It was also one of the reasons for the now-maligned deal for Ukraine giving up the nukes on its territory, if I remember correctly. There was concern that the newly independent Ukraine would not have the resources, both financial and personnel, to be able to maintain the nukes and keep them secure.
This just in: Russian state TV reports that the four reportedly-killed Generals actually died from long-standing cardiovascular disease.
/s
Special heart event.
It’s not all doom and gloom. I thought the guy actually gave a pretty balanced analysis. Compared to much of the reporting we’ve seen, though, it seemed to look more objectively than the vast majority and didn’t pull any punches in pointing out Russian successes (e.g. a cache of 100’s of Ukrainian AT weapons captured near Donbas, successfully installing fuel line for northern offensive running to Byelorussia for fuel resupply, etc.) as well as their obvious shortcomings and outright failures.
A most excellent NSFW anti-Putin comic
Click to see link
Reminds me of some sci-fi short story (probably in one of the Dangerous Vision books) of a prison where the new warden explains his predecessor died of a heart attack. At the end of the story, he explains that it was really an attack on his predecessor’s heart (some form of projectile).
Apparently, Nasa has a live map of fires around the world. It has some utility.
Too bad they gave him a Western tank.
Kinetic lead poisoning.
Anyway I’m not seeing the difference. Dead is dead whether from stress or more direct means.
That reminds me of the news report about a pharmacist in West Virginia around five years ago who shot an armed robber. People commented, “He saw that the robber had a metal deficiency.”
All the fires in Kaliningrad that stop right at the border are weird. Googling it, the last time it happened, NASA said it was agricultural fires, but it’s weird that they stop right at the border, and it isn’t a geographical coding issue either where different entities that report upward to an aggregator have different criteria since this heat map is coming from NASA.
I’m impressed that the former Soviet states are speaking out against Russia. They realize Putin could turn on them next.
Arnie:
Random question: In the photo of Ukrainian artillery below - what is the “tongue” protruding from the bottom of the muzzle brake? Seems too small to mitigate any ground effect from the muzzle blast. Any current or former cannon-cockers out there know?
Wow.
 
CNN article does a good job of explaining China’s delicate balancing act during this war. They won’t condemn Russia but they’re quietly supporting the West.
Several people here have commented always acts in its own interests. They rarely take strong public positions on International politics.
When I zoomed in it looked like a pintle, so you could haul the gun around barrel-first, but that seems like a bad idea to me.
Pintle hitch and pintle:
The link below describes a Russian howitzer that looks very similar, and it is indeed a tow connection.
Seems weird to me, but I guess it works for the Russians. Thanks to you both!