Assault on Kiev: Russian helicopters swoop above Ukraine's capital

[Saanim]

4 hours ago, Berkshire said:

3,500 Russians killed in 3 days?  If true, that's pretty massive losses.  In comparison, the US lost 2,500 service members in Afghanistan.  In 20 years.  Anyhow, not sure if these numbers are accurate or been confirmed.

 

[More than 3,500 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion of Ukraine began earlier this week, according to the Ukrainian military.]

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-killed-3-500-russians-ex-president-says-amid-fierce-kyiv-battles/ar-AAUlDsS

 

Obviously, the war is waged in a different way unlike shown in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, you name it: by the huge bombardments by missiles, destroying the countries and the people living there, sending in drones controlled by the PC sticks from far behind, etc.  Then only some time later the invading armies will be seen in the streets firing on anything  moving.  

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Asean statement on Ukraine: 

 

Singapore may be part of ASEAN but are taking a very different line:

 

“Singapore strongly condemns any unprovoked invasion of a sovereign country under any pretext. We reiterate that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected,” the ministry said in a statement.

 

 

[John Drake]

12 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Who's getting carried away, having internet access is vital and thanks to Elon Musk and Starlink that method of communication will remain despite Putin's cowardly actions.

Some people are getting carried away and losing their cool in this. Lots of fake images and captions being put online.  https://twitter.com/ReutersFacts/status/1496871979701321729

 

[rudi49jr]

There are quite large anti-war protests in many Russian cities, and hundreds (thousands?) of people getting arrested. Even Russian people of name and fame are voicing their opposition to the invasion. Wonder how Putin has been sleeping lately, what with his war going so well and now more and more Russians turning against him. Just wait until Russia is kicked out of Swift. Even loyal ally Kazachstan turned him down and refused to send troops to help fight the war. They even condemned Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. Ouch! 

[Bkk Brian]

8 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Some people are getting carried away and losing their cool in this. Lots of fake images and captions being put online.  https://twitter.com/ReutersFacts/status/1496871979701321729

 

That does not take away the importance of internet access though does it. Propaganda in warfare is unfortunately par for the course normally from both sides. The fact is Ukraine was invaded and they are fighting for their country, simple as that.

 

Volodymyr Zelensky on twitter.....

[Virt]

The only way i know how to support Ukraine is financially, and if anyone else consider that,

here is a link to several ways to support them.

Some directly to fund their army and some more "soft" ones like helping refugees etc.

 

https://neweasterneurope.eu/2022/02/24/ukraine-under-attack-how-to-help/r

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Critical thinking says Ukrainians do not speak Russian, they speak Ukrainian. Different alphabet, different vocabulary.

https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-russian-and-ukrainian/

 

The historical and cultural claims IMO are BS, the strategic claims may be valid from a Russian point of view.

I can buy a need for the Russians to prevent the Ukraine from joining NATO. I don't buy the need for an invasion to achieve that end.

One does not need critical thinking to know Putin wants to restore the USSR to its former "glory".

He has said it himself.

His idea of that concept, and those of the Ukraine and Baltic states, probably differ substantially.

Remove Putin, and I suspect the Russian hierarchy would become much more pragmatic, a la Gorbachev.

 

That is not correct, A more correct statement would be that the majority Ukrainians speak Ukrainian  (67%) as their first language but 30% speak Russian as a first language, being an indication of the close cultural ties.

Further more Odessa became the third city of Russia and the country's second most important port, after St. Petersburg; grain was its principal export. The city was one of the chief centers of the Revolution of 1905 and was the scene of the mutiny on the warship Potemkin. It was part of the Russian Further exemplifying the close historical and cultural relationship between the Ukraine and Russia.

Odessa was part of Russia since  1794 only 20 years shorter than  the US has been the US. 

So no BS there when it comes to historical and cultural claims.

  

So given all of the above, if the US was in the place of Russia do you think it would act any different? Has it reacted differently in similar circumstances? 

If not, who is the US to lecture Russia? 

 You said:

"I can buy a need for the Russians to prevent the Ukraine from joining NATO. I don't buy the need for an invasion to achieve that end. "

Negotiations regarding the eastward expansion of NATO have been taking place since the reunification of Germany and have failed at every step to prevent the eastern expansion of NATO .

Other than submit, how else would you have reacted? 

 

 

[John Drake]

2 minutes ago, sirineou said:

So given all of the above, if the US was in the place of Russia do you think it would act any different? Has it reacted differently in similar circumstances? 

If not, who is the US to lecture Russia?

Well, Cuba, still a Russian and increasingly a Chinese ally, is still there. If Putin takes the Ukraine, is the US free to move in on Cuba? Probably half of southern Florida would volunteer for the invasion force.

[tgw]

13 minutes ago, Virt said:

The only way i know how to support Ukraine is financially, and if anyone else consider that,

here is a link to several ways to support them.

Some directly to fund their army and some more "soft" ones like helping refugees etc.

 

https://neweasterneurope.eu/2022/02/24/ukraine-under-attack-how-to-help/r

helping refugees does not help Ukraine.

 

Ukraine needs weapons, fuel, food and ammunition

[Saanim]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Critical thinking says Ukrainians do not speak Russian, they speak Ukrainian. Different alphabet, different vocabulary.

Critical thinking???  What is that???

How different the alphabet and the vocabulary is:

 

we speak russian:

RU: мы говорим по-русски        Mi govorim po ruski

UA: ми говоримо російською    Mi govorimo rosiyskoyu

 

we speak ukrainian:

RU: мы говорим по-украински Mi govorim po ukrainski

UA: ми говоримо українською Mi govorimo ukrainskoyu

 

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

If Russia can't win this war or are at the brink of down right losing it, could Putin use nuclear weapon? 

Would his military follow through with his order?

Russia may use a bomb that disintegrate's people he would use that rather than nuclear weapon contamination.

[ozimoron]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

If Russia can't win this war or are at the brink of down right losing it, could Putin use nuclear weapon? 

Would his military follow through with his order?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-27/what-are-thermobaric-weapon-which-russia-may-use-against-ukraine/100865560

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

It is a complex situation. Putin is essentially trying to establish his own Monroe doctrine, applied to the region. Ukraine was Russia's colony for a far shorter period than India was the UK's colony. Does that give the UK permanent rights to claim India as it's own,

There are vast deference's between the relationship of India to the UK  and Ukraine to Russia, for instance  the Ukraine shares a boarder with Russia where India was in a different continent than the UK. 

The Ukraine is significantly culturally closer to Russia  than India was  to the UK 

a large part of The Ukraine was incorporated into Russia   in 1667 and the remaining in 1792 , in other words Ukraine was Russian almost as long as the US has been the US . And was not a colony it was part of Russia. As opposed India was a UK colony for less than 100 years.    

[Rimmer]

Off topic removed, plase stop trying to drag India Cuba the US and UK in to the topic

[aussiexpat]

Ukraine just announced foreigners welcome to come and help fight Russia

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-establishing-foreign-legion-volunteers-abroad-president-2022-02-27/

 

[Bkk Brian]

 

He [Zelensky] won a landslide election with 73% of the votes while the other contender got only 24%.

 

He turned out to be an excellent leader who has not let his country down in anyway.

[rudi49jr]

 

So far he turns out to be an excellent leader, leading by example. I’m quite sure the Russians are doing everything they can to either eliminate him or get their hands on him. So it would make sense for Zelensky to leave Ukraine, but he chooses to stay and face the danger. I admire his courage.

For all the macho rhetoric surrounding Putin, all the pictures of him bare-chested, I don’t see him doing anything like that, if he were in a similar situation.

[Rimmer]

A youtube vid in a foreign language with foreign text  has been removed

[jollyhangmon]

... one interesting contribution from Fox News for a change, the warmongers obviously miscalculated:

 

 

 

... here some broader reporting, the title is just one topic:

 

 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

That is not correct, A more correct statement would be that the majority Ukrainians speak Ukrainian  (67%) as their first language but 30% speak Russian as a first language, being an indication of the close cultural ties.

Further more Odessa became the third city of Russia and the country's second most important port, after St. Petersburg; grain was its principal export. The city was one of the chief centers of the Revolution of 1905 and was the scene of the mutiny on the warship Potemkin. It was part of the Russian Further exemplifying the close historical and cultural relationship between the Ukraine and Russia.

Odessa was part of Russia since  1794 only 20 years shorter than  the US has been the US. 

So no BS there when it comes to historical and cultural claims.

  

So given all of the above, if the US was in the place of Russia do you think it would act any different? Has it reacted differently in similar circumstances? 

If not, who is the US to lecture Russia? 

 You said:

"I can buy a need for the Russians to prevent the Ukraine from joining NATO. I don't buy the need for an invasion to achieve that end. "

Negotiations regarding the eastward expansion of NATO have been taking place since the reunification of Germany and have failed at every step to prevent the eastern expansion of NATO .

Other than submit, how else would you have reacted? 

 

 

I would have accepted the Eastern European nations joining NATO are doing it for a reason, and move on. In my thinking, with Russia's military might, those nations joined NATO for defense. It's ludicrous to think of NATO attacking Russia.

Of course, Putin's thinking is different. He sees NATO as a threat.

He would do better to be focusing on the East. History shows the most grievous wounds inflicted on the Russian psyche originated there. In the West, Russia gave as good as it got.

The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. The fact some Ukrainians speak Russian is about as relevant as Dutchmen speaking German.

[CharlieH]

Off topic posts and responses removed

 

[Hummin]

33 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Ukraine just announced foreigners welcome to come and help fight Russia

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-establishing-foreign-legion-volunteers-abroad-president-2022-02-27/

 

Finland did it with success, Ukraine might succeed doing the same

[Hummin]

On 2/25/2022 at 11:15 AM, Jingthing said:

I've read the Kremlin propaganda  Complete garbage!

I have to apologize, I thought Volodymyr Zelenskyj with family would have left the country by now, but he show himself like an worthy warrior president and keep the moral among his countrymen and women by staying behind. That can be the game changer for its outcome.

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

I have to apologize, I thought Volodymyr Zelenskyj with family would have left the country by now, but he show himself like an worthy warrior president and keep the moral among his countrymen and women by staying behind. That can be the game changer for its outcome.

He actually declined an offer from the US

 

Zelensky declines US evacuation offer

The US government offered to evacuate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from Kyiv — but he declined.

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelensky said, 

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, Bkk Brian said:

He actually declined an offer from the US

 

Zelensky declines US evacuation offer

The US government offered to evacuate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from Kyiv — but he declined.

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelensky said, 

The Russian and American president would have been safe in their war room bunker, he have been seen among his soldiers outside. Respect

[Chris.B]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I have to apologize, I thought Volodymyr Zelenskyj with family would have left the country by now, but he show himself like an worthy warrior president and keep the moral among his countrymen and women by staying behind. That can be the game changer for its outcome.

Also, unlike Afghanistan, his men are staying to fight with only the women and children crossing the borders as refugees. 

 

 

[Jingthing]

27 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I have to apologize, I thought Volodymyr Zelenskyj with family would have left the country by now, but he show himself like an worthy warrior president and keep the moral among his countrymen and women by staying behind. That can be the game changer for its outcome.

He and the Ukrainian people are an inspiration to people all over the world that freedom and democracy are worth fighting and dying for. If Zelenskyj is murdered today by the evil Putin forces, he will still live in world history as a great hero.  Much of the west, especially the USA, are living in badly degraded democracies in danger of being wiped out by internal idiocies. Hopefully more and more people will understand that you can't ever take democracy for granted. It is so easy to lose it and once you lose it, it can be almost impossible to take it back. 

 

Also I must admit a personal pride at the unlikelihood of such a Ukranian hero being a Jew as my relatives were forced from there due to genocidal antisemitism. There are indeed still some such dark forces in Ukraine just as there are in the USA, Germany and pretty much everywhere, but still there is the irony of Putin lying that he is going after Nazis when he's the one acting very much like Adolph himself in his invasion of Czechoslovakia.

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

He and the Ukrainian people are an inspiration to people all over the world that freedom and democracy is worth fighting and dying for. If Zelenskyj is murdered today by the evil Putin forces, he will still live in world history as a great hero.  Much of the west, especially the USA, are living in badly degraded democracies in danger of being wiped out by internal idiocies. Hopefully more and more people will understand that you can't ever take democracy for granted. It is so easy to lose it. 

The world really need an hero now! It have been shameful times to long now!

[Rimmer]

Some troll posts and replies have been removed

[Yellowtail]

14 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Zelensky declines US evacuation offer

The US government offered to evacuate....

Yeah, we're good at that.