Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1549465609896923137

The Ukrainian Air Force claims it was a Russian Su-35 they shot down with AA missiles:

https://twitter.com/KpsZSU/status/1549490183187447808?s=20&t=q_foTgB7m5r0jZW...

[Storr]

Lazurne is quite far from the front lines, 69km from the nearest town under Ukrainian control Oleksandrivka, Kherson Oblast.

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1549470246259548162?s=20&t=sw-dnl...

[Person Man]

The biolabs talking points have returned: https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-says-losing-because-ukraine-104546288.html

Duma MPs have released a report claiming Ukrainian soldiers were subjected to secret experiments in which they were infected with diseases such as tuberculosis and gangrene, then given American drugs, so that they could lose independent consciousness and become hyper-aggressive.

To its credit, the Kommersant article cites a Russian scientist who  is brave enough to claim it’s exaggerated, but the MPs go onto suggest the US could be behind bird flu, swine flu, coronavirus and monkeypox.

HUNTER BIDEN'S BIOLABS ARE CREATING UKRAINIAN SUPER-SOLDIERS

Since they are on “the same side “, I am quite disappointed they weren’t able to work in abortion clinics in someway. They are lazy, so what do you expect?

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1549446109365411845?s=20&t=RieIM-P...

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

The biolabs talking points have returned: https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-says-losing-because-ukraine-104546288.html

Duma MPs have released a report claiming Ukrainian soldiers were subjected to secret experiments in which they were infected with diseases such as tuberculosis and gangrene, then given American drugs, so that they could lose independent consciousness and become hyper-aggressive.

To its credit, the Kommersant article cites a Russian scientist who  is brave enough to claim it’s exaggerated, but the MPs go onto suggest the US could be behind bird flu, swine flu, coronavirus and monkeypox.

That is as credible as the KGB rumor that the CIA created AIDS in a lab in the 1980s.

[Meclazine for Israel]

I can understand Iran, but I would not have expected Turkey as an allie of Russia

[rc18]

I can understand Iran, but I would not have expected Turkey as an allie of Russia

You mean the Turkey that ruined its relationship with the US by buying a Russian S-400 SAM system?

Turkey plays both sides to try and strong-arm concessions from either.

[Woody]

Lavrov says Russia's aims in Ukraine now go beyond Donbas:

LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow's military "tasks" in Ukraine now went beyond the eastern Donbas region, in the clearest acknowledgment yet that its war goals have expanded in the past five months.

"Now the geography is different, it's far from being just the DPR and LPR, it's also Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and a number of other territories," he said, referring to territories well beyond the Donbas that Russian forces have wholly or partly seized.

"This process is continuing logically and persistently," he said, adding that Russia might need to push even deeper.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/lavrov-says-russias-objectives-ukraine-now-go-beyond-donbas-2022-07-20/

https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1549711941299470336
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1549710327859892224

[CumbrianLefty]

Good luck with that, given the losses they are taking.

[Person Man]

Good luck with that, given the losses they are taking.

Maybe they are OK with it even though they will lose probably another 40,000 men taking half of Ukraine and another 20,000 occupying it. That’s basically like 15% of their entire army and if account those who didn’t die but are now disabled, you are probably talking about a third of their army. Maybe they know what they are doing but this is really stupid. What the hell do I know, though?

[CumbrianLefty]

There are also the material losses HIMARS and the like are now inflicting.

[Sir Mohamed]

Good luck with that, given the losses they are taking.

Maybe they are OK with it even though they will lose probably another 40,000 men taking half of Ukraine and another 20,000 occupying it. That’s basically like 15% of their entire army and if account those who didn’t die but are now disabled, you are probably talking about a third of their army. Maybe they know what they are doing but this is really stupid. What the hell do I know, though?

Putler doesn't care as long as he gets something he wants. Unlike democratically elected leaders with a free press at home, he has little to fear even with such losses. For him it's still a net gain rather than going out with practically nothing accomplished at all.

I'm sure the original Russian plan was to take over all of Ukraine; now since it didn't work, the plan has seemingly changed to annex wide parts of the east and the south, to cut off the remainder of Ukraine from the Black Sea.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Actual footage from Ukrainian biolabs:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngdsRt31sIc

[Person Man]

Good luck with that, given the losses they are taking.

Maybe they are OK with it even though they will lose probably another 40,000 men taking half of Ukraine and another 20,000 occupying it. That’s basically like 15% of their entire army and if account those who didn’t die but are now disabled, you are probably talking about a third of their army. Maybe they know what they are doing but this is really stupid. What the hell do I know, though?

Putler doesn't care as long as he gets something he wants. Unlike democratically elected leaders with a free press at home, he has little to fear even with such losses. For him it's still a net gain rather than going out with practically nothing accomplished at all.

I'm sure the original Russian plan was to take over all of Ukraine; now since it didn't work, the plan has seemingly changed to annex wide parts of the east and the south, to cut off the remainder of Ukraine from the Black Sea.

Whatever happens, Russia can't take Odessa.

[jaichind]

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-energy-deal/31950165.html

"Gazprom, Iran Sign Tentative Energy Deal Worth $40 Billion"

It seems Russia will help Iran develop its natural gas reserves with the implied goal of
a) Russian gas -> PRC
b) Iranian gas -> India

I think the Russian plans for building pipes with taking this into account and focus on more pipe expansion to PRC while Iran will prioritize building pipes to India.

[The Dowager Mod]

BRRRRRRRRT!!
https://twitter.com/haynesdeborah/status/1549860094774493184

[bilaps]

Good luck with that, given the losses they are taking.

Somebody needs refreshing their WW2 lessons.

[bilaps]

Ukrainians are now targeting Energodar nuclear plant with drones. Imagine if it would be other way around.

[Person Man]

Good luck with that, given the losses they are taking.

Somebody needs refreshing their WW2 lessons.

That was 80 years ago.

[YPestis25]

Lol is Bilaps just explicitly rooting for Russia?

[NYDem]

Lol is Bilaps just explicitly rooting for Russia?

No, he "dislikes both sides" and is just "calling out Western hypocrisy" and adding a dose of "realism" to the thread.

In all seriousness: Yes, he is.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

BRRRRRRRRT!!
https://twitter.com/haynesdeborah/status/1549860094774493184

It would probably be the least useful donor jet for reasons gone into elsewhere, but the US Air Force has been looking for any excuse to get rid of them. The A-10 close support planes are an interesting example of MIC grift; they’ve been known to be a waste of money for decades by the Air Force, but the Army lobbies to have the Air Force keep them anyway because it means part of the Air Force’s budget goes exclusively (but inefficiently) to helping the Army. They are helped in this expensive act of trolling by Congresscritters who ignore evidence when lobbyists deploy the “Brrrt!” card.

[DINGO Joe]

Good luck with that, given the losses they are taking.

Somebody needs refreshing their WW2 lessons.

That was 80 years ago.

It's a good lesson as Russia outlasted the Nazis thanks to lend-lease and the US just outright giving them military equipment.  It's just this time the Russians are the Nazis and guess who is the beneficiary of lend-lease.  Ukraine will ultimately blow up 6 decades of Rascist military equipment.

[DINGO Joe]

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-energy-deal/31950165.html

"Gazprom, Iran Sign Tentative Energy Deal Worth $40 Billion"

It seems Russia will help Iran develop its natural gas reserves with the implied goal of
a) Russian gas -> PRC
b) Iranian gas -> India

I think the Russian plans for building pipes with taking this into account and focus on more pipe expansion to PRC while Iran will prioritize building pipes to India.

Given that Russia can't even restore Nord Stream without a Canadian part I wouldn't hold my breath on this one. 

[DINGO Joe]

Lazurne is quite far from the front lines, 69km from the nearest town under Ukrainian control Oleksandrivka, Kherson Oblast.

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1549470246259548162?s=20&t=sw-dnl...

This was a very rare valuable piece of equipment they took out.  The kind of thing Russia can't build now.