Putin and the West

[C00kiemonster]

It looks like a truck carrying explosives blew up on the Kerch Bridge next to a fuel train.

Two traffic lanes have collapsed and the rail lines look buckled.

This is the main supply route in to Crimea.

Good. Well done chaps! I hope no one sacrificed themselves doing it, but a great move.

[Kwacky]

There's a suggestion that an unmanned water vessel may have carried the explosives to the bridge. A strange drone was found washed up on the shore a couple of weeks ago so Ukraine may have something like that

Funny how it happened on Putin's birthday.

[Kwacky]

https://www.coffeeordie.com/ukraine-kam ... rone-boats" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[D41]

It's a Russian-built bridge and it's lasted eight years....it probably just fell over from old age.

[Cav]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAfwpfUBw1M[/video]

[Kwacky]

She's a very nasty piece of work

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/04 ... e-further/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 58196.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverso ... 4dac784cd6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[StMarks]

She's a very nasty piece of work

I think I could put that to the back of my mind for long enough..

Yes, I do realise that's weak of me.

[Kwacky]

The fronts appear to have become mostly static. There's a lot of open land in the East. I've seen a few attacks from both sides ending up with big losses because of the lack of cover. Air cover would be ideal but both sides are naturally reluctant to risk their aircraft.

In Kherson there's evidence that the Russians have dropped back behind several lines of defence, as they've done in a few places, including Crimea. In a few areas the Russians have forced civilians out of their homes and to drop back, as far as 15km in some places. Russia has offered them free housing if they move out of Ukraine.

Kherson shipyard is under Russian control and currently under attack. There's a few photos of administration buildings no longer flying the Russian flag, which may suggest a withdrawal.

[Kwacky]

Big result liberating Kherson.

[C00kiemonster]

Big result liberating Kherson.

Amazing. Putin has to be weakened by this.

[D41]

She's a very nasty piece of work

Reading up on her, it seems she has a bit of a tendency to bounce around from one end of the political spectrum to the other....making a few stops along the way, as & when it suits her.
Hardly dependable..

[Kwacky]

Russia launched a massive missile attack against Ukraine today. At least 90 missiles were used

There's unconfirmed reports that one missile landed in Poland, killing 2 people.

[Cav]

I decided to visit RT News to see what they're saying..

Their story is different. For sure.

They're saying the US stated a Russian missile hit Poland. The missile was 36 years old and Russian-made, but launched by Ukraine. They claim that the Kremlin has denied launching any missile attacks "on that day".

The comments on the story are very interesting, commenting on Velensky's regime, his nickname is cocainsky, and claims he launched an attack on Poland to make NATO launch WW3.

[Kwacky]

The reports are saying that it's a Russian made missile but it wasn't launched from Russia. It could be a Ukraine missile or a Russian missile sent from Belarus

[Cav]

RT state the US claim it's unlikely to have come from Russia due to the trajectory.. I have no idea if that's true or not. They're trying to say it came from Ukraine.

[Kwacky]

It's looking more likely. Ukraine use S300 missiles as part of their air defence. I reckon one missed a target and fell to earth in Poland or it malfunctioned.

There's loads of tracking going on over that area, NATO will have the data to show what happened.

[Kwacky]

https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/eur ... d=pl-share

[Monty]

As terrible as that was to watch, it was good to see some proper investigative journalism.

[Kwacky]

There's been a very long period of fighting near and around Bakhmut. Both sides have sustained heavy losses

Russia has been sending in waves of assaults, Ukraine defenders have mostly fought them back. Russia has made a few minor gains. Russia has been using a lot of artillery.

Some experts have suggested that the losses on both sides have been so great that neither side have the strength to launch a major attack.

Winter has been relatively mild. I think both sides were looking to use winter as an excuse to dig in, replace, repair and replenish.

[D41]

Both the US & Germany are planning to send tanks to the Ukrainians... in the US' case some Abrams tanks.
Meanwhile China is set to send aid to Russia....and Biden has been exchanging pleasantries with Beijing over the matter.