War with Russia

[briantrumpet]

A follow up to the bombing of a student campus where the Russians claimed that Ukraine killed 17 14 to 17 year olds.
Well, this campus like many has been taken over by the military and it's a training academy for the Rubikon drone division. There were no under 18's there. The Russians aren't even good at the propaganda: Here is a line of grieving relatives mourning the deaths of the young kids killed at his facility:

View attachment 15394

Except that the people in the pictures were contrived. Contrived so badly that they included the image of a gay porn star:

View attachment 15392

You know they are panicking when they screw up even the propaganda. It's smelt wrong from the moment they announced it, as Ukraine has been doing a pretty good job of avoiding civilian targets unconnected with the war machine.

 

[briantrumpet]

Rosenberg playing a straight bat, given that he's one of few foreign journalists reporting direct from Russia. Words chosen carefully.

 

[Pinno718]

Rosenberg playing a straight bat, given that he's one of few foreign journalists reporting direct from Russia. Words chosen carefully.

There's layers and layers of propaganda and mis-information in the Russian take.
You can elevate 'concerns' to quite a high level.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

Oh dear, this can’t be good. Russia strike drone “accidentally” lands on Romanian apartment building.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93x4nxlkjeo

 

[Pblakeney]

Oh dear, this can’t be good. Russia strike drone “accidentally” lands on Romanian apartment building.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93x4nxlkjeo

All Romania will get is an apology. Probably not a sincere one at that. Whatever it is it will not be enough.

 

[Pinno718]

Oh dear, this can’t be good. Russia strike drone “accidentally” lands on Romanian apartment building.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93x4nxlkjeo

Without Starlink the Russian drone strikes are pretty inaccurate. Their strategy is simply chuck missiles and drones towards urban areas and hope for maximum destruction.
Let's not forget they killed 30,000+ Chechnyan's without remorse in a similar manner, most of those civilians in apartment blocks.
The odd few specific targets have struck with some accuracy in Ukraine like the UN warehouse stocked with food in this last week and a MacDonald'(?) within a shopping centre.
But Ukraine is dealing with roughly 90% of what's been thrown at them. It's just that Romania probably hasn't quite got the air defences.

 

[Pinno718]

Anyhoo, today is the day we are handing over a shed load of donations destined for Ukraine.
The men involved go regularly (roughly every 6 months) and are leaving on the 17th of June.

 

[Pinno718]

They will be the first to claim that Ukraine is hitting civilian targets when they hot these defence installations with drones.

 

[Pinno718]

In other news:

 

[Psamathe]

View attachment 15420

They will be the first to claim that Ukraine is hitting civilian targets when they hot these defence installations with drones.

Would ding things like this be further alienating the civilian population. If I was living in such a block and the Government made my flat a prime target I'd be "kicking-up" a lot.

Maybe a small number impacted in terms of the Russian population but sends a clear message to the population (if they bother to think about it even superficially).

 

[Psamathe]

So Russia wounding civilians in NATO country.
Trouble is, is this an accident by Russia or is it Russia gently "poking" NATO, testing what response. Many have said Putin won't (initially) outright invade a NATO country but would start with more minor incursions, testing responses. And mixing this attack on romania in amongst a nearby attack on Ukraine means Russia can try to dismiss it as a "misfire" but it still gives Putin the information he wants, how will NATO react.

I have no idea, no information beyond mainstream reports and above is conjecture, not based on evidence.

 

[Pblakeney]

So Russia wounding civilians in NATO country.
Trouble is, is this an accident by Russia or is it Russia gently "poking" NATO, testing what response. Many have said Putin won't (initially) outright invade a NATO country but would start with more minor incursions, testing responses. And mixing this attack on romania in amongst a nearby attack on Ukraine means Russia can try to dismiss it as a "misfire" but it still gives Putin the information he wants, how will NATO react.

I have no idea, no information beyond mainstream reports and above is conjecture, not based on evidence.

I'm willing to accept that this example was an accident, but if so then reparations should be made.
Flip side, it could be claimed that Russia has already attacked the UK. Amongst others.

 

[Pinno718]

Would ding things like this be further alienating the civilian population. If I was living in such a block and the Government made my flat a prime target I'd be "kicking-up" a lot.

Maybe a small number impacted in terms of the Russian population but sends a clear message to the population (if they bother to think about it even superficially).

The online stuff in Russia is all beginning to point at Putin. Even the previously devout war bloggers are turning. It's a bit like MAGA remorse except it's much more muffled/veiled.
The Russian military has long used civilian high rises for drone operation. They don't care.

 

[Pinno718]

So Russia wounding civilians in NATO country.
Trouble is, is this an accident by Russia or is it Russia gently "poking" NATO, testing what response. Many have said Putin won't (initially) outright invade a NATO country but would start with more minor incursions, testing responses. And mixing this attack on romania in amongst a nearby attack on Ukraine means Russia can try to dismiss it as a "misfire" but it still gives Putin the information he wants, how will NATO react.

I have no idea, no information beyond mainstream reports and above is conjecture, not based on evidence.

First of all, he hasn't even got the resources for any incursion, large or small anymore.

Secondly, this is the usual posturing and prodding + propaganda by Putin. He's been doing it for a long time from subs in British waters to landing drones in Poland like warning shots. The state sponsored propagandists were on Russian TV just this week saying 'we should flatten these cities* and the people holding up the fascist Ukrainians' [?!]' (*London, Paris, Berlin) , citing Big Ben as something they could easily get snagged on in their arrogant, mocking fashion. Funny how their progeny are scattered all over Europe but they are simultaneously saying they should nuke European cities.
They are increasingly living in a bubble and they hide their humiliation with more and more aggressive talk.

Putin's threats are becoming increasingly hollow. There's no plan B when you're not willing to concede and your economy is crashing.
More gold bullion sold to China:

Moscow Times

Russia’s Central Bank is actively selling off physical gold bullion from its reserves, executing its largest gold liquidation in 25 years to fund state budget deficits and cover war expenditures. The state is offloading billions in bullion to counter falling oil and gas revenues amid severe Western sanctions.

This is the money graph of what Russians are putting into banks. Doesn't need translating.

The paranoid gargoyle Tzar midget has had guns installed on the roof of the presidential entourage vehicles:

On one of the small boxes I packed up for Ukraine (20cm x 60cm x 40cm), I wrote:

 

[Ian H]

There are fascist militias fighting against Russia. There's no guarantee that they'll lay down their arms as and when the war is over. Ukraine is still a corrupt state.