Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1581097439372537856?s=20&t=-cUZzhZIeSJ_z9...

[Joe Republic]

For some light entertainment, let's see what take our old friend Ben Garrison has on all this…





But of course.

[Hindsight was 2020]

For some light entertainment, let's see what take our old friend Ben Garrison has on all this…





But of course.

His Zelensky depiction is so antisemitic it’s uncomfortable

[Storr]

Russian MoD cracking down on the nationalist mil bloggers. Might have an effect on the reliability of war reporting, of which some Russian sources have been fairly OK with lately when it comes to Russian territorial losses, mostly because of how jaded and fed up they are with their incompetent military. That seems to be part of the problem here - Russia wants them to stop being realistic about the military's failings.

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1580984617783304192

https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1581116116599832576?s=20&t=-nRB7-E...

[Joe Republic]

For some light entertainment, let's see what take our old friend Ben Garrison has on all this…





But of course.

His Zelensky depiction is so antisemitic it’s uncomfortable

Get a load of his personification of the ADL.

[Alben Barkley]

https://twitter.com/cartoon_magoo/status/1579019279542149120?s=20&t=yjEcfuu1...

[Alben Barkley]

For some light entertainment, let's see what take our old friend Ben Garrison has on all this…





But of course.

1. Literal anti-American propaganda.

2. In what world is Putin the dove?

3. As already noted, the Zelenskyy caricature is grotesquely antisemitic.

4. Biden STILL looks badass!

[HillGoose]

Ben Garrison should move to some Axis of Evil commie country along with all the other goddamn hippie peaceniks

[DINGO Joe]

Russian MoD cracking down on the nationalist mil bloggers. Might have an effect on the reliability of war reporting, of which some Russian sources have been fairly OK with lately when it comes to Russian territorial losses, mostly because of how jaded and fed up they are with their incompetent military. That seems to be part of the problem here - Russia wants them to stop being realistic about the military's failings.

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1580984617783304192

The crackdown does suck, because they were fairly reliable, with biases, with their info.

[DINGO Joe]

When will Kherson fall be liberated?

FTFY

May be something going on in that direction right now.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

https://twitter.com/cartoon_magoo/status/1579019279542149120?s=20&t=yjEcfuu1...

The nineties pop culture reference screen name checks out.

[Woody]

https://twitter.com/DimitriASimes/status/1581026451507539968

[Middle-aged Europe]

For some light entertainment, let's see what take our old friend Ben Garrison has on all this…





But of course.

1. Literal anti-American propaganda.

2. In what world is Putin the dove?

3. As already noted, the Zelenskyy caricature is grotesquely antisemitic.

4. Biden STILL looks badass!

I seem to recall that warmonger Biden withdrew American troops from Afghanistan or something.

Putin's peace offers amount a bit to gaslighting Ukraine since it glosses over the fact that he recently annexed illegally occupied territory in a move that was condemned by three-quarters of the UN.

[Woody]

Ukraine trying it's hardest to beat the clock while RU mobilization keeps ticking.

https://twitter.com/Ukrainene/status/1581191691679080449

[jaichind]

Ukraine trying it's hardest to beat the clock while RU mobilization keeps ticking.
 

Given the Russian mobilization, Ukraine had two choices.  Using Chinese strategic terminology they would be 先發制人 "to gain the initiative by striking first" which would mean offensives to gain better defensive positions when the Russians attack or 後發制人 or "let the opponent show their plans then strick back to stop them" which would be to conserve forces and prepare a defense in depth and then shift resources to the sectors the Russian do attack.   Both these terms stem from the Spring and Fall period of Chinese history. 

It seems clear that Ukraine is going with 先發制人 "to gain the initiative by striking first".  If so going after Kherson would make sense since it could result in pushing the Russians East of the Dnieper to gain a superior defensive position.  It seems risky for Ukraine to try this since if it does not succeed then Ukraine would have wasted resources better spent on conserving a reserve defense force that can be shifted to the sector the Russians do launch attacks on in the Winter.

[Virginiá]

Ukraine trying it's hardest to beat the clock while RU mobilization keeps ticking.

https://twitter.com/Ukrainene/status/1581191691679080449

It's not just the mobiks, it is also the inevitable muddy bog of autumn. Trying to drive MRAPs and other heavy vehicles through that slurry is a dangerous affair, particularly in open geography. They were getting MRAPs stuck in the middle of summer, so I can't imagine what it will be like in November (or now, even).

At any rate, mobilizing randos from the street and sending them to the front line with literally days worth of training (if even that) may be idiotic in the long run, but an idiot with a gun is still an idiot with a gun, and it makes rapid breakthroughs like September's Kharkiv Rout less likely.

Also, over the long term, Ukraine can't rely on HIMARS quite as much as they used to. At least according to some Ukrainian officials as of a month ago, the Russians actually did start dispersing their ammunition caches better - usually along the front lines. So things are going to have to change up again.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD), minister responsible for the Chancellery, has compared domestic calls for providing Ukraine with Leopard 2 main battle tanks with the hopes the Nazis had put into the V2 as a "Wunderwaffe". Schmidt called it the "V2 syndrom of the Germans". His remarks were, so far, met with swift condemnation from the ranks of the CDU (including party chairman Merz) and the FDP.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD), minister responsible for the Chancellery, has compared domestic calls for providing Ukraine with Leopard 2 main battle tanks with the hopes the Nazis had put into the V2 as a "Wunderwaffe". Schmidt called it the "V2 syndrom of the Germans". His remarks were, so far, met with swift condemnation from the ranks of the CDU (including party chairman Merz) and the FDP.

What the hell is it with the SPD? I know this question keeps getting asked, but that is because it keeps being relevant.

[Virginiá]

Worth keeping in mind:

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1580969312281833479

[Hindsight was 2020]

Ukraine trying it's hardest to beat the clock while RU mobilization keeps ticking.

https://twitter.com/Ukrainene/status/1581191691679080449

It seriously boggles the mind how you can objectively look at Russia’s problems during this war and concluded that mobilization is some big game changer for them

[jaichind]

Morning Consulting index of Russian Consumer Sentiment falls from its peak in Aug but is still above pre-war levels.

[CumbrianLefty]

Ben Garrison should move to some Axis of Evil commie country along with all the other goddamn hippie peaceniks

He, and others like him, are not "peaceniks". They want a war where Russia actually wins.

[Storr]

Ukraine trying it's hardest to beat the clock while RU mobilization keeps ticking.

https://twitter.com/Ukrainene/status/1581191691679080449

Yesterday:

https://twitter.com/saintjavelin/status/1581015439940890624?s=20&t=bDr-EChqJ...

[Torie]

I can't find any other media outlet mentioning the 50K number. I mean that number of troops in one spot trying to break the Russian line is just stunning. The war commentary typically does not mention the number of Ukrainian troops waging war, but the Russian number in total that were actually involved in all theaters including providing logistical support was what, 300K at most?

If that 50K number is real, this is it. This is the big push, and it is being done with overwhelming force, as if this not succeeding - right now - is not an option.

But as I say, I can't find a recycling of that utterly stunning number elsewhere.

[citizenZ]

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1581198080191664128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7...

The comments are brutal. More money taken away from American taxpayers for a hopeless foreign war they have no investment in.