Russian lawmakers authorize Putin to use military force outside the country, Part II

[Labster]

Also: apparently Ukrainians are grinding open the cluster bombs that America sent over, and putting the individual bomblets onto drones.  I mean, uh, Russians don't have a monopoly on doing stupid things.

Is that actually stupid, though? A bit hair-raising for the poor schmucks doing the job, I'm sure, but it lets them put each payload directly on a target instead of scattering them across a field or town or wherever, to address the unexploded ordnance concerns several EU members were raising and get the most effective bang for the buck in the most literal possible sense.

Well, other than the fact they have to arm the bomblet in the process of removing it, then stick a plastic tab in to temporarily disarm it, no, no, everything is fine.  There is a benefit to using the right tool for the job, but of course in a war sometimes you'd rather make the enemy dead faster.

-- Putin has decreed that all Wagners sign an oath of loyalty to the Russian state, and an oath to obey all orders of their commanders.  I don't know how you get more medieval than the oath of fealty to your king and lords, but there it is.
-- Two Ukrainian training fighter jets crashed into each other, three pilots killed
-- Estonian PM's husband has some investments that are making money in Russia.  Vatnik troll farms are very upset about her and want her replaced immediately.
-- A video of Russian tanks.  It starts like an episode of GnP, then Ukrainian artillery starts bombarding their path, so they swerve out into the field -- the Russian minefield.  Extra points for the tank blown up by a mine with a round in the barrel, which shoots and kills the friendly tank in front of it.
-- There is every reason to believe that Russia will negotiate peace with Ukraine the same way Putin negotiated peace with Prigozhin: make deal then renege spectacularly.
-- A firsthand account of why progress has been hard for Ukraine, translated to English.  Worth reading for the specific tactics, but TL;DR defense is easier than offense.
-- Tokmak is close, so close, but not undefended.

People are used to expecting quick military victories with fancy western tech and are surprised when they doesn't happen. But it's not happening because the one other factor that enables fancy western tech to operate with impunity is missing --- the absolute and total domination of the airspace above the battlefield

It's also not happening because we're not sending Western tech fast enough. More armor, more ammo, more planes are all needed badly.

Wouldn't call Russia Medieval anyway. Even the middle ages had standards of conduct for Soldiers in the Field. Ask Peter Von Hagenbach about it. It's not even a mafia state. Because the Mafia have standards of conduct - a basic reciprocity of loyalties and rewards. A basic honour for the dead.

In Russiam all culture is dead. Only existance remains.

Agree.  And wasn't my original point that Russia is reimplementing feudalism poorly?

I honestly think of feudalism as an advanced form of mafia: you pay your taxes, and you get "protection".  Except that some of the protection is actually real protection.  And then the capo/king gets a cut of all of the local gangs/lords.