Alexei Navalny has died – authorities

Re:Alexei Navalny has died – authorities by rufus_foreman on Friday February 16, 2024 @07:15PM (#39404790)

>> Avdiivka is a tiny pointless place

"Both sides regard Avdiivka as key to Russia's aim of securing full control of the two eastern "Donbas" provinces - Donetsk and Luhansk. These are among the four Ukrainian regions Russia says it has annexed but does not have full control of. Avdiivka is seen as a gateway to Donetsk city, whose residential areas Russian officials say have been shelled by Ukrainian forces, sometimes from Avdiivka."

-- Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/why-does-russia-want-ca...

I don't understand your point about optics. Why does Russia care about optics in this case? Ukraine has to care about optics because they are completely dependent on NATO aid for their survival at this point.

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Re:Alexei Navalny has died – authorities by jncfhnb on Saturday February 17, 2024 @09:55AM (#39409959)

Go read any actual war analysis. It is not a strategically important place. Donetsk City is not realistically a significant target in the foreseeable future.

Russia cares immensely about optics because Putin has demanded a military victory in time for the march elections. This has been publicly reported on since at least October.

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Re:Alexei Navalny has died – authorities by rufus_foreman on Saturday February 17, 2024 @10:35PM (#39415937)

I'm pretty sure I know who is going to win the March election.

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Re:Alexei Navalny has died – authorities by jncfhnb on Sunday February 18, 2024 @12:59PM (#39421318)

Of course. That doesn’t mean they don’t care about the results.

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