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

[tgw]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Concur but what can Moldova do other than except which will amount to I'll make you an offer.

 

they can send their soldiers in, if Ukrainians help them.

[Bkk Brian]

On 4/22/2022 at 1:37 PM, Chris.B said:

 

VIDEO: Chechen Terrorists in Maripol

 

Hollow victory, won't last long before they are pushed back.

 

Here they are, the Chechen barbarians, looks more like a scene from aleppo, utter devastation yet they are proud of their blood thirsty conquest. Sickening display

 

 

[placeholder]

Interesting interview

"This week, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, announced the onset of what he called a new phase in his country’s war on Ukraine, which appears to consist of a focus on Ukraine’s east and a more gradual speed of attack than that of the failed strikes of late February and early March... To better understand what went wrong with the Russian approach, I called Joel Rayburn, a retired Army colonel and former U.S. special envoy for Syria, who is now a fellow at New America, a think tank in Washington, D.C. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we discussed what Rayburn learned about the Russian military from his involvement in Syria policy, the biggest mistakes the Russians have made in Ukraine, and whether the failures stem from poor decision-making or corruption."

https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/is-the-russian-military-a-paper-tiger

 

The overarching point Rayburn makes is that nothing has really changed as far as Russia's dilemma goes. It's still the same undertrained, underequipped, badly managed armed forces that got rebuffed in its campaign against Kiev. And now it's in worse shape than it was when it first invaded Ukraine. So, unless it launches nuclear weapons or chemical weapons, it looks like Russia's Donbas campaign is going to get its assets kicked in Ukraine again.

Edited April 23, 2022 by placeholder

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

Here they are, the Chechen barbarians, looks more like a scene from aleppo, utter devastation yet they are proud of their blood thirsty conquest. Sickening display

 

 

Cleansing?

Genocide.

[Chris.B]

Azov Battalion - History & Symbols

The Ukrainian Army's Azov Battalion is controversial due to its use of symbols associated with the Waffen-SS. In this video, we will examine the unit's history and what those symbols mean.

 

VIDEO: Mark Felton Productions

 

[placeholder]

18 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Azov Battalion - History & Symbols

The Ukrainian Army's Azov Battalion is controversial due to its use of symbols associated with the Waffen-SS. In this video, we will examine the unit's history and what those symbols mean.

 

VIDEO: Mark Felton Productions

 

I don't think there's any doubt that the Azov Battalion has a repugnant, pro-Nazi history. And no matter what their denials, I don't think it' s ideological stance has changed.. But it's only a small part of Ukraine's military. And the political party that it's associated with, got only 2.15 percent of the vote in the last election. The Russians, of course, have magnified the importance of the Azov Battalion and use it to justify their claim that they are battling Nazis.

[Hellfire]

7 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Why doesn’t Germany and Herr Scholzov leave #NATO and join the Russian Federation? How can anyone trust Germany in a crisis? > Olaf Scholz says delivering tanks to Ukraine could spark nuclear war

 

Boris Johnson confirms Great Britain will hand over Challenger 2 tanks to Poland in a backfill that will allow Poland to send even more of its T-72s to Ukraine.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10745115/France-Germany-sold-230million-military-hardware-including-bombs-missiles-Moscow.html
 

France and Germany 'sold £230million of military hardware including bombs, missiles and guns to Moscow' - likely used in Russia's invasion of Ukraine - despite EU-wide arms embargo in wake of 2014 annexation of Crimea

[placeholder]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Cleansing?

Genocide.

Russia is committing massive war crimes in Ukraine. But the one crime it isn't committing is genocide. Mariupol is mostly an ethnic Russian city.  Is Russia really trying to eliminate people because they are Russian? Or, for that matter, does it really plan to exterminate 30 million ethnic Ukrainians? It really doesn't help Ukraine's cause when Russia's crimes are characterized wrongly. The truth is awful enough.

[LosLobo]

2 hours ago, placeholder said:

Russia is committing massive war crimes in Ukraine. But the one crime it isn't committing is genocide. Mariupol is mostly an ethnic Russian city.  Is Russia really trying to eliminate people because they are Russian? Or, for that matter, does it really plan to exterminate 30 million ethnic Ukrainians? It really doesn't help Ukraine's cause when Russia's crimes are characterized wrongly. The truth is awful enough.

"Mariupol is mostly an ethnic Russian city" Really?

 

"In 2002, ethnic Ukrainians made up the largest percentage (48.7%) but less than half of the population; the second greatest ethnicity was Russian (44.4%). A June–July 2017 survey indicated that Ukrainians had grown to 59% of Mariupol's population and the Russian share had dropped to 33%."

 

Mariupol - Wikipedia

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by LosLobo

[Chomper Higgot]

4 hours ago, placeholder said:

Russia is committing massive war crimes in Ukraine. But the one crime it isn't committing is genocide. Mariupol is mostly an ethnic Russian city.  Is Russia really trying to eliminate people because they are Russian? Or, for that matter, does it really plan to exterminate 30 million ethnic Ukrainians? It really doesn't help Ukraine's cause when Russia's crimes are characterized wrongly. The truth is awful enough.

To maintain control over areas in Ukraine that Russia hopes to capture and hold, Russia needs to remove or deplete the ethnic Ukrainian populations in those areas.

 

This can be achieved by bussing people out, terrorizing Ukrainians to flee or murder. These are all means of ‘ethnic cleaning’.

 

Then there’s the evidence of executed civilians and mass graves.

 

Let’s not obfuscate on the matter of Russian war crimes.

[placeholder]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

To maintain control over areas in Ukraine that Russia hopes to capture and hold, Russia needs to remove or deplete the ethnic Ukrainian populations in those areas.

 

This can be achieved by bussing people out, terrorizing Ukrainians to flee or murder. These are all means of ‘ethnic cleaning’.

 

Then there’s the evidence of executed civilians and mass graves.

 

Let’s not obfuscate on the matter of Russian war crimes.

Let's use the correct words to describe things. It's only if your cause is weak that you need to present falsehoods. The cause is anything but weak so why be inaccurate?

[placeholder]

4 hours ago, LosLobo said:

"Mariupol is mostly an ethnic Russian city" Really?

 

"In 2002, ethnic Ukrainians made up the largest percentage (48.7%) but less than half of the population; the second greatest ethnicity was Russian (44.4%). A June–July 2017 survey indicated that Ukrainians had grown to 59% of Mariupol's population and the Russian share had dropped to 33%."

 

Mariupol - Wikipedia

 

Thanks for the correction. I should have written that the city is mostly Russian speaking. But even so, with 33% of the population being ethnic Russians, and most of the people culturally tied to Russia through language, it's hardly evidence of a plan to commit genocide.

Once again, it's not necessary to invoke the charge of genocide to contend that Russia is committing massive war crimes against the people of Mariuopl and against ciitzens of Ukraine in general.

[Danderman123]

20 hours ago, tgw said:

I don't share that point of view.

 

Russian forces are approaching Kryvyi Rih as well as Zaporizhiza and in the north make gains near Izyum - Severodonetsk. The status of Rubizhne has been unclear for a couple of days already.

 

The Russians appear to make a double envelopment maneuver north and south around the eastern Ukrainian fortified line.

 

This worries me, as I don't know if the Ukrainians are ready to counter or not, because a counter would not only require strong mobile forces on the flanks, but also a strong center capable to defend from 3 fronts in a cauldron-type of battle.

The Russians indeed are slowly advancing in some areas, but at a very high cost.

[placeholder]

For those who don't want to believe that Russia seeks to reconstitute the USSR

 

Back in the USSR: Lenin statues and Soviet flags reappear in Russian-controlled cities

Colonisation appears to have superseded ‘denazification’ in Putin’s military goals for eastern Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/23/back-in-the-ussr-lenin-statues-and-soviet-flags-reappear-in-russian-controlled-cities

[Jingthing]

10 hours ago, placeholder said:

Russia is committing massive war crimes in Ukraine. But the one crime it isn't committing is genocide. Mariupol is mostly an ethnic Russian city.  Is Russia really trying to eliminate people because they are Russian? Or, for that matter, does it really plan to exterminate 30 million ethnic Ukrainians? It really doesn't help Ukraine's cause when Russia's crimes are characterized wrongly. The truth is awful enough.

That is very debatable.

It sounds like you are not up on the definition of genocide.

Putin wants to destroy Ukrainian national identity as he doesn't believe Ukraine even exists as a nation.

Russian ethnicity or Russian speaking Ukrainians very often have Ukrainian national identity. Even Zelensky.

As Putin's Z horrors were not met with cheering crowds what we're seeing now is indeed mass murder of Ukrainian civilians. Many people like you think genocide must mean the intent to kill every last one of the target group but actually it does not.

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, Danderman123 said:

The Russians indeed are slowly advancing in some areas, but at a very high cost.

I think the key word here in yesterdays UK Defense update was "no major gains" and yes its coming with heavy losses. Aside from those cruise missile attacks in Odesa.

 

The only aim of Russian missile strikes on Odesa is terror. Russia must be designated a state sponsor of terrorism and treated accordingly. No business, no contacts, no cultural projects. We need a wall between civilization and barbarians striking peaceful cities with missiles.

 

Lots of updates. Our forces have regained control over 8 settlements in #Kherson region. #Russian concentration of manpower and equipment in the area of #Kiselivka for an upcoming attack on #Posad-Pokrovske was hit. The enemy suffered heavy losses and retreated towards.

 

#Chornobaivka. The total losses of the enemy are: 70+ personnel, 13 units of equipment, including 2 tanks, one MLRS, 6 units of armored and engineering equipment and 4 reconnaissance UAVs.

[Bkk Brian]

New video here of Putin's unsteadiness and shaking:

 

Many suspected it after his weird meeting sign Shoigu, during which he held on to the table for 13 minutes. This is probably the clearest video of something being wrong with Putin’s health. Look at his leg & hand tremors!

[transam]

8 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

New video here of Putin's unsteadiness and shaking:

 

Many suspected it after his weird meeting sign Shoigu, during which he held on to the table for 13 minutes. This is probably the clearest video of something being wrong with Putin’s health. Look at his leg & hand tremors!

Hmmmm, could be affecting his gray cells too....????

[LosLobo]

3 hours ago, placeholder said:

Thanks for the correction. I should have written that the city is mostly Russian speaking. But even so, with 33% of the population being ethnic Russians, and most of the people culturally tied to Russia through language, it's hardly evidence of a plan to commit genocide.

Once again, it's not necessary to invoke the charge of genocide to contend that Russia is committing massive war crimes against the people of Mariuopl and against ciitzens of Ukraine in general.

Maybe in future , "let's use the correct words to describe things. It's only if your cause is weak that you need to present falsehoods."

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by LosLobo

[Jingthing]

More on genocide.

If it quacks like a duck.

 

 

[LosLobo]

25 minutes ago, transam said:

Hmmmm, could be affecting his gray cells too....????

"Some people with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience mild cognitive impairment. Feelings of distraction or disorganization can accompany cognitive impairment, along with finding it difficult to plan and accomplish tasks. It may be harder to focus in situations that divide your attention, like a group conversation."

Cognitive Changes | Parkinson's Foundation

[Chris.B]

58 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

New video here of Putin's unsteadiness and shaking:

 

Many suspected it after his weird meeting sign Shoigu, during which he held on to the table for 13 minutes. This is probably the clearest video of something being wrong with Putin’s health. Look at his leg & hand tremors!

I think not many realise Putin wasn't holding the table to steady himself. He had his hand on the button for the trapdoor under Shoigu which drops him into a tank full of sharks. ????

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by Chris.B

[Chris.B]

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, Chris.B said:

I think not many realise Putin wasn't holding the table to steady himself. He had his hand on the button for the trapdoor under Shoigu which drops him into a tank full of sharks. ????

 

He’s very clearly picked up on the commentary across news and other media regarding sitting at the head of ridiculously long tables.

[Virt]

7 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

He’s very clearly picked up on the commentary across news and other media regarding sitting at the head of ridiculously long tables.

 

Yeah there is a big difference in choice of tables, but it looks like he is struggling with something in video below.

Not the best things for the world if the russian dictator is getting seriously sick.

You never know what he might do before he clocks out.

 

 

 

 

[rudi49jr]

22 minutes ago, Virt said:

 

Yeah there is a big difference in choice of tables, but it looks like he is struggling with something in video below.

Not the best things for the world if the russian dictator is getting seriously sick.

You never know what he might do before he clocks out.

 

 

 

 

Looks like Parkinson’s to me. Plus maybe the onset of dementia. 

[Chris.B]

24 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

Looks like Parkinson’s to me. Plus maybe the onset of dementia. 

Nah, more like Syphilis.

 

[Bkk Brian]

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 24 April 2022

 

[2 is 1]

Russia and Putin just dont care anything!

 

[2 is 1]

So add many of them in this list!