Russia has invaded Ukraine

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

Musing : even if Russia have to withdraw they could make such a mess of Ukraine that the latter can't farm effectively for a season giving Russia a big market for wheat and other products that the world "needs". Even if we don't like it we may have to lump it and pay Russia's price.

By their actions in the Black Sea they're preventing Ukranian exports so are wounding the economy that way; they don't need intervene in the farms. This is a good thread about the situation: https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/sta...33244872413184

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

By their actions in the Black Sea they're preventing Ukranian exports so are wounding the economy that way; they don't need intervene in the farms. This is a good thread about the situation: https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/sta...33244872413184

Longer range anti ship missiles are on the way to Ukraine which could end the blockade. I believe exports are being routed via Poland currently but at a reduced rate.

Also

Rumours are swirling in Moscow that former generals / KGB officials are preparing to oust Russia’s president Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, which is increasingly seen across Russia as a strategic mistake / an economic disaster.

https://www.cityam.com/kremlin-on-hi...d-ukraine-war/

---------- Post added at 14:40 ---------- Previous post was at 14:25 ----------

Breaking: State Border Service: Ukraine ready if Belarus joins Russia's war.

Belarus said it has begun large-scale drills on May 4 to test its combat readiness, while local residents reported spotting columns of military vehicles moving in the direction of Ukraine and Lithuania.

Kyiv Independent

---------- Post added at 14:59 ---------- Previous post was at 14:40 ----------

Breaking: Russian troops storming Azovstal in Mariupol for the second day breached the factory. Heavy fighting is taking place.

More details to follow. Contact with our men has been lost.

BREAKING: U.S. believes that Russia's top military general Valery Gerasimov visited Ukraine on a fact-finding and oversight mission over the weekend: senior U.S. defense official. - Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy.

---------- Post added at 17:04 ---------- Previous post was at 17:00 ----------

Bulgaria will be repairing Ukrainian defense equipment.

Bulgaria parliament passed a package that includes humanitarian, financial and military aid to Ukraine. While the country won't provide arms to Ukraine, it agreed to help by repairing Ukraine's military equipment. - Kyiv Independent.

---------- Post added at 17:06 ---------- Previous post was at 17:04 ----------

Kremlin spokesman: War declaration on May 9 'nonsense.'

Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports that Russia could officially declare war against Ukraine and start a national mobilization on May 9, when Russia celebrates the Soviet Union's victory in World War II. - Kyiv Independent

---------- Post added at 17:09 ---------- Previous post was at 17:06 ----------

BREAKING: Austrian minister: No fast-track EU procedure for Ukraine.

Austria’s EU and Constitutional Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler said Ukraine’s accession to the EU cannot be achieved "in the next five to ten years," according to Euractiv. - Kyiv Independent.

[pip08456]

Ukraine innovation to help improve air defense.



https://itcluster.lviv.ua/en/lviv-cl...-command-west/

[pip08456]

UPDATE: Ex-British Army armoured ambulances, refurbished by Britain's leading emergency vehicle manufacturer @VenariUK on a not-for-profit basis at its factories in Yorkshire, have arrived in Ukraine.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by pip08456

UPDATE: Ex-British Army armoured ambulances, refurbished by Britain's leading emergency vehicle manufacturer @VenariUK on a not-for-profit basis at its factories in Yorkshire, have arrived in Ukraine.

Based not far from me in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.

[pip08456]

BREAKING: The Russian assault on Azovstal in Mariupol has failed.

Contact re-established.

---------- Post added at 19:19 ---------- Previous post was at 18:56 ----------

Bulgaria will be repairing Ukrainian defense equipment.

Bulgaria parliament passed a package that includes humanitarian, financial and military aid to Ukraine. While the country won't provide arms to Ukraine, it agreed to help by repairing Ukraine's military equipment.

[tweetiepooh]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

By their actions in the Black Sea they're preventing Ukranian exports so are wounding the economy that way; they don't need intervene in the farms. This is a good thread about the situation: https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/sta...33244872413184

They don't need to "invade" farms but could make the land/crops unusable. In ancient days they'd salt the ground and sew rocks. Could they engineer "an accident"?

[pip08456]

Breaking: Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet is reportedly on fire near Zmiiny island in Black Sea. Rescue operation ongoing, multiple aircraft, rescue vessels in the area.

Meanwhile.

Troops sent into Ukraine to back up Russian forces say they had no choice but to leave because Russian military was in shambles and “they deceived us at every step.”

Soldiers from the breakaway state of South Ossetia—speaking to South Ossetian leader Anatoly Bibilov at a meeting publicized by the independent news outlet MediaZona—rattled off a list of complaints about faulty equipment, lack of leadership and intel, and brainless tactics.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...AWUrxW?ocid=st

and

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: OK, back at it here as Senior Defense Official. On the operational side we still assess that Russian progress on the ground remains slow and uneven in the northern joint force operation area with Russian forces appearing to really sort of orient themselves around Lyman, L-Y-M-A-N, Lyman, which is as I think you all know just a wee bit southeast of Izyum, but that seems to be where they're starting to orient themselves.

As they continue to try to move south and southeast, they are continuing to meet with greater concentrations of Ukrainian forces and a stiffer resistance, so they still remained stalled in general. Again, I would say progress is very slow and uneven. They are stalled in terms of their overall momentum in the north.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcr...ound-briefing/

Originally Posted by pip08456

Breaking: Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet is reportedly on fire near Zmiiny island in Black Sea. Rescue operation ongoing, multiple aircraft, rescue vessels in the area.

Now getting more widespread coverage as rumour hardens into verifiable facts

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2073007.html

Honestly, Russians shouldn’t play with matches, the amount of their stuff that mysteriously catches fire and explodes is ridiculous.

British Intelligence Update:

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Chris

Now getting more widespread coverage as rumour hardens into verifiable facts

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2073007.html

Honestly, Russians shouldn’t play with matches, the amount of their stuff that mysteriously catches fire and explodes is ridiculous.

Any "Breaking" news posted by me or anyone else should be subject to confirmation. Good to see not one has been proved wrong though. (in regards to the situation in Ukraine).

Putin’s victory day speech has passed without him declaring war on anyone. Though the most notable thing might be the cancellation of the air show. They blamed poor weather, though observers say that’s hard to believe. I wonder if Putin feared an attack of some sort, or whether he simply no longer has enough operational jets to spare.

---------- Post added at 09:59 ---------- Previous post was at 09:19 ----------

Russian EPGs have been hacked this morning. Programme descriptions on all channels were changed to read “On your hands is the blood of thousands of Ukrainians and their hundreds of murdered children. TV and the authorities are lying. No to war”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/worl...ost_type=share

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Chris

Putin’s victory day speech has passed without him declaring war on anyone. Though the most notable thing might be the cancellation of the air show. They blamed poor weather, though observers say that’s hard to believe. I wonder if Putin feared an attack of some sort, or whether he simply no longer has enough operational jets to spare.

Light rain and gentle showers in Moscow at the moment.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/524901

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Light rain and gentle showers in Moscow at the moment.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/524901

Indeed - better than this time last year, when the fly-past went ahead as scheduled. Seeing as the aircraft were all available for rehearsal, I suspect they feared an attack. Just one stinger missile smuggled into the suburbs could have made quite a mess.