>

One of the rare cases where if it launches in a shit state I won't complain because its impressive its heading towards launch still at all
New post can be found here >

Wow, she sure stopped being intimidated. Early in the war she was practically neutral. >

She likely got some quiet security assurances. >

5 measly drones. Ladies and gentlemen, the second army of the world. >

They’re not even the second best army in Ukraine at this point! >

4th best, next to foreign legion and ant pile # 3. >

And grandma and her jar of pickles. 100% efficiency. >

690 today. Still higher than average. Some pretty heavy fighting these last few days >

I feel like 8 tanks is the most I’ve seen in awhile. >

They seem to be keeping the tanks further back and using them as artillery instead of pushing forward and using them for assaults.  Because those assaults seem to end up with a lot of scrap metal for their efforts.  Praise be, Saint Javelin. >

So what does this mean in both the short and long term? >

Fewer, less frequent Russian missiles.
Then, even fewer less frequent Russian missiles. >

I can never get over the sheer number of far-right trolls and putin shills that exists on Twitter.  What a cesspool of humanity. >

Organized agenda-pushing + useful idiots. >

latest Kraken video is a really good NSFW >

That's one of the most gripping videos I've seen this war. I hope we see and end to these sooner rather than later. >

In several articles I've read that Ukraine won't even tell its friends and partners what they are planning. This has frustrated people that just want to help, but things like this shows why it is necessary. >

A lot of Ukrainians in the east moved to Kyiv >

Yeah when I visited in 2015 my taxi driver said there were avlot of refugees from Donbas/Luhansk even then. >

It was speculated waaaaay back (Late February) that it was a potential reason why the ground forces of the invaders didn't seem to have any air support.

Another potential explanation is that the VKS are not confident in their capacity to safely deconflict large-scale sorties with the activity of Russian ground-based SAMs operated by the Ground Forces. Friendly-fire incidents by ground-based SAM units have been a problem for Western and Russian air forces alike in multiple conflicts since 1990. Running joint engagement zones in which combat aircraft and SAM systems can engage enemy forces simultaneously in a complex environment without friendly-fire incidents is hard; it requires close inter-service cooperation, excellent communications and regular training to master. So far, Russian forces have shown extremely poor coordination across the board, from basic logistics tasks, to coordination of airborne assaults with ground forces activity and arranging air defence cover for columns on the move. In this context, it might be the case that the decision was made to leave the task of denying the UkrAF the ability to operate to the ground-based SAM systems, with the explicit understanding that this would be instead of large-scale VKS air operations. However, once again, this is not a sufficient explanation in itself, since given the limited fighter and SAM assets available to Ukrainian forces at this stage, the VKS could still have conducted large-scale sorties against key targets at pre-arranged times, during which Russian SAMs could be instructed to hold their fire. >

How the fuck do they not have effective IFF in 2021?
The last time the US shot down their own place looks like it might be 1991, and they've fought actual wars since, albeit one sided.
It's insane that even corrupt Russia has their shit this out of order, particularly because this is the kind of shit that foreign buyers expect to work. >

Patriots shot down a couple coalition fighters in 2003 >

You have to be special kind of dumb to have the option to hold the opinion to pull the fuck back before your country is in ruins, and you still decide to want to escalate instead. >

It is just positioning over the aftermath. If Putin survives then the escalation group are the pro-Putin faction that will inherit the post Ukraine order. If Putin falls the pragmatists will probably do so.
The fact factions like this are even emerging implies Putin has already lost. >

We got 100k soidiers, 3k tanks, 6k combat vehicles and 2k artillery systems. The stars aligned (but not for the russians obviously) >

Honestly, even if Russia wins I don't know how they can recover from this. Here is hoping Russia gives up and goes home. >

When Russians hear the word Nazi they don't think "the guys that killed Jews". To Russians, Nazis are the guys that killed Russians, whom Russia then single-handedly defeated and saved the world.
Not just in 2022 but in any year since 1941 you would not have to look very far for Russians who agreed with Hitler's antisemitism. >

Stalin's secret police murdered most of my mom's family for being educated Jews. >

I dont believe mobilization ever ended. Russia has no rules; only the whims of a dictator. Closing the borders, and ramping up martial law (the country is already under a de-facto martial law) however, would be a new step in their descent into madness. >

The active manhunt did die down, it was obvious from many local reports. The actual mobilization will of course continue until the war is over, one way or another. >

Only blown up so that NATO analysts don't discover that the tail rotor is pedal-powered, and, you know, all the illegally imported western parts. >


that the tail rotor is pedal-powered

Wait, does it have a tail rotor? Usually dual overhead rotor helicopters don't have a tail rotor. >

Will they hurry the fuck up? >

They're rapidly accelerating. Out of high windows. >

Let's hope they lose it all since even having  1 billion will see you and your next 5 generations of families live in absolute 0.1% level of luxury >

He did exactly 0 push ups. >

he kinda did one when he got up... >

Seems like a very minor fire. Possibly an actual case of careless smoking. >

Looks like Russia once again closed the airspace over most of the regions bordering Ukraine. All flights from and to Anapa, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov-on-Don, Simferopol and Elista have been cancelled until January 8.
This would be the 50th time the airspace was closed since the war started. However this one has no official announcement, apparently because someone "up above" directed Rosaviya to just cancel flights without making it public because "such announcements serve little public purpose, and passengers can be better notified directly" >

Likely to do with them shooting down their own aircraft and missiles yesterday. Source: "Reporting in Ukraine" video from yesterday. >

Glad it's official. >

Here's a quick summary so anyone can understand. It's not a high tech weapon, it's actually the lowest tech weapon you can make. And it has a range of 150km. 
They take an air dropped bomb that has GPS guidance. They strap that bomb to a rocket. They put the whole thing in a HIMARS compatible pod. 6 of these missiles fit in the pod. >

That strap-on's gonna hurt. >

I hve started creating a map of trenches in Donetsk before 24 February (they are visible on Google Maps Satellite View). After an hour - holy shit it’s exhausting. There are entire towns filled with trenches. Basically all of the streets are now trenches.
I can’t identify if they belong to Ukraine or to “dnr”, so I mark them the same colour.
I will probably share it when I will have more progress. >

"Ukrainians drove right over our trenches in Izium and Kharkiv and Kherson, but they work so well for the Ukrainians in Bakhmut maybe we just need more trenches! Also, Guderian who?" >


and replaces Colonel General Sergei Kuzovlev

This was the dude who said that bombing the shit out of Ukraine will bring victory? >

No, That's Surovikin, who is the boss of the whole thing.  This new guy just one segment. >

Ahh crap. So the bombings will continue until morale improves. >

I think of things like this whenever I catch myself feeling sympathy for the mobiks. Every Russian KIA is a small step towards defeating evil. >

Previous post
Day 310 of my updates from Kharkiv.
Today was a relatively quiet day, there were no missile strikes, but Russians continued to launch a bunch of Shaheds at us throughout the night, and I’m pretty sure all of them were intercepted, there were no confirmed hits by them anywhere. There are also reports that about 40 Shaheds are headed to us from Rostov right now, and they are expected to reach us in half an hour, they just can’t stop using those drones it seems. They also continue to shell towns/villages close to the border every day. Today, sadly, they killed 2 civilians and injured 2 more in a village that is over 20km away from the border in Kharkiv oblast.
Our energy companies announced that despite the yesterday’s missile strike on our energy infrastructure, the energy deficit did not increase, which is pretty amazing considering that 10 energy infrastructure facilities were hit. That means that our air defense did a great job yesterday, the damage that Russians managed to inflict was relatively small, some cities are still recovering, but at the same time Kyiv is back to the regular scheduled blackouts instead of emergency ones, and it had a lot of problems with electricity lately.
Funny thing, yesterday when Russians were firing their missiles at us, one of their main news agencies “Ria Novosti” was posting “news” about Peruvian shamans predicting that the war will end by August of 2023. Ah yes, the “Peruvian shamans” a very reliable source of information and predictions. Do they use those shamans to predict how the war will go and alter their strategy based on their predictions too? 
It’s wild how their main official channels seriously talk about stuff like shamans and astrology, they also love psychics and mediums as well, and it’s not something new either, they were talking about the exact same stuff 15+ years ago, I remember seeing it on TV all the time. It was already weird to see back then, and it’s even weirder now, because now it seems like they truly believe in it, it doesn’t seem like they are doing it for entertainment anymore. >


now it seems like they truly believe in it

They have nothing else to believe in. Everything is a lie there. Or can change in a minute if it doesn't suit the higher ups. >

just type a random date and set the year to like 1950 or something? works for me >

Lying on the internet? You can do that?! >

i know right, the police wont even arrest you for saying you're 65 years old on a random site when you're actually 30! it's amazing! >

A Russian opposition site got the media primer sent to all the Russian propagandists from Putin's administration. Key 2022 results they are ordered to highlight:


Putin made the "only possible correct decision in order to prevent an imminent NATO attack on Russia"


NATO and Ukraine started planning "an attack and enslavement of Russians" in 2014


The special military operation is a bonafide success because it prevented that attack.


Russia now has new regions and more new land than Crimea, Slovakia, Croatia, or Denmark!


Propagandists must remember that Russia is not fighting Ukraine but rather NATO, and must refer to Ukrainians as little as possible


"We're not looking for quick victories, and time is on Russias side". Ukraine has bogged down and NATO support is waning, with increasingly fewer supplies going to Ukraine.


Propagandists are to reinforce the "hardening" of Russians around Putin and back it up with opinion polls.


Russia is now the leader of the anti-West block that champions a "fair, democratic, multi-polar world".


Putin is giving Europe one last chance to come to their senses, and realize they're mere puppets, and that the only future they have is in "close cooperation with Russia" >


Propagandists must remember that Russia is not fighting Ukraine but rather NATO, and must refer to Ukrainians as little as possible

ruZZia losses: 105 000 and counting
NATO losses: hasn't arrived yet >

NATO losses = warehouse space >


additional warehouse space >

Basically hoping the idea of looting Ukraine would be enough incentive to get people to willingly go. >

The promise of loot has inspired armies for millennia. No reason for Putin to stop now. >

Instead of random searches and even rarer x-rays, every single car is being searched and scanned by an x-ray device. >

Was the last dude the one who was just going to launch missiles all the time? I can't remember. >

That's Surovikin, he commands entire "smo" >

Putin won't come to that conclusion, this *might* end when Putin is gone >

That Brit has a name and it's Viktor. RIP.
Edit: Royally messed up typo lol >

Agreed, RIP Victor. >

i always feel like a dumb American when everyone can speak such good English around the world. >

Unfortunately, most Americans have no need for a second language.  English is the de facto international language of the world.  Most Americans are not going to encounter jobs where a non-English language is a requirement.  Also, most of us will likely never travel to a location where a second language is needed.  There are some areas in the Southwest US where Spanish is common; but, even in those areas, English still tends to be spoken by enough people that someone coming from elsewhere in the US is unlikely to have too much difficulty getting along without speaking Spanish.  And international travel is a fairly large undertaking for most US residents.  With one of the common international destinations, Canada, also being predominantly English speaking.  So, at best, Americans may learn a second language in High School (which is way too late).  And, unless they make a very concerted effort to keep up their fluency, it's gone a few years later.  With no reason or place to practice much, it atrophies.  
Contrast this to residents in many European countries.  Because of the size and reach of the US Economy, it's much more possible for a resident of Europe to encounter an English language requirement for a job (especially in poorer countries).  When traveling, the residents of most European countries have a much shorter distance to go before entering a country with a different language and such international travel is more common.  Schools in many European countries also do a much better job of introducing students to a second language early (you will learn languages better if you become multi-lingual very early).  And those students are more likely to have reasons and opportunities to practice and maintain those non-native languages.  
The whole situation pushes Americans away from multi-lingualism, while also pushing non-native English speakers to learn English.  I do wish we tried harder to introduce children to it; but, I suspect it still wouldn't stick.  Even when immigrants come to the US, they often lose their ancestral language within a couple generations.  It takes effort to keep up and only takes one generation being "lazy" about it to lose it. >

"Hmmm. Must have been the wind." >

I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took a grenade shrapnel in the knee.. >

Probably more scared of assassination than Covid at this point. >

God I hope Ukraine can make serious moves on Svatove before Russia reinforces the area too much. All this warm weather really sucks, too. >

On the other side, warm weather helps greatly with weathering the attacks on infrastructure (above zero C means that the heating systems won't freeze without hot heat-transfer fluid from a boiler and/or electricity for pumps) and frankly that's what is more important right now - evacuating big cities due to dead heating systems would be a nightmare >

Russia is using Murphy's Law against us!  They were banking on a cold winter to weaken Western support and instead they got a warm wet one which will stall Ukraine's advance >

Putin trying to kill those 15 year old girl nazis. >

Bloomberg analyst calling Bradleys "in effect, light tanks" has really riled up the tank fandom. >

...tank fandom? >

Oh indeed. That's a thing. Big time. >

I’m imagining subreddits like /r/TankPorn (which exists) as well as things like /r/tanksfuckingrussians (which does not exist but should). 
Maybe a tank feet subreddit dedicated to treads. Can’t think of a clever name for it though. >


Maybe a tank feet subreddit dedicated to treads. Can’t think of a clever name for it though. 

/r/treadpilled >

My hero!