Europe under extreme duress

[nittany03]

Technically....it isn't. The generally accepted, and DoD, definition is that missiles are powered by rocket or jet engines. Ain't technically a drone either but at least the kamikaze part isn't inaccurate?

OK, I guess I now have to proceed to the penalty box for staff officers who've committed a doctrine foul.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

I'm honestly surprised Putin has swallowed enough pride to agree to purchase weapons from another nation.. especially a third world one.

There's no such thing like pride in KGB-related people. Look, they view themselves as servants. This time - servants to one thing, power. Kinda full circle: power serving power. No ideas and mind, no other purposes, just constant show of power. That's all.

 

[ChuckMK23]

There's no such thing like pride in KGB-related people. Look, they view themselves as servants. This time - servants to one thing, power. Kinda full circle: power serving power. No ideas and mind, no other purposes, just constant show of power. That's all.

Serious question - is Putin making attempts to target Zelenskyy personally?

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Rumors were circling that during the first hours of invasion several attempts had been made by russian SOF to do that. And since all failed, that was the first hint that there's no job russian military and even special forces can cope with properly

 

[sevenhelmet]

Rumors were circling that during the first hours of invasion several attempts had been made by russian SOF to do that. And since all failed, that was the first hint that there's no job russian military and even special forces can cope with properly

I don’t know, they seem to be pretty good at taking our their own prominent businessmen.

 

[Mos]

SU-25 ejection. This looks might unpleasant. Seemed like he was leaning left in the seat just before he pulled the handle.

 

[Gatordev]

I wonder what the Russian SAR plan is. I don't speak Russian, but from that video, it looks like it mostly consists of your buddy orbiting until he runs out of gas and then coming up with a new plan.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

No Sandy missions this war on russian side. All comms are eavesdropping 24//7 and Ukranian hunters/killers would be there much sooner. No reasonable sense in this conversation, pilot is in shock and speaks Russian but with heavy Ukranian accent. If he is former UA air force pilot who changed side in Crimea 2014, for him it is much better to switch the radio off for he is not the person to be a prisoner of war. No mercy for renegades.

 

[Random8145]

Serious question - is Putin making attempts to target Zelenskyy personally?

There was that Chechen force of elite (and apparently very violent) troops sent to assassinate Zelensky, but Ukrainian forces slaughtered them.

 

[nittany03]

On the anniversary of the day the last Nazi forces were forced from their land, President Zelensky hits another speech out of the park . . . standing beside a shot-down drone in blacked-out Kyiv. YouTube has English CCs.

The Ukrainian IO game continues to be beyond on point, and some of the speeches he's made since this war kicked off are going to be studied for generations to come in courses on rhetoric and PR.

 

[Flash]

What damage, regarding Russia, did the previous administration do to our foreign policy?

Well, where to begin? The three things that I think were most damaging were:

- The constant public criticism of NATO, NATO Allies along with several proposed actions that undermined the alliance. There is a time and place to critique one's allies to try and get them to do more, and several previous Presidents did so, but sudden and unexpected pronouncements and criticisms via tweet probably ain't the way to do that. Coupled with some fundamental misunderstandings by the President of how NATO functioned it was not a happy time for the alliance.

- Blocking funding to Ukraine for domestic partisan political reasons. Not only did it lead to his first impeachment but it also undermined Ukraine at a critical time. That and subsequent funding has proven critical to Ukraine's survival as a country.

- The President's open admiration and even defense at times of Putin, going so far as to publicly proclaim that he believed him over his own national security and law enforcement agencies in a joint press conference. The difference in his treatment of Putin versus some of our closest allied leaders was stark, undermining personal relations between allied leaders in a pretty critical time in recent history. I would hazard to say that history has proven that Putin is not a man to be trusted, admired or emulated in any fashion.

 

[Flash]

Apparently a Russian Su-27 “released a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint beyond visual range” in late September over the Black Sea.

 

[Brett327]

Very odd wording... "released" Presumably it wasn't fired, or they would have said so.

 

[MIDNJAC]

OK, I guess I now have to proceed to the penalty box for staff officers who've committed a doctrine foul.

I think we can reduce that to a lesser charge of “terminology foul” if you plead guilty. Probably a supervised release and community service only.

 

[hlg6016]

Very odd wording... "released" Presumably it wasn't fired, or they would have said so.

Given the level of competence they have shown lately I would not be surprised if it had just fallen off the pylon.