Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
What is the most powerful flying bug?
This poll is closed.
🦋 15 3.71%
🦇 115 28.47%
🪰 12 2.97%
🐦 67 16.58%
dragonfly 94 23.27%
🦟 14 3.47%
🐝 87 21.53%
Total: 404 votes
[Edit Poll (moderators only)]

 
  • Post
  • Reply
dead gay comedy forums
Oct 21, 2011


victoria 3 larping

e: now that's an awful snipe

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Regarde Aduck
Oct 19, 2012

c l o u d k i t t e n
Grimey Drawer
don't forget most of the pinpoint strikes on ships and for assassinating generals and other higher ups has been via stormshadow

i'm guessing it's because the US didn't want much blowback and the UK was like 'what are they going to do? Novichok us?'

ContinuityNewTimes
Dec 30, 2010

Я выдуман напрочь

dead gay comedy forums posted:

e: now that's an awful snipe

Nobody loving cares

Minenfeld!
Aug 21, 2012



gradenko_2000 posted:


The Russian Origins of the First World War


This loving book. And he followed it up with a book about how Stalin started WW2.

Nix Panicus
Feb 25, 2007

WoodrowSkillson posted:

i dunno maybe those missiles could have been used to blow up ukrainian troops and defensive emplacements but what do i know im just a guy not a tactical genius like the russian generals

They were most likely aimed at either back line command and control or energy infrastructure. Not sure why you would buy into Ukrainian propaganda that Russia just randomly targets civilians for funsies

WoodrowSkillson
Feb 24, 2005

*Gestures at 60 years of Lions history*

Nix Panicus posted:

They were most likely aimed at either back line command and control or energy infrastructure. Not sure why you would buy into Ukrainian propaganda that Russia just randomly targets civilians for funsies

cause Russia has been dumb as gently caress in this reddit rear end war and them loving up and hitting other poo poo like they did earlier in the war again is entirely believable. happy to be wrong if its all ukrainian propaganda

still don't think 30 missiles will do much to hamper ukrainian industry, same as their attacks on energy infrastructure did not do much to alter things either.

StashAugustine
Mar 24, 2013

Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

also there's not a ton of difference in practice between targeting dual use civilian infrastructure and targeting civilians. That's just "dehousing" all over again. There is a crucial difference in that if the motive is military expediency rather than deliberate massacre it implies they'd quit when the war is over rather than wanting to keep pushing until they're all dead (ie Israel) but that's not a lot of comfort if the missile falls on you

Ardennes
May 12, 2002

Regarde Aduck posted:

I don't think thats quite how you should of phrased that

How should it have been phrased?

Also, yeah, this is a war.

WoodrowSkillson posted:

cause Russia has been dumb as gently caress in this reddit rear end war and them loving up and hitting other poo poo like they did earlier in the war again is entirely believable. happy to be wrong if its all ukrainian propaganda

still don't think 30 missiles will do much to hamper ukrainian industry, same as their attacks on energy infrastructure did not do much to alter things either.

There is a difference between the world you want to exist and the one that in fact does.

Ardennes has issued a correction as of 16:53 on Dec 29, 2023

mlmp08
Jul 11, 2004

Prepare for my priapic projectile's exalted penetration
Nap Ghost

Ardennes posted:

Yeah, it got them really hot under the collar, too bad about cities across Ukraine being slammed and everything.

If Russia is reacting emotionally to losing a warship by just slamming Ukrainian cities and everything, that would be pretty stupid and emotional of them.

Fair chance that with this level of attack and the targeting and physical preparation, it was already planned in advance of Russia losing a warship in port. Not clear yet if this is a one-off or if this is the start of the expected winter attack on civil power and heating infrastructure.

Officer Sandvich
Feb 14, 2010

gradenko_2000 posted:

The Russian Origins of the First World War

Trust me, this war shares precious little resemblance to WWI.

The Iran-Iraq War is a much better comparison and Russia is somehow playing the role of both Iraq AND Iran.

Some Guy TT
Aug 30, 2011


i see so what youre saying is that this chalyi guy is and always has been a russian fifth columnist very disturbing news that putins spies have managed to infiltrate so deep into official ukrainian government institutions when is he going to be executed for treason for his crimes against democracy

Nix Panicus
Feb 25, 2007

WoodrowSkillson posted:

cause Russia has been dumb as gently caress in this reddit rear end war and them loving up and hitting other poo poo like they did earlier in the war again is entirely believable. happy to be wrong if its all ukrainian propaganda

still don't think 30 missiles will do much to hamper ukrainian industry, same as their attacks on energy infrastructure did not do much to alter things either.

Seems like it was a fair bit more than 30 missiles and more like 'one of the largest missile strikes of the war', but I guess that would run counter to the conclusion you've already decided to reach

If nothing else stressing Ukraine's anti-air defense across the entire country is going to create logistical issues that Russia can exploit. Also while the west can, in theory, replace military assets from stockpiles replacing infrastructure is much more expensive and time consuming

Nix Panicus has issued a correction as of 17:14 on Dec 29, 2023

WoodrowSkillson
Feb 24, 2005

*Gestures at 60 years of Lions history*

Ardennes posted:

How should it have been phrased?

Also, yeah, this is a war.

There is a difference between the world you want to exist and the one that in fact does.

the world i want to exist is ukraine surrendering so this stupid war can end so sure ok.

Votskomit
Jun 26, 2013

mlmp08 posted:

If Russia is reacting emotionally to losing a warship by just slamming Ukrainian cities and everything, that would be pretty stupid and emotional of them.

Fair chance that with this level of attack and the targeting and physical preparation, it was already planned in advance of Russia losing a warship in port. Not clear yet if this is a one-off or if this is the start of the expected winter attack on civil power and heating infrastructure.

Russia is like a Resident Evil boss. It goes into a dormant phase and when you hit one of its weak points it gets angry and lashes out reactively.

Regarde Aduck
Oct 19, 2012

c l o u d k i t t e n
Grimey Drawer

Ardennes posted:

How should it have been phrased?


the idea that Russia would respond to its own inability to protect its ships in port, by bombarding multiple Ukrainian cities is kind of something i'd expect to be posted in the gbs thread. Like I don't think Russia is really wasting missiles on 'maternity centers', but i think your blithe responses could be interpreted as agreeing that the bombardment was both extremely broadly targeted and that this was a good thing. At the end of the day if Russia can't keep these ships safe then loving move them. And if these targets were important, why did a ship have to get blown up before the attack was launched? The optics are so poo poo, it's just compounding on their failure.

Ardennes
May 12, 2002

mlmp08 posted:

If Russia is reacting emotionally to losing a warship by just slamming Ukrainian cities and everything, that would be pretty stupid and emotional of them.

Fair chance that with this level of attack and the targeting and physical preparation, it was already planned in advance of Russia losing a warship in port. Not clear yet if this is a one-off or if this is the start of the expected winter attack on civil power and heating infrastructure.

Just a joke, but they perhaps moved it up for optics

WoodrowSkillson posted:

the world i want to exist is ukraine surrendering so this stupid war can end so sure ok.

I would rather live in a world where this didn’t happen or at least there was an actual settlement but this is going to be a grinding war to the finish it looks like.

Regarde Aduck posted:

the idea that Russia would respond to its own inability to protect its ships in port, by bombarding multiple Ukrainian cities is kind of something i'd expect to be posted in the gbs thread. Like I don't think Russia is really wasting missiles on 'maternity centers', but i think your blithe responses could be interpreted as agreeing that the bombardment was both extremely broadly targeted and that this was a good thing. At the end of the day if Russia can't keep these ships safe then loving move them. And if these targets were important, why did a ship have to get blown up before the attack was launched? The optics are so poo poo, it's just compounding on their failure.

Perhaps you missed me replying to another post, arguably, I think they may have timed it for a reason but otherwise they have been launching strikes on and off across the war and this happens to be one of the largest ones. The whole idea this is the result of steam coming out of Putin’s ears is ridiculous, but it may also be a timed response as well.

Also, at a certain point, it doesn’t makes sense if Russia can’t do anything if one of their ships gets hit or whatever. At the end of the day, the Russians have a list of known targets, but not a infinite supply of missiles, so eventually a big raid is going to happen if there is enough ammo for it.

Ardennes has issued a correction as of 17:29 on Dec 29, 2023

Grimnarsson
Sep 4, 2018
According to a Sky News clip on the attacks it was more than 100 missiles and some drones, aimed at civilian targets like schools and hospitals, and this is all very perplexing because Russia is famously very short on cruise missiles.

BrotherJayne
Nov 28, 2019

ContinuityNewTimes posted:

*whatever you're bitching about*

Nobody loving cares

Nix Panicus
Feb 25, 2007

Grimnarsson posted:

According to a Sky News clip on the attacks it was more than 100 missiles and some drones, aimed at civilian targets like schools and hospitals, and this is all very perplexing because Russia is famously very short on cruise missiles.

Much like Israeli missiles exclusively target Hamas, Russian missiles can only ever hit children

Psycho Society
Oct 21, 2010
all orcs hate children, as they spawned fully formed in the pits of mordor

Lostconfused
Oct 1, 2008

Orcs love children, and children sized people

mawarannahr
May 21, 2019

sleepy Joe speaks

Statement from President Joe Biden on Russia’s Aerial Assault on Ukraine | The White House

www.whitehouse.gov - Fri, 29 Dec 2023 posted:

Overnight, Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since this war began. This massive bombardment used drones and missiles, including missiles with hypersonic capability, to strike cities and civilian infrastructure all across Ukraine. Strikes reportedly hit a maternity hospital, a shopping mall, and residential areas—killing innocent people and injuring dozens more. It is a stark reminder to the world that, after nearly two years of this devastating war, Putin’s objective remains unchanged. He seeks to obliterate Ukraine and subjugate its people. He must be stopped.

 In the face of this brutal attack, Ukraine deployed the air defense systems that the United States and our Allies and partners have delivered to Ukraine over the past year to successfully intercept and destroy many of the missiles and drones. The American people can be proud of the lives we have helped to save and the support we have given Ukraine as it defends its people, its freedom, and its independence. But unless Congress takes urgent action in the new year, we will not be able to continue sending the weapons and vital air defense systems Ukraine needs to protect its people. Congress must step up and act without any further delay.

 The stakes of this fight extend far beyond Ukraine. They affect the entirety of the NATO Alliance, the security of Europe, and the future of the Transatlantic relationship.  Putin has not just attempted to destroy Ukraine; he has threatened some of our NATO Allies as well. When dictators and autocrats are allowed to run roughshod in Europe, the risk rises that the United States gets pulled in directly.  And the consequences reverberate around the world.  That’s why the United States has rallied a coalition of more than 50 countries to support the defense of Ukraine.  We cannot let our allies and partners down.  We cannot let Ukraine down.  History will judge harshly those who fail to answer freedom’s call.

###

Grimnarsson
Sep 4, 2018
Just the way I like orcs, just chilling at a deli, looking at the meats on the menu... Doesn't sound like uncivilised people who don't have indoor plumbing if you ask me.

Al!
Apr 2, 2010

:coolspot::coolspot::coolspot::coolspot::coolspot:
biden speaking about the united states as if it is some sort of dangerous uncontrollable animal is why hes going to lose. its just loser poo poo.

BearsBearsBears
Aug 4, 2022
Didn't Russia run out of missiles a long time ago?

Cao Ni Ma
May 25, 2010



So is that Ukranian site full of poo poo when it says Valerii stated that most of the targets were military and industrial with some of the other targets hit being close to these or is western media just conveniently not reporting that?

mawarannahr
May 21, 2019

https://twitter.com/USAmbKyiv/status/1740625819658281468

Al!
Apr 2, 2010

:coolspot::coolspot::coolspot::coolspot::coolspot:
what choices does zman have at this point? step down and get eaten by his own people, or negotiate a surrender that carves out the russian parts of ukraine and rule a fully mobilized fascist state until the us knocks him over for some other guy????

SIGSEGV
Nov 4, 2010


Wait for the next election and get voted out and flee to a mansion in Langley.

Nix Panicus
Feb 25, 2007

He probably could have just accepted his plummeting popularity in 2021 and retired from politics to his foreign mansions loaded down with grift money, but instead he decided to flirt with the great satan and now here we are

Shame there are no elections he can gracefully lose to hand off the disaster to someone else

Egg Moron
Jul 21, 2003

the dreams of the delighting void

Al! posted:

what choices does zman have at this point? step down and get eaten by his own people, or negotiate a surrender that carves out the russian parts of ukraine and rule a fully mobilized fascist state until the us knocks him over for some other guy????

if i was him i'd take door number 3 and bail with a suitcase and duffle bag full of cash and live in obscure exile

Al!
Apr 2, 2010

:coolspot::coolspot::coolspot::coolspot::coolspot:

SIGSEGV posted:

Wait for the next election and get voted out and flee to a mansion in Langley.

idk feels too much like saddam for the us to let this happen

Nix Panicus
Feb 25, 2007

There are no elections in Ukraine. They tried them and didn't care for the results so they won't be doing that again

gradenko_2000
Oct 5, 2010

HELL SERPENT
Lipstick Apathy
Appointing someone named Brinkmanship as ambassador seems a little too on the nose

gradenko_2000
Oct 5, 2010

HELL SERPENT
Lipstick Apathy
Ambassador Gunboat D. Plomacy

Grimnarsson
Sep 4, 2018

BearsBearsBears posted:

Didn't Russia run out of missiles a long time ago?

According to our propaganda, it famously did!

Ardennes
May 12, 2002
Yeah it sounded at least over 100+ drones/missiles so certainly it was one over the largest single day strikes.

Ardennes has issued a correction as of 19:16 on Dec 29, 2023

Doktor Avalanche
Dec 30, 2008

zelensky is a deep cover kremlin agent

spacetoaster
Feb 10, 2014


gently caress you, Joe.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

mawarannahr
May 21, 2019

this stuff is so loving depressing :(
What made Ukrainians feel hopeful in 2023

kyivindependent.com - Thu, 28 Dec 2023 posted:

Ukraine had high hopes for 2023.

Many dreamed the war would end with Ukraine’s victory and that they would finally be able to visit liberated Crimea after nine years of Russian occupation.

But Russia’s brutal attacks against civilian infrastructure continued, and with them, the death toll has continued to rise, bringing more tragedy to Ukrainian families. Ukraine’s much-anticipated summer counteroffensive, aimed at liberating the south, ultimately failed. And amid brutal fighting across the front line, multiple villages and towns were razed to the ground, and countless Ukrainian defenders were killed.

But even in one of Ukraine’s most difficult years, there have been events and accomplishments that brought glimpses of joy.

Here are the Kyiv Independent's top picks of moments that gave Ukrainians hope in 2023.
##
Biden's surprise visit to Kyiv

Days before the first anniversary of Russia’s all-out war, U.S. President Joe Biden made history by paying a surprise visit to Kyiv.

Biden’s first-ever trip to Ukraine as president aimed at demonstrating his "unwavering" support for Ukraine as it continued to fight against Russian aggression.

During his five-hour visit on Feb. 20, Biden met President Volodymyr Zelensky at his official residence, Mariinskyi Palace, visited St. Michael's Monastery, and honored the Ukrainian soldiers that have fallen since Russia’s war began in 2014.

Seeing Biden walk alongside Zelensky through the streets of wartime Kyiv was a reassurance for many, affirming that Ukraine is not alone in its fight against Russia.

"One year later, Kyiv stands," Biden said. "And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you."
##
ICC arrest warrant for Putin and Lvova-Belova

The International Criminal Court (ICC) made a decision in March that gave Ukrainians hope that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will one day be held accountable for his crimes.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Ukrainian authorities have identified over 19,000 children who have been taken from occupied parts of Ukraine by Russia since February 2022, although the number is likely much higher. This is one of the darkest consequences of Russia’s full-scale war.

"The aggressor's state policy is evident in its decisions to separate children from their families, deprive them of contact with relatives, hide them in Russian territory, and scatter them in remote regions. These actions represent a grave evil committed by the state," Zelensky said on March 17.

Because the ICC deems Putin individually criminally responsible, he can now be arrested in any of the 123 states party to the court’s Rome Statute.

Zelensky called the ICC's decision "historic," adding that there was a "real prospect" of seeing justice served.
##
Abducted children return home

Ukrainian authorities and volunteers organized countless missions to rescue children unlawfully held in Russia and Ukraine’s occupied territories. A surge of hope came with each abducted child who was brought home to Ukraine.

While around 19,000 children are estimated to have been taken, only around 400 children have been returned to Ukraine thus far.

Tetiana Bodak is among the Ukrainian parents fortunate enough to have managed to rescue their child from Russian captivity this past year. Her eldest son, Vladyslav, was taken from their home in then-occupied Kherson by Russian troops in the fall of 2022.

Vladyslav was kept from his family for over eight months – first in Russian-occupied Crimea, and then in a Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast.

Bodak was imprisoned for two days by the Russian military during her search for Vladyslav. "I had nothing to fear because I was just a mother who came to take her child back home," she told the Kyiv Independent in June after she was reunited with her son.

Every prisoner swap with Russia was also bittersweet. As Ukrainian prisoners of war returned home to their families, the horrors they faced in Russian captivity came to light.
##
Volunteers work side by side in flooded south

Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Kherson Oblast resulted in one of the most horrifying tragedies of 2023. It also highlighted the extraordinary unity and courage of those volunteering in Ukraine.

The dam’s destruction in June caused catastrophic floods and a humanitarian disaster — Ukrainian and foreign volunteers fearlessly rushed to help.

They worked tirelessly to rescue the people and animals trapped by the floods, providing first aid, drinking water, food, and shelter. The massive inundation wasn’t the only threat they faced, as Russian forces continued to shell Kherson, at times deliberately targeting rescue missions.

This dangerous work was primarily undertaken by volunteers, non-profits, and first responders, as none of the major international organizations, including the UN or the Red Cross, sent missions.

Volunteers working in the region united their efforts, working side-by-side with local rescuers and law enforcement to make their missions more effective.

"With everything happening in Ukraine — we have to be united," Argisht Darchinyan, the head of Kryvyi Rih-based nonprofit Viking, told the Kyiv Independent in June. He was among those who set out to volunteer in the very early hours of the disaster: "Whether it's Kherson or Kryvyi Rih, we need to go and help. No one will do it but us."  
## Azovstal defense commanders return home

The Azov commanders who had defended Ukraine’s last stronghold in now-occupied Mariupol before their capture by Russian forces returned to Ukraine on July 8, just as Ukraine marked 500 days of Russia’s full-scale war.

The commanding officers came to Ukraine from Turkey, where they had been kept after a prisoner exchange in 2022. Their return was another one of those “small victory” moments that brought tears of joy to many.

Among these officers were Lieutenant Colonel Denys Prokopenko, Colonel Denys Shleha, and majors Serhiy Volynskyi, Sviatoslav Palamar, and Oleh Khomenko. While they were originally expected to remain in Turkey until the end of Russia's war, Zelensky brought them home.

Prokopenko, the Azov Regiment’s commander, thanked the president, his team, and "every soldier who defended our motherland and continued to fight the occupiers on the front lines while we were held captive." He also vowed to continue fighting against Russia.

"I am deeply convinced that the Armed Forces is a team effort, and from today, we will continue to fight together, and we will have our say in battle," Prokopenko said.
##
Liberation of Robotyne

Although Ukraine didn’t liberate the swaths of territory it had anticipated, it did liberate numerous small communities, relieving the local population of Russian occupation.

The liberation of the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in late August was likely the biggest achievement of Ukraine's southern counteroffensive. Robotyne served as a Russian strongpoint in the region before days of heavy fighting brought it under Ukrainian control.

Among the other villages in Ukraine’s south liberated by the summer counteroffensive were Storozheve, Blahodatne, Urozhaine, and Neskuchne.

On the eastern front, Ukrainian forces liberated the villages of Klishchiivka and Andriivka, near the embattled city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, in September. Months of intense battles inflicted severe damage on both villages.
##
Long-awaited weaponry

Ukraine finally received some of the weapons it had been pleading for since the beginning of the full-scale invasion this year, successfully using them on the battlefield.

The first batches of modern Western tanks, including the German-made Leopard 2 and British-made Challenger 2, arrived in Ukraine in February and March. In April, Ukraine enhanced its defense capabilities with the deployment of the first U.S.-built Patriot air defense system. With the use of the Patriot system, Ukraine’s Air Force was able to shoot down Russia’s notorious Kinzhal ballistic missile for the first time.

Another much-anticipated delivery came in September when the first U.S.-made Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine.

Arguably the biggest surprise took place in October, when Ukraine used the U.S.-supplied long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) on the battlefield for the first time.

Ukraine reportedly used the missiles in a strike on Russian military airfields in occupied Luhansk and Berdiansk, destroying nine helicopters, an air defense system, and an ammunition warehouse.

That ATACMS had even been deployed to Ukraine was not known prior to that day.

Zelensky thanked the U.S. for providing ATACMS on Oct. 17, saying the systems were very accurate and had "proven themselves."
##
EU accession talks

Kyiv celebrated its major political victory of the year on Dec.14 — the European Council agreed to open EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova.

"It shows the credibility of the European Union, the strength of the European Union. The decision is made," European Council President Charles Michel told reporters in Brussels.

Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status in June 2022, after which Kyiv was presented with seven criteria that need to be fulfilled to start accession talks with the EU.

Days after the announcement in December, Zelensky said the European Commission would soon start assessing Ukrainian legislation for compliance with EU laws as the first step in accession talks.

"The negotiation process will be difficult, but the main thing is that historically, we have decided: Ukraine will always be part of our common European home," Zelensky said on Dec. 17.
##
Ukrainian documentary on Oscar’s shortlist

The end of the year also marked a triumph for Ukraine’s cultural scene, as the Ukrainian documentary "20 Days in Mariupol" was shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards.

Directed by Ukrainian photographer, photojournalist, and filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, "20 Days in Mariupol" shows Russia’s brutal siege of the Donetsk Oblast city in the first weeks of the full-scale war from his and his crew’s perspective.

The film draws on 30 hours of footage, which showcases the period that eventually reduced Mariupol to rubble and killed thousands of people.

"We remember everyone…" Chernov said following the announcement.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply