Ukraine Watch...

[clv101]

More sensible comments in this thread:
https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/status ... 8t3mA&s=19

[invalid]

2. Putin's stated war aims are “to protect the people that are subjected to abuse, genocide from the Kiev regime” and to “demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.”, neither of which cover forcibly relocating thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia....

Nobody on here is 'mislead', we all know this is just a naked and illegal resource grab by Putin, and that includes grabbing people.

Well, I didn't actually mention his stated war aims. I believe that there's some possibility, you know, that he didn't state all of his reasons for the (insert whatever you want to call it) straight up to everyone - he is a judo master after all.

[PS_RalphW]

Video on line of a large drone crashing into what is reported to be a Russian oil refinery. Also reports of attacks on oil rigs in the Black Sea earlier. The Russians claim the rigs were manned by Ukrainians from Crimea, which is interesting as they have declared Crimea as an eternal part of Russia, and give people living there Russian citizenship

[kenneal - lagger]

2. Putin's stated war aims are “to protect the people that are subjected to abuse, genocide from the Kiev regime” and to “demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.”, neither of which cover forcibly relocating thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia....

Nobody on here is 'mislead', we all know this is just a naked and illegal resource grab by Putin, and that includes grabbing people.

Well, I didn't actually mention his stated war aims. I believe that there's some possibility, you know, that he didn't state all of his reasons for the (insert whatever you want to call it) straight up to everyone - he is a judo master after all.

Putin doesn't give a fig about protecting anyone apart from himself and the only aim that he has is to reinstate the Russian Empire whether the subjugated countries like it or not. Any other excuses quoted by members of this forum are completely invalid. Anyone who can support such an enterprise in any way or form and not find it an abomination in this day and age has a very strange moral compass.

Given India's complaints about the supposed evils of the British Empire, I am surprised that India and Indians aren't all up in arms about Russia's new imperialism. There seems to be a degree of hypocrisy going on here.

Putin is taking the world back to the days of the Third Reich with himself as Hitler or even further back to the 18th and 19th centuries and the days of empire building. Given his penchant for personal enrichment this empire will be the ruination of any chance of a good life for anyone caught up in Putin's new empire. The people of the former Warsaw Pact countries know this as they've there before and so will be willing to fight like the Ukrainians are doing to avoid such an awful fate.

[mr brightside]

he is a judo master after all.

Spetsnaz. Can't remember if it's dan ranked, but he's black belt equivalent.

[Catweazle]

he is a judo master after all.

Spetsnaz. Can't remember if it's dan ranked, but he's black belt equivalent.

I think you mean Systema.

[Vortex2]

KYIV – A Ukrainian court has banned a pro-Russian party led by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the justice ministry said on Monday.

It said the court in the western city of Lviv had decided to transfer to the state all property, funds and other assets held by the “Opposition Platform – For Life” party led by Viktor Medvedchuk, a wealthy businessman accused of treason. Euronews

Ukraine is banning books and music by Russian artists but says those who condemn the invasion can be exempt
Joshua Zitser YAHOO

Ukraine's parliament passed two laws on Sunday that will ban some Russian music and books.
Music created or performed by some Russian citizens will be banned in media and public spaces.
But it said Russian artists can apply for an exemption by declaring their support for Ukraine in the war.

Ukraine's parliament on Sunday passed two laws that will restrict Russian cultural influence in the country amid the invasion.

The bills will ban certain books from Russia, its ally Belarus, and occupied Ukrainian territories, as well as prohibit the playing and performance of music by some Russian artists in media and public spaces.

[invalid]

Buttt! what about these pretty words from our great leader Mr Zelensky, at Glastonbury:

The more people join us in defending freedom and truth, the sooner Russia’s war against Ukraine will end. Prove that freedom always wins!

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/ ... ar-ukraine

[adam2]

"Russia promises nuclear capable missiles to Belarus" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61938111

This I view with great concern. If nuclear weapons are used, this gives putin the chance to say "Nothing to do with ME and my level headed and responsible government" But perhaps our over excitable neighbours over reacted to the Western Imperialists.

[Potemkin Villager]

Can anyone explain what exactly makes a missile nuclear capable?

[adam2]

Can anyone explain what exactly makes a missile nuclear capable?

Might mean slightly different things to different people, but a common sense definition would be

"able to carry a nuclear warhead of a type readily available to the forces that own or operate the missile" And that said nuclear warhead is easy to fit under wartime or battlefield conditions. "might be able to carry a nuclear bomb of a new and smaller type that we do not yet posses" does not really count.

[kenneal - lagger]

It could possibly mean that the bomb carried by the missile can be armed from inside the plane electronically.

Russia is supposedly a signatory of the Nuclear non Proliferation Treaty so, although it may supply the nuclear capable missiles it shouldn't supply a warhead. Russia is lobbing missiles at Ukraine from Belorus at the moment so if they supply them with these missiles they can then claim that it is Belorus lobbing missiles and not Russia thus hopefully provoking a Ukrainian attack on Belorus which would bring them into the war to help alleviate Russian man power shortages.

Devious these Russians!!

[Mark]

Tracking where Russia is taking Ukraine's stolen grain:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/61790625

They're no better than medieval pirates....
Hopefully some of that Russian money in London can eventually be used to compensate these farmers...

[clv101]

Not sure what the big deal is about the stolen grain, at least it's going out to be eaten. The bigger issue is that they have 'stolen' thousand of hectares, buildings, infrastructure... even people!

[UndercoverElephant]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61954516

Nato has announced plans to massively increase the number of its forces at high readiness to over 300,000 troops.

The bloc's rapid reaction force currently has 40,000 troops at its disposal, with many of those based along the alliance's eastern flank.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the increase followed a direct threat from Russia to European security.

He added that "the new military blueprint" would "drastically upgrade" the bloc's eastern defences.

"At the summit, we will strengthen our forward defences," the bloc's civilian leader said at a news conference in Brussels.

"We will enhance our battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance up to brigade levels. We will transform the Nato response force and increase the number of our high readiness forces to well over 300,000."

Nato's rapid reaction force is a combination of land, sea and air assets designed to be deployed quickly in the event of attack. It has steadily grown in size from 13,000 troops to 40,000 since 2014.

OK. Can we actually agree that this look like the start of WW3 yet? There's nothing but escalation going on, unless you count Macron's cowering advice that Ukraine should accept territory losses to pacify Putin. We have a crucial Russian exclave soon to be completely surrounded by enough NATO soldiers to take on the entire Russian army. What it now looks like is that Ukraine is being used to wear down the Russians - to take out as much of their men and equipment as possible before the conflict escalates.