Ukraine Russia War #6

[ordinaryjelly]

I just caught up on maksim' video on Instagram. The eldery building security guy, going toe to toe with a Russian army soldier and apparently defeating him. The young children left behind who are making camouflage nets for the Ukrainian army.

I suppose we have to assume these videos are genuine.

A true wartime effort.

maksim has made it to Poland and safety.

 

[curiousbeaver]

On PM BBC Radio 4 (about 40 mins in if anyone wants to listen on BBC Sounds) yesterday Evan Davis was talking to Lord David Richards former chief of the defence staff.

What he spoke about- can Ukraine actually win when Russia unleash their full arsenal? - is very sad. I have summarised his view below.

His take was that we should be realistically assessing whether Ukraine can win. His view was that despite extreme bravery from Ukrainians etc etc, they are unlikely to win alone (taking into account the relative military capability). Therefore tactically we should assess if Russia are going to win anyway regardless of strong Ukrainian resistance. If so, fighting back is futile and just raises the number of dead bodies. He said that as a military tactician, sacrificing lives should only be accepted where you can realistically win. The implication was that Ukraine and world leaders should be thinking of the option of surrender to save lives.

They didn’t follow up with what might happen then but I guess crippling sanctions, exclusion from the rest of the world and an inability to suppress universal unrest from within would be likely to unseat Putin within a year. No matter what happens Putin’s days are numbered.

He was also saying the weapons etc supplied may be of limited value since we can’t send in trained personnel to use them properly or teach others.

He said the threat of nuclear weapons from Putin is real. He says Putin is usually coldly rational but it is worrying that he is speaking in such an emotional way about this war. In the context of the conversation, the implication was Putin would consider nuclear IF NATO intervened.

 

[Dawn Dayn]

I saw somewhere that a lot of the food that the Russian army have been given has been out of date since 2015 I’m sure there’s a lot of frustration and anger right now. Their leader does not give two shits about them

edit to add it was on Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s insta

Before this, dog food as well as our of date food found in army catering. Grim.

 

[bubbadabut]

Ukraine has managed to find the time and resources to set up a website and Telegram channel, enabling Russians to track down their dead and injured soldiers. Zelenskyy obviously cares more about the Russian troops than Putin does.

Ukraine invasion: Why the phrase 'Cargo 200' ignites terror among the mothers of Russian soldiers

Ukraine has set up a military website and telegram channel for Russian families to identify their deceased sons. It fits with Ukraine's information campaign that they are winning over the Russians, but it also hits home, says Diana Magnay.

news.sky.com

 

[Miscanthus]

Ukraine conflict: How to help yourself, your kids, and others

Some practical ways to help yourself and others affected by the conflict.

www.bbc.co.uk

I saw this on BBC site to help people feeling anxious about the situation. I know I am.

 

[Guyyyyyzzzzzz]

The fact that we're so literal can be a blessing, though. We don't have time for obfuscation or half-truths; it can make a nice change from politicians' weasel-waffle. I used to drive my poor mother madness with my why-ing, though...


Lukashenko has only been holding on to power by the skin of his teeth. The popularity of Tshikanouskaya and uprising last year put a serious dent in his self-esteem. He's been bludgeoning ordinary Belarussians ever since. I somehow doubt, very much, that anyone outside his Thug Boys would fight to save his loathsome skin.

I consider it a strength

 

[Brunette7]

Anyone else check the news and this thread whenever they wake up in the night? Ukrainians are doing so well in holding out, especially when the U.S were saying initially that kyiv would fall by Sunday.

 

[under the ivy]

These 2 are being brilliant.

 

[Happy Lady]

My friend and I are volunteering to help in some way. Yesterday I spoke to The British Red Cross, who are working on this. As of yesterday they had received over £8million which they will send over to the Ukrainian Red Cross, Polish Red Cross and Hungarian Red Cross. They are yet to set up the organisation for receiving, sorting and distributing donations of clothing, food, etc.

Meanwhile on the local 6pm TV news, it was reported (remember it was only day 6) that a village had got together to ask for provisions. A farmer let them use one of his barns for storage. Local people sorted through food, baby formula, nappies, dog food, sanitary items, etc - boxed it up and FILLED a huge lorry (looked like the farmer's cattle transporter) which set off. Brilliant, absolutely fantastic.

 

[Nora Fenn]

Ukraine has managed to find the time and resources to set up a website and Telegram channel, enabling Russians to track down their dead and injured soldiers. Zelenskyy obviously cares more about the Russian troops than Putin does.

Ukraine invasion: Why the phrase 'Cargo 200' ignites terror among the mothers of Russian soldiers

Ukraine has set up a military website and telegram channel for Russian families to identify their deceased sons. It fits with Ukraine's information campaign that they are winning over the Russians, but it also hits home, says Diana Magnay.

news.sky.com

Do you think all this will change people’s voting habits in the future? Will people be as quick to settle for weak leadership after seeing President Zelensky lead with such example under the most horrific circumstances?

 

[JustmeKC]

I have to admit to being in awe of the Ukrainian people. So many men have gone from their new homes to defend their original home, so many women (many of whom are high profile) have taken up arms to defend their homes, Zelensky is an inspiring leader, the compassion shown to the dead Russians, and their families is to be admired. I’m not sure we’ve seen a defence like this before.

Although I grew up mainly in Southern Ireland, I have some very vivid memories of guns being shoved in our faces up north, a bombing that my father narrowly escaped, and the fear it left me with. I can’t imagine how the Ukrainian people are feeling when it’s constant and I know how one off events impacted me.

 

[anon0503]

Do you think all this will change people’s voting habits in the future? Will people be as quick to settle for weak leadership after seeing President Zelensky lead with such example under the most horrific circumstances?

It certainly would change my way of voting. If only someone worthy presented themselves though but I suppose a lot of people didn’t believe in Zelenskyy.

 

[curiousbeaver]

Do you think all this will change people’s voting habits in the future? Will people be as quick to settle for weak leadership after seeing President Zelensky lead with such example under the most horrific circumstances?

Hmmm not sure. A strong alpha wartime leader doesn’t always make a good peace time leader…. But I think most people of all political persuasions will not want to see Trident nuclear defence abandoned and military spending slashed. This conflict will undoubtedly change a few minds on that topic. We all want peace, but this is a wake up call to the west that unstable dictators cannot always be contained and can still represent a real threat to our security.

 

[Dawn Dayn]

Here's the Cabbage-in-chief saying Iranian instead of Ukrainian, and Kamala Harris mouthing Ukrainian. I'm sure the state of Biden played a part in Putin's thinking.

 

[SunshineRae]

Here's the Cabbage-in-chief saying Iranian instead of Ukrainian, and Kamala Harris mouthing Ukrainian. I'm sure the state of Biden played a part in Putin's thinking.
View attachment 1097412

FFS!! Diane Abbott yesterday saying about Putin rolling into Croatia and Biden saying the Iranian people. Not good enough.

 

[indigoipswich]

I need to get this off my chest. I have a FB ‘friend’ who I’ve only met in real life once, she is a very left Corbynista, though I’m not sure that’s relevant. Over the last few years or so she has gone gradually more loopy IMO, obsessed with Israel and Palestine to the point that she posts wild conspiracy theories. She thought Covid was over hyped and is a rabid anti masker, she used to take photos of people on the tube wearing masks without their consent and call them ‘sheep’. Anyway I digress, Since the conflict started she’s posted loads of ’what about Palestine‘ stuff, lots of pro Putin stuff and now yesterday a post about how all Eastern Europeans are ‘racist’. I’d challenge it but she has a large band of followers who pile on me like that.

I going to have unfriend her aren’t I?

do it and don’t look back. I posted in the last thread about similar issues with family in the Middle East who keep saying how racist it is and the west does nothing to help anyone else in the world blah blah blah. Your “friend” probs would have continued to appease Hitler to avoid war to the sounds of things, I find people like that disgusting and I have 0 time for them now!

rant over- but yes, delete

 

[sassytammy]

This is slightly OT, but how do you deal with deniers on FB, particularly if they are friends you don't want to offend?

I've had someone share a screenshot of a Tweet, which was from a respected military expert, but was faked.

They told me that I needed to research what I was sharing (I share from news sources), sharing something about some journalist who died in Afghanistan and then Ukraine. I debunked it via Snopes and Reuters, but was told Google was corrupt. I mean, how is a reputable news source less credible than a screenshot of a doctored tweet?

Those injured are crisis actors and Putin is after the biolabs, which is why the US wants WW3.

I've tried to be rational, but I'm struggling.

I need to get this off my chest. I have a FB ‘friend’ who I’ve only met in real life once, she is a very left Corbynista, though I’m not sure that’s relevant. Over the last few years or so she has gone gradually more loopy IMO, obsessed with Israel and Palestine to the point that she posts wild conspiracy theories. She thought Covid was over hyped and is a rabid anti masker, she used to take photos of people on the tube wearing masks without their consent and call them ‘sheep’. Anyway I digress, Since the conflict started she’s posted loads of ’what about Palestine‘ stuff, lots of pro Putin stuff and now yesterday a post about how all Eastern Europeans are ‘racist’. I’d challenge it but she has a large band of followers who pile on me like that.

I going to have unfriend her aren’t I?

Sorry, I didn't see this before I posted my similar dilemma. Funnily enough this person is also a COVID denier, and would probably say my changed DNA from the vaccine has made me unable to see the truth of the 'new world order.'

 

[Idon'twanttobehere]

The situation with the Africans is worrying. I have lived as an expat for 20 years (not in Ukraine but in Asia) and you are very much a second rate citizen. I don't think Ukraine would be alone in wanting to save their own people first. Rightly or wrongly. I don't think it is a race thing as such, more an us first. Which is sad of course.

I am not a fan of Biden at all. But I thought that was a strong and fair SOTU, he was well advised in his speech. I think having others on stage with him was meant as a show of strength.

"Go get 'im"

What a world to wake up in.

They have all truly stayed to defend Ukraine. Or returned to do so. Those people who have returned to Ukraine to help the defence. How many other countries have their citizens returning to the front like in the way we have seen tobdefend their homeland? I know having the 'support' of the rest of the world is probably helping them and spurring them on. But it is quite remarkable.

---

That huge convoy of Russian vehicles is still "miles" out, hasn't made any significant progress overnight. The pictures of the residential/hospital areas say it all. The maternity unit moved into a bomb shelter.

Zelenskyy looks so tired. Understandably so His comments about when he last saw his family.

This is such bravery. No one can say this is what the Russians will have expected.
.

This is the 7th day of defence. Being supplied with weapons by other countries is all well and good, the convoy appearing to have stalled is positive. But watching this and knowing outside countries are not stepping in - rightlyv or wrongly - is hard.

This is not a "de-nazi-fication.

Not at all.

I am sure we are being shown news media that fits an agenda but even so. It is brutal.

I don't think it's a race thing at all, as much as people would like it to be for some screwy reason.

 

[NorthernValkyrie]

Another night

Not much airspace left

 

[BigMavis]

I was waiting for Biden to say "I mean it man" l love when he says man its like having Fonzie in the white house. Putin has definitely detected weakness. Bastard.