Update from ⁦@cossackgundi⁩, a Brit serving as an enlisted Ukrainian Marine in Mariupol. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/60JGoxtP4V

— Nolan Peterson (@nolanwpeterson) March 23, 2022

LMCane said:

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aggie93 said:

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JFABNRGR said:

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aggie93 said:

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FireAg said:

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This war seems to be shaping up as follows...

The only way for the Russians to turn the tide at this point appears to be a move away from conventional warfare toward a WMD campaign...

But a WMD campaign, at this point, I think would engage the eastern bloc NATO countries to move troops into Ukraine...which then puts other NATO countries on the verge of WWIII as they move to reinforce and protect the borders of eastern bloc NATO countries in the spirit and in honor of Article 5...

The best outcome for the entire world is one that would have saved the world from WWII given a similar predicament...cut the head off of the leadership of the offending force...

The world needs Putin to be dispatched...

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Perhaps but I don't think so. I think this continues as a long, drawn out fight where Russia eventually wins but at tremendous cost to Russia and with Ukraine basically being destroyed. That's sadly in the best interests of NATO at this point because the real danger is when Russia decides to move to the next step and go after one of the Baltics or Poland that are NATO countries. That's when the nuclear risk really kicks in, Russia would be crushed from a conventional perspective so it's either accept defeat or go nuclear. So as much as it is horrible the best thing for us is for this to stay in Ukraine. Russia is not going to quit, they are fully committed.

As for Putin, certainly taking him out may solve this but it also means Russia goes into chaos. There is no one in Russia who can replace him, Putin has destroyed all his opposition internally and there are just very few people even capable of being in charge of such a complex country there. So you are looking at a possible Civil War or failed state or both. In a country with thousands of nukes and a lot of really bad people. Maybe that turns out ok but that could actually end up even more dangerous.

It's really frightening we don't have any adults in charge of our foreign policy right now.

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The best interest of NATO is to keep russia in russia. If you give them Ukraine you just put a significant amount of their intermediate and some of their short range weapons in NATO range. Its 500 miles from western border to Dnieper river, if you kick them out completely including Crimea that jumps to 750 miles. Ukraine also has very valuable strategic resources: Black Sea access, Agriculture, O&G, Etc absolutely nuts to give them all this while allowing them to commit genocide on the Ukrainian peoples.

The Risk of Nuclear war already exists. Is the world prepared to let anyone with Nukes steal land and murder people?

Russia is a failed state now. We have to have faith and prepare that a new group of leaders better than putin rises to the occasion. Prepare for future problems now but deal with them as they come about nukes or not.

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Of course it would be better if Russia retreated but that isn't going to happen or is very unlikely to happen. Russia is trying to seal itself off from a future attack while it still can, it's in demographic collapse and in 10 years (maybe less) simply won't be capable of doing so. The lack of military age males in Russia is a real problem. So they have gone all in and to retreat means total collapse and soon rather than later. Russians don't look at this the same way we do and they are far more accustomed to a harsh life. I mean it's possible they just "go back to Russia" but extremely unlikely so what we are looking at is the much more likely scenario that they continue to attack Ukraine until the conquer it no matter the cost.

Taking out Putin certainly reshuffles the deck but that seems very unllikely to happen. He has a death grip on power and is still supported by most Russians. Russians like a nationalist and they don't really have an alternative as Putin has made sure of that. He's 70 but in pretty good health. So the only way you are probably taking him out is assassination and that's a really, really dangerous card to play because no one knows who or what will replace him and how they will react if they think NATO is behind taking out Putin.

You need to look a few moves further down the chess board.

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Russia has a population in 2022 of 146,000,000 citizens

to think that the Russian Army doesn't have enough potential recruits to seal itself off from future attack is not accurate.

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Do the rest of the math though.

Russia has 3 million in their military now. They are a country that has the largest land mass in the world and borders 16 countries and have been invaded 50 times through 9 different paths, of which they control 3, 5 if they get total control of Ukraine. They can't just put everyone in Ukraine.

Of that 145 million they have one of the oldest demographics on Earth. Their population collapsed in the late Soviet period and they are literally trying to make up numbers just to hide their weakness. They also stopped investing in education and have some of the worst alcohol and drug epidemics of anywhere in the world. Of those few who are educated and healthy huge portions have left as they have no opportunity. Russia has a GDP about the size of Florida btw, that was before they just destroyed it. Are there still some 18-30 year old healthy males left to join the military? I mean there are a few but you are also talking about the definition of cannon fodder. Poorly trained and equipped soldiers who don't want to be there and being sent into hostile territory to fight an entrenched and motivated opposition.

Sorry but Russia is completely screwed from a conventional perspective and things are going to get worse not better for them. They have nukes and a lot of them, that is really the only threat they have that makes a difference at this point.

From the Department of It's Never Going to Happen Department:

The 1994 Budapest Memorandum was the agreement whereby if Ukraine gave up its nukes, the US, UK and (yeah right) Russia would guarantee their security. Since, clearly, no one is holding up their respective ends of that agreement, let's just unwind the agreement. King's X, go back to square one and give Ukraine their nukes back. Let them take care of their own security.

Putin would really shat his pants, but so would the rest of the world.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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American volunteer in Ukraine shows off a recently destroyed Russian tank pic.twitter.com/nK6HfF5AkL

— Woofers (@NotWoofers) March 24, 2022

US volunteers fighting forces in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/pz0yizgB4X

— spook (@spook_info) March 24, 2022

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Brave guys. If they get captured by the Russians they probably will not make it to any POW cage.

I don't think the Russians have agreed to follow the Geneva Conventions for what they term "volunteers and mercenaries"

A joke from Moscow: "According to Putin, the special military operation is really a conflict between Russia and NATO about world dominance. What's the situation now? Russia has lost 15,000 troops, 6 generals, 500 tanks, 3 ships, 100 planes and 1,000 trucks. NATO hasn't even arrived yet."

Am I supposed to count this or what? https://t.co/Hy3bWZA8um

— Oryx (@oryxspioenkop) March 24, 2022

I’m going to include these in the list of naval losses if this goes on. https://t.co/0iKZZbHGZT

— Oryx (@oryxspioenkop) March 24, 2022

Military field dressings left by Russian Forces after they were beaten back from Mykolaiv. Dated 1978.
Older than soldiers fighting and carrying these with them. pic.twitter.com/SiekwIiMcE

— Aldin 🇧🇦 (@aldin_ww) March 24, 2022

That first video is clipped from this tweet from the guy actually involved.

This village has been Russian occupied for a month, they terrorized the people and took their food. Today we entered, took out 7 tanks and countless Russians thus liberating these people pic.twitter.com/0Fm3qHdepB

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 24, 2022

Edited to add this tweet as well.

Just went through six straight hours of combat. I have crazy video I’ll post later. 2 men were shot but will be ok. One fatality 😞

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 24, 2022

On the supposed reappearance of Russia’s defense minister, Sergey Shoigu, @MoscowTimes points out that today’s teeny tiny footage seems to match what we saw on March 11, his last sighting. Background, necktie, and clothes. 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/ZMftiUvLwK pic.twitter.com/1zlQNlZ1BP

— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) March 24, 2022

MeatDr said:

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That first video is clipped from this tweet from the guy actually involved.

This village has been Russian occupied for a month, they terrorized the people and took their food. Today we entered, took out 7 tanks and countless Russians thus liberating these people pic.twitter.com/0Fm3qHdepB

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 24, 2022

Edited to add this tweet as well.

Just went through six straight hours of combat. I have crazy video I’ll post later. 2 men were shot but will be ok. One fatality 😞

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 24, 2022

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Just going thru his timeline:

These men are remarkably undertrained but what they lack in skills they make up in courage so when we have downtime I train them on tactical maneuvers, use of thermal and night vision, proper weapon cleaning etc. here 10 days and they are fast learners.

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 24, 2022

Went to rear for supplies today with UK soldier. We were astonished to see a gate open on a hunting supply store. Turns out there were there because it had a solid basement in case of shelling. I needed binoculars. They opened for us. Saw I was American, so happy, gave to me free

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 23, 2022

Captured 159 Russians today!

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 22, 2022

We’ve been eating eggs and potato dumplings every day, we went to the rear to the only market open and I asked if they had steak? Yes but it’s expensive. No worries, I’ll but it I say. 30 pounds of steak for 30 dollars! 🤣🤣

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 21, 2022

When we go to there and get supplies and food from market, they check everyone’s passports because Russians are starving and putting on regular clothes to get food. Now they can’t!!!

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 21, 2022

They're all in. Looks like the Ukrainians are going to just have to kill them all.

Like several of us have been saying, Russia is a dying country and a land grab is the only thing they can do to survive. But they had a paper target army and forgot that fighting an insurgency defending their own land is not easy. Now, like several other empires, are bringing themselves down quicker than any outside force could have.

Sometimes you wonder if the leaders have ever picked up a history book

Medinsky's reference of Russia's existence being at risk is troubling. Setting the stage for the "existential threat" predicate for using nukes.

SPF250 said:

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Medinsky's reference of Russia's existence being at risk is troubling. Setting the stage for the "existential threat" predicate for using nukes.

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Russia, or the Soviet Union, has been saying the West is an existential threat since 1917. That is a tenet of Marxism, Leninism, Communism, Maoism, blah, blah, blah.

Workers of the World Unite! Was the slogan for a reason. Capitalism works better for the people living under it than communism does. Unless it is worldwide, it will always fail, eventually.

At least some things are being kept quiet...

the NATO summit communique might be dry & diplomatic but sources inside the room told me that there were a lot of concrete commitments expressed to #Ukraine in terms of military aid that leaders simply don't want to go public with. #Russia

— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) March 24, 2022

Holy crap. Ukraine is reportedly using facial recognition technology to identify dead Russian soldiers and notify their relatives. To my knowledge, this is the first publicly reported use of facial recognition for this purpose in active combat.https://t.co/Ip7s3cb0Xf

— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) March 24, 2022

MeatDr said:

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Holy crap. Ukraine is reportedly using facial recognition technology to identify dead Russian soldiers and notify their relatives. To my knowledge, this is the first publicly reported use of facial recognition for this purpose in active combat.https://t.co/Ip7s3cb0Xf

— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) March 24, 2022

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Holy crap! Who is directing this PR? I mean that is genius for a country under siege.

Quick compliment to all well informed posts and people with real world military knowledge.

Great input. Better than any "news" channel.

From a post above.

These men are remarkably undertrained but what they lack in skills they make up in courage so when we have downtime I train them on tactical maneuvers, use of thermal and night vision, proper weapon cleaning etc. here 10 days and they are fast learners.

— James Vasquez (@jmvasquez1974) March 24, 2022

Basic training Uke style. Kill Russians all day. Learn how to kill Russians after the evening meal of steak and dumplings.

aggiehawg said:

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MeatDr said:

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Holy crap. Ukraine is reportedly using facial recognition technology to identify dead Russian soldiers and notify their relatives. To my knowledge, this is the first publicly reported use of facial recognition for this purpose in active combat.https://t.co/Ip7s3cb0Xf

— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) March 24, 2022

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Holy crap! Who is directing this PR? I mean that is genius for a country under siege.

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Question is; how'd they get the database?