ALERT RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread
- Thread starter danielboon
- Start date
Marthanoir
TB Fanatic
Hard yesterday that Omicron has been found in Beijing and that the Chinese are now saying there will be very few even local spectators.
Highly, highly unlikely. They would move those by air. Too vulnerable at sea. It will take them 2 weeks to get to either Cuba or Venezuela. The situation is moving so fast that the Russians arent going to risk those assets sitting in the wells of some old landing ships for weeks.All of that is nothing. Methinks the 3 Russian landing ships are on their way to cuba or venezuela carrying MOBILE NUKE LAUNCHERS WITH LIVE MISSILES. Check and checkmate.
They have a “zero tolerance policy” now, if they find out a case or suspected case is in a building they will lock it down for 72 hours, everyone in building at time is stuck there and anyone showing symptoms are removed. Includes Office buildings.
Samuel Adams
Has No Life - Lives on TB
A shoe horn could “test positive for covid”.
Aaaaaannd........prosecution rests.
Aaaaaannd........prosecution rests.
IF China were to attempt to invade Taiwan, during the games, it’s not inconceivable that athletes and foreign spectators could be viewed as hostages. This whole damned thing is a probable disaster. Think of all the disease vectors, when the athletes and spectators go home. Omicron is a financial disaster, just one step above completely losing face. Their rice bowl is cracked, just a hair away from breaking…
OA
Seeker22
Has No Life - Lives on TB
And that big dam is still a prime target of opportunity...
jward
passin' thru
Andy Scollick
@Andy_Scollick
127,000 Russian troops at present. More are being mobilised, including reservists, across Russia. Then there is the VDV. Plus Rosgvardia (National Guard) units for mopping up and occupied population suppression 'policing' ops. Plus Kadyrov's "death squads". 200,000+ at least.
Eugene Zaikonnikov
@varjag
Replying to
@Andy_Scollick
Ukrainian standing military is 60K before any mobilisation. You need numeric advantage. For the perspective, allied forces opposing Iraq counted nearly 1 million.
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Russia moves more troops westward amid Ukraine tensions
Russian officials say Moscow is sending an unspecified number of troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major joint military drills
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press
18 January 2022, 19:07
Tensions escalate between Russia and the West
MOSCOW -- Russia is a sending an unspecified number of troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major war games, officials said Tuesday, a deployment that will further beef up Russian military presence near Ukraine amid Western fears of a planned invasion.
Amid the soaring tensions, the White House warned that Russia could attack its neighbor at “any point,” while the U.K. delivered a batch of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the joint drills with Belarus would involve practicing a joint response to external threats.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine from several directions, including from its ally Belarus.
The U.S. again stressed its concern Tuesday, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki describing the Russian forces' move into Belarus as part of as “extremely dangerous situation.”
“We’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine,” she said.
A series of talks last week between Russia, the U.S. and NATO failed to quell the tensions over Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday in another attempt to defuse the crisis.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it has received a shipment of anti-tank weapons from the U.K., noting that they will help “strengthen our defense capability.”
Russia already has started moving troops for the war games in Belarus. Fomin said it would take through Feb. 9 to fully deploy weapons and personnel for the Allied Resolve 2022 drills, which are expected to take place Feb. 10-20.
Fomin didn't say how many troops will be involved, but mentioned that Russia will deploy a dozen Su-35 fighter jets and several air defense units to Belarus. The deployment would bolster an estimated 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and other heavy weapons who are already amassed near Ukraine.
Russia has denied that it intends to attack its neighbor but demanded guarantees from the West that NATO will not expand to Ukraine or other former Soviet nations or place its troops and weapons there. Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow’s demands during Russia-U.S. negotiations in Geneva and a related NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels last week.
Fomin said the drills in Belarus, which involve an unspecified number of troops from Russia's Eastern Military District, reflect the need to practice concentrating the country's entire military potential in the west.
"A situation may arise when forces and means of the regional group of forces will be insufficient to ensure reliable security of the union state, and we must be ready to strengthen it," Fomin said at a meeting with foreign military attaches. “We have reached an understanding with Belarus that it's necessary to engage the entire military potential for joint defense.”
Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, said the joint maneuvers will be conducted on Belarus’ western border and in the country’s south, where it borders Ukraine. Lukashenko, who has edged increasingly close to Russia amid Western sanctions over his government's crackdown on domestic protests, has recently offered to host Russian nuclear weapons.
A senior Biden administration official said the Russian troop deployment to Belarus raises concerns that Moscow may be planning to stage troops there to stretch Ukraine’s defenses with an attack from the north. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues, noted that the movement may also indicate Belarus’ willingness “to allow both Russian conventional and nuclear forces to be stationed on its territory.”
Amid the tensions, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it was speeding up efforts to form reserve battalions that would allow for the rapid deployment of 130,000 recruits to expand the country's 246,000-strong military.
The United States and its allies have urged Russia to deescalate the situation by calling back the troops amassed near Ukraine.
“In recent weeks, more than 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and guns have gathered near Ukraine without an understandable reason, and it’s hard not to understand that as a threat,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters Tuesday after talks in Moscow with her Russian counterpart, Lavrov.
Lavrov responded by restating Moscow's argument that it's free to deploy its forces wherever it considers it necessary on its territory.
“We can’t accept demands about our armed forces on our own territory,” Lavrov said. “We aren’t threatening anyone, but we are hearing threats to us."
Baerbock emphasized that the West was ready "for a serious dialogue on mutual agreements and steps to bring everyone in Europe more security.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Tuesday. He said “the main task now is to make progress on the political way forward” to prevent a military attack against Ukraine.
“NATO allies are ready to meet with Russia again, and today I have invited Russia and all the NATO allies to attend a series of meetings in the NATO-Russia Council in the near future to address our concerns but also listen to Russia’s concerns," Stoltenberg said.
He added that NATO “in the near future” will deliver its written proposals in response to Russian demands and "hopefully we can begin meeting after that.”
“We need to see what Russia says, and that will be a kind of pivotal moment,” the NATO chief said.
Lavrov, meanwhile, reaffirmed that Russia wants a quick Western answer to its demand for security guarantees that would preclude NATO's expansion to Ukraine and limit its presence in Eastern Europe. He repeated that in a phone conversation with Blinken, who will visit Ukraine on Wednesday and meet with Lavrov on Friday.
Speaking on a visit Tuesday to Ukraine, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly denounced the Russian troop buildup as unacceptable. She noted Canada's efforts to help train Ukraine's military, adding that it's currently considering Ukraine's demand to provide it with military equipment and will make “a decision in a timely manner.”
Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 after the ouster of Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly leader and also threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency that took over large sections in eastern Ukraine. More than 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting there.
———
Aamer Madhani and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Lorne Cook in Brussels, and Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
Russia moves more troops westward amid Ukraine tensions - ABC News (go.com)
Russian officials say Moscow is sending an unspecified number of troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major joint military drills
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press
18 January 2022, 19:07
Tensions escalate between Russia and the West
MOSCOW -- Russia is a sending an unspecified number of troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major war games, officials said Tuesday, a deployment that will further beef up Russian military presence near Ukraine amid Western fears of a planned invasion.
Amid the soaring tensions, the White House warned that Russia could attack its neighbor at “any point,” while the U.K. delivered a batch of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the joint drills with Belarus would involve practicing a joint response to external threats.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine from several directions, including from its ally Belarus.
The U.S. again stressed its concern Tuesday, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki describing the Russian forces' move into Belarus as part of as “extremely dangerous situation.”
“We’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine,” she said.
A series of talks last week between Russia, the U.S. and NATO failed to quell the tensions over Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday in another attempt to defuse the crisis.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it has received a shipment of anti-tank weapons from the U.K., noting that they will help “strengthen our defense capability.”
Russia already has started moving troops for the war games in Belarus. Fomin said it would take through Feb. 9 to fully deploy weapons and personnel for the Allied Resolve 2022 drills, which are expected to take place Feb. 10-20.
Fomin didn't say how many troops will be involved, but mentioned that Russia will deploy a dozen Su-35 fighter jets and several air defense units to Belarus. The deployment would bolster an estimated 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and other heavy weapons who are already amassed near Ukraine.
Russia has denied that it intends to attack its neighbor but demanded guarantees from the West that NATO will not expand to Ukraine or other former Soviet nations or place its troops and weapons there. Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow’s demands during Russia-U.S. negotiations in Geneva and a related NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels last week.
Fomin said the drills in Belarus, which involve an unspecified number of troops from Russia's Eastern Military District, reflect the need to practice concentrating the country's entire military potential in the west.
"A situation may arise when forces and means of the regional group of forces will be insufficient to ensure reliable security of the union state, and we must be ready to strengthen it," Fomin said at a meeting with foreign military attaches. “We have reached an understanding with Belarus that it's necessary to engage the entire military potential for joint defense.”
Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, said the joint maneuvers will be conducted on Belarus’ western border and in the country’s south, where it borders Ukraine. Lukashenko, who has edged increasingly close to Russia amid Western sanctions over his government's crackdown on domestic protests, has recently offered to host Russian nuclear weapons.
A senior Biden administration official said the Russian troop deployment to Belarus raises concerns that Moscow may be planning to stage troops there to stretch Ukraine’s defenses with an attack from the north. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues, noted that the movement may also indicate Belarus’ willingness “to allow both Russian conventional and nuclear forces to be stationed on its territory.”
Amid the tensions, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it was speeding up efforts to form reserve battalions that would allow for the rapid deployment of 130,000 recruits to expand the country's 246,000-strong military.
The United States and its allies have urged Russia to deescalate the situation by calling back the troops amassed near Ukraine.
“In recent weeks, more than 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and guns have gathered near Ukraine without an understandable reason, and it’s hard not to understand that as a threat,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters Tuesday after talks in Moscow with her Russian counterpart, Lavrov.
Lavrov responded by restating Moscow's argument that it's free to deploy its forces wherever it considers it necessary on its territory.
“We can’t accept demands about our armed forces on our own territory,” Lavrov said. “We aren’t threatening anyone, but we are hearing threats to us."
Baerbock emphasized that the West was ready "for a serious dialogue on mutual agreements and steps to bring everyone in Europe more security.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Tuesday. He said “the main task now is to make progress on the political way forward” to prevent a military attack against Ukraine.
“NATO allies are ready to meet with Russia again, and today I have invited Russia and all the NATO allies to attend a series of meetings in the NATO-Russia Council in the near future to address our concerns but also listen to Russia’s concerns," Stoltenberg said.
He added that NATO “in the near future” will deliver its written proposals in response to Russian demands and "hopefully we can begin meeting after that.”
“We need to see what Russia says, and that will be a kind of pivotal moment,” the NATO chief said.
Lavrov, meanwhile, reaffirmed that Russia wants a quick Western answer to its demand for security guarantees that would preclude NATO's expansion to Ukraine and limit its presence in Eastern Europe. He repeated that in a phone conversation with Blinken, who will visit Ukraine on Wednesday and meet with Lavrov on Friday.
Speaking on a visit Tuesday to Ukraine, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly denounced the Russian troop buildup as unacceptable. She noted Canada's efforts to help train Ukraine's military, adding that it's currently considering Ukraine's demand to provide it with military equipment and will make “a decision in a timely manner.”
Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 after the ouster of Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly leader and also threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency that took over large sections in eastern Ukraine. More than 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting there.
———
Aamer Madhani and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Lorne Cook in Brussels, and Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
Russia moves more troops westward amid Ukraine tensions - ABC News (go.com)
jward
passin' thru
Russian 747 Cargo Plane Made A Highly Peculiar Roundabout Flight Across Finland
Amid tensions in the Baltic, the incident has led to much speculation as to why the Jumbo Jet took such a strange route.
By Thomas Newdick January 18, 2022
A Russian-operated Boeing 747-8 cargo aircraft recently flew a peculiar route straight through central and southern Finland, during a trip from Moscow to Leipzig in Germany. The reason for the extensive overflight, which was apparently planned in advance and took place over the weekend, is still unknown, but it triggered some alarm in Finland. It comes amid heightened East-West tensions in the continent in general, and especially within the Baltic region.
Flight RU675, operated by AirBridgeCargo Airlines, left Moscow on the evening of January 15. Initially heading north toward Murmansk, located at the end of the Barents Sea. The Jumbo Jet then made an abrupt turn to the west, over the White Sea. Normally, the aircraft would take a route altogether further south of the Baltic region. However, its new course took it over central Finland before emerging over the Baltic Sea and then heading on to Leipzig, in eastern Germany. At this stage, we don’t know what, if any cargo was on the plane and the operator has yet to offer a statement.
Flightradar24
The flight path of RU675 as plotted by Flightradar24.
As well as adding significant additional mileage, and around another hour to the flight time, the route apparently took the 747 over the headquarters of the Finnish Air Force, located in Tikkakoski, outside the city of Jyväskylä, as well as a military intelligence unit in the same city. RU675’s detour also took it in apparent close proximity to the military airbase at Halli in central Finland, although this doesn’t currently have any permanently based aircraft.
GOOGLE EARTH
Key points of interest involved in the RU675 overflight on January 15.
According to open-source flight data, the aircraft was operating at a cruising altitude of around 28,000 feet for the duration of its flight over Finland. While not low, this is substantially below the normal cruising altitude for the type.
Anna Zvereva/Wikimedia Commons
Boeing 747-8HVF VQ-BRH, operated by AirBridge Cargo, was the aircraft involved in the overflight of Finland.
While some observers have suggested that the reasons for the detour could have been nefarious — perhaps an intelligence-gathering mission or a deliberately provocative action — the Finnish Air Force has since said it was notified in advance of the route, providing the following statement:
The Finnish Air Force would neither confirm nor deny whether it had scrambled any of its F/A-18C Hornet fighter jets to intercept the Russian cargo plane.
Ilmavoimat
A Finnish Air Force F/A-18C releases flares during a nighttime air defense exercise last November.
Nevertheless, the statement from the Finnish Air Force today would seem to quash earlier reports that Flight RU675 was on an “unexpected” route. But even though a flight plan was apparently filed, that doesn’t make it clear what the 747 was doing or why, and Finland's air force has also declined to speculate.
Although the flight was apparently not redirected over Finland at short notice, it may still have provided a useful means of testing the reaction of the Finnish Defense Forces to unusual overflights of this kind. With a shared border and no lack of mutual distrust, the Finnish Defense Forces’ response may have been of interest to Russia, which could have pre-positioned airborne intelligence-gathering assets on its side of the border to monitor what happened.
Then there is the question of what was actually on board the aircraft or how was it configured. Actually installing surveillance devices aboard commercial flights is not an unprecedented idea by any means. During the Cold War, these kinds of activities were a constant source of concern for both sides, and flights eerily similar to this one did occur with Aeroflot aircraft. Fast forward to today and executing something similar would probably be easier than ever as highly-sensitive electronic surveillance equipment has become increasingly miniaturized with each passing year. That's not to say that was the case for this flight — there is no evidence to back up such a claim at this time — but it is surely something to keep in mind.
Meanwhile, the presence of Russian military aircraft in Finnish airspace is not unknown, either. In one notable incident covered by The War Zone, armed Russian Su-27 Flankers supposedly ventured into Finland’s airspace in 2016, and Finnish F/A-18s were scrambled on that occasion to intercept them.
Finnish Government
An armed Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet photographed from a Finnish F/A-18 that intercepted it, in 2016.
An official Finnish Defense Forces video showing the different Air Force, Navy, and Land Forces assets that monitor and defend Finnish airspace:
Whatever the reason for the unusual overflight, it succeeded in generating interest, and even a degree of concern in Finland, which may also have been reason alone, if Moscow were seeking to further add to the uncertainty in the Baltic region.
The last few days have already seen a spate of military incidents in the Baltic in which Russia has played a role and to which countries in the region, both NATO members and non-aligned, have responded both with rhetoric and with military deployments of their own.
A bolstered Russian Navy presence in the Baltic led to Sweden sending additional forces to the strategic island of Gotland, although the six landing ships that were underway in these waters have now departed the Baltic, their final destination is currently unknown.
Officials in Sweden consider that these Russian naval movements are irregular and there have been discussions about whether these deployments may also be related to Russian activity around its borders with Ukraine. An influx of Russian troops and materiel in part of Russia adjacent to Ukraine have led to continued concerns about a potential new invasion of that country by Moscow.
At the same time, Sweden has been looking into a spate of mysterious incidents involving unidentified drones, which appeared in its airspace over multiple nuclear power facilities, beginning on January 14, and which have continued since. The Swedish Security Service has now taken over the investigation which has been declared a “national special event.”
Another nation in the Baltic region, Denmark recently announced additional military measures in response to what it has determined to be Russian threats toward Ukraine. Denmark will deploy four F-16 fighter jets to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, while the frigate Peter Willemoes will be made available to NATO’s naval forces and is expected to patrol the Baltic Sea.
On the Russian side, other notable recent developments include preparations for joint military maneuvers with its close ally Belarus, which shares a roughly 700-mile border with Ukraine. In the past, there have been concerns that Russia might attempt a new invasion of Ukraine via Belarus, which would be preceded by deployment of additional Russian forces in Belarus, as is now happening for the current Allied Resolve exercise.
Elsewhere in Russia, snap drills in the Eastern Military District have also led to speculation that the country may be moving considerable additional forces to the west, closer to the border with Ukraine.
While there may well be an innocent explanation to AirBridgeCargo’s overflight of Finnish territory, it seems unlikely that these and other factors weren’t considered when the flight was planned. It seems possible this was either a deliberate attempt to create more confusion or it was decided that the risk of such confusion was one worth taking, for whatever other reason.
The stakes are clearly high in the current East-West standoff and the geopolitical situation in the Baltic region means it’s always likely to be a key area during tensions of this kind. The peculiar overflight by Flight RU675 only reinforces that reality.
Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
www.thedrive.com
Amid tensions in the Baltic, the incident has led to much speculation as to why the Jumbo Jet took such a strange route.
By Thomas Newdick January 18, 2022
A Russian-operated Boeing 747-8 cargo aircraft recently flew a peculiar route straight through central and southern Finland, during a trip from Moscow to Leipzig in Germany. The reason for the extensive overflight, which was apparently planned in advance and took place over the weekend, is still unknown, but it triggered some alarm in Finland. It comes amid heightened East-West tensions in the continent in general, and especially within the Baltic region.
Flight RU675, operated by AirBridgeCargo Airlines, left Moscow on the evening of January 15. Initially heading north toward Murmansk, located at the end of the Barents Sea. The Jumbo Jet then made an abrupt turn to the west, over the White Sea. Normally, the aircraft would take a route altogether further south of the Baltic region. However, its new course took it over central Finland before emerging over the Baltic Sea and then heading on to Leipzig, in eastern Germany. At this stage, we don’t know what, if any cargo was on the plane and the operator has yet to offer a statement.
Flightradar24
The flight path of RU675 as plotted by Flightradar24.
As well as adding significant additional mileage, and around another hour to the flight time, the route apparently took the 747 over the headquarters of the Finnish Air Force, located in Tikkakoski, outside the city of Jyväskylä, as well as a military intelligence unit in the same city. RU675’s detour also took it in apparent close proximity to the military airbase at Halli in central Finland, although this doesn’t currently have any permanently based aircraft.
GOOGLE EARTH
Key points of interest involved in the RU675 overflight on January 15.
According to open-source flight data, the aircraft was operating at a cruising altitude of around 28,000 feet for the duration of its flight over Finland. While not low, this is substantially below the normal cruising altitude for the type.
Anna Zvereva/Wikimedia Commons
Boeing 747-8HVF VQ-BRH, operated by AirBridge Cargo, was the aircraft involved in the overflight of Finland.
While some observers have suggested that the reasons for the detour could have been nefarious — perhaps an intelligence-gathering mission or a deliberately provocative action — the Finnish Air Force has since said it was notified in advance of the route, providing the following statement:
The Finnish Air Force would neither confirm nor deny whether it had scrambled any of its F/A-18C Hornet fighter jets to intercept the Russian cargo plane.
Ilmavoimat
A Finnish Air Force F/A-18C releases flares during a nighttime air defense exercise last November.
Nevertheless, the statement from the Finnish Air Force today would seem to quash earlier reports that Flight RU675 was on an “unexpected” route. But even though a flight plan was apparently filed, that doesn’t make it clear what the 747 was doing or why, and Finland's air force has also declined to speculate.
Although the flight was apparently not redirected over Finland at short notice, it may still have provided a useful means of testing the reaction of the Finnish Defense Forces to unusual overflights of this kind. With a shared border and no lack of mutual distrust, the Finnish Defense Forces’ response may have been of interest to Russia, which could have pre-positioned airborne intelligence-gathering assets on its side of the border to monitor what happened.
Then there is the question of what was actually on board the aircraft or how was it configured. Actually installing surveillance devices aboard commercial flights is not an unprecedented idea by any means. During the Cold War, these kinds of activities were a constant source of concern for both sides, and flights eerily similar to this one did occur with Aeroflot aircraft. Fast forward to today and executing something similar would probably be easier than ever as highly-sensitive electronic surveillance equipment has become increasingly miniaturized with each passing year. That's not to say that was the case for this flight — there is no evidence to back up such a claim at this time — but it is surely something to keep in mind.
Meanwhile, the presence of Russian military aircraft in Finnish airspace is not unknown, either. In one notable incident covered by The War Zone, armed Russian Su-27 Flankers supposedly ventured into Finland’s airspace in 2016, and Finnish F/A-18s were scrambled on that occasion to intercept them.
Finnish Government
An armed Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet photographed from a Finnish F/A-18 that intercepted it, in 2016.
An official Finnish Defense Forces video showing the different Air Force, Navy, and Land Forces assets that monitor and defend Finnish airspace:
Whatever the reason for the unusual overflight, it succeeded in generating interest, and even a degree of concern in Finland, which may also have been reason alone, if Moscow were seeking to further add to the uncertainty in the Baltic region.
The last few days have already seen a spate of military incidents in the Baltic in which Russia has played a role and to which countries in the region, both NATO members and non-aligned, have responded both with rhetoric and with military deployments of their own.
A bolstered Russian Navy presence in the Baltic led to Sweden sending additional forces to the strategic island of Gotland, although the six landing ships that were underway in these waters have now departed the Baltic, their final destination is currently unknown.
Officials in Sweden consider that these Russian naval movements are irregular and there have been discussions about whether these deployments may also be related to Russian activity around its borders with Ukraine. An influx of Russian troops and materiel in part of Russia adjacent to Ukraine have led to continued concerns about a potential new invasion of that country by Moscow.
At the same time, Sweden has been looking into a spate of mysterious incidents involving unidentified drones, which appeared in its airspace over multiple nuclear power facilities, beginning on January 14, and which have continued since. The Swedish Security Service has now taken over the investigation which has been declared a “national special event.”
Another nation in the Baltic region, Denmark recently announced additional military measures in response to what it has determined to be Russian threats toward Ukraine. Denmark will deploy four F-16 fighter jets to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, while the frigate Peter Willemoes will be made available to NATO’s naval forces and is expected to patrol the Baltic Sea.
On the Russian side, other notable recent developments include preparations for joint military maneuvers with its close ally Belarus, which shares a roughly 700-mile border with Ukraine. In the past, there have been concerns that Russia might attempt a new invasion of Ukraine via Belarus, which would be preceded by deployment of additional Russian forces in Belarus, as is now happening for the current Allied Resolve exercise.
Elsewhere in Russia, snap drills in the Eastern Military District have also led to speculation that the country may be moving considerable additional forces to the west, closer to the border with Ukraine.
While there may well be an innocent explanation to AirBridgeCargo’s overflight of Finnish territory, it seems unlikely that these and other factors weren’t considered when the flight was planned. It seems possible this was either a deliberate attempt to create more confusion or it was decided that the risk of such confusion was one worth taking, for whatever other reason.
The stakes are clearly high in the current East-West standoff and the geopolitical situation in the Baltic region means it’s always likely to be a key area during tensions of this kind. The peculiar overflight by Flight RU675 only reinforces that reality.
Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
Russian 747 Cargo Plane Made A Highly Peculiar Roundabout Flight Across Finland
Amid tensions in the Baltic, the incident has led to much speculation as to why the Jumbo Jet took such a strange route.
www.thedrive.com
northern watch
TB Fanatic
colonel holman
Veteran Member
particularly when 1 or 2 subs can cover that strategy quite well, and likely already do
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jward
passin' thru
Steve Rosenber
@BBCSteveR
A range of opinion in today’s Russian papers: from Moscow should threaten Western civilisation with destruction, to the Russian people won’t fight Ukrainians over “abstracts” like “geopolitics & [an alleged] Nato threat.” #ReadingRussia
@BBCNews
@BBCWorld
http://bbc.in/3qESj5S
4m
View: https://twitter.com/BBCSteveR/status/1483731267741007876?s=20
@BBCSteveR
A range of opinion in today’s Russian papers: from Moscow should threaten Western civilisation with destruction, to the Russian people won’t fight Ukrainians over “abstracts” like “geopolitics & [an alleged] Nato threat.” #ReadingRussia
@BBCNews
@BBCWorld
http://bbc.in/3qESj5S
4m
View: https://twitter.com/BBCSteveR/status/1483731267741007876?s=20
China waits until after the Russian invasion. They can use that as the reason to cancel the Olympics and save face vs cancelling for omicron. Once we move our assets and commit to Europe they strike Taiwan and that whole first island deal.
jed turtle
a brother in the Lord
If the Current Ukraine goverrnment hadn’t been the product of a western bought-and-paid for coup, one might be more open to the British general’s allegations. If the current Resident of the(fair use applies)/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/JWAIRDE76NNJDANJKYMMKZZT4A.jpg)
US senators promise solidarity and weapons for Ukraine in warning to Putin
A bipartisan group of United States senators promised solidarity and weapons on a visit to Kyiv on Monday while warning Russian President Vladimir Putin against launching a new military offensive against Ukraine.www.reuters.com
US senators promise solidarity and weapons for Ukraine in warning to Putin
January 17, 20222:40 PM EST | Last Updated 12 hours ago
KYIV, Jan 17 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of United States senators promised solidarity and weapons on a visit to Kyiv on Monday while warning Russian President Vladimir Putin against launching a new military offensive against Ukraine.
Kyiv and its Western allies have sounded the alarm after Russia massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders and pressed the United States for security guarantees, including a block on Ukraine joining the NATO alliance.
Russia denies planning a new military offensive.
The United States has been Ukraine's most powerful backer in its standoff with Moscow after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of the war in eastern Ukraine.
"I think Vladimir Putin has made the biggest mistake of his career in underestimating how courageously the people of Ukraine will fight him if he invades," Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters.
"And we will impose crippling economic sanctions, but more important we will give the people of Ukraine the arms, lethal arms they need to defend their lives and livelihoods," he said after the delegation met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
These weapons could include Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger missiles, small arms and boats, he said.
"And so our message is: there will be consequences if he chooses to violate the sanctity of this democracy," Senator Amy Klobuchar added.
White House didn’t have such a deep and scandalous relationship with Ukraine through his son, one might be persuaded somewhat by the article. If the connection of Ukraine‘s current military with fascist Nazis in the past weren’t so clear, the article could make some persuasive claims. If the promises of the West not to extend eastward towards Russia after the fall of the USSR were still honored, this current crisis would never have occurred.
if the West wasn’t deeply involved in using the “pandemic” to push a murderous vax and a Great Reset/ NWO upon the entire world, it might deserve to be taken seriously. However, from my perspective, Russia is trying to keep its people safe from the wicked rulers of the west. I hope somehow our own people here in the West wake up and demand an investigation of the clear crimes of our own rulers...
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danielboon
TB Fanatic
ELINT News Retweeted
U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet
@USNavyEurope
·
5h
Run silent, run deep- The Ohio-class guided-missile #Submarine #USSGeorgia (SSGN 729), operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, conducts a brief stop for personnel near Limassol, Cyprus, Jan. 15, 2022. #USNavy #NavyPartnerships
U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet
@USNavyEurope
·
5h
Run silent, run deep- The Ohio-class guided-missile #Submarine #USSGeorgia (SSGN 729), operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, conducts a brief stop for personnel near Limassol, Cyprus, Jan. 15, 2022. #USNavy #NavyPartnerships
Just have one of their boomers make a port call to Cuba or Venezuela.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
ELINT News Retweeted
Tommy Lund
@TommyLundn
·
17h
U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS U.S. QUESTIONS HOW MUCH CONTROL BELARUS LEADER LUKASHENKO STILL MAINTAINS -rtrs
Tommy Lund
@TommyLundn
·
17h
U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS U.S. QUESTIONS HOW MUCH CONTROL BELARUS LEADER LUKASHENKO STILL MAINTAINS -rtrs
jward
passin' thru
Apex
@Apex_WW
1m
Russia has not yet received a written response from the U.S. and NATO on security proposals, Moscow will not wait for them indefinitely. - Deputy FM Ryabkov
Ryabkov: Russia will do everything possible to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO
Last edited:
danielboon
TB Fanatic
The Intel Crab Retweeted
Petri Mäkelä
@pmakela1
·
3h
Note, military is recommending the course of action, not Russian foreign ministry. These security guarantees were engineered to be rejected.
Quote Tweet
Shashank Joshi
@shashj
· 3h
Lavrov: "the response...if Russia’s proposal regarding security guarantees were to be rejected...could vary widely. It depends on the recommendations that the Russian military make to the President. So, there’s no point in speculating." RIAC :: Member Comments
Petri Mäkelä
@pmakela1
·
3h
Note, military is recommending the course of action, not Russian foreign ministry. These security guarantees were engineered to be rejected.
Quote Tweet
Shashank Joshi
@shashj
· 3h
Lavrov: "the response...if Russia’s proposal regarding security guarantees were to be rejected...could vary widely. It depends on the recommendations that the Russian military make to the President. So, there’s no point in speculating." RIAC :: Member Comments
jward
passin' thru
Blinken says Russian attack on Ukraine could come at very short notice
By Simon Lewis
January 19, 20226:28 AM CST
KYIV, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Russia could launch a new attack on Ukraine at "very short notice" as he met the country's president on the first leg of a new diplomatic push to avert war.
Russia said tension around Ukraine was increasing and it was still waiting for a written U.S. response to its sweeping demands for security guarantees from the West.
The pessimistic statements highlighted the gulf between Washington and Moscow as Blinken gears up for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday that a Russian foreign policy analyst called "probably the last stop before the train wreck".
Blinken told diplomats at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv that a Russian build-up of tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border was taking place with "no provocation, no reason."
"We know that there are plans in place to increase that force even more on very short notice, and that gives President Putin the capacity, also on very short notice, to take further aggressive action against Ukraine," Blinken said.
Russia has also moved troops to Belarus for what it calls joint military exercises, giving it the option of attacking neighbouring Ukraine from the north, east and south. read more
But it continues to deny any such intention. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine, military manoeuvres and NATO aircraft flights were to blame for rising tension around Ukraine.
"HOPES ARE DIM"
The United States says Russia is threatening its post-Soviet neighbour and may be poised for a new invasion, eight years after it seized Crimea from Ukraine and backed separatist forces who took control of large parts of the east of the country.
Russia says it feels menaced by Kyiv's growing ties with the West and wants to impose "red lines" to prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO and to get the alliance to pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe. Washington says these demands are "non-starters".
Vladimir Frolov, a former Russian diplomat who is now a foreign policy analyst, said Moscow would not be appeased by a U.S. and NATO offer of arms control talks and was pursuing a much more sweeping rearrangement of the European security order.
"The Lavrov-Blinken meet is probably the last stop before the train wreck. But hopes are dim, the positions are incompatible," he said.
Describing Russia's military deployment in Belarus as a "huge escalation", Frolov gave a dire assessment of the crisis.
"I think barring a U.S. surrender and their delivering Ukraine to Russia, some kind of a military option is all but inevitable now."
The geopolitical tensions have started to be felt in Moscow, where the rouble edged upwards on Wednesday after hitting a nearly two-week low against the U.S. dollar and Russian stocks made a slight recovery after several sessions of sharp losses. Ukrainian sovereign dollar bonds are in distress territory. read more
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Blinken in Kyiv: "I would like to thank you personally and President Biden and the U.S. administration for military support for Ukraine, for increasing this assistance."
President Joe Biden's administration last month approved the provision of an additional $200 million in defensive security assistance to Ukraine and gave more such aid last year than at any point since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
On Monday, Britain said it had begun supplying Ukraine with anti-tank weapons to help it defend itself. read more
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called on the West on Wednesday to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and described the situation around European security as "critical", the Interfax news agency reported.
Russia held three rounds of talks last week with the United States, NATO and the 57-nation Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) but the discussions produced no breakthrough.
Lithuania's defence minister said the arrival of Russian troops in Belarus posed a direct threat to the Baltic country.
Arvydas Anusauskas wrote on Facebook: "In the current situation, we consider the entry of Russian military forces into Belarus not only as a destabilising factor of the security situation, but also as an even greater direct threat to Lithuania."
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/XTC4K73QPVMPBFERQTZA5XFW44.jpg)
www.reuters.com
By Simon Lewis
January 19, 20226:28 AM CST
- Blinken says Russia could attack Ukraine at short notice
- Kremlin says arms deliveries to Ukraine increase tension
- Blinken to meet Russia's Lavrov in Geneva on Friday
KYIV, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Russia could launch a new attack on Ukraine at "very short notice" as he met the country's president on the first leg of a new diplomatic push to avert war.
Russia said tension around Ukraine was increasing and it was still waiting for a written U.S. response to its sweeping demands for security guarantees from the West.
The pessimistic statements highlighted the gulf between Washington and Moscow as Blinken gears up for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday that a Russian foreign policy analyst called "probably the last stop before the train wreck".
Blinken told diplomats at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv that a Russian build-up of tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border was taking place with "no provocation, no reason."
"We know that there are plans in place to increase that force even more on very short notice, and that gives President Putin the capacity, also on very short notice, to take further aggressive action against Ukraine," Blinken said.
Russia has also moved troops to Belarus for what it calls joint military exercises, giving it the option of attacking neighbouring Ukraine from the north, east and south. read more
But it continues to deny any such intention. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine, military manoeuvres and NATO aircraft flights were to blame for rising tension around Ukraine.
"HOPES ARE DIM"
The United States says Russia is threatening its post-Soviet neighbour and may be poised for a new invasion, eight years after it seized Crimea from Ukraine and backed separatist forces who took control of large parts of the east of the country.
Russia says it feels menaced by Kyiv's growing ties with the West and wants to impose "red lines" to prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO and to get the alliance to pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe. Washington says these demands are "non-starters".
Vladimir Frolov, a former Russian diplomat who is now a foreign policy analyst, said Moscow would not be appeased by a U.S. and NATO offer of arms control talks and was pursuing a much more sweeping rearrangement of the European security order.
"The Lavrov-Blinken meet is probably the last stop before the train wreck. But hopes are dim, the positions are incompatible," he said.
Describing Russia's military deployment in Belarus as a "huge escalation", Frolov gave a dire assessment of the crisis.
"I think barring a U.S. surrender and their delivering Ukraine to Russia, some kind of a military option is all but inevitable now."
The geopolitical tensions have started to be felt in Moscow, where the rouble edged upwards on Wednesday after hitting a nearly two-week low against the U.S. dollar and Russian stocks made a slight recovery after several sessions of sharp losses. Ukrainian sovereign dollar bonds are in distress territory. read more
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Blinken in Kyiv: "I would like to thank you personally and President Biden and the U.S. administration for military support for Ukraine, for increasing this assistance."
President Joe Biden's administration last month approved the provision of an additional $200 million in defensive security assistance to Ukraine and gave more such aid last year than at any point since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
On Monday, Britain said it had begun supplying Ukraine with anti-tank weapons to help it defend itself. read more
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called on the West on Wednesday to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and described the situation around European security as "critical", the Interfax news agency reported.
Russia held three rounds of talks last week with the United States, NATO and the 57-nation Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) but the discussions produced no breakthrough.
Lithuania's defence minister said the arrival of Russian troops in Belarus posed a direct threat to the Baltic country.
Arvydas Anusauskas wrote on Facebook: "In the current situation, we consider the entry of Russian military forces into Belarus not only as a destabilising factor of the security situation, but also as an even greater direct threat to Lithuania."
Biden sees Russia moving on Ukraine, sows doubt on Western response
U.S. President Joe Biden predicted on Wednesday that Russia will make a move on Ukraine, saying Russia would pay dearly for a full-scale invasion but suggesting there could be a lower cost for a "minor incursion."
www.reuters.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
The Intel Crab Retweeted
Liveuamap
@Liveuamap
·
3h
Blinken, meeting Zelensky, urges Ukraine to "stick together" in the face of Russia as former president Poroshenko abruptly returns. "One of Moscow's longstanding goals has been to try to sow divisions between and within our countries" https://liveuamap.com/en/2022/19-january-blinken-meeting-zelensky-urges-ukraine-to-stick… via
@shauntandon
Liveuamap
@Liveuamap
·
3h
Blinken, meeting Zelensky, urges Ukraine to "stick together" in the face of Russia as former president Poroshenko abruptly returns. "One of Moscow's longstanding goals has been to try to sow divisions between and within our countries" https://liveuamap.com/en/2022/19-january-blinken-meeting-zelensky-urges-ukraine-to-stick… via
@shauntandon
jward
passin' thru
__________________________
RT 1:30
FRANCE 24 English
@France24_en
7m
#US Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened the hastily arranged visit to Kyiv by stepping up warnings about a possible Russian invasion of #Ukraine. Why is it so significant that #Blinken visits #Kyiv ? @gullivercragg explains
View: https://twitter.com/France24_en/status/1483802676399775747?s=20
northern watch
TB Fanatic
US Intelligence Report: Guerrilla Warfare the only solution - Ukraine opens Pandora's Box & for other conflicts! Numb in White House and State Department
19/01/2022 - 16:10
War News 24 / 7
Us analysts describe in black letters the evolution of the crisis in Ukraine. The report handed over by U.S. intelligence agencies "numb" both the White House and the Pentagon and the State Department.
They describe a crisis which they believe is closer than ever before. They stress that if Ukraine falls, new fronts will be opened up to the world, which is why they are proposing to lay the foundations for guerrilla warfare.
As they say, Russia has "almost completed" the deployment of its forces necessary for aggressive operations.
"Ukraine will open Pandora's Box for other conflicts"
To the question of why "the U.S. cares so much about Ukraine", the answer was given by MFA A. Blinken. He stated:
"We have been standing by Ukraine, its independence and integrity for many years. It is something bigger that goes beyond Ukraine. You have a country, Russia, that wants to change borders by using force.
If we allow this, we will open Pandora's Box. It is not just a question of Ukraine, there are other countries like Russia that will say 'let us do the same'.
And that's a recipe for conflict. It is a recipe for chaos, human losses and the undermining of democracy.
U.S. Services Report: Russian preparations completed
Each Iskander missile can hit targets within a radius of 500-700 km. This means that Kiev, the country's capital, is within range of action.
Critical 30 days
Russia's actions are also aimed at"limiting US capabilities" and"ensuring the security of the European continent".
"We are closely monitoring the plans of the Russian army. Russian forces began preparations several weeks before a military invasion.
Our assessment is that an invasion could occur at any time from mid-January to mid-February.
Guerrilla warfare the next phase
"The Biden Administration should consider arming Ukrainian rebels to launch a guerrilla war against Russian forces!
Reports say this has been communicated to the Russians by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III himself and General Mark A. Milley. who stressed that:
"The Russian invasion will face bloody guerrilla warfare that the US will support"!
"We know how to equip, train and activate the rebels."
The Americans leak that this guerrilla war will be supported with weapons and human resources by both the CIA and the US Pentagon.
At the moment Ukraine needs to be better informed on the battlefield in order to be able to respond easily to a Russian invasion.
It will then have to organise its forces to respond to an asymmetric war.
The main burden and responsibility of the operations here will lie with the Ukrainian special operations forces that will lead the guerrilla warfare efforts.
US Secret Service Report: Guerrilla Warfare the only solution - Ukraine opens Pandora's Box & for other conflicts! - WarNews247
19/01/2022 - 16:10
War News 24 / 7
Us analysts describe in black letters the evolution of the crisis in Ukraine. The report handed over by U.S. intelligence agencies "numb" both the White House and the Pentagon and the State Department.
They describe a crisis which they believe is closer than ever before. They stress that if Ukraine falls, new fronts will be opened up to the world, which is why they are proposing to lay the foundations for guerrilla warfare.
As they say, Russia has "almost completed" the deployment of its forces necessary for aggressive operations.
"Ukraine will open Pandora's Box for other conflicts"
To the question of why "the U.S. cares so much about Ukraine", the answer was given by MFA A. Blinken. He stated:
"We have been standing by Ukraine, its independence and integrity for many years. It is something bigger that goes beyond Ukraine. You have a country, Russia, that wants to change borders by using force.
If we allow this, we will open Pandora's Box. It is not just a question of Ukraine, there are other countries like Russia that will say 'let us do the same'.
And that's a recipe for conflict. It is a recipe for chaos, human losses and the undermining of democracy.
U.S. Services Report: Russian preparations completed
- "Russia deployed military forces on the Russian-Ukrainian border by transferring Army from the Central and Eastern regions of the country. This military deployment is now taking on a "permanent character".
- In addition, a whole chain of logistical support, hospitals and security services have been set up that "confirm preparations for aggressive operations".
- Russia can use its ballistic systems to "destroy vital targets", noting that "Iskander Brigades have been transferred to the Russian-Ukrainian border."
Each Iskander missile can hit targets within a radius of 500-700 km. This means that Kiev, the country's capital, is within range of action.
Critical 30 days
- Russia has completed its war preparations. A total of 127,000 troops have been deployed towards Ukraine.
- In addition, Russian spy activity against Ukraine has increased, additional interception and interception units have been transferred to the region and spy flights on the Russian-Ukrainian border have tripled.
- Specifically, Russia has transferred 106,000 soldiers. Along with the air detachment as well as the naval forces, the total number is 127,000 men.
Russia's actions are also aimed at"limiting US capabilities" and"ensuring the security of the European continent".
- Russia supports 35,000 rebels in Eastern Ukraine and has another 3,000 Russian soldiers inside Eastern Ukraine territory.
- At the same time, another possible front has been created along the northern border with Belarus.
"We are closely monitoring the plans of the Russian army. Russian forces began preparations several weeks before a military invasion.
Our assessment is that an invasion could occur at any time from mid-January to mid-February.
Guerrilla warfare the next phase
"The Biden Administration should consider arming Ukrainian rebels to launch a guerrilla war against Russian forces!
Reports say this has been communicated to the Russians by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III himself and General Mark A. Milley. who stressed that:
"The Russian invasion will face bloody guerrilla warfare that the US will support"!
"We know how to equip, train and activate the rebels."
The Americans leak that this guerrilla war will be supported with weapons and human resources by both the CIA and the US Pentagon.
At the moment Ukraine needs to be better informed on the battlefield in order to be able to respond easily to a Russian invasion.
It will then have to organise its forces to respond to an asymmetric war.
The main burden and responsibility of the operations here will lie with the Ukrainian special operations forces that will lead the guerrilla warfare efforts.
US Secret Service Report: Guerrilla Warfare the only solution - Ukraine opens Pandora's Box & for other conflicts! - WarNews247
jward
passin' thru
19 Jan, 06:29
Russia will not move troops in its territory under foreign pressure — diplomat
Lately, the Western countries and Kiev have been speculating a great deal about the risks of Russia invading Ukraine
MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. Russia will not introduce any amendments to the deployment of its armed forces in its own territory under foreign pressure, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday in the wake of US demands for pulling back Russian forces from the border with Ukraine.
"As far as US demands for withdrawing troops from the border with Ukraine are concerned, we will continue to patiently explain to our counterparts that the forces and means in question are in our own territory and that we are not going to introduce any amendments to their deployment and movements under foreign pressure," Ryabkov said on the platform of the Valdai Discussion Club.
Lately, the Western countries and Kiev have been speculating a great deal about the risks of Russia invading Ukraine. Peskov dismissed such allegations as groundless fanning of tensions. He stressed that Russia posed no threat to anyone. Also, he did not rule out the risk of provocations and warned that attempts at handling the crisis in southeastern Ukraine from the position of strength would entail dire effects.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday called upon US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to refrain from indulging in speculations about preparations for Russian aggression in Ukraine and to make Kiev comply with the Minsk agreements instead.
tass.com
Russia will not move troops in its territory under foreign pressure — diplomat
Lately, the Western countries and Kiev have been speculating a great deal about the risks of Russia invading Ukraine
MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. Russia will not introduce any amendments to the deployment of its armed forces in its own territory under foreign pressure, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday in the wake of US demands for pulling back Russian forces from the border with Ukraine.
"As far as US demands for withdrawing troops from the border with Ukraine are concerned, we will continue to patiently explain to our counterparts that the forces and means in question are in our own territory and that we are not going to introduce any amendments to their deployment and movements under foreign pressure," Ryabkov said on the platform of the Valdai Discussion Club.
Lately, the Western countries and Kiev have been speculating a great deal about the risks of Russia invading Ukraine. Peskov dismissed such allegations as groundless fanning of tensions. He stressed that Russia posed no threat to anyone. Also, he did not rule out the risk of provocations and warned that attempts at handling the crisis in southeastern Ukraine from the position of strength would entail dire effects.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday called upon US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to refrain from indulging in speculations about preparations for Russian aggression in Ukraine and to make Kiev comply with the Minsk agreements instead.
Russia will not move troops in its territory under foreign pressure — diplomat
Lately, the Western countries and Kiev have been speculating a great deal about the risks of Russia invading Ukraine
tass.com
colonel holman
Veteran Member
What will be the wartime red lines for NATO/US upon Russian invasion? When will NATO directly join the battle? The fall or destruction of Kiev? Odessa? Vinnytsia? Lviv? When will Russia attack mil targets outside of Ukraine proper that are or may support Ukr defense? Black Sea naval engagements against NATO-US battle groups?
Since crushing economic sanctions will be the same whether Russian actions are limited and focused versus total invasion, not much motivation for them to keep action limited. There are no advantages to keeping incursion limited. Might as well pay cash for the whole enchilada.
Germany cost Russia 20 million deaths only 75 yrs ago, as well as repeated earlier hostilities, so Russia would not hesitate much to eliminate all future German, and even Polish threats. They may even have the gonads to go Sampson option against all potential threats (NATO, Turkey, US, even Israel) on the assumption they can weather any deadman retaliation if they believe they have the technology to limit that. They may assume the US has been castrated enough to defeat. Gives one a doomer hardon.
jward
passin' thru
Status-6
@Archer83Able
15m
US Secretary of State Blinken said he won't present a written response on Russia's security proposals to Russian FM Lavrov at Friday's meeting.
@Archer83Able
15m
US Secretary of State Blinken said he won't present a written response on Russia's security proposals to Russian FM Lavrov at Friday's meeting.
Million dollar questions right there. I dont see NATO as a unified block taking a stand until NATO proper is attacked or until the Russian offensive shows real signs of continuing into NATO nations. Germany has already taken a stand about supporting Ukraine by refusing defensive weapons shipments. The US has repeatedly used the term territorial integrity of the Ukraine. At a minimum we will heavily support them with material even in a guerilla war per above. Potentially provide air support. Dont see ground troops simply because we dont have much in Europe now and it will be over before we can get them there. Same for the UK. The challenge for Russia is if it takes the whole of the Ukraine it has to hold it with a very hostile people. They may be better served going to the river, taking Kiev and stopping. Announce they have their buffer and are protecting their people and be done. How stinging those economic sanctions will be is unknown. China will suck up a lot of materials and energy from Russia. Unless the US and EU can come up with a fast and efficient means to provide energy to the EU, the EU will be forced to purchase Russian gas. It all depends how hard it will hit Putin and his cronies in the wallet.
There is no real threat to Russia proper. Most have learned that lesson. Germany has been wholy castrated. They will not be a threat to Russia for generations. If this goes hot without any attack on NATO, I fully expect them to deny the US and UK use of German territory for flights, movements etc.
Thats my wild ass guess. I dont see nukes from Russia or any of the major powers unless something like Moscow is about to get overrun or Paris or London.
Hand him a dirty napkin with the word NUTS written on it.
FreedomoftheHills
Contributing Member
US foreign service, led by Blinken, could not mishandle this situation any more thoroughly if they were TRYING to start an armed conflict.
Which I think is very informative.
Vegas321
Live free and survive
Yeah, getting ready to bug out, has only been reinforced, with all actions thus far.
TheSearcher
Are you sure about that?
Because Russia demands a written answer to a question asked and answered repeatedly since the 1990s?
I am no fan of Blinken, but getting led around by the nose by Russia is a mistake no matter who is representing the USA.
CaryC
Has No Life - Lives on TB
While that is cool, better yet......stick your head in the sand and maybe it will go away.
CaryC
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I get what you are saying.
I don't trust the Russians anymore than I do our own MSM, or intelligence agencies.
BUT simply ignoring Russian demands, and make no mistake that is what Blinken is doing and all the other Sec. of State employees in their negotiations, is an even bigger mistake.
The very first thing our SS said was "...it's a non starter...".
TheSearcher
Are you sure about that?
Saying the topic is a non-starter is not ignoring anything, it is acknowledging that the topic is fruitless and will not be discussed. The decision has been made already, Russia demanding a different decision is improper.