To cheer y'all up just a little more.

https://puck.news/how-putins-game-ends/

That is the question. And I think this is what all the NATO war gaming currently is working on.

I don't really know what Novichok is, but yeah. It is interesting they use these weird substances, instead of just sending the "you are not safe even in the West" message with a bullet.

Yes, and who is their best friend, supporter and sponsor? It is absolutely ridiculous to see how Putin/Kremlin uses the "de-nazification" of Ukraine as a pretext for invasion (as if this nonsense could be a reason to invade this country anyway) while sponsoring, helping and courting all the far-right clowns and useful idiots (and the "authoritarians") in Europe and elsewhere.
When Ukraine defends itself and their national identity they are nazi....in Kremlin's twisted logic. In which category would Russia fall these days anyway?

Not available 404.

There is an opinion that even if Putin nukes on of the NATO countries it's more likely that this country is excluded from NATO than that NATO answers.

In the meanwhile, if anyone is not afraid of shocking content you may watch how the streets of de-occupied towns to the north of Kiev look like. The only thing that Russia is successful in is spreading death and devastation all around.
https://www.facebook.com/10000390294...31589/?app=fbl

Rumours are that despite the Russian claims of thousands coming from the Middle East Assad only sent a couple of hundreds (no credible source)

Curious.

One of the early Russian victories on 25th February, after the first attack was defeated on 24th, was the capture of Antonov/Hostomel Airport close to Kyiv. The airport was too badly damaged to be used for flights and is believed to have blocked Putin's plans to quickly seize Kyiv.

Today it is reported that the Russians have abandoned the airport, satellite photos show no military vehicles. Nobody knows why, where they have gone, or if they plan to return. Presumably, they have heavily mined and boobytrapped it before leaving.

Remove the parameters, that's the question mark and everything to its right.
Or open the article via the homepage, it's at the top. "How Putin’s Game Ends"
Reminds me of Bagram airbase.

This sentence makes little sense when I read it... are you saying if Putin nuked a NATO country that the EU would then expel that country from NATO so as to avoid war?

Novichok was used on a ex-spy for the British.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison..._Yulia_Skripal

Hence the dark comment that Putin only intended to admire Kyiv Cathedral.

Thanks, fixed now. Copied link from article openend on Twitter, don't know what went wrong.

Seems to me to be a serious escalation by the US? So far I believe they have limited themselves to a supply of weapons of defense.

"U.S. Will Work With Allies to Transfer Soviet-Made Tanks to Ukraine"

There is no way a tank can be described as defensive.
I suppose they can claim they are just replacing destroyed tanks?

Due to the Russians concentrating their ground forces in the South and East it makes it easier for such military supplies to come in from the West. The Russian air force has shown little enthusiasm for flying in the West, their failure to gain air superiority on day one was one of their biggest mistakes.

"“The headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit in the Shakhterskoye region of the central Dnipropetrovska province was ambushed with Oniks cruise missiles launched from the Bastion coastal defense system.
About 40 Ukrainian servicemen were attacked. killed, five armored vehicles and many motor vehicles were also destroyed,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said today."

From the fact that they are now using anti-ship missiles, it could be construed that they are running low on stocks of missiles.

UA will need offensive weapons in order to have a chance of pushing the Russians back in at least part of the country.

We cannot engage in de-escalation only, we have escalated the economic war and I don't think other than rethorically it will make a difference whether we supply anti-aircraft missiles or those half-useless tanks.

I would load up a bus, or two, with UA pilots and drive them somewhere in a neighbouring country. Follow with a couple of articulated lorries (aka big trucks).

The pilots would preform a daring heist and fly off freshly repainted M29s at low altitudes to another undisclosed spot. The now-filled trucks would exit back into the Ukraine filled with spare parts, etc, for the M29s.

Exactly 30 minutes after the last truck crosses back into Ukraine, the Poles scream very loudly. “We’ve been robbed!” Someone has stolen our obsolete airplanes! If you happen to see one please call us urgently.

Something like Israel did with a load of Bristol Beufighters in operation sky heist. Now that is a movie dying to be made.

According to Levada Centre's latest survey Putin's approval rating in Ru is 83% now compared to 68% before the war and 61% in 2021.
The issues is, can we trust these surveys data? Of course, I know they are presented totally different info and that would explain many things but still....is there any independent polling and research organisation there..?

The U.S. military has canceled a test of its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile that it had initially aimed only to delay in a bid to lower nuclear tensions with Russia during the war in Ukraine, the Air Force told Reuters on Friday.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...ns-2022-04-01/

Smart.

I think it´s a case of "rally around the leader" Russian citizens have been given a spoon fed diet of spun truths, and truths fitting the agenda, outright truths, repetition, repetition, repetition and a strong leader telling apathetic people what to do.
It´s roughly the same way advertising works by the way.
Ever since we have had "leaders" it´s a tried and tested method to get "your" tribe behind you.
In the end it´s just a case of the right words and actions gettin a bunch of monkeys in one tree to buy crap they don´t need or to hate the bunch of monkeys in the other tree.
It´s the human condition and it´s all the same.

__________________
Back in Bavaria, god´s own belly button.

I disagree, It would be smart to proceed, advising everyone of the timings and approximate locations.

Life has to continue despite the bully in the next playground misbehaving.

Jeeez, Minuteman III, a 1960ties missile, think 12" floppy disk and tape, where do they even get spares for them things... Museums and ebay?