Notable developments in Russo-Ukraine War 2
05-17-2026 | 01:15 AM
#291
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Joined: Mar 2015
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One thing ol’ Kremlin does pretty consistently is rather quickly “bury” a relevant post with two or three repetitive ones (usually bagging on Europe or saying Russia is inevitable). It’s only been half a day so far, but my itty bitty informative and stand alone post is already 10+ posts in the rear view mirror. I can’t help but wonder if Meto is playing the same game. Ah well.
Yep, it’s classic propaganda tactics. Another tell.
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05-17-2026 | 06:43 AM
#293
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Perennial Reserve
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 14,261
Likes: 259
Popularity of leaders in Western Europe
Like Starmer, they all seem to be hanging by a thread:
alt=""
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng...larity-problem
While Eastern European countries are doing more than their share militarily for NATO and in support of Ukraine, the leadership in the major European economies inherited 35+ years of military fecklessness from their predecessors. Now, with a huge deficit of their own military capability the traditional parties that let that happen are starting to implode under a populist uprising as they try to simultaneously support Ukraine with “loans” everyone realizes will never be paid back while they need to rebuild their own anemic military forces - all while decades of kowtowing to the Greens combined with their own dependence on Mideast (and until the last four years cheap Russian) oil have severely impacted their own economies’ ability to recover. The public backlash against the traditional European parties is sufficiently severe that it is not just the party leaders but the traditional parties themselves that may go away.
We have been born in interesting times.
alt=""
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng...larity-problem
While Eastern European countries are doing more than their share militarily for NATO and in support of Ukraine, the leadership in the major European economies inherited 35+ years of military fecklessness from their predecessors. Now, with a huge deficit of their own military capability the traditional parties that let that happen are starting to implode under a populist uprising as they try to simultaneously support Ukraine with “loans” everyone realizes will never be paid back while they need to rebuild their own anemic military forces - all while decades of kowtowing to the Greens combined with their own dependence on Mideast (and until the last four years cheap Russian) oil have severely impacted their own economies’ ability to recover. The public backlash against the traditional European parties is sufficiently severe that it is not just the party leaders but the traditional parties themselves that may go away.
We have been born in interesting times.
05-17-2026 | 09:22 AM
#294
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Joined: Mar 2015
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When someone is a cheerleader for the russian invasion, saying “that person is a cheerleader for the russian invasion” is not being a troll…. it’s simply telling the truth.
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05-17-2026 | 12:42 PM
#295
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2011
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Likes: 143
05-17-2026 | 03:27 PM
#296
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,577
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One dimensional posting, no shortage of that on any blog these days regardless focus. We start arguing the good & bad of slip-on v laced footwear pounding the flight line, bitter banter about tacos & snowflakes follows just behind. Tedious, mind numbing buzzkill. Everybody knows by now where Ex is coming from. What’s your take?
I don’t have to justify or explain anything to you.
I simply know a propagandist when I see one. The type that cheerlead for a brutal invasion that has killed hundreds of thousands of innocents are the worst.
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05-17-2026 | 03:49 PM
#297
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 2,279
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One dimensional posting, no shortage of that on any blog these days regardless focus. We start arguing the good & bad of slip-on v laced footwear pounding the flight line, bitter banter about tacos & snowflakes follows just behind. Tedious, mind numbing buzzkill. Everybody knows by now where Ex is coming from. What’s your take?
05-17-2026 | 03:59 PM
#298
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Joined: Apr 2011
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https://youtu.be/ByVYVvnYOiw?si=AHPRAiLbeFxI2yxb
05-17-2026 | 04:07 PM
#299
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05-18-2026 | 05:30 AM
#300
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Joined: Jan 2018
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In actual Ukraine war NEWS…
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukra...k-hits-moscow/
An excerpt:
An excerpt:
MAY 18, 2026 2:46 PM CET
BY VERONIKA MELKOZEROVAKYIV — Ukraine hit Russia with more than 1,300 drones over the weekend, penetrating Moscow’s heavy air defenses and successfully hitting targets in and around the capital.
While Ukrainian drones have penetrated Moscow's air defenses before, this time they hit a wide range of targets, including industrial plants and an oil refinery. Three people were killed and 12 wounded, Russian authorities said.
“This is significant also because the Moscow region is the most heavily saturated with Russian air defense systems,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday afternoonThe attack happened shortly after Zelenskyy announced strikes in retaliation for Russia's massive two-day attack on Ukraine last week, which killed 24 people and injured 48 in Kyiv alone.
Kyiv claimed successful attacks on the Angstrem factory, which produces radio electronics and microchips for precision weapons, the Moscow oil refinery and oil pumping stations in Solnechnogorsk and Volodarskoye near the capital.
The drone attack also led to more than 50 civilian flights being redirected and more than 30 being delayed, Russia's transport ministry reported.
“It is the largest one-time deep strike by Ukraine so far in this war. Ukraine has attacked Moscow several times before with a limited effect. But this time, the psychological impact is powerful,” said Taras Chmut, a Ukrainian military analyst who also serves as the ministry of defense representative on the state defense procurement agency.
Ukraine used long-range drones, including the RS-1 Bars, FP-1 Firepoint and the newly developed Bars-SM Gladiator in the strikes, the Ukrainian Army General Staff said in a statement. Each of the drones can carry from 50 kilograms to 113 kilograms of explosives.
"Ukraine’s strike series proved that Russia is unable to effectively defend the Russian capital, a weakness that generated significant frustration in the Russian ultranationalist information space," the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War said Sunday.
BY VERONIKA MELKOZEROVAKYIV — Ukraine hit Russia with more than 1,300 drones over the weekend, penetrating Moscow’s heavy air defenses and successfully hitting targets in and around the capital.
While Ukrainian drones have penetrated Moscow's air defenses before, this time they hit a wide range of targets, including industrial plants and an oil refinery. Three people were killed and 12 wounded, Russian authorities said.
“This is significant also because the Moscow region is the most heavily saturated with Russian air defense systems,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday afternoonThe attack happened shortly after Zelenskyy announced strikes in retaliation for Russia's massive two-day attack on Ukraine last week, which killed 24 people and injured 48 in Kyiv alone.
Kyiv claimed successful attacks on the Angstrem factory, which produces radio electronics and microchips for precision weapons, the Moscow oil refinery and oil pumping stations in Solnechnogorsk and Volodarskoye near the capital.
The drone attack also led to more than 50 civilian flights being redirected and more than 30 being delayed, Russia's transport ministry reported.
“It is the largest one-time deep strike by Ukraine so far in this war. Ukraine has attacked Moscow several times before with a limited effect. But this time, the psychological impact is powerful,” said Taras Chmut, a Ukrainian military analyst who also serves as the ministry of defense representative on the state defense procurement agency.
Ukraine used long-range drones, including the RS-1 Bars, FP-1 Firepoint and the newly developed Bars-SM Gladiator in the strikes, the Ukrainian Army General Staff said in a statement. Each of the drones can carry from 50 kilograms to 113 kilograms of explosives.
"Ukraine’s strike series proved that Russia is unable to effectively defend the Russian capital, a weakness that generated significant frustration in the Russian ultranationalist information space," the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War said Sunday.
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