Russia invasion of Ukraine

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

My city was one of the first ones attacked. But no, I am not in bunker as I managed to ride from the city with some friends once everything started. There are no Russians here yet.

On the other hand, looks like EU countries were convinced to shoot down Russia from SWIFT despite the potential loses.

God bless you
Hopefully Ukraine (and the rest of the world) musters the support needed to repel that crazy Putin's invasion

[Yu Ominae]

Vice News reporters in Ukraine covering the events.

[AnimeFan188]

Ukraine's Prototype Kevlar-E Armored Fighting Vehicle Has Joined The Fight Against Russia

"A prototype Ukrainian tracked infantry fighting vehicle, which uses the same chassis as the 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-
propelled howitzer and appears to be the only example of its kind ever built, looks to have joined the country's fight
against invading Russian forces. A video emerged on social media earlier today, which was reportedly taken recently
in the city of Kharkiv, that clearly shows the vehicle, known as Kevlar-E, driving down a street flying a large Ukrainian
flag."

See:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...against-russia


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U.S. To Bolster Ukrainian Air Defenses As Russian Advance Grinds On

"U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that a new military aid package for Ukraine will contain "lethal defensive
assistance" to help the country "address the armored, airborne, and other threats." This strongly suggests that anti-
aircraft weapons, possibly shoulder-fired Stinger surface-to-air missiles will be among the deliveries. It has been
confirmed that the U.S. shipments will include more Javelin anti-tank missiles, which have already distinguished
themselves in this conflict. All of this comes as Russia continues to press ahead with its invasion in the face of fierce
Ukrainian resistance."

See:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ance-grinds-on


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Elon Musk says Starlink satellite service is activated in Ukraine, where the Russian invasion has caused
internet disruptions

"SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted Saturday evening that the company's Starlink satellite internet service "is now
active in Ukraine" with "more terminals en route."

Musk's announcement came in direct response to a plea from a Ukrainian government official for more Starlink
stations amid a Russian invasion that disrupted Ukraine's internet services."

See:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-...040752169.html


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Why Russia Is Destined for Defeat in Ukraine

"As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his war on Ukraine, commentators observe that in the end, he cannot
win. He solidified the Ukrainian resolve to resist his aggression. He can never destroy the Ukrainian identity, and if
his aim is to occupy the entire country he will face protracted resistance."

See:

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/...at-in-ukraine/


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Putin Has Never Lost a War. Here Is How He'll Win In Ukraine

"As the battle of wills and might between Russia and the west over the fate of Ukraine unfolds, there is one key fact to
bear in mind: Vladimir Putin has never lost a war. During past conflicts in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Crimea over his
two decades in power, Putin succeeded by giving his armed forces clear, achievable military objectives that would allow
him to declare victory, credibly, in the eyes of the Russian people and a wary, watching world. His latest initiative in
Ukraine is unlikely to be any different."

See

https://www.newsweek.com/2022/03/11/...e-1682878.html


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Germany allows Netherlands to supply Panzerfaust 3 rocket-propelled grenades to Ukraine

"Germany has authorized the Netherlands to supply 400 Panzerfaust 3 rocket-propelled grenade launchers to Ukraine.
The Netherlands will also supply 200 Stinger man-portable air defense missile weapons to Ukraine."

See:

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...o_ukraine.html


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Italy Doubles The Number Of Eurofighters Deployed To Romania, Prepares To Send Military Aid To Ukraine


"the Italian Government is working on a new measure that could be coming in the next few days that would give the go
ahead to the delivery of material that allows the Ukrainians to defend themselves from the Russian attack. According to
the Italian media outlets, the list of aid (that would include anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft weapons and machine guns)
is being defined in these hours and before it is sent to the Kyiv, it will be discussed in the Parliament."

See:

https://theaviationist.com/2022/02/2...-eurofighters/


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At Vasylkiv, Ukrainians Repel Russia’s Paratroopers and Commandos in Frantic Night Battle

"Leading the attack on the ground were infiltrated Russian Spetsnaz special operations forces disguised as Ukrainian
police and driving a police car who reportedly gunned down soldiers at a checkpoint near Vasylkiv airbase, the home
base of the agile MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters of Ukraine’s 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, located just 11 miles southwest of
Kyiv. (Many sources claim the distance is 25 miles, but Google map data suggests otherwise.)"

See:

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/...-night-battle/


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Russian invasion runs into stiff resistance, supply lines are a 'definite vulnerability,' US officials say

"On the battlefield, Russia is suffering heavier losses in personnel and armor and aircraft than expected. This is due in
part to the fact that Ukrainian air defenses have performed better than pre-invasion US intelligence assessments had
anticipated. In addition, Russia has yet to establish air supremacy over Ukraine, a senior dedfense official said, as the
Ukrainian Air Force and air defense systems fight for control of the airspace."

See:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...say/ar-AAUmgpN


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Ukraine roads company removing road signs to confuse Russians

"A Ukrainian company in charge of building and maintaining roads said it was removing all road signs that could be used
by invading Russian forces to find their way around the country."

See:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ns-2022-02-27/


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Merchant ships have been targeted by Russian missiles, while the French Navy intercepted a cargo vessel
heading for St. Petersburg, reports say

"BBC News reported Saturday that the French Navy had intercepted a cargo ship in the English Channel that was bound for
St Petersburg, Russia."

See:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/merchant-...125441481.html


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Watch: Ukrainian civilians use their bodies to block Russian tanks

"Ukrainian citizens in the city of Bakhmach stood in front of advancing Russian tanks on Saturday, according to video verified
by CNN."

See:

https://theweek.com/russo-ukrainian-...-russian-tanks


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Massive Artillery Barrage Sets Fuel Farm Ablaze South Of Kyiv As Russian Invasion Enters Day Four

"As the sun rises over Ukraine, Russia's invasion of the country enters into its fourth day. While there have been advances by
Russian forces, they appear to have been limited and an expected major offensive against the capital never materialized. While
it seems clear that Russia's military operation has slowed, we could be experiencing a 'tactical pause' used to fortify supply lines
and prepare for new coordinated offensives. With that being said, here is the best up-to-date information on the conflict we
have and we will continue to update this post until stated as part of our ongoing rolling coverage on the conflict."

See:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...nters-day-four


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Welcome to Cold War 2.0. It won't be easy

"No matter how Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine ends, it already marks a turning point in history: the end of a 30-year
period of relative peace in Europe and a return to hostility between Russia and its neighbors — a kind of Cold War 2.0.

If we’re lucky."

See:

https://news.yahoo.com/column-welcom...025325582.html

[Yu Ominae]

Checked in with a couple of peeps I know in Ukraine.

Despite Russian missile strikes and all, they're all safe and hunkering down with others for company.

[MeoTwister5]

General Magomed Tushayev, apparently Chechnya's top man in Ukraine and Kadyrov's right hand man, ALLEGEDLY killed in his 2nd day of duty.

Allegedly. Why Chechen soldiers would fight for Putin after the hell he put the country through and installing puppets everywhere is beyond me.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

General Magomed Tushayev, apparently Chechnya's top man in Ukraine and Kadyrov's right hand man, ALLEGEDLY killed in his 2nd day of duty.

Allegedly. Why Chechen soldiers would fight for Putin after the hell he put the country through and installing puppets everywhere is beyond me.

They are Kadyrov's men whose father switched sides in the second Chechen war. You'll always find collaborators and the Chechen wars happened over 20 years ago, so many of those fighting were either born shortly before or after the second war so they don't necessarily remember that.

[Yu Ominae]

https://mobile.twitter.com/christogr...25333704896513

Grim news regarding what's going to happen next.

Christo Grozev reports that Russian forces on the ground are given order to take Kiev ASAP before the end of Monday Ukrainian time.

[Nachtwandler]

Will update some info as I am here, though not on front.

Yes, Chechen forces were defeated in Kiev oblast.

Large offensive on Kharkiv was repelled this morning. Russians managed to enter the city but lost all of their vehicles. Our forces search for the remnants in the city.

Apparently, Lukashenko wants to force just another Constitutional changes in Belarus today to join the war. Let us hope, his opposition will be more active.

[Yu Ominae]

Good to hear.

IIRC, one of the Kadyrov COs, Magomed Tushayev, was killed in an ambush by SBU Alpha operators.

[MeoTwister5]

Putin has supposedly just placed the Russian nuclear arsenal on "special alert".

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/0...ponry-00012108

We have never seen something like this since the Cuban missile crisis. This is going to backfire on him because it makes Russia look desperate. China's the only major power supporting Russia in some manner and I'm almost pretty sure they'd rather not support a dude willing to press the Big Red Button.

That said a Ukrainian delegation is set to meet a Russian counterpart, so hopefully it's just more Putin posturing. I'm sure he knows that the moment a warhead enters Russian airspace, the world will make western Russia look like the rest of Siberia.

[Yu Ominae]

Their losses are tremendous. Even Kadyrov lost his shit after seeing what the TDF did to the Russians in Kharkiv.

And this is considering Belarus is the only pro-Putin willing to provide paratroopers to the fray. Luckily, the pro-Kyiv protests in Minsk are getting louder.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

Putin Has Never Lost a War. Here Is How He'll Win In Ukraine

That simply is not true, in 2020 we had the Nagorno-Karabakh war, where Armenia (supported by Russia) lost to Azerbaijan (supported by Turkey). I think that was the moment putin felt the tides of war starting to shift against him and decided to invade Ukraine asap.

Since putin is a simpleton, I have no doubt he will try to assassinate Zelensky, thinking that Yanukovych could then claim to be the rightful leader of Ukraine. Such an act would only galvanize the west into stop buying russian gas and oil.

Just like the covid19 vaccine was developed in a year (when usually it would take decades) this might trigger the accelerated development of molten salt thorium reactors to power Europe.

[TheForsaken]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

That simply is not true, in 2020 we had the Nagorno-Karabakh war, where Armenia (supported by Russia) lost to Azerbaijan (supported by Turkey). I think that was the moment putin felt the tides of war starting to shift against him and decided to invade Ukraine asap.

Lol no
Putin didn't support Armenia. At all. Which is why Azerbaijan dared to attack in the first place.
Armenia had a pro-West revolution in 2018, and their new pro-West government kept pissing him off so he allowed Azerbaijan to attack to teach Armenia a lesson.
And he is the one who gained the most from that war. Or do you fail to notice that it's Russian soldiers who are peacekeeping Nagorno-Karabakh?

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

It makes me think, do xijin ping is thinking about pulling an Stalin? I have read (but obviously cant confirm) that albeit the USSR and Nazi Germany had an alliance, stalin was preparing to invade from the start and the nazis seized lots of equipment already at the border when they invaded the USSR.

So, if China bands with the west, they could be on the side of the good guys with little effort and maybe can even get back that piece of land Russia seized from China two centuries ago.

Russian doctrine to a massed land assault from a serious (read, Chinese or NATO) threat is liberal usage of tactical nukes to force a de-escalation. No one is that crazy to risk it

I wonder what's the best outcome to end this with minimal bloodshed. Russian protests working I think. Wonder how Ukraine's performance can aid that

I also hear one reason Russia is doing so badly is their hands are tied. Their usual doctrine calls for massive fires which they are not doing due to PR most likely. This entire operation is so poorly conceived. If they cannot use heavy fires due to not wanting to provoke even harsher global backlash but their own troops will die in droves without it, it's a lose lose. And troops dying for no good reason will eventually lead to a second Febuary Revolt. Blunders everywhere, it's actually strange.....as if something went down in the Kremlin or what

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

Just came to say hello. It is easy to discuss all of this things from your side. And another thing is to be here. We will loose probably, but not without a fight. And I really hope that it will make Western countries to think about possible further consiquences.

Stay safe. Oh and if Zelensky survives the war......I hope you guys treat him right this time. There's a real good guy and leader right there

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by TheForsaken

Lol no
Or do you fail to notice that it's Russian soldiers who are peacekeeping Nagorno-Karabakh?

You fail to notice said russian troops operate in an are which has 0% strategical value for putin (unlike Syria, which provides access to naval bases for refueling). Simply put, said troops on the ground are a liability at worst, an useless expense at best. If said troops wanted to do a repeat of the crimea operation of 2014, I think they would quickly outlive their welcome.

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Russian doctrine to a massed land assault from a serious (read, Chinese or NATO) threat is liberal usage of tactical nukes to force a de-escalation. No one is that crazy to risk it

That is why I said "with little effort", if China simply does not support (as in, not buying Russian oil and gas) they only have to wait for them to collapse (like the USSR did) and then ask for compensation for their troubles. My bet is that down the line this will be a self fulfilled prophecy, putin feared the west taking territory and he will end up paying with land for all the destruction he will cause.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

That is why I said "with little effort", if China simply does not support (as in, not buying Russian oil and gas) they only have to wait for them to collapse (like the USSR did) and then ask for compensation for their troubles. My bet is that down the line this will be a self fulfilled prophecy, putin feared the west taking territory and he will end up paying with land for all the destruction he will cause.

That might be happening quietly already. No one really remarked about it but the Putin speech about needing a quick victory happened after the China meeting. I'm not surprised if China actually does not approve of this war (bad for business, provokes the US to become more jingoistic as hardliners come into favor etc)

[Sheba]

Please Putin apologists, humor us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cwjOvzLXQk

And before you bring up USA's invasion of Iraq, remember it had been denounced too.

[Eisdrache]

I don't really have anything worthwhile to comment on the crisis but those among you who play chess might be aware that Sergey Karjakin, one of the best players on the planet is a huge Putin supporter. Unfortunately he has reached a new low even for him by being a war apologist on twitter. While there has been no official ruling on his comments and FIDE is hardly the most ethical association, for the global chess community Karjakin is absolutely dead with no right to appeal.

[AnimeFan188]

Here Are The Options For The EU's Initiative To Restock Ukraine With
Fighter Jets

"In a major development with regards to the conflict in Ukraine, a top European Union
official says that the bloc is now working to facilitate the delivery of fighter jets to the
country as it continues to resist a full-on Russian invasion. Additional combat aircraft
could be especially valuable for the Ukrainians, who have been able to prevent Russian
from gaining air superiority, so far, but have suffered losses over the course of the
fighting."

See:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...h-fighter-jets


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Ukrainian Government: The An-225 Mriya, WorldÂ’s Heaviest Aircraft, Has
Been Destroyed

"Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has confirmed that the only An-225, the
largest operational cargo aircraft, has been destroyed. Antonov has not confirmed it
yet."

See:

https://theaviationist.com/2022/02/2...iya-destroyed/


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Why RussiaÂ’s War Against Ukraine IsnÂ’t Going Well

"Unconfirmed reports coming out of Ukraine on Saturday stated that Russian troops
were running low on fuel, food, ammunition as the logistics chain was having a tough
time keeping their troops supplied."

See:

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/...nt-going-well/


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Ukraine’s Volunteer ‘IT Army’ Is Hacking in Uncharted Territory

"At around 9 pm local time on February 26, UkraineÂ’s deputy prime minister and
minister for digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, announced the creation of the
volunteer cyber army. “We have a lot of talented Ukrainians in the digital sphere:
developers, cyber specialists, designers, copywriters, marketers,” he said in a post on
his official Telegram channel. “We continue to fight on the cyber front.”"

See:

https://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-...rattacks-ddos/


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Putin's fears of a unified, stronger Europe are fast becoming a
self-fulfilling prophecy

"Russian President Vladimir Putin's brazen and unprovoked assault on Ukraine is fast
turning his fears of a more resolute Europe, and potentially expanded NATO alliance,
into a self-fulfilling prophecy."

See:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ecy/ar-AAUo70b


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PutinÂ’s War in Ukraine Could Mean the Collapse of Russia

"HereÂ’s the problem: While every democratic wakes up each morning knowing when his
or her term will end; every dictator wakes up knowing that today could be his last.
Whereas Yeltsin left Putin a structure on which to operate and build, Putin will leave no
system on which a successor—even if he appoints one—can operate. When Putin dies,
Russia will descend into chaos."

See:

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/...pse-of-russia/


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Strategic Ukrainian Port Of Mariupol Now Surrounded By Russian Forces

"The strategic port city of Mariupol, which lies on the Sea of Azov, is now reportedly
surrounded by Russian troops and is being subjected to regular attacks. Its capture has
been a major objective for Kremlin as it is key to establishing a land bridge linking
western Russia and occupied Crimea via two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine."

See:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...orces-on-alert


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Former CIA station chief says 'Russia has overstretched' its military, lacks
troops to 'subdue' Ukraine

""Russia has overstretched," Daniel Hoffman said during an interview with Fox News.
"Vladimir Putin took a great risk here. He's dealing with extended supply lines, which is
having an impact — a negative impact on his troop's ability to move. There are major
rivers in Ukraine that also pose challenges and there are large cities, and Russia just
doesn't have the troops to subdue them.""

See:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-ci...175916503.html


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Kremlin media used claims of Ukraine creating a dirty bomb to justify invasion

"Following the seizure of UkraineÂ’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant by Russian troops,
Kremlin-owned outlet RIA accused Ukraine of “almost creating a dirty nuclear bomb.”
The unsupported claim cites a February 22 interview with Russian President Vladimir
Putin, in which he stated that even the appearance of tactical nuclear weapons in
Ukraine is a strategic threat for Russia. The same narrative was spread just prior to the
Russian invasion. The accusation, repeatedly presented without any evidence, is being
circulated on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, VK, and various
websites."

See:

https://medium.com/dfrlab/kremlin-me...n-3c8bd6b45884


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Ukraine Claims It Has Been Resupplied With Air-To-Air Missiles

"Ukraine says they have been resupplied with air-to-air missiles. Considering they use
Russian-types, this must-have come from an Eastern European NATO ally with stocks
of these missiles:"

See:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...nters-day-four


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Invasion of Ukraine: Tracking use of Cluster Munitions in Civilian Areas

"In recent days, social media images and videos have allowed Bellingcat – along with
other conflict monitors and open source researchers – to geolocate the impact sites of
several cluster munitions to civilian areas within Ukraine."

See:

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022...ivilian-areas/


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Defending Ukraine - Listing Russian Army Equipment Destroyed By
Bayraktar TB2s

"A list of Russian targets confirmed to have been destroyed or neutralised by Bayraktar
TB2s over Ukraine can be viewed below. This list only includes destroyed vehicles and
equipment of which photo or videographic evidence is available."

See:

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/0...sian-army.html


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Analysis: SWIFT block deals crippling blow to Russia; leaves room to tighten

"A decision by Western allies on Saturday to block "selected" Russian banks from the
SWIFT payments system will inflict a crippling economic blow, but also cause much pain
to their own companies and banks. And the allies still have room to do more."

See:

https://www.reuters.com/markets/euro...en-2022-02-27/


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Belarus Now Wants Nukes As Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine Is About To
Enter Its Fifth Day

"Meanwhile, the nuclear issue keeps coming up, with Putin's declaration of upping his
nuclear force's readiness posture, and now Belarus has set the stage for the return of
nuclear weapons within its borders and will probably ask for them from Russia."

See:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...-its-fifth-day


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Ukraine Crisis of 2022: The Final Battle of the Cold War

"The source of Russian revisionism post-Cold War lies in PutinÂ’s narrative of what
transpired in 1990, i.e., that Russia was never really defeated, that it was betrayed by
its own elites and the West. The truth was much more pedestrian – the Soviet Union
simply ran out of gas, unable to stay in the game and compete with the United States
at a time when the digital revolution was about to remake power indices and reshape
the world."

See:

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/...-the-cold-war/


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Ukraine invasion: Would Putin press the nuclear button?

""In that TV address, Putin wasn't acting like the master of the Kremlin, but the master
of the planet; in the same way the owner of a flash car shows off by twirling his keyring
round his finger, Putin was twirling the nuclear button. He's said many times: if there is
no Russia, why do we need the planet? No one paid any attention. But this is a threat
that if Russia isn't treated as he wants, then everything will be destroyed.""

See:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60551140

[mangamuscle]

Kremlin media used claims of Ukraine creating a dirty bomb to justify invasion

OK, now it makes sense. For days it has been buggin me why would putin send men to Chernobyl, there is nothing there but a molten core no one can go near and breatheable radioactive dust that is unhealthy to say the least.

So now he wants to sell the WMD angle to gullible russian boomers who eat his tv propaganda everyday like candies. The rest of the world governments are not buying said bullshit (unless putin has bribed them).

If there is any morale to this whole fiasco, is that any leader surrounded by yes men will do stupid things;, hopefully north korean leader wont feel the need to do something stupid because he feels no one is talking about him.