It’s shorter if you leave out all the vowels.
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Google says the distance from Diego Garcia to Baghdad is around 5,400km while the distance from Gibraltar (the closest place in Europe I would imagine a British plane to be taking off form) to the Falklands is around 11,000km. What am I missing? Even if the Iraq-bound plane had to fly back to Diego Garcia and the British plane landed in the Falklands, it wouldn’t be as long, but I suppose it might be close enough.
Well the flights of Operation Black Buck took off from Ascension Island near the equator and it’s considerably closer than Gibraltar. That said, it seems like it would still be a fair distance further away (about 6400 kilometers, according to Google), so I’m also confused on how a Desert Storm flight from Diego Garcia would be longer, unless there’s some circuitous routing going on. The Wikipedia article does seem to agree that the record has since been surpassed, though, but doesn’t mention what mission surpassed it.
The mission wasn’t flying out of DG.
They launched from Whiteman AFB in Missouri, passed near to Diego Garcia to pick up a final tanker drag and top up (the last of five), went inbound to hit Afghanistan, and then landed at DG to refuel (and probably give the crew a chance to stretch out a bit.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/qa14xc/map_of_the_longest_bombing_run_in_history_b2/
never mind, this is way off topic.
Hid opinion that started a hijack, {What Exit?}
I’m still confused why Russia continues to take these losses. They’re fighting like there’s a direct threat to Moscow. Russia knows they could end this war and still keep some occupied territory. Putin can thump his wrinkled chest and declare a glorious victory. 
Ukraine wouldn’t be happy but they’re also taking heavy losses. It would be difficult to refuse a genuine offer to negotiate a end to the war.
Looks like a lot of those undertrained and underequiped troops are convicts, just like with the Wagner Group. The Russian Defence Ministry is “recruiting” even more prisoners than Wagner did:
(gift link)
For the 1-time expenditure of very basic infantry gear, they can decrease their long-term food & housing cost of prisoners.
I doubt that anybody has put it to Putin in those terms, but I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody has thought it.
Two possibilities:
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There’s a disconnect between Putin and the reality on the ground. Authoritarian leaders who rely on the cult of their personality can find themselves surrounded by yes men who don’t want to bring them bad news. And those leaders also tend to direct military strategy despite a lack of expertise.
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These troops are expendable and Putin doesn’t care a jot about them - especially as many are criminals or not ethnic Russians. He’s fine with the cost of ten casualties for every one Ukrainian.
In truth it’s probably a bit of both.
They can? How, do you figure?
Moderating
Tweet! Nope, no need to take this to a hijack. I’ll go hide his comment too.
Latest aid package to Ukraine.
The capabilities in this package, valued at up to $150 million, include:
• Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
• AIM-9M missiles for air defense;
• Stinger anti-aircraft missiles;
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin anti-armor systems;
• More than 2 million rounds of small arms ammunition;
• Night vision devices;
• Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing;
• Cold weather gear; and
• Spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment
Latest aid package from Denmark with German assistance.
Denmark has pledged a military aid package to Ukraine worth 3.7 billion Danish kroner ($520 million), including T-72EA tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, artillery shells, drones, and small arms, the Danish Defense Ministry announced on Oct. 26.
The tranche also includes engineering and recovery vehicles, which have been co-financed by Germany, the ministry said.
The package further encompasses support to NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package, which coordinates non-lethal defense assistance to Kyiv, and to the EU’s joint artillery shells procurement plan.
According to the Danish Foreign Ministry’s statement from Oct. 6, Copenhagen has already provided Ukraine with $2.3 billion in military aid and $354 million in civilian contributions since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
Russia is learning from Hamas.
comments on Putin inner circle
This is not some kind of incidental side-effect. Vlad has deliberately surrounded himself with blanc mange lackeys who have to rely on him for their prestige because they have none of their own. They have to be sycophants to retain station, and Putin uses them to make himself look good. The Kremlin is a hollow eclair, and when its sweet filling is gone, it is going to collapse, probably in a very bad way.
I thought that the previous convict-soldier exploits, the Russian prisons already were pretty much drained. Are they “stepping up law enforcement” to refill them?
You don’t necessarily need people who’ve been convicted of crimes back in Russia. Lots of soldiers to be placed into convict battalions for crimes such as retreating from doomed positions without permission, refusing to make suicidal attacks, criticizing their officers on Telegram, or even desertion.
According to Ukraine the Russians have lost over 300,000 soldiers. Not that they care. They are also rapidly approaching 10,000 armored personnel vehicles.
Wow. I missed the submarine casualty, somehow.
It got “sunk” in the dry dock attack.