comment: >
  
  It’s written about several times a week, it seems, in the Eastern Ukraine news sources.
  Bc can get value of house back from government aid, but have to have papers as proof, and when home destroyed, how did papers even survive?  So there’s all these recommendations, bc there’s all this red tape and bureaucracy, bc even in war, there’s scammers.
context: New post can be found here >
  
  Excellent. >
  
  "putin's war" >
  
  Rusky mir >
  
  I mean, technically it did show how far Russia had come since the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1991. It turns out: not very far. >
  
  I would argue that it went quite a distance downhill... >
  
  I finally googled it:
  "BMP" stands for “Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty”, Russian for infantry fighting vehicle. >
  
  “Military and absolutist regimes are undoubtedly well fitted to get the jump on an unsuspecting or unprepared enemy; but the history of modern warfare proves that they cannot win over representative governments in the long run, provided that people behind those governments have the heart to sustain initial punishment, and both the will and the resources to fight back.” ~ Samuel Eliot Morison >
  
  Yep Morison is a great historian.
  There is a reason why Authoritarian governments always fail. The lies become a house of cards that is destined to fall.
  Also, authoritarian governments cannot manage a middle class.
  The middle class is what makes democracies strong. Not the rich. Not the poor. The middle class have the ability to make changes and the desire that make them. The rich don’t want change. The poor don’t have the ability.
  A country like Russia that does not have a middle class is always destined to fail.
  In Russia’s case this failure is going to be quite spectacular. 🍿 >
  
  Russia does have a middle class though >
  
  Not like in democracies.
  Russia has the greatest disparity of wealth in the word. In a country of 140 million people about 9000 people have over 90% of the assets.
  The middle class is virtually non-existent outside Moscow and PSB.
  Where I am from, Australia, we have the highest median wealth in the world - about $340k USD.
  I hate to think what Russia’s median wealth is.
  As a rough guess, it might be 2K USD, but I’m probably overestimating. >
  
  I checked and it's about 7k. I'm not sure how that's even possible, since I assume wealth should also include your home's value. >
  
  What would they defend? The conscripts they couldnt care less about?. >
  
  its for show so the people of moscow believe they are in danger so the coming mobilization go down a bit easier >
  
  If they are mobilizing in moscow then russia is truly done for. >
  
  It would be great way for russia to plant spies or instigators. Makes sense. >
  
  And anyone resolved to flee mobilization out of any sort of sense of consciousness would have already seen this coming and done so by now. The next wave are more likely to be people who've been drinking Putin's kool-aid up until the point where they have to participate. They'll likely continue drinking that kool-aid no matter where they end up.
  Not against vetting out the good people still caught up in that mix for whatever reason but that's a huge and largely untenable operation so as a blanket policy this is reasonable and expected. >
  
  White House: Here are 323.912 individual pieces of evidence as proof of your war crimes.
  Wagner: They must be fake. I saw 2 Ukrainians doing war crimes too. What about USA in Iraq? >
  
  Whatabout requires you admit to the accusation in the first place. >
  
  A lot of people miss this fact, and keep consuming “news” that includes whataboutism. >
  
  Whoa, lots of hardware today. Wonder where? >
  
  German Tank Megathread Day 33 >
  
  If I had a dollar everytime a German Tank gets mentioned lately, I could send the tanks myself >
  
  WHY ARE U NOT SENDING TANKS DO U HATE UKRAINE!?
  (/s) >
  
  They need to send at least two or Scholz will take refuge in the fact that he stipulated “Abrams tankS” (plural) >
  
  Send a dozen, who gives a fuck. The US has more than what they need/want. >
  
  Still no official word on the explosion yesterday in Berdyansk.
  However:
  
  . . . pro-Ukrainian locals inform us that the cause of yesterday's explosion was a strong ‘arrival’ at the base of Russian invaders.
  . . . a missile landed on the invaders in the RTS area.^1 There were supposedly enemy vehicles and soldiers here.
  The locals took a video from the scene, which shows a huge crater, apparently left after a missile hit.
  
  
  ^(^1) ^(RTS is an old Soviet or pre-soviet term, from the collective farming days, something like “Repairs & Technical Station,” but it would be a whole neighborhood, iirc.) >
  
  actual news:
  Italy will send the SAMP/T missile system to Ukraine, Italy's foreign minister says >
  
  
  technological superiority of Russian weapons
  
  If anyone had still any doubts they aren't trolling and bullshitting, that is your moneyquote. >
  
  Was reading up a bit on Wagner Group and what kind of loonies are members of it.
  There is the Rusich, a neo-nazi regiment of it, headed by some guy called Alexey Milchakov. From Wikipedia: Milchakov first came to public attention after he filmed himself torturing and decapitating a puppy in 2011, posting the footage online. A petition calling to hold him accountable was supported by more than 5500 people. At the same time animal rights activists addressed FC Zenit fans in order for them to give an assessment to Milchakov's actions. In his VK page he also called for killing of homeless people, puppies and children.
  And in their eyes, they are supposed to be the "defenders of common sense", fighters against "nazi Ukrainians" and the "sodomist and crazy West". Despicable. >
  
  You got to figure any killer for hire is going to be sick in the head. >
  
  So Russia tried to pull what Ukraine did in the Kharkiv offensive, which is to start a punishing offensive in one section of the country and then secretly launch a second one, taking advantage of all attention and resources being focused on the first one. 
  While Ukraine could pull it off by virtue of having more, better equipped soldiers on hand and whittling down the Russians to the point where they didn’t have enough troops to defend the whole line, Russia couldn’t. 
  Ukraine has a fair amount of well-trained and armed troops. Ukraine isn’t shuffling troops around and only able to focus on one location. Heck, Ukraine may even be able to pull off another Kharkiv offensive because again Russia can only make progress by pulling most of their resources to one small area and pushing. 
  Russia may have taken Soledar and be about to take Bakhmut, but it is at the expense of most of the troops they raised in the fall, putting Russia back into the same situation as they were in back in late August. If the ground cooperates, Ukraine could make significant progress quickly now that Russia has wasted its strength. This was Ukraine’s goal. Set up a place to bleed the Russia strength at minimal cost to their own. >
  
  Ukraine has the Eye of Sauron based in Northern Virginia. Little chance of such things working >
  
  I could listen/read these calls all day! >
  
  
  The USA will support the transfer of F-16 fighter jets by allies to Ukraine - the American ambassador to the OSCE. Michael Carpenter, confirmed that Washington will agree with the idea of partners to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
  
  I just noticed this from 4 hours ago on the live thread. Why isn't this today's main talking point? >
  
  anyway if Ukraine loses we will look silly with our jets and tanks doing nothing.
  Somehow either Russia win or someone steps up and says the joke is over now. >
  
  
  Somehow either Russia win
  
  I think I've got a better chance of winning the lottery. >
  
  I’m curious about the logistics of the mobilization.
  Why is it necessary to personally hand over a slip of paper? From various interviews, I gather that a man can indefinitely postpone his recruitment if he can somehow avoid the “ceremony” of personally receiving the paper. Why does that work? Doesn’t the government have a central register of men who have been selected? >
  
  Russia is a very  bureaucratic  country, like calling the war "special operation" makes what Putin could and couldn't do innl regards with recruits. >
  
  That’s precisely why I’d expect such simple draft-dodging to fail. The country where I was born has mandatory military service, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to avoid it — the whole state bureaucracy would grind to a halt for me. No driver’s license, no bank account, no passport, no job… ordinary city life would become impossible.
  The guy interviewed in this article is an extreme example, in that he moved out of the city… but he still retains his IT job. Presumably he is still getting paid? He is still paying for his Internet? He is transferring his salary to his wife, so she can buy food and pay for fuel?
  Why is the Russian state (which, as you say, is very bureaucratic) unable to intervene and lock him out of the system? >
  
  Many goats can breathe a sigh of relief on this day >
  
  Some goats were hurt in the process, may they graze the fields in peace in the afterlife. >
  
  There it is, they're back to their favorite crutch, nuking a western nation. It's the US this time; Germany and Britain take a breather. >
  
  "Gee, Vladimir, what do you wanna do tonight?"
  "The same thing we do every night, Sergei: threaten our enemies in the West!" >
  
  Sounds very promising! >
  
  One of the RF milbloggers posted a recruitment notice that UA used that highlights camaraderie and assistance between units, such as
  
  
  “Providing Starlink, battery and personal support for the duration of work, constant communication. Continual air monitoring, targeting of enemy positions, adjustment. Joint friendly dinners after a successful defeat. 
  
  
  among other details.
  The RF milblogger was totally envious!  
  He posted: 
  
  This is not even a discussion, but simply known that an exchange of views are key, how important horizontal communications are at the front between units. 
  The idea of ​​a quick chat where soldiers and officers can quickly solve problems, or ask neighboring units for ammunition or a drone—that is not a novel concept. Its just that it’s been fully implemented in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. [as in, widespread norm]
  Question—why does this work for our enemies, but to us, the ideas amount to things like, taking smartphones away or interfering with the volunteers, and even more so, vehicles for the military. 
  What's wrong here? Is it that the enemy is more focused on winning? In Ukraine, the generals think differently, and believe that everything that could conceivably aid in achieving victory shouldn’t be held back? What is our problem? We don't want to win? We do not know how to calmly integrate innovations or new ideas? Do we really want to listen to the instructions of general Sobolev all the time? 
  We are fighting a tenacious and intelligent adversary. Who thinks flexibly. It can only be defeated with the help of even more flexible and unexpected solutions. 
  And nothing else.
  
  The other RF milbloggers reposted, implying agreement >
  
  The problem is the Russian soldier can't see that Russia's exclusive and extractive mindset results in the way they act on the battlefield. 
  He highlights the inclusive and collabortive mindset of the Ukrainian soldier working for the common good but doesn't realise that the moment he and his fellow soldiers collaboratively adapt that mindset would mean they have ideologically and morally changed and as a result lack the desire to fight an enemy because they share the same values. 
  He is aware of the actions that make the Ukrainian superior but not their philosophical and moral underpinnings. >
  
  Exactly! >
  
  Medic, from Mariupol:
  
  
  “Life in the city was getting worse and worse every day,  ” recalls Dmitry Gavro. “There was not even the basics, like water. We were lucky that March was very snowy and cold. That saved many people. We collected snow and melted it: we could drink, wash ourselves off. There was a problem with food—the city simply ran out. And the stores were closed. There was nowhere to buy food. We [at the hospital] were helped by the Ukrainian military, who shared stew with us. We poured a can of stew into a pot of water from melted snow and it became little bowls of soup for us to eat.
  
  Do you remember the day when the Russians fired at the maternity hospital?
  
  Oh sure. It was the start of my shift. We did not know what was happening in the city, and suddenly, all of a sudden, a large number of crying pregnant women came to us at once—
  
  Wait, did those women go to the hospital on their own?
  
  Yes, some of the women from the bombed maternity hospital came to our hospital on foot. They were all in a terrible psychological state. They cried, they could not explain anything, not in any normal manner.  No one could understand from them what had happened, it was impossible. 
  Trying to speak with these women—who were now all suddenly in labor—it was difficult, but one of them seemed to have her wits about her, and only then did we learn that the Russians had fired at the maternity hospital. They were then told [by the nurses at the maternity hospital] that everyone who can walk should go on their own towards the regional hospital. It just was not realistic to transport all the wounded women from there. Later, heavier women, late in labor from the maternity hospital began to be brought to the hospital by transport.
  
  Do you know anything about the number of those who died as a result of the terrorist attack in the Mariupol maternity hospital?
  
  Hard to tell. There wasn’t anyone then that could sort through the rubble of the maternity hospital. It was very dangerous, because the shelling continued.
  
  Did you personally seen the woman in all the pictures, the blogger girl, who then unexpectedly moved to Russia and began to talk about the “atrocities of the Azov people”? Were you able to communicate with her?
  
  Yes, I saw her in person. She was in severe shock, she was constantly in a state of panic. We didn't talk to her about anything. And it is unlikely that she could then tell [what happened].
  
  
  Read the rest here >
  
  Wow!  So very brave! >
  
  "Riga - Latvia"? What it has to do with the rest of the story. Sorry I'm confused and article is paywalled. >
  
  Such bylines are common in US media, and indicate from where the reporter filed the report. >
  
  
  common in US media
  
  More like common in media all over the world. It's crazy to imagine that people don't know that. >
  
  Estimated Russian losses from 24.02.2022 to 22.01.2023 (Day 333):
  |Category              |Change*|Total     |
  |:---|:---|:---|
  |Personnel             |+600      |120760    |
  |Tanks                 |+5      |3145      |
  |APVs                  |+12     |6268      |
  |Artillery             |+9     |2144      |
  |MLRS                  |+2      |445       |
  |Anti-aircraft Systems |-      |220       |
  |Aircraft              |-      |287       |
  |Helicopters           |-      |277       |
  |UAVs                  |+1    |1892      |
  |Missiles              |-      |749       |
  |Warships / Boats      |-      |17        |
  |Other Vehicles        |+14      |4932      |
  |Special Equipment     |-      |193       |
  *Change since the previous day.
  Source: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine >
  
  It's surreal that 600 Russians killed feels like a slow day >
  
  With so many vehicles destroyed indicating intense fighting and a round number, it may be just an estimate, corrected for accuracy in upcoming days/weeks. >
  
  What Ukraine really needs is a shitload of airburst ammo. Russian army is pretty much down to large unsupported units of lightly armed personnel that Ukraine often spots well before they present a threat. 
  As good as UA artillery is, HE shells fuzed for impact are not ideal against human waves or dug in personnel. >
  
  Yes! anti-personal ammo is what is needed to stop the never ending human wave attacks and overcome the endless trenches. >
  
  What unsupplied weapon would have the greatest impact and make the difference? >
  
  F16s. They will appear unannounced, in significant quantity and establish air superiority. The endgame soon follows. >
  
  It’d be absolutely glorious to wake up one day and check the thread to find that the F-16s have been pounding the Russian nonstop for hours. >
  
  And send in the export request like had been said multiple times here. >
  
  indeed. no hiding anymore. poland needs to live up to its constant pushing and deliver. >
  
  Happy Unity Day Ukraine!
  It was 22 January 1990 when Ukrainians, still being a part of the Soviet Union, marked the 71st anniversary of the Unification act of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic and Ukrainian People’s Republic, the fledgling independent states that appeared after the fall of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. Unity was a dream of many generations of Ukrainians who throughout centuries were engulfed by different empires on their borders. >
  
  Credit to the UK still trying to push others forward, such a tough task. >
  
  Other nations: We won't send tanks alone!
  UK: Ok, then we will send some of ours!
  Other nations: Erm, well, you see... What we meant was we won't send tanks without this specific list of supporting nations and only after a stock take of available equipment, which for some reason we haven't done yet. >
  
  Yes he's there to hide(not in a fridge this time) from the endless and multiple allegations of corruption and sleaze that are engulfing him and the Conservative party at this time.
  There is only one reason Boris is in Ukraine and it's exclusively in his own interest (like everything else he's ever done). Meanwhile, his proximity to Russia and specifically Evgeny Lebedev (Son of a KGB officer) are still highly suspicious and yet to be investigated. 
  Boris was pictured in an airport in 2018 stumbling home having jettisoned his security detail for the entire night against advice, to stay at Evgeny Lebedev's castle in Italy. Something he was later forced to admit.
  MPs are also investigating Johnson’s 2020 award of a peerage to Evgeny Lebedev since allegations emerged that it was granted despite an assessment that it posed a national security risk.
  He made him a LORD. Why?
  Edit: Not to mention Boris was the architect of Brexit. Something that has deeply damaged the UK and that is slowly turning out to be the result of a Russian misinformation and influence campaign that the conservatives refused to investigate.
  Tell me again how Boris supports Ukraine.. >
  
  Ultimately Johnson DID play a genuine role in providing aid to and foreign diplomatic support to Ukraine.
  If the Ukrainians like him as much as I hear they do they can keep him, shuffle him off into a diplomatic position and keep him away from the UK. >
  
  
  The cat refuses to move to a new house.
  
  So pick it up, put it in a carrier, and take it to the new house... then keep it inside until it has adapted to its new surroundings... just as you would if you were moving house?? >
  
  Yeah that's the way. Very odd. >
  
  I didn't realise wartranslated have done a translation so I translated it too, I'll post my versoin anyway in case someone doesn't like reading from images:
  
  I was asked an interesting question:
  "What is the main reason why you think that a significant success of Russian troops in an offensive is currently impossible?"
  Here's my answer:
  Of the whole set of reasons that very seriously weaken the combat capability of the RF Armed Forces (not only on the offensive, but also on the defensive), I still believe the main one to be the moral factor. Most mobilized (and most regular) servicemen in the Russian Armed Forces have no motivation to make sacrifices in combat against the AFU, because the objectives of the war are not only not clearly communicated by the government, but not even officially stated. At the same time, the disciplinary measures available to the RF Armed Forces' command "under peacetime laws" are insufficient to make servicemen fear them more than death and injury from enemy fire.
  Accordingly, in such circumstances the following units have a chance of success in an offensive:
  - Volunteer units (of which there cannot be many);
  - Wagner mercenary units, which have their own "internal ideology" (typical of the Landsknecht) combined with the most brutal repressive discipline, which goes beyond even the wartime legislation of the Soviet era.
  Hence the conclusion: a full-fledged offensive against a stubborn enemy position with "elite" units can only be conducted by the military command in very limited and isolated areas. (For example - the direction to Soledar-Bahmut), where it is possible to conduct combat operations without involving forces other than the "Death's Head stormtroopers". (If you do not like this definition, please refer to the Wagner insignia).
  In all other sectors, a successful offensive is also (theoretically) possible, but only if one can achieve a numerical and (most importantly) mechanical superiority over the enemy, thus making it possible to suppress their will to resist, and to create in one's own troops a perception of their overwhelming superiority. However, when confronted with the most resilient and professional units of the enemy, even a large superiority is no guarantee of a major success.
  But what do we have? In general we have got "parity" in the number of troops (as a result of the autumn "half-assed mobilisation") and some advantage in some types of heavy equipment and artillery, but with an extreme lack of decent means of reconnaissance and communication (in which the enemy has a considerable advantage over our troops on the whole).
  That is why I believe that if our troops undertake a large-scale offensive on one or several sections of the front - if we combine insufficient numbers with low morale and a very weak disciplinary apparatus (not considering the "quality" of command in particular) - only an even worse condition of the enemy troops can save us from defeat. Faced with persistent and able enemy resistance, such an offensive will inevitably fade because of the command's inability to compel its forces to go into battle with the necessary degree of military valor. This, in turn, may allow the enemy (if they are able to retain sufficient reserves) to launch counterattacks and achieve success. Perhaps even of an operational and strategic nature.
  What should be done to change the situation? - I have spoken and written about that probably a 100 times already... since last March. Practically nothing has been done or is planned by the highest military and political authorities of the Russian Federation. Because the hope "for an agreement with partners" persists and "the rat does not feel cornered" (because it is delusional and is unable to objectively assess reality). >
  
  Off to bed - hope everyone's having a good weekend! >
  
  Thanks for continuing to update the live feed! >
  
  Mariupol:
  Russia’s demolition crews have so far demolished 50+ high-rise apartment buildings..  City plans (previously published by Medusa) shows that over 1,000 buildings are to be demolished. 
  So far, multiple residential blocks have been demolished, in the Livoberezhny District (“Left Bank” of Kalmius River) video here
  And at least two new, pristine-but-cheap blocks of new apartments have been built.  Photo here.  Of course, the building are not given to those whose homes Russia demolished (although 200 Mariupol residents who’d met requirements, including accepted Russian passport, have received).  They’re inhabited by Russians or stand empty, presumably, to be sold for profit later.
  Note: one article includes reactions of Mariupol readers to the news Russia has built multiple new buildings—it’s all over the place regarding reactions—some say good, it reparations; others say they’ll be torn down when UA returns, either because not up to code, or out of protest, or because no one will want to live in enemy’s building; others outraged bc built on bones and to hide war crimes; others say that although despicable, it’s cold and people need housing—see channel for more. >
  
  The property rights issues if where you live is destroyed in war and the occupiers build a different building on the site must be a nightmare. I mean, mild concerns compared to the other problems, but intellectually interesting.