that
Latvian men would kayak for Sweden.
Latvian women were loading their AKs.
Somehow, I doubt any Baltic State, Finn or Polish woman would do any different.
Russian male klobasa is on the menu. Who needs NATO?
Fearless women, doubt the Ukrainian womanhood are much different.
UK deploying a Sky Sabre battery to the Poland/Ukraine border according to BBC News.
I’d have thought some pincer from Belarus down the Polish Border cutting off re-resupply should have happened putting pressure on Slovakia and Hungary to step up.
With the electrified railway line from Humenne flowing into the Ukraine, can that OHLE not be used to supply power from Europe to Ukrainian settlements?
It makes military sense Barry but I doubt it will happen. Lukashenko is clinging on to power by his finger nails. The Belarusian population are far more sympathetic to Ukraine than they are Russia. If Lukashenko ordered the Belarus Army in I doubt they would go and, more importantly for him, a revolution would likely kick off. Lukashenko is only in bed with Putin because Putin is the only Gov in the world that he can rely upon to prop up his regime.
I was thinking that the RusMil would make the pincer.
Deploying Sky Sabre could allow many a Ukrainian gunner to get some practice very close to the area of conflict… I see a cunning plan coming together.
Does anyone know what is the status of the Russian Black Sea amphibious group ? Those troops and their equipment have been embarked on those ships for a long time now, I would expect that there has been some degradation in their combat effectiveness being cooped up for so long.
Ukraine say that 12,000+ Russians have been killed. The US say 7000+. Taking the US figure and adding on the wounded at the normal military ratio of 3 wounded for every 1 killed tells us that Russia has suffered 28,000 casualties thus far; that is more than 1000 casualties a day. How long will Russia put up with this attrition rate? Ukraine has lost about 2000 troops killed, so that’s about 8000 total (military) casualties but unlike Russia their war is a popular defence of the homeland. They have conscripted well over a million men since the war began so… Read more »
If a large chunk of the Russian Army is in Ukraine, who would train the April intake? Would the new recruits suddenly find themselves in Ukraine without any training?
On the job training you can’t beat it- bit like YTS in the 80’s.
Sink or swim …unfortunate if you are put in the Navy of course
Hee Hee, Grizzler ,Ratings have too pass a swimming proficiency test , tread water for 3 minutes plus , and jump from a height representing a Ships side swim away so no one lands on your head , we had too complete this task in Overalls ,that was in the 70ts
Internet is saying Russia is having a quiet mobilization of 30000-40000 reservists, on 1 April. Probably to be sent straight into Ukraine with minimal training. Includes cadets from military schools. Pretty much the definition of cannon fodder.
Interesting read: A Ukrainian Town Deals Russia One of the War’s Most Decisive Routs VOZNESENSK, Ukraine—A Kalashnikov rifle slung over his shoulder, Voznesensk’s funeral director, Mykhailo Sokurenko, spent this Tuesday driving through fields and forests, picking up dead Russian soldiers and taking them to a freezer railway car piled with Russian bodies—the casualties of one of the most comprehensive routs President Vladimir Putin’s forces have suffered since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine. A rapid Russian advance into the strategic southern town of 35,000 people, a gateway to a Ukrainian nuclear power station and pathway to attack Odessa from the… Read more »
Quite possibly the longest post Ive ever read… 😉
I’m coming to the conclusion that we have been too soft on Russia. When he gave the ‘historical consequences’ threat, we should have told him that if was foolish enough to continue we would have made his army cease to exist, then his airforce, then his navy. He won’t stop and China is watching. We’ll pay for this weakness eventually.
There is a queue with your opiniom.
You’re welcome to join 🙂
we should have come down hard on Russia in 2014 when they annexed the Crimea. Putin gambled, got away with it and now the world wonders why he’s invaded the Ukraine.
The Ukraine is showing the world it’s backbone and fight led by its President and people! What an example when faced with the Russian invasion. I think the rest of the freer world is now having to wake up and catch up and rediscover it’s mettle. Hopefully it will. Ps: Is there any increase happening to NZ’s defence budget?
Absolutely Mate. I have the deepest respect and sympathy for these folk. Amidst all their suffering they are defiant, brave and caring for each other. Remarkable people lead by a tremendous man. He is truly the Churchill of this age.
As for NZ’s defence budget…. well, don’t hold your breath. Our excuse for a foreign minister managed to date to send a pathetic NZ$2 million in aid, apparently used to buy blankets- a really shameful contribution.
PS; I meant to check in with you, if you had any damage from the recent floods, you’re in Sydney right?
Morning threaders ,Are there grounds for Mr Putin too be Sectioned into a state psych hospital, he held a phone briefing with the Turkish ,and laid out Demands F ing Demands he’s forces are getting a good kicking all he is capable of doing to the Ukraine is too destroy buildings Non military whilst his senior Officers get dealt with Ukrainian efficiently And yet he’s making Demands come on Mr Putin you really have flown over the Cuckoo’s Nest Medication time
So Putin has to go to the Chinese to ask for weapons to carry on his madness!
Really telling on their losses so far!
IF the Chinese do supply him then that leaves the door open for the west to supply Ukraine with anything they want, tanks ,aircraft the lot.
Just watched puffer Putin at his rally too celebrate 8 years of what we would call occupation of the Crimea, Shame it was in colour could of been a re run of those Nuremburg Rallies all that was missing was a moustache oh and armband
Did Russian TV really cut his speech halfway through, to show some ageing rockers instead?
John The BBC mentioned that as well Putin probably had too reapply make up BBC also interviewed some of his adoring fans .They stated that ,they had been Bused in from their work by their Bosses ,not really Voluntary or Adoring we used too call that “Press Ganged”
Rumour on the internet that Putin called it a war. That’s why it was cut. So he did not have to send himself to prison for 15 years.
Maybe John ,Rockstar Vlad was going too burst into the Edwin Starr Song “war what is it good for” and he was accidently cut off Hee Hee
Afternoon Threaders, Interesting Story coming from the Daily Mail ,Regarding Mobile Phones And our Boys in the Hush hush Service_ squadron How GRU operatives Using Scanning devices around the Bases in question these numbers are captured and put onto a database in Russia when a phone is switched on and links up with its Network from this the GRU have the operators Network Nameand Number , if this is correct I just hope if Our Boys are in the Ukraine they no longer have their phones in Country not even in the Barracks Scarie if true
Shame if our boys lost their phones right next to a Russian column of tanks, artillery, fuel trucks……
Still, they can buy new phones back in Blighty.
Could work John ,that’s how the Ukrainians zero’ed in on that Russian Major General ,who used one Local obtained Simcard
I don’t trust the Daily Mail to be accurate. I served in Afghan in 2008/9 – we were absolutely forbidden to take mobile phones into Theatre dues to security concerns. Surely that rule will still apply?
Thanks Graham, the Article, I think was more about how Purins GRU have been operating in England around Bases such as Poole gathering Data on personnel entering and leaving through their Mobile Phone whatever happened too Operation Tigerwatch ?
I’m a bit surprised that this is considered newsworthy…been obvious for many years that if you carry a mobile around you are openly advertising your position and allowing anyone with a suitably equipped laptop to ‘scrape’ your phones technical details.
I’m sure our surveillance units have been doing it around the world for years.
Ssssh walls have ears ,that’s a good point Kayaker, the only problem is everyone is lackadaisical when it comes too personal and Internal security, like that idiot on the QE who filmed that F35 aborted launch and posted it on Social media Training should include personal security and switching devices off
OK Tommo, thanks. I am hazy now on Tigerwatch – I left the army in 2009. I think it was a HQ SE District initiative and that district was abolished decades ago – I do remmeber seeing the tiger head logo though. I am sure that it was very diffferent to Sharkwatch which was more low-level.
Thanks Graham ,got sent on the briefing for Tigerwatch in 92 when I was at Nelson in Portsmouth As half the establishment was backed on to the Dockyard MOD Plod took care of that side we just the front which was on the main Rd just had too look out for People hanging about say with cameras ( most tourists had cameras) cars with Diplomatic plates, tedious Mobile Phones were Those Bloody great Bricks never did see anyone Suspicious oh well Still got my Tigerwatch Card though
I know some people on this Thread may disagree ,So here I go ,Our Country has always been a safe Haven for Refugees fleeing fighting legitimately, the foreign Secretary has made a point of security checks on Ukrainian Refugees wishing too come to the UK as not all Persons seeking this status are who they claim too be I say good for her Britians security is Paramount we have too be cautious we only have too get it wrong once and we could have another Salisbury on our hands .So sorry Leftwing hugging do-gooder if you disagree I’ve got plenty… Read more »