Russia Invades Ukraine

[Foggy]

Yeah, I seem to remember a war where it didn't matter how many Russians you killed, they always had more.

[raison de arizona]

On the level.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Kona ... prov=sfti1

[Suranis]

Note the green arrow on the middle bottom. That's Moldova that red is going into.

If that's the real Invasion plan Lukashenka is showing off to show how important he is, then it looks like the plan was to "accidentally" blunder onto Moldova and then smash their border defenses, then either sit there/keep going if the Moldovan's don't counter attack, or take any Moldovan response as an "unwarranted attack on innocent Russian troops" and use that as an excuse to take them over too.

[p0rtia]

Putin Pops Balloon.jpg (60.18 KiB) Viewed 1428 times

[raison de arizona]

From a Ukrainian soldier on the front lines in the Donbas:

‘We're doing comparatively good on the ground. But unless we get direct air support immediately, we're f...ed.
The Russians are too many...
Especially in Air force and cruise missiles.’

[W. Kevin Vicklund]

That pinkish area on the eastern edge of Moldova is a semi-autonomous region called Transnistria. It has an interesting history. Wonder if Putin was planning on "liberating" it and installing a puppet government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria

[keith]

No one wants to eat 10 year old field rations.

Like wines... MRE improve in flavour with time...

Yabut unlike wine, with MRE "improve in flavor" means "becomes tasteless"

[Kendra]

Grandma in Kiev making Molotov cocktails in Kiev. “Let those Russian shits come here. We are ready to greet them.”

[raison de arizona]

Russian troops in Crimea refuse to take part in Ukraine invasion.

The Center for Defense Strategies, citing their sources in the marine personnel in Crimea, says members of Russia’s 810th Detached Marine Brigade are in a “demoralized state."

[Dave from down under]

the 810th would be if they were part of that abandoned contested landing at Odesa..

Remember the Potemkin Comrades!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_Potemkin

[raison de arizona]

Reminder that Slovenia is a NATO country.

Slovenia's consulate in Ukraine destroyed in attack on Kharkiv -ministry

March 1 (Reuters) - The Slovenian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the country's consulate in Ukraine was destroyed in a military attack on the city of Kharkiv.

The ministry said on its Twitter account that it condemned the act and Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

No employees were injured in the attack, Slovenia's STA news agency cited the ministry as saying.

Kharkiv has been the target of some of the worst aerial attacks since Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces on Feb. 24.

At least 10 people were killed and 35 wounded on Tuesday in rockets strikes by Russian forces on the centre of the city, Ukraine's second-largest, Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said earlier in the day in a post on social media.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/sl ... 022-03-01/

[Chilidog]

So there is a rumor that the dreaded scourge of the Russian Air force is headed to Ukraine.

► Show Spoiler

The Antonov AN-2

► Show Spoiler

no seriously, apparently they converted some to drones. They do have the unique ability to hover in one place provided you have a stiff headwind.

[pipistrelle]

I thought there were a couple countries sending air support. (And presumably instructions.)

[Dave from down under]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 25470.html


NewsWorldEurope
Ukraine set to receive 70 fighter jets from EU nations, officials say
EU member states Bulgaria, Slovakia and Poland are providing MiG-29 and Su-25 planes to Ukraine

Sravasti Dasgupta
18 hours ago

The European Union has decided to provide Ukraine with 70 Russian-made fighter planes to help the country’s defence against invading Russian troops.

In a statement on Facebook, the Air Force Command of Ukraine’s armed forces said the country will get 16 MiG-29 and 14 Su-25 planes from Bulgaria, 28 Mig-29 planes from Poland and another 12 MiG-29 jets from Slovakia.

A Ukrainian government official told Politico magazine that Ukrainian pilots had reached Poland to begin the process of taking control of the planes.


Late on Sunday, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell had said in a statement that the planes would be transferred to the Ukrainian air force alongside deliveries of smaller items such as shoulder-fired anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles for the Ukrainian army.

[Dave from down under]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/22714 ... to-ukraine

Many countries have started to send military or humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded last Thursday.

The United States, Canada and 19 European countries have so far responded to Ukrainian appeals for military equipment.

- United States -

Washington is sending an extra $350 million (313 million euros) in military aid to Kyiv to bring its total support to more than a billion dollars over the last year.

- European Union -

For the first time in its history, the EU is financing the buying and delivery of arms after leaders agree to transport weapons worth 450 million euros to Kyiv.

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says some nations are sending the Ukrainians fighter jets.

- Canada -

Canada is sending lethal military weaponry and loaning Kyiv half a billion Canadian dollars ($392 million, 350,500 million euros) to help it defend itself.

- Germany -

Berlin has broken a longstanding taboo of not exporting arms to conflict zones in vowing to send Ukraine 1,000 anti-tank weapons, 500 "Stinger" surface-to-air missiles and nine howitzers.

It is also donating 14 armoured vehicles and 10,000 tonnes of fuel.

- Sweden -

Stockholm is also breaking its historic neutral stance to send 5,000 anti-tank rockets to Ukraine, as well as field rations and body armour.

It is the first time Sweden has sent weapons to a country in armed conflict since Stalin invaded neighbouring Finland in 1939.

- France -

France, which has already sent help, is dispatching more military equipment, as well as fuel and humanitarian aid.

Paris says it has acted on earlier Ukrainian requests for defensive anti-aircraft and digital weapons.

- Britain -

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is committed to "provide further UK support to Ukraine in the coming days", without specifying what it might be.

- Belgium -

Belgium says it will supply Ukraine with 3,000 more automatic rifles and 200 anti-tank weapons, as well as 3,800 tons of fuel.

- Netherlands -

The Dutch defence ministry says it is sending "200 Stinger missiles as soon as possible", after a shipment on Saturday of sniper rifles and helmets.

This adds to the 20 million euros of humanitarian aid it has already promised.

- Czech Republic -

Prague is sending 4,000 mortars and an arsenal of 30,000 pistols, 7,000 assault rifles, 3,000 machine guns, as well as scores of sniper rifles and a million bullets.

The Czechs have already promised Kyiv 4,000 mortars worth 1.5 million euros, which have yet to be delivered.

- Portugal -

Portugal is giving Ukraine night vision goggles, bulletproof vest, helmets, grenades, ammunition and automatic G3 rifles.

- Greece -

Athens is sending "defence equipment". Greece has a large community in Ukraine, including 10 citizens who have been killed and many more who are in the firing line.

- Romania -

Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine, is offering to treat the wounded in its 11 military hospitals. Bucharest is also sending fuel, bulletproof vests, helmets and other "military material" worth three million euros.

HUMANITARIAN AID

- Italy -

Rome has sent 110 million euros in immediate aid to the Ukrainian government as "a concrete sign of our support".

- US and Britain -

Washington announced $54 million in new humanitarian aid for Ukraine to be spent through NGOs, with London adding 40 million pounds ($54 million, 48 million euros).

- France -

France, which is bringing a humanitarian aid resolution to the UN Security Council on Monday, has sent 33 tonnes of aid to refugees in Poland. Another 33 tonnes are leaving for those who have fled into Moldova.

- Netherlands -

The Dutch government says it is sending 20 million euros in humanitarian aid.

- Spain -

Madrid has promised to send 20 tonnes of aid to Ukraine, mostly medical and defensive equipment such as bulletproof vests.

- Israel -

Israel says it is sending 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid, such as medical equipment, water purifiers, tents and sleeping bags.

- Turkey and Greece -

Turkey's disaster relief agency is sending three lorries full of aid to Moldova for Ukrainian refugees. The Red Crescent is sending help to people fleeing into Romania.

Greece is sending a shipment of humanitarian aid through Poland.

[bob]

Politico: European plan to donate fighter jets to Ukraine collapses:

The dissolution of the deal comes as European countries lined up Monday to announce new weapons packages for Ukraine, from anti-armor and anti-air rockets to artillery and medical supplies.

A proposed deal to allow Ukrainian pilots to fly fighter jets donated by European Union countries has fallen apart.

[raison de arizona]

I’ve seen Russian media today saying all the countries providing Ukraine planes have backed out, but it feels like propaganda.

[Dave from down under]

18 hours is a long time in politics (and war)

[Volkonski]

What happened to Russia's Air Force? U.S. officials, experts stumped

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/wh ... ce=twitter

Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. intelligence had predicted a blistering assault by Moscow that would quickly mobilize the vast Russian air power that its military assembled in order to dominate Ukraine's skies.

But the first six days have confounded those expectations and instead seen Moscow act far more delicately with its air power, so much so that U.S. officials can't exactly explain what's driving Russia's apparent risk-averse behavior.

"They're not necessarily willing to take high risks with their own aircraft and their own pilots," a senior U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Vastly outmatched by Russia's military, in terms of raw numbers and firepower, Ukraine's own air force is still flying and its air defenses are still deemed to be viable - a fact that is baffling military experts.

[raison de arizona]

Could we have vastly overestimated Russia’s military strength? That would be nice.

[Dave from down under]

It would be nice to think so...

But - never underestimate your opponent...

As Russia did 5 days ago.

[raison de arizona]

WTF is going on? I mean, I like it, but… I’m afraid of the other shoe dropping.

Ukraine’s Air Force, along with units of the army and territorial defense, destroyed a large Russian military convoy near the city of Bashtanka in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region.

Military bloggers reported that the convoy contained up to 800 vehicles.

[RVInit]

I was trying to find other confirmation for that tweet from The Kyiv Independent. Nobody else is reporting this. I hope it's true, but there is so much noise out there, it's hard to believe.

They have reported that Russia has lost over 5,000 troops. But fewer than 200 Ukrainians are reported to have been killed. I don't know what to think about what is being reported by this twitter account.

[jcolvin2]

That pinkish area on the eastern edge of Moldova is a semi-autonomous region called Transnistria. It has an interesting history. Wonder if Putin was planning on "liberating" it and installing a puppet government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria

An effort to establish “Greater Russia”?

[RVInit]