In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
And if that wasn't enough, I'm seeing reports that the russians have resorted to using donkeys for transportation/supply.
no matter how ridiculous and comical it may seem, you should never underestimate the enemy...
and if considering how muddy it is now and the roads are practically impassable, and donkeys can get through... and it doesn't seem ridiculous anymore...
I found the original publication from the news channel.
In reply to VikkiDp :
Oh, I'm very aware of the utility of animals when compared to the drawbacks of vehicles. I'm only laughing because of how "pumped up" putin wants his military to appear.
I mean, using tampons in lieu of tourniquets and saying "look how resourceful us russians are! We don't need any fancy tourniquets like the west" is one thing. But when your vehicle situation is known to be struggling due to combat losses and donkeys start to show up, one begins to think: Maybe the vehicle shortages are a BIT more catastrophic than what you previously let on...
We're talking about the supposed "second largest army in the world".
(and I feel terrible that these animals are being used, as Ukraine now needs to view them as legitimate targets).
In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
I was just reading about the donkeys! Resourceful, Russians are. Saving fuel for attack instead of something silly like re-supply.
VikkiDp said:In reply to aircooled :
If nothing else, it seems like reasonable way to provide some offset for the US money being sent there.
I agree, it's reasonable. But most of those territories are under russians control or very close to the front line
I don't think they're gonna give someone a chance to get something
Perfect, motivates the US to make sure Ukraine has control over those areas in a peaceful way to allow for resource extraction!
The way I'm reading the sudden talk about rare earths and other resources is that it is part of a broad-based effort to establish that US interests will be 1) explicitly stated, and 2) central factors in policy decisions. By expressing clearly that the US is willing to continue to provide the necessary support for Ukraine to maintain its sovereignty going forward, the Trump administration is both ensuring that Ukraine is publicly on-board with this idea (Trump would never accept a secret deal with Ukraine, as he needs to maintain his "America First" narrative for his domestic audience), and that Russia now knows that the US has clear reasons to keep Ukraine in the fight going forward. This, in turn, will likely be intended to push Russia towards greater flexibility in terms of acceptable peace conditions.
As I've noted here before, I think the key to all of this is that Ukraine stays out of NATO; I do not see Russia accepting anything, even a temporary cease-fire, as long as that possibility remains on the table. If Ukraine pledges constitutional neutrality, and NATO pledges not to consider it for membership, Putin will have gained enough to declare victory and stop, his domestic position having been shored up. Of course, for it to be sustainable, Ukraine will require enormous amounts of money and defensive weaponry to ensure their position; even with considerable quantities of rare earths under Russian control now, the remaining deposits will pay for a lot of reconstruction and military aid, and that in turn will help the US offset Chinese rare earth sanctions (coming into play as the tariffs are implemented) and keep US weapons manufacturers busy, perhaps even enough to expand production capacity. For their part, the Chinese will be in Putin's ear telling him to keep going no matter what, as the last thing they want is for the US to undercut one of the most effective trade levers available to Beijing.
I think Putin made the mistake of taking Trump's campaign position on Ukraine too literally and too narrowly, but he (Putin) also understands transactional politics very well, probably better than most Western politicians. Recognizing that there is a now a vital US interest in play, and that Ukraine is willing to work in that interest, Putin will look to get as much as he can as quickly as he can, knowing that Trump is likely to clamp down much harder if he feels Russia is obstructing the path to peace.
Excellent analysis, as always. I hadn't considered it that way, but it makes a ton of sense. Here's hoping it works out.
bbbbRASS said:VikkiDp said:In reply to aircooled :
If nothing else, it seems like reasonable way to provide some offset for the US money being sent there.
I agree, it's reasonable. But most of those territories are under russians control or very close to the front line
Perfect, motivates the US to make sure Ukraine has control over those areas in a peaceful way to allow for resource extraction!
That was my first hopeful thought too... And in a better world with less morally (and financially) corrupt leaders, where allegiance can't just be bought by the highest bidder, I might have more readily held on to that hope.
02Pilot said:The way I'm reading the sudden talk about rare earths and other resources is that it is part of a broad-based effort to establish that US interests will be 1) explicitly stated, and 2) central factors in policy decisions. By expressing clearly that the US is willing to continue to provide the necessary support for Ukraine to maintain its sovereignty going forward, the Trump administration is both ensuring that Ukraine is publicly on-board with this idea (Trump would never accept a secret deal with Ukraine, as he needs to maintain his "America First" narrative for his domestic audience), and that Russia now knows that the US has clear reasons to keep Ukraine in the fight going forward. This, in turn, will likely be intended to push Russia towards greater flexibility in terms of acceptable peace conditions.
From a more cynical perspective, it advertises the price to beat to secure control of those territories in a 'US backed' peace agreement.
Drones discovered over Patriot air defense base in Germany
This is reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung .
Some news:
- A summary of the above (seems to be behind a paywall):
German authorities reportedly failed to down suspected Russian reconnaissance drones flying near a German military facility in January 2025 where Ukrainian forces have undergone training. German outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on February 8, citing a classified internal German report, that the German Ministry of Defense (MoD) is investigating possible espionage connected to six drone sightings near the Schwesing Airbase, where Ukrainian forces have trained to operate Patriot air defense systems, from January 9 to 29, 2025.[9] Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that German forces attempted to jam or down the drones, including with HP-47 jammers, RADIS drone detection systems, and Wingman counter-drone systems, but that German forces failed to down the drones or locate the operators in all six instances. Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that German authorities described the drones as "specialized objects" with modifications and are likely not commercially available. Süddeutsche Zeitung noted that authorities suspect that the operators launched the drones from ships in the North or Baltic seas and that the operators could be connected to Russia. A Bundeswehr spokesperson reportedly told Süddeutsche Zeitung that the German military has observed an increase in drones flying over German military facilities in an unspecified timeframe.
- Estonia has fully disconnected it's power grid from Russia
- There was a phone call reported to be between the US president and Putin. No specifics, but I suspect Putin was fully willing to accept Ukraine's unconditional surrender.
Russia continues to expand its military capabilities, indicating that the Kremlin has no immediate interest in negotiations or a lasting peace with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing Ukrainian intelligence, reported on February 8 that Russian forces are forming new military divisions, building additional defense-industrial base (DIB) facilities, planning to increase military personnel by over 100,000 soldiers, and deepening military cooperations with North Korea.
- The Russians seemed to be pushing in the last few months in anticipation of some sort of very quick "keep what you get" deal that the US might push. That appears to have been a bit optimistic on their part. The Russians may be slowing down a bit recently (just running out of... everything I suspect), but the Ukrainians are now stepping up a bit. They have counter-attacked Russian positions south of Sudzha (Kursk area) and may have cut some off. This was apparently a fully mechanized attacked (tanks, APCs etc), which did result in looses, but also shows that the Ukranian's seem to be able to do actually attacks, when then really want to (can?).
The Ukrainians also counter attacked in the area of the (what appears to be primary) Russian offensive to try to capture Pokrovsk, which is a rather important road/ rail junction. The attack was to the south west in the map below, and likely shows the current weakness of the Russian assault.
Ukrainian counteroffensives aim to slow Russia and gain leverage for future negotiations
Ukrainian forces have intensified counterattacks along the entire front line, aiming to slow down Russian advances and buy time ahead of possible negotiations, French Le Figaro news agency reported on Feb. 9.
The Ukrainian troops attempt to regain initiative in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, as well as near Toretsk and Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast...
Also this (unrelated). This is a frame from a video of a US ship firing a GIGANTIC FREAKING LASER!!! Or, some sort of very high energy weapon. Any Navy guys want to identify the type, looks like a Frigate, or something pretty small. Based on what appear to be stacks, it appears to not be nuclear powerd (which would seem to be almost needed for such a thing). Clearly aimed low, but seems a bit much for an anti-cruise missile weapon. From the video, you can tell, it's just a massive amount of energy being released!
Remember people, wear your eye protection! (so your eyeballs will be the only thing that is not dust...!!!)
In reply to aircooled :
That's a Burke-class destroyer. Here is the article about that test.
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