[Tanada]

Or perhaps this cute Ukrainian girl with the strange musical instrument?


Cheers!

That is a Bandura, a musical instrument dating back to the 18th century. I don't see what is strange about an instrument that has been around for hundreds of years, it isn't like a Theremin or something.

[theluckycountry]

Meanwhile in Russia

Russia sets afloat The Imperator Alexander III, a seventh missile-carrying strategic nuclear-powered submarine of the Borei-A class. Such submarines are capable of carrying 16 inter-continental ballistic missiles. The sea trials of The Imperator Alexander III are due to begin in June 2023. The previous, sixth submarine of the family (The Generalissimus Suvorov) joined the Russian Navy in a special ceremony on Thursday.

Under the current program for armaments another four Borei-A class submarines are to be built.

https://tass.com/defense/1557339

Hardly sounds like a nation on the verge of collapse does it. Post soviet union the russian military scaled back, a lot, but the money they did spend went into advanced systems and training. Personally I think they dodged a bullet, the bullet that caught the British Empire on the eve of WWII with a navy full of outdated battleships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxEQB0HZeh8

[Plantagenet]

Ukraine just blew up another fuel depot inside Russia.

ukraine-russia-oil-drone-attack



Apparently Ukraine is stepping up its attacks inside Russia using new Drones with longer range. These attacks are in response to two years of Russian attacks across Ukraine.

Also, Ukraine reported that the hulk of Russian cruiser from the black sea fleet was found beached along the Crimean coast. This ship was apparently the target of an attack by a brave little Ukrianian sea drone several weeks ago, but couldn't be confirmed as destroyed until now.....

AND, Ukraine reported that Russia had deployed another A-50 plane reconnaissance plane to replace the A-50 shot down by Ukriane, but the latest A-50 was staying as far away from Ukraine as possible.

Cheers!

[Plantagenet]

Cheers!

That is a Bandura, a musical instrument dating back to the 18th century.

Thanks.

I looked up the word "bandura" on wikipedia, and its history goes back much farther then that. The earliest mentions of something like a bandura go all the way back to the 6th century in contemporary Byzantine chronicles of the ancient Bulgar people.

wiki/Bandura]

The Bandura has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to Russian oppression. The Russians attempted to ban the playing of the Bandura and the use of the Ukrainian language in the 18th century following the Russian conquest. This persecution got even worse during the Bolshevik revolution and the Russian genocide against Ukraine when numerous Bandura players were imprisoned and shot, or died during the massive famines caused by Russian land seizures during the forced collectivization.

thanks again....curious how a simple instrument can symbolize some very interesting history.

[careinke]

AND, Ukraine reported that Russia had deployed another A-50 plane reconnaissance plane to replace the A-50 shot down by Ukriane, but the latest A-50 was staying as far away from Ukraine as possible.

Cheers!

Which is exactly where it should be operating, and why I was so surprised one was actually shot down.

Peace

[theluckycountry]

Endlessly posting small battlefield successes is pointless, I could post innumerable Russian victories on the field, every week they smash ukrainian ground positions. We're well past the "who might win" stage now, it's not the Russians grovelling at Davos for a peace settlement is it. the ukraine is Japan in 1945.

[Newfie]

AND, Ukraine reported that Russia had deployed another A-50 plane reconnaissance plane to replace the A-50 shot down by Ukriane, but the latest A-50 was staying as far away from Ukraine as possible.

Cheers!

Which is exactly where it should be operating, and why I was so surprised one was actually shot down.

Peace

What I HEARD was that the A50!was forward deployed to improve accuracy of some ballistic missiles, I forget which. Anyway the missiles have an accuracy of hundreds of hards which can be enhanced with more direct communications. So that is what they were up to. And Ukraine capitalized.

It is interesting watching the game, if a bit dreadful.

[Plantagenet]

Endlessly posting small battlefield successes is pointless

Just so.

And here is yet another small but pointless Ukrianian succsss---apparently they have hacked into over 500 Russian military computer systems, stealing information about Russian military systems, air defense systems, manufacturing sites, troop strengths and positions, and crashing defense computer networks etc. etc. No doubt this part of the reason why the Ukrainians have been so successful at blowing up Russian military field headquarters and Russian supply depots and Russian Black Sea fleet ships with their drone strikes----they Ukrianians know exactly where they Russian forces are because they have penetrated the Russian military computer networks.

ukraines-blackjack-hackers-breach-500-russian-military-sites-cause-chaos-

it's not the Russians grovelling at Davos for a peace settlement is it

Thats a very silly question. First of all, the Russians were kicked out of DAVOS after they invaded Ukraine so obviously it's not the Russians. AND second, you've posted the same phony claim several times now the Ukrianians were "groveling" for a peace settlement at Davos but that never happened. I suggest you check out what actually happened at Davos---you might find it interesting, especially as it led to significant new commitments of money and advanced weapons for Ukraine from both England and France.

Cheers!

[Newfie]

A review of respective economic and productive capacity.

Short video, about 6min.

https://youtu.be/4-iEDS_oge4?si=Z3dAKyCNfH6CRi0N

[Plantagenet]

A review of respective economic and productive capacity.

Short video, about 6min.

https://youtu.be/4-iEDS_oge4?si=Z3dAKyCNfH6CRi0N

Thats a very interesting video, Newfie, and its explains Russian success on the battlefield, where their huge advantage in manpower gives them an advantage in a war of attrition, but I think to focus only on the relative GDP and productive capacities of Russia and its allies vs. Ukraine and its allies doesn't tell the whole story.

You can't ignore one of the most important new factors in modern warfare, and that is technology. In particular, the importance of drones. The entire reason Ukraine was able to push back the first thrust of the Russian invasion towards Kiev was that Ukraine had drones and used them effectively to destroy fuel trucks and tanks and so block the Russian column from advancing. There was far far far more military power in that one Russian column then existed in all of Ukraine's military at that time, but Ukraine saved itself using technology.

Same thing with the battles between the Ukrainian navy and the Russian navy. The Ukrianian navy doesn't even have any ships, but nonetheless they have decimated the Russian black sea fleet and pushed them back to Russian using ship to sea cruise missiles, drones, and the brave little Ukrianian sea drones.

And we're starting to see it in the air war as well as Ukraine has driven Russian helicopters off and is now going after Russian bombers and even Russian A-50s command planes.

And finally, Ukraine is beginning to manufacture its own long range drones. Just in the last few days we've seen successful Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian fuel depots and LNG shipping depots as far north as St. Petersburg, well into the Russian heartland. Supposedly Ukraine is manufacturing a MILLION Of these long range drones so the attacks on critical infrastructure within the Russian heartland is only to grow.

Check it out: Ukriane long distance drone attacks destroy parts of a fuel depot and LNG terminal near St. Petersburg, Russia.

Ukriane attacks LNG terminal at St. Petersburg using long range drone


Ukriane attacks LNG terminal at St. Petersburg using long range drone

Cheers!

[Newfie]

Plant,

Yes a good take but of course incomplete. One thing missing was that Russia has substantial gold reserves of unknown quantity. These good reserves are used to purchase foreign products.

And yes technology and just plain smarts and flexibility all effect a war, any war. And Ukraine is doing amazing well in those regards.

Still they need additional foreign support to win. And the bloody R’e are doing nothing positive in that vein. I know you are solid R but they are droppjng the ball badly here.

[Plantagenet]

Plant,

Yes a good take but of course incomplete. One thing missing was that Russia has substantial gold reserves of unknown quantity. These good reserves are used to purchase foreign products.

And yes technology and just plain smarts and flexibility all effect a war, any war. And Ukraine is doing amazing well in those regards.

Still they need additional foreign support to win. And the bloody R’e are doing nothing positive in that vein. I know you are solid R but they are droppjng the ball badly here.

1. I'm not a "solid R". I'm a solid independent. In fact I just gave money to the Robert Kennedy campaign.

2. I don't think you can just blame the "Rs" for the funding impass over Ukrainian aid. The Rs have publicly committed to providing funding for Ukraine on the condition that the Biden administration agrees to enforce existing laws and take steps to stop illegal aliens and fentanyl from flooding in over the open southern Border they have created. But Biden and the Ds refuse to even admit there is a problem at the southern border....that level of dishonesty makes it impossible for the normal processes of our democratic system to operate. The whole purpose of Congress is to debate issues and resolve issues through compromise....and Biden refuses to debate OR compromise.


Biden's refusal to enforce the law at our southern border has created a crisis. And now Biden is compounding the crisis he created at the southern border by refusing to even admit there is a crisis in the discussion with the Rs over Ukraine funding. How do you imagine the Rs can negotiate with Biden over funding issues when Biden's negotiation position is an absurd lie?

Cheers!

[theluckycountry]

Nothing Trump can't fix, probably in a single day lol.

But as for Russia, this old vid is interesting, the British P.M. tells it as it is, and then goes off into total delusion

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7xSXg4ea0Tc

What she didn't state though was the obvious fact that some governments are rich because they exploited other resource rich countries. Colonialism.

[theluckycountry]

You can't ignore one of the most important new factors in modern warfare, and that is technology. In particular, the importance of drones.

Well I hope you're stocking up on them plant, because...

Putin's Decree Triggers Ominous Alaska Calls

Russia has laid the groundwork for expanding its soft power across North America and Asia with a new decree Vladimir Putin signed last week. The new order provides funds to search, register and provide legal protection to Russian properties abroad – including land and buildings located in former Russian Empire and Soviet Union territories.

Among the areas affected by the new decree is Alaska, which was sold to the United States in 1867 and still hosts communities with close links to Russia.

https://www.newsweek.com/putin-decree-t ... on-1862689

He's just laying the groundwork, no no need to panic yet, but when the BRICS ascend over the collapsed US empire I'm sure they will make good on the claims. There probably won't be a war either, the US will just agree to give it back. By that stage they will be so impoverished the sale of such lands will be a no-brainer.

The trap most people fall into is the psychology that things will always stay the same. They never do. Empires rise and fall and national boundaries come and go. Russia and China are playing the long game and this has confused many western observers. Westerners look at the special operation in the ukraine and think Russia is weak because it didn't do a US-style carpet bombing total invasion. But those tactics always fail as we saw in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. No, Russia has been taking chunks and consolidating it's holdings, making them Russian by law. That's why the ukraine will never get those lands back now. They are Russian lands.

Yesterday
Putin stokes tensions with US, declares 1867 sale of Alaska 'illegal' https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pu ... r-BB1h1lcT

Today
New world order: Russia, North Korea vow to defend interests as ties deepen https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ne ... c388&ei=20

Along with China they are attacking on all fronts.

[careinke]

What I HEARD was that the A50!was forward deployed to improve accuracy of some ballistic missiles, I forget which. Anyway the missiles have an accuracy of hundreds of hards which can be enhanced with more direct communications. So that is what they were up to. And Ukraine capitalized.

It is interesting watching the game, if a bit dreadful.

Well it's been over twenty years since I ran an air battle, so things have probably changed. Still, to me, it just seems like bad tactics. Then again, Russia always kept centralized Command and Control at a much higher level than the U.S.

Peace

[Newfie]

Plant,

What I heard was Biden and Johnson reached a deal but Trump instigated a revolt among his pack of nutters. So the deal is now off.

Then there is this, which is interesting if true. In any case it points to the superabundance of statistical and data manipulation.

https://medium.com/bouncin-and-behavin- ... 0885bd8ff1?

[AgentR11]

Interesting video from Kiev last night, a couple cruise missile hits, what was interesting is the thing firing flares as it descended to its target; I'd never realized cruise missiles had AD counter measures built in. Learned something new.

[Plantagenet]

Plant,

What I heard was Biden and Johnson reached a deal but Trump instigated a revolt among his pack of nutters. So the deal is now off.

Sorry to hear the Ukriane aid deal is off.

I'm sure there is enough blame to go around for all concerned, beginning with Biden's physical frailty and cognitive decline which no doubt contributed to his dismal. failure to deter the Russians from invading in the first place, in spite of his numerous promises that he would deter the Russians from invading.

Then there is this, which is interesting if true. In any case it points to the superabundance of statistical and data manipulation.

https://medium.com/bouncin-and-behavin- ... 0885bd8ff1?

I clicked through on your link, but I didn't read the article after its ridiculous assertion right at the beginning that the border crisis isn't a crisis. If there is interesting data in the story I confess I never got to it.

Hope you're having a great winter----we're in huge cold snap up here in Alaska with temps going down to -40 to -50---just praying the electrical power doesn't go off again.

Cheers!

[theluckycountry]

Hope you're having a great winter----we're in huge cold snap up here in Alaska with temps going down to -40 to -50---just praying the electrical power doesn't go off again.

Russia has no issues with electricity supply, plenty of energy to support their infrastructure. When they reclaim the territory you will no doubt find such concerns a thing of the past.

[Plantagenet]

Russia has no issues with electricity supply, plenty of energy to support their infrastructure.

Tell the truth now----Where do you get your crazy ideas from? Do you just make this stuff up or is there a website or something with all this crazy stuff on it?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, back in the real world ......People who actually live in Russia now say the country is suffering from numerous local and regional power outages.

For instance here's a story from just a few days ago:

Russia city of Oomsk freezes after electricity fails

And here's another similar story.

moscowtimes.ru/2024/01/16/otklyucheniya-tepla-vodi-i-sveta-ohvatili-polovinu-regionov-ross

translated here:Half of Russia struggling with power outages...


-russian-soldier-frozen-to-death-

Cheers!