Will Putin Invade Ukraine?

[Hydra009]

Russia reportedly shot down its own plane near Tokmak

Do you guys have any idea how hard it is to google "Russia shot down its own plane" and get the right news article??  This isn't even the first time they've shot down their own su-35, so being specific barely helps.  At this point, you could probably paint NATO/OTAN on the damn things and you'd be more likely to survive because at least they'd think twice before blasting one of those.  Hell, you'd be safer trying to fly a Cessna to the Kremlin than to get in any sort of Russian plane, Wagner-affiliated or not.

[Unbeliever]

🤣

[Hydra009]

Edit- he's entitled to his opinions of course, but if I may:
1) the firing of Ukraine's Defense Minister Reznikov did happen near about the same time Zelenskyy visited the US, but that was in the works for quite a few weeks beforehand and there likely is no causal link
2) Zelenskyy's official reason for the firing was not corruption-related, this is inferred from various corruption scandals brewing at roughly the same time
3) While yes, there is corruption in Ukraine and it's an ongoing concern, please note that allegations of corruption are easy to make, but they are much harder to substantiate.  If we make assumptions and let our imaginations carry us away, we will lose perspective.  Instead, we should stick to the facts.  That said, more oversight would undoubtedly be a good thing to help alleviate these concerns.
4) To the best of my knowledge, the US has not made any statements regarding withdrawing aid or corruption being the reason Ukrainian aid has apparently stalled during the partial shutdown.  That said, if there were a major act of corruption regarding Ukrainian aid, it would undoubtedly change public opinion and therefore make the US gov less likely to provide further aid.

[Hydra009]

Three Russian soldiers dead as train hits Russian AA in occupied Ukraine

Apparently, the vehicle lost control, fell off a bridge onto train tracks, then it was hit by a train, causing the train to derail and also caused damage to the tracks.

[Hydra009]

Kirby: "Still No Indication" Of Any Kind Of Widespread Corruption Or Misuse Of Ukraine Military Aid

He's 100% right that some military systems are delivered there and in use on the battlefield within days.  I've personally seen videos of some stuff en route and videos of it in action within a week.  Bradleys, if memory serves.

[Hydra009]

Russia may have accidentally leaked the locations of its secret bases

The document was a list of buildings that absolutely must continue to receive power even in the event of blackouts / power shortages.  What sorts of buildings might those be?  Your guess is as good as mine, but people in the know strongly suspect some of the addresses are linked to Russian Intelligence (FSB)

[Cassia]

I wonder if Musk is afraid of getting killed by Putin for Starlink? Thus, the pro-Russia twitter show. Or maybe Musk IS just a complete arsehole.

[Unbeliever]

Did Russia shoot down its most advanced fighter jet over Tokmak in late September?🤔

[Hydra009]

Did Russia shoot down its most advanced fighter jet over Tokmak in late September?🤔

Yes

And the aftermath shot is so absolutely brutal.  Poor thing was basically dissembled like it was made out of legos or something lol.

[Unbeliever]

Russia: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
😎

[Dark Lightning]

Russia: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
😎

Walt Kelly's Pogo, ftw!

[Unbeliever]

Well, that's appropriate, since my name is Walter! 🤣

[Unbeliever]

Ukraine says it killed a bunch of Russian soldiers in a night strike in Crimea.

Well, Crimea river... 😭

[Hydra009]

There are new operations in progress along the southern frontline plus a somewhat unexpected one at a certain place.

It's unclear exactly how much progress is being made, but what I can say for certain is that Russian officers have begun to evacuate their families from Tokmak, a supposed "strongpoint" that would absotively halt the Ukrainian advance, much like Robotyne before it.

On Russian telegram, there was a surprisingly candid post floating the idea of abandoning Tokmak to concentrate forces at Melitopol and Berdiansk instead, which seems crazy to me because the main rail line runs right through Tokmak, so it's vital for supply lines.  Plus, Berdiansk is a port city, and it's not exactly a good look to fight with your backs literally to the sea.  By that point, Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine has already been bisected and the writing is already on the wall.

[Hydra009]

When I said before that both sides use FPV drones, that is technically true.  But there is a huuggge gap between how often Ukraine and Russia uses them.  In the current situation where most exchanges are at long range, with drones and artillery as the current stars of the show, Ukraine arguably has a slight advantage.