ALERT RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread

This grain issue is why Russia is trying to take over the black sea ports completely. They are not as affected by the food crisis but they also know that making that worse makes them look worse as well...

OldArcher said:

Plans are already in place, contingencies considered and covered, force projections and allocations locked in safes in most senior officer’s quarters, CIC, CAG, and others. All it takes is a “go” order, and the fur will fly. NOBODY sails into harm’s way, without having every situation pre-gamed, planned for, and forces deployed. Much was learned from previous screw-ups. If you’re going to poke the Bear, you’d best be holding the winning cards- or else. Right now, there is NO NEED to poke the Bear. Of course, that presupposes that you have a competent, rational, intelligent leader who is not a meat puppet for your enemies…. Ooops.

OA

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How long did it take for Germany to start sinking US commerical shipping in WW1? I would say that's our timeline.

Grumphau said:

How long did it take for Germany to start sinking US commerical shipping in WW1? I would say that's our timeline.

Click to expand...

U-boat - Wikipedia

On 5 September 1914 to Jan 1917 for WW1.
which began in 1939 and ended with Germany's surrender in 1945

To compensate, Germany's new navy, the Kriegsmarine, developed the largest submarine fleet going into World War II.[17] British Prime Minister Winston Churchill later wrote "The only thing that really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril."[18]

So does this mean a defacto joining with Poland? Same deal as the Breakaway locations in the east with Russia?

There needs to be a East Ukraine, and a West Ukraine, based on the linguistics
of each region, divided by the Dnieper River.

This division, would provide Russia, with the needed separation from NATO,
and the Russian peoples in the Donbas, would finally be free from the
Ukrainian oppression, that is at the root of this war.

If they could stop fighting long enough, to work on a peace agreement,
that would get a East and West Ukraine created, they could reopen
the ports, and everyone would benefit, Ukraine, Russia, and the
entire world.

It is sad. My Russian language skool has left St. Petersburg,
and they are now in a neutral European country. One of the teachers,
who is Russian, has Ukrainians in her family. I was going to use the
skool as a support contact, when I was going over there, but looks
like I won't be able to go, not this year.

A strong and neutral Ukraine, should have been the goal,
with everyone in Ukraine, allowed to speak the language of
their heritage, and allowed to live a peaceful life.

I pray that peace comes to both Ukraine and Russia,
that the peoples there can find a way to move forward,
from this globalist, neocon, libcon, Washington DC
created war.

Please be safe everyone.

Regards to all.

Nowski

Very interesting interview of a Russian soldier who surrendered giving an interview.

If this is a valid interview, and I don't see any reason to doubt it ....... then depending on how widespread his experience is among Russian troops, the amazing surprise is that the Russians have done this well so far considering the quality of the Ukraine forces and assistance they are getting in equipment and intelligence.

I really hope that there is some type of intelligence operation underway to offer the Russians a valid way out without planting the seeds for further escalation, but able to avoid enabling Putin and his hard liners a valid reason, in their eyes, to go nuclear.


RT: 23:12

00:42 - How he entered Ukraine (start of his story)
01:53 - We were told there were American troops in Ukraine and NATO, and documental proof that Ukraine was ready to attack Crimea
02:46 - Because our battalion was undermanned, they sent us conscripts
04:20 - Some people wanted to refuse, but intimidation was used, prison implied
04:55 - They also told us about "banderovtsy" and oppression of russian population
05:07 - I have a girlfriend from Ukraine
06:14 - On February 24, we saw artillery fire in the direction of Ukraine
07:46 - Many wanted to go back
08:32 - We were told that seven cities were already taken, that Kyiv was almost taken - to motivate us
08:47 - Russian Guard would shoot on those who would try to walk back
09:08 - Officers were ready to pay just to be sent back safely
10:25 - During exercise we had NVGs, thermals, but then they were stolen
11:37 - About stealing in the Russian army
12:29 - Command vehicles were broken, no proper communication - only radios
13:02 - We came under friendly fire all the time
14:03 - Our tankers burnt our own vehicles with crews in it
14:25 - We left a car that was broken with a crew
15:11 - How they met other soldiers who were left behind
16:35 - We poured out our diesel fuel to Ukrainian civilians
16:44 - How Caucasians made efforts to prevent civilians getting into trouble with russian soldiers
17:30 - I asked an officer to give me civilian clothes so that I could surrender
18:42 - I offered to pay a civilian to drive me away
20:45 - Officer told us to keep in the rear "to get lost" at the right moment, to surrender
21:06 - How we shot our own tanks
21:55 - Who bombed Donbas for 8 years?

US denies Ukrainian official's claim about plans to attack Russian fleet
The Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko said in a tweet on Friday that has since been deleted that the US "is preparing a plan to destroy the Black Sea Fleet."
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Published: MAY 23, 2022 02:10


Russian missile cruiser Moskva is moored in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Ukraine, May 10, 2013.
(photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER/FILE PHOTO)

The Pentagon has denied a Ukrainian official's claim that the United States is planning to attack Russia's naval fleet in the Black Sea.

Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko said in a tweet on Friday that has since been deleted that the US "is preparing a plan to destroy the Black Sea Fleet," Newsweek reported.

"The effective work of the Ukrainians on warships convinced (the USA) to prepare a plan to unblock the ports. Deliveries of powerful anti-ship weapons (Harpoon and Naval Strike Missile with a range of 250-300 km) are being discussed," the tweet added.


Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet logistics support ship Vsevolod Bobrov sails in the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, January 7, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/YORUK ISIK)

The Newsweek report added that the Biden Administration is working on a plan to send anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, according to Reuters, and that US officials and congressional sources said such missiles could either be shipped to Ukraine directly or transferred to Ukraine via an allied country in Europe.

However, Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby outright dismissed Geraschenko's claim regarding US plans to attack Russian naval forces, saying, "OK, I can tell you definitively that that's not true. Just looking here, no changes that we observed in the maritime posture in the -- in the Black Sea. The Russians still obviously have vessels there. Most of them surface vessels but -- but submarines as well. They continue to, although they are not as close to the coast as they were a few weeks ago. They continue to be able to, from a maritime perspective, blockade major Ukrainian ports like Odesa, so there's still nothing getting in economically. But I don't have any other updates for you in the maritime domain."

When asked if the US intends to send anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, Kirby did not give a clear answer, saying, "We are -- we are talking to the Ukrainians every day, as you know in fact, today's another one of those days when the Secretary is going to talk to Minister Reznikoff about -- we talked to them about their needs and our capabilities. And when we have decisions, we come right out here and we issue a press release and we tell you about that. So, I'm not going to get ahead of decisions that haven't been made. We're doing the best we can to meet their -- their capabilities in as near real-time as we can. And we keep trying to make those capabilities match what's going on on the ground. And what's going on on the ground right now is a very artillery heavy, long-range fire heavy fighting in the Donbas."

US denies Ukrainian official's claim about plans to attack Russian fleet - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

but.. why do we need to send our Special Forces ? I thought Ukraine was beating the Russians easily?
/Sarcasm off

Ukraine Situation Report: Russian ‘Terminator’ Fighting Vehicles Sent To Front
BMP-T Terminator fighting vehicles have been deployed to partake in the Donbas offensive as stiff resistance has stalled major progress for Russian forces.
by
Stetson Payne
May 22, 2022 7:17 PM


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The Russian Army has reportedly deployed its sole operational company of BMP-T Terminator armored fighting vehicles to the Donbas frontline as Russian forces struggle for a major breakthrough.
The British Ministry of Defense noted the vehicles' deployment in an update early Sunday. The update stated the Terminators' presence likely indicates the Central Grouping of Forces, some of the same units involved in the costly failed offensive on Kyiv earlier in the invasion, are a part of the latest Donbas push.
Although a new system at the front, the small number of operational Terminator vehicles means they are unlikely to be a decisive factor in the campaign. While there have been rumblings and sporadic pieces of evidence pointing to them being moved to the front lines, the MoD's assessment is the first official confirmation of those rumors. We wrote about these vehicles and their capabilities during the buildup to the invasion when they were spotted supposedly heading towards the border. You can read that report here.


Video reportedly from an area east of Popasna showed a pair of the BMP-Ts heading west in the city of Pervomais’k, with other photographs from Sunday showing them along with VDV BMD-2 and BTR-D vehicles near Severodonetsk.




The BMP-T grew out of Russian combat experience from its wars in Chechnya, where dense urban environments became a graveyard for traditional Russian armored vehicles and tanks with short lines of sight and shooting angles often outside some turrets' reach. Either independently or in support of tanks, the BMP-T has numerous short-range weapons systems to quickly suppress an enemy position across wide angles of fire, particularly against enemies at elevation in tall buildings.

A Terminator-2 tank support fighting vehicle (front) drives during the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad-2017 (West-2017) at the Luzhsky training ground in the Leningrad region on September 18, 2017. (VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Terminators being moved to the front lines could be interpreted in multiple ways. The major losses of Russian armor and the dissarray of some of its deployed units is no secret, nor is their desperation to make any significant progress in the already massively truncated operation in Ukraine.
That being said, before heading into this weekend’s update on the war in Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here.

The Latest
Here’s the most recent control map on the fighting from the British Ministry of Defense.


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Polish President Andrzej Duda to Kyiv as the first foreign leader to address the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24.
According to a Reuters report, Duda emphasized Ukrainian sovereignty and received a standing ovation for his remarks.
“Only Ukraine has the right to decide about its future,” Duda said. “Nothing about you without you.”


Poland has been one of NATO’s strongest Ukrainian backers with military, logistical, and humanitarian aid given their shared border. Much of the western supplies delivered to Ukrainian forces go through the Polish city of Rzeszow, where the city’s airport is a major hub for incoming cargo only an hour's drive from the Ukrainian border.
On the 88th day of the war, Russian Army vehicles finally entered the heart of Kyiv, but in pieces.
Numerous captured and destroyed Russian vehicles, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and an electronic warfare vehicle were on display in Mykhailivska Square in downtown Kyiv.



The display in Kyiv comes as frontlines in the east appeared to stabilize this weekend, with neither side able to achieve a breakthrough. Ukrainian losses are mounting, according to a statement from President Zelensky in a press briefing that between 50-100 soldiers may be dying each day on the eastern front.


With Ukraine having fully mobilized for the war, unlike the Russians, it’s not clear how serious those losses are from a manpower perspective, and we don’t know if this figure is specifically soldiers killed or just casualties in general. Trained soldiers aren't an easy resource to quickly replace either permanently or temporarily, and any kind of battle casualty generates a logistical strain with treatment and evacuation. Zelensky has recently stated that Ukraine has 700,000 soldiers and militiamen at its disposal. Of course, the capabilities of those forces vary greatly and that likely includes air and naval components, as well. Russia has a fraction of that force size deployed to Ukraine and the region. At its height, the most generous estimates put it at around 175,000. Today that number is likely substantially less, including wounded and killed, that number in the tens of thousands. Other estimates state that roughly a third of Russian forces originally deployed are out of action or combat ineffective three months after the invasion began.


Zelensky also spoke Saturday about the war's continued and looming impacts on worldwide food supplies with a Russian blockade preventing Ukrainian exports. In a report from The Hill, Zelensky said without a plan to resume food exports, the ongoing energy crisis stemming from the war will grow into one of hunger.


Ukrainian forces claim to have shot down a Russian Su-25 Frogfoot in Luhansk Oblast, the first such shootdown in the area in some time. It is not immediately clear what anti-air system got the kill, or if the jet crashed for some other reason.
Both Ukrainian and Russian Su-25s are a common sight over the frontline in recent weeks with favorable weather allowing for their high-speed, low-altitude attack runs dropping infrared countermeasure flares as they go.




There’s also footage this weekend of Ukrainian forces destroying a Russian Army 2S4 Tyulpan mortar carrier near Luhansk. A view from above shows the vehicle attempting to hide in a cluster of buildings before taking a direct hit, burning, and later catastrophically exploding.




The 2S4 is the world’s largest mortar system in use with its 240mm shells, and Russian forces recently used laser-guided rounds against Ukrainian forces defending the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
We will continue to update this post with new information until we state otherwise.

Please see source for video and comments
Posted for fair use

SNOWSQUAW said:

but.. why do we need to send our Special Forces ? I thought Ukraine was beating the Russians easily?
/Sarcasm off

Click to expand...

Not sure what credible individual here made any reference to Ukraine “beating the Russians easily?” Throwing out an absurb statement as if that is what the other side of a debate said to attempt to win an argument or forward your position will not persuade many here.

While normally the marines would protect embassy’s, spec op troops have better and newer toys so this would actually make sense since this is a war zone and not just some leftist students.

Many will read something else into it but the embassy is US territory so I would think the Russians would not attack the embassy there is too much to lose and nothing to gain for Russia.

Now if an individual or 2 goes awol and wanders off the embassy grounds and gets lost in a strange European country well stuff like this happens. Maybe they got lost, maybe they went drinking with locals maybe they somehow strayed towards area of operations stuff happens.

SNOWSQUAW said:

but.. why do we need to send our Special Forces ? I thought Ukraine was beating the Russians easily?
/Sarcasm off

Click to expand...

I don't think anyone said that.

MSM is saying that .. No one here. thus the /Sarcasm.

Based on roles and missions of special operations, Embassy Defense is pretty much the opposite.
I would expect their purpose there would be consistent with their mission.

WTSR said:

Masno

⚡️Volodymyr Zelenskyi: A bill is being prepared that will allow the Poles to get in Ukraine de facto and de jure the same opportunities as the Ukrainians. A common customs control with Poland is being introduced. This will significantly speed up the passage of procedures at the border and...

t.me

So does this mean a defacto joining with Poland? Same deal as the Breakaway locations in the east with Russia?

Click to expand...

Kyiv and Warsaw would in effect be back dooring EU membership with this deal. Without some kind of deal like this, Ukraine would be hard pressed to recover from this conflict in any reasonable time frame. And if they loose all of their ports on the Black Sea, Poland and its access to the Baltic and the EU are the best options. It also gives Poland some "options" if Moscow becomes more frisky.

Nowski said:

There needs to be a East Ukraine, and a West Ukraine, based on the linguistics
of each region, divided by the Dnieper River.

This division, would provide Russia, with the needed separation from NATO,
and the Russian peoples in the Donbas, would finally be free from the
Ukrainian oppression, that is at the root of this war.

If they could stop fighting long enough, to work on a peace agreement,
that would get a East and West Ukraine created, they could reopen
the ports, and everyone would benefit, Ukraine, Russia, and the
entire world.

It is sad. My Russian language skool has left St. Petersburg,
and they are now in a neutral European country. One of the teachers,
who is Russian, has Ukrainians in her family. I was going to use the
skool as a support contact, when I was going over there, but looks
like I won't be able to go, not this year.

A strong and neutral Ukraine, should have been the goal,
with everyone in Ukraine, allowed to speak the language of
their heritage, and allowed to live a peaceful life.

I pray that peace comes to both Ukraine and Russia,
that the peoples there can find a way to move forward,
from this globalist, neocon, libcon, Washington DC
created war.

Please be safe everyone.

Regards to all.

Nowski

Click to expand...

These demographic numbers are not guaranteed to hold up post-war....

Why do they want to send special forces to guard the embassy that was evacuated months ago?

It makes no sense.

I am getting bad vibes about this whole situation.

okie-carbine said:

Why do they want to send special forces to guard the embassy that was evacuated months ago?

It makes no sense.

I am getting bad vibes about this whole situation.

Click to expand...

The US reopened the embassy May 18.

U.S. Embassy in Kyiv resumes operations 3 months after closing because of war

"Washington — The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv reopened Wednesday, three months after closing its doors and suspending operations in Ukraine's capital just before Russia invaded the country.

The State Department marked the resumption of embassy operations in Ukraine's capital with the raising of the American flag outside the facility at 8 p.m. local time, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a "momentous step."

"The Ukrainian people, with our security assistance, have defended their homeland in the face of Russia's unconscionable invasion, and, as a result, the Stars and Stripes are flying over the Embassy once again," Blinken said in a statement. "We stand proudly with, and continue to support, the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country from the Kremlin's brutal war of aggression."

The Biden administration has implemented additional safety measures for State Department staff working at the embassy in Kyiv and enhanced "security measures and protocols," Blinken said.

We are committed to confronting the challenges ahead. The war rages on. Russia's forces inflict death and destruction on Ukrainian soil every day. Millions of Ukrainians are displaced from their homes and mourn the loss of their loved ones," he continued. "With strength of purpose, we reaffirm our commitment to the people and government of Ukraine, and we look forward to carrying out our mission from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv."

The Biden administration withdrew U.S. diplomats from Kyiv on February 12 as the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine grew. State Department personnel were first evacuated to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine that is close to the Polish border, and then left the country after Russian forces flooded into Ukraine and its war intensified.

Staff started making trips back to Lviv in early May, and a small group of American diplomats returned to the embassy in Kyiv on May 8, the eve of Russia's Victory Day commemorations marking its role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II.

Samuel Ramani
@SamRamani2

Syria has sent barrel bomb specialists to Russia in order to help the Russian military use these weapons in Ukraine Closer Syria-Russia military cooperation has also revived fears of Russian chemical weapons use in Ukraine


8:39 AM · May 22, 2022·Twitter Web App


Replying to
@SamRamani2
Syria’s barrel bomb experts in Russia to help with potential Ukraine campaign
View: https://twitter.com/ejustin46/status/1528374817090576385?s=20&t=AJXiFOEVB9aKDJbwiPoHAQ

Samuel Ramani
@SamRamani2


BREAKING: Poland and Ukraine agree to a joint border customs control to expedite the movement of goods

Samuel Ramani
@SamRamani2

Russia's new flagship warship Admiral Makarov is leaving Sevastopol for Odesa Russia is finally replacing the Moskva more than a month after its sinking

The bullshits really flying here. I needed a good laugh on a Monday morning.

From my email inbox Chart of the Day May 19 2022 Bloomberg Brussels Edition

A German refinery on the Polish border has deep ties to Russia and closing it risks jet fuel and diesel running dry in Berlin. To comply with the EU’s planned oil embargo, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government is weighing some heavy-handed solutions, including taking control of the refinery as it did with Gazprom’s German unit. But a change of ownership wouldn’t resolve the main issue: replacing the 12 millions tons of crude pumped to the refinery every year through the Druzhba pipeline, named after the Russian word for “friendship.”

okie-carbine said:

Why do they want to send special forces to guard the embassy that was evacuated months ago?

It makes no sense.

I am getting bad vibes about this whole situation.

Click to expand...

Someone has to operate all the shiny new toys uncle sugar is sending to ukraine.

jward said:

Samuel Ramani
@SamRamani2


BREAKING: Poland and Ukraine agree to a joint border customs control to expedite the movement of goods
View attachment 340918

Click to expand...

Have to make it easier to get all those shiny new weapons and highly trained operators across the border to defend The Grift aka ukraine.

northern watch said:

View attachment 340927

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I thought we were already at "maximum" sanctions? For the love of all that is good let's hope they don't go to 'ludicrous' sanctions.

DuckandCover said:

Yeah, maybe that will also teach the Russians to keep their troops in their own country and stop starting these totally avoidable wars.

Click to expand...

NATO and the US in particular bears full responsibility for this mess. They know it and Russia knows it. You, apparently, do not have it figured out yet.

OldArcher said:

Plans are already in place, contingencies considered and covered, force projections and allocations locked in safes in most senior officer’s quarters, CIC, CAG, and others. All it takes is a “go” order, and the fur will fly. NOBODY sails into harm’s way, without having every situation pre-gamed, planned for, and forces deployed. Much was learned from previous screw-ups. If you’re going to poke the Bear, you’d best be holding the winning cards- or else. Right now, there is NO NEED to poke the Bear. Of course, that presupposes that you have a competent, rational, intelligent leader who is not a meat puppet for your enemies…. Ooops.

OA

Click to expand...

If -and when- your stated scenario occurs, we will all have ring side seats to the “end of the world” and the curtain will finally have lifted as thousands of nuclear missiles leave their nests and there will truly be no turning back . utter insanity for no good reason, unless the button pushers are trying to hide something that would force every sane person to demand the immediate hanging of every treasonous bastard in Washington, DC, and NYC. There might not be enough rope available for such an event.

northern watch said:

View attachment 340927

Click to expand...

Ukraine - the center of the known universe.

jed turtle said:

NATO and the US in particular bears full responsibility for this mess. They know it and Russia knows it. You, apparently, do not have it figured out yet.

Click to expand...

Nope. I totally disagree. Just because you do something that your neighbor doesn't like is not an excuse for them to attack you. Neither Ukraine nor NATO attacked Russia, Russia attacked Ukraine.

And yes, I would feel the same way if the US attacked Mexico because Russia was setting up a base there. Nobody dies from strategic maneuvering. Many die, including innocents, when a war is started.

DuckandCover said:

Nope. I totally disagree. Just because you do something that your neighbor doesn't like is not an excuse for them to attack you. Neither Ukraine nor NATO attacked Russia, Russia attacked Ukraine.

And yes, I would feel the same way if the US attacked Mexico because Russia was setting up a base there. Nobody dies from strategic maneuvering. Many die, including innocents, when a war is started.

Click to expand...

Soros and the cia were TOTALLY involved in the “maiden revolution” that overthrew the dEmocratically elected government of Ukraine. Putin gave Ukraine the option to stay neutral and follow through on its agreement to uphold the Minsk Agreement. Kiev said FU to Moscow. Big fail there.

DuckandCover said:

Nope. I totally disagree. Just because you do something that your neighbor doesn't like is not an excuse for them to attack you. Neither Ukraine nor NATO attacked Russia, Russia attacked Ukraine.

And yes, I would feel the same way if the US attacked Mexico because Russia was setting up a base there. Nobody dies from strategic maneuvering. Many die, including innocents, when a war is started.

Click to expand...

History does not substantiate your theory

raven said:

History does not substantiate your theory

Click to expand...

So, Ukraine did attack Russia?

Everything else I wrote was my opinion.