18 votes

Weekly megathread for news/updates/discussion of Russian invasion of Ukraine - November 30

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Tags: russia, ukraine, military conflict, war, geopolitics, 2022 russian invasion of ukraine, recurring.weekly

This thread is posted weekly on Thursday - please try to post relevant content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Especially significant updates may warrant a separate topic, but most should be posted here.

If you'd like to help support Ukraine, please visit the official site at https://help.gov.ua/ - an official portal for those who want to provide humanitarian or financial assistance to people of Ukraine, businesses or the government at the times of resistance against the Russian aggression.

6 comments

  1. [2]
    KapteinB
    Link
    Ukraine’s SBU Blows Up Freight Train in Rail Tunnel Deep Inside Russia (Kyiv Post)

    Ukraine’s SBU Blows Up Freight Train in Rail Tunnel Deep Inside Russia (Kyiv Post)

    Kyiv Post sources claim that the Russians are using the railway to transport military supplies from China. At least four explosions struck the train, they added.

    11 votes
  2. [3]
    KapteinB
    Link
    Russians' support of Ukraine war collapses, finds poll (Euronews) Not sure if "collapse" is the word I'd use, but support does seem to be dropping.

    Russians' support of Ukraine war collapses, finds poll (Euronews)

    Not sure if "collapse" is the word I'd use, but support does seem to be dropping.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      unkz
      Link Parent
      Does Putin actually have concerns about the election? I have generally assumed Russian elections to be basically illegitimate, am I wrong about this?

      Does Putin actually have concerns about the election? I have generally assumed Russian elections to be basically illegitimate, am I wrong about this?

      5 votes
      1. vektor
        Link Parent
        I've heard it said that Russians believe they live in a democracy. If that's accurate (consider it an unsourced rumor for now) then Putin must keep up appearances. It's difficult to keep up...

        I've heard it said that Russians believe they live in a democracy. If that's accurate (consider it an unsourced rumor for now) then Putin must keep up appearances. It's difficult to keep up appearances if the election results you're touting are obviously wrong. You can fudge the numbers a fair bit if you're in control of elections and the media, but there's limits.

        This goes doubly so if there's also (illusory or legitimate) democracy at the lower level: If your district elects a pro-Putin / pro-war candidate, then at the local level it's easy to find out if the election was grossly faked. If many districts elect anti-Putin/anti-war candidates, then it's difficult to take Putin seriously. Glancing quickly at wikipedia, I can't find what kinds of local offices are up for election in Russia.

        3 votes
  3. skybrian
    Link
    Miscalculations, divisions marked offensive planning by U.S., Ukraine (Washington Post) A long article, part 1 of 2, about US and Ukrainian deliberations about when and where to attack last...

    Miscalculations, divisions marked offensive planning by U.S., Ukraine (Washington Post)

    A long article, part 1 of 2, about US and Ukrainian deliberations about when and where to attack last summer.

    As winter approaches, and the front lines freeze into place, Ukraine’s most senior military officials acknowledge that the war has reached a stalemate.

    This examination of the lead-up to Ukraine’s counteroffensive is based on interviews with more than 30 senior officials from Ukraine, the United States and European nations. It provides new insights and previously unreported details about America’s deep involvement in the military planning behind the counteroffensive and the factors that contributed to its disappointments. The second part of this two-part account examines how the battle unfolded on the ground over the summer and fall, and the widening fissures between Washington and Kyiv. Some of the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations.

    ...

    War-gaming “doesn’t work,” the [Ukrainian military] official said in retrospect, in part because of the new technology that was transforming the battlefield. Ukrainian soldiers were fighting a war unlike anything NATO forces had experienced: a large conventional conflict, with World World I-style trenches overlaid by omnipresent drones and other futuristic tools — and without the air superiority the U.S. military has had in every modern conflict it has fought.

    3 votes