Morning catch ups again....
With May 9th approaching and all that this entails in Russia, I wonder if Kherson is being stage managed as the success Putin needs to demonstrate as part of the "victory in Ukraine.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61286505
Some really harrowing stories of brutality and torture emerging from the Ukrainian's. Civilians as well as military.
Seems the Russians are quite happy to en-masse remove Ukranian's to Russia, inflict all sorts of harm on them.
A few have been exchanged, but you do have to worry for the thousands still being held.
Russia is one of five permanent members of the body and it has vetoed more than one resolution on the conflict.
I find it unbelievable that the UN allows states the power of either vote or veto in matters that it has a vested interest; see also Syria where either Russia and China together or Russia alone have vetoed sixteen UN resolutions since 2011, including responses to the use of chemical weapons
You'd like to think that this war will finally force the UN to restructure itself, do away with vetos, and make it become a force for peace and good.
I strongly suspect that China and Russia would refuse to go along with that, and I'm not sure about the US.
Otherwise it will remain a toothless talking shop.
Otherwise it will remain a toothless talking shop.
I think its value is mostly in embarrassing countries by highlighting their hypocrisy. The Security Council provides a forum for the U.S., Russia, and China to regularly discuss matters. Eliminating the veto and changing to a majoritarian system would destroy the U.N. because either the U.S. or Russia and China would leave.
You need to spell out what you think a “win” for Ukraine would actually be.
To me that is easily defined.
Pre 2014 borders.
You need to spell out what you think a “win” for Ukraine would actually be.
To me that is easily defined.
Pre 2014 borders.
It's possible that Ukraine will be able to force Russia out of Ukrainian territory. However, Putin will not sign a peace treaty so the war will continue as a border dispute indefinitely. Personally, I doubt that Ukraine will want to invade Crimea so I don't think it will go back to pre-2014 borders.
Agree with that, and with a live border dispute he can prevent NATO membership.
Although regardless of that the military alignment and interoperability will be near as dammit given time. As is arguably "currently" the case with Sweden/Finland.
Yes in that scenario maybe they couldn't join NATO, but doesn't mean they couldn't buy a massively upgraded air defence system, Western artillery, tanks, long range anti ship missiles, F35s and maybe a few tomahawks to make Putin keep one eye skywards when he's taking tea in the Kremlin gardens.
Just back from Przyemsl this morning, they really need suitcases or even better- roller duffle bags. For every massive load that arrives at the ‘Tesco’ distribution place it is gone within hours. It’s easy to see why at the pedestrian crossing at Medyka as so many are carrying their world in a few basic carrier bags.
The other big need is tourniquets, and preferably the quality ones rather than the cheap Chinese ones. Every wish list from the front line has tourniquets.
Suitcases can go to your local collection point, but if any ex army people have any tourniquets and want to send to me I’ll get them to Kate who organises the medic packs for front line.
Retaking Crimea certainly looks unlikely at the moment. It would require a complete breakdown of morale and C&C of the RA. Seems unlikely, but given the failure in the North, anything is possible 🤷♂️
Personally, I doubt that Ukraine will want to invade Crimea
"Invade?"
“Invade?”
Fair point. "Retake" would have been a better term.
@jkomo you could do worse then to ask an admin on Arrse (Army Rumours Service) to post something about that.
If it came to Ukraine deciding to retake Crimea, Russia would be desperate to hold on as following Russia's annexation of Crimea, Putin terminated the Kharkiv pact which allowed Russia continued use of its naval base in Sevastopol. If they lose Crimea they lose an important naval base.
So, I hope that happens and the Crimea bridge is destroyed too.
Willard- thanks
@jkomo pm sent
For those wishing to assist you can order suitable tourniquets from here
Tenner or so to help out.
Kilo that is blooming brilliant, and a third of the price they are anywhere near Poland.
Thanks for your help.
Apparently Another general killed and wounded overall commander
https://twitter.com/MrKovalenko/status/1520759831589797890?t=TluKwrd2aB_2r8gGw7_NvA&s=19
I bet his hard drive is full of :shakey:
if that news about more top officers getting killed is true that's another big hit, like the moscav
Apparently Another general killed and wounded overall commander
Good, hope all that remains of them to send home is their teeth
That Gen. Andrey Simonov looks a lot like the baddie on the Last Crusade. His face melted too.
Interesting article/interview with the State News employee who protested live on TV.
Offers her viewpoint and touches on criticism and suggestions that she is a stooge.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/01/the-mysterious-case-of-marina-o-00029150
I ask Ovsyannikova if she remembers Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist who survived poison administered via a cup of tea before being shot dead in October 2006 in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building. As it happens, I interviewed Politkovskaya just five months before she was killed, when she told me, “In Russia, you can become too famous for assassination.” She’d been wrong.
Apparently Another general killed and wounded overall commander
would love too see the flow of behind the scenes intel that lead to that strike.
^^ thought it was convenient that the drones were in place. Must be lots of Intel being shared.
Mr Olaf Scholz making very loud noises about supporting Ukraine with equipment and saying Nein! to Russian gas.
Hi All, I will set up a just giving page or something tomorrow and probably start a new thread.
Thought I’d post a link to this article, about how the Ukrainians are using 3D printing to modify the munitions used in AG-17 grenade launchers by adding stabilising fins and dropping them from commercial drones, like the DJI Mavic, which China has now banned the sale and export to that part of the world.
A very effective terror weapon against the increasingly demoralised Russian orcs,..
One of the most evil things I've ever read about. Not the, but one of.
"In a town in Chernihiv region, when pulling back, orcs killed a young mother, and her small child was taped to mother's dead body with a mine between two bodies. When a Ukrainian soldier tried to save a still-alive child, the mine detonated, - Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov told to the reporters."
( https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/ug4zwm/in_a_town_in_chernihiv_region_when_pulling_back/)
That gerasimov is a proper hi heid yin that has just been given full command. And is an incredibly high value target. Much more so than any other generals we hear about. I'd be surprised if they'd got him already, would be a ridiculously high value target.
Here's beau's take on the guy from 2 days ago.
It was only a matter of time before someone created this
https://twitter.com/__freelance/status/1520586698878455808?s=21&t=jKhgCH46RC_HwxAW8AYPKg
For a relatively cheap and slow military drone, these Bayaktars have been integral in Ukrainian defenses
https://twitter.com/CovertShores/status/1521034700411842560?t=YvGgqgsUl6NzskphQwnSSg&s=19
Also
https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1520859285072265216?t=0vuQUpx1_A4S8ADGuQn-2g&s=19
I wonder how much of this filters though to Putin
Is he like trump? stuck in a loop of only viewing events through the filter of his own propaganda channels
One thing to remember about the fires in Russia is that it is a pretty large country and there will be quite a lot of accidental fires there everyday in normal times. Obviously, many of the fires near the Ukraine border are the result of attacks, but some fires will genuinely be accidents. Others may be insurance jobs or corrupt managers destroying factories or warehouses to hide the fact that all the stock they show on their books was stolen.
Mr Lavrov made the remarks in an interview with the Italian news channel Zona Bianca on Sunday, days after Israel marked Holocaust Remembrance Day, one of the most solemn occasions in the Israeli calendar.
When asked how Russia can claim that it is fighting to "de-Nazify" Ukraine when President Volodymyr Zelensky is himself Jewish, Mr Lavrov said: "So what if Zelensky is Jewish."
"The fact does not negate the Nazi elements in Ukraine. I believe that Hitler also had Jewish blood," adding that "some of the worst anti-Semites are Jews."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-61296682
……..but not all at refineries, train lines and armament depots! How many arms depots exploded this week in the USA?
Hmm, intelligence analysts just phoning it in, who woulda known.
https://twitter.com/jmichael424/status/1520879496928411649
“The fact does not negate the Nazi elements in Ukraine. I believe that Hitler also had Jewish blood,” adding that “some of the worst anti-Semites are Jews.”
I'm well aware of the "Hitler part Jewish" theory, but it does seem like Lavrov is a bit of a loose cannon and intent pushing away countries with more neutral positions
Lavrov just being lavrov I suppose he could say the sky is green at home and everyone would nod.
Israel has been very lukewarm with condemnation of Russia and has not joined the international sanctions. 15% of Israelis speak Russian and more are of Russian descent. Israel is one of the few countries in the world the Russians would probably exclude from their 'unfriendly countries' list. So it does seem like a massive blunder for Surging Lavatory to piss them off so effectively. Seems they are as shit at diplomacy as they are at military logistics and hiding war crimes.
Lavrov just being lavrov I suppose he could say the sky is green at home and everyone would nod.
The sky might actually be green in Russian as some languages have word for blue.
Excellent thread on escalation. Dangerous times.
https://twitter.com/IanKearns_/status/1520847320706912257
https://twitter.com/IanKearns_/status/1520851522120261632?s=20&t=zkbiEKD1eXK_iYeO_rpjcw
Have to agree. Everyone needs to stick to supporting Ukraine in whatever it decides to do in defending its territory from the most recent invasion, and not be drawn on what happens in Crimea or back in Russia. If Ukraine wants to take back territory lost before this year, then supporting them when it comes to that is one thing... stating that should be the aim on behalf of the UK, or USA, or NATO is a mistake.
