A senior Russian official on June 19 inadvertently confirmed the staggering troop losses incurred by Moscow's forces during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with CNN, Russian Ambassador to the U.K. Andrey Kelin was asked about Moscow's maximalist intentions in Ukraine and its ability to recruit enough
  • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    3 days ago

    By the end, the Sahel states were in full revolt against French occupation.

    There a) was no occupation and b) not even the Putschists were in “full revolt”.

    You seem to think dropping 200 lb bombs on a city to wipe whole neighborhoods off the map constitutes “throwing down”

    You seem to be talking about the Russian main forces (which aren’t in the Sahel), not France. Heck, Americans, but again, not France. France drops training ammunition instead of actual bombs on Hilluxes and when Americans make fun of them (“they ran out of ammo”) the French shrug and say “Concrete slabs are perfectly sufficient for pickup trucks”. It’s baked into their core doctrine, they supply their troops with what is necessary, but not more, because they want them to be audacious.

    Are you referring to the Bounti airstrike? Like in you strg+f “controversial” and found something? Then just assumed the 200lb and “whole neighbourhoods”? This is Bounti.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      3 days ago

      There a) was no occupation

      The French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced in February 2020 that France would send an additional 600 troops to the Sahel region, bolstering Operation Barkhanes’ force to 5,100 troops.

      b) not even the Putschists were in “full revolt”.

      More and more voices are being raised against the presence of the French soldiers of Operation Barkhane, despite the lack of alternatives.

      You’re either deeply misinformed or deliberately lying.

      • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
        0·
        3 days ago

        And… where’s the revolt? Did you read your source? Did you even check the date? What it said about the opinion of the Mali military?

        As said: The French left once uninvited by the government. Who are Putschists but meh that’s usual down there, and not likely to change without a prolonged period of stability. I do expect another Putsch to come in soonish as they’re not getting things handled either, as said Wagner is often worse than the Jihadis, and on top of that Russia is way overextended as it is. Won’t take long until they can’t supply their goons down there.

        Did you, btw, read up on Russia’s media campaign down there. The French are arrogant, no doubt, but that’s different from wanting to rule the area or wishing it ill. What you can legitimately blame them for is a disinterest in building up those states, training their militaries, enable them to secure their own territory on their own. Russia saw an opening for its actually colonial ambitions and went for it.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          3 days ago

          The French are arrogant, no doubt, but that’s different from wanting to rule the area or wishing it ill.

          Explain it to the 2700+ dead that the French are responsible for.

          • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
            0·
            3 days ago

            Don’t be a Jihadi? Don’t try to force your way onto others trying to establish a Caliphate? Are you seriously taking the side of Al fucking Qaeda here.

            How do you explain Wagner’s actions to the survivors of Moura. “Don’t be a civilian?”

            Detainees were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment during questioning, and dozens of women and girls were raped or subjected to other forms of sexual violence, the report claims. In one instance, soldiers brought bedding from a house, placed it under trees in the garden, and took turns raping women they had forced there.

            And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, most of the atrocities don’t get investigated at all due to the fucked-up overall situation. It’s all Wagner MO though.

            • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
              0·
              3 days ago

              Don’t be a Jihadi?

              There it is. Everyone’s guilty once you’ve flung shrapnel through their chest.

              But you still can’t imagine why the French-aligned government got ousted in a coup on these terms.