Ukraine V

[stony]

Finally US passes aid bill

Crucial $60.8bn Ukraine aid package approved by US House of Representatives after months of deadlock

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted to say he was "grateful" for the decision, which he said "keeps history on the right track".

news.sky.com

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-68861011

It might take few weeks before anything will be actually delivered so I expect fighting will intensify during that period and Russians will try to make as much advantage as they can before Ukraine will be able to fight them back with this all new gear.

 

[Amber Audio]

It might take few weeks before anything will be actually delivered so I expect fighting will intensify during that period and Russians will try to make as much advantage as they can before Ukraine will be able to fight them back with this all new gear.

They’ve been staging ammo in Poland and other countries, Senate vote is Tuesday, once Biden signs the 155 shells will start arriving in days.

 

[Bart]

Great news for Ukraine, though reports I have heard say it is not enough for them to win, only enough to keep them ‘in the game’. Hopefully if Europe comes up with more additional help quickly that can be improved upon.
Bad news for Putin, maybe this will force him to take more unpopular action at home to bolster troop numbers and ammunition production leading to more dissent.

 

[Mike Reed]

They’ve been staging ammo in Poland

'Staging'. What does this mean, Amber? New one on me.

This 'opening tap' for materiel to Ukraine is timely inasmuch as I've read that Russia looks like launching a spring (or early summer?) offensive. Without back-up to bolster Ukraine's facilities, greater land grab inroads would've been certain, making any offensive progress by Ukraine much more difficult.

 

[Amber Audio]

There are a lot of problems, the mobilisation changes are extremely unpopular, read an article saying if Ukraine had gone all out with law changes Feb 2022 and fully mobilised people would have swallowed it, now it’s a mess - nobody wants to fight when it’s looking likely they’ll end up cargo 200/300. Maybe once they can fire back enough shells to slow, halt or push back the Russian advances objections will reduce.

They hit Sevastopol a few hours ago, rumours a ship was hit, traffic over the bridge has been stopped, assume as a precaution.

 

[Amber Audio]

'Staging'. What does this mean, Amber? New one on me.

This 'opening tap' for materiel to Ukraine is timely inasmuch as I've read that Russia looks like launching a spring (or early summer?) offensive. Without back-up to bolster Ukraine's facilities, greater land grab inroads would've been certain, making any offensive progress by Ukraine much more difficult.

They have already delivered munitions to military bases/logistics depots of certain European allies, notably Poland, as in staged ready to ship, this was in anticipation of the bill being signed. That means they can get some stuff to the front in days rather than weeks/months. Estimates are June 2024 before it makes a telling difference but everything they can get up to then will slow the invasion, Chasiv Yar is seriously important for them to keep control of, it’s a key part of their defensive city network, if it falls it’ll be a really bad day opening up a way for large advances.

Russians claim their ship was attacked in Crimea, fire occurred – video

Russian media and Telegram channels reported explosions in the city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea on the morning of 21 April. The Russians later claimed that a ship had been attacked by a missile.

www.pravda.com.ua

​

 

[Amber Audio]

'Staging'. What does this mean, Amber? New one on me.

This 'opening tap' for materiel to Ukraine is timely inasmuch as I've read that Russia looks like launching a spring (or early summer?) offensive. Without back-up to bolster Ukraine's facilities, greater land grab inroads would've been certain, making any offensive progress by Ukraine much more difficult.

Here’s an article - the US call it “surging”

After Congress finally does pass new funding, this is how the US can rush weapons to Ukraine

The Pentagon can get weapons moving to Ukraine quickly once Congress passes a long-delayed aid bill.

apnews.com

 

[tones]

From Heather Cox Richardson's latest Letter from an American:

For his part, leading Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev had his own reaction to the House’s passage of the national security supplemental bill with aid for Ukraine. He vowed that Russia would win the war anyway and added: “[C]onsidering the russophobic decision that took place I can't help but wish the USA with all sincerity to dive into a new civil war themselves as quickly as possible. Which, I hope, will be very different from the war between North and South in the 19th century and will be waged using aircraft, tanks, artillery, MLRS, all types of missiles and other weapons. And which will finally lead to the inglorious collapse of the vile evil empire of the 21st century—the United States of America.”

Something about pots and kettles...

But some thoughts on the matter from the NYT:

Opinion | Give Me Liberty or Give Me … What?

Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is not a vision of what might happen in America but a collage of what already has happened, some here and much elsewhere.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Bart]

From Heather Cox Richardson's latest Letter from an American:

For his part, leading Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev had his own reaction to the House’s passage of the national security supplemental bill with aid for Ukraine. He vowed that Russia would win the war anyway and added: “[C]onsidering the russophobic decision that took place I can't help but wish the USA with all sincerity to dive into a new civil war themselves as quickly as possible. Which, I hope, will be very different from the war between North and South in the 19th century and will be waged using aircraft, tanks, artillery, MLRS, all types of missiles and other weapons. And which will finally lead to the inglorious collapse of the vile evil empire of the 21st century—the United States of America.”

Something about pots and kettles...

…. if ever there was a warning about the dangers of strong drink !

 

[Mike Reed]

Here’s an article - the US call it “surging”

As 'materiEl is spelt 'material' in that article, I don't give it much credence. Pretty sure the Americans haven't changed THAT word as it only has military significance, as far as I know..

 

[DonQuixote99]

From Heather Cox Richardson's latest Letter from an American:

For his part, leading Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev had his own reaction to the House’s passage of the national security supplemental bill with aid for Ukraine. He vowed that Russia would win the war anyway and added: “[C]onsidering the russophobic decision that took place I can't help but wish the USA with all sincerity to dive into a new civil war themselves as quickly as possible. Which, I hope, will be very different from the war between North and South in the 19th century and will be waged using aircraft, tanks, artillery, MLRS, all types of missiles and other weapons. And which will finally lead to the inglorious collapse of the vile evil empire of the 21st century—the United States of America.”

Something about pots and kettles...

But some thoughts on the matter from the NYT:

Opinion | Give Me Liberty or Give Me … What?

Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is not a vision of what might happen in America but a collage of what already has happened, some here and much elsewhere.

www.nytimes.com

If you go to tones' NYT link (it's a gift link, it will work) you can then click on the 'related link' at the bottom, and read Stephen Marche's essay on the Civil War movie, from April 11th. Very worthwhile. Just one quote: "the real forces sending the United States toward ever-deeper division: inequality; a hyperpartisan duopoly; and an antiquated and increasingly dysfunctional Constitution.....The greatest political danger in America isn’t fascism, and it isn’t wokeness. It’s inertia. America needs a warning."

It was actually a revelation to me to see that the far right views wokeness the way we view fascism.

This link to the Marche piece may work: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/11/...type=Article&action=click&module=RelatedLinks

 

[DonQuixote99]

As 'materiEl is spelt 'material' is that article, I don't give it much credence. Pretty sure the Americans haven't changed THAT word as it only has military significance, as far as I know..

Foo, a reporter reports on things beyond his special expertise, that's all that means. A niggling mistake that does not impeach the whole article. Indeed, I think your cavil is a rationale, and a thin one, for rejecting an article you don't like for some other reason.

 

[Mike Reed]

for rejecting an article you don't like for some other reason.

Sorry, yes, it sounded like a rejection but it wasn't; a lot in that article is known/has been reported already but I read it. Considering it's Associated Press, I just found it par for the course nowadays for articles not to be proof-read even if the designated reporters were ignorant or simply made an uncorrected error. Whatever, it aroused my pedantry because our language has really been falling by the wayside these past two decades or so, though I admit my bias, which most on here know of.

Actually, that error was a quotation from another source.

 

[Nick_G]

It was actually a revelation to me to see that the far right views wokeness the way we view fascism.

Well, given that being 'woke' is by definition anti-fascist, it's logical...

 

[Kirk]

Looks like some 'frozen' Russian assets will also be donated.

GOP shots fired.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1782048667223965764

 

[Chefren]

'Staging'. What does this mean, Amber? New one on me.

This 'opening tap' for materiel to Ukraine is timely inasmuch as I've read that Russia looks like launching a spring (or early summer?) offensive. Without back-up to bolster Ukraine's facilities, greater land grab inroads would've been certain, making any offensive progress by Ukraine much more difficult.

Staging is a term used in some areas as a preparation for implementing or releasing something. In the military, staging areas are used to gather troops and materiel before starting an operation. In IT, before changes are released to production, they are often released in a staging environment first, as a dry-run before the actual go-live deployment.

 

[Kirk]

Press confirming that long-range ATACMS are already in Ukraine. WW shortage of artillery shells still a problem.

 

[cooky1257]

So Azov neo nazis are now 'elite' soldiers?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ks-trend-of-ukrainian-losses-on-eastern-front

Profile: Who are Ukraine’s far-right Azov regiment?

The far-right neo-Nazi group has expanded to be part of Ukraine’s armed forces, a street militia and a political party.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Amber Audio]

So Azov neo nazis are now 'elite' soldiers? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ks-trend-of-ukrainian-losses-on-eastern-front

What’s your point?

 

[Vinny]

Interesting if all true, and certainly believable.
The channel insists that it researches what it puts up as far as possible before loading to YouTube -