Whilst NATO has grown bored, and signs point to a slowdown in America support, Putin announced today that Russia will end the war when all of the Russian objectives are met.
Ukraine. Ukraine. Ukraine.
- Thread starter Llcoolw
- Start date
The only thing Putin understands is sheer raw violence. Give them the tools to chase the Russians back to Siberia.
Stillwater Townie
Ranger
That sounds too much like the same advice given to Napoleon and Hitler.
No, they were the invaders.
They did. And then forbid them from using the tools that way.
Russia may soon find itself in a civil war
Russians typically outnumber Ukrainians on the battlefield by a ratio of almost three to one, The New York Times reported, and Ukraine has used weapons such as the US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, to inflict high casualties on Russian troops.
Russia has never confirmed the numbers of its losses, but Western estimates suggest approximately 300,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in Ukraine. Ukrainian casualties are believed to be around 200,000.
Reports say Russia has been hemorrhaging men and weapons in its most significant attack against Ukraine in recent months: Its attempt to capture Avdiivka, a strategic town in eastern Ukraine and a gateway to Russia-occupied Ukraine.
Despite high Russian losses, the country's population is about three times the size of Ukraine's — a large pool from which Russia could keep replenishing its ranks.
A group of Russians who oppose President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine said they launched an attack within Russia's borders.
The Freedom of Russia Legion said on Telegram on Sunday that it had destroyed a "platoon stronghold of Russian troops" according to Reuters' translation.
The attack was near Terebreno village, which is in Belgorod, close to Russia's border with Ukraine, the group said.
The paramilitary group also said it left behind landmines in the area.
A source in Ukraine's intelligence community told Ukrainian outlet the Kyiv Post that Freedom of Russia Legion fighters had launched an attack in Belgorod on Sunday.
"Russia is unable to control security within its borders," the source said, adding: "Putin's security forces cannot ensure the safety of their citizens."
The intelligence source said that Russia's military is sending fighters to Avdiivka, the most intense battle taking place in Ukraine, and leaving its border unprotected. "Instead of securing the border, the military is being sent en masse to their deaths near Avdiivka," they said.
The Freedom of Russia Legion did not specify if it had destroyed any buildings or infrastructure, or killed any soldiers. It said that photos and video would be released soon.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, said on Sunday, before the group took responsibility, that the village was under fire from Ukraine's military and a "shooting battle" was taking place on its outskirts, Reuters reported.
The Freedom of Russia Legion is based in Ukraine and is made up of a few hundred Russian men, including defectors from Russia's army and others who volunteered to fight against their homeland, Business Insider previously reported.
Ukraine denies any involvement in the group's actions, saying the attacks are carried out by Russian citizens. The Freedom of Russia Legion, on the other hand, says it fights "under the leadership of the Ukrainian command."
The group opposes Putin, describing him as a dictator who kills his opponents, and is against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has designated it a terrorist group.
Freedom of Russia Legion members fight on the front lines in Ukraine, and the group has also taken responsibility for other attacks within Russia since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This includes an attack in May when it said it took control of villages in Belgorod, and in June, when it shelled another town in the region.
The group's commander said in an interview earlier this week that it plans more attacks next year.
"I will not tell you the date, but our regiment is growing and that's why our operation will be bigger, bigger and bigger," he told The Irish Sun.
He added: "There is no other way to stop this tragic war except by force."
A Russian paramilitary group opposed to Putin says it attacked a troop stronghold inside Russia's borders
- A group of anti-Putin Russians took responsibility for an attack within Russia's borders.
- The group said it destroyed a "platoon stronghold of Russian troops" but gave no further details.
- The Freedom of Russia Legion is made up of Russian army defectors and anti-Putin volunteers.
- Russia is believed to have lost about 300,000 soldiers during the war in Ukraine.
- Some Ukrainian strikes have been particularly deadly for Russian soldiers, killing dozens at once.
- Russia and Ukraine are both secretive about death tolls and their estimates usually widely differ.
Russians typically outnumber Ukrainians on the battlefield by a ratio of almost three to one, The New York Times reported, and Ukraine has used weapons such as the US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, to inflict high casualties on Russian troops.
Russia has never confirmed the numbers of its losses, but Western estimates suggest approximately 300,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in Ukraine. Ukrainian casualties are believed to be around 200,000.
Reports say Russia has been hemorrhaging men and weapons in its most significant attack against Ukraine in recent months: Its attempt to capture Avdiivka, a strategic town in eastern Ukraine and a gateway to Russia-occupied Ukraine.
Despite high Russian losses, the country's population is about three times the size of Ukraine's — a large pool from which Russia could keep replenishing its ranks.
A group of Russians who oppose President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine said they launched an attack within Russia's borders.
The Freedom of Russia Legion said on Telegram on Sunday that it had destroyed a "platoon stronghold of Russian troops" according to Reuters' translation.
The attack was near Terebreno village, which is in Belgorod, close to Russia's border with Ukraine, the group said.
The paramilitary group also said it left behind landmines in the area.
A source in Ukraine's intelligence community told Ukrainian outlet the Kyiv Post that Freedom of Russia Legion fighters had launched an attack in Belgorod on Sunday.
"Russia is unable to control security within its borders," the source said, adding: "Putin's security forces cannot ensure the safety of their citizens."
The intelligence source said that Russia's military is sending fighters to Avdiivka, the most intense battle taking place in Ukraine, and leaving its border unprotected. "Instead of securing the border, the military is being sent en masse to their deaths near Avdiivka," they said.
The Freedom of Russia Legion did not specify if it had destroyed any buildings or infrastructure, or killed any soldiers. It said that photos and video would be released soon.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, said on Sunday, before the group took responsibility, that the village was under fire from Ukraine's military and a "shooting battle" was taking place on its outskirts, Reuters reported.
The Freedom of Russia Legion is based in Ukraine and is made up of a few hundred Russian men, including defectors from Russia's army and others who volunteered to fight against their homeland, Business Insider previously reported.
Ukraine denies any involvement in the group's actions, saying the attacks are carried out by Russian citizens. The Freedom of Russia Legion, on the other hand, says it fights "under the leadership of the Ukrainian command."
The group opposes Putin, describing him as a dictator who kills his opponents, and is against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has designated it a terrorist group.
Freedom of Russia Legion members fight on the front lines in Ukraine, and the group has also taken responsibility for other attacks within Russia since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This includes an attack in May when it said it took control of villages in Belgorod, and in June, when it shelled another town in the region.
The group's commander said in an interview earlier this week that it plans more attacks next year.
"I will not tell you the date, but our regiment is growing and that's why our operation will be bigger, bigger and bigger," he told The Irish Sun.
He added: "There is no other way to stop this tragic war except by force."
currently ALL asylum seekers can present themselves at the border, be given a court date and many/most can be released into the US until that court date. WH is proposing this offer only occur for the first 1 million asylum seekers every year and then all other deported without being considered for asylum. GOP is trying to counter offer of a hard cap of 700,000 Asylum seekers per year allowed in.
Currently the US is seeing 11,000 immigrants show up at the border every day seeking asylumWH is proposing to limit that no more than 2,700 per day in exchange for funding of Israel and Ukraine.
GOP wants to counter to get the number down to 2,000 per day.
White House Sets Border Deal: Hard cap of 1 million Asylum applicants and Immigrants Per Year in exchange for $61 Billion for Ukraine
“We’re at 11,000” illegals per day, Sen. Thom Tillis said.
“We’ve seen what the White House has sent over … We’ve got to get somewhere closer to … 2,000 [migrants] a day [or 700,000 a year], and let’s figure out how we get it done.”
“But I think I’m going take it as a good faith offer, which is why I think we have to act in good faith and stay here [in Washington] until we get it negotiated.”
“They’re using this to try to put something together — I’m not going take the bait,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said.
The proposal also involves granting border officials the power to expel migrants without asylum screenings during high border crossings.
The talks are led by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has been working to manage the flow of migrants into the United States.
“I am, to a great extent, aligned with the expectations” of the immigrant community, Mayorkas said.
The offer is met with skepticism, with some viewing it as a concession that does little to address border security.
The negotiations involve several GOP senators, with differing views on migration policies.
“Republicans are not so much being asked to compromise as to conspire in Biden’s lawbreaking,” said Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor.
“Not petty lawbreaking but rather a betrayal of the core security duties of the presidency that is destroying the social welfare and law-enforcement capabilities of America’s border states and major cities.”
$110 billion foreign aid package with border security has support of moderates
“Given how boiling angry much of the country is over this issue, I don’t understand why Republicans aren’t driving a much harder bargain.”
“I will not go back to South Carolina and try to explain why I helped Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel and did nothing to secure our own border,” Graham said.
“I will help all of our allies, but we’ve got to help ourselves first,” he added.
“Another show vote on the supplemental —with inadequate or nonexistent border security measures — does not move the ball,” Graham said.
“I’m looking for outcomes, not timelines,” he said, adding, “There’s no legislative text.”
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If they show up at the border and request asylum how are they "illegals"?
It is pure rhetoric
If they had to actually use proper semantics the. They would NOT use the term asylum seekers and illegals interchangeably.....but they do
UrbanCowboy
New member
Ukraine has to wait for Putin to die to end the war.
Russia just has to wait for Trump to be re-elected.
Russia just has to wait for Trump to be re-elected.
Putin's Propaganda Machine Dealt Blow by Russia's Neighbor
Kazakhstan has removed and will no longer allow 5 Russian TV stations to be broadcast in their country...for promoting what they call an "Informational Agenda"
They have also blocked the websites of several Russian TV outlets and TV stations starting in Summer 2023 . They were blocked for "Inciting Discord" in Kazakhstan
Also reports that Russia may no be buying missile systems from Iran to utilize against Ukraine as well.
Russia Using North Korea Missiles Against Ukraine—White House Warns Of ‘Concerning Escalation’
Key Facts
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Thursday the launching of North Korean missiles was a “significant and concerning escalation in the (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) support for Russia.”Two unnamed U.S. officials told the Washington Post that Russia has begun deploying North Korean-supplied missiles at Ukraine as its own supply of weaponry continues to shrink and it's forced to turn to “like-minded states for military equipment.”
Russia launched the North Korean missiles at least once in late December and at least once this week.
Crucial Quote
“The DPRK [North Korea] and Russia are both blatantly violating the United Nations arms embargo on the DPRK, which prohibits all UN Member States from procuring arms or related materiel from the DPRK and prohibits the DPRK from exporting arms or related materiel,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said in a release Thursday.Tangent
The White House said Thursday that it determined Russia was also looking to buy “close-range ballistic missiles from Iran” that could be delivered as soon as the spring, the Wall Street Journal reported.Big Number
300. That’s about how many missiles Russia has launched at Ukraine since Dec. 29, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Zelenksy said Russia had also fired more than 200 drone attacks in the same period.Key Background
The increased missile and drone attacks from Russia come amidst increased calls from President Joe Biden for increased aid to Ukraine—about $61.4 billion more—though lawmakers have been unable to agree on an aid package as the war nears its third year. GOP House members have demanded aid be tied to border security measures along the U.S.-Mexico border in exchange, and that demand has held up an aid package for weeks. In early December, the White House told lawmakers the U.S. is “out of money” and “nearly out of time” to support Ukraine as Russia continued making advances. The U.S. has provided about $111 billion in supplemental funding to Ukraine throughout its war with Russia.
PokitN
New member
Allegedly this is a pair of Bradley's firing on Russian T-90M Tank.
www.forbes.com
A Pair Of Ukrainian M-2 Fighting Vehicles Tag-Teamed A Russian T-90 Tank. ‘This Tank Got F’ing Ganked.’
In a skirmish on the outskirts of Avdiivka, a pair of M-2s belonging to the Ukrainian army’s 47th Mechanized Brigade tag-teamed a Russian army T-90 tank. And wrecked it.
www.forbes.com
Several major Chinese banks—wary of dealings with Moscow's defense industry—restricted Russian partner access to their services or cut ties altogether
The Chinese payment system UnionPay, which was once touted as a suitable replacement for MasterCard and Visa, also pulled out to limit its exposure.
Last week, the Russian business newspaper Vedomosti said Zhejiang Chouzhou Commercial Bank had suspended all transactions for clients from Russia as well as Belarus. The bank in eastern China, whose exposure to Western sanctions was thought to be limited, was a main institution used by Russian exporters, the paper said.
The bank's decision to pause settlements with Russian and Belarusian businesses, in any currency, may have been linked to an expansion of U.S. financial controls announced in recent weeks, new restrictions that could put it at risk of secondary sanctions.
Experts who spoke to Newsweek said the effects likely would be felt later, after the current Lunar New Year period typically associated with lower levels of economic activity in China.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
Rudenko, whose remarks suggested the bank may have been overcautious in its actions, remained confident that Moscow and Beijing would resolve the matter, Tass reported.
Link
The Chinese payment system UnionPay, which was once touted as a suitable replacement for MasterCard and Visa, also pulled out to limit its exposure.
Last week, the Russian business newspaper Vedomosti said Zhejiang Chouzhou Commercial Bank had suspended all transactions for clients from Russia as well as Belarus. The bank in eastern China, whose exposure to Western sanctions was thought to be limited, was a main institution used by Russian exporters, the paper said.
The bank's decision to pause settlements with Russian and Belarusian businesses, in any currency, may have been linked to an expansion of U.S. financial controls announced in recent weeks, new restrictions that could put it at risk of secondary sanctions.
Experts who spoke to Newsweek said the effects likely would be felt later, after the current Lunar New Year period typically associated with lower levels of economic activity in China.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
Rudenko, whose remarks suggested the bank may have been overcautious in its actions, remained confident that Moscow and Beijing would resolve the matter, Tass reported.
Russia Reacts After Chinese Bank Threatens Putin's Economic Lifeline
Link
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Russia Proposes Military Age Limit that Surpasses Country's Life Expectancy
Russia has proposed a new age limit for military service that extends beyond the nation's average life expectancy for men.The Russian military has suffered massive casualties amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, while also dealing with personnel issues that have included soldiers abandoning their posts and potential recruits fleeing Russia to avoid service. Moscow lawmakers have attempted to bolster the military by raising the age limit for service on more than one occasion.
The new proposed legislation would raise the age limit for all officers to 70 and take the maximum age for contract personnel to 65—far older than the current limit of 51, according to an intelligence update shared to X, formerly Twitter, by the U.K. Ministry of Defense on Tuesday. Both of the new age limits exceed the average life expectancy for Russian men of 64.2 years, according to WorldData.Info.
The British Defense Ministry argued that the new limits could prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from ordering additional mobilizations but would effectively lead to a lifetime of service for Russian servicemen, with the older recruits also likely doing little to improve Moscow's military performance in Ukraine.
"This measure confers on these service personnel, in effect, a lifetime contract," the ministry's update states. "Although this measure will likely alleviate the need for additional mobilisation, increasing the number of military personnel aged over 51 is highly unlikely to increase Russia's combat effectiveness, particularly in kinetic assaults"
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Russian Ministry of Defense via email on Tuesday night.
Since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, the Russian military has lost an estimated 397,080 troops, including deaths and service-ending injuries, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
While the Ukrainian claim has not been independently verified by Newsweek and the true number of Russian war casualties remains unclear, other sources also claim that Moscow has suffered hundreds of thousands of troop losses during the war. U.S. intelligence estimated in December that at least 315,000 Russian soldiers had been lost, according to Reuters.
Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed during an interview with German television station ARD that his military had an unexpected military personnel advantage over Russia, with at least 880,000 active Ukrainian personnel defending against the 617,000 Russian troops Putin has said are fighting in Ukraine.
Zelensky also argued that the Russian president was treating his troops like expendable "pieces of meat," claiming that Russian military leadership does not care how many troops die during the war.
"The first year of the war, I don't think Russia used mathematics at all," Zelensky said. "It just threw away its people. They treat them like pieces of meat, and I'm not sure that fact bothers [their leadership]. One million, two million, three million... they don't care how many are going to die."
Putin creates new ‘fake news’ law to fund Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Wednesday that will allow authorities to confiscate money, valuables and other assets from people convicted of spreading “deliberately false information” about the country's military.The bill sailed through the lower and upper houses of the Russian parliament, and was unanimously endorsed by the upper house last week.
The speaker of the lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, said the measure includes harsher punishment for “traitors who sling mud at our country and our troops” and would “strip those scoundrels of honorary titles, confiscate their assets, money and other valuables.”
Russian officials have used the existing law against “discrediting” the military that covers offenses such as “justifying terrorism” and spreading “fake news” about the armed forces to silence Putin’s critics. Multiple activists, bloggers and ordinary Russians have received long prison terms.
The new confiscation law would also apply to those convicted of publicly inciting “extremist activities” and calling for actions harmful to state security or “discrediting” the armed forces. Discrediting the Russian military became a criminal offense under a law adopted as part of a sweeping government crackdown on dissent after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian state news agency Tass said that if someone is convicted under the new law, only money, assets and property “gained through criminal means” or used for activities against Russia's national security could be confiscated. Draconian Soviet-era legislation authorized the seizure of housing for a variety of criminal offenses.
Russia is developing nukes for space. It is time for them to get kicked back to Siberia.
Explosions in Russia's Belgorod Spark 'New Weapon' Fears
A mystery new weapon may have been used in a strike on the eastern Russian city of Belgorod that damaged a shopping center and left a number of people dead and injured, according to local reports.Powerful explosions were reported on Thursday in Belgorod, which houses several Russian military bases and training grounds. Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported that a shopping center on Plekhanov Street was heavily damaged as a result of a missile attack on the city.
Telegram channel 112 reported that four people were killed and a further seven injured as a result of the attack. Telegram channel Mash reported that six had been killed and 10 were wounded.
The Baza Telegram channel, which is linked to Russia's security services, said at least five people were killed in the strike.
"One of the [missiles] hit a shopping center. Doctors and police are at the scene," the channel said.
Ukraine hasn't claimed responsibly for the attack. Kyiv rarely comments on strikes that occur on Russian soil.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has yet to comment on the attack, but he said earlier on Thursday that a "missile warning siren" had been set off in the region.
"If you are at home, do not go near the windows. Take shelter in rooms without windows with solid walls (hallway, bathroom, toilet, pantry). If you are outside, go to a shelter or other safe place," Gladkov said on his Telegram channel.
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