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

[Saanim]

5 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

In 2017, the size of the regiment was estimated at more than 2,500 members,[21] but by 2022, it has been estimated to be 900 members.

Do you believe everything what you read?

 

September 8, 2014

Ukraine must stop ongoing abuses and war crimes by pro-Ukrainian volunteer forces

 

(Kyiv) In a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk today, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty urged the Ukrainian government to stop abuses and war crimes by volunteer battalions operating alongside regular Ukrainian armed forces.

“The Ukrainian authorities must not replicate the lawlessness and abuses that have prevailed in areas previously held by separatists,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary General from Kyiv.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/09/ukraine-must-stop-ongoing-abuses-and-war-crimes-pro-ukrainian-volunteer-forces/

 

 

Profile: Who are Ukraine’s far-right Azov regiment?

The far-right neo-Nazi group has expanded to become part of Ukraine’s armed forces, a street militia and a political party.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/1/who-are-the-azov-regiment

 

[Hellfire]

2 hours ago, Saanim said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azov_Battalion

"In September 2016, founder and former commander of the Azov Battalion Andriy Biletsky said that he would be leading a new political party.^[30] In early October 2016, Biletsky stated that the new party would use neither names nor symbols of the Azov Battalion.^[55] On 14 October 2016, this political party called National Corps (Natsionalnyi Korpus) held its first congress.
National Corps formed a coalition with three other right-wing parties during the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, but failed to have any candidate elected to the Verkhovna Rada, and the coalition failed to achieve official party status as it only won a combined 2.15% of the nationwide electoral list vote, short of the required 5%"

 

——

 

So you seriously compare a marginal organization who only got 2% of votes to the 23 years old fascist regime of Putin? This is one of the typical methods of Putin’s propaganda: taking things out of proportion.

[Hellfire]

Apart from Azov, there is one more organization which is demonized by Putin media machine - Praviy Sektor (The right sector). In fact, this is also , same as Azov, a small radical organization that never succeeded to make it to the Ukrainian parliament. Together with Azov it is mentioned almost daily on Russian TV as a true face of the Ukrainian government (to which they have NO any connection). Stupid and primitive propaganda that, unfortunately, worked well on the minds of the millions of Russians. 
 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by Hellfire

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

Just some advice...when dealing with anonymous emoticon responses to your online posts....develop a thick skin...not worth the time of day to pursue reasoning behind them. 

There not anonymous mush. 

[Bkk Brian]

49 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Do you believe everything what you read?

 

September 8, 2014

Ukraine must stop ongoing abuses and war crimes by pro-Ukrainian volunteer forces

 

(Kyiv) In a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk today, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty urged the Ukrainian government to stop abuses and war crimes by volunteer battalions operating alongside regular Ukrainian armed forces.

“The Ukrainian authorities must not replicate the lawlessness and abuses that have prevailed in areas previously held by separatists,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary General from Kyiv.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/09/ukraine-must-stop-ongoing-abuses-and-war-crimes-pro-ukrainian-volunteer-forces/

 

 

Profile: Who are Ukraine’s far-right Azov regiment?

The far-right neo-Nazi group has expanded to become part of Ukraine’s armed forces, a street militia and a political party.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/1/who-are-the-azov-regiment

 

Yes Amnesty International. Here's a more up to date statement on what they think of Russia's attack:

 

Russian military commits indiscriminate attacks during the invasion of Ukraine

 

Amnesty International’s verification of the use of indiscriminate attacks by the Russian forces in their military operations in Ukraine, provides irrefutable evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

 

“The Russian military has shown a blatant disregard for civilian lives by using ballistic missiles and other explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas. Some of these attacks may be war crimes. The Russian government, which falsely claims to use only precision-guided weapons, should take responsibility for these acts,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

 

If the Security Council is paralyzed through veto, it is up to the entire membership to step up

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General

 

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/russian-military-commits-indiscriminate-attacks-during-the-invasion-of-ukraine/

[Bkk Brian]

Then of course you have Russia's very own Wagner group with its own Nazi infiltrators.

 

"More than 400 Russian mercenaries are operating in Kyiv with orders from the Kremlin to assassinate President Zelensky and his government and prepare the ground for Moscow to take control, The Times has learnt.

 

The Wagner Group, a private militia run by one of President Putin’s closest allies and operating as an arm-length branch of the state, flew in mercenaries from Africa five weeks ago on a mission to decapitate Zelensky’s government in return for a handsome financial bonus."

 

Putin's private army is led by Dmitry Utkin, who uses the cover name "Wagner". He was inspired by the German composer Richard Wagner, whose oeuvre was also admired by Adolf Hitler. 

The Russian investigative news server Fontanka calls Utkin an adherent of the Nazis. On social media, photographs of Utkin are frequently shared showing his neck tattoo reading "SS" and an Imperial eagle on his chest. 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by Bkk Brian

[onthedarkside]

A post commenting on forum moderation has been removed, along with several replies. Also a post with a non-news media-source social media video.

 

From the forum's rules:

"Social Media content is acceptable in most social forums. However, in factual areas such as news, current affairs and health topics, it cannot be used unless it is from a credible news media source or government agency, and must include a weblink to the original source."

 

[ozimoron]

“His instinct will be always to double down, because he’s got himself into a dreadful mess, a huge strategic blunder,”

 

Fatefully, Putin underestimated the national pride and battlefield skills that Ukrainians have built up over the past eight years of battling Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east.

 

Two out of three of those were captured or abandoned, signaling the failings of the Russian troops that let them go.

 

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-europe-nato-49abe49e9b35833a385fe10db802dc5a

[onthedarkside]

Another post making an unsupported and unsubstantiated claim has been removed.

 

[tgw]

2 hours ago, Saanim said:

Do you believe everything what you read?

 

September 8, 2014

Ukraine must stop ongoing abuses and war crimes by pro-Ukrainian volunteer forces

 

(Kyiv) In a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk today, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty urged the Ukrainian government to stop abuses and war crimes by volunteer battalions operating alongside regular Ukrainian armed forces.

“The Ukrainian authorities must not replicate the lawlessness and abuses that have prevailed in areas previously held by separatists,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary General from Kyiv.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/09/ukraine-must-stop-ongoing-abuses-and-war-crimes-pro-ukrainian-volunteer-forces/

 

 

Profile: Who are Ukraine’s far-right Azov regiment?

The far-right neo-Nazi group has expanded to become part of Ukraine’s armed forces, a street militia and a political party.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/1/who-are-the-azov-regiment

 

long story short, less than 2% of voters support the far-right in Ukraine.

in all countries there are always a small group of extremists.

Ukraine doesn't have a far-right problem.

But in Russia it seems the extremists have taken over the government.

[tgw]

I can only imagine Russians in future when we will all celebrate every year a new national holiday "Ukrainian Victory Day over Russian Fascists"

[Jingthing]

44 minutes ago, tgw said:

long story short, less than 2% of voters support the far-right in Ukraine.

in all countries there are always a small group of extremists.

Ukraine doesn't have a far-right problem.

But in Russia it seems the extremists have taken over the government.

Exactly.

Some Nazi types are everywhere.

Not the same thing as them running a country.

The USA has a much much more severe internal Nazi type problem than Ukraine.

Also to note Ukraine has a Jewish president who has emerged to be the most admired world leader.

Hardly what would happen in a Nazi country.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Jingthing

[Bkk Brian]

its Russia's war of choice and the international community have made it clear they need to stop.

 

Ukraine's defense of its country and citizens will carry on until Russia withdraws, is beaten or peace negotiations are achieved.

Edited March 19, 2022 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed

[onthedarkside]

Another post making claims without any supporting weblink to the source content has been removed, along with replies.

 

Regarding that issue:

 

Russia says it has used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine

 

March 19 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday it had destroyed a large underground depot for missiles and aircraft ammunition in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region using hypersonic missiles, the Interfax news agency reported.

 

The ministry said it had also destroyed Ukrainian military radio and reconnaissance centres near the port city of Odessa using a coastal missile system, Interfax reported.

 

Reuters was not able to independently verify the ministry's statements.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-says-used-hypersonic-missiles-070618037.html

 

[tgw]

I respect and salute the Russian cosmonauts:

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/russian-cosmonauts-wear-Ukrainian/2022/03/19/id/1061949/

 

 

it takes balls to be a cosmonaut.

 

[RJRS1301]

3 minutes ago, tgw said:

I respect and salute the Russian cosmonauts:

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/russian-cosmonauts-wear-Ukrainian/2022/03/19/id/1061949/

 

 

it takes balls to be a cosmonaut.

 

Well one may assume that up return they will be spending time immemorable in the Gulag for lifetime re=education, or this is the most offensive PR stunt from the Kremlin PR machine.

The suits would have been predesigned and tested, and overlords would know about it, perhaps designed to fool the "peaceful" take over of sovereign  territory and show that they are are more empathic than the Gestapo.

 

[tgw]

10 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Well one may assume that up return they will be spending time immemorable in the Gulag for lifetime re=education, or this is the most offensive PR stunt from the Kremlin PR machine.

The suits would have been predesigned and tested, and overlords would know about it, perhaps designed to fool the "peaceful" take over of sovereign  territory and show that they are are more empathic than the Gestapo.

 

I'm quite sure that stunt has been planned by the cosmonauts with the support of the ground staff which certainly had the suits sewn for them.

 

I'm not sure if you are familiar with the selection criteria for Astronauts / Cosmonauts, but personal values and balance are of great importance in the process, these guys are extremely likely to do the right thing at the right moment no matter what and with no regard for personal cost, and are very hardened against stress.

This is also true for US astronauts and others.

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by tgw

[RJRS1301]

15 minutes ago, tgw said:

I'm quite sure that stunt has been planned by the cosmonauts with the support of the ground staff which certainly had the suits sewn for them.

 

I'm not sure if you are familiar with the selection criteria for Astronauts / Cosmonauts, but personal values and balance are of great importance in the process, these guys are extremely likely to do the right thing at the right moment no matter what and with no regard for personal cost, and are very hardened against stress.

This is also true for US astronauts and others.

 

The manufacture of the suits would have taken some time to guarantee the life of the wearers. It was not a sudden thought in train of the illegal invasion, it seems to me to be much more sinister. and more choreographed.

Have you seen the stage managed show of supporters in Russia today? Thousands of flag waving people, as Nth Korea manages to support the fat ugly minded dictator there.  Nothing happens in Moscow or the Russian or  its territories unless Kremlin is aware of it. 

Call me cynical but the Gestapo stage managed some supposedly humanitarian public displays prior to the annulation on millions to support their ends.

Edited March 19, 2022 by RJRS1301

[tgw]

18 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

The manufacture of the suits would have taken some time to guarantee the life of the wearers.

 

nope, these are regular flight suits, not high-tech suits.

they probably took a couple of days to make.

[RJRS1301]

51 minutes ago, tgw said:

nope, these are regular flight suits, not high-tech suits.

they probably took a couple of days to make.

A spacesuit is made up of many parts. One part covers the astronaut's chest. Another part covers the arms and connects to the gloves. The helmet protects the head. And the last part covers the astronaut's legs and feet. Some parts of the suit are made of many layers of material. Each layer does something different. Some keep oxygen in the suit while others protect astronauts from space dust.

Under the suit, astronauts wear another piece of clothing. It covers their body except for the head, hands and feet. Tubes are woven into it. Water flows through the tubes to keep the astronaut cool.

On the back of the spacesuit is a backpack. The backpack holds oxygen so astronauts can breathe. It also removes carbon dioxide that astronauts have breathed out. The backpack also supplies electricity for the suit. A fan moves the oxygen through the spacesuit. A water tank holds the cooling water.

Connected to the back of the suit is a tool called SAFER. SAFER has several small thruster jets. If an astronaut floated away from the space station, he or she could use SAFER to fly back.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-spacesuit-k4.html

 

 

[Hellfire]

Not sure if I can post it here, but the guy understands and explains everything pretty well

 

 

[Hummin]

15 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

Not sure if I can post it here, but the guy understands and explains everything pretty well

 

 

Well made and informative. Thanks

[coolcarer]

2 hours ago, tgw said:

I respect and salute the Russian cosmonauts:

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/russian-cosmonauts-wear-Ukrainian/2022/03/19/id/1061949/

 

 

it takes balls to be a cosmonaut.

 

Maybe it takes more courage than we think…..lol

 

Western sanctions against Russia could cause the International Space Station to crash, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos warned Saturday, calling for the punitive measures to be lifted.  
 

Publishing a map of the locations where the ISS could possibly come down, he pointed out that it was unlikely to be in Russia.

"But the populations of other countries, especially those led by the 'dogs of war', should think about the price of the sanctions against Roscosmos", he continued, describing the countries who imposed sanctions as "crazy".

 

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220312-russia-warns-sanctions-could-cause-international-space-station-to-crash

 

[Rimmer]

Posts linking to an unproved youtube source have been removed

[tgw]

2 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

A spacesuit is made up of many parts. One part covers the astronaut's chest. Another part covers the arms and connects to the gloves. The helmet protects the head. And the last part covers the astronaut's legs and feet. Some parts of the suit are made of many layers of material. Each layer does something different. Some keep oxygen in the suit while others protect astronauts from space dust.

Under the suit, astronauts wear another piece of clothing. It covers their body except for the head, hands and feet. Tubes are woven into it. Water flows through the tubes to keep the astronaut cool.

On the back of the spacesuit is a backpack. The backpack holds oxygen so astronauts can breathe. It also removes carbon dioxide that astronauts have breathed out. The backpack also supplies electricity for the suit. A fan moves the oxygen through the spacesuit. A water tank holds the cooling water.

Connected to the back of the suit is a tool called SAFER. SAFER has several small thruster jets. If an astronaut floated away from the space station, he or she could use SAFER to fly back.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-spacesuit-k4.html

 

what have you been smoking?

did you have a look at the picture?

[Hellfire]

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

Very notable that the huge rally in Russia that occurred supporting Putin's invasion of Ukraine was absent of any mention of lives lost be that Ukraine civilians or the mounting huge numbers of Russian forces including 4 generals.

 

Part of today's update from UK Ministry of Defense:

 

Putin has reinforced his control over Russian domestic media. The Kremlin is attempting to control the narrative, detract from operational problems and obscure high Russian casualty numbers from the Russian people.

 

The last time Russia gave an official update its soldiers killed in Ukraine was the 2nd March when they admitted to just 498, that's over 2 weeks ago.

 

Here is the latest estimates from the Ukraine armed forces on the losses to the Russian side, could it be an over estimate, sure but even if it were halved its a huge number:

 

Russia still has not taken away the bodies of killed Russian soldiers from Ukraine. Ukraine once again requested the International Committee of the Red Cross "to show respect for its fallen soldiers and to begin negotiations to take them away from Ukraine" 

 

Camps for prisoners of war have started operating in Ukraine. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova says that all norms of international humanitarian law on prisoners of war are observed

 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by Bkk Brian

[rudi49jr]

Ukraine drone army unit strikes at night, when the Russians sleep. 

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/specialist-drone-unit-picks-off-invading-forces-as-they-sleep-zlx3dj7bb

[Danderman123]

5 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

A spacesuit is made up of many parts. One part covers the astronaut's chest. Another part covers the arms and connects to the gloves. The helmet protects the head. And the last part covers the astronaut's legs and feet. Some parts of the suit are made of many layers of material. Each layer does something different. Some keep oxygen in the suit while others protect astronauts from space dust.

Under the suit, astronauts wear another piece of clothing. It covers their body except for the head, hands and feet. Tubes are woven into it. Water flows through the tubes to keep the astronaut cool.

On the back of the spacesuit is a backpack. The backpack holds oxygen so astronauts can breathe. It also removes carbon dioxide that astronauts have breathed out. The backpack also supplies electricity for the suit. A fan moves the oxygen through the spacesuit. A water tank holds the cooling water.

Connected to the back of the suit is a tool called SAFER. SAFER has several small thruster jets. If an astronaut floated away from the space station, he or she could use SAFER to fly back.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-spacesuit-k4.html

 

 

The yellow suits are just flight suits, not spacesuits. They can be made overnight.

[rudi49jr]

4 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

including 4 generals

Five generals now, although no independent confirmation yet.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-fifth-russian-general-killed-b2039617.html