That seems to be pretty much what I said. I didn’t have access to the article of course and it was just something I read earlier so I hadn’t looked it up. Assuming you think that whatever the actual source was at the Washington Post is accurate of course, which, again, no idea. It does seem to be in keeping with what their state-run media has done in the past, however, and these sorts of accidental leaks seem to happen fairly often in their system because they don’t seem to really care that much about it getting out.
This is believable because of other reports that morale is low amongst the Russian troops and people at home. There are many potential Groznys in Ukraine if they try to force their way into cities.
However, even if true, this is still a mixed bag because it shows that Putin knows that they would not be able to take the population centers, and thus has already committed to a long, drawn-out siege war, which portends a lot of starvation and other ills for the Ukrainians.
I have to wonder if Europe would allow this and not lift a hand, though. Sieges like in WWII with hundreds of thousands potentially starving right on their doorstep? I can’t believe that even Putin thinks this would be a good idea.
These Russian vehicles look lost. Have we cut off their GPS?
OT, but isn’t China’s claim on Taiwan and Moscow’s claim on Ukraine more recent than Holland’s claim on Manhattan?
The previous aim was to prevent Russia from setting up a false flag event that allowed them to change their training mission into a, plausibly, justified attack. The better they could sell their motivation for attacking, the fewer nations that would sanction them and the less aid that Ukraine would get.
Now that Russia has attacked, the main goal would be to help Ukraine fight. That means keeping Ukrainian fighters high on morale and making Russia look particularly evil/nasty, to help bring in allies on sanctions.
That Russia hasn’t done anything notably horrific yet and the numbers of dead are in the 100s are probably a conscious choice by Russian military to go slowly and carefully so as to not give the West any good travesty fodder to distribute.
China doesn’t have a claim on Taiwan, at least the CCP government doesn’t. Taiwan wasn’t part of China since the last dynasty (Japan had taken it in the late 1800s), and it wasn’t given back to the Republic of China until 1945. It was never part of the CCP.
Moscow’s claim on Ukraine is similar. AFAIK, the Russian Federation never possessed Ukraine, it was part of the old Soviet Union which dissolved.
Neither of these facts mean that those in charge (Xi and Putin in this case) don’t THINK they have a claim, of course.
As for Holland’s claim on Manhattan, at least they aren’t moving into position for an invasion (or, in Russia’s case invading) to take it back. 
given that the ucraine has no real chance to stop the events on a military level, wouldn’t it be best to switch over to “urban guerrilla warfare” once the russians move into the cities? …
they have expended some 18.000 rifles/AK47s? to civilians … now if you move into a scenario where you randomnly start snipering off russian soldiers in the bigger urban zones?
I mean Putin having to send back to their families every night some 100 killed soldiers would get old really fast in russia, where the “mothers of soldiers” seem to be a - historically - very vocal group…
(having said that, at the same time it pains me to no end to suggest shooting 18 year old conscripts/boys that might have no idea or say on where life/Putin put them)
damn war!
What, a freaking picnic with some mushroom gathering?
One of the saddest things I can remember seeing from about 8 or 9 years back was pic of the once great Soviet red Banner Fleet rusting at the pier. They shut everything down and walked off 
Afghans of a certain age would probably join in
After Moscow girls make you sing and shout, who wouldn’t want to get knocked out by Ukraine girls?
Here’s a free link to the WaPo story, gifted from my account
The UN just held a vote condemning Russia. Obviously Russia vetoed but China abstained (as did India and one other although I didn’t see who). Everyone else voted in favour. Ironically, Russia holds the chair so the Russian representative had to introduce the motion.
I have been browsing Reddit & whatnot. People are talking about peace. What we need is victory.
The other abstaining nation at the Security Council was the United Arab Emirates which is actually quite something since they are supposed to be allies of the US. However they are also a member of OPEC+ alongside Russia, so you know, oil.
The hacking group Anonymous has hacked and leaked the Russian Ministry of Defence’s database including the private details of its officials.
https://cybernews.com/news/anonymous-leaks-database-of-the-russian-ministry-of-defence/
Meanwhile Anonymous also hacked a Russian municipal website and posted the video of the Ukrainian President’s appeal to Russian citizens.
But possibly the thing that will get the biggest rise out of some Russians might be from Pornhub, who blocked Russian users from accessing its content, instead displaying the Ukrainian flag and posting a message of support.
It looks like Russians will have to find their big rises somewhere else.
Talk about hitting below the belt!
I don’t know about Taiwan, per se – it’s still too much of a hot button – but I fully expect some more action in the East China Sea. If China can get hegemony there a free Taiwan will become much less tenable down the line.
As always, they play the long game, not just the next election cycle.
This could conceivably be The One Thing that makes Putin loosen his grip.
[Ahem]
The Russians have now fired on Japanese and Moldovan flagged ships in the Black Sea.
Who had “Third Russo-Japanese War” on their bingo card?