Current Affairs Ukraine

[DualityNSNO]

It's not. No sane person would want their children to go to war, and most people themselves would rather not be involved in active combat.

That's not criticising being in the forces by the way - far from it. Yet sadly, there still appears the need for young men and women to enlist, stand and fight.

Fortunately, we as a nation have a known ability to produce soldiers of calibre who, in times of peace, will do the job and put their lives on the line and even die.

I always think about the start of Metallica's One, where it says, "For democracy, any man will give his only begotten son." There's many Ukranians doing that now.

Even worse, there'll always be the small minority who take pleasure from war and destruction.

Regarding what I previously said - in no way do I mean to disrespect the people who want to enlist, or anything like that. I respect them all immensely, for the bravery and (true) heroism.

I do not even want to understand the last ones you mentioned.

 

[Death]

Got no love for Democrat proganda TV but gotta have balls of steel to be a reporter on the ground in such a conflict

 

[tsubaki]

Ukrainian govt now saying (again) that they have indeed retaken Antonov airfield.

If true then it means that Russia has lost an entire VDV/Spetsnaz unit and it’s a massive morale booster for Ukraine.

I find it strange that Putin gambled on this and failed to back up his elite airborne troops with armour, kinda reminds me of the British paras at Arnhem.

Again, if that is true then it is remarkable.

 

[PhilM]

You sir, know your onions!
What did you study?

Merci. History and Politics for my first bachelors, with particular focus on Europe 1900+, British Imperialism and Post-1945 decolonisation for my units.

I did a Modern History MA with some of the above and others bits, and recently another philosophy bachelors.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Ukrainian govt now saying (again) that they have indeed retaken Antonov airfield.

If true then it means that Russia has lost an entire VDV/Spetsnaz unit and it’s a massive morale booster for Ukraine.

I find it strange that Putin gambled on this and failed to back up his elite airborne troops with armour, kinda reminds me of the British paras at Arnhem.

I doubt that Putin is involved all the way down at the tactical level.

I pulled my dog-eared copy of Red Storm Rising out the other day (the legacy of being toted around in a backpack and read in spare time when I was like twelve) to look at the maskirova bits. The first couple of hundred pages about the political side of the buildup to war is pretty timeless. The rest is fairly irrelevant today.

It strikes me that Putin probably has much the same problem that the Soviets did - he probably has some people in high places who aren't up to the task of a job like this, due to internal politics. I would imagine that he would employ much the same solution, which is to churn and burn commanders until he gets the best ones for the job in place.

It therefore doesn't much surprise me that they are making some substantial early mistakes. That will probably stop in a hurry.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

Lowkey afraid, and that's a long shot I feel, for another reason - justification of excessive use of force because he keeps losing special forces at a certain point.

Like if he keeps losing spetsnaz there, at what point does he go "just level it, it's justifiable"?

Shockingly, not out of the question.

Think it was a major gamble/miscalculation by the Russian generals.

As you say he could deffo just level the place with arty but at some point you have to control the ground with troops.

I think he’s just lost an early opportunity to force Ukraine to surrender.

 

[Tree13]

If your analysis doesn't include the words "nuclear power" you've missed the most important part

Most of the players to whom I've referred are nuclear powers.

If you're suggesting that any aggression, expansion or invasion conducted by Russia must always be meekly appeased because Russia is a nuclear power then what on Earth is the point of NATO, or of any country having armed forces? Or being independent of Russia?

 

[magicjuan]

Mate, I am not a Biden fan. However I think the world is walking towards a cliff. As posted earlier, we either continue to appease Putin as with Hitler, or we go to incredible war, the like of which we have never seen.

I really have no solution and am concerned for the future. Not quite "we're doomed I tell ye" but these are worrying times. If Putin gets away with this he won't stop. Baltic States next, then former Eastern Bloc.

Hopefully the economic measures will have effect.

Unfortunately those economic measures will affect us as much as the Russians. We are talking, relatively, in the same terms theorists do in regards to the 'great re-set'.
We are drifting into completely uncharted waters. And similarly, as a pacifist, it scares the life out of me, either scenario.

 

[RAFUH]

@AleksanderTheGreat but there’s been a slight suspicion that may not be totally accurate.

Mod snooping suggests you owe him an apology.

Stay safe @AleksanderTheGreat

 

[Neiler]

Ouch

Sanctions wont mean a thing, utterly useless.

Putin has been planning this for decades. He went out to the China last year and got the green light, Xi Jinping, watch Russia export to China which will soon be the world biggest economy enabled by Russian energy. This has been planned for beards strategically and well telegraphed. The east are laughing their heads off at the West and sanctions.

May as well be weeing in the wind.

 

[Bluerover]

This is, shockingly, not how what happened in Afghanistan and Iraq is viewed everywhere. Even if it was - for Afghanistan it was, at the beginning, seen as a retaliation - they were chopping people's heads, etc., which got them attacked.

ISIS - similar.

Iraq was a truly shocking one for me personally as I had army family and they were expecting to be deployed, but dodged that. It was also against a tyrannical leader in Gadafi.

I'm not justifying the actions of war above, but retaliation is retaliation at least as a means or reason.

Attacking a nation because you feel like you should own it is something else.

Think it was Saddam Hussein mate. Gadaffi was Libya.

 

[PhilM]

Ukrainian govt now saying (again) that they have indeed retaken Antonov airfield.

If true then it means that Russia has lost an entire VDV/Spetsnaz unit and it’s a massive morale booster for Ukraine.

I find it strange that Putin gambled on this and failed to back up his elite airborne troops with armour, kinda reminds me of the British paras at Arnhem.

Alas why I mentioned the need for removing (eradicating) their LDZ. Maybe they felt as if their armour would reach Kyiv in enough numbers in a day or two.

Our Paras and Pathfinders plan for such outcomes. A huge morale boost for the Ukrainians and it'll allow them to redeploy troops to defensive positions.

Mod snooping suggests you owe him an apology.

Stay safe @AleksanderTheGreat

I'll happily offer him an apology - always an emphasis on slight. I hope he's safe.

 

[Bluerover]

Sanctions wont mean a thing, utterly useless.

Putin has been planning this for a decade. He went out to the China last year and got the green light, Xi Jinping, watch Russia export to China which will soon be the world biggest economy enabled by Russian energy. This has been planned for beards strategically and well telegraphed. The east are laughing their heads off at the West and sanctions.

May as well be seeing in the wind.

I think you may be correct in this. Ukraine is gone, but who is next?

I really feel for all the Ukrainian people who will suffer by trying to resist this aggressor

 

[TheBigIguana]

Most of the players to whom I've referred are nuclear powers.

If you're suggesting that any aggression, expansion or invasion conducted by Russia must always be meekly appeased because Russia is a nuclear power then what on Earth is the point of NATO, or of any country having armed forces? Or being independent of Russia?

The point of NATO is to defend the countries in NATO. If Putin invaded one of them the equation would be different. Ukraine is not though.

What I'm saying is entering into a war that is not yours when the other side is a nuclear power puts a lot of mutually assured destruction scenarios on the table and at this moment that is a non-starter. I feel horrible for the people of Ukraine but not horrible enough to put the rest of Earth in the firing line.

The strongest sanctions (they're failing here) and a strong program for refugees (also failing) are the best options right now.

 

[BlueToff]

You're being very naive if you don't believe there's a strong egotistical driving factor behind this. He wants to be the man to unite the USSR - he's never recognised Ukraine as a sovereign state.

I'm not disputing that, but he's never needed his nation's backing to do anything - and he doesn't even have it from a lot of people in this case.