I've no time for Putin. I don't doubt they have genuine causes for concern but I also think his primary aim is to gain back the territory lost with the fall of the Soviet Union. He is former KGB after all. With a weak president he's decided now is the time to make a move predicting nobody will get involved. Talking to a Russia friend who is an English language tour guide he estimates that its roughly 70/30 in favour of the invasion in St Petersburg which is not how the press is picturing it. He's states he can't accept the killing of 8000 people in the Donbass and says there are refugees in St Petersburg. Don't hear much of this.
No refugees please, this is Britain in 2022. We will light up Downing Street in yellow to show solidarity though.
I'm almost certain that MI6 and the CIA will have discussed with Ukrainian special forces about a way to take Putin out. We can't do it and nor can the Yanks, as it would be a direct act of war on Russia. But Ukraine have a legitimate course of self defence, if they can get to him.
I worry that Putin might be in a different place now, than he was 5-10 years ago. He appears more gung ho & his land grab strikes me an a part of a strategy of expansion that he might see as his legacy. I wonder if there’s some MH issues, or some physical health issues driving this change in MH behind his current behaviour. If that’s the case, then there’s a major problem down the track.
I've seen several reports of enormous Russian losses, but there is no way of verfying any of it, so it all has to be treated as propaganda, so keeping that in mind, these are the riduculous numbers coming out of Ukraine: https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...ussia-lost-some-4300-men-invasion-2022-02-27/ Without the numbers... https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/26/russian-forces-meeting-strong-and-wide-ukraine-resistance
Regardless of the actual numbers, I think Putin is experiencing far more resistance and hostility than he expected. I suspect he thought they would walk into Ukraine with minimal resistance and be welcomed as liberating heroes. It hasn't quite gone like that.
Putin's expectations...... please log in to view this image The cold reality..... please log in to view this image
Ukraine claims 4,300 Russian deaths so far Ukraine's deputy defence minister has released an estimate of the losses she says the country's forces have inflicted on Russia so far. Kyiv's Hanna Malyar said in a Facebook post that the numbers for the first three days of the conflict were preliminary and liable to change. The BBC is unable to verify these claims - and Russia has not released casualty numbers. Ukraine estimates Russian military losses so far to include: 4,300 deaths 27 planes 26 helicopters 146 tanks 706 armoured fighting vehicles 49 cannons 1 Buk air defence system 4 Grad multiple rocket launch systems 30 vehicles 60 tankers 2 drones 2 boats
How ironic would it be if this was the weapon used? https://www.rbth.com/science-and-tech/332377-russia-creates-7km-range-sniper-rifle Station snipers all round Moscow and wait until he shows his ugly fat face. You could carry out the dirty deed from a distance and have all the time in the world to get away. Maybe play the Louis Armstrong classic as you walk away.
Just been watching the massive refugee operation at the Polish border on TV, in the main, women and children. Coach transfer to hotels, residents accomodation, people with signs offering to take people in for free, hot drinks. Men having to say goodbye to their families at the border. Fire fighters from all over Poland turning up to help.
I think Russian military scientists have now began studying how NATO missiles can quickly decimate entire tank columns. Theres a reason why Saudi Arabia buys so many Vladdy boy