ALERT RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread

jward

passin' thru
Fortunately I get a late start tomorrow due to court...
extra time tonight to ponder why NK just shot off another "test" and who exactly is playing round in the Ukraine
:: puts my thinkin' caT on n pours the last cuppa tea ::
 

coalcracker

Veteran Member
quite so in the west today, friday. intermittent light snow, ice everywhere, overcast, regular gusts of cold.

Thanks for the boots on the ground update. Much appreciated.

In a totally not important, thread drift weather report: My AO in Central PA is forecasting major snow for next Monday, which is the Martin Luther King holiday. I hope I’m not the only one smiling at the Providential irony.:groucho:

Let’s just hope Russia doesn’t wipe the smile off my face with their Quik Vlad Ice Melt.:eek:
 

Slydersan

Veteran Member
They are probably the quickest and easiest to integrate as the already do a lot of training with the US and NATO. I believe the Finns currently fly F-18s and maybe the F-35. More importantly the quickly stretch that RUssian border with NATO.

The Marines used to have an annual exercise with the Norwegians every winter - Arctic Griffin I think it was called. Not sure if they still do, but I'd guess it's still around. So yeah we "work" with those guys a lot.
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
I think our signal that it is on will be a "Ukrainian" attack on the Donbass using US Javelins against a church full of "Russian" orphans. That will probably be the last we hear as I believe that Russia will launch cyberattacks here with the goal of shutting down the internet and infrastructure.
 

northern watch

TB Fanatic
Russians target Alexandroupolis: ''Greeks to choose wisely what to do''
Diplomatic language from Russia warning of the worst


14/01/2022 - 16:04
War News 24/7


What the Russian Foreign Minister revealed about the conversation he had with his Greek counterpart N. Dendias.
"I understand that Greece is a member of NATO, of the EU. However, we also see that Greece does not want to follow the path of exacerbating anti-Russian sanctions, Greece in principle does not feel satisfied with what is happening now between the West and the Russian Federation. We trust our Greek friends that with their wisdom they will make the choice that corresponds to their beliefs,"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, according to ANA-MPA.

This statement came when asked about recent reports by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov of a transfer of equipment to Ukraine through the Alexandroupolis base.

According to the Russian minister, during the recent "very good" telephone conversation with the Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, "yes, we raised the issue of the new steps taken in Greek-American relations to strengthen the status of the port of Alexandroupolis for the purposes of the US Navy and yes, of course, we read in which directions the Americans will use this port".

In the Minsk agreements, on which the diplomatic settlement of the crisis in Eastern Ukraine is based, as Mr. Lavrov pointed out at the first major press conference of the year, "there is a direct ban on the stay of foreign soldiers on the territory of Ukraine. There is no ban there on sending weapons to Ukraine." However, he noted that "in the first and first of all there are many foreign soldiers there. It's not thousands, as some people sometimes mistakenly say. But it's a few hundred Americans, Britons, etc. Typically there is no ban on equipment."

"But, returning to what thoughts the current Ukrainian power is feeding, we understand very well, of course, that whatever the West is doing in terms of supplying this power with weapons, it creates an additional temptation for it to move to military methods of resolving the issues in Eastern Ukraine. And this is totally unacceptable to us for understandable reasons. In fact, for the so-called military advisers who work there. When we draw attention to the issue, the West says that they are advisers, that they do not participate in hostilities. But, I well remember the television picture during the war in Georgia, in August 2008, when U.S. military uniform advisers, both whites and African Americans, were essentially advising how to arm anti-tank and similar weapons. I would not like this to happen again in Ukraine. Because this will now be the transcendence of all possible red lines, it will be a direct conflict of the Russian citizens of Ukraine and the NATO military," the Russian foreign minister commented.

"With our Greek colleagues, the Greek people, with Greece as a country we have very old relations, historical roots. We remember Kapodistrias, who became the first governor of modern Greece, after his service in Russia, on the front of foreign diplomacy. And very recently we had good conversations with Nikos Dendias. Of course we discussed everything, including our bilateral relations, and the prospects for the development of trade-economic, investment, cultural-humanitarian relations. These relations are, in fact, rich in all directions, including in the field of security", stressed Mr. Lavrov.


Russians target Alexandroupolis: ''Greeks to choose wisely what to do'' - WarNews247
 

OldArcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB

The Russian’s only “operational surprise” will be with TOT using mass artillery, armor, and air assets. The “surprise” will be when it hits, and not before. Think WW II Soviet wheel-to-wheel artillery of division strength for each sector, as well as precision rocket artillery, and air assaults of critical targets. Is NATO ready? No. Are US forces ready? No. Results? Mad Vlad becomes Czar of New Russia- all the way to the borders along Germany’s east side.

Thank-You, President Biden, for putting more cartographers and publishers to work!

OA
 

et2

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Ukrainian govt websites fall prey to ‘massive cyber attack’, Russian hand suspected


Ukrainian govt websites fall prey to ‘massive cyber attack’, Russian hand suspected
233526-rimj.jpg

Ukraine on Friday was targeted by a “massive cyber attack” with at least 10 government websites, including the ministry of foreign affairs and education ministry, which ceased functioning.

Though it was unknown from where the cyber attack was launched, officials in the Ukraine government pointed out a “long record” of Russian cyber assaults against Kyiv.

"It's too early to draw conclusions, but there is a long record of Russian (cyber) assaults against Ukraine in the past," the foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters.

The incident follows almost a week after the tense security talks between Moscow and the US and NATO ended in stalemate.

Among the targets of the cyber attack were websites of the ministerial cabinet, the foreign, education, agriculture, emergency, energy, veterans affairs and environment ministries.

Apart from that the websites of the state treasury and the Diia electronic public services platform, where vaccination certificates and electronic passports are stored were also out of service.

According to reports, suspected Russian hackers left a message on the foreign ministry website.

"Ukrainian! All your personal data was uploaded to the public network. All data on the computer is destroyed, it is impossible to restore it," said a message visible on the hacked government websites, written in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish.

"All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future."

The message reproduced the Ukrainian flag and map crossed out. It mentioned the Ukrainian insurgent army, or UPA, which fought against the Soviet Union during the second world war. There was also a reference to “historical land”.

Russia had warned of possible “catastrophic consequences” if there was no agreement on the proposed security pact, but Kremlin asserted that it had not given up on diplomacy.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of war between Kyiv's forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that same year.

United States on Thursday said Russia might be trying to create a pretext to launch a new military assault on Ukraine, comparing the situation to the circumstances in 2014.
 

SmokeyBear

"Need to Know"
Alexander Clarkson
@APHClarkson


NATO debate is peripheral and distracts from the central dynamic which is how Russian aggressive actions in 2014 triggered an expansion of Ukrainian military power to the extent that now Russia is running out of time before trends in UA arms programmes turn it into a local rival
There is something of the view of the world from 9th avenue in how much US analysis is drawn into rebutting/exploring RU MFA talking points on NATO when crux of the crisis is how inevitable UA military expansion in response to RU pressure changes dynamics in the post-Soviet space
A lot of Russian diplomacy right now boils down to Moscow demanding that the Americans turn Ukraine off and on again and then proving unwilling to acknowledge that the US doesn't control the switch


Was reading yesterday about how Ukraine has one of the "hugest" militaries in Europe as far as boots on the ground, in the air, on the sea (heavily trained, financed and armed with war toys by we Western powers).
 

SmokeyBear

"Need to Know"
So, next up from the cast and crew who brought you the Afghanistan withdrawal fiasco.................
War with Russia!

When empty shelves, a broken supply chain, soaring inflation, and a raging pandemic of tyranny just don't destroy America fast enough, let Beijing-Biden and his merry band of clueless losers pick a fight with a hypersonic nuclear missile armed superpower, in their own backyard.

YES! So true. biden...just finishing the job of obama, of course. ;D
 

danielboon

TB Fanatic
marqs

@MarQs__

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Natasha Bertrand

@NatashaBertrand
· 24m
Ukrainian Information Ministry says "first data suggests" that today's cyberattack "was carried out by the Russian Federation." “Contrary to the allegations of the attackers, the leakage of data, including personal data, did not occur," the Ministry said.
 

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Video: EU warns Russia over Ukraine escalation (Reuters)
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Friday strongly reaffirmed its demand that NATO doesn't expand eastward despite the rejection of that by the military alliance amid a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow wouldn't wait indefinitely for the Western response, saying he expects the U.S. and NATO to provide a written answer next week.

Lavrov described Moscow’s demands for binding guarantees that NATO will not embrace Ukraine or any other ex-Soviet nations, or station its forces and weapons there as essential for the progress of diplomatic efforts to defuse soaring tensions over Ukraine.

He argued that NATO's deployments and drills near Russia’s borders pose a security challenge that must be addressed immediately.
“We have run out of patience,” Lavrov said at a news conference. “The West has been driven by hubris and has exacerbated tensions in violation of its obligations and common sense.”

Amid the tensions, Ukraine sustained a massive cyberattack Friday, which hit websites of multiple government agencies.
This week's negotiations in Geneva and a related NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels were held amid a significant Russian troop buildup near Ukraine that the West fears might be a prelude to an invasion.

Russia, which annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, has denied having plans to attack its neighbor but warned the West that NATO's expansion to Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations is a “red line” that mustn't be crossed.
Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow's demand for security guarantees precluding NATO's expansion, but Russia and the West agreed to leave the door open to possible further talks on arms control and confidence-building measures intended to reduce the potential for hostilities.

Lavrov said that those issues are secondary in respect to Moscow's main demand for the non-expansion of NATO and the non-deployment of its weapons near the Russian territory, emphasizing that the Russian proposals represent a “package, not a menu.”

"They must understand that the key to everything is the guarantee that NATO will not expand eastward," Lavrov said.


He countered the U.S. and NATO's argument that Russia doesn't have veto power to prevent other nations from joining the alliance by pointing to international agreements emphasizing that the security of some states mustn't be achieved at the expense of others.

Russia's top diplomat warned that “if our proposals are rejected ... we will make a decision on how to ensure our security in a reliable way,” citing President Vladimir Putin's warning that Moscow will take unspecified "military-technical measures" if the West stonewalls its demands.

Lavrov's deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, who led the Russian delegation at the talks in Geneva, said Thursday that he would “neither confirm nor exclude” the possibility of Russia sending military assets to Cuba and Venezuela if the U.S. and its allies don’t curtail their military activities on Russia’s doorstep.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan dismissed the statements about a possible Russian deployment to Cuba and Venezuela as “bluster in the public commentary.”

The negotiations took place as an estimated 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and other heavy weapons are massed near Ukraine’s eastern border. The U.S. and its allies urged Russia to deescalate by pulling troops back to their permanent bases, but Moscow has rebuffed the demand, saying it's free to deploy forces on its territory wherever it deems necessary.

Lavrov called the Western demand “absurd,” noting that “while they are demanding that we pull troops on our own territory back to their barracks, the U.S. and British troops are deployed to the Baltics.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that troops stationed in eastern Siberia and the far east region have been scrambled for movement across the country as part of snap drills to check their “readiness to perform their tasks after redeployment to a large distance.”

The ministry noted that “a special attention will be given to the assessment of the country's transport infrastructure to ensure the movement of troops,” adding that the troops will conduct drills involving firing live ammunition after the redeployment.

Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula after the ouster of Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly leader and in 2014 also threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. More than 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces in the country's industrial heartland called Donbas.

Ukraine's military intelligence said Friday that separatist forces have launched drills involving firing live ammunition that are overseen by Russian military officers.

Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of deploying its troops to Donbas to back separatists — accusations that Moscow has denied.

Russia demands US, NATO response next week on Ukraine (msn.com)
 

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Two NATO Carrier Groups To Sail North For Large-Scale Arctic Exercises Near Russia
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At a moment both sides are firmly rejecting the other's position in ongoing Russia-NATO talks, and as the Kremlin could stage fresh naval drills in the Black Sea if the West continues to "provoke" Russia, there's also set to be a military building in the far north, within the Arctic Circle.

The maritime monitoring site Barents Observer reports that two NATO carrier groups are currently en route to waters off northern Norway, not far from Russia's border, for the "the largest NATO exercise inside the Arctic Circle since the 1980s."

According to the details, the large-scale exercises focusing on sea and air are expected to include a whopping 35,000 troops from a combined 28 countries. Planning for the exercises were long underway, and preceded the current standoff and tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine. It will kick off in March and continue through the beginning of April.

Leading the way for the exercises will be the HMS Prince of Wales carrier group as well as the Nimitz-class USS Harry Truman carrier group. The Barents Observer breaks down the troop numbers in the upcoming exercise as follows:
According to the latest update from the Norwegian Armed Forces, Exercise Cold Response will consist of 14,000 soldiers on land, 13,000 at sea and 8,000 serving aircraft and headquarters at different bases.
In times of growing distrust between Russia and Europe, Norway seeks to build its security in partnership with NATO allies and Nordic neighbors.
The main action during Cold Response 2022 will be by navy and air force capacities in the Ofoten area.
Previously Norway’s Defense Minister, Frank Bakke-Jensen described that Cold Response 2022 signals NATO's intend to expand a persistent presence in the Arctic. "The exercise will also test allied ability to protect NATO interests in the Arctic. This is deterrence in action," he said.

Below: "Launched from the Russian sector of the Barents Sea, the Tsirkon-missile can reach targets in the Norwegian Sea outside the coast of Nordland."
The Barents Observer/Google Maps
At the same time, Russia has been testing its advanced hypersonic missile systems primarily out of its Arctic bases:
On December 24, President Vladimir Putin said his military forces successfully fired a simultaneous salvo of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile. The weapon is now ready for deployment with the Northern Fleet on both frigates and the 4th generation multi-purpose submarines of the Yasen-class.
Launched from the Russian sector of the Barents Sea, the Tsirkon missiles could reach targets in the Norwegian Sea in about 10 to 15 minutes if Moscow in a war conflict chose to activate its Bastion defense concept aimed at denying NATO forces control of the Norwegian and Greenland seas.
This week Russia and NATO engaged in three rounds of talks, however, both sides have acknowledged the meetings were unsuccessful. Should Ukraine tensions persist further into the winter and spring, the large-scale NATO Arctic circle exercise could be cause for further tensions and threats.

Two NATO Carrier Groups To Sail North For Large-Scale Arctic Exercises Near Russia | ZeroHedge
 

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
If they expect an answer by "next week," provided that isn't a distraction, it suggests a kick-off by next weekend rather than this one. Like recalling ambassadors and all that other fancy stuff, it doesn't have to happen that way, but it very likely could happen that way.
While I agree with what you said. However it's all posturing.

The US: We ain't giving you no stinking answer. Up yours. Time for pudding pops.

Russia: After a week we have not received an answer, so this AM we launched an invasion.

Neither side is going to be viewed as "giving in" to the other. It makes for a bad visual, and it's like giving into the demands of terrorist, or blackmailers. Once you do, it will go on and on.

So put your combat boots on, from the rhetoric it's only a matter of when it kicks off.
 
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