5041

I’m voting for clusterfucks, are really hard to unfuck in Russia.

5042

We didn’t. He just hates Russians more. Russia pissed off Turkey bad a few years ago over a shooting down of a plane.

On that anti-West article, I do think we’re eventually going to take a total economic cold war between the EU and Russia/China, with the US likely on the EU’s side, but also possible we end up a basketcase or on the side of Russia/China depending on how much dishonor Republicans can inflict on America.

5043

Besides fuel, ammo, and food, when does the expense of the war start becoming a dramatically limiting factor on military operations? Way up thread someone said that the cost of war was estimated as $20 billion a day. Assuming that fuel, ammo and food would be provided to Russian soldiers (which may not be an accurate assumption), when, if at all, does the lack of rubles in coffers mean that the invasion would have to fail because nobody is getting paid and can’t buy anything?

Taking days for reorganization and resupply might be important but they’re still burning money every day, and I wonder how long there will be gas in that tank.

5044

Usual caveats apply.

5045

A surprisingly long time. Fuel shouldn’t be a long-term problem because Russia net exports and refines. Food and money will go to troops first if necessary.

Putin’s ultimate loss condition is a color revolution or generals coup in Russia, and the Russian military is only slightly more likely to coup than ours is.

I don’t think assassination is likely.

5046

At least the name of the place checks out…

5047

I agree with the cold war statement. But the US ending up on the same side as China and Russia, against the EU, is the mother of all hot takes.

5048

Apparently verified by the BBC. I would not want to be a Russian conscript on patrol this evening in one of these towns…

https://www.tiktok.com/@top.vupysknoi/video/7070060032477515014

5049

What are we seeing here?

5050

Just a few kilometers south of Destroyurconvoya.

5051

I was wondering why they hadn’t done more of this. I mean, they’re dealing with an army of individuals with clearly low morale and most of whom surely don’t want to be there.

5052

Bashtanka sounds like a Krogan word.

5053

How are the Russians going to control a country that hates them so much? Line everyone up and shoot them?

5054

Watch: Kharkiv residents mob Russian vehicle

Footage has emerged of a Ukrainian crowd mobbing a Russian vehicle in the embattled eastern city of Kharkiv.

The verified footage, posted on social media, shows protesters hurling obscenities and attacking the vehicle with their bare fists.

Some protesters wave Ukrainian flags and others throw objects at the vehicle as it speeds away.

5055

There’s no way it was 800 vehicles. That’s several divisions worth - it just didn’t happen until we have video.

5056

That footage of people jumping on top of the russian car is apparently from a town just a few km off the Russian border where the mayor was deposed because he actually wanted to greet the russians as liberators.
Imagine what will happen in the west where they “actually dislike” russians.

5057

I don’t buy it either until we see videos.

There was stuff coming out of Bashtanka today (supply convoys ambushed, about 4 vehicles each), but nothing that matches this.

5058

Yeah, if you’re taking out 800 vehicles you either have massive amounts of airpower (which Ukraine does not have), or you have some maneuver units doing a lot of work.

5059

It’ basically ends up at, “Russia doesn’t even want to belong to the US’s stinky club. They’ll make their own club with their cool friend China, who has a pool and a PS5, and all of those mean losers who make fun of them will be so jealous they’ll run to join Russia’s club, and then the US will have no friends and nobody will use its dollars and it will cry itself to sleep every night.” Which kinda depends on the cool kid with the pool and the PS5 sticking their neck out to take in the outcast kid nobody at school wants to talk to. (cough not gonna happen loser cough.)

… But Putin’s gonna try anyway!

5060

Yeah Ukrainian reports are usually and understandably way overblown, but there tends to be always some kernel of a fact behind them. What I find worrying is how far north Bashtanka actually is.
Maybe they are still sending guys racing ahead to be chewed piecemeal for no good reason.