When it comes to all the natural gas/energy oligarchs going all in on murder/suicide, well, things stink. As I noted Thursday, the very precise wording of some of the Russian coverage speaks volumes.
Then we get to the fires. Not just the huge forest fires in Siberia, but at a defense research and production facility and, at a huge chemical plant near Moscow. While the defense facility may impact war operations, the chemical plant is likely to have a fast and massive effect on the war effort as well as the civilian economy. This excellent thread explains why.
Homework for the weekend. Yes, I’m one of those a******s who gives out homework assignments to do over the weekend. Read this thread on the history of Mariupol from Kamil Galeev. Then, if you want to learn more about the history of Imperial Russia, check out the books in this thread.
Trent Telenko has some interesting threads here, here, and here. If the Ukrainians can continue to go after Russian logistics, and effectively go after Russian artillery, it’s going to get very interesting for the Russians.
As for the comments made that Russia wants the East and South at a minimum, well, Duh. That’s been a topic of discussion here and at other blogs pretty much from the start. That they will also go into Moldova per the same comments: not a surprise. Moldova, Georgia, the Baltics — they are all on the Russkiy Mir list. The only bit of surprise I have is that they seem to think they can do it and get away with it. Right now, with having to conscript 16-year-olds and grandfathers to replace losses, logistics delivery problems, materials shortages, and all the other problems they have (including units in all but open mutiny), they might want to thinking a touch more realistically.
Have a great weekend!
Some Previous Posts:
Answers, Ramblings, And A Bit More On Vladimir And The Ukraine
Your Must Read For The Day On Russia
The Puzzles In Play, And The Missing Pieces
Quick Thoughts On Ukraine/Putin
Missing Pieces And Surprise Pieces
Accuracy, Reliability, And More
Putin, Trump, And The Coming Storm
War, Ag, Demographics, And The Worst Is Yet To Come
Past, Present, And A Hungry Future
*****
If you like what you are reading, feel free to hit the tip jar in the upper right or the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo. Getting hit by lightning is not fun, and it is thanks to your help and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
If you’re interested in Russian history and wargaming, Nevsky is now out:
“Nevsky is a board wargame about the storied clash between Latin Teutonic and Orthodox Russian powers along the Baltic frontier of the mid-13th-Century. It is the first volume in GMT Games’Levy & Campaign Series portraying military operations in a variety of pre-industrial conflicts. In Nevsky,players raise and equip their armies, then provision and maneuver them to ravage or conquer enemy territory or defeat enemy forces in battle. Feudal politics obligate an array of lords and vassals to serve on campaign—but only for limited periods. Players must keep an eye on the calendar and reward lords to keep their armies in the field.”
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-696-nevsky-teutons-and-rus-in-collision-1240-1242.aspx
If in about 30 days, Ukraine has been effectively conquered or has sued for peace under Russian terms, will you consider “thinking a touch more realistically” and accept that the same people who lied to you about the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Libya, the war in Syria, the 2020 election, the COVID affair, and Hunter’s laptop have lied to you once again?
More importantly, will you finally stop buying the lies after THAT?