[Goose]

What do y'all make of NATO exercises in the Black Sea planned for this week? Apparently it's all about combined mine removal operations between several NATO countries, as part of effort to keep grain moving out of Black Sea.

It was also announced that the Royal Air Force is escorting Ukrainian ships carrying grain, in an attempt to prevent any Russian interference.

Think Russia will do anything stupid to interfere with either of these operations?

The aircraft "escorting" ships carrying Ukrainian exports (not just grain, and not primarily Ukrainian flagged ships) are doing so over Romanian and international waters. It is unknown under what ROE they are operating. I don't think we will see them shoot at Russians (or even Russian UAVs), but the Russians may chose not to test the issue.

In other news, Russia's armed forces are shelling their own troops if they retreat from attacking Ukrainian forces kicking their asses. Sounds like a good opportunity for mass surrender, and a great way to destroy morale of Russians told to fight.

It is pretty probable the Russians are shelling troops that they think are Ukrainian. There command and control isn't all that great so they often do not know where their own people are. It is improbable they would waste artillery shells and expose the position of the battery shooting at their own troops. These days getting enough shells forward is a problem for Russia, so they would "be careful".

It's also being reported Russia is gearing up for another mobilization of 200,000 more sacrificial lambs this month.

Russia lost the most people in WW2, and they only defeated Germany by sheer number of lives sacrificed to do it. It seems Russia has no problem sending their people to die in order to protect the ruling regime.

One reason why Ukraine is trying to put themselves in a good position in the next few months. It is unclear how much training the new conscripts will get, but even if it is two months worth, they won't be available for a while. Ukraine wants to complete the current offensive before the mud sets in and/or Russian numbers greatly increase.

NATO countries are going to have to finance the killing of hundreds of thousands of Russians forced to fight a war they probably don't want to fight, and many of them are going to be younger than 18.

There has to be a better way forward than this.

Amen, but until Russia realizes this or Ukraine collapses, it must go on. Human stupidity has never been in short supply.

[Goose]

What do y'all make of NATO exercises in the Black Sea planned for this week? Apparently it's all about combined mine removal operations between several NATO countries, as part of effort to keep grain moving out of Black Sea.

It was also announced that the Royal Air Force is escorting Ukrainian ships carrying grain, in an attempt to prevent any Russian interference.

Think Russia will do anything stupid to interfere with either of these operations?

The aircraft "escorting" ships carrying Ukrainian exports (not just grain, and not primarily Ukrainian flagged ships) are doing so over Romanian and international waters. It is unknown under what ROE they are operating. I don't think we will see them shoot at Russians (or even Russian UAVs), but the Russians may chose not to test the issue.

In other news, Russia's armed forces are shelling their own troops if they retreat from attacking Ukrainian forces kicking their asses. Sounds like a good opportunity for mass surrender, and a great way to destroy morale of Russians told to fight.

It is pretty probable the Russians are shelling troops that they think are Ukrainian. There command and control isn't all that great so they often do not know where their own people are. It is improbable they would waste artillery shells and expose the position of the battery shooting at their own troops. These days getting enough shells forward is a problem for Russia, so they would "be careful".

It's also being reported Russia is gearing up for another mobilization of 200,000 more sacrificial lambs this month.

Russia lost the most people in WW2, and they only defeated Germany by sheer number of lives sacrificed to do it. It seems Russia has no problem sending their people to die in order to protect the ruling regime.

One reason why Ukraine is trying to put themselves in a good position in the next few months. It is unclear how much training the new conscripts will get, but even if it is two months worth, they won't be available for a while. Ukraine wants to complete the current offensive before the mud sets in and/or Russian numbers greatly increase.

NATO countries are going to have to finance the killing of hundreds of thousands of Russians forced to fight a war they probably don't want to fight, and many of them are going to be younger than 18.

There has to be a better way forward than this.

Amen, but until Russia realizes this or Ukraine collapses, it must go on. Human stupidity has never been in short supply.