Huge pro-EU rally grips Ukraine

[Schroeder]

^You forgot:
Service life of engine's gearbox: ~ 25 flight hours before collapsing.

To my knowledge that problem can't be fixed with current technology.
I don't know whether I should or ....

[Jimbuna]

^Yep, not too bad at all

[Catfish]

Last number i read was 600 hours, but no time to find it now.
But go on, you can bring down anything with crticising


(If not Trump )

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

^Yep, not too bad at all

Just for the record and purpose of clarity, I was referring to the two video clips.

[Catfish]

^ @Jim oops sorry

But then i could say i only meant Schroeder

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Each and every plane type had and has problems during development

You said it yourself. During development.

When the A400M finally does what it should, the airframes already will be worn out from moisture and seismic activity.

[ikalugin]

The only militaries in Europe that indeed are war-capable currently, are the British, the French, and the Turkish ones.

Turks are not really European and your forgot Poles. And in my opinion the Russian forces are not made for conquiring EU (or NATO) member states, but we had this discussion already.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Catfish

^ @Jim oops sorry

But then i could say i only meant Schroeder

No problem matey

[Oberon]

So Belarus just called up all its reserves, seems there's a little bit of jitteryness there about the relations between Minsk and Moscow, some fear there might be an attempt to coup Lukashenka during the Belarus/Russian exercises in March. Unlikely, but we'll see.

[ikalugin]

Originally Posted by Oberon

So Belarus just called up all its reserves, seems there's a little bit of jitteryness there about the relations between Minsk and Moscow, some fear there might be an attempt to coup Lukashenka during the Belarus/Russian exercises in March. Unlikely, but we'll see.

Lukashenko tries to sit on the fence, playing both sides and keeping his options open. This is a dangerous game to play. Morever, as a means to balance out the passive Russian soft power (which is a think in Belarussia more than in Ukraine) by supporting nationalists, getting a Maidan is by far more likely in my opinion than a coup.

[ikalugin]

Meanwhile:
http://www.interfax.ru/world/550084
http://echo.msk.ru/news/1928668-echo.html
It appears that Ukraine has enacted the state of emergency in it's energy sector. The stated cause for it is... Ukrainian activists blocking supply of coal from the separatist held areas to the Kiev controlled ones.

p.s. while this development may not be critical (Ukraine has ~1 month worth of reserves left) it is pretty important, as Ukraine and Russia did not prolong the electricity export agreement (from Russia to Ukraine - Ukraine was in due to their deficit and Russia was in for the transit of electricity to Crimea, now Crimea is supplied directly from Russia and Ukraine, should it renew it's coal deliveries, is no longer facing shortages). This means that unless the coal deliveries begin Ukraine would suffer power shortages in the summer.

The reason why Ukraine cannot switch to another means of generation is simple - it doesnt have the money to build that capacity. Nor can it transit to another kind of coal b/c Donbas coal was very high quality and would be too expencive to buy elsewhere or to shift to a different kind of coal (the later is hard b/c you need to modify boilers).

[ikalugin]

http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/news/53895
Russia now recognises official documents (from passports to certificates of secondary education) issued in the LDNR (regions not under the control of Kiev), untill the Ukrainian crisis is resolved.

[August]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/news/53895
Russia now recognises official documents (from passports to certificates of secondary education) issued in the LDNR (regions not under the control of Kiev), untill the Ukrainian crisis is resolved.

So in other words you guys are getting ready to carve off another section of Ukraine.

[ikalugin]

Originally Posted by August

So in other words you guys are getting ready to carve off another section of Ukraine.

There are two sides to this. First one is that, sure, if we recognise their documents we get closer to recognising them as an independent state.

But there is the second, humanitarian side to it - since 2014 people kept being born (with birth certificates), getting their primary and secondary education (and relevant certificates), driving licenses and what not. Because Kiev has no control over those territories those documents happen to be issued by local authorities.
So by recognising those documents as valid we help the locals.

On related note:
http://tass.ru/obschestvo/4037895
only 24 percent of people support recognition of LDNR independence but majority supports the idea of helping those regions in other ways.

[ikalugin]

http://www.vedomosti.ru/business/art...sportnii-rinok
Our export of meat and beer into Donbas is doing very well, with the economic blockade Ukrainian activists have set up.