Anonymous wrote:This war seems unsustainable for Russia. They are winning tactical victories at the front but Ukraine seems to now be making more strategic victories, like blowing up Russian stockpiles of newly-bought Iranian Shaheeds, North Korean rockets and ammunition, and so on. So not only is Russia being depleted at its sources of existing weaponry, their newly purchased replacement weaponry is also fast going up in smoke. Not to mention, that Ukraine has now shown it can precisely find and target those ammunition stockpiles at remote Russian airfields and warehouses, hundreds of miles from the border.

Tactical victories of a few KM will become meaningless if suddenly Russian artillery no longer has shells and rockets to hold it or to continue advances.

Russia has been running out of ammo for two years straight now.

This war seems unsustainable for Russia. They are winning tactical victories at the front but Ukraine seems to now be making more strategic victories, like blowing up Russian stockpiles of newly-bought Iranian Shaheeds, North Korean rockets and ammunition, and so on. So not only is Russia being depleted at its sources of existing weaponry, their newly purchased replacement weaponry is also fast going up in smoke. Not to mention, that Ukraine has now shown it can precisely find and target those ammunition stockpiles at remote Russian airfields and warehouses, hundreds of miles from the border.

Tactical victories of a few KM will become meaningless if suddenly Russian artillery no longer has shells and rockets to hold it or to continue advances.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Only Russians call it Ugledar.

But Ukrainians really need to get better with knowing when to retreat. Losing Vuhledar is bad, but losing soldiers is worse. Those guys had been defending Vuhledar for two years. They should have been allowed to retreat when it became clear Vuhledar was going to be surrounded. This is the third time Ukrainian generals have made the same stupid mistake. They did the same with Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine can't afford to lose soldiers like this. It's dumb Soviet-era obstinacy that still infects the upper ranks of the UA. And Ukraine can't afford it.

Syrsky is not Ukrainian general, he is a Russian puppet who killed Ukrainian soldiers. Vuhledar is just an evidence of his either incompetence or conspiracy with Russia.

While I enjoy the circular firing squad, the truth is this is what happens when you marinate in a culture of lies and deceit for too long. From the lowest Territorial Defense conscript all the way up to the big guy, Ukrainians have to present a picture so rosy, that it has no relationship with the truth. Important information doesn't, can't, be conveyed upwards. So why retreat from Bakhmut when you're slaughtering Russian meat waves 10-1?

And most importantly, you can't surrender a "fortress city" when the big guy is presenting his victory plan to his buddies in Europe and America. So you hold on as the situation gets more and more dire to avoid embarrassing anyone important. Rinse and repeat until Ukrainian leadership is huddled in a bunker waiting for Steiner's counterattack.

I’ve watched Ukraine operate for a while now. If you believe Russia is ‘winning’ then feel free to enjoy the moment.

For anyone else other than Boris and Natasha, 9 months, and consensus seems to be building.

“Russia expects its problems to intensify by the summer of 2025 due to a combination of financial, economic, and socio-political pressures.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/39020

Now the Kremlin is faced with many dilemmas. This will be the second year the phones stay silent at New Years. Host another tasteless New Years bash as widows weep, or let the mourning and deafening silence drown out the patriotic call to battle? Will the buses be waiting to ‘recruit’ in Moscow this year? Will Soloyov’s traitorous statements go unpunished? And what will happen to the overseas agents when in November they let Putin down? So many choices to make, so little popcorn left.

Has everyone forgotten 1989?

Russia collapsed. Tanks rolled down the streets of Moscow and fired their cannons at the Duma.

Today, the Rubble is worth less than one penny. And its value is quickly dropping.

Everyone sees where this is all headed, right?

Well I was eight in 1989 and have never studied the precise conditions that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union (which was ‘91, right?).

I do wonder where it’s all headed for Russia. The Ukraine invasion seemed and seems like the dumbest possible thing to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Only Russians call it Ugledar.

But Ukrainians really need to get better with knowing when to retreat. Losing Vuhledar is bad, but losing soldiers is worse. Those guys had been defending Vuhledar for two years. They should have been allowed to retreat when it became clear Vuhledar was going to be surrounded. This is the third time Ukrainian generals have made the same stupid mistake. They did the same with Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine can't afford to lose soldiers like this. It's dumb Soviet-era obstinacy that still infects the upper ranks of the UA. And Ukraine can't afford it.

Syrsky is not Ukrainian general, he is a Russian puppet who killed Ukrainian soldiers. Vuhledar is just an evidence of his either incompetence or conspiracy with Russia.

While I enjoy the circular firing squad, the truth is this is what happens when you marinate in a culture of lies and deceit for too long. From the lowest Territorial Defense conscript all the way up to the big guy, Ukrainians have to present a picture so rosy, that it has no relationship with the truth. Important information doesn't, can't, be conveyed upwards. So why retreat from Bakhmut when you're slaughtering Russian meat waves 10-1?

And most importantly, you can't surrender a "fortress city" when the big guy is presenting his victory plan to his buddies in Europe and America. So you hold on as the situation gets more and more dire to avoid embarrassing anyone important. Rinse and repeat until Ukrainian leadership is huddled in a bunker waiting for Steiner's counterattack.

I’ve watched Ukraine operate for a while now. If you believe Russia is ‘winning’ then feel free to enjoy the moment.

For anyone else other than Boris and Natasha, 9 months, and consensus seems to be building.

“Russia expects its problems to intensify by the summer of 2025 due to a combination of financial, economic, and socio-political pressures.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/39020

Now the Kremlin is faced with many dilemmas. This will be the second year the phones stay silent at New Years. Host another tasteless New Years bash as widows weep, or let the mourning and deafening silence drown out the patriotic call to battle? Will the buses be waiting to ‘recruit’ in Moscow this year? Will Soloyov’s traitorous statements go unpunished? And what will happen to the overseas agents when in November they let Putin down? So many choices to make, so little popcorn left.

Has everyone forgotten 1989?

Russia collapsed. Tanks rolled down the streets of Moscow and fired their cannons at the Duma.

Today, the Rubble is worth less than one penny. And its value is quickly dropping.

Everyone sees where this is all headed, right?

+1, although unfortunately I think there is a good chance of a very different outcome. It's possible China will step in to "help", at least where the Russian Far East is concerned. It's very possible they could quietly seize nukes, oil, gold mining, etc. when Russia is too weak to do anything about it?

The Russian Central Bank has been hoarding gold and silver to hold up their currency. But there is a saying in Russia, "some have meat, some have cabbage, and together you make eggroll". Although the elite are fairing well, the economic disparity is rapidly widening - even at the regional level. As an example, although Gold and Silver reserves directly support the Central Bank of Russia and their Yuan trades, it's the Marie Antoinette School of Banking for Russian regional banks.

"the Russian Central Bank reportedly increased the cost of ruble-yuan currency swaps. In September, Deputy Central Bank Governor Alexei Zabotkin argued that swaps should not be used by banks to solve their own funding issues under the false pretense of addressing liquidity problems."
"“This is where the ball is in the banks' court — they need to ensure that their lending activity aligns with their ability to attract foreign currency liabilities,” Zabotkin argued, suggesting that the banks source the currency they need on their own. "
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/10/07/russias-cbr-steps-up-yuan-sales-amid-deficit-a86602

The question is whether the Russian Central Bank will fall on their sword and hit that 20% mark? Both psychologically and propaganda-wise, it would essentially be admitting the Russian economy is in real trouble.
https://www.intellinews.com/inflation-declines-to-8-6-in-september-but-another-rate-hike-looking-likely-347883/?source=russia

All this backdrop as Putin's island continues to shrink and the rats flee the sinking ship.

"Finance ministers from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and the head of Iran’s central bank were present "
"But finance ministers and bank chiefs from China, India and South Africa stayed away, sending deputies or more junior officials instead"
https://www.westernpost.ng/top-brics-economic-officials-stay-away-from-moscow-meeting/#google_vignette

More internal strife for Putin to deal with... Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov claims there was an assassination attempt against him and declared a blood feud against several Russian senators and others from Dagestan and Ingushetia

Since then, things have been blowing up in his capitol of Grozny

And there are attacks around the region

Anonymous wrote:There was a big raid on night clubs and the like across Ukraine last night. Lots of young men were stuffed in vans. These people had largely been off-limits until now. Not a good sign for Ukraine.
https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1844851855165411484

Ah, yes. Secret messages from the Bebo (baby) Dog! Qanon would be proud!

So, so strange - I'm having flashbacks of Russian Telegraph clips from St. Petersburg from this past New Year's eve?

"At least 3,000 were snatched up by police, some still wearing their holiday Santa Claus costumes. Half of them were reportedly forcibly enrolled in the army."
https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia-rounded-up-thousands-of-migrants-on-new-years-eve-to-send-to-war

"Many of them were reportedly snatched up outside their homes, where they’d gathered amid the holiday festivities."
https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/01/08/new-years-nightmare-en

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Only Russians call it Ugledar.

But Ukrainians really need to get better with knowing when to retreat. Losing Vuhledar is bad, but losing soldiers is worse. Those guys had been defending Vuhledar for two years. They should have been allowed to retreat when it became clear Vuhledar was going to be surrounded. This is the third time Ukrainian generals have made the same stupid mistake. They did the same with Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine can't afford to lose soldiers like this. It's dumb Soviet-era obstinacy that still infects the upper ranks of the UA. And Ukraine can't afford it.

Syrsky is not Ukrainian general, he is a Russian puppet who killed Ukrainian soldiers. Vuhledar is just an evidence of his either incompetence or conspiracy with Russia.

While I enjoy the circular firing squad, the truth is this is what happens when you marinate in a culture of lies and deceit for too long. From the lowest Territorial Defense conscript all the way up to the big guy, Ukrainians have to present a picture so rosy, that it has no relationship with the truth. Important information doesn't, can't, be conveyed upwards. So why retreat from Bakhmut when you're slaughtering Russian meat waves 10-1?

And most importantly, you can't surrender a "fortress city" when the big guy is presenting his victory plan to his buddies in Europe and America. So you hold on as the situation gets more and more dire to avoid embarrassing anyone important. Rinse and repeat until Ukrainian leadership is huddled in a bunker waiting for Steiner's counterattack.

I’ve watched Ukraine operate for a while now. If you believe Russia is ‘winning’ then feel free to enjoy the moment.

For anyone else other than Boris and Natasha, 9 months, and consensus seems to be building.

“Russia expects its problems to intensify by the summer of 2025 due to a combination of financial, economic, and socio-political pressures.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/39020

Now the Kremlin is faced with many dilemmas. This will be the second year the phones stay silent at New Years. Host another tasteless New Years bash as widows weep, or let the mourning and deafening silence drown out the patriotic call to battle? Will the buses be waiting to ‘recruit’ in Moscow this year? Will Soloyov’s traitorous statements go unpunished? And what will happen to the overseas agents when in November they let Putin down? So many choices to make, so little popcorn left.

Has everyone forgotten 1989?

Russia collapsed. Tanks rolled down the streets of Moscow and fired their cannons at the Duma.

Today, the Rubble is worth less than one penny. And its value is quickly dropping.

Everyone sees where this is all headed, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Only Russians call it Ugledar.

But Ukrainians really need to get better with knowing when to retreat. Losing Vuhledar is bad, but losing soldiers is worse. Those guys had been defending Vuhledar for two years. They should have been allowed to retreat when it became clear Vuhledar was going to be surrounded. This is the third time Ukrainian generals have made the same stupid mistake. They did the same with Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine can't afford to lose soldiers like this. It's dumb Soviet-era obstinacy that still infects the upper ranks of the UA. And Ukraine can't afford it.

Syrsky is not Ukrainian general, he is a Russian puppet who killed Ukrainian soldiers. Vuhledar is just an evidence of his either incompetence or conspiracy with Russia.

While I enjoy the circular firing squad, the truth is this is what happens when you marinate in a culture of lies and deceit for too long. From the lowest Territorial Defense conscript all the way up to the big guy, Ukrainians have to present a picture so rosy, that it has no relationship with the truth. Important information doesn't, can't, be conveyed upwards. So why retreat from Bakhmut when you're slaughtering Russian meat waves 10-1?

And most importantly, you can't surrender a "fortress city" when the big guy is presenting his victory plan to his buddies in Europe and America. So you hold on as the situation gets more and more dire to avoid embarrassing anyone important. Rinse and repeat until Ukrainian leadership is huddled in a bunker waiting for Steiner's counterattack.

I’ve watched Ukraine operate for a while now. If you believe Russia is ‘winning’ then feel free to enjoy the moment.

For anyone else other than Boris and Natasha, 9 months, and consensus seems to be building.

“Russia expects its problems to intensify by the summer of 2025 due to a combination of financial, economic, and socio-political pressures.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/39020

Now the Kremlin is faced with many dilemmas. This will be the second year the phones stay silent at New Years. Host another tasteless New Years bash as widows weep, or let the mourning and deafening silence drown out the patriotic call to battle? Will the buses be waiting to ‘recruit’ in Moscow this year? Will Soloyov’s traitorous statements go unpunished? And what will happen to the overseas agents when in November they let Putin down? So many choices to make, so little popcorn left.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Only Russians call it Ugledar.

But Ukrainians really need to get better with knowing when to retreat. Losing Vuhledar is bad, but losing soldiers is worse. Those guys had been defending Vuhledar for two years. They should have been allowed to retreat when it became clear Vuhledar was going to be surrounded. This is the third time Ukrainian generals have made the same stupid mistake. They did the same with Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine can't afford to lose soldiers like this. It's dumb Soviet-era obstinacy that still infects the upper ranks of the UA. And Ukraine can't afford it.

Syrsky is not Ukrainian general, he is a Russian puppet who killed Ukrainian soldiers. Vuhledar is just an evidence of his either incompetence or conspiracy with Russia.

While I enjoy the circular firing squad, the truth is this is what happens when you marinate in a culture of lies and deceit for too long. From the lowest Territorial Defense conscript all the way up to the big guy, Ukrainians have to present a picture so rosy, that it has no relationship with the truth. Important information doesn't, can't, be conveyed upwards. So why retreat from Bakhmut when you're slaughtering Russian meat waves 10-1?

And most importantly, you can't surrender a "fortress city" when the big guy is presenting his victory plan to his buddies in Europe and America. So you hold on as the situation gets more and more dire to avoid embarrassing anyone important. Rinse and repeat until Ukrainian leadership is huddled in a bunker waiting for Steiner's counterattack.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Only Russians call it Ugledar.

But Ukrainians really need to get better with knowing when to retreat. Losing Vuhledar is bad, but losing soldiers is worse. Those guys had been defending Vuhledar for two years. They should have been allowed to retreat when it became clear Vuhledar was going to be surrounded. This is the third time Ukrainian generals have made the same stupid mistake. They did the same with Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine can't afford to lose soldiers like this. It's dumb Soviet-era obstinacy that still infects the upper ranks of the UA. And Ukraine can't afford it.

Syrsky is not Ukrainian general, he is a Russian puppet who killed Ukrainian soldiers. Vuhledar is just an evidence of his either incompetence or conspiracy with Russia.

Anonymous wrote:Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Only Russians call it Ugledar.

But Ukrainians really need to get better with knowing when to retreat. Losing Vuhledar is bad, but losing soldiers is worse. Those guys had been defending Vuhledar for two years. They should have been allowed to retreat when it became clear Vuhledar was going to be surrounded. This is the third time Ukrainian generals have made the same stupid mistake. They did the same with Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine can't afford to lose soldiers like this. It's dumb Soviet-era obstinacy that still infects the upper ranks of the UA. And Ukraine can't afford it.

Russia now claims to have taken Ugledar with 800+ UA soldiers surrendering.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently they won't be sharing Zelensky's victory plan with the Ukrainian people. It was for Biden's eyes only:

"But I can tell you that certainly there are parts that are very sensitive, they are closed. After all, everything that becomes public is heard not only in our country, it is heard by the enemy as well. And that is why, of course, the details, some of the details of this plan are private.”

Can't share the details with the people actually fighting and who you are supposedly fighting for, but can share it with your imperial masters.

This is the new Kremlin talking point? "OMG can you believe Zelenskyy won't share top secret military info with the public, only with the Commander in Chief of a friendly military!"

They must really be paying you the big rubles to spout such obvious nonsense.

Nice, the Russian trolling on this thread is ridiculous.

I can’t imagine a way this war ends militarily.

The war has had 3 phases. A quick Russian advance in the first 2 months, followed by a partial retreat. The Ukraine counter offensives in Kharkiv and Kherson in late 2022. Then a slow grind with relatively speaking no movement in almost 2 years now!

For perspective. In November 2022, after the Ukraine counteroffensive, Russia had controlled 10.56% of Ukrainian land. In August 2024 they control 10.74%.

That is a gain of .18% in close to 2 years (also we should minus whatever Ukraine now controls of Russia as well but I’m not sure of the comparison). At this pace they get 1% every 5 years! Russia needs to just leave, there is clearly no military solution, and if there was one they would have implemented it by now!

It’s a complete stalemate. It would take Russia hundreds of years to win at this rate. Why are they still there, time to go home since they can’t win.

They are home, they captured that land, Crimea is under Russia's control since 2014.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently they won't be sharing Zelensky's victory plan with the Ukrainian people. It was for Biden's eyes only:

"But I can tell you that certainly there are parts that are very sensitive, they are closed. After all, everything that becomes public is heard not only in our country, it is heard by the enemy as well. And that is why, of course, the details, some of the details of this plan are private.”

Can't share the details with the people actually fighting and who you are supposedly fighting for, but can share it with your imperial masters.

This is the new Kremlin talking point? "OMG can you believe Zelenskyy won't share top secret military info with the public, only with the Commander in Chief of a friendly military!"

They must really be paying you the big rubles to spout such obvious nonsense.

Nice, the Russian trolling on this thread is ridiculous.

I can’t imagine a way this war ends militarily.

The war has had 3 phases. A quick Russian advance in the first 2 months, followed by a partial retreat. The Ukraine counter offensives in Kharkiv and Kherson in late 2022. Then a slow grind with relatively speaking no movement in almost 2 years now!

For perspective. In November 2022, after the Ukraine counteroffensive, Russia had controlled 10.56% of Ukrainian land. In August 2024 they control 10.74%.

That is a gain of .18% in close to 2 years (also we should minus whatever Ukraine now controls of Russia as well but I’m not sure of the comparison). At this pace they get 1% every 5 years! Russia needs to just leave, there is clearly no military solution, and if there was one they would have implemented it by now!

Russia was able to keep the lands they captures, some of it they took over 10 years ago. This is a huge win for Russia. They don't need the entire Ukraine, they need specific strategic areas and they got it and they are holding on it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently they won't be sharing Zelensky's victory plan with the Ukrainian people. It was for Biden's eyes only:

"But I can tell you that certainly there are parts that are very sensitive, they are closed. After all, everything that becomes public is heard not only in our country, it is heard by the enemy as well. And that is why, of course, the details, some of the details of this plan are private.”

Can't share the details with the people actually fighting and who you are supposedly fighting for, but can share it with your imperial masters.

This is the new Kremlin talking point? "OMG can you believe Zelenskyy won't share top secret military info with the public, only with the Commander in Chief of a friendly military!"

They must really be paying you the big rubles to spout such obvious nonsense.

Nice, the Russian trolling on this thread is ridiculous.

I can’t imagine a way this war ends militarily.

The war has had 3 phases. A quick Russian advance in the first 2 months, followed by a partial retreat. The Ukraine counter offensives in Kharkiv and Kherson in late 2022. Then a slow grind with relatively speaking no movement in almost 2 years now!

For perspective. In November 2022, after the Ukraine counteroffensive, Russia had controlled 10.56% of Ukrainian land. In August 2024 they control 10.74%.

That is a gain of .18% in close to 2 years (also we should minus whatever Ukraine now controls of Russia as well but I’m not sure of the comparison). At this pace they get 1% every 5 years! Russia needs to just leave, there is clearly no military solution, and if there was one they would have implemented it by now!

It’s a complete stalemate. It would take Russia hundreds of years to win at this rate. Why are they still there, time to go home since they can’t win.