Nonsense. If I learned anything from the movies, it's that knowing how to drive a landspeeder automatically qualifies you to pilot an X-wing!
Omnibus Russia Ukraine crisis
- Thread starter B00Mer
- Start date
And the Putinazi clown show continues. Earlier they were whining that there was no UN condemnation of Ukraine's attack into Kursk Oblast. Now they think there's some UN mechanism that prohibits Ukraine from attacking Ruzzia. Jesus H. Christ the idiots are scratching desperately at anything right now and looking like total clowns.
While Ukraine may just be hanging on and buying time for their new recruits to be properly trained, it's Ruzzia that is deep in the Big Muddy with desperate flailing like that.
It's gotten so bad for Russia that the only way they can trade with China now is via the barter system. The Ruble is so bad even China doesn't want it, not that the yuan is doing a whole lot better. And China is afraid to pay in yuan for fear of sanctions. They have been warned and the last thing China needs right now is sanctions. Their economy and productivity have fallen off a cliff as it is.
While Ukraine may just be hanging on and buying time for their new recruits to be properly trained, it's Ruzzia that is deep in the Big Muddy with desperate flailing like that.
It's gotten so bad for Russia that the only way they can trade with China now is via the barter system. The Ruble is so bad even China doesn't want it, not that the yuan is doing a whole lot better. And China is afraid to pay in yuan for fear of sanctions. They have been warned and the last thing China needs right now is sanctions. Their economy and productivity have fallen off a cliff as it is.
For some reason there is a diesel shortage in Russian right smack dab at the start of harvest. Its 3 weeks to rainy season. Grain rotting in the field is no bueno comrade. Only good for animal feed. Ukraine will sell Kursk wheat and sunflower to China for hard assets. Chinese gold mines are 100% state owned. They don't need to sell at spot price. 1 ounce for 3 tonnes of wheat. That'll make 10,000 bbq pork buns.
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Ukrainian president fires air force commander after fatal F-16 crash
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova
Published Aug 30, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 4 minute read
One of the handful of F-16 warplanes that Ukraine has received from its Western partners to help fight Russia's invasion crashed on Monday, Aug. 26, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine, Ukraine's military officials said on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
One of the handful of F-16 warplanes that Ukraine has received from its Western partners to help fight Russia's invasion crashed on Monday, Aug. 26, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine, Ukraine's military officials said on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of the country’s air force Friday, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot.
The order to dismiss Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website.
“We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” Zelenskyy said in an address minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its army on the command level.
Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed acting air force commander, the army’s general staff said.
The dismissal came on the same day that Oleshchuk directed scathing criticism at a lawmaker who is deputy head of the Ukrainian parliament’s defence committee for her claims that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defence system. Ukraine has received an unspecified number of the U.S.-made systems.
Mariana Bezuhla cited unnamed sources for her claim and demanded punishment for those responsible for the error.
Oleshchuk accused Bezuhla of defaming the air force and discrediting U.S. arms manufacturers and said that he hoped she would face legal consequences for her claims.
“The truth will win,” Bezuhla posted on X shortly after the dismissal order was published.
The air force did not directly deny that the F-16 was hit by a Patriot missile.
U.S. experts have joined the Ukrainian investigation into the crash, the air force said.
Meanwhile, a Russian attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv using powerful plane-launched glide bombs killed six people, including a 14-year-old girl on a playground, and wounded 47 others, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.
The bombs struck five locations across the city, which had a prewar population of 1.4 million people, the governor said.
One of the bombs hit a 12-story apartment block, setting the building ablaze and trapping at least one person on an upper floor. Emergency crews searching for survivors feared the structure could collapse.
In other developments, Ukrainian rockets hit the Russian city of Belgorod and its surroundings on late Friday, killing five people and injuring 37, said regional govenor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The region borders northern Ukraine ans comes under drone or artillery attacks almost daily.
Zelenskyy pointed to the Kharkiv strikes as further evidence that Western partners should scrap restrictions on what the Ukrainian military can target with donated weapons.
The Kharkiv strike “wouldn’t have happened if our defence forces had the capability to destroy Russian military aviation at its bases. We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror,” Zelenskyy said.
F-16s are one of the weapons that could be used to hit Russian bases behind the front line.
Oleshchuk said on Telegram that “a detailed analysis” was already being conducted into why the F-16 jet went down Monday, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine.
“We must carefully understand what happened, what the circumstances are, and whose responsibility it is,” Oleshchuk wrote in the post shortly before his dismissal.
The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where the warplanes arrived at the end of last month. At least six are believed to have been delivered by European countries.
Military analysts say the planes will not be a game-changer in the war, given Russia’s massive air force and sophisticated air-defence systems. But Ukrainian officials welcomed the supersonic jets, which can carry modern weapons used by NATO countries, for offering an opportunity to hit back at Russia’s air superiority.
On the ground, the Russian army is making slow but gradual progress in its drive into eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces are holding ground in the Kursk border region of western Russia after a recent incursion.
The Institute for the Study of War said it expected that Ukraine would lose some Western-provided military equipment in the fighting.
But the Washington-based think tank added that “any loss among Ukraine’s already limited allotment” of F-16s and trained pilots “will have an outsized impact” on the country’s ability to operate F-16s “as part of its combined air defence umbrella or in an air-to-ground support role.”
In other developments, European Union defence ministers agreed in Brussels to boost their training program for Ukrainian troops.
“Today the ministers agreed to raising the target to 75,000, adding 15,000 more by the end of the year,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after the meeting.
“The training has to be shortened and adapted to the Ukrainian training needs,” Borrell said. He added that the EU would set up a small “coordination and liaison cell” in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to make the training effort more effective.
So far, 60,000 troops have passed through the bloc’s training scheme, which is conducted outside Ukraine.
— Associated Press Writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova
Published Aug 30, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 4 minute read
One of the handful of F-16 warplanes that Ukraine has received from its Western partners to help fight Russia's invasion crashed on Monday, Aug. 26, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine, Ukraine's military officials said on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
One of the handful of F-16 warplanes that Ukraine has received from its Western partners to help fight Russia's invasion crashed on Monday, Aug. 26, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine, Ukraine's military officials said on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of the country’s air force Friday, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot.
The order to dismiss Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website.
“We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” Zelenskyy said in an address minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its army on the command level.
Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed acting air force commander, the army’s general staff said.
The dismissal came on the same day that Oleshchuk directed scathing criticism at a lawmaker who is deputy head of the Ukrainian parliament’s defence committee for her claims that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defence system. Ukraine has received an unspecified number of the U.S.-made systems.
Mariana Bezuhla cited unnamed sources for her claim and demanded punishment for those responsible for the error.
Oleshchuk accused Bezuhla of defaming the air force and discrediting U.S. arms manufacturers and said that he hoped she would face legal consequences for her claims.
“The truth will win,” Bezuhla posted on X shortly after the dismissal order was published.
The air force did not directly deny that the F-16 was hit by a Patriot missile.
U.S. experts have joined the Ukrainian investigation into the crash, the air force said.
Meanwhile, a Russian attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv using powerful plane-launched glide bombs killed six people, including a 14-year-old girl on a playground, and wounded 47 others, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.
The bombs struck five locations across the city, which had a prewar population of 1.4 million people, the governor said.
One of the bombs hit a 12-story apartment block, setting the building ablaze and trapping at least one person on an upper floor. Emergency crews searching for survivors feared the structure could collapse.
In other developments, Ukrainian rockets hit the Russian city of Belgorod and its surroundings on late Friday, killing five people and injuring 37, said regional govenor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The region borders northern Ukraine ans comes under drone or artillery attacks almost daily.
Zelenskyy pointed to the Kharkiv strikes as further evidence that Western partners should scrap restrictions on what the Ukrainian military can target with donated weapons.
The Kharkiv strike “wouldn’t have happened if our defence forces had the capability to destroy Russian military aviation at its bases. We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror,” Zelenskyy said.
F-16s are one of the weapons that could be used to hit Russian bases behind the front line.
Oleshchuk said on Telegram that “a detailed analysis” was already being conducted into why the F-16 jet went down Monday, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine.
“We must carefully understand what happened, what the circumstances are, and whose responsibility it is,” Oleshchuk wrote in the post shortly before his dismissal.
The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where the warplanes arrived at the end of last month. At least six are believed to have been delivered by European countries.
Military analysts say the planes will not be a game-changer in the war, given Russia’s massive air force and sophisticated air-defence systems. But Ukrainian officials welcomed the supersonic jets, which can carry modern weapons used by NATO countries, for offering an opportunity to hit back at Russia’s air superiority.
On the ground, the Russian army is making slow but gradual progress in its drive into eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces are holding ground in the Kursk border region of western Russia after a recent incursion.
The Institute for the Study of War said it expected that Ukraine would lose some Western-provided military equipment in the fighting.
But the Washington-based think tank added that “any loss among Ukraine’s already limited allotment” of F-16s and trained pilots “will have an outsized impact” on the country’s ability to operate F-16s “as part of its combined air defence umbrella or in an air-to-ground support role.”
In other developments, European Union defence ministers agreed in Brussels to boost their training program for Ukrainian troops.
“Today the ministers agreed to raising the target to 75,000, adding 15,000 more by the end of the year,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after the meeting.
“The training has to be shortened and adapted to the Ukrainian training needs,” Borrell said. He added that the EU would set up a small “coordination and liaison cell” in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to make the training effort more effective.
So far, 60,000 troops have passed through the bloc’s training scheme, which is conducted outside Ukraine.
— Associated Press Writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
Ukrainian president fires air force commander after fatal F-16 crash
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of the country’s air force Friday.
Celebrity ’Russian spy’ whale spotted with harness found dead in Norwegian waters
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Jari Tanner
Published Sep 01, 2024 • 2 minute read
a beluga whale
In this photo taken in April 2019, a beluga whale found in Norway is fed. Photo by Jorgen Ree Wiig /Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP
HELSINKI — A white beluga whale named “Hvaldimir,” first spotted in Norway not far from Russian waters with a harness that ignited rumours he may be a Moscow spy, has been found dead.
The Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported that the whale carcass was found floating at the Risavika Bay in southern Norway Saturday by a father and son who were fishing.
The beluga, named by combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and Russian President Putin’s first name Vladimir, was lifted out of the water with a crane and taken to a nearby harbor where experts will examine it.
“Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea. He has passed away but it’s not immediately clear what the cause of death is,” marine biologist Sebastian Strand told NRK, adding that no major external injuries were visible on the animal.
Strand, who has monitored Hvaldimir’s adventures for the past three years on behalf of the Norway-based Marine Mind non-profit organization, said he was deeply affected by the whale’s sudden death.
“It’s absolutely horrible,” Strand said. “He was apparently in good condition as of (Friday). So we just have to figure out what might have happened here.”
The 4.2-meter (14-foot) long and 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen near the northern island of Ingøya, not far from the Arctic city of Hammerfest, in April 2019 wearing a harness and what appeared to be a mount for a small camera and a buckle marked with text “Equipment St. Petersburg”.
That sparked allegations that the beluga was “a spy whale.” Experts said the Russian navy is known to have trained whales for military purposes.
Over the years, the beluga was seen in several Norwegian coastal towns and it quickly became clear that he was very tame and enjoyed playing with people, NRK said.
NGO Marine Mind said on its site that Hvaldimir was very interested in people and responded to hand signals.
“Based on these observations, it appeared as if Hvaldimir arrived in Norway by crossing over from Russian waters, where it is presumed he was held in captivity,” it said.
Norwegian media have speculated whether Hvaldimir could have been used as “a therapy whale” of some sort in Russia.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Jari Tanner
Published Sep 01, 2024 • 2 minute read
a beluga whale
In this photo taken in April 2019, a beluga whale found in Norway is fed. Photo by Jorgen Ree Wiig /Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP
HELSINKI — A white beluga whale named “Hvaldimir,” first spotted in Norway not far from Russian waters with a harness that ignited rumours he may be a Moscow spy, has been found dead.
The Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported that the whale carcass was found floating at the Risavika Bay in southern Norway Saturday by a father and son who were fishing.
The beluga, named by combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and Russian President Putin’s first name Vladimir, was lifted out of the water with a crane and taken to a nearby harbor where experts will examine it.
“Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea. He has passed away but it’s not immediately clear what the cause of death is,” marine biologist Sebastian Strand told NRK, adding that no major external injuries were visible on the animal.
Strand, who has monitored Hvaldimir’s adventures for the past three years on behalf of the Norway-based Marine Mind non-profit organization, said he was deeply affected by the whale’s sudden death.
“It’s absolutely horrible,” Strand said. “He was apparently in good condition as of (Friday). So we just have to figure out what might have happened here.”
The 4.2-meter (14-foot) long and 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen near the northern island of Ingøya, not far from the Arctic city of Hammerfest, in April 2019 wearing a harness and what appeared to be a mount for a small camera and a buckle marked with text “Equipment St. Petersburg”.
That sparked allegations that the beluga was “a spy whale.” Experts said the Russian navy is known to have trained whales for military purposes.
Over the years, the beluga was seen in several Norwegian coastal towns and it quickly became clear that he was very tame and enjoyed playing with people, NRK said.
NGO Marine Mind said on its site that Hvaldimir was very interested in people and responded to hand signals.
“Based on these observations, it appeared as if Hvaldimir arrived in Norway by crossing over from Russian waters, where it is presumed he was held in captivity,” it said.
Norwegian media have speculated whether Hvaldimir could have been used as “a therapy whale” of some sort in Russia.
Celebrity ’Russian spy’ whale spotted with harness found dead in Norwegian waters
A white beluga whale named "Hvaldimir," spotted in Norway with a harness that ignited rumors he may be a Moscow spy, has been found dead
Li'l bitty skinny dragon or big-ass dino dragon with REALLY bad breath?
Don't matter much. If it's made of meat, enough lead'll put it down.
That was my problem with Jurassic Park. When the T-Rex got loose in San Diego, they treated it like it was the apocalypse. Nope, just a short term problem until the Marines in San Diego get a gunship up.
That's not a very nice thing to say! Be polite. You're Canadian, the law requires it.
That was struck down by the SCoC in the I Know You Are V. But What Am I Charter challenge.
Ah yes. I believe it was Judge Imrub R. Yorglew who presided. Immigrated here from the Solomon Islands with his parents when he was a young child if I remember correctly.