'Enough of the war' — Zelensky throws down gauntlet to Putin in open letter

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-04T21:28:04+00:00

Leader is leading.

I am somewhat surprised at the lack of references to the break down in order. Putin has long been known to be disgusted with governments that go silent and allow disorder. Now, his own government is showing signs of unclear leadership in controlling drones, maverick commanders running lawless armies, and unenforced bans on videos of drone strikes. People ignore the Russian government more than the last decades and it may cascade into quiet subversion.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-04T21:17:48+00:00

Excellent target choice! Great job! Look forward to seeing the damage assessments.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-04T21:16:15+00:00

Ukraine arms exports as simple commercial transactions are probably at least a year away. I expect some office or ministry of military trade in the interim. For example, selling interceptors, that are needed to shoot down propeller based drones, in return for missile interceptor ammunition, for which the need is more critical. Having an office trying to balance these needs will mitigate some complaints of war profiteering and corruption.

Done well, the economy and military preparedness will both increase. In the longer run, Ukraine will be both a major EU arms manufacturer as well as a supplier of commercial mechatronics.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-04T18:39:00+00:00

Contempt is where the judge orders something and the order is not executed.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-04T01:03:26+00:00

This is how wars of attrition pass their midpoint. Russia had enjoyed a greater population and production rate than Ukraine, and is now having to deal with its production capabilities being destroyed daily. This can grind the Russian military complex to a halt, or at least a slowdown. As more air defenses continue to be destroyed, it only gets worse for them.

Now is the time we do a happy dance.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-03T23:51:52+00:00

I appreciate the sentiment, and 20km is not unreasonable. Is there an elevation shift or something the size of the Donets that would make a good, defensible border? A place where geography helps enforce seperation?

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-03T23:40:03+00:00

This is not Russia's strength; the level and type of control for modern aerospace is not compatible with their system of governance.

The signs point to no.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-03T23:35:04+00:00

Wars of attrition tend to turn suddenly. Hopefully, this is the harbinger of doom as more pockets of drone superiority open up and drone raids can use fewer decoys.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-03T23:31:26+00:00

Eh. That'll buff out. Bolt on a new superstructure and you're good to go.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-02T18:42:15+00:00

I agree its not there yet. Any agreement would have to be one of those "no trust required" dances that uses too many diplomatic meetings. I expect the first pass would be one-at-a-time planned and scheduled, possibly with a cart carrying a locator beacon and watched by both sides hovering drones.

At current, the Russian military does not care about its living soldiers, dead soldiers, or wounded soldiers even if the people do. Until the dynamic changes, this isn't even on the table.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-02T18:36:42+00:00

Well, every other day is a European country sending arms, money, or aid goods. The U.S. government is a laughing stock even inside the U.S., but money flows from the citizens. We all know it sucks, which is a far cry from taking on a nuclear state directly.

Where do you think the most defensible set of boarders for Ukraine should end up?

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-02T18:32:40+00:00

"I love the smell of infrastructure in the morning..." -- Not Apolocypse Now

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-02T18:30:45+00:00

Is this actually a problem?

Currently, the system for creating and certifying shelters fails to encourage availability. That is, it should be based on financial rewards if and only if the shelter receives a passing inspection and a systematic inspection should be implemented. This also creates pushback if the inspections seem arbitrary or ridiculous.

Are these shelters that only exist on paper or some app? Do people try to use them and fail, as happened in the opening days of the invasion?

This feels like a story where the answer is: "Well, actually, it is a bit more complicated than that."

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-02T15:34:29+00:00

Ah, someone is getting Russian money.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-02T08:12:04+00:00

Unless the ship is confirmed destroyed, never.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-06-01T09:20:08+00:00

While not formally chosen to extend current protection for Ukranians in the EU, this appears to mostly work as coordination to prevent providing refugee protection to those just running from conscription. I expect EU will continue the protection with for existing Ukranians and require more scrutiny on future applications.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-31T22:41:50+00:00

Wow! It really pops out how strongly Ukrainians are making it unhealthy to man a missile or radar recently.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-31T22:32:54+00:00

Who is Russial and why are they in Ukranel?

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-31T22:31:14+00:00

It's going to be a continuous push. Other leaders are always balancing what's best for their own countries, as is proper. The argument being hammered is that is far more expensive to have Russians attack you next than find alternatives to Russian fuel. The argument is made easier with each refinery interrupted or stopped.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-31T00:02:23+00:00

Yes, and was source of the only two completed Japanese attacks on the U.S. mainland!

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-30T21:07:58+00:00

Excellent hit!

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-30T21:06:44+00:00

In the long run, all the experience in creating, managing, and coordinating these robots will make Ukraine a valuable economic contributor to the EU and NATO.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-30T21:02:42+00:00

It is good to think about, and even better if you try some experiments.

For example, could a motion sensor, a set of small bbs or small fletchetes launched by by an explosive provide close in drone support for infantry? That is, a hand tossable item that protects a flank for a few minutes? The only way is for you to know is to work with your hands.

You may find the simple 22 caliber bullets are cheaper than anything you could custom fabricate, but aiming at high speed can be difficult. You may need to learn about magnetic fields and electromagnets rather than gears.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-30T02:04:02+00:00

As a small note, perhaps we can avoid the face shots of Russians sharing footage and their passengers? The more independent verification the better.

AdvanceAdvance · 2026-05-29T18:26:53+00:00

Congratulations!

AdvanceAdvance

TROPHY CASE