Ukraine 21: On the Attack with a Giant Phallic Spear

[Maithanet]

There's more videos in that thread.  Looks like one direction of the road bridge is completely gone and in the water.  The other direction of the road and the rail span are damaged and probably unusable at the moment.  No idea how long it will take to repair.  The rail span is by far the more important as a military target.

 

 

[IFR]

13 hours ago, ThinkerX said:

Given the dismal upkeep of almost all other equipment in the current Russia military - along with monumental incompetence and rampant theft - I find myself wondering if the Russians won't somehow manage to nuke themselves by accident. Maybe a 'dirty bomb' type deal, with ramped up Chernobyl levels of fallout across much of Russia proper.

 

Dirty bombs are kind of a nonsensical concept. The radioactive inventory that can be contained in a chemical weapon is limited and would be highly dispersed in the atmosphere. It's unlikely that such a thing would elevate the radiation field of a large area in any significant way. Even if you increased the background radiation field ten or twenty fold, it wouldn't produce a statistically significant increase in the resident population's chances of developing cancer over the years.

You might as well disperse a nerve agent, since the effects are immediate and powerful.

A nuclear warhead can be a more effective means of creating extensive fallout. The bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki left minimal fallout because of the materials used in the bomb, and due to the explosions being air bursts (to greatly increase the radius and magnitude of the kinetic damage and to reduce fallout). A ground explosion would produce a lot more fallout due to the neutron activation of ground soil and water, and could render an area uninhabitable for a period.

Back in the infancy of nukes, when countries were thinking of the best way to completely destroy each other, Szilard proposed the idea of salting nukes with Co-60 (I believe), which would serve as an enhancement of radioactive fallout. The experts that I've spoken to about this idea think that it wouldn't be particularly effective.

[Werthead]

The Russians are saying the rail bridge will be operational again by tomorrow, although I certainly would not like to be the first train driver to test that.

[karaddin]

The bridge will work... Until it doesn't. With the attitude towards their own troops displayed everywhere else in this war of course they're going to keep running trains over it until they can't. Sucks for the Russian train drivers that they're not going to get much say in it, let's hope it goes quickly.

[Kalbear]

Lots of rumors floating around, and nothing particularly substantiated. I am trying to be very careful of sharing news I hear, especially news that would make me happy. Ukraine has at least taken full credit for the kerch bridge demo, saying it was a "special services" operation. From the characterization of the explosion it does appear to be a detonation above the bridge, not below it, so the militarily trained dolphins continue to be perfect in russias defense..

We should likely know more solid info about the bridge in the next week.

[Wilbur]

For some reason Youtube has demonetized the accounts of numerous channel operators who report on the invasion of Ukraine.  Here is a list compiled on Reddit of those channels who have received a letter telling them they are demonetized for covering the war.

Arthur Rehi

Beau of the Fifth Column

Combat Veteran Reacts

Denys Davydov (as well as his pilot channel, which is where I knew him from prior to the invasion, and has nothing to do with the war)

The Enforcer

Perun

Reporting from Ukraine

Ryan McBeth

Task & Purpose (needs confirmation, unsure)

Ukraine Matters

Vlad Vexler

I can't imagine a rational reason for why YT would do so intentionally, since many of them, like Perun, are among the best-researched and produced shows available.

My own videos have been struck off YT for silly reasons, such as incidental music played in the background at basketball arenas where my teams were competing.  That sort of nonsense is just an automated response to "use of music without permission", and while it is stupid, I can see why the YT system configuration can make mistakes like that.

But this is different, and clearly aimed directly and intentionally at the channel operators because of the content they create.

[Heartofice]

I think there might be a Youtube glitch, I’m seeing a lot of people complaining about this

[The Anti-Targ]

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

For some reason Youtube has demonetized the accounts of numerous channel operators who report on the invasion of Ukraine.  Here is a list compiled on Reddit of those channels who have received a letter telling them they are demonetized for covering the war.

Arthur Rehi

Beau of the Fifth Column

Combat Veteran Reacts

Denys Davydov (as well as his pilot channel, which is where I knew him from prior to the invasion, and has nothing to do with the war)

The Enforcer

Perun

Reporting from Ukraine

Ryan McBeth

Task & Purpose (needs confirmation, unsure)

Ukraine Matters

Vlad Vexler

I can't imagine a rational reason for why YT would do so intentionally, since many of them, like Perun, are among the best-researched and produced shows available.

My own videos have been struck off YT for silly reasons, such as incidental music played in the background at basketball arenas where my teams were competing.  That sort of nonsense is just an automated response to "use of music without permission", and while it is stupid, I can see why the YT system configuration can make mistakes like that.

But this is different, and clearly aimed directly and intentionally at the channel operators because of the content they create.

I watch Denys Davydov, and he read out some of the email he said he was sent, which says Youtube is demonetising channel that "exploits, dismisses or condones the war." His channel certainly doesn't dismiss or condone [Russia's invasion] but I guess Youtube can claim anyone trying to make a living off Youtube content merely talking about the war is exploiting the war for financial gain. I hope Youtube has demonetised mainstream news youtube channels too in that case, since they are also exploiting news about the war for financial gain.

 

 

[Arakasi]

Perun said that his channel got unblocked per monetization and he uploaded a video today. Hopefully the others get unblocked too. I do agree YouTube should monitor any vid showing dead bodies or live action. Probably better places for that content.

[Erik of Hazelfield]

A Swedish professor of defence is certain - the bridge exploded due to a truck carrying dynamite or similar civilian explosives. The driver would have been either unknowing or a suicide bomber.

His motivation:

1) It’s a very powerful blast, from the looks of it at least 10 tons, up to 30. The fact that the fireball reaches the upper railway part of the bridge almost immediately indicates the power. 
2) The smoke is white. Military explosives have an oxygen deficiency causing black smoke. It’s not strange if dynamite would be transported to the war. It can be used to clear obstacles, build foxholes etc.

3) The train was a target. It’s just too good to be a coincidence that a train carrying fuel would be hit. The truck must have overtaken it. It looks like diesel fuel pouring all over the bridge from the train.
4) No missile carries this amount of explosives, and the lower bridge would have protected the truck from an attack from the water.

Link in Swedish: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/8JQMbr/explosionen-pa-krimbron-professorns-slutsatser

[The Anti-Targ]

@Heartofice is correct Youtube has de-de-monetised these channels again after saying it was a massive glitch affecting thousands of channel. Or at least Denys Davydov's channel has returned to normal monetisation service, per a community post he recently put up on Youtube.

[DireWolfSpirit]

Im fascinated by the heroic young Russians that are refusing to go kill/or be killed in Ukraine.

" Russian draft dodgers pour into Kazakhstan to escape Putin's war

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/09/europe/russia-draft-dodgers-kazakhstan-intl-hnk/index.html "

They demonstrate the wisdom and courage to resist going along with Putins criminal campaign.

"Those Refusing to Fight in the Ukraine War Should Be Protected

BY

MEDEA BENJAMIN ARIEL GOLD

As Russian men fled after Vladimir Putin’s draft announcement, Latvia closed its border with Russia, and Finland said it was tightening its visa policy. Those choosing not to fight need to be celebrated, not shunned."

[Luzifer's right hand]

Countries like Mongolia have also said that they will welcome their brothers. I feel seeing minorities as expandable might have been really bad for the standing of Russia in central Asia. I do think it is probably a sound strategy that European countries refuse to do the same as it upsets people in the only territories Putin seems to care about.

[DireWolfSpirit]

edit: double post

[polishgenius]

20 hours ago, The Anti-Targ said:

@Heartofice is correct Youtube has de-de-monetised these channels again after saying it was a massive glitch affecting thousands of channel. Or at least Denys Davydov's channel has returned to normal monetisation service, per a community post he recently put up on Youtube.

 

I suspect it was less an out-and-out glitch and more that they introduced a new algorithm and automated routine to demonetise problematic channels, but didn't tune it properly and it caught any mention of Russia and the war at all. Or, say, any video that combines the words 'war' and 'good' anywhere along their length or something.

[Heartofice]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-63197951
 

Seems like a number of strikes to cities like Kyiv this morning. 

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

1 minute ago, Heartofice said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-63197951
 

Seems like a number of strikes to cities like Kyiv this morning. 

Three civilians died while Ukraine severely crippled Putin's Crimean bridge and they called it a terrorist attack. I guess Russia views the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and non-military targets in Ukrainian cities as "fair" retaliation. 

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

In addition to everything else this morning, Lukashenko appears to be dragging Belarus into open conflict against Ukraine. 

[Loge]

2 hours ago, Matrim Fox Cauthon said:

Three civilians died while Ukraine severely crippled Putin's Crimean bridge and they called it a terrorist attack. I guess Russia views the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and non-military targets in Ukrainian cities as "fair" retaliation. 

It's Putin's way of throwing a tantrum. Shooting expensive missiles that are hard to replace (if they can do it at all under the sanctions) at targets without military value.

[Werthead]

39 minutes ago, Matrim Fox Cauthon said:

In addition to everything else this morning, Lukashenko appears to be dragging Belarus into open conflict against Ukraine. 

I suspect this is Lukashenko again trying to appease Putin whilst appearing tough but not actually going into open conflict with Ukraine. That would be moronically stupid. Ukraine has had fairly strong forces along the Belarusian border for the entire war and kept them unengaged, so they are relatively fresh. Belarusian morale and appetite for war is completely nonexistent, senior Belarusian generals have indicated they would not support open conflict with Ukraine, and a third country getting involved would open the doorway for fourth and fifth countries etc. The chances of Lukashenko being toppled would exponentially increase if he ordered troops into Ukraine.