Russia Declares War on Ukraine<<MOD WARNING>>

I think Russia will have a very difficult and long running job to try to put these worms back in the can. I don't think Russia will be annexing a lot of territory out of this.

 

Russia is not shy about its revanchist aggression against its neighbors.....and then it cries about rhetoric.

Let's play a sad, sad song for the Russian "victim".....

 

I care about individual liberties.

 

1 min ago
Russia is using cluster bombs in Ukraine, head of NATO says

From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau and Lindsay Isaac in London

Russia has used cluster bombs, widely banned artillery in Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday.

"We have seen the use of cluster bombs and we have seen reports of use of other types of weapons which would be in violation of international law," Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels on Friday.

Stoltenberg added that NATO and its allies were “collecting information and monitoring very closely what is going on in Ukraine.”

“I also welcome the decision by the International Criminal Court to open the investigation to this because we have to make sure that President Putin, the president of Belarus are held accountable for what they do," he said.

"This is brutality. This is inhumane. This is violating international law,” Stoltenberg said.
Cluster bombs — which not only deliver an initial explosion on impact but also contain multiple smaller bombs that spread over a wide area — are largely condemned by the international community due to the risk of civilian casualties when they're used in populated areas.

US President Joe Biden’s envoy to the United Nations has accused Russia of preparing to use banned weapons, including "cluster munitions and vacuum bombs," in Ukraine. And she issued a stark warning to invading Russian soldiers.

"Your leaders are lying to you. Do not commit war crimes," US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during remarks to an emergency session of the General Assembly on Wednesday.

CNN teams in Ukraine have also spotted Russian thermobaric "vacuum bombs" launchers this past week.

You can read more about cluster bombs and the International Criminal Court's investigation into possible war crimes here.​

Live updates: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-04-22/index.html

Of course, a law - international or otherwise - only matters if it is enforced.

 

Javelin is a "third generation" weapon. First generation is like the old WWII bazooka or the Vietnam Era recoilless rifles or LAW's (Light Anti Tank Weapons). First generation are aim and shoot... unguided like a bullet. The skill of the gunner to add appropriate "lead" on a moving tank is the key.
Second generation are weapons terminally guided to the target by the gunner. These include Dragon and TOW which were tethered to the gunner by wire. As the gunner moved his aimpoint to track the target, signals were sent to the round to change its trajectory in flight and guide it to the target. HELLFIRE missiles, fired from attack helicopters like Apache, did the same thing, only using lasers instead of wire. he prolem with second generation systems (which are called "smart") is tt the gunner had to maintain line-of-sight to the target throughout the stime of flight of the weapon... exposing himself to enemy fire. JAVELIN is third generation... known as "brilliant" weapons. The round guides itself to the target. The gunner locks on to the target (the round locks onto a right angle, straight line or some other shape not found in nature) and pulls the trigger. The round stays locked on by itself. The gunner scoots. It s "fire and forget". The range is in excess of 2500 meters. It uses a tandem shaped charge which can defeat reactive ("Chiboam") armor. Its a heckuva weapon.

 

Sure. That's why you're shilling for the Pootster.

 

Sounds cool .. we need to be giving these weapons to the Palestinians - help those freedom fightings resist the evil IDF.

 

It makes me damned proud to be an American.

 

...................................................... This BS breaks the meter
.....................................................



I would hope that that is an Absurd LIE that YOU believe.
................ Rather than a Malicious LIE that YOU are telling


The US and NATO - have been pouring both training and
sophisticated weapons into the Ukraine ever THEY initiated
.............................................................................. the Coup there
_____________________________________________
NATO Arms Sales to Ukraine:
The Spark That Starts a War with Russia?
CATO Institute - NOVEMBER 12, 2021 - Recognized the absolute IDIOCY of the Policy
The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded
in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer
of Koch Industries. Cato was established to have a focus on public advocacy, media exposure and societal
influence
http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/russia-declares-war-on-ukraine.597298/add-reply

From The Article:
Washington and its NATO partners need to back away from their increasingly dangerous
policies.The Kremlin has made it clear multiple times that it regards Ukraine as a core
Russian security concern, and that efforts to make that country a Western military ally
risk crossing a bright red line. Adopting measures that encourage a volatile client
to engage in provocations that it can’t sustain if its stronger adversary responds
by escalating the confrontation is egregious foreign policy malpractice. Arming
Ukraine with sophisticated weaponry is a textbook example of such folly. The United
States, Turkey, and Kiev’s other enablers need to change course before they turn the
simmering Ukraine conflict into a conflagration.
_____________________________________________
.


.

 

It should. I was amazed that Germany is sending its LATEST hand held anti-tank weapon to Ukraine. Its called NLAW. Not guided, range of 300-500 meters. Wow... not even in the same class.
Some years ago a British General friend of mine asked me if I could set up a visit to an American aircraft carrier when he visited San Diego (I was still living there at the time). I did so. He and his entourage "oooh'd" and "ahh'd" for two hours as he was given a tour of the USS Stennis. As we left the ship he turned to me and said, "It must make all Americans proud". I said (in my best schmooze voice).. "yes it does. But it must make you proud too. After all, we are your children." The whole bunch groaned and then laughed... me along with them

 

Yes. We had a small contingent of the 53d (Infantry) BCT (Brigade Combat Team) and some JAVELIN trainers there. So what? We have tens of thousands of Soldiers in Germany... so Russia is cleared for attacking Germany? We have an ENTIRE BCT in Poland... so Russia is cleared to attack Poland? We have trainers in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, and Romania... so Russia is justified if they attack THEM? Sorry... Ukraine is a sovereign nation and can do what it pleases... except attack its neighbors. No one should attack its neighbors... ever. Putin, however, attacks like the mad dog he is.

 

No one should attack their neighbors except Israel. No one should attack countries far away with no ability to harm them, except the United States. No country should get involved in another country's civil war, except the US and its allies. All sovereign states have to purchase arms from any country they wish, and invite foreign advisors and trainers, except Syria or any other country the US forbids doing so. 3rd generation Javelin anti-tank missiles supplied to Ukraine to take out Russian tanks and their crew are cool. Iranian-made 2nd generation Toophan, Tosan and Davaliyeh anti-tank missiles to help the hapless Houthis fight back the American backed, Saudi genocide in Yemen are "terrorist weapons." Drones are cool when used to kill an assortment of people by the US are fine, but drones supplied by Iran to for Syrians and Iraqis to fight ISIS or foreign occupying forces are a huge destabilizing force. Iranian precision guided ballistic missiles and cruise missiles are weapons of terror, but Tomahawk missiles are beautiful...

 

All the countries YOU list are NATO members - The Ukraine is NOT
and it seems that Russia will engage in Nuclear War to keep it that way.

Cuba is a Sovereign Nation with the right to 'do as it pleases' and invite in
.................... whoever & whatever they want. So how does that fit with YOUR
............................................................................. Hypocritical Double Standard ?

Russia sees Ukrainian membership in NATO and the possible eventual placing
of Nuclear Missiles there, as a EXISTENTIAL THREAT and THEY might choose
to fight a Nuclear War NOW, rather than tolerate that happening in the Future

.

 

The Panzerfaust 3 IT is a excellent weapon for close combat, light weight and small and that is what it is designed for.

 

That you can't figure out the difference between Ukraine and Germany .. speaks volumes.

 

....or are we entering the day of the sniper.....bwahahah.....

 

And, of course, you will continue to side with poor Russia if they do that, won't you? Big, bad bullies we are, we're forcing them to destroy the world.

Oh, and Russia's war of aggression and of choice is just a "tragedy," suggesting that it's just this terrible thing that somehow happened.

 

When this is all over, maybe someone will make a sequel to Enemy at the Gates..

 

6 min ago
Russian military warns of "provocations" involving Western journalists in Ukraine

From CNN's Nathan Hodge in Moscow

Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov warned on Friday that Ukrainian forces in the city of Kharkiv were readying a "provocation" in concert with Western journalists by firing heavy weaponry from a residential area with the aim of provoking a retaliation by Russian forces that would be caught on camera.

Russian statements about supposed "provocations" by the Ukrainian side have been a prelude to shelling or strikes by Russian forces.

"In the city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian nationalists are preparing a provocation with the participation of Western journalists," Konashenkov said in a video briefing released by the Russian MOD. "According to confirmed data, on Zhylyardi Street, Kyiv District, in a private residential area, multiple launch rocket systems are placed between the houses. Nationalists have forbidden local residents, including children, from leaving their homes. Now the installations are ready for shelling units of the Russian armed forces located outside the city. The purpose of the provocation is to call back fire from Russian artillery on the residential sector of Kharkiv. All this is planned to be filmed on cameras with the subsequent transfer of filming to Western journalists."

Konashenkov provided no evidence to support the claim. Russia has previously made baseless claims about humanitarian workers in Syria being involved in staging or provoking attacks to prompt international outrage and spur Western governments to intervene militarily. "Ukrainian nationalists" is a shorthand the Russian government has used to characterize forces putting up resistance to Russian troops.

Journalists working in Ukraine have extensively documented the heavy shelling of Kharkiv by Russian forces, including in residential areas.

Live updates: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-04-22/index.html​

Looks like the fascists are hoping to scare journalists out of showing their war crimes now.

 

......maybe have these guys as extras.....



I mean they seem happy enough....looks like they're surrendering to anyone that will feed them at this point!! Looking at the video there's only one rifle in view so I guess these guys were more hungry than overwhelmed...........best way to a squaddies heart is through his stomach....

 

As the top comment suggests, they could also help rebuild Ukraine's ruined buildings and roads.

 

....maybe increase the numbers by advertising a "warm meal"...

 

5 min ago
Direct attacks and a destroyed bridge have slowed Russian convoy advance on Kyiv, US defense official says

From CNN's Oren Liebermann

Direct attacks on a massive Russian convoy outside Kyiv, coupled with a destroyed bridge in the convoy’s path, have stalled the Russian forces about 15 miles north of the city, a senior defense official said Friday. Meanwhile, Ukraine retains a “significant majority” of its air combat power, as Russia remains unable to establish air supremacy.

The convoy, stretched out more than 40 miles of road, has not appreciably advanced since the weekend, the official said.

“We certainly believe that the Ukrainians blowing up that bridge absolutely had an [effect] on stopping and curtailing the movement of that convoy,” the official said. “But we also believe that they have hit the convoy at other places as well in direct attacks.”

Earlier this week, the official said logistical and sustainment issues have also contributed to the slow advance of the convoy. But the US believe Russian forces in the convoy are regrouping and learning from their mistakes as they continue to try to attack the Ukrainian capital.

As the fight on the ground continues, the Ukrainian air force still has fighter jets, helicopters and drones available, though they have suffered some losses, the official said. The losses are due both to “Russian actions” and inoperability, the official added.​

Live updates: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-04-22/index.html

 

For the past 8 years, Ukraine has been living the thug life...... big ballin' while being financed by the West.

About the Neo-Nazis. They are a definite minority, but a powerful one. They and their sympathizers made Maidan happen as it did. They and their sympathizers burned the Trade Union hall in Odessa, burning dozens alive inside. They and their sympathizers are found in government (in the Rada, as mayors and police chiefs, in the courts) and in the military (most notably the Azov battalion).

Yes, they are a minority, but it only takes a minority of people such as this to wrest control. Probably tbe closest analogy would be the drug cartels that act with impunity in Mexico. Or, closer to home, there are gangs in most major cities that have their own "turf". Imagine that turf being protected not only by tbe gang members, but ignored by law enforcement. This is what is happening in Ukraine on a large scale. A powerful cadre of Neo-Nazis aided and abetted by sympathizers in officialdom, while everyone else is intimidated into silence.

Toss into the mix NATO's desires for Ukraine. It has been upgrading Ukraine with weapons and training for years now. Airfields have been upgraded and naval facilities built. Joint military exercises are held yearly now. Ukraine is fast becoming a NATO member in everything but name. The only thing missing is Article 5.

More immediately, there had been a marked increase in the shelling on the line of contact in the Donbas area. Most of the shells were landing on the separatists side, as recorded by the OSCE. Ukraine has made it clear that it has no intention of ever honoring the Minsk Accord, which it signed onto 7 years ago.

Taken together .... the unconstitutional coup, the Odessa massacre, the war with the separatists that has cost over 14,000 lives on the separatist side alone, the arming of Ukraine by NATO, Neo-Nazis given free run and you come up with an unholy mix. It's like a rabid dog being fed gunpowder and steroids.

Like it or not, Putin has decided ..... enough!!! .... and has set about to defang that dog.

 

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 3
Mar 3, 2022 - Press ISW

PDF link: https://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Russian Operations Assessments March 3.pdf

Mason Clark, George Barros, and Kateryna Stepanenko

March 3, 4:00 pm EST

The Russian military has continued its unsuccessful attempts to encircle Kyiv and capture Kharkiv. The Russians continued to attack piecemeal, committing a few battalion tactical groups at a time rather than concentrating overwhelming force to achieve decisive effects. Russian commanders appear to prefer opening up new lines of advance for regiment-sized operations but have been unable to achieve meaningful synergies between efforts along different axes toward the same objectives. They have also continued conducting operations in southern Ukraine along three diverging axes rather than concentrating on one or attempting mutually supporting efforts. These failures of basic operational art—long a strong suit of the Soviet military and heavily studied at Russian military academies—remain inexplicable as does the Russian military’s failure to gain air superiority or at least to ground the Ukrainian Air Force. The Russian conventional military continues to underperform badly, although it may still wear down and defeat the conventional Ukrainian military by sheer force of numbers and brutality. Initial indications that Russia is mobilizing reinforcements from as far away as the Pacific Ocean are concerning in this respect. Those indications also suggest, however, that the Russian General Staff has concluded that the forces it initially concentrated for the invasion of Ukraine will be insufficient to achieve Moscow’s military objectives.

... https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-3