What has the UK sent to Ukraine so far?

I see nowhere south of the Kharkov area that the Russians are being significantly rolled back. Quite the opposite, most days the Ukrainians themselves are releasing maps showing the loss of territory. They have virtually no defence against rolling Russian artillery, whilst their artillery is proving to be really skilled, they do not have the shear weight of shells that the Russians are firing at them.

Many of you here are ex military so you will know that war is all about the maths. You can have the bravest soldiers using the best gear but if the enemy’s numbers in the equation outweigh yours with their skill factor loading its not going to end well. The Russians, now on a fairly limited 200 mile front, have effective tactical control, unlimited logistics and are able to rotate their units to give them rest. This is not what the press are saying here but the red area in the east is grinding inexorably forward.

As Ukrainian forces are a minimum of 80 miles from the SE coast your suggestion is probably unrealistic, especially as they themselves have ruled out any attempt to rescue their trapped forces in Mariupol.

They Russian advance on Odessa was pushed back weeks ago and continues towards the Dnieper.

If the Russian artillery is ‘really skilled’ then they’re deliberately commiting war crimes by targeting civilians. Surprised to hear you admit that 😏

Otherwise the Russian military appear to be an undisciplined, untrained, badly commanded rabble that loot, rape and murder when the opportunity arises, abandon broken equipment, and kill their own commanders after taking heavy casualties.

My money is on the only patriots involved in this war, that’s the Ukrainian.

The power of our media to colour perception in. Action with this comment. What’s playing out is a full blown peer conflict between Russia and the West (via its Ukrainian proxy), both sides are guilty of occasional brutality against civilians and POWs and of hitting civilian targets – with the Ukrainians using towns and cities as bastions to hold up the Russian advance (deliberately embedding themselves in the civilian areas) they are as complicit as the Russians in what is happening.

to say the Russian advance to Odessa was pushed back weeks ago is over egging the pudding, the Russians have paused to concentrate on the Donbas as it is proving a much harder but to crack than expected (entirely due to the western support of the Ukrainians) . That front will open back up once the Russians are good and ready. They are too busy crushing the Ukraine in the Donbas just now. That’s a real war, not the anti guerilla stuff we’ve fought in the last 30 years. And despite that they still managed to give the Ukrainians a spanking at Snake Island this week

And to say the Ukrainians are the only “patriots” is utter nonsense. Many Russians are patriots, as are many of the DPR and LPR fighters, and Chechens, and South Ossetians etc.

I expect some ex airborne chap and his buddies will call me a traitor or a Putin troll for commenting against the current narrative but hey ho! 😀

Apparently, this is doing the rounds in Russia.
A Russian wife turned to her husband and asked, “What’s this special military operation our glorious leader keeps talking about?”
Her husband replied, “It’s a proxy war between Russia and NATO.”
“Oh, right. How’s it going?”
“Well,” he replied, “so far we’ve lost 24,000 soldiers, 2,000 tanks, 200 aircraft, numerous helicopters, and loads of armoured vehicles and artillery pieces. and our flag ship along with other naval pieces”
“Wow! What about NATO?”
“They haven’t turned up yet.”

Doubt that’s a Russian joke

We can all troll.

Yes you’re right, Russians would be too frightened to tell it in case the FSB overheard them. Hitler’s Germany had the Gestapo, Putin’s Russia has the FSB, no difference.

And Ukraine have the SBU.

Yes Ukraine does have secret services. they came from the same teachings as the russians(soviet times) and practiced these ways of operating it has taken them sometime to come up with new ways of working.
I’m not sure the point your trying to make, have they done something as bad as Russia?.
2014 was really the wake up call for Ukraine. It tried to get its military to learn as much as possible from the western help that was offered. This also happened to a lesser extent in its intelligence services. They have learned and adapted to operate very effectively.
As most thought Ukraine would fall in a week to Russian might and with that nobody can predict what will happen in this terrible war.

Yes but the FSB and GRU are useless. Not a patch on the KGB.

Because they, poor s*ds, have nothing to laugh about?

I was going to respond, but you did it so much better.

👍😂

😂

Because you clearly are a Russian troll!! It’s so obvious!

“Spanking at Snake Island?” You’re not talking about 7th May raid, when a pair of Ukrainian SU 27’s taking out the SA-13 Strela-10 infrared SAMs last week? The link to both raids are here;

https://bit.ly/3wcpxw7
https://bit.ly/3G0hRRf

Or are you talking of the Ukrainian Bayraktar taking out two Russian Navy Raptor-class assault boatsnear Snake Island 10 days ago? Here’s the footage; https://bit.ly/3wuHDZq

Or the “Spanking” of the Ukrainians on the 7th May, when another Bayraktar destroyed 11770 Serna class boat at the docks on Snake Island? Here’s the footage; https://bit.ly/3LcGxXt

Or, this “spanking” by Ukrainian forces on the 8th May, when they wiped out the Russian MI 17 dropping replacements for the troops wiped out in the two SU27 raids? Link here https://bit.ly/3wfsCvJ

The trouble is I don’t see any “spanking” by the Russians here. If they cannot secure an island 50 miles off the Ukrainian coast, they have no chance against a very well armed and highly motivated Ukrainian Army, especially one that now has counter-battery artillery and rockets.

The greatest power of our media is that it is free and independent of government control, unlike Russia where every tv channel is state controlled and calling the invasion of Ukraine “a war” will see you imprisoned.
We don’t have a full blown peer conflict between the West and Russia, because there are still some Russians alive in Ukraine, and the Black Sea Fleet and Russian Air Force still exist. The West would have destroyed all of these in the first week.

Russian war crimes is systematic and the evidence has emerged of senior commanders being responsible for encouraging it as a method of terrifying into submission the Ukrainian population. It’s ridiculous to suggest the Ukrainian military have committed brutality against their own population. The war has so far been fought within the borders of Ukraine, so no Russian civilians have been accidentally struck by the Ukrainians.
What you call “embedding” the Ukrainian citizens would call ‘defending’. Now that Russia’s war crimes have been exposed, even Russian speaking Ukrainian prefer that the Ukrainian military defend the towns where they live, rather than leave them to be tortured, raped, and murdered by the Russian army.

The Russians haven’t “paused” their push on Odessa. They tried to take Mykolaiv and was completely spanked by the defenders. They’ve since been pushed back half-way to the Dnieper, and the Ukrainians continuing advance will see the push back to the Dnieper in the coming weeks.

It’s the Russians being spanked at Snake Island. Scratch the cruiser Mosckva recently, and in the last-week 2 Raptor class patrol boats, and a Serna class landing-craft. Not to mention the loss of anti-aircraft system and a helicopter.

The Russians aren’t “crushing” the Ukrainians in the Donbas either, it’s pretty much a stalemate, with Russians losing a kilometre in one area, and losing ground in another. The only major incidents are those such as Russia’s catastrophic failures attempt at crossing the Siversky Donets using pontoon bridges. An entire brigade of military vehicles destroyed and huge numbers of dead.

There are many Russian patriots. They are protesting back home in Russia and being jailed for simply criticising the war begun by the racist Putin.

No it doesn’t sound like you’re a Russian troll. You sound like one of the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist idiots that have now turned into backing Putin’s illegal war because you have such a rabidly deranged hatred of Western governments.

Excellently put Sean. 👍

Spot on Sean

Second that.

Top post, saves me the time mate cheers.

Bravo Sean. Bravo.

The trouble with towns and cities is that they tend to be communications hubs. If you don’t defend them – you’ve already. Likewise, by definition towns and cities are pretty much ALL civilian areas. So troops have to be embedded there.

The simple fact you don’t seem to realise – Russia attacked Ukraine, Russia attacked the towns and cities, Russia is the one who can stop the war by simply going home!

It’s not hard to keep up with visually confirmed Russian losses and see that Russia has severely overestimated itself. Yes, I wonder why people are calling you a troll…

Yaaaaaaaawn boring.

You must realise you will likely be prosecuted when this is over dont you? Supporting a war of aggression of Putin’s choosing wont go unpunished.

When you defend your city and its people, you position yourself in it. Why make that sound to be a bad thing?

Russia attacked Ukraine. Got it?

Can you explain how Ukraine got a spanking at snake island this week?
From what I’ve seen it was Ukraine that sunk a landing ship, bombed it with 2 SU-27.
I disagree with most of what you say but I’m always interested in facts.

Russians knew of attack and pulled troops off the island, Ukrainians attacked and fell into trap. Their Spectacular attack on island was filmed beautifully by drone in HD night vision for propaganda purposes but it all went to hell for them. Their Aircraft bombed island as planned, helicopters and landing craft arrived to land commandos, and were promptly destroyed by the Russians.

Ukrainians even released footage of their own chopper being destroyed saying it was Russian.

(I’m on my phone so from memory) Russians claim they shot down 3 fighters including an Su24 and Su27 involved in the initial attack and on 13th May a Mig29. Russians also Claiming over 30 drones including 3 Bayraktars over the island and 5 sitting on the tarmac at Odessa (photos of the 5 wrecks can be found on Twitter) 3 helicopters full of commandos and a couple of assault boats full of commandos.

quickest evidence I can find for this (again on my phone so searching is clumsy)

sat image showing Russian salvage vessels at islands proving Ukrainian assault was repulsed
https://mobile.twitter.com/Cyberspec1/status/1525237660997980161

footage from island of Ukrainian casualties
https://mobile.twitter.com/Cyberspec1/status/1525742467391188992

Both sides guilty of propaganda ..but evidence points to Russian victory in this vicious little battle. After a flurry of excited news, especially with that spectacular air attack footage, our media suddenly went quiet on it – no wonder, it didn’t fit the narrative .

Russia started it ukraine will finish it

How do you forsee them “finishing it” ?

a) Ukraine signing the articles of surrender

b) Fighting their way to Moscow and forcing Russia to sign the articles of surrender? (They’ll need more than the 200 ancient tanks Poland gave them to do this.)

I know what I think is most likely.

Perhaps it could have been clearer but I said the Ukrainians artillery was really skilled.

Yes the Russian artillery is what it is. Stuck in a time warp and being slowly destroyed and what about the airforce? Refusing to fly?

Sean, I’m afraid I must partly agree with John. By the way, I believe he called the Ukrainian artillery really skilled, not the Russians.

However, it is absolutely true that the Russian army is using rocket artillery and MRLs; things the Ukrainians don’t have. UA did a large push a few weeks ago which pushed russia back a few dozen miles, but russia has been clawing back territory on this small front the entire time. Unless the West is prepared to give Ukraine larger numbers of artillery or unless russia attempts to widen the front, this trend will likely continue.

On the other hand, Russian losses are far greater and, if the Ukrainians are ready to give up some ground in a war of attrition, I believe Russian commanders’ ineptitude and poor training will lead to countless strategic mistakes and another defeat.

What’s funny is that the Russians are struggling and Ukraine hasn’t even brought most of their big guns and new weapons to bear yet!

Like what?

Both sides have very similar weapons systems. The Ukrainian Artillery have Grad, Smerch and Tochka tube artillery, all they don’t have is an equivalent to the Iskander, Russia’s long range missile. As well as skilled artillery, thanks, the Ukrainians are also much better at using drones for targeting.

The two armies are facing different challenges, the Ukrainians are in the main in the east well dug in, using custom emplacements they have built over the past 7 years or the most hardened buildings in towns like schools, council buildings and hospitals, all of which were built strong. Whilst the Russians are generally attacking so are generally more out in the open or field defences.

The front isn’t really small, just in eastern Ukraine its the best part of 200 miles.

Bending but not breaking is a strategy…

You said it yourself, they’re taking unsustainable losses in return for a few hundred yards.

I suppose if they had another million trained soldiers you’d be right, in that it’s a winning strategy for the Russians, but they do not, and at this rate they’ll be out of men long sooner than needed.

Withdrawing is not a sign of defeat. Thinking it’s such is a very simplistic view of war.

And there you go, it’s never about numbers as your incompetent rapists have shown. Its about skill, knowledge, dedication, experience and combined arms ability. The russkie rapists have none of those requirements and therefore they are losing both the physical and the moral battle. Regardless of the chuff you are having to say to ensure your controllers are content. Anyway, if your not being controlled then you will have no problem condemning Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine, will you.

Everyone’s wars are illegal bar ours, eh?

“Ours” in your case being the ones Russia started. Again proving you a troll

Eh… how did you get to that mad conclusion. I’m as British as most of the people on this forum.

I’m also saddened that so many consider those with differing viewpoints Trolls.

Because you are clearly pursuing a “Putin” narrative in your posts , so if your not Russian the n you are clearly posting just to be provocative. You “differing viewpoint” reads as pure Russian propaganda

You’re British in much the same way that William Joyce was. Filled with self loathing and in absolute thrall to your nazi overlords.

LOL. The comparison to Haw Haw is fatuous and proves the paucity of your argument. All you have is name calling.

And how does my having a different interpretation of what is happening on the battlefield put me in “thrall to my nazi overlords” ??

Look up the Azov battalion and Right Sector, they are literally Nazis. Also google the Ukrainian National Hero Stephan Bandera to see what a real actual Nazis is? That’s the nick of the people our governments are supporting.

But you see, you don’t really have a differing interpretation of what is happening on the battlefield, all you do is repeat the baseless propaganda of the Kremlin, just like Lord Haw Haw repeated the hate filled ideology of Hitlers Reich. Your sneering hatred of the West is palpable in your posts, so no, my argument is not poor, but yours is with its cheap baseless lies about nazis.

I don’t need to Google anything, all countries have their extremist elements, the UK included. Would you suggest Russia attacks the UK because of the utterances of Stephen Yaxley or his ilk ?? You see, explain this to me, why does someone supposedly resident in England get so worked up about the presence of a minority of far right loons in a country thousands of miles away??

As I’ve mentioned before also, how do you ignore the expansionary element of Russia’s invasion, the execution of civilians, it’s mafia gangster state, its abduction of Ukrainian civilians into Russia, it’s contempt for human rights, suppression of free speech, hatred of other countries, filtration camps, jailing and murder of opposition figures, its use of fascist militias (Google Wagner pmc while you’re at it ) its constant attacks on other countries and twisted ideology and then somehow conclude that it is Ukraine, with its democratic government and Jewish president is somehow nazi?? Can you explain that without a lol ??

You see, this invasion has nothing to do with Nato, or nazis, bio labs, nuclear weapons or Russia’s borders etc. It’s got everything to do with Putins’s paranoia about Western democracy, the rule of law, press freedoms, human rights, political pluralism and accountability. Everything he denies to Russians.

You’re free to post differing views on a site like this due in no small part to the effort, service
and sacrifice of many who post on here. Differing views are not permitted in Russia remember. 15 years in jail for anyone telling the truth about the Russian invasion. Can you explain that?

Russia seriously miscalculated with its invasion and is facing eventual defeat. Best make your peace with that fact.

I have spent far too much time online since this war started and don’t trust anything I see or hear without doing some homework for corresponding sources. The closest thing i have come to what I believe is the real truth came to me today in 2 articles. One which seeks to really lay out the stake of the U army and the second of which shows why they will never, can never, give up. Between the 2 it might take 10 minutes to read both but I think it will be time well spent.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ukraine-worse-shape-think-110010914.html
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/let-someone-whack-russian-troops-151621158.html
And finally something to consider
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/up3tv0/this_is_what_the_ukrainian_army_is_facing_now_dpr/
Thank you for your time.

Both articles kind of prove my point about looking at what is really happening before making your mind up. Both are written from an entirely western point of view, ignore the historical and ethnic contexts at work in the area, completely ignore that that crisis in 2013 and 2014 which led to the rebellion and the creation of the DPR and LPR was initiated by the EU and US meddling and organising a coup d’etat against the democratically elected elected Government to force in a Pro US/EU Nationalist government. (I remember watching the whole sorry process on TV news at the time.)

Both articles also completely ignore the fact that Ukraine has become in the past 8 years or so a criminal state where Nazi Militias (Azov, Right Sector et al) who support Ukrainian Nationalists like Stepan Bandera, (a man even the SS though was extreme and who killed up to 100,000 “undesireables” ) are part of the government and security apparatus and military; Where their politicians steal gas revenue (with people like the untalented Hunter Biden getting paid millions in fixers fees for his political contacts, and Actors like Zelensky building up massive foreign assets with no possible legal source of income) ; where the government treats Russian speakers as second class citizens and is actively trying to force linguistic and cultural change upon them, and whose army has dug in and constantly shelled the cities of the Donbas killing over 3500 civilians.

Nato has also spent a lot of time and money in the last 8 years helping create a Ukrainian Military designed for this war. Training and arming them.

With regards to the Reddit page:
You forget that the DPR and LPR are separate, self managed states who get support from Russia. They don’t have the resources of the Russian Federation, or the Ukraine and are armed with a hotch potch of equipment bequeathed by the Russians and stolen from the Ukrainians.

Secondly, not sure I get your point? The DPR fight on the main front of the war (the Donbass Front) and are still advancing against the Ukrainian Army and have done since the start of the War – despite their lack of modern equipment. Says something about their tenacity and morale doesn’t it, especially as it comes after 8 years of constant war and bombardment of their territories by the Ukrainians. It also shows that Ukrainian Propaganda phonecall from the second article for what it actually is: a outlier case milked by the propagandists, if it is indeed actually true and not made up by the Ukrainians … who have lots of previous on that.

Imagine that, the mighty Ukrainian army being beaten by old men in tin hats armed with ancient Mosin-Nagants.

I’m sorry for my lack of insight here Douglas. I originally thought that I could engage you in thoughtful conversation regarding my attempts to get past the western propaganda and see what is really going on. I failed to grasp that your orientation was Pro-Russian only and that you were not looking for thoughtful conversation but to attempt to prove what you believe is right. I’ve done enough research to know that the U side of this debacle is far from clean. However nothing you have said to me, in any way, can get past the fact that we know who invaded who. Oh and as for the whole men in tin hats thing. Last I read the Russians sent 1,500 to the front lines and 30 came back. Even though this works for the Russian “cannon fodder” approach to war it’s hard to see it as a win in any way.

You wanted to teach me and bring me into your echo chamber.

DN,
I had a butchers at your previous posts, really loved this one:

A classic!

It’s a good comment, of it’s time of course … I’m still surprised at how poorly Russian aviation has done and I’m of the opinion had they performed better this would be over by now.

The Russians have solved the problem of the flying commando problems attacking extended supply lines. But the inability of the Ru AF to gain air superiority and the lack of PGMs to take out the Ukrainian artillery and really hammer the Ukrainian supply lines has really hampered them. Leading to them having to engage in WW1 like battles with well armed opponents who aren’t scared to hide behind civilians and draw them into the cities where their western missiles can draw a heavy toll.

A war they hoped could be won with a swift coup de main has turned into a war of attrition due to such a strong western response that was unexpected. (The Bidens protecting their, ahem, investments? … in the Ukrainian gas syndicates? ) I still think the Russians are on track to win, it will just take a bit longer.

DN wrote:
”It’s a good comment, of it’s time of course … I’m still surprised at how poorly Russian aviation has done and I’m of the opinion had they performed better this would be over by now.”

But they didn’t, and after almost 3 months they still haven’t.

No they haven’t, but they have adjusted to new realities and are taking the Donbas from Ukraine. Slower than they intended but they’re still doing it. This past weekend the Russians have been hammering the core of the Ukrainian army yet our media ignore it as it’s not the narrative.

The only thing that will stop their creation of a new Novorussia in will be NATO joining the war … and that will start WW3 and neither Biden or Boris are that stupid I hope.

Win what exactly? It’s been three months now and with the amount of casualties and losses of material you have suffered it really look like you are going to win naff all!
Just think of the losses you will incur trying to take the rest of Ukraine not even mother Russia can sustain this attrition.

Eh, I haven’t suffered any casualties, like you I’m not part of the war. Just an interested observer.

As for your predictions, time will tell.

You are very repetitive and boring, with the same old chuff. No matte how this war plays out, the Russians have shown themselves to be shite and conformed we have a rew appeasers and RT swallowing saddos in this country eh.

It’s shown us that some people just swallow what their lords and masters tell them like sheep rather than take the time to look and see what is happening.

I don’t think the Russians are doing shite. They are attacking well motivated well armed troops who are in heavily fortified positions

I think the Ukrainians have shown themselves to be be very capable.

Nazi germany was very capable too … but they still lost .

Yaaaawn

James Joyce went on with support for Hitler to the end. Delavera the same.

And theeennn….

Both British haters and also on the wrong side of history. No need to be there. See what I mean. Putin is on the wrong side of history. He had his chance.

I’m arguing over the perception of how the war is going in Ukraine, because i believe our politicians and media are hiding what is happening from us. Lazy comments from many of the posters here, such as: the Russians are shit, or calling them Orcs and Rapists; or the discussions of the Ukrainian twitter victories as they do “offensives” in the north where the Russians have withdrawn in good order, as they said they would do months ago when they realised their Kiev gambit had failed.

Meanwhile the REAL WAR of the past month has been in the Donbass where despite putting up a good opposition, the Ukrainians are being ground down by a well organised Russian military machine.

People are too busy calling me a Putin Lover to look at what i’m posting.

As a Brit I don’t particularly care if either Ukraine or Russia wins. Putins an arse, and the Ukrainians are an intensely unlikeable people with a nazi fetish. Two nasty nationalist regimes battling it out.

I will admit to wanting the people of the Donbass to get a fair and equitable settlement out of this – in the same way that the Croatians, the Kosovans, the Bosnians all got a fair settlement after their years of war. The people of the Donbass deserve their freedom.

Of course….

Glad to see you’re not wasting breath denying that the invasion of Ukraine isn’t illegal…

So you’re justifying one illegal war because there are other illegal wars?

No Iraq was illegal too, and it’s an outrage Blair hasn’t stood trial. But I can say that in the U.K. If I said the same in Russia about Putin I’d be dragged off to a gulag.

Surely then the ongoing Ukrainian assault on the DPR and the LPR since 2014 killing thousands was also illegal.

If you said that in the Ukraine the SBU would hang you from a tree.

If you mean the ongoing Ukrainian defence against the Russian mercenaries in Donetsk and Luhansk then obviously that isn’t illegal. It’s simply Ukraine defending itself from an earlier Russian attack. There’s no such thing as the DPR and LPR.

We’ve not had wars to take territory and enlarge Britain have we Douggie, the nearest I can think of is the Falklands where we kicked out another autocrat aggressor, or are you going back many generations ago to Empire, if so that’s a desperate comparison. We are in the 21st century, what kind of idiot invades a massive country of over 40million people, Putin and Russia are now up there with the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini etc, a pantheon of evil. A stain for future Russians generation to bear including the humiliation and shame of what their foot soldiers from hell are doing. Russia has a long way back from this now.

Where did I say that? Stick with the question instead of childlike deflection!

It’s illegal then?

JIMK wrote:

I see nowhere south of the Kharkov area that the Russians are being significantly rolled back.

Please find as below a 2 picture gif I have quickly knocked up. The first picture shows a situation map of the Ukraine as of the 2th of April 2022 and the second shows the situation as of 13th May 2022 (almost 6 weeks later)
https://i.postimg.cc/BvsypsjM/ukr.gif
1) Moscow has been pushed out of the North

2) Moscow is getting pushed out around Kharkiv (Note everybody across Europe uses the Ukraine name for the city including each and every British media outlet, you as an Englishman in Milton Keynes used the Russian name)

3) Ukrainian forces are now pressuring Russian forces around Izyum, who appear to have realised that is a lost cause and redeployed troops around that city to the east in which to help surrounded Russian forces around the city of Rubizhne, after an attempt to out flank the Ukrainian forces by crossing the river was foiled with yet another destruction of a Russian BTG and the bridge
4) In the south Russian forces have been pushed back from the city of Mykolaiv and are struggling to hold Kherson, which is why Moscow is keen to hold a so called referendum (like they did in the Crimea) in which annex the city and the surrounding area into Mother Russia. The problem there is, whilst that may have worked in 2014, in which to stop any Ukrainian attempt to take back the Crimea, that isn’t going to work today and Russian troops will continue to be targeted by Ukrainians which as we are already seeing is resulting in Russian soldiers refusing to soldier.
5) Further to serial 4, so dire is the Russian position around the city of Kherson, Moscow has redeployed a number of BTGs from Mariupol’ to the area.
6) Moscow continues to launch Aircraft and Missile attacks on Odessa., simply in which to root the forces defending the city there and prevent them moving East . The question that isn’t been asked is does Moscow have the balls to try and launch an amphibious landing around Odessa, seeing as the threat of suffering huge losses from land based SSM is very real
7) You may wish to continue 

Yes the uk media use the Ukrainian spelling and pronunciation of Kharkov, but funnily enough most of the population are Russian speaking and use the Russian spelling and pronunciations.

Of course that is part of the problem, the Ukrainian nationalists forcing their language, their culture and their support for Naziism on the Russian speaking population.

DN wrote:

Yes the uk media use the Ukrainian spelling and pronunciation of Kharkov, but funnily enough most of the population are Russian speaking and use the Russian spelling and pronunciations.

This is the map for the country as of 2001 regards languages spoken:
https://i.postimg.cc/brGHKQqY/Ukraine-Native-Languages-Census2001detailed-en.png

I’ll raise you this:
https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.40c11b3dd57e4ab4eaadf2e7332bd711?rik=qXh2XZktSF2q3Q&riu=http%3a%2f%2frussia-insider.com%2fsites%2finsider%2ffiles%2f092003f2-0d98-423f-8403-39f553944f73.jpg&ehk=v26PSDjgbqqhIJXGtr%2baNu1cQpPsJaQq%2b7ApgDBLTnU%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

I obviously don’t know how to post image links!

One of many things you seem to have trouble with!

The AZOV Nazi supported opines.

More trouble with reality I see, come on son make more of an effort, your getting rather boring now! Go back to your Putin calendar and your George Galloway fan club!

DN wrote:

Of course that is part of the problem, the Ukrainian nationalists forcing their language, their culture and their support for Naziism on the Russian speaking population.

What you mean as written into law across most of the world and funny enough pushed forward by the Russian Duma as of 2 months ago:

“Support for Naziism” Putin narrative again

I particularly enjoy hours the effort you put into the narrative of your posts.

What? Please have another go in English, thanks.

By that ridiculous so called logic we should expect an attack from the Welch any day.
Ukraine is a sovereign nation who speak their own language with various regional dialects same as us, none of which is a justification for rape and butchery.

Do you think that the 8 year Ukrainian bombardment of the Donbass killing around 3500 civilians was justified?

As for the last comment about “rape and butchery”. There are rapists and butchers in every army in every major war that was ever fought. There are plenty of documented incidents on both sides.

Lets hope everyone who is guilty of war crimes is found and punished.

Have a read of this, its funny how the Western Media don’t cover stories like this: french army: Former French Army man accuses Ukraine of war crimes against Russian forces – The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

Most interesting as the same narrative was pushed by JohninMK, kayaker and a saddo called Andy (all trolls, same account)! Do stop trying to justify an illegal invasion, and stop being a Poop Tin sheep (although you do seem one of those very useful sheep)!

https://www.ukrinform.net/ an interesting site at the moment.

Then tell the Russians to leave Ukraine or does that go against your agenda?

The people of the DPR and LPR that were being attacked by the Ukrainian army for 8 years, are not Russians, they live there. They were Ukrainians being attacked and killed by other Ukrainians for – in their opinion – defying the take over of their country by the US and EU.

Next year they will be Novorussians.

Where is your source for the 3500 killed?

Its a common number than can be found very easily by searching on the internet.

If you want to have a go at my comment, at least do your research yourself.

Denying the 8 year bombardment of the DPR and LPR is denying reality – plenty of BBC articles still in their archive about individual incidents for you to read.

You mean the Russian state backed and equipped separatists, yet again you spew nothing more than Russian propaganda with no evidence whatsoever and expect people to believe them as facts,if you are going to have a go at any comment on here stop being a pathetic little troll.

The only ones trolling are petty little name-callers like you. Grow up and stop acting like a petulant little child when someone disagrees with you.

How pathetic yet again you can criticise others and not accept what everyone can already observe about your previous posts and your own petty name calling when faced with any criticism or questions that doesn’t suit your narrative.

You don’t disagree with others, you push an RT Nazi supporting narrative which makes you either a troll, a sad loner with no mates or a nasty piece of work who openly supports rape, torture and an illegal invasion, you choose which cap fits!

I will. As I was answering John Clark I never intended my comment to cover the last month or so as clearly it would be wrong. I should have put ‘currently’ or ‘in the last few days’ or similar to tie it into his comment.

I still use Kiev as well. I also use Munich, Cologne and Rome plus, like you Odessa.

Can’t see why Russia would attack Odessa from the sea, it would be suicide. The attacks there seem to be on weapons warehouses, fuel and ammo dumps, airfields and further south the railway bridge.

I’m not sure if you noticed this but we are now supporting the Dictatorship of Ukraine? Sod democracy, Ukraine has signed into law that political parties opposing President Zelensky’s agenda are officially banned and their assets may be seized by the state.

Yaaaaaaaaaawn, sorry rapists appeaser did you try to say something?

Another incisive reply I see. Keep up the good work!

Another load of Putin appeasement, keep up the Nazi supporting work!

So says the supporter of the side that actually has Nazis in their army and in their Government.

Look up Stephan Bandera, he’s the Ukrainian National hero and fought and murdered with the SS for the Third Reich. The fact you are happy to support a government that deifies such a man says a lot about you.

Look up the Azov Battalion and what it has been doing for the past 8 years. Its the SS of the Ukrainians. US lawmakers have recognised Azov as Nazis for years:
Congress bans arms to Ukraine militia linked to neo-Nazis | The Hill

Ukraine is now a one party state, dictatorship. Fact. All political opponents now banned.

And YOU call me a nazi supporter?

Go back and worship your SS supporting buddies.

You support a Nazi state, pure and simple and no amount of misdirection will change that my little Nazi lover! Change the RT record and grow up!

That’s not true, you’re wrong again. But you seem to have no trouble in supporting a Russian gangster mafia state that has seized virtually all assets and distributed them amongst a select few individuals, murders and imprisons dissidents, denies freedom of speech and expression, denies human rights to its population, conducts chemical and radiological attacks on other countries, starts expansionist wars of aggression against its neighbours and the Kremlin’s ideology is no different to that of nazi Germany.

You’re wrong every time Comical Johnski.

Not forgetting to mention that the russian forces are reliant on the rail links to the east of Kharkiv and north of Izium. They are now being interdicted by UKr Artillery as are the bridges in the Donbas used by rail and road logistics. Russian logistics will now have to come up from the south to supply the north. ivans logistics are going to once again struggle

The attempted encirclement of the UKr forces in the Donbas Salient has been abandoned…they simply do not have the forces to achieve it.

In the next few weeks expect the Ukr forces to have a line of contact from Kerson- Melitopol –Volnovakha or even Berdyansk. The Donabs will be back under UKr control.

After that they will isolate Crimea and start to roll that up.

Map says it all really. All the deaths and destruction for not very much. One thing should be learnt from recent conflicts. When the population are given freedoms and hope and their lives also improve at the same time they are extremely unlikely to be willing to give these up and return to a previous way of living.

I know they are probably threatening to tow your Lada away if you don’t continue the rhetoric John, but really…..

Russia has been absolutely humiliated in the eyes of the world, the slow castrating of the Russian Armed forces by Ukraine has shown the once feared Superpower to be a paper tiger, utterly incompetent and a laughing stock quite frankly.

The mix of war crimes and cruelty shown has Russia covered in the blood of the innocent…

Russia has been pushed out of the North, it’s being pushed east of Odessa, so it won’t be long before the Ukrainians are rolling you back and over the border.

So, to echo everyone else, please condem Russia as the criminal aggressive state it is….

Compare today’s maps with those the day before it started. When judged against Moscow’s objectives I don’t see Ukraine castrating the Russians, it might be taking longer than they may have hoped but the Russians are grinding remorselessly forward, certainly not a laughing stock. I can’t see how it could be judged any other way.

The Russian Ruble is now stronger than it has been for two years whilst most of the World hasn’t signed up to the sanctions. Not really laughing stock.

Not sure which border I’m going to be rolled back over, Welsh or Scottish?

Yaaaaaaaawn, how’s the raping and looting going?

You might get to keep the Lada afterall John, yep the glorious Russian Army will push on to …. Obscurity perhaps?

Seriously, months in and your losses are huge, your objectives narrowed by the day, yep, laughing stock sums it up, you invaded a country far smaller than you and they are putting you through the meat grinder…

Nothing more than Russia deserves!

Astonishing that a country that suffered so much under the Nazi jackboot, should try them on for size and become the next incarnation of an insane pint sized dictator….

Putin is quite mad you know John…

Ah !! Comical Johnski is back from under his rock with yet more absurd FSB supplied bullshit.

Any answers to the few questions I posed to you in my last reply to your rubbish? Or do your FSB handlers forbid it ??

BTW, better get your black armband dusted off, I hear Vlad the Mad , CIC of the rapist regiment of Russia isn’t in the best of health.

Pretty sure he’ll be gone soon.

Russia is bleeding money and men. The simple truth is that if the west continues to bankroll and supply Ukraine with weapons, russian is likely to be the first to collapse economically and at the end of the day when you are talking two nations engaged in total war the loser is always the one that suffers ecconomic collapse or a collapse of the will to fight. The only way around this is total domination of all domains ( air,sea,land, cyber) and Russia just does not that that so it’s a grind to economic collapse….and the west is just better at winning that type of warfare than anyone else.

Russia has very little debt. What it owes abroad it has in reserves in Moscow. As I said above its currency is getting stronger. Its sales of energy and other exports are very high. It has large reserves of weapons.

We in the West are seriously in debt and have big problems unless we print more money, just delaying the issues. We are only competitive if energy is cheap and that stopped last year. If Russia supplies its ‘friends’ at last year’s prices we are in deep trouble.

You are correct that the west is good at winning what you describe, but the rules have changed

FFS change the record yaaaaaaaawn how’s the rape statistics going with your uniformed rape specialist military? Pathetic!

John John, the reality is the Russian GDP is not great, it does not have a high tec base needed For complex weapons or industries and most of its strategic reserves of currency have been suspended. The value of the ruble has recovered to its normal rate after a catastrophic dip, which means that its in a buying spike after the catastrophic dump, it will slump as sanctions increase and we go into a world slowdown. The simple truth is Europe’s can ween itself of Russian gas and oil, it’s not that hard. But Russia will loss its major market so I’m sorry any delusion that the very small and backwards Russian economy has any hope of out lasting the west is ludicrous. Russia does not have a broad based economy. It’s only hope in reality was a beheading move against Ukraine and it failed. It’s now in a war of a attrition with a nation that it is being backed by the EU, U.K. and US as well as the rest of the liberal democracies….that’s around 70% of the entire worlds GP vs Russia’s GDP which is somewhat less than the UKs. National dept is a tool to rich nations, the U.K. actual invented the concept and used it to help fund the greatest empire the world has know, access and use of dept is what makes a strong nation…russia has no dept because is credit worthiness is down the toilet and it can’t actual get or afford to service a national dept..

Russia has been on a downward cycle of both productivity, tec advancement, infrastructure, population growth and health, education etc etc…it’s got vast areas that have been abandoned….It could have been different but this is the last gasp of a nation That would be slipping from even the ranks of the second rate powers….I would not even compare it with the U.K. for instance which is projected to have the largest economy in Europe within a couple of decades.

Russia only real hope was to make nice to the West as it’s true strategic threat is China….but as Stalin did in 1939, Putin has forced his nation close to the tiger and China wants and will need for its food security most of east Asia…Russia has now left itself weak and its only friend the one nation that needs to and will eat its alive at some point.

Well explained.

Russia has a high enough tech base to develop the Zircon.

Ha ha ha Haha Zircon? Load of Russkie hopes and dreams and failure! Zircon sounds more like a kitchen cleaner you sad rapist supporting troll.

Hmmm. Zircon was going to be a GCHQ SIGINT bird. It was exposed by the left wing journalist Duncan Campbell in the 80s.
It proved too costly so GCHQ decided to drop it and pay 1 billion to NSA for the use of their satellites for British targets 1 third of the time.
I have no idea what the Russian Zircon is that JMK referrs to.

I think he refers to the Zircon supposed missile? Not sure but neither is he!

Yes but Russia does not make most of the key components that go into that missile and almost all other high tec items. Just one example is superconductors, needed in high tec manufacture not made in Russia main manufacturing is in Japan and US. Lot of other things russia does not have the tec base to make.

One of Putin’s ‘revenge weapons’?
Where have we heard that narrative before ….

The Russian military is being exhausted. It doesn’t have the reserves required to replenish lost equipment and soldiers, at best it can only mobilise conscripts and obsolete equipment. It has been defeated in the North and North East, and will be eventually defeated everywhere. Because of sanctions, Russia isn’t able to access the vital materials and components to support its military equipment manufacturers, while Ukraine is being supplied with advanced weaponry in greater numbers. The large reserves of weapons you talk about Russia having are likely to be rusting junk.

The best Russia can hope for after this is to be a subordinate client state of China.

I’ll keep it simple and sweet…your Maths is wrong.

JMK you seem to have a kindergarten appreciation of artillery fire. Any professional would explain to you that 90% of Russian artillery fire at present seems to be wasted on non-military targets (schools and flats etc) whereas 95% of Ukraine artillery fire seems to be aimed at military targets. So one side is actioning a professional campaign and the other an amateurish campaign, I’ll leave you to figure out who the losers are.

Funny comrade, that Russian artillery seems to be getting wiped out by counter battery fire all the time. Ukraine artillery is now much longer range, more accurate and with counter battery radar they know exactly where Russian artillery is. Better you guys just go home before you all get killed. If you give up now they might let you keep Crimea. Tell your boss he is not looking well also. Maybe he needs to rest.

Even by your low standards a miserable effort. The Russians are being thrashed. They expected – you expected, I expected – them to be running Ukraine by early March having deported to ‘camps’ all the leading Ukrainians they could squeeze into cattle trucks. Instead they have been thrashed. Were it not for the needless deaths on both sides yours would be about as amusing as dear Brian London believing he could have had Muhammed Ali in the tenth.

Need to bring down the bridge over the Kersch Straits to really cut off Crimea.

Too late, they have an overland road all the way now.

Not once the Ukrainians have pushed the Russians into the Black Sea

Hopefully it’s on a “to be hit” list. They’ll have to do a good “ neat” job on it as as to not block the sea lanes.

Putin believes Crimea is Russian territory, treacherously given away by nikita krushchev..
I think Ukraine troops pushing into Crimea could tip him into a nuclear response. Even a detonation at sea would probably force a ceasefire. He won’t concede crimea . It’s political end game for him.

Ukraine has said they would love to destroy the bridge to Crimea. NATO should help them with that.

Its no game. NATO in Crimea is beyond a red line and it very nearly happened as in 2013 the USN was paying for upgrading facilities there. If it hadn’t been for the coup in 2014 they may have been there now.

There was no coup in 2014 🤷🏻‍♂️

What do you call the overthrow of the Yanukovych Government then?

There was no overthrow of the government. The rigged election that he won was appealed to the countries highest court, which invalidated it and in the fresh election he lost. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’m afraid that was called a Democratic check and balance working to remove a future dictator…Actual Democracies do have that sort of thing to make sure People like Putin don’t subvert the democratic process from within.

There was no coup in 2014. Sean is correct. Yanukovych was little more than a Russian stooge, similar to yourself who governed Ukraine according to Moscow’s wishes. It was a popular uprising by the Ukrainian people, backed by its parliament that saw him resign from power and flee to that well known bastion of freedom and democracy – Russia. That fact alone confirms that he was Russia’s little bitch. Before he was forced from office though, his security forces fired on unarmed protesters, killing many.

The Ukrainian people wanted closer ties with the West and the EU. Yanukovych, as Russia’s puppet had to resist that but failed – democracy huh ? Must be so annoying to you people.

The only coups were those fake referenda held in Crimea, Luhansk, and Donesk about joining Russia. Who in their right mind would trust such a result from a vote that was organised by the Kremlin, that well known beacon of transparency and trust??

You’re wrong again Johnokovich, Kremlin propaganda is an unreliable source of information.

Your getting flustered son, your now forgetting your pretend impartiality!

I actually don’t disagree with you on Much on Crimea, that’s a far more complex ethnic situation than the rest of Ukraine and is probably the only area that can be used in a negotiated peace.

Where I don’t agree with you is I don’t believe the US would have moved into Ukriane, russia had a navel base there, the US foreign policy is sometimes clumsy and random but not that level of stupid.

Also in reality I don’t think Putin really cared that much About Crimea, what he saw was an easy isolated target that would allow him to block Ukrainian admission to NATO effectively for ever. He Very clearly created the conflict for this Geopolitical purpose, as Ukraine could never join nato with Russia in Crimea.

He does not give a toss about ethic Russian populations in other countries, they are just a geopolitical tool for his own vision of his himself as an emperor.

The West should help the Ukrainians destroy the bridges to Crimea. That would really put Putin’s panties in a twist.

And what would he do in return? Destroy the Denmark/Sweden bridge or the Channel Tunnel?

He sulk and pout a bit, and do nothing.
Just like he’s ignored NATO arming Ukraine, NATO repairing damaged Ukrainian vehicles, and Turkey closing the Bosporus to Russian vessels. Just like he’ll blister about Sweden and Finland joining NATO, he bluster and fluster and do nothing 😆

He knows in a confrontation with NATO, he loses.

So now your saying that Pootin should attack NATO territory! Isn’t that going to cause the WW you are supposed to be trying to avoid.

Apparently that was a UKr photo from the training depot.. A russian telegram poster got the picture, removed the watermarks and posted a “look what we found” “isnt Brimestone carp” post.

Don’t the ATG4’s and Carl gustav have the ability or are they a bit too light?

Carl Gustav can – the Danes we’re using that but not in British Service. Not sure about AT4.
ASM uses ‘enhanced blast’ to Punch a big hole and drop the building. It was really useful if you were being engaged from a hardened firing point. However, under more restrictive rules of engagement it was more difficult to use because you had to ensure that no one else was in the compound. In a conventional fight it’s an awesome weapon.

Thank you for the info

In our mission, we used Carl Gustavs in Afghan, they were loaned to us by the Canadians, who we were embedded with. We used only two types of round for them, a standard HE round and an anti-structure round. We used the anti-structure one for blowing holes in mud brick walls, if the situation was too hot to place a breeching charge.

Ok first question what’s a fatter 66? Does the anti structure weapon have a name. I’m not military and a don’t own a services dictionary. Got there own language in there

The U.S. Sent So Many Missiles to Ukraine That It Depleted Its Own Stockpiles (popularmechanics.com)

FMV, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, has agree that the UK can use Swedish agreement with Saab.

<a href=”https://www.fmv.se/aktuellt–press/aktuella-handelser/fmv-tecknar-avtal-med-storbritannien-om-pansarvarnsrobot-nlaw/”>FMV signs agreement with the United Kingdom on anti-tank robot NLAW</a>

<i>”FMV has signed an agreement with the United Kingdom, which makes it possible for them to use Sweden’s existing agreement with Saab for the manufacture of the anti-tank robot NLAW. The robot, which in Sweden is called Robot 57, is used to fight modern combat vehicles and it is one of the UK’s military contributions to Ukraine.”</i>

Who cares how old the bits are: they work fine for the job in hand.

The problem is more iteration of design to keep current production possible.

Previously I have posted, to a bit of derision on here, that the discontinuation of manufacture of non military discreet components that were often available bulk mail order was a significant issue in maintaining and manufacturing items.

Ho hum.

Apparently LM and Boeing now have the same thoughts?

My company had the same issues, obsolescent parts were an ongoing risk, we had to buy in bulk before they were gone.

Your compared the same issues? Really, raping and looting civvies, wow.

Russia is banned from the Eurovision song contest, so JMK has nothing else to do this evening.

Spain was pretty raunchy.

How will your dear leader take the massive Europe wide popular vote that took Ukraine from fourth to first? For the first time in 20 years, a British act/song came first in the jury vote, but the ordinary people of Europe gave the bulk of their votes to Ukraine. This included the ordinary people of Britain who gave their top 12 votes to Ukraine, even though it meant helping knock Britain from first to second. If the UK had to come second to anyone, I am glad it was Ukraine. Rule Britannia & Glory to Ukraine!

I suspect he couldn’t care less. He knows that in serious Government decisions the public has little say. Remember Iraq?

Ah remember Iraq? Hilarious, proof you have absolutely no reasoned answer to any reply to your rapists supportin vomit.

In time, the public mood can sink even the highest leader. Is Blair still PM? No. Even Putin will not lead Russia forever. You might want to plan your escape route now.

Cutting edge stuff……

Maybe they are using them so NATO can’t hack their helmets?

Do they have tin foil liners?

Honestly, this would be funny if so many lives were not being lost.

Indeed they are but it would be wrong to regard either the DNR or LDR militias as part of the Russian Army as they are not. No attempt seems to have been made to equip them to RuA standards and they get all the captured ex Ukrainian stuff, including NATO donations. In many ways they are worse equipped than the main Ukrainian units.

“….RuA standards…”

Ha ha !! Russian army standards (and navy and Air force), are being shown daily to be non existent. Poorly trained, badly led, unable to manoeuvre, junk equipment that’s isn’t maintained, operated by conscripts and amateurs. That’s before we even examine the Russian nazi militias. The NATO equipment and standards are so far advanced from the Russian junk it must be such a morale breaker for the Russians.

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day , you are consistently wrong with your information every time you post. It’s pathetic .

Biden has no Constitutional authority to issue an executive order to issue an aid package. Only Congress can authorize the funds and the shipment of materials purchased with those funds.
Rand Paul did not stop the aid package, he merely delayed it until next week. He refused to agree to a unanimous consent agreement which means regular Senate procedure applies and the bill will be passed next week.
Strange how Brits have no idea how the US Congress works but issue declarative statements about it anyway.

Bit like yanks with the Good Friday agreement really isn’t it!

And how many Americans have any idea how any government outside the US world either

World not world

Damn predictive text ” works”

We meant what you knew ….

Like the American government they are all corrupt. Simple.

Biden is crazy. $40 billion is more money than 99% of countries spend on defense in a year. He’s just wasting more American taxpayer dollars. He doesn’t have the guts to tell Germany to start paying up like Trump did.

That $40 billion is for lots of different stuff not just equipment and will be equipment costs at USA prices.
Trump could shout all he wanted but the Germans didn’t act because he threw his toys out of the pram.
If it comes to how politics work trump was clueless as shown by his actions and the lack of impact his statements had on any foreign country changing direction because he said so.
Deflection at its best. Trump had major putin love, god knows what would of happened if he was still in power

Paul had/has a point that any large sums of cash given to Ukraine without good, solid oversight, might vanish into the offshore accounts of the “usual suspects”. Any weapons, ammo, food, fuel, medicine given to Ukraine will be given to those Ukrainians that need it, but cash risks leaking to the wrong hands.

I don’t think the Americans are sending over a C-17 with cash in it. The figure is just costings

I think we all know that US cash handed over in Iraq & Afghanistan often went astray. Better to send useful things, rather than cash.

Never thought about that. Good point.

They got Sevastopol in 2014 – it is in Crimea.

DM, at the start of this, I agreed with you, that Putin needed an off ramp, but three months later, & all the death & destruction, I think he has spurned any attempts at a reasonable deal. It is now down to him to make the first move & it had better be generous to Ukraine.

Totally agree SB, as bad as the deaths and destruction in Ukrainian are, we must support Ukraine in giving Ivan (shows when I first joined the RM) a bloody nose. It really is a “stitch in time”, to save the rest of Eastern Europe, and Taiwan for that matter. The Russian & Chinese doctrine of a large motorised fist needs to be shown to be one that will get mauled by Western manpads.

The premier cru vineyards of Bordeaux?