Compilation of videos from the phone of a captured Russian soldier, showing his life before and during a war, with English subtitles.
A guy from Murmansk, the biggest city within the Arctic circle and a very depressing place, who became a lieutenant in a prestigious military academy in Moscow, presumably as a way to dodge the draft into real military service. His hobbies appear to include getting drunk with friends, getting drunk with family and getting drunk with comrades. Gets stationed in Chechnya, where he appears surprised to hear a local man express a desire for Chechen independence. Sent into the war as a platoon commander, though the videos seem to demonstrate not just a lack of leadership ability, but basic cluelessness - he keeps losing track of the date despite holding a smartphone.
If nothing else, this gives a bit of color to the fact that Russian military is very “officer-heavy”. With officers like this, who needs enemies?
Um, yes?
The point of NATO was supposed to be mutual protection for Western Europe and North America, not collecting shiny and provocative things all over the world just to see what happens
I would argue control over the Bosporus is vital for the security of Europe in case of a war, which is NATO’s purview. More so than Gibraltar even, possibly.
Zelensky : “Wait a minute… Aren’t you the assholes who acquitted the other asshole for trying to blackmail me?”
I think it is wrong to ignore geopolitical implications in regard to the mutual protection. Strategic control of areas is what this whole mess is about.
I think I used to call this imperialist, and I could argue today that this kind of struggle for geostrategic control of key areas is what caused this war. But I won’t, because I think it is not the basis of the mess we are in. Also, it is possibly one of the few remaining ways out of it: the control of geostrategic positions is what might lead to peace talks.
ETA:
Also, control of Middle East airspace would be impossible without Turkey. Access and monitoring of the Black Sea and the Southern Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria is of vital importance even if not at war. Not to speak of the buffer function of the refugee “agreement” between Turkey and the EU.
Erdogan might be a burden instead of a reliable partner, but Turkish military is thought to be reliable and important in the NATO, I take it.
Getting out of the “controlling the Middle East” business sounds like a benefit, not a drawback
But “controlling the Middle East” and
Are not the same thing.
Shades of Bil the Galactic Hero.
I think this news release might be an attempt to make Putin even more paranoid.
Fk yeah!
I like that thread. Reminds me of:
An approximate answer to the right question is worth far more than a precise answer to the wrong one.
11.26 point average in the televote. That was impressive.
