Russia Invades ukraine

[spudulike]

Just now, nepia said:

Stop messing about Steve - tell us what you think!

 

I wonder what Vlad's new best mate Xi Jinping is thinking now...  apart from 'I need to be more careful about choosing my friends'!

 

About right, hopefully he has got the message.

I have to say total respect to the Ukrainian President, seems like a very passionate fella and hope he comes out of this OK. 

[Mesterh]

With a three mile long convoy of tanks and no doubt air support on the way and since the West has used up all of its sanction cards I can hazard at a guess what the negotiations are going to be. Surrender now or be obliterated.

 

Russia-Ukraine latest: Three-mile column of Russian troops and tanks 'moving towards Kyiv'

WWW.TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

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A three-mile column of Russian troops and tanks have been...

 

Grim times. 

 

[topchippyles]

9 minutes ago, spudulike said:

About right, hopefully he has got the message.

I have to say total respect to the Ukrainian President, seems like a very passionate fella and hope he comes out of this OK. 

Ukrainian President. He would have had good training reading some of the threads on here the way they deteriorate. Seems to be very cool under pressure and has his people at heart.

[scotspine1]

6 minutes ago, topchippyles said:

Ukrainian President. Seems to be very cool under pressure and has his people at heart

 

19 minutes ago, spudulike said:

I have to say total respect to the Ukrainian President, seems like a very passionate fella

 

If Assad or Gaddafi had given weapons to civilians (including women) to send them into combat with a trained army it would have been decried in the West as a historic war crime.

 

 

[topchippyles]

4 minutes ago, scotspine1 said:

 

 

If Assad or Gaddafi had given weapons to civilians (including women) to send them into combat with a trained army it would have been decried in the West as a historic war crime.

 

 

 

[topchippyles]

INERESTING 

 

So why’s Russia after Ukraine?

For those who ask: “Why does Ukraine matter? “

This is why Ukraine matters.

Being the second largest country by area in Europe and has a population of over 40 million, Ukraine ranks:

1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores

2nd place in Europe and 10th place in the world in terms of titanium ore reserves

2nd place in the world in terms of explored reserves of manganese ores (2.3 billion tons, or 12% of the world's reserves)

2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons)

2nd place in Europe in terms of mercury ore reserves

3rd place in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves (22 trillion cubic meters)

4th in the world by the total value of natural resources

7th place in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)

Ukraine is an important agricultural country:

1st in Europe in terms of arable land area

3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world's volume)

1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil

2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley exports

3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world

4th largest producer of potatoes in the world

5th largest rye producer in the world

5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons)

8th place in the world in wheat exports

9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs

16th place in the world in cheese exports

Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.

Ukraine is an important industrialized country:

1st in Europe in ammonia production

Europe's 2nd’s and the world’s 4th largest natural gas pipeline system

3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in terms of installed capacity of nuclear power plants;l

3rd place in Europe and 11th in the world in terms of rail network length (21,700 km)

3rd place in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of locators and locating equipment

3rd largest iron exporter in the world

4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world

4th world's largest manufacturer of rocket launchers

4th place in the world in clay exports

4th place in the world in titanium exports

8th place in the world in exports of ores and concentrates

9th place in the world in exports of defence industry products

10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons)

Ukraine matters. That is why its independence is important to the rest of the world. These resources are why Russia is chomping at the bits to take i

[AHPP]

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

 

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/maps-and-graphics/2017/04/04/updated-mapped-world-war

 

[scotspine1]

50 minutes ago, topchippyles said:

 

 

They are being sacrificed by the Ukrainian regime to make the war as bloody as possible and get lots of footage of the Russian army mowing down untrained civilians for atrocity propaganda. They are being set up to be martyrs for misguided propaganda purposes. 

 

Giving untrained civilians AK47s and expecting them to use these weapons effectively  against trained soldiers is akin to giving a monkey a razor blade and expect it not to cut itself. 

 

It is a despicable act of desperation and would suggest Zelensky knows his days are numbered. 

 

[Macpherson]

4 minutes ago, scotspine1 said:

 

 

If Assad or Gaddafi had given weapons to civilians (including women) to send them into combat with a trained army it would have been decried in the West as a historic war crime.

 

 

 

I think if I was a Ukrainian I'd want a weapon, but I take you're point and without training it will probably just lead to a reason to kill civilians.

 

Saw footage of captured Russian soldiers saying that they were tricked into combat thinking they were on exercises, they were just kids who seemed glad to be still alive and with no appetite for war as seems to be the case with many ordinary Russians,   cheers.

[spudulike]

Just now, scotspine1 said:

 

They are being sacrificed by the Ukrainian regime to make the war as bloody as possible and get lots of footage of the Russian army mowing down untrained civilians for atrocity propaganda. They are being set up to be martyrs for misguided propaganda purposes. 

 

Giving untrained civilians AK47s and expecting them to use these weapons effectively  against trained soldiers is akin to giving a monkey a razor blade and expect it not to cut itself. 

 

It is a despicable act of desperation and would suggest Zelensky knows his days are numbered. 

 

So, if the Russians rolled up your high street and you were given a Kalashnikov and an anti tank missile, what would you do? Chuck it all in or give it a go....I think my Grandfathers would turn in their graves if I gave it up!

My personal view is they are fighting for their freedom...Shit or Bust as we say. Whatever it is, those civilians are brave in my eyes.

Two sides to every tale but that is the way I see it.