War Games: Russia Takes Ukraine, China Takes Taiwan. US Response?

[Genady]

2 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Wow! Fucking Hell! A first, Russia actually hit a legitimate target for the first time in two months.

That was short lived: Explosions rock Kyiv again as Russians rain fire on Ukraine | AP News

[iNow]

On 4/28/2022 at 2:40 PM, SergUpstart said:

They hit the Artem plant with three missiles. A military factory, a legitimate target.

They also hit residential buildings. 

On 4/28/2022 at 2:40 PM, SergUpstart said:

Three non-nuclear missiles bombed the whole of Kiev. ha-ha

Fuck you and everyone who thinks attacking sovereign countries unprovoked and killing civilians and children and pregnant women and everyone indiscriminately is funny. 

[SergUpstart]

Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk called German Chancellor Stolz an "offended liver sausage" because of his refusal to visit Kiev, writes Spiegel.

[iNow]

Nobody but you cares, Serg.

From Axios:

The U.S. has "highly credible" intelligence the Kremlin is planning to organize "sham referenda" as a pretext to annex occupied territories in eastern Ukraine into Russia sometime in mid-May, a top U.S. diplomat warned yesterday.

The aggressive step could coincide with Russia's May 9 "Victory Day" holiday. Some Western officials believe Vladimir Putin will use the occasion to declare war on Ukraine officially, and fully mobilize Russia's reserve forces.

[MigL]

3 hours ago, iNow said:

the Kremlin is planning to organize "sham referenda" as a pretext to annex occupied territories in eastern Ukraine into Russia sometime in mid-May

Not at the rate they are being pushed back.
So much for the vaunted Russian Armed Forces.

I guess V Putin won't be having his cancer surgery anywhere in the West.
Let us hope that  while he's out, saner heads prevail.

[StringJunky]

I'm seeing speculation that Russia may declare war on May 9th, so it can mobilize its reserves. That will go down like a lead balloon with the Russian public

[beecee]

On 4/30/2022 at 11:57 AM, iNow said:

Fuck you and everyone who thinks attacking sovereign countries unprovoked and killing civilians and children and pregnant women and everyone indiscriminately is funny. 

Couldn't have said it any better.

2 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

I'm seeing speculation that Russia may declare war on May 9th, so it can mobilize its reserves. That will go down like a lead balloon with the Russian public

Heard that also. Perhaps it may give some Russian citizen reason to take him out. Let's hope so. 

On 5/4/2022 at 2:37 AM, MigL said:

I guess V Putin won't be having his cancer surgery anywhere in the West.
Let us hope that  while he's out, saner heads prevail.

What sort of cancer is it? Great if it is highly aggressive type with 100% death rate in a short space of time!

[StringJunky]

7 minutes ago, beecee said:

Couldn't have said it any better.

Heard that also. Perhaps it may give some Russian citizen reason to take him out. Let's hope so. 

What sort of cancer is it? Great if it is highly aggressive type with 100% death rate in a short space of time!

Thyroid. As someone said, I just read: "I hope it's not too fatal".

[Sensei]

CNN: Surveillance video shows Russian forces shooting civilians:

"They asked for cigarettes"...

 

[SergUpstart]

Governor of the Belgorod Region (Russia) Vyacheslav Gladkov said that one person was killed and three others were injured as a result of the shelling of the village of Solokhi from Ukraine.

[Phi for All]

5 hours ago, SergUpstart said:

Governor of the Belgorod Region (Russia) Vyacheslav Gladkov said that one person was killed and three others were injured as a result of the shelling of the village of Solokhi from Ukraine.

Based on the historical precedent Putin established with Klimovo last month, this sounds like Russia has once again targeted their own people and are blaming it on Ukraine. Most people around the world think that's pretty sick.

[StringJunky]

1 hour ago, Phi for All said:

Based on the historical precedent Putin established with Klimovo last month, this sounds like Russia has once again targeted their own people and are blaming it on Ukraine. Most people around the world think that's pretty sick.

Wow! ... bastards. Ukrainian intercept about that:

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by StringJunky

[TheVat]

Russia is resorting to putting computer chips from dishwashers and refrigerators in tanks due to US sanctions, official says

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-says-russia-using-chips-from-dishwashers-in-tanks-sanctions-2022-5

Sounds like military parts shortages could be another part of eroding Russian ability to sustain this war.   OTOH, the ice cream stays cold if you keep it up in the turret.

[StringJunky]

14 minutes ago, TheVat said:

Russia is resorting to putting computer chips from dishwashers and refrigerators in tanks due to US sanctions, official says

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-says-russia-using-chips-from-dishwashers-in-tanks-sanctions-2022-5

Sounds like military parts shortages could be another part of eroding Russian ability to sustain this war.   OTOH, the ice cream stays cold if you keep it up in the turret.

I think they are, or will be, resorting more and more  to conventional ballistics as the guided stuff gets more difficult to replace.

[swansont]

16 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

I think they are, or will be, resorting more and more  to conventional ballistics as the guided stuff gets more difficult to replace.

Or less useful, if GLONASS is being jammed or spoofed

[StringJunky]

2 hours ago, swansont said:

Or less useful, if GLONASS is being jammed or spoofed

Right. I'd never heard of that until now.

[SergUpstart]

2 hours ago, swansont said:

Or less useful, if GLONASS is being jammed or spoofed

Jamming GLONASS is no more difficult, and no easier, than jamming GPS

3 hours ago, TheVat said:

Russia is resorting to putting computer chips from dishwashers and refrigerators in tanks due to US sanctions, official says

Did someone think of such nonsense? Why remove the chips from the dishwasher, if on Aliexpress you can, for example, buy Arduino Nano controllers for $ 1 apiece or a more powerful Arduino Duo for $ 5 apiece

Edited May 12, 2022 by SergUpstart

[Phi for All]

1 hour ago, SergUpstart said:

Why remove the chips from the dishwasher, if on Aliexpress you can, for example, buy Arduino Nano controllers for $ 1 apiece or a more powerful Arduino Duo for $ 5 apiece

Compatibility is a big issue, but don't forget that Russia still has an industrial complex to maintain. Boilers, industrial engines, assembly lines, bulldozers, ventilation equipment and much, much more rely on these chips that are now very difficult to get. It seems clear that dishwashers and refrigerators are being sacrificed for the war effort. 

But this too is a red herring. We should start talking about war crimes and their punishment. 

[swansont]

4 hours ago, SergUpstart said:

Jamming GLONASS is no more difficult, and no easier, than jamming GPS

Yes. Your point being?

4 hours ago, SergUpstart said:

Did someone think of such nonsense? Why remove the chips from the dishwasher, if on Aliexpress you can, for example, buy Arduino Nano controllers for $ 1 apiece or a more powerful Arduino Duo for $ 5 apiece

Form factor is likely an issue here, as Phi notes. Can you plug an Arduino into a socket for the chip? No? Then it’s hardly a replacement, even before considering if anyone is shipping them to Russia.

[geordief]

Better news.Can we begin to hope?

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61484222

Can they handle the truth after  all?

 

Edit: is Ukraine's resistance to Taiwan's  benefit?

Or are Ukrainians just a force of nature,not to be easily replicated?

Edited May 17, 2022 by geordief

[SergUpstart]

1 hour ago, geordief said:

Better news.Can we begin to hope?

The evacuation of the Ukrainian military from the Azovstal plant has begun.

At the same time, they are evacuated to the territory of the DPR and the Russian Federation in buses with the letter Z on the sides.

[Phi for All]

1 hour ago, geordief said:

Can they handle the truth after  all?

Everyone can "handle" the truth, if they're allowed to hear it. What they do with it afterwards is a test of character for individuals, and ultimately the countries they live in. If the Russians can rid themselves of their greedy leaders, it should inspire the rest of us.

[geordief]

32 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

Everyone can "handle" the truth, if they're allowed to hear it. What they do with it afterwards is a test of character for individuals, and ultimately the countries they live in. If the Russians can rid themselves of their greedy leaders, it should inspire the rest of us.

I suspect that retired colonel was being drip fed to the public to soften them up for hard truths to follow(very large drips but there is so much information being withheld it must be hard to control the flow now)

Edited May 17, 2022 by geordief

[StringJunky]

1 hour ago, geordief said:

I suspect that retired colonel was being drip fed to the public to soften them up for hard truths to follow(very large drips but there is so much information being withheld it must be hard to control the flow now)

The Russian military bloggers have apparently been moaning about the problems the army has been having and that it is so hard to get passed their own government's propaganda for reliable information.

[SergUpstart]

Joe Biden said that the United States is ready to defend Taiwan militarily.

And he is not afraid of the fact that China also has nuclear weapons