Will Putin send his tanks?

As if Poland could really oppose the Russian army. Putin has clearly sent some of his best troops, as we can see on the pictures, they are very well equipped. Modern BTRs, recent AK74 with red dots, new digital camo. It was clearly intended to impress the West.

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As if Poland could really oppose the Russian army.

It doesn't have to, they only have to take up the positions in W. Ukraine and give weapons and supplies to the fascists there.
Of course there can't be an actual confrontation between NATO and RF.

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Putin has clearly sent some of his best troops, as we can see on the pictures, they are very well equipped. Modern BTRs, recent AK74 with red dots, new digital camo. It was clearly intended to impress the West.

Most of that is 80s technology at best.

No, digital camo was introduced in 2010. There was no AK-74M in the 1980s and probably not this kind of BTRs. So nothing from the 1980s, and much modern stuff than what we saw in 2008. No tactical helmets in the 1980s.

OP-Bagration wrote:

No, digital camo was introduced in 2010. There was no AK-74M in the 1980s and probably not this kind of BTRs. So nothing from the 1980s, and much modern stuff than what we saw in 2008. No tactical helmets in the 1980s.

This is true. Russia's behind the West, but not by a lot, and most of that just comes from funding issues (aka people with Soviet mag pouches but decked out in digital camo and with modern armour).

The biggest problem is not the equipment but the fact that Russian conscripts usually spend more time force-sucking dicks than firing weapons.

Loz wrote:

The biggest problem is not the equipment but the fact that Russian conscripts usually spend more time force-sucking dicks than firing weapons.

Have you seen those pics of the Ukrainian troops cowering behind the fence? They look like the children Hitler yanked out of school for the last defense of Berlin.

Yeah well those guys are surrounded with nowhere to go, low on food and everything else and probably won't even get paid for the next few months.

Loz wrote:

Yeah well those guys are surrounded with nowhere to go, low on food and everything else and probably won't even get paid for the next few months.

There isn't going to be a "next couple of months" under the old order. Crimean repatriation is a fait accompli. As soon as those soldiers behind the fence raise the white flag, the RF will issue them new uniforms, and they'll simply become Russian. Again.

Actually, they are given the option of either simply quitting and going home or instead giving an oath "to the Crimean people" instead of Ukraine and retaining all of their ranks, pay and benefits within the new military structure that is being created.

Kirov wrote:

Actually, they are given the option of either simply quitting and going home or instead giving an oath "to the Crimean people" instead of Ukraine and retaining all of their ranks, pay and benefits within the new military structure that is being created.

They'll get a nice raise and probably an extra meal per day. It's a deal I'd take if I were in their shoes.

Realized that this would be better in this thread since we're discussing the military here:

"What mobilization? Mobilize whom? What are you talking about? In 22 years we did not create a Ukrainian army, and I may reveal to you a state secret: nothing we have flies, nothing we have starts, what will we be mobilizing? What will we dress them in, and what will we arm them with? Nightsticks and face masks? Well, excuse me, we need to be realists and I believe that this needs to be resolved solely through a peaceful path," declared Gennadiy Moskal, Verkhovna Rada deputy from the Batkivschina party.

Yeqon wrote:

Why do you say the flagship story was fake? The Ukrainian Navy Chief just switched to the pro-Russian side further proving that it actually happened.

I decided to try to figure out the fate of the ship, finally finding its facebook page. There is a high quality photo of the ship going through the Suez uploaded on March 1 at 12:11 Kiev time. Then at 16:20 a low-quality photo of the ship flying a Ukrainian flag was uploaded. Finally, on March 2 at 17:38 Kiev time another low-quality photo of the ship flying the flag, purportedly in Crete. I asked for clarification in the comments. Additionally, the same two photos seem to also be posted on the Ukrainian MoD website, making me continue doubting their authenticity.

Yes you're right it's a confusing situation. It's always a complicated situation with defections. Who can know what the crew is thinking? There might even be divisions among the crew. I guess we'll finally know what's going on when they get back to the Ukraine.

Comrade Gulper wrote:

They'll get a nice raise and probably an extra meal per day. It's a deal I'd take if I were in their shoes.

They should be given an honourable way out, whatever that may be. Defection is not done casually, even if it's the only sensible option. Hopefully a solution can be reached.

That's not defection, that's loyalty to their president.

Putin banging on about defending his people over the border, looking after his ethnic cousins etc...it’s like what that ghastly little chappie with the moustache said when he invaded the Sudetenland. I’ve forgotten his name, but he was big in Germany in the 30’s and 40’s

You dare say that even though Putin is facing people who call themselves nazis? A clever comparison would have been with the policy of the Russian Empire regarding Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman empire. But this is just trolling, and stupid trolling with a stupid comparison with Hitler.

Yes, Hitler, that is the chappie. Ghastly fellow, really infradig. As for the current situation, it’s appalling and socialists should not take sides in this dispute as what is at stake? To be governed by a Ukrainian oligarch or a Russian one, to be exploited by home grown capitalists plus those from the West (EU) or from the East (Russian).
As for the vote on Crimean sovereignty, that’s a bit rich, how can they ever be independent stuck in the middle of that region? All that will happen is that will probably be taken over by an oligarch who will sell the workers to the Russian capitalists with some pro-Russian agreement.

I thought Yami was Hitler's best friend!? He's been defending neo-Nazis all month! Now he talks bad about Hitler!? Your fellow fascists are going to be very disappointed in you Yami!

That’s ok, I’m sure the Stalinists will make up for their disappointment in me by signing a non-aggression pact with them and keeping this from the people!

I think Yami's right about some things though. Putin is not much better than the fascists. Therefore in the end the working class, i think, has no dog in this fight.
As if fascist countries ( and i don't think the RF is exactly fascist btw ) did not engage in territorial disputes and annexations. Sudetenland is not a very good analogy since CZE was a democratic country but you have Germany annexing South Tyrol where Germans were the majority from the fascist "Italian Social Republic" in 1944.