Russian invasion of Ukraine

[welshbairn]

53 minutes ago, The Other Foot said:

I thought there was also an audio recording from him?

There is, not that I know what he's saying.

https://t.me/s/Prigozhin_hat

[welshbairn]

[pozbaird]

1 hour ago, MONKMAN said:

I've never been so disappointed in the lack of mass violence and bloodshed.

Not since the last Old Firm cup final that is.

[Bob in Denny]

Your window, Sir 

Please choose..

[Theroadlesstravelled]

That was pure pish.

 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

50 minutes ago, johnnydun said:

@Melanius Mullarkay?

Harsh, but fair.

[Cheese]

 

[ICTChris]

 

[Ludo*1]

So basically, Prigozhin thought he'd get a lot more support than he did, promptly shat the bed and begged for mercy from Putin so has been punted to Belarus in a move that avoids turning more against Putin, keeps him looking strong and gets rid of a nuisance?

Some day for the mental b*****d tbf. Couldn't get much of a sweeter result for Putin after it all kicked off this morning. Fs. What a damp squib.

[Newbornbairn]

Perfect for the film. 

[Stephen Malkmus]

Your man's basically done a 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie and turned around at Derby. 

[TxRover]

20 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

So basically, Prigozhin thought he'd get a lot more support than he did, promptly shat the bed and begged for mercy from Putin so has been punted to Belarus in a move that avoids turning more against Putin, keeps him looking strong and gets rid of a nuisance?

Some day for the mental b*****d tbf. Couldn't get much of a sweeter result for Putin after it all kicked off this morning. Fs. What a damp squib.

The problem will be that Wagner forces were the best performing Russian troops. Contracts with the MoD aren’t as lucrative, and the NCO’s and Officers are poorly trained compared the Wagner units.

[vikingTON]

Nowhere safer for an anti-Putin rebel to go than Belarus, the puppet's puppet state.

This mess incidentally is why the blowhards rooting for an overthrow of the rotten Putin regime need their heads shaken around. There is not going to be some liberal Western dreamboat emerging triumphant in Putin's aftermath. He was the product of catastrophic decline - his actions stemmed the immediate decline but also hollowed out what was left of the state. The idea that the leader of the world's second largest nuclear arsenal might be chosen by a parody of the Russian Civil War should give everyone sleepless nights. 

There's a slim possibility that the Wagner group's rebellion will convince the Kremlin to give ground against Ukraine, but it's more likely that the siege mentality is doubled down on again. 

[highlandmac]

5 hours ago, ClydeTon said:

Bit like how taking Stirling Castle used to be taking Scotland.

Every Major Road (Motorways, obviously) and Railway in Russia centres on Moscow (see the images below), and the Power Structure centres around who sits in the Kremlin.

Economically, having Moscow cut off from Russia is a huge kick in the balls for the state, mainly because of its "hub" position.

Politically, it's a bullet in the foot, because of the significance.

Historically, Moscow hasn't fallen in recent history. The Swedes, French and Germans (Nazis, not the Empire) have all failed. Their empires were all destroyed as a result. The only time it has fallen was during the Russian Civil War - in other words, Russia took it. This would be different, as Wagner is a PMC and, despite being based in Russia, they aren't an asset of the state. It's an outside yet internal force. F**k knows how that works going forward, but moving on...

And also, Putin's reputation won't be in the mud, it'll be 2012-RFC levels of non-existent.

Road and Rail Maps, as mentioned above:

 

The French did take it

Left after a couple of months but they took it all the same

[vikingTON]

5 hours ago, ClydeTon said:

Bit like how taking Stirling Castle used to be taking Scotland.

That's a total myth. Edward I had to come back with an army in 1304 to retake Stirling Castle - despite easily winning the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. The Scots (minus Mel Gibson) just starved out the English garrison into surrendering it during the six years in between. 

Stirling was the last castle left in English hands before Bannockburn because it was of little strategic importance and pointless to assault directly. 

[ClydeTon]

18 minutes ago, virginton said:

That's a total myth. Edward I had to come back with an army in 1304 to retake Stirling Castle - despite easily winning the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. The Scots (minus Mel Gibson) just starved out the English garrison into surrendering it during the six years in between. 

Stirling was the last castle left in English hands before Bannockburn because it was of little strategic importance and pointless to assault directly. 

I know it's hardly as true as can be, I just used it as a bit of an example.

The Myth of Stirling Castle is the reality of Moscow.

29 minutes ago, highlandmac said:

The French did take it

Left after a couple of months but they took it all the same

The City burned for the first four days, and afterwards the French lacked supplies to uphold the occupation.

They killed 400 people on suspicion of arson, and most others f**ked off to avoid the fire/occupation. Then Napoleon released the Russians were pincer moving them in Western Russia/Russian Poland, and shat himself. So, whilst it counts, he could have occupied a pile of ash and it would have been no different.

[highlandmac]

55 minutes ago, ClydeTon said:

I know it's hardly as true as can be, I just used it as a bit of an example.

The Myth of Stirling Castle is the reality of Moscow.

The City burned for the first four days, and afterwards the French lacked supplies to uphold the occupation.

They killed 400 people on suspicion of arson, and most others f**ked off to avoid the fire/occupation. Then Napoleon released the Russians were pincer moving them in Western Russia/Russian Poland, and shat himself. So, whilst it counts, he could have occupied a pile of ash and it would have been no different.

So really Moscow is a myth too-it was of absolutely no importance in 1812 other than something Napoleon thought he had to have,it was strategically useless

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

 

 

[Trogdor]

[Archie McSquackle]

There's no way Prigozhin is seeing out the year, is there?