Ukraine aims to amass 'million-strong army' to recapture south, says defence minister

BBC ^ | July 11, 2022

[PIF]

Nonsensical reply.

[buwaya]

Liberating France was an Allied propaganda trope for years before June 1944. It was an obvious move.

And it was just as obvious to the Germans. Thats why they kept a large army there, and fortified its coasts.

[MalPearce]

Ukraine didn’t secede from the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was forced to disband itself after a series of screw-ups in the run-up to the the August 1991 coup attempt:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union/The-attempted-coup

When you look at why it failed, you could pretty much map it onto what’s happened with Ukraine.

“What was different this time was that troops who were overwhelmingly Russian were being ordered to move against Russians. The crucial weakness of the plotters was their inability to understand the radical political and social transformation that had occurred in the U.S.S.R. since 1985. It was no longer possible simply to announce that Gorbachev had retired for “health” reasons.”

Soviets attacked civilians in Georgia Azerbaijan, and Lithuania, then expected those states to back the continuation of the USSR. Funnily enough, when a chance came to topple the Kremlin, those countries didn’t wait. Over a course of a very short time period, eight constituents of the Soviet Union (fearing a re-run of the coup), quit the Union. With no real alternative, Russia, Ukraine, and Belorussia established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and formally aknowledged the end of the Soviet Union as-was. But they did it TOGETHER. Ukraine didn’t unilaterally secede.

It did, however, vote for secession - thereby proving to Russia and Belarus that the USSR couldn’t survive in its old form.

There never was any move to suppress “Russian-language schools, Russian-language newspapers and Russian-language broadcast stations” in all the time that Russia wasn’t trying (unsuccessfully) to hijack the government of Ukraine. All they did was make Ukrainian the official state language.

Of course that attitude changed slowly, first after what Russia did to Viktor Yushchenko to ensure Yanukovych won (which was stupid as he would’ve won anyway), then in 2012 with some meddling over trade agreements, then again in 2013 by interfering with the EU free trade negotiations and subsequently by coercing Azarov and Yanukovych into signing a “generous” bailout agreement that conveniently enabled an annexation by the back-door.

Make no mistake - if Euromaidan protests hadn’t happened, Ukraine would’ve been in default, bankrupted deliberately by Russia before the end of 2015, and Russia had convenient plans to have it’s Men In The Kremlin fly in like white knights.

[dfwgator]

The Ukrainian language is like Gaelic in Ireland, people claim to speak it, but most do speak Russian.

[lodi90]

Russian supremacists have a long history of Russifying the lands they control. Language is obvious a key part of that and historically local languages were banned. There are already reports of Ukrainian book burnings in occupied Ukraine, etc.

Lots more here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Ukrainian_language_suppression

[CarolinaReaganFan]

Maybe they will launch a major twitter offensive!
News not good for Z...........
.
On the morning of July 11th, Russian-led forces claimed new victories on the hottest front lines in Eastern Ukraine. The Peoples militia confirmed control over the villages of Vladimirovka and Tripolie in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

The new advance marked another step towards cutting off the road between the towns of Bakhmut and Soledar, which are among the main strongholds of Ukrainian forces in the Donbass region.

Tripolie and Vladimirovka were taken by the Allied forces together with the 6th separate Cossack regiment of the Luhansk People’s Republic.

In the area of the town of Seversk, after Russian-led forces took control of the town of Grigorovka, clashes broke out for control of Serebryanka coming closer to Seversk from the northern direction. To the east of the town, Ukrainian forces were repelled from their positions in Spornoe and fighting broke out on the outskirts of Ivano-Darievka.

North of Slavyansk, Russian units are preparing a major springboard for an offensive on the city of Slavyansk. On July 11, they claimed control over the town of Bogorodichnoe located on the right bank of the Seversky Donets River north of Slavyansk.

The Ukrainian command is hastily preparing defenses along the Slavyansk — Kramatorsk — Konstantinovka line.

In the other regions, the front lines faced no significant changes.

Mil Summary update for today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA65eQTCBc8

[Monterrosa-24]

“...Obama sowed the wind…now we reap the whirlwind…”
Oh, you mean the Obama who is on your side? The one who promised Russians greater “flexibility”. The Obama who struck down Europe’s missile defense system. You must really love Obama. He did so much for your Putin. And the Clintons pushed so much of our Uranium their way.

So, you think you know more about eastern Ukraine than those who actually live there. Do you trust American polls as much as you trust Ukrainian opinion polling? If polls are so accurate, then Hillary must have been elected president.

[fireman15]

but they are on the edge of a third-world economy, like Mexico, and attempting to support a large military-industrial complex.

Russia has nearly twice the land mass and far more of many types of natural resources than the United States. They do not actually need the rest of the world... they are self-sufficient despite their awful political system.

Let's try to look at the facts.

6.602 million square miles - Russia
3.797 million sq mi - United States.
758,449 sq mi - Mexico

Russian GNP 4.036 trillion PPP dollars
144.1 million (2020) population
$61.7 billion in military spending
National Debt $410.28 billion U.S. dollars.

USA GNP 21.69 trillion PPP dollars (2019)
329.5 million (2020) population
The United States — $778 billion in military spending
National Debt - $28.43 Trillion + $162 Trillion in unfunded liabilities

Mexican GNP 2.343 trillion PPP dollars (2020)
128.9 million (2020) population
Mexico - 7.77 billion in military spending
National Debt - $746 billion

Because of greater gross domestic product and lower “income inequality” in Russia the average Russian makes more than twice what the average Mexican does. Military spending by the Russian government for their Ukrainian misadventure has been a fraction of the increase in funds provided by the huge increase in what they are being paid for their exports.

Your assertion that the “Russian economy is past and sinking” is laughable at best. Russia is a leading oil and gas exporter, leading fertilizer exporter, and a leading food exporter. Their national debt is $410 billion. Our National debt if you include “unfunded liabilities” which is money already promised is $190 trillion which is nearly 500 times as much. If you divide their National Debt by their population their national debt comes to $2,847 per Russian. Our true National Debt of $190 Trillion divided by our population comes to $576,631 per American. We are the ones who are being led to oblivion by our government and the Federal Reserve.

But does Russia have the third world masses trying to invade their borders to enjoy a better life. Obviously not. Because of their government probably the majority of Russians and nearly everyone from other places would choose to live nearly anywhere else in the world. We win that competition but both Russia and the US have made their beds and will have to face the consequences. When the debts come due, the equation may change.

[Phoenix8]

A relatively neutral Russian newspaper just announced Russia may be getting ready to launch a new offensive:
“Russian General: RF Armed Forces using Kh-31 missiles indicate an imminent offensive

12.07.2022 15:49
World
Retired Air Force Major General Dmitry Istrin believes that the strikes of the Russian Armed Forces with Kh-31 missiles indicate an imminent offensive.”

The reason being Russia is launching precision guided missiles at Ukrainian targets near the front.

Meanwhile..….

“Ukraine urges people of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to evacuate-—-Ukraine has warned residents in southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to evacuate as it prepares to launch a counteroffensive to retake the area.“

Generally who ever launches the offensive first (not always) has the advantage. Gods forbid the two offensives actually meet each other and clash. Incredibly bloody fighting is usually the result.

[fireman15]

Use a magnifying glass if needed and you will notice that Russia is paying 20% interest on savings in ruble! Yes they have been cutting that, but not much. Not a good sign.
EVEN BRANDON HAS NOT YET PUSHED OUR RATES THAT HIGH: YET.

The operative word in this paragraph is “YET”. Our authorities have increased liquidity... essentially “printed money” in historically unprecedented amounts. Even Zimbabwe, South American banana republics and the “Weimar Republic” in Germany after WWI were all pikers compared to our current situation.

Hundred trillion dollar note from Zimbabwe that was worth 40 cents in 2015 when it was still being used as currency.

But we don't even get the privilege of actual printed money these days... Actual physical money of all types in circulation in the world excluding play money printed by Zimbabwe and a few others no longer used as currency... is estimated to be worth a little over US $6.6 Trillion. vs an estimated $2.7 quadrillion in electronic blips that represent the value of the top stock exchanges, bank accounts, cryptocurrencies and much more. Nearly the entire world is dependent on a largely imaginary flow of "electronic funds" that could fairly easily cease to exist if something catastrophic happened to the world's computer systems. That is why "electronic warfare" as stupid as it sounds is no joke. We are all sitting on a house of cards.

The house of cards is already being manipulated and pushed to the point of collapse by the Fed, the oligarchs, the billionaires, and the governments of the world. It is a big out of control game which is going to fail at some point. When this happens hard assets, natural resources, physical capital improvements and who controls them is going to be the real determination of wealth and security. But those in the real positions of power are studying and planning for how to keep their share of the "new world order". No one is preparing and likely hoping for this coming new reality more than the Russians.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Any reason that you used PPP over GDP? What was the source of your PPP estimates? There many different PPP calculations,the IMF shows Mexico not all that far behind Russia and China ahead of USA by ~10% and ahead of Russia by ~680% (~ 7x !!!) https://t.ly/Fw4W

A Piketty follower? You know he repositioned after some “errors” were shown? https://www.cato.org/policy-report/july/august-2015/how-piketty-misses-point

If you are fluffing Putin use the Big Mac index. https://www.statista.com/statistics/274326/big-mac-index-global-prices-for-a-big-mac/

If you want it on the level, Truman’s one-armed economist is the only way. https://www.economist.com/buttonwoods-notebook/2010/06/07/one-armed-economists

—”Because of greater gross domestic product and lower “income inequality” in Russia the average Russian makes more than twice what the average Mexican does.”

PLS show your work and source/date.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Mexico was last recorded at 20036.46 US dollars in 2021, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP). The GDP per Capita, in Mexico, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 113 percent of the world’s average. source: World Bank https://t.ly/30Zv

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Russia was last recorded at 32803.36 US dollars in 2021, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP). The GDP per Capita, in Russia, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 185 percent of the world’s average. source: World Bank https://t.ly/d296

Different yes, and you can root around and possibly find something closer to your 200% of Mexico assertion. But unlikely to be approved by the legendary one-armed econ master.

—”Military spending by the Russian government for their Ukrainian misadventure has been a fraction of the increase in funds provided by the huge increase in what they are being paid for their exports.”

Fractions come in many sizes. 10/1 (ten over one) is a fraction and that may be the case.

Have a look at extraction cost .
Yes for Jed Clampett, “ And up through the ground come a bubbling crude”, Russia not so much.

Their extraction cost are not even close to low, and transportation is also not cheap for most of their wells. Now selling at a deep discount and additional ocean transport charges.

“The cost of producing a single barrel of Brent crude oil came in at around $42 for Russian onshore projects, and $44 for offshore projects, IHS Markit estimated. That was more than twice the $17 per barrel production costs in Saudi Arabia — the cheapest in the world.” https://t.ly/6Czx

—”Their national debt is $410 billion. Our National debt if you include “unfunded liabilities” which is money already promised is $190 trillion”

Sadly true and worse still, the brandon plan is to inflate his way out of it; repaying past debt with inflated dollars. SUCH A DEAL....NB: That move will take about a generation.

—”But does Russia have the third world masses trying to invade their borders to enjoy a better life. Obviously not. “

Much can be determined by observing if the people are attempting to enter the county or exit... We agree.

[fireman15]

Any reason that you used PPP over GDP? What was the source of your PPP estimates?

I apologize for not including the actual names associated with the acronyms... I thought that I did. I also tend to leave more links, but I had no idea that the figures used were considered to be controversial.

PPP stands for Purchasing power parities. (PPPs) is a method of currency conversion that tries to equalize the purchasing power of different currencies, by adjusting for the differences in price levels between countries.

GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product which is the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specified time period... usually a lower.

GNP stands for Gross National Product. (GNP) is the total value of all finished goods and services produced by a country's citizens in a given financial year, irrespective of their location... basically the same thing as GDP but also counting the value of a country's citizens when they are working outside of their borders.

There many different PPP calculations,the IMF shows Mexico not all that far behind Russia and China ahead of USA by ~10% and ahead of Russia by ~680% (~ 7x !!!) https://t.ly/Fw4W

You seem to have some very basic misunderstandings when it comes to economics... even the link that you provided to Wikipedia contradicts your statement. And Wikipedia is known to be populated by partisan hacks that... make up stuff constantly to support whatever politically correct nonsense such as “global warming” that is currently in vogue on the left.

From the top of your Wikipedia link...

Somehow, I am not seeing Mexico ahead of Russia by "~680% (~ 7x !!!)" anywhere in your link.

In the Table that follows in your link that shows countries in order of their GDP (PPP, US$ million) by country or territory... USA is listed as #2 behind China. Russia is listed as #6 behind "Eurasia". Mexico is listed as #13 behind Italy... So where did you pull your "~680% (~ 7x !!!)" from?

It is often amusing yet a little frustrating to try and converse with someone who has no idea what they are talking about. I am not trying to make you seem foolish. You are doing that to yourself, and you do not even seem to realize it.

The figures that I used were all easily verifiable from multiple sources. The figures you are using are made up nonsense which even your own links do not support. But it hardly matters because you do not even understand what it is that you are rambling about. I apologize for trying to interject some easily verifiably factual information to counter your nonsense. It did no good for you obviously.

Here is the basic concept that you should try to understand... Russia's economy has just received a huge influx of cash because the price of their exports has gone up astronomically. The increase in the price being paid for their exports is mostly because of the "economic sanctions" that are helping them and hurting us. It makes no difference what the state of their economy was before the "invasion"... it is much better now because of the idiotic reaction to their Ukrainian adventure. But what else could we expect from any effort associated with the Biden administration?

The success or failure of economic sanctions should be measured by the amount of hurt that they are causing the country which has been targeted. The "sanctions" have not hurt Russia, they have actually increased their liquidity to levels greater than what they were before the "invasion". Our economic pain is financing the Russian misadventure. And you are cheerleading for more of the same??? Wake up!!!

[fireman15]

Sorry for the typo, “produced within a country’s borders in a specified time period... usually a lower.” It should have been, “usually a year.” Not sure how my spell correct helped me out on that one.

I also apologize for my tone. I guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

[Cronos]

Both gulf wars were sanctioned by the UN.

I was and am against gulf war 2, you can check my posts back from 2003 for that.

But you can’t compare that to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

[teevolt]

Understand the position, not saying your wrong, I’m unsure. I’m not a fan of this war at all, but in the end I am hoping Russia at least has a level of success. I do think NATO is a force for the NWO, and they’ve been pushing on Russia. My turning point on western intentions was Libya and then the immediate shift to Syria. Also include the western backed 2014 maiden revolution in that calculus on western intentions. Therefore, I empathize with the Russian paranoia about that region. I do believe the west is run by an evil cabal, and I don’t want them emboldened more than they are already. Do feel awful for both Ukrainian and Russian soldiers being the pawns in this game.