Will Russia invade the Ukraine?

[irie]

The nationalists want to use it as a way to force the Kremlin into declaring a full war but the Kremlin has been avoiding that even though Ukraine is already attacking Russian territory. I don't think there's anything new in this.

It is not "Russian territory", it is instead sovereign Ukrainian territory illegally occupied by Russia.

[irie]

Wow!

https://www.politico.eu/article/return- ... in-russia/

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Russian President Vladimir Putin must return all land that Russia has occupied, including Crimea.

The Black Sea peninsula should be returned to its “rightful owners,” Erdoğan told PBS NewsHour on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in comments likely to provoke ire in Moscow.

Asked whether Russia should be allowed to keep Crimea in a negotiated end to the war, Erdoğan said, “These are our descendants at the same time, the people who are living there. If you were to take this step forward, if you could leave us, you would also be relieving the Crimean Tatars and Ukraine as well. That’s what we have always been saying.”

[Mussels]

The nationalists want to use it as a way to force the Kremlin into declaring a full war but the Kremlin has been avoiding that even though Ukraine is already attacking Russian territory. I don't think there's anything new in this.

It is not "Russian territory", it is instead sovereign Ukrainian territory illegally occupied by Russia.

I'm thinking of Russian towns to the north of Ukraine, not any of the contested areas.

[Yambo]

Wow!

https://www.politico.eu/article/return- ... in-russia/

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Russian President Vladimir Putin must return all land that Russia has occupied, including Crimea.

The Black Sea peninsula should be returned to its “rightful owners,” Erdoğan told PBS NewsHour on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in comments likely to provoke ire in Moscow.

Asked whether Russia should be allowed to keep Crimea in a negotiated end to the war, Erdoğan said, “These are our descendants at the same time, the people who are living there. If you were to take this step forward, if you could leave us, you would also be relieving the Crimean Tatars and Ukraine as well. That’s what we have always been saying.”

He doesn't sound too well . . .

[Count Steer]

Threats of nukes is all Russia has left now.

That's quite a big 'all'.

[Mussels]

So the planned referendums are also going to include large areas that Russia doesn't have control of, why don't they just call it a Ukraine wide referendum and cover all bases?

[Mussels]

Putin finally made his national address. I don't know what partial mobilisation means but suspect it won't involve the wealthy areas.
He can't get enough volunteers or mercenaries so is now forcing the general public to go and fight. He's decided to side with the nationalist minority, but I don't see how this will help him.

[Horse]

Putin finally made his national address. I don't know what partial mobilisation means but suspect it won't involve the wealthy areas.

BBC say:

He has announced a partial military mobilisation - allowing reservists to be called up

[irie]

"We are talking about partial mobilization, that is, only citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, and above all, those who served in the armed forces have a certain military specialty and relevant experience,”

Putin said the decision to partially mobilize was “fully adequate to the threats we face, namely to protect our homeland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, to ensure the security of our people and people in the liberated territories.”

So not a general mobilisation.

A "partial mobilisation" is obviously a balancing act between the Kremlin's military requirements, increasing domestic social resistance to the war in Ukraine, and international condemnation.

[Mussels]

Is it time for a Moscow wall?

[Supermofo]

I bet the reservists are happy! Plus all the lot already in Ukraine being told their service is being extended indefinitely. Sounds like they had morale problems already, this won't help.

[KungFooBob]

Beatings will continue until morale improves.

[Horse]

A "partial mobilisation" is obviously a balancing act between the Kremlin's military requirements,

And their equipment etc.

There have been plenty of examples of where their equipment has failed (tyres being one), plus attrition.

[irie]

Very few Russian soldiers even get body armour, and so much equipment has been destroyed by the Ukrainians that they are already having to press Soviet-era equipment into service. Most of it belongs in a museum not on a modern battlefield.

Putin is sending these people to their deaths. The Ukrainian armed forces have [already] killed tens of thousands of professional Russian soldiers with the best equipment that Russia could supply.

[Mussels]

A few months ago the press was full of stories about how Russian soldiers were missing basic supplies and using Soviet hardware, now they seem to have put in rose tinted glasses saying the first lot of soldiers were well equipped..

[irie]

A few months ago the press was full of stories about how Russian soldiers were missing basic supplies and using Soviet hardware, now they seem to have put in rose tinted glasses saying the first lot of soldiers were comparatively well equipped..

Fixed that for you.

[Mussels]

Several hundred anti-war protestors arrested in Russia today and loads of men trying to flee the country, suddenly the war has got real for normal Russians.
It doesn't help that Putin's mobilisation order doesn't specify any limits on numbers or who can be called up so everyone is at risk of being sent to the front line.

[Horse]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/my ... r-AA125KZs

Russian authorities on the occupied Crimean Peninsula claimed to have destroyed an unmanned surface vessel, or USV, near the city of Sevastopol, which is home to the headquarters of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet. Pictures showing what could be the maritime drone in question, which has a number of features that could point to being an uncrewed explosive-laden suicide boat, washed up on a beach have emerged on social media.

[slowsider]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/my ... r-AA125KZs

Russian authorities on the occupied Crimean Peninsula claimed to have destroyed an unmanned surface vessel, or USV, near the city of Sevastopol, which is home to the headquarters of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet. Pictures showing what could be the maritime drone in question, which has a number of features that could point to being an uncrewed explosive-laden suicide boat, washed up on a beach have emerged on social media.

'Suicide boat' ?

Argo-fuckyerself.

[KungFooBob]

It doesn't look very 'destroyed'.