re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

... and Putin's entire thing is that he disagrees with the Soviet Union letting all of those territories go...

And Stalin tried to invade Finland not long after he invaded Poland... the Fins have never forgotten that...

A sidebar but one I think belongs here (definitely just another front of this IMO)

Iran is downplaying the Israeli strikes, like "yeah, whatever... it didn't hit anything so we're not going to respond."

In truth... Israel reminded Iran of three very big things:

1) It's missile technology and military and air capacity is much better, and Iran did not know it was coming until it was there... unlike the Iranian attack

2) Iran's air defense is not as good as Israel's... and more damage will be done.

3) Israel does not have a population that would welcome any event to overthrow the government.... Iran's population wants the regime GONE... if the Iranian military is preoccupied fighting an invasion, or weakened by air strikes, it can't keep the people of the country at bay, the way it has during the constant protests that have been a thing since 1979...

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The Russian economy is declining.

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There was a major reinvestment in Russia because of the sanctions. The oligarchs brought a lot of money home, the West was no longer a safe place to invest, and that coupled with government spending in productive industries, they’ve seen an economic boom. Salaries are increasing well above the rate of inflation, and good jobs are easy to find. Moscow is booming, but so are the other major economic hubs. It’s not just rich people doing well, it’s ordinary people.

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Their military has big losses. Over 50,00 Russians have died. Russia is not stronger.

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Fighting makes you better at fighting. The Russians have made a generational leap with what they’ve learned, and they’re much more dangerous because of it. Look at how they’ve integrated their surveillance platforms with their artillery, and how they’ve been able to hunt high value targets well behind the front line. Or look at the general developments they’ve made in drone warfare. Look at the investment they’ve made in their arms industries. They’re also overhauling and modernizing their major heavy weapon systems.

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Over 50,00 Russians have died.

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It’s worth it for them.

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they’ve seen an economic boom

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How's their GDP doing?

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There was a major reinvestment in Russia because of the sanctions. The oligarchs brought a lot of money home, the West was no longer a safe place to invest, and that coupled with government spending in productive industries, they’ve seen an economic boom. Salaries are increasing well above the rate of inflation, and good jobs are easy to find. Moscow is booming, but so are the other major economic hubs. It’s not just rich people doing well, it’s ordinary people.

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Seriously wrong. The oligarchs who haven't gotten their money out, and yes much has fled Russia to invest elsewhere just not in the "West", are being forced to buy Russia's debt. Russia's lost participants in an LNG facility to export from the Arctic and doesn't have the technology/capital to build by itself.

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Look at how they’ve integrated their surveillance platforms with their artillery, and how they’ve been able to hunt high value targets well behind the front line. Or look at the general developments they’ve made in drone warfare. Look at the investment they’ve made in their arms industries. They’re also overhauling and modernizing their major heavy weapon systems.

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Sure they's been about to utilize drone warfare at the front, They were able to finally able to develop decades old glide bombs technology but without the precision. They are sending OLD tanks to the front recently refurbed but without good night vision optics. You are grossly overestimating Russia's advances in weaponry.

Try harder next time.

So Russian Oligarchs are bringing their billions home because it’s safer to invest in Russia than in the West???

The Russians have been fighting their neighbors for decades, but they just figured things out?

And who cares about the 50,000 Russians who died to gain power for Putin? Russia is booming.

The party line you keep pumping is getting more and more ridiculous. While it appears Russia is grinding Ukraine down it’s not because of a Russian economic boom, or a great advances in strategy, and without major sacrifices.

Russia is paying s huge price, far greater than we we are paying to exhaust their capital and their military.

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We are being led by a demented old fool that lies about Uncle Ambrose being eaten by cannibals!!!!

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At least he hasn't claimed that his army wasn't stopped by biolab mutant Jewish Nazis superhuman soldiers.

Now that is the real funny part is that he is not as bad as Putin when it comes to telling lies. Even better is many Russians buy what Putin sells, some Americans too. Everyone laughs about Joe's whoppers over here, even Democrats

ISW Updste

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Key Takeaways:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov signaled Russia’s intent to seize Kharkiv City in a future significant Russian offensive operation, the first senior Kremlin official to outright identify the city as a possible Russian operational objective following recent Ukrainian warnings that Russian forces may attempt to seize the city starting in Summer 2024.

Ukrainian officials announced that Ukrainian forces downed a Russian aircraft as it conducted missile strikes against Ukraine for the first time overnight on April 18 to 19, demonstrating a capability that may constrain how Russia conducts its strike campaign against Ukraine.

Ukrainian air defense capabilities remain limited and degraded, however, allowing Russian aircraft to operate freely without threat on certain critical areas of the front.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that Ukraine requires Western provisions of artillery ammunition, air defense materiel, long-range artillery and missile systems, and fighter aircraft as Ukrainian constraints continue due to delays in US military assistance.

Pro-Russian Moldovan actors continue to set conditions to justify possible future Russian aggression in Moldova as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared Moldova to Ukraine and Armenia.

Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) continues to expand the newly reformed Leningrad Military District (LMD) in preparation for an anticipated future large-scale conventional conflict with NATO.

Russian officials continue to forcibly deport and Russify Ukrainian children as Ukrainian authorities work to return deported children to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

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You have no understanding of geopolitics or a grasp of the real world for that matter.

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Because I don't buy the same bullshite we've been sold decade after decade?

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You actually said Russia is STRONGER now than before and you act like they haven’t been our sworn enemy since summer 1945 after the war ended. Have you seen the amount of burned out military equipment over the last 2+ years?

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Yes I did say that and I stand by it. Yes Russia has lost a lot of armor but that can be replaced in time. They've adapted their tactics, weapons, and have learned a lot in this war, not sure how that can be denied. Their army is bigger than when the war started and they have a shite load of soldiers with combat experience. I am not acting like they're our equivalent, I am just saying they were a disaster when this thing started, and now they’re correcting the issues they had.

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The bill ALWAYS come due in the end

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Yeah no kidding, we're $34 trillion dollars in debt and still spending recklessly. The interest on our debt is equivalent to our defense budget

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Wake up! You seem young so my advice, if you are truly an American, is to go serve your country for a few years. It will change your thinking and give you a new perspective on the real world.

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I appreciate the advice but there is no way in hell I am leaving a fairly successful career to be a part of today's military. I grew up on Air Force bases for the first 16 years of my life, my dad is a retired Brigadier General and worked at the Pentagon for several years. Between my dad and brother, they have done 7 tours in bullshite wars and neither is a believer in the current military. I actually got into Westpoint and sometimes I really do wish I went, but my dad talked me out of it. If they can respect my point of view, then that's good enough for me.

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You just seem very gullible and a true American should never be a Russian fanboy like you have been and there’s no arguing that point. Just read your posts and tell me you aren’t a Russia and Putin supporter.

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I would argue I am the opposite of gullible, I question everything, look into stuff thoroughly, and then form an opinion. I don't just hate someone or somewhere because I am told to by the news. The "fanboy" thing is probably because whenever I posted anything from the Russian side, I got 20 comments saying I am an idiot, and why I am wrong, etc. I just started to lean into it after a while. I am not a fan of echo chambers and that's exactly what this place had become, so I am providing another point of view.

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retards like MTG will spend the time between now and the vote grandstanding. Such grandstanding will be on Youtube and often not showing an empty chamber. It's all for campaign fundraising which have been nationwide.with nutters

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Sir Winston is helping the cause by memeing from his parents’ garage condo because he can’t afford to donate.