Russia - threadbanned users in OP

The Russians have been supplying Assad's forces with hardware for years. Putin gave them thermobaric missiles.

Not surprised given what's being said here.

I see Ukrainian soldiers wearing the Irish flag on their uniform as well.

Yes - his time would be much better spent on an online forum, talking garbage, being disingenuous and trying to start arguments. while all the time acting as though he is being treated unfairly

He could also bloviate continuously, and reassure himself that HE IS IMPORTANT. While asking nonsensical question, insulting those who CHOSE to fight.

MUCH better time spent no doubt

"Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East ready to fight alongside Russia-backed forces."

Shocking if true, Russia is fighting back and this could escalate

Speaking on MSNBC yesterday, Andrei Kozyrev made the point that Putin has increasingly surrounded himself by 'yes' men. None of them are willing to tell him the truth or give less than positive information for fear of the response.

The interview with the FSB analyst that was published last week made the same point - if the analysts produce a report that isn't what the higher ups want to present to Putin then they are accused of not doing their job.

The Bellingcat investigative reporter, Hristo Grozev, has been told the same by his sources within the FSB. Bad news is never passed on to the Kremlin.

Putin lost the plot because he learned that they had fired 8 of their expensive cruise missiles at an airport. Hristo Grozev joked that they still haven't told him that Ukrainian peasants have been recovering items of equipment worth tens of millions of dollars.

The entire hierarchy is corrupt because of the need to project a fantasy to Putin. He believed the fantasy and acted from what he believed was a position of strength.

Russia's annual defense budget has been around $65 Billion since 2015. It would appear that very little has gone to where it was supposed to. Between 2012 and 2014 the defense budget was over $80 Billion, the additional budget was for upgrades and modernizing existing equipment like adding additional armor plating to older generation tanks. However, there are cardboard egg trays hanging off the side of T-72 and T-80 tanks in Ukraine.

I've seen it posted here on Boards and elsewhere online that the real Russian army is being held back in the event that NATO become involved - people have a hard time believing that a supposed super power has been bluffing the world for so long. It doesn't appear that Putin knew it either.

Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes has come to life with tragic consequences for the people of Ukraine and the Russian soldiers sent there.

When did I say Putin was monitoring boards? Lol

You're getting carried away.

It can be fairly certain that there is equipment lost without photos being taken of them. It would be interesting to know what the real figure is.

I didn't claim anything like that. You're just imagining this in your fury to lash out. Or else getting me mixed up with another poster.

Either way, time to chill out.

Whooosh and back to the point made - you think Putin and friends give a fcuk about Irelands historical neutrality?