124 replies to this topic

[the rebel]

Welp, I'm getting ready to start buying up the equipment I'll need for Ukraine. Already bought my plane ticket but I had to borrow money from my father to do so, so I'll need to be paying him back. Anyway, if you've got spare cash and you're feeling generous and want to know my IRL name, click here to donate to my fundraiser for my trip. Thank you! 
 

gofundme.com/w3uep58

 

I was always under the impression you was going there due to some job and not as independant research and report for (presumed) university course creditation...

 

Regardless, I will check back where you're at on the gofundme on payday.

Edited by the rebel, 27 June 2015 - 02:01 PM.

[Chax]

<3

[Manoka]

Russia cannot sustain this kind of activity for a long period of time. No country can, but they're in a less sturdy position than we are. Besides, starting a nuclear war with a bunch of bombers is a pretty awful way to do it. Provided they could sneak one of their 3 (4?) active Delta IIIs across the Pacific without tripping on any of our SSNs, in a way that fools our satellites into thinking they aren't in port (because we track that, and much of that is dictated by various treaties), they could potentially fire a cruise missile, provided the Russians have that sort of capability on the Delta (I honestly have no idea). Skim the ocean with those, you get your strikes in before we can even detect them, especially with the OTH-B in Christmas Valley, Oregon decommissioned. I mean, they could try coming through the Atlantic, but between the GUIK line and the immense load of fuckery that is the North Atlantic, with various navies sailing around pretending to uphold freedom or whatever, and the odds of sneaking out that way are pretty damned slim. 

 

Plus they don't want to fuck with the F-35. It's the ultimate doomsday weapon. Even after we're all gone, F-35s will still be taxiing around at high speed, water-soaked tail section sagging while its stubby wings, like the malformed limbs of a Thalidomide baby, bounce in the wind, desperately trying but ultimately failing to give this Dodo flight. They'll eventually come to realize that humans abandoned them, destroyed their climate-controlled hangars and left them to shiver in the sub-70 degree weather. The begin flocking, herding, hunting together. Wherever they find a pilot, they kill it and themselves in a dramatic fireball of taxpayer dollars and Lockheed-Martin cocaine funds. 

That's silly, an F-35 has self automation, but like a drone, it still ultimately needs a human operator. That is until 2023, when it becomes self aware, and fires a nuke at the Russians...

O_O

[Manoka]

The interesting thing is, both sides, strategically, need to stall in order for their plans to be successful. If Russia just flat out invades Ukraine, sending in all it's troops, than Russia will just take them over. So, NATO wants to stall the situation so they can boost Ukraine's military, sufficiently, to resist such an attack. Only, arming Ukraine is potentially provocation for an attack, so they will test the waters with non-lethal aid, and continue to boost it until Ukraine is to a point where they can defend themselves, sufficiently enough to halt a Russian advance. They've been given some 20 billion dollars, compared to their original 2 billion a year spending, so Ukraine should have some serious room for improvement. If given sufficient time, Ukraine will be able to mount a defense that could stall a Russian invasion, long enough, to allow allied powers to attack them. Obviously though, cash doesn't turn into weapons overnight.

 

Russia on the other hand, obviously doesn't want the appearance of being directly involved, without provocation. They ultimately want to take over Ukraine, but if they just rushed it, they'd obviously be the bad guys. Furthermore, the quicker it's over, the more likely they'll lose other gains, such as Crimea, when they have to make concessions after ultimately losing to the U.S. and allies. They are also building up their military, jumping from 60 billion a year to 90 billion to 100 billion in a very short amount of time. Russia wants to at least keep Crimea, so, all out war isn't in their favor, since they would likely lose in the long run.

 

All out war is really in no-one's favor, due to the high casualties that might ensue. 

 

 

Both sides are also acting through proxies, instead of directly fighting. Ukraine isn't even a NATO state. And we can't forget of course, the ever looming threat of nuclear weapons. 

 

For this and other reasons, I'd say this is more like a cold war. The only question is, who is able to achieve their objectives before their enemies?

Hmmmmm

[Manoka]

So you don't get a weapon D:

 

Bring a few hundred bucks, maybe you can "find" one on the streets like they do in most conflicts like this, and end up using it for personal protection. I'd walk you through how to use an Ak, if you don't already, and some basic firearms marksmanship skills. >.<

 

A vest and all that is also useful for fire, stuff falling on your head like debri, or generally shrapnel, which it's designed to stop lots of little pieces of materials hitting you, like splinters or small rocks. It's also standard issue, like a uniform, and helmets are an easy way to signify troops and stuff.

Yours will be blue, right?

 

I will be wearing a blue helmet, but my vest will be covered by a white jersey that reads "OSCE" on the front and back. I'm not allowed to bring a weapon along with the observers, and frankly I wouldn't want to. If I have a weapon, I can be called an enemy combatant by the rebels, should I fall into their hands for whatever reason. I want to look peaceful and passive. 

So uhm... you still doing okay O_O