Wagner head Prigozhin is the ultimate troll. He’s written to Zelensky urging him to fight to the end at Bakhmut.
I promise you this is being readied ... “Okay, Ukraine lost. But lots of Russians died. So actually we won!”
And you believe that BBC has thousands of reporters with full access to all battlefields, and is maintaining visual contact with all Russian troops at all times, counting them as they get killed? Or is it more likely that Russia is hiding their dead to keep morale up and pretend that they are winning the war with minimal casualties (not to mention avoiding making payment to the widows). The U.S. military has some experience with battle, and can be trusted, I think, to estimate the numbers of casualties. I also believe that the U.S. military has more access to satellite and other data than the BBC. The numbers may only be off by a factor of two, if ten percent of the casualties are deaths and the rest are wounded.
The U.S. is not in the fight. So we can't claim that "we" won or lost this fight. This is just between Russia and Ukraine. We are just providing weapons and advice.
Russia is overselling its hypersonic weapons, pretending that they are more dangerous than they really are, to try to instill fear in western countries. The truth is that these weapons have a lot of problems. The electronics have problems with the heat of friction generated at these velocities, with temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees F. So the weapons may only be guided weapons in the first part of their flight to target. Turns Out Russia Is Overselling Its 'Unstoppable' Hypersonic Missile (yahoo.com) From a U.S. Congressional Budget Office Report:
Russia is starting to sell off its foreign currency holdings to raise money for the war--the last act of a desperate man with little other income. They sold 5% of their foreign currency last month, which is triple what they sold the previous month. Their western currency holdings were frozen when the war started, so they are reliant primarily on their Chinese yuan holdings ($45 billion worth). They normally use this to cover budget shortfalls. Expect this sell-off to accelerate as western sanctions continue to drain the Russian economy. Russia's oil income dropped 54% between December and January. Russia is smashing open its $45 billion piggy bank of Chinese yuan as energy revenue crashes (yahoo.com)
Yea, Zelenskyy knew he would Hit a nerve by saying this is just like 1943. He said a different context, namely, saying that everyone knows what will be the inevitable result, it’s just a matter of time. I tend to think he’s likely correct in that regard. But either way, his choice of comparative historical analogy surely left a mark. Of course, it also makes me wonder if he thinks there’s gonna be some offensive that has been planned similar to the one this fall, but bigger, that will end up encircling a large Russian army
Isn’t this in part to the lack of demand for oil as the winter was not as harsh as some feared? I know that has had huge effects in Nat Gas markets.
It was Europe that had a mild winter, but Europe (Germany) had already committed to stop taking oil and natural gas from Russia in December.
Khazakastan's official position on the war is neutrality, but many in the country are providing support for Ukraine, including clothing, medicine, and yurts (giant insulated tents). The citizens recognize it could be them next. Russia is livid that they cannot pressure the Khazak government into suppressing this aid (even though it is a poor country and cannot afford much aid to begin with). So much for the idiotic suggestion that it's only the west that wants Russia to fail in Ukraine. Kazakh yurts in Ukraine irk Russia as crowdfunded aid pours in (yahoo.com)
They did and Russia had the pipeline”go down”. however Russia has been selling their products elsewhere, China/India and if the European winter had been worse the prices would have certainly been much higher.
Yes, but with the price cap program, the U.S. and EU have been able to limit what price these countries wind up paying Russia, so that Russia is only getting about half to two thirds the market value for their oil and gas. That's why India is refining all this oil and selling the oil products to places like New York. The $60 price cap on Russian oil, explained - Vox
At last check the Russian people are in it to win it. Putin approval up to 86%. Indeed, a goodly percentage of the populous is clamoring for total mobilization and over one hundred Duma representatives have enlisted and are now serving in the combat theatre.
surprise. China helping Russia by selling them banned tech China Aids Russia's War in Ukraine, Trade Data Shows (msn.com) China is providing technology that Moscow’s military needs to prosecute the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine despite an international cordon of sanctions and export controls, according to a Wall Street Journal review of Russian customs data. The customs records show Chinese state-owned defense companies shipping navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter-jet parts to sanctioned Russian government-owned defense companies.
They will all be slaughtered on the battlefields of Ukraine and most deservedly so. Your poll is utter bullshit as is your assessment of the mood of the Russian people. I do think, however, you have correctly assessed the sentiment among those whack jobs on Russian State TV, they are all in....from their comfortable studio chairs. You remind me it is time to send another donation to Ukraine...more bullets for more dead Russian war criminals. I should add I have no ill will toward the Russian people themselves, just the ones that have illegally invaded Ukraine, the ones that are raping women and murdering children along with the leaders that are sending them to their slaughter. The world will be a far better place after someone gets to Putin or he succumbs to whatever illness he has been rewarded with.
US warned Turkey on exports seen to boost Russia's war effort, official says (msn.com) The United States warned Turkey in recent days about the export to Russia of chemicals, microchips and other products that can be used in Moscow's war effort in Ukraine, and it could move to enforce existing bans, according to a senior US official. Brian Nelson, the US Treasury Department's top sanctions official, visited Turkish government and private sector officials on Thursday and Friday to urge more cooperation in disrupting the flow of such goods. In the meetings in Ankara and Istanbul, Nelson and a delegation highlighted tens of millions of dollars of exports to Russia that raised concerns, the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss the talks. "There is no surprise...that Russia is actively looking to leverage the historic economic ties it has in Turkey," the official said. "The question is what is the Turkish response going to be." NATO member Ankara opposes the sweeping sanctions on Russia on principle but says they will not be circumvented in Turkey, urging the West to provide any evidence.
