Undersea Cable Cut in Norway

[utahjeepr]

He's definitely gonna try again. You don't bivvie 100,000 troops along a border for kicks. I expect he was looking to intimidate some territory gain AND orchestrate a power grab by Russian loyalists. He's not above outright invasion though. Shitzhizpants won't do squat, Europe is not really able to do much. The only real economic leverage Europe has is to quit buying Russian energy and materials, which in reality hurts Europe as badly or worse than it hurts Russia. Putin has never shown reluctance to wear the black hat, don't expect him to change now.

The next 6-8 weeks are the window of opportunity. Eastern Ukraine is a lot like Minnesota. If he's gonna move it's gonna be soon.

[chuckman]

Well, at least we'll send troops:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nyt...raine.amp.html

[SteyrAUG]

Well, at least we'll send troops:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nyt...raine.amp.html

And we are currently at Defcon 3, I think last time we were at 3 was when pork chop kid in North Korea flew a missile over Japan.

[SteyrAUG]

Well, at least we'll send troops:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nyt...raine.amp.html

Christ, another Balkan war, that's what we need.

[utahjeepr]

I smell "containment" in that troop deployment idea. As in "keep the takeover confined to Ukraine"

[SteyrAUG]

I smell "containment" in that troop deployment idea. As in "keep the takeover confined to Ukraine"

These are dangerous games to play. Remember how Obama's line in the sand worked out in Syria. F'ing around trying to play global police he managed to get us back into a frosty Cold War with Russia...over f'ing Syria.

[arbninftry]

Turkey can't block the straits, but you know what they CAN do? Blockades to keep their cities safe. If Russia's Navy stays in the Black Sea, they are contained.

This is why Syria has always been important the Russians. They need a port in the Mediterranean just for that reason. Thus, the Ruskies in Syria.

[utahjeepr]

To bring the thread full circle, the Navy may deploy ships to the Baltic. I'm gonna speculate that means cruise missile capability. The loss of the Norwegian sensor network only covered a small area of the transit line into the Baltic, but it did help detect subs.

That capability loss means more risk for NATO warships.

[chuckman]

This is why Syria has always been important the Russians. They need a port in the Mediterranean just for that reason. Thus, the Ruskies in Syria.

Syria is a LONG way from the Black Sea...but a great place for a port in a region that is almost always destabilized.

[chuckman]

This is why Syria has always been important the Russians. They need a port in the Mediterranean just for that reason. Thus, the Ruskies in Syria.

To bring the thread full circle, the Navy may deploy ships to the Baltic. I'm gonna speculate that means cruise missile capability. The loss of the Norwegian sensor network only covered a small area of the transit line into the Baltic, but it did help detect subs.

That capability loss means more risk for NATO warships.

We have ships there now. We also have SOF (this is open source, not violating OPSEC). I imagine more of both regardless of the US being drawn into something more significant.