Ukraine military destroys Russian surveillance plane

Al Arabiya ^ | 2/23/2024 | Reuters

[marcusmaximus]

Ukraine’s military has destroyed a Russian A-50 surveillance aircraft, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Friday.

“The A-50 with the call sign ‘Bayan’ has flown its last!” Oleshchuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Developing

[Darksheare]

Ever heard of Azov?

[MeganC]

Unlike Kwanza “Fatherland Day” is an actual holiday in Russia.

Ironically, both holidays have roots in Russia given the documented ties between the founder of Kwanzaa, Ron Karenga, and the Soviet Union.

[Darksheare]

No, no, it’s Kwanzaa.
And just like everything from the media and the Internet you must believe it 100%.

[MeganC]

“No, it’s Becky!”

I get your point.

[ransomnote]

I stopped reading when I saw that you called me ‘comrade’; you have nothing to say of interest.

[desertsolitaire]

Is there anything positive about the current Ujraine invasion that suggests anything but eventual defeat for the Ukes by mismatch of demographics, a determined Russua and anemic Western aid effort (anemic in effectiveness, not cost)?

[desertsolitaire]

Will the sinking of the occasional Russian warship or downing of the occasional Russian plane stop the Russian ground offensive from grinding on? Will Russia stop producing tanks, artillery, missiles, and small arms soon? Or are the two actions materially unrelated in the big picture?

[JonPreston]

what? He has to be kidding?

Please give me a few hundred words on this.

Thanks

We are fighting in Ukraine not with Ukrainians, but with a unipolar world.

Our inevitable victory will be not only ours, but the victory of all humanity, which will see with its own eyes that the power of the West is not absolute, that it can be said a decisive “no” and insist… pic.twitter.com/wgy6QO8EtI— S p r i n t e r M e d i a s e t (@SprinterMedia1) February 26, 2024

[BroJoeK]

JonPreston: "The atmosphere among European leaders regarding Putin has escalated to absolute hysteria.
The vast majority of European citizens have no idea why.
The cause is the collapsing Ukrainian front....."

Well... not really.

First of all, European polls show that most Europeans believe a negotiated settlement will end the war, and that is also my opinion.
The exact terms of that settlement are being determined on the battlefield and may not be finalized for years to come.

Second, European governments are likely reacting to the fact of US aid being at least delayed, if not ended, and so they must start to do their own "fair share" of support for Ukraine.
I think that's a good thing -- they are not children anymore, they need to take responsibility for their own issues.

As for your alleged "collapsing Ukrainian front", here is the list of villages & towns captured by Russians in 2024 to date:

2024 Ukrainian Towns Captured by Russians

Territorial Control	City/Town/Village	District	Oblast	pre-War Population	est. square miles	Date captured	Remarks
Russia	Vesele	Bakhmut	Donetsk	102	1	January 18, 2024
Russia	Krokhmaine	Kupiansk	Donetsk	45	1	January 20, 2024
Russia	Avdiivka	Povrovsk	Donetsk	31,940	12**	February 17, 2024
Russia	Pobieda	Povrovsk	Donetsk	<100	1	February 21, 2024
Russia	Stepove	Povrovsk	Donetsk	62	1	February 23, 2024
Russia	Lastachkne	Povrovsk	Donetsk	617	1	February 24, 2024
	***
Total Captured:->	6 towns	3 districts	1 Oblast	32,866	17	As of Feb 24

** the source for the figure of 12 square miles captured around Avdiivka is said to be the Russian MOD.

In addition, as of February 24, there are 10 Ukrainian towns being assaulted by Russians:

2024 Ukrainian Towns Contested by Russians as of February 2024

Territorial Control	City/Town/Village	District	Oblast	pre-War Population	est. square miles	Contested since	Remarks
Contested	Bohdanivka	Bakhmut	Donetsk	77	1	January 17, 2024
Contested	Spirne	Bakhmut	Donetsk	80	1	December 27, 2023
Contested	Heorhiivka	Pokrovsk	Donetsk	1,167	1	January 15, 2024
Contested	Novomykhlivka	Pokrovsk	Donetsk	1,439	2	February 6, 2024
Contested	Pervomaiske	Pokrovsk	Donetsk	2,208	3	September 21, 2022
Contested	Kotliarivka	Kupiansk	Donetsk	255	1	January 28, 2024
Contested	Synkivka	Kupiansk	Donetsk	389	1	November 28, 2023
Contested	Robotyne	Pobhy	Zaporizhzia	480	1	February 19, 2024
Contested	Krynky	Kherson	Kherson	491	2	October 19, 2023
Contested	Bilohrudove	Skadovsk	Luhansk	275	1	November 30, 2023
	***
Total Contested:->	10 towns	6 districts	3 Oblasts	6,861	14	as of Feb 24

So, as I read these numbers, we're looking at Russians taking or contesting roughly 31 square miles of the circa 200,000 square miles of remaining Ukrainian territories -- that's just over one one-hundredths of one percent.
The villages & towns, of course are all destoyed, but their combined pre-war populations of roughly 40,000 is about one-tenth of one percent of Ukraine's pre-war population.

And, in the meantime, yesterday Ukraine's Pres. Zelenskyy claimed total Ukrainian soldiers killed in action was only 31,000 which most analysts say seems too low, especially compared to Ukrainian claims of over 400,000 Russians killed or seriously wounded.
From 31,000 Ukraine KIA's we might infer another 100,000 seriously wounded, which would put the overall ratio claimed by Ukraine as roughly three Russian casualties for every one Ukrainian.

Regardless, none of this sounds to me like a "collapsing Ukrainian front", but maybe you see something I don't?

[JonPreston]

this is a very decent effort. I like the word count and the pictures. I'll be sure to read it later....

But what about this?

Please explain

BREAKING: Ukraine’s intel chief confirms Navalny died of a blood clot pic.twitter.com/x18K9aYuAy— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 26, 2024

[BroJoeK]

JonPreston to bert: "spoken like a true Neocon."

So today our old 1960s era pro-Russian communist revolutionary flower-children are posing as "conservatives" and "anti-globalists" so they can call Old School Conservatives "neo-cons" and "globo-homos".

Of course, it's all lies & nonsense, but that's how the Kremlin's Ministry for Agitation and Propaganda works.

These 1960s pro-Soviet Communists are now posing as conservatives so they can call the rest of us "neo-Cons" and "globo-homos":

[JonPreston]

I had no problem calling your last very effort decent, but this is pathetic.

Wrap it up, take it back to your basement and give it some work.

At minimum, 500 words.

Got it?

[BroJoeK]

Darksheare: "Ever heard of Azov?"

Sure, a battalion of fewer than 1,000 men in 2022, out of Ukraine's armed forces today totaling around one million -- Azov were largely destroyed in Russia's siege of Mariupol.

In 2014 Azov was taken over by Ukraine's government and its leadership replaced, its mission redefined.
Ukraine's Pres. Zelenskyy alone has appointed three different Azov commanders.

The use of the Azov Regiment for propaganda purposes by the Russian Ministry for Agitation and Propaganda is laughably absurd, though of course 100% understandable, considering it's all they have.

Bottom line: I think Goodwin's Law should be applied to any nonsense regarding Ukraine's Azov Battalion/Regiment/Brigade.

[BroJoeK]

ransomnote: "I stopped reading when I saw that you called me ‘comrade’; you have nothing to say of interest."

"The Ukraine", comrade?

When and where did you first learn to speak English, or did you ever really?

[Darksheare]

“Fewer than 1000”
Now.
They weren’t.
And the goose steppers were absolutely worshipped over there.
Funny thing is, the media once acknowledged it, now they either deny they exist and it happened or literally say “but they’re GOOD Nazis!”.
Soooooo, ever heard of Azov?

[BroJoeK]

desertsolitaire: "Is there anything positive about the current Ujraine invasion that suggests anything but eventual defeat for the Ukes by mismatch of demographics, a determined Russua and anemic Western aid effort (anemic in effectiveness, not cost)?"

I agree 100% that you are right to be pessimistic in listing factors favoring Russia against Ukraine.
As you might agree, these include:

Russia's fleet of A-50 AWACs type command planes
Pictured are boneyard planes used for parts only:

1. Russia's population outnumbering Ukraine's round 4 to 1.

2. Russia's over-all economy outsizing Ukraine's around 10 to 1.

3. Russia's dictator overmatching in brutality Ukraine's fledgling democracy maybe 100 to 1.

4. Russia's Axis of Evil dictator-allies out-supplying critical materials -- like artillery shells, drones and missiles -- those from the West for Ukraine by at least two or three to one.

5. Russia's own military production now ramping up to outsize Ukraine's very limited production by untold many to one.

6. Russia's political & propaganda operation in Western countries overmatching Ukraine's at critical points (i.e. Free Republic) by two or three to one.

Based on these odds, there's no reason to think Ukrainians have even a fighting chance to defeat "mother Russia".
Of course, all of this was also true on February 24, 2022, when Vlad the Invader first launched his "special military operations", and yet, somehow, Ukrainians didn't collapse in the face of overwhelming Russian military power.

Some of Ukraine's advantages include:

Russian cruiser Moskva, sank by Ukrainian drones in 2022:

1. High motivation and leadership resulting from the certain knowledge that they must do or die, both individually and as an independent nation.

2. Enough of the independent Western spirit to let Ukrainians think and adapt creatively to unexpected challenges.
   We see examples in Ukraine's destruction of Russia's Black Sea Fleet while lacking any navy of their own.

3. A legitimately elected democratic government which seems genuinely interested in the wellbeing of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and is publicly fighting against traditional patterns of corruption.

4. A Western Alliance of about 50 countries which, at least in theory, could vastly overmatch Russia's war production, even given support to Russia from North Korea, Iran or potentially China.

5. Technological advantages from Western equipment and intelligence services.
   We see examples in Ukraine's shooting down of expensive Russian military jets.

6. Western sanctions against Russia seem largely ineffective today, however, when combined with other stresses on Russia's war-economy, could eventually prove the difference between victory and defeat.

7. Vlad the Invader's personal wealth, now said to be circa $300 billion frozen in western banks, could serve as a good start on rebuilding the ~$1 trillion in destruction to Ukraine cause by Vlad's invasions, especially after Vlad is legally convicted of his many war-crimes.

Which of those factors could prove decisive is hard to say, as is how much of deal a potential Pres. Trump might work out.
I personally don't think world-reality is the same as it was in, say, 2020, and so Pres. Trump may have to rethink what is or is not achievable with negotiations.

Even if Pres. Trump withdraws all US aid to Ukraine, I would not expect Ukrainians to ever give up the fight.
Their time for victory will come, someday.

[BroJoeK]

JonPreston: "Please give me a few hundred words on this."

JonPreston quoting: "We are fighting in Ukraine not with Ukrainians, but with a unipolar world.
Our inevitable victory will be not only ours, but the victory of all humanity, which will see with its own eyes that the power of the West is not absolute, that it can be said a decisive “no”... "

And Alexander Dugin continues: "The West is not all of humanity, but only part of it, its region.
The West is a province, along with others."
/Alexander Dugin/" date is uncertain

Naw, it's just total insanity, not worth even the words posted here in response.

Putin's Rasputin, Alexander Dugin:

[Darksheare]

Obama kept insisting on war with Russia over Syria, a place we had no reason to be.
“zOMG! Chemical weapons were used in Syria! We have to go to war!”
And Obama started trying to get us entangled there.
Someone smart said “wait a minnit” and lo and behold, the chemical weapons were used by al qeada in Syria.
So false causus belli averted.
2016 election, Hillary curiously rattling the saber of war with Russia war with Russia war with Russia.
She lost the election and whatever idiotic plans they had were shelved for a bit.

Ask yourself, why the psychotic push for war with Russia by the left?

[BroJoeK]

Darksheare: "“Fewer than 1000”
Now.
They weren’t.
And the goose steppers were absolutely worshipped over there.
Funny thing is, the media once acknowledged it, now they either deny they exist and it happened or literally say “but they’re GOOD Nazis!”.
Soooooo, ever heard of Azov?"

1930s Russian inflicted Holodomor on Ukraine:

I'm serious -- what exactly is going on inside your braincase which causes you to obsess over these people?
If they have been handled and dealt with, reduced in numbers to insignificance, rebranded & redefined as ordinary nationalists, then what is it that still causes your own brain to boil over with angst & anger about them?

Do you think a few hundred remaining represent a greater threat to world peace, or Ukrainian stability, than do the KGB successors of Old Uncle Joe Stalin's Holodomor apparatus?

[Darksheare]

Ah yes, excuses for there even being actual nazis in ukezone.
Consider this: Vladimir Illyich Lenin was in a German jail in WWI.
The Kaisers men were hurting for relief on one front.
So they released Lenin back into Russia to stir the pot.
The situation in both countries were ripe for shenanigans, and Lenin had been doing his garbage in Germany.
So they sent him home.
This action directly gave us Stalin.
No Lenin, no Stalin.