Quote from: paxmao on Today at 12:26:55 AM

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/30/politics/biden-ukraine-limited-strikes-russia/index.html

Quote

Biden gives Ukraine permission to carry out limited strikes within Russia using US weapons
[...]
“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US supplied-weapons for counterfire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” one of the officials said.

Nothing secret here. Cool

My guess is that we are quickly going to find what are those limits. My guess is that the first ones to find out will be the Ruzzia Air and Air defence forces - they are always preparing to hit.

Air defence is one of the highest priority targets in all conflicts and all sides, you're just stating an obvious thing. But it's a change in paradigm, US is trying to redefine what it means to be a party to a conflict, we're setting the precedent that country X can buy soldiers in country Y (by paying their salaries, retirement, healthcare etc...) and then send them their weapons, so soldiers paid by country X can attack country Z with X's weapons without X being a part of the conflict? Another terrible precedent being set onto the world.

Quote from: paxmao on Today at 12:26:55 AM

Quote from: DaRude on May 31, 2024, 11:23:13 PM

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Right, only people on the border with Russia/China should be considered as being able to have a free will, but everyone should ignore those Cubans which totally should not have a right to self-determination

[...]

Cuba is an independent country with their own dictatorial regime since more than 50 years ago. But this is whattabout and unrelated to Ukraine.

"independent country" which is not allowed to join military alliance or place weapons on it's own land. You're attempting to use whattaboutism to justify double standards For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law. First set precedent then claim whataboutism. Pretty much removing all laws and standards upholding global stability, total mystery why there are so many wars around the world, must be all Putin Huh

Quote from: paxmao on Today at 12:26:55 AM

Quote from: DaRude on May 31, 2024, 11:23:13 PM

Just so people realize the scale of the issue in case anyone here still thinks that this is just local Ukraine vs. Russia conflict

Nobody does. There are winners in this war, but the Ruzzia people, the Ukrainian people and the EU are not.

Finally! Now if you start thinking of this as one superpower trying to expand it's sphere of influence (through financial means onto another aka financial expansionism), let's think of possible outcomes. Either they're successful and Russia collapses (and after it China) or things go back to status quo of 2013, or as stakes continue to rise "west" might collapse. There's just no free lunch in this world.

Quote from: paxmao on Today at 12:26:55 AM

Quote from: DaRude on May 31, 2024, 11:23:13 PM

The Russian Drone Plant That Could Shape the War in Ukraine
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Shaheds are not intercepted with Patriots nor with expensive missiles - do some research.

Shaheds were and still are intercepted by the expensive missiles. It's obviously preferential to use other less expansive means but expensive missiles are still used as a last line of defense against the few drones that are not defeated by other cheaper means and are going to high value target.

Quote from: paxmao on Today at 12:26:55 AM

Quote from: DaRude on May 31, 2024, 11:23:13 PM

That's only one new factory.
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Of the many that can be destroyed, of the many Ruzzia claims is producing XYZ thousand of this and that... Wonderwaffen is limitless.

"At the end of April, the factory was ahead of its production schedule, having already supplied 4,500 of the promised Shaheds, according to the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington, D.C.-based defense-focused think tank."
I'm assuming Russia would claim a much higher number. your denial seems to effect your reading comprehension Roll Eyes

Quote from: paxmao on Today at 12:26:55 AM

Quote from: DaRude on May 31, 2024, 11:23:13 PM

Nato has just 5% of air defences needed to protect eastern flank
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Ruzzia has less than 0.00001% of the defences they need if they whish to fight NATO. I guess the WSJ is not influenced by Raytheon? Or .. could it be???

...

I just love when you make up numbers without any citations.

Quote from: paxmao on Today at 12:26:55 AM

Quote from: DaRude on May 31, 2024, 11:23:13 PM

Russia’s war against Ukraine has underscored the importance of air defence, as Kyiv begs the west for additional systemsand rockets to protect its cities, troops and energy grid against daily bombing raids.

If one reads the word "begs" instead of "asks" or "requests" one must suspect an intention.

It's indeed interesting choice of words by Financial Times. Could either shows intent or the reality and the gravity of the current situation. Next article by Bloomberg should hint at which one it is.

Quote from: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-01/ukraine-s-shortage-of-manpower-is-hitting-its-wartime-industry

Ukraine Is Running Short of People
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Drain on manpower emerging as main concern among businesses
Conscription, exodus shrink work force by more than a quarter

Ukraine’s manpower shortage is beginning to bite.

The same drain on personnel that’s weakened Ukrainian forces staving off Russia’s onslaught on the battlefield is also sapping the productivity of the war-battered nation’s factory floors, construction sites, mines and restaurants.

It’s a conundrum for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is desperate to replenish his forces while ensuring that the shortage doesn’t damage an economy he needs to keep afloat.
“We are now in a war of attrition,” Ukrainian Deputy Central Bank Governor Sergiy Nikolaychuk said in an interview in Kyiv. “It is very difficult to choose between butter and guns.”

The problem will only intensify as the Russian invasion drags well into its third year and Kyiv is forced to fill a gap left by millions who have either fled the country, joined the army or fallen in battle. As Ukraine’s military struggles to hold the line against a fresh Russian offensive, its economy — which has lost a quarter of its output since the invasion began — risks being further weakened by the shrinking workforce.

Nikolaychuk said a collapse in economic output compared with 2021 was linked with a contraction of about 27% in the available labor force from pre-war levels.
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It’s a policy challenge that can’t be fixed with help from allies, who are dispatching ammunition and air-defense equipment. Manpower is a finite issue — one that gives Russia and its vast resources an advantage.
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Petruk said. Some 15% of Metinvest [which employs almost 60,000 people] workers have been conscripted, she said.
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Kyiv’s metro system said it’ll soon run fewer trains because migration and conscription caused a “significant deficit” of workers that’s expected to worsen as more employees join the army. Mykolaiv, a southern city near the front line, reduced bus services because of the mobilization of drivers, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych told Suspilne, a public broadcaster.
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Many are also hiring women for jobs once predominantly held by men, such as in mining, bringing in students or hiring foreign staff, including migrants from Turkey, she said.

15% of all 60,000 workers. How many of all of the workers were women, men under 25 over 60, and otherwise ineligible for conscription? Then we can guesstimate what percentage of able-bodies men have already been sent to the front lines.

Looks like they're starting to bring in people from Turkey to fill in the population gap.