Apparently there are now discussions over whether to send the F-16 as well as tanks!

This sounds like an even worse idea to me, and it probably isn't going to happen for a while even if they agree to send them, but regardless - the war has reached the point where such discussions are seriously occurring.

Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Here is the archive of important pieces of analysis from throughout the war that we've collected.

January 30th's update is here on the site and here in the comments.

January 31st's update is here on the site and here in the comments.

February 1st's update is here on the site and here in the comments.

February 3rd's update is here on the site and here in the comments.

Sorry, no update today, Xi Jinping has put me inside this giant balloon. Apparently we're testing a new kind of mass surveillance + mind control technology to turn everybody into communists? Not sure where I am right now but I heard aircraft going by yesterday. I'll be back on solid ground by Monday.

Links and Stuff

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Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists

Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Add to the above list if you can, thank you.

Resources For Understanding The War Beyond The Bulletins

Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. I recommend their map more than the channel at this point, as an increasing subscriber count has greatly diminished their quality.

Moon of Alabama, which tends to have good analysis (though also a couple bad takes here and there)

Understanding War and the Saker: neo-conservative sources but their reporting of the war (so far) seems to line up with reality better than most liberal sources. Beware of chuddery.

Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are fairly brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. The Duran, of which he co-hosts, is where the chuddery really begins to spill out.

On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent journalist reporting in the Ukrainian warzones.

Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.

Telegram Channels

Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.

Pro-Russian

https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ Gleb Bazov, banned from Twitter, referenced pretty heavily in what remains of pro-Russian Twitter.

https://t.me/asbmil ~ Now rebranded as Battlefield Insights, they do infrequent posts on the conflict.

https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.

https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.

https://t.me/riafan_everywhere ~ Think it's a government news org or Federal News Agency? Russian language.

https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ Front news coverage. Russian langauge.

https://t.me/rybar ~ One of the really big pro-Russian (except when they're being pessismistic, which is often) telegram channels focussing on the war. Russian language.

https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.

https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.

https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.

https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.

Pro-Ukraine

Any Western media outlet that is even vaguely liberal (and quite a few conservative ones too).

https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.

https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.

Last week's discussion post.

    • CetaceanPosadist
      ·
      2 years ago

      would love to know how they identified this balloon as a specifically chinese surveillance balloon. like if they'd captured it first and then declared it was chinese after inspecting components then sure, okay. does a spy balloon have a giant chinese flag on it?

      there's literally no reason for the chinese to put a balloon there. the article even says as much

      The balloon’s flight path takes it over “a number of sensitive sites,” the senior official said, but it appears it does not have the ability collect information that is “over and above” other tools at China’s disposal, like low-orbit satellites.

      this is either an op or some kids weather balloon project that has become an op of convenience

      edit: some excerpts from the ABC News article on it

      A separate senior official told ABC News the balloon is the size of three buses and complete with a technology bay.

      The defense official said they "are confident" the balloon was sent by China.

      not even an attempt at an explanation as to how they know that

      While the balloon's purpose remains unclear, one outside expert predicted it was essentially scientific and set off course. Retired Col. Steve Ganyard, an ABC News contributor, said the balloon appeared to be a standard research vessel -- which would mean it was unpowered and drifted with the jet stream.

      Ganyard predicted the balloon was an experiment gone awry. Such balloons are not controlled after their release and while they are normally equipped with mechanisms to deflate over an open area, the mechanisms can fail, Ganyard said. So it's possible the balloon would have drifted over from China after multiple days, rather than being nefariously deployed. China intentionally deploying a reconnaissance balloon over the U.S. would be highly provocative, with little value, Ganyard said, noting that Chinese satellites are able to collect information in a similar manner.

      this is fucking dumb

      • solaranus
        ·
        1 year ago

        deleted by creator

      • Ecoleo [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Why dont they just fucking shoot the thing down if it is really a Chinese spy balloon? It is well within their right, and China would well know this. The US just in the past couple of years has escalated tensions with several countries; killing an Iranian general, pouring billions into a proxy war against Russia, sending Pelosi to Taiwan, and more. Now all of a sudden we are supposed to believe they are taking a CAUTIOUS approach to what would be an actual, clear-cut infringement on it's airspace and national security? What a crock of shit.

        • BynarsAreOk [none/use name]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Funniest plot twist: It is Chinese and they'll keep sending these because they know the US military would rather use this as anti-China propaganda than to actually protect their own shit. Meanwhile the "rational" part of the US military doesn't actualy believe the Chinese would be that unhinged as to actually send these lol.

        • ElHexo
          ·
          4 months ago

          deleted by creator

    • FALGSConaut [comrade/them]M
      ·
      2 years ago

      My fellow Americans, it's clear the Chinese have surpassed us in lighter-than-air surveillance technology. It's clear the only way forward is to respond in kind. We as Americans must unite, pull together, and close this balloon gap. No longer shall Americans weep at our impotent party balloonn while the Communist Chinese send a procession of ever larger and more turgid balloons gently floating over American soil. I propose starting immediately we arm the Macy Parade floats and send them to float gracefully over the gobi desert, to give them a taste of their own medicine!

    • companero [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      US flies spy planes over the USSR

      :so-true:

      China flies a balloon over the US

      :wojak-nooo:

      • CoolerOpposide [none/use name]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Honestly China’s homegrown weather modeling systems are kinda goated, but if they were able to launch a balloon from China to have it fly directly over a US military base that is fucking incredible

          • CoolerOpposide [none/use name]
            ·
            2 years ago

            They were developed in China itself, and for many years were looked down on by the west in favor of western modeling systems. I won’t go into specifics because 1) It’s not my exact area of expertise and 2) it’s pretty boring anyway tbh but basically China developed its own tech in the last decade that is just as good if not better than those used by the US.

            It’s times like this that make me especially wish I was fluent in Mandarin because there is so much literature on the subject published that I’ll never get to read

    • Shoegazer [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      In the age of satellite imagery that can see that pores on your face, the scrupulous orientals have flown their ancient reconnaissance balloons over enemy territory

      • CoolerOpposide [none/use name]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Cleverly, the balloon would likely be difficult to spot in satellite imagery because the focus of the satellite is at ground level