Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

There are reports that it could be MLRS - pretty nasty - several saying under Geneva convention constitutes a war crime. Seems very intense and targeting of civilians. I find the OSINT reporters good as they try to be as accurate as possible and will correct themselves if incorrect.

The above is a very good source - he has been covering this over the last number of months.

Really good discussion on Triggernometry about Ukraine. One of the presenters is Russian and has Russian speaking relatives in Ukraine. Can also be found as a podcast to listen to on the go.

https://youtu.be/dNnq8gMAE-8

There are a number of YOUTUBE channels and twitter accounts providing videos of attacks, including a supposed use of Thermobaric's last night - the footage all seems genuine, but the videos are often mislabeled - these are from civilian sources and these people (who are in a terrible situation) would not be able to tell what is happening, except that they are under attack. It may have seemed as though it was carpet bombing to citizens (who we should commend for their bravery in providing footage of what is going on)

They can fire various types of rocket. The cluster munitions they used are now outlawed afaik. Same goes for their rapid minelaying capability.

"Russia is restoring its unity - the tragedy of 1991, this terrible catastrophe in our history, its unnatural dislocation, has been overcome. Yes, at a great cost, yes, through the tragic events of a virtual civil war, because now brothers, separated by belonging to the Russian and Ukrainian armies, are still shooting at each other, but there will be no more Ukraine as anti-Russia. Russia is restoring its historical fullness, gathering the Russian world, the Russian people together - in its entirety of Great Russians, Belarusians and Little Russians. If we had abandoned this, if we had allowed the temporary division to take hold for centuries, then we would not only betray the memory of our ancestors, but would also be cursed by our descendants for allowing the disintegration of the Russian land"

If it is genuine, which i actually think it is - it just proves once again that Russia is an out and out dictatorship, and that its people are lied to as par for the course - also, it cited that this came from Reuters - which is unbelievable. This is North Korean style nonsense now. Nothing that comes out of Russia can be taken seriously (IMHO this has been the case for some time - but now, this is rather beyond doubt)

So officially, Putin's Russia is threatening Nuclear War, because of Liz Truss

Also Sky reporting further enhancement of Nuclear Deterrence forces in Russia (so they have moved their alert upward yet again)

I do think we have to consider whether this man is at all rational. Up to now i have resisted considering this. Morally the man is repugnant (lets be frank, he always was) - but moral repugnance does not necessarily imply mental instability. - But this is all very worrying now. To say this is an over-reaction is not sufficient imho

A terrifying thought - tbh we just have to hope that this is all bluster and nonsense - Effectively we have to hope that the Kremlin doesnt believe its own propaganda - the alternative is that this could escalate dramatically, and who knows where it would end. I found the mere mention of Nukes to be baffling yesterday and was genuinely pleased that the West/NATO didnt rise to the occasion - the effective response was that Russia knows how deterrence works- and understands the consequences involved so

Doing this again today, doubling down on the Nuclear threat - it just is not rational at all - it makes no sense at all (unless you entertain the possibility that it is all to pressure the Ukrainians? which i cannot believe)

Very worrying