Ukraine part xii

Part Xi was just paywalled so please can we continue here.

The previous thread didn't let me mark it as "watched," so I had to search for it every time. I hope this one will be more accessible.

Everything the Russians do show how angry they are that they have fallen so far on the world stage.

Everything Putin does shows how much he wants to wield power like a US president. I’ve pointed this out before.

The most pathetic example is the Wagner Group. Really? These guys are strictly keystone cops but Putin desperately wants to be like Bush sending Blackwater into a war zone.

The Wagner Group tried to attack a US-defended position in Syria and it walked into a meat grinder. It’s no Blackwater.

The lie to it is obvious. The more they try to act like the US, the more they show they’re not.

The US invasion of Iraq showed the US military quickly deploy an enormous military force halfway around the world which quickly engaged and overwhelmed a large army (one of the world’s largest) and occupied the country. There were very few instances of atrocities committed against civilians. The force was kept well-supplied despite a long and rather awkward supply line.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was literally right across the border yet was ponderous and inept. Poor leadership, poor equipment, poor morale, poor planning. As soon as the troops met resistance they shrank from it, surrendered or ran away, abandoning their equipment. They almost immediately ran out of equipment. Despite being right on the border, they still haven’t established air superiority over the war zone. And the troops, angry at resistance and undisciplined, are behaving like Mordor orcs, cowards in battle, sadists with the helpless civilian population.

Russia is a joke.

^^^ “They almost immediately ran out of supplies”

This all stems from the illusion (which was furthered by the US MIC) that Soviet Russia was a power on par with the USA. It never was. Despite deprivations suffered by the Soviet civilian population, the Soviets never had the sort of power projection the US had. Afghanistan put the lie to that.

But Soviet era leaders themselves bought into the con and saw themselves as equals, and 30 years later they’re still enraged that they “lost” power they never had in the first place.

What the hell happened to part XI?

Part Xi was paywalled in the 500s. It was moving very sluggishly on mobile like all DL threads do when they get that long so let's use this one.

This could be a game-changer:

Russia is now threatening to destroy Finland if it joins NATO. Talk about biting off more than you can chew . . .

Meet the pro Putin GOP.

With the exception of Tucker Carlson, who is just a dick (not the good kind), I believe they have all received cash or favours from Russia, either directly or indirectly.

They know that if they attack a NATO country whatever’s left of Russian tactical military capability would be swiftly destroyed and they would be at war with the USA, meaning they can kiss their fleet goodbye. So, nope.

R11 If Finland or anyone intends on joining NATO they better do it quickly because Russia could tactically invade some of it and claim it as theirs (like they did Crimea), which would prevent them being able to join NATO.

"Russia is now threatening to destroy Finland if it joins NATO"

With who's army, bitch?

Finland says application for NATO membership may come in as soon as a few weeks and the EU Commission says it will accelerate Ukraine's membership.

That Vlad is a strategic genius, huh?

Finland is, um, part of Russia and, um, never had a tradition of genuine statehood. It was carved out of Russia by the Bolsheviks and now we're, um, going to undo that grievous mistake with our glorious tanks.

Same goes for Georgia.

Why do people never do things the easy way? Obviously, if Finland and Sweden would be sensible and immediately surrender all their territory to Denmark (already in NATO), they would become part of NATO without any delay.

Slovakia just delivered their S 300 air defense missile system to Ukraine. In exchange they get patriot missiles from the US.

I honestly think this is not going to stop until ALL Russian troops are driven out of ALL of Ukraine and a subsequent Ukraine NATO membership is established.

That's the only thing that puts a stop to Putin.

It's in the interest of Ukraine and all pro democracy western countries that this conflict is over ASAP. Maximum force needs to be applied, in warfare and sanctions. Enough with pussy footing around!

NY Times.- Live Updates: Missile Strike on Train Station Kills 50 People Seeking to Escape Fighting Moscow denied responsibility, but the Pentagon said Russian forces were behind the strike in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.

Regulators in the Cayman Islands said companies there froze $7.3 billion in accounts believed to be tied to Russian oligarchs.

[quote] This all stems from the illusion (which was furthered by the US MIC) that Soviet Russia was a power on par with the USA. It never was.

If you look back the only US president smart enough to see through that was Ronald Reagan. He pressured them unrelentingly until they collapsed.

[Quote]the only US president smart enough to see through that was Ronald Reagan

Excuse me?

[quote] If you look back the only US president smart enough to see through that was Ronald Reagan. He pressured them unrelentingly until they collapsed.

No … that means he was part of the US MIC which sought to inflate Soviet capability in order to continue to milk US taxpayers “defending” against it.

Politicians are escalating this conflict instead of working to defuse it. Why paint Russia into a corner instead of offering an out like the possibility of lifting sanctions if they stop the aggression and leave Ukraine?

The Russians wrote "for the children' on the bombs that hit the train station in Kramatorsk and killed 50 people waiting to flee Donbas. I don't think I will ever look at Russians the same way.

The Russians have been claiming the Ukrainians had been killing Russian kids in the breakaway provinces

r23 They wrote, "For OUR children" meaning revenge for something they say say the Ukrainians did.

R25, I’m sure they think that the Ukrainians are cheating by fighting back.

ROME (AP) — Prices for food commodities like grains and vegetable oils reached their highest levels ever last month largely because of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the “massive supply disruptions” it is causing, threatening millions of people in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere with hunger and malnourishment, the United Nations said Friday.

Together, Russia and Ukraine account for around 30% and 20% of global wheat and corn exports, respectively.

“Russian Forces Discussed Killing Civilians” I Do Radio Intercepts Expose Putin’s Bucha Brutality?

It says "FOR (THE) CHILDREN", R25, not "for our children".

Stop spreading your lame pro Russian bullshit.

za detei (за детей) = for (the) children

Probably because of many fleeing persons putting Дети (children) banners on their car windows, begging Russian attackers to spare them by abstaining from shooting and bombing.

Russians are vile. I hope the Russian soldier who wrote that "za detei" message on the missile will die a violent and gruesome death. I want Karma to be a real bitch in this case.

The bomb said, "for the children," not "for our children," but I believe the message was that the bomb was in retaliation for Russian children supposedly killed by Ukrainians—not boasting of killing Ukrainian children. However, the plain intent *was* to kill Ukrainian children as well as others, not matter what the wording was, so the Russians are still scum.

"not boasting of killing Ukrainian children" --- ahem, have you been in a come in the last two weeks? Ukrainian kids have been raped and killed by Russian soldier bastards. Fucking pedos, the lot of them.

R33, can you read in context? We're talking about what message was written on that particular bomb. Some people are interpreting "for the children" as meaning "this bomb is intended to kill the Ukrainian children," but it evidently was supposed to mean "in retaliation for [alleged] killing of Russian children." Of course the sicko Russians are, in fact, killing and abusing Ukrainian children, as well as the rest of the population.

Also, "coma" is spelled with an A.

but it evidently was supposed to mean "in retaliation for [alleged] killing of Russian children."

Evidently? Says who? Well, you do. But no-one else in here. Because people here can see through the Russian bullshit claims.

I don't believe those Russians a single thing. They're toast when it comes to trust.

And even IF there has been some Ukrainian attack -- honestly, I can't blame the Ukrainians after what the Russians did in Butcha, Borodjanka and other places. What goes around, comes around.

R35, see R25, for example. I've seen clarifications on other threads to the same effect. The message on the bomb was part of the Russian propaganda that the Ukrainians are the aggressors. Not sure why you have so much invested in misreading this.

R37 it says "for the children", not "for our children".

"for the children" as in "for YOUR children". So no retaliation or whatever excuses Russian propaganda might come up with now. Russian soldiers simply enjoy killing Ukrainian kids and there's a reason for it:

Russian state TV bluntly talks of "deukrainizing" the entire country now, needing to "get rid" of every Ukrainian -- because according to them, every Ukrainian is a nazi. It's nothing but genocide in the making what's going over there atm.

Why are Russian media ramping up this "all Ukrainians must be destroyed" message, when it just raises the bar at a time when the Russians are in retreat and only hold a portion of the country? Is it a longer-term propaganda strategy to ensure enmity against Ukraine and prime the pump for more wars? I would think the short-term effect would be to frustrate Russians when their military is obviously defective. All that bluster and the threats against Finland and Poland, and the nuclear threats, just fall flat and make Pooty look weak.

Anyway, nationalism is toxic. Can't someone slip him a little polonium tea?

“Nationalism is our form of incest, is our idolatry, is our insanity. 'Patriotism' is its cult...Just as love for one individual which excludes the love for others is not love, love for one's country which is not part of one's love for humanity is not love, but idolatrous worship.”

― Erich Fromm

[quote]says "for the children", not "for our children"

The preposition за doesn't mean recipient - for recipient they have the preposition для.

'за' means 'for' in the sense of reason or cause: 'for this reason' or 'for this cause'. The correct translation is 'because of the children'.

The meaning is that this is in retaliation of alleged killing of Russian children in Donbas.

Some of the atrocities are so shocking that it's hard to find words. They identified the Russian soldier who raped a toddler and filmed in on social media. He's a young guy in his 20s.

"Poland freezes relations with Hungary because of position on Ukraine. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs of Poland Yaroslav Kaczynski."

Damn! And they were buddies together in the EU.

Poland is really stepping up.

Macron not so appreciative of Poland:

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar has the most balanced take of the conflict and related issues.

India has refused to toe the Western line.

Just keep repeating your excuses, R41 . . .

*yawn*

R47 = Boris back posting inane Russian propaganda youtube links

"Breaking points with Krystal and Saagar"?!?!?!?

Fuck off, Boris. Go fight and die for your beloved Vlad.

The ruble today reached 52 week high.

R51 aka Boris, you must be pretty glad since you get your salary in rubles.

YT comment. Couldn't have put it better myself:

[italic]"The West set out to remove Assad from power in Syria and failed. They tried to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan and lost. Tried sanctions to effect regime change in Venezuela to nought. Iran is still standing in spite of their efforts Yet they think they can hurt a country of Russia's size? Politicians never learn. Sanctions cut both ways."[/italic]

Truth!

Any comment with "Truth!" is not worth reading.

Regarding Russia's suspension from the UN Human Rights Council, if you take the abstentions as tacit approvals, I'd say the world is almost evenly split.

R55 what took you so long? I've been waiting for your pro Russian crap for quite a few minutes now! Hurry up next time -- those rubles are not earned for doing naught, hun!

r50 They're the number one news podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

R57 of course they are ... yawn. Now go get your paycheck and get yourself some vodka and potatoes.

r55 I just posted a fact, not even an opinion.

Ok, Boris *yawn*

Btw, you're blocked now. But keep posting your dumb links nobody gives a fuck about so you can earn a few rubles for your daily barrel of vodka.

I this the "ruble is soaring" troll? We already explained to you why the strength of the ruble is only one indicator of the health of the Russian economy, and how the strategies being used to prop it up (e.g. super high interest rates) are themselves problematic.

Boris doesn't care about problematic strategies for propping the ruble as long as he can get himself his daily ration of cut vodka.

Was it someone here saying that the ruble is artificially propped up and the unofficial exchange rate is around 200 rubles to the dollar?

African banana producers are suffering because of the war in Ukraine!

No vicitms are more important than African banana producers!

Sounds like the ruble is doing just GREAT. It sends its love:

Putin’s ill-conceived invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions that followed have caused the prices to go up in Russian stores, leading to the simplest of foods—like butter, cheeses or canned goods—to be outfitted with anti-theft protection devices.

Burn every Russian soldier to charred meat, they're child raping murdering monsters and deserve to die horribly.

R66, I'd rather they suffered the same things they've been doing to those poor Ukrainian kids.

I understand child rapers, their asses respectively, are pretty popular among inmates in prison.

As long as they suffer R67, I'm fine with the methods.

Typical Putin foot soldier: ugly, acne-ridden, skinny, malnourished, horny, drunk, uneducated, without any impulse control, bewildered, recruited from the dregs of the dregs from shithole Soviet-era apartment blocks, and completely demoralized, not giving a fuck.

R65 That is nuts. I can't imagine a simple block of butter like in that picture being in an anti-theft box. Butter isn't that expensive. Well, I guess in Russia it is now.

Meanwhile in Ukraine kids are being tagged in case their parents are killed or their kindergarten is bombed.

@SamRamani2

The Russian Foreign Ministry transfers its "denazification" rhetoric on Ukraine to Latvia:

"The ruling regime in Latvia has long been well known for its neo-Nazi preferences and attempts to whitewash the atrocities of Nazi Germany 's henchmen"

The trigger was Latvia's decision to designate May 9 as a day to commemorate victims of Russian aggression. The Russian MFA called this an attempt to humiliate Russian speakers in Latvia. Just 21% of Russians in Latvia support the war in Ukraine, but large swathes are neutral.

The news about Russia's treatment of civilians, especially children, is so horrific I struggle to find words.

I'm no historian, but I feel even the actual Nazis from WW2 didn't stoop to raping kids.

I've said before that atrocities like this is are a problem with the human race more generally. But given all this, I'm now wondering if there really is something uniquely wrong with Russians.

The UK and the US are sending anti-ship missiles to Ukraine. Could do some serious damage to Russian warships. I hope so.

No mention of Boris Johnson's surprise visit to Kiev? Good on BoJo.

R73 They're 21st century Nazis.

They even have their own Zwastika.

The mayor of Mariupol said the Russians have brought in portable crematoriums to cover their tracks.

R78 At first I thought those were for Russian soldiers but since then I've realised that they were actually for the 'hit list' that U.S. intel (which has been v. good) said that the Russians had - politicians, mayors, LGBT activists, journalists.. basically anyone who would have led resistance against them. The Russians reportedly brought 45,000 body bags with them...

R79, you are right. I had forgotten about that list.

I mean I hate the guy, but smart PR job from Boris Johnson walking around Kyiv with Zelenskyy. I guess Macron and Scholz are still trying to appease Putin.

The Ukrainians love Boris because from day 1 he's given them tons of weapons and is one of their biggest supporters. Boris is a very optimistic person and has also written a biography of Churchill, so..

Для лося и белки = For Moose & Squirrel

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was in Kyiv too.

Pootie is sitting in his bunker all this time with his Zoom conferences.

I'm just trying not to get Covid!

Well, that and nerve-agented.

For some levity (I don't want to troll the poor Tasteful Friends), here are pics of an apartment one of Putin's ex-mistresses has listed to rent for $9,000 a month.

And Putin has the nerve to complain about the 'decedent' West?

Remember Sergey Beseda, the head of the FSB department who messed up Russia’s Ukraine intelligence ahead of the invasion and the reports he was put under house arrest? Latest info is that he has been transferred from house arrest to prison.

Andrei Soldatov: "Per our sources, he transferred to Lefortovo prison. His case is investigated by the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee (GVSU SK)."

[quote] Russia is now threatening to destroy Finland if it joins NATO

Geeze, I hope Tom will be OK.

Woman tells how Russians were shocked how Ukrainians lived - "They have all houses made of bricks, laptops and Nutella in every house - it can't be.

"Who allowed you to live such nice lives?"

-- Russian soldier

There is definitely a huge wealth disparity in Russia, isn't there. Most of the soldiers seem to have been recruited from poor and underdeveloped places.

If they are stealing TVs and washing machines from Ukrainian apartments and hauling them back to Russia, you have to imagine they live a pretty shitty life.

Russia is the country with the largest gap between the haves and have nots. Putin and his oligarchs are basically stealing the country blind. The government is operating like a mobster syndicate.

[quote]The Russians have been claiming the Ukrainians had been killing Russian kids in the breakaway provinces

Not seeing the problem here, Yevgeny.

This thread will get automatically paywalled if the same shrill "Boris"-shrieking nutjob (I'm looking at you r60) keeps posting most of the replies. Someone tell him to simmer down.

[quote] No mention of Boris Johnson's surprise visit to Kiev? Good on BoJo.

Joe would really love to also visit Kiev but slipping Mexicans into US cities takes 𝑠𝑜 much of his time.

Fuck off, R99. Always with the right-wing bullshit.

That evil soldier who was raping babies? Seems like even that might have been going just a bit too far for the Russians - there's an early report out (yet to be verified but the source is The Insider who are independent Russian media currently in exile in Europe) that he has been arrested in Russia.

What blows my mind is that this soldier actually thought it was fine to put the videos online?! I'm sure that's the only reason why the Russians have arrested him if the report is true too.

There are so many stories of Russians raping children, both male and female, and getting women, 14-year-olds pregnant as a result. Imagine having to deal with that especially when you can't get normal medical services, have lost your home, etc.

Pootie Family Photo.

No one gives a shit how strong the Ruble is because nobody in Putania can convert them to dollars to pay Putania's's foreign bills.

Putania will rot on a pile of rubles as they default on their payments. The Embargo starts to solidify.

God, can you get any more childish r103/r104?

R105 Not childish but pretty fucking accurate. Putin is the child of Hitler and Stalin while the ruble exchange value is totally fake and the Russians are likely to default this year.

All three major ratings companies — Fitch, S&P and Moody's — have downgraded Russian debt from investment grade to what's known as junk (which is exactly as bad as it sounds).

R102 Sadly, I suspect quite a few pregnant teens in those situations resort to self-harm or suicide. I can't even begin to imagine the psychological trauma.

The looting, pillaging and rape is so telling and barbarous. Russia's soldiers are poor, they're jealous of the Ukrainians, and they take out the anger that should be directed towards Putin and his cronies on innocent civilians instead.

I hope the Russian economy tanks and the country suffers massive shortages. Most of Russia's population is looking complicit at this point and any suffering they feel is only a fraction of what Ukraine is going through.

I love the Ukrainians for how they treat animals.

[quote]Russia's soldiers are poor, they're jealous of the Ukrainians, and they take out the anger that should be directed towards Putin.

Yes, add to that the humiliation of the defeat and collapse of the Soviet Union, something Putin never got over and what he projects onto Russians. They just can't accept that they themselves are responsible for their downfall.

R110 That might play a role, but I think many of these soldiers are young - too young to remember the fall of the USSR.

Most of Russia's soldiers are young, uneducated, and poor. And brainwashed to the max.

Yeah there's probably little talk about it on Russian propaganda tv. Putin just projects the humiliation and anger onto Russians.

The lie that the Ukrainian government was full of Nazis was also propagated by Jill Stein during her 2016 campaign btw. She was a full on Russian stooge along with Bernie Sanders and Trump of course.

r112, Do they get Fox in Putania?

Today, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland joined the Global Export Controls Coalition - "a force multiplier in cutting Russia and Belarus off from the commodities, technologies and software necessary to sustain their aggression" in Ukraine.

That's a grand total of 37 countries now.

Isn't it convenient that Bojo, von der Leyen, Borrel and all those other European politicians found their way to the same green screen Putin's IRA trolls are constantly claiming Zelensky uses?

Or could it be that Zelensky has actually been broadcasting all this time from....BRUSSELS ?!?!?!?

Liechtenstein and Switzerland have joined at last?

Ooops - lots of oligarchs' pecuniar assets have been banked in these two countries.

Or could it be that R116 is a simpleton desperately trying to defend his sugar daddy Vlad?

What’s up with Andorra aka tacky Russian Switzerland?

[quote]"The West set out to remove Assad from power in Syria and failed.

The Russians are the ones propping Assad in Syria, always have been. Aleppo, Boris?

We are not finished with Assad.

German hesitance in the Ukraine war is angering allies. Berlin is seen as blocking more proactive steps, caring more about their own economic concerns and thinking that the Ukrainians will lose and that a deal will be made with Putin again. The Germans ignored warnings about being dependent on Russian gas for years.

I have think r116 was sarcasm, r118.

Did Boris really need to wear a tie? Looks so out of touch in a war zone. He didn't need to go full uniform, but just something less formal than what he wears for his audiences with the Queen would have been just fine.

Doesn't BoJo always wear a tie, just like fucking President Plump does?

I guess wearing a tie is supposed to distract from the fat belly.

R124 I think that if he wore casual clothes he'd have been mocked like Macron was, for trying to ape Zelenskyy. It's almost a can't win situation.

You would be thinking correctly, r123. Unlike r118, you seem to possess basic literacy skills.

R116, unlike R123, who seems to be a good chap by pointing out my mistake in a nice way, you seem to be a bit of a pompous twat.

[quote]"Who allowed you to live such nice lives?"

The very question Putin is terrified of his craven populace even daring to ask, Russian soldier. So, flatten and murder an entire country before serious word gets back about the charms of living in a democracy. A brilliantly enlightened way to progress through century 21.

[quote]Did Boris really need to wear a tie?

The crumpled blue suit with tie is his signature look, and was the right choice. He respected Zelensky enough not even to try to match his appropriate military look. Boris did though sport black trainers rather than his Westminster black leather lace-ups.

[quote] He respected Zelensky enough not even to try to match his appropriate military look.

Imagine that fat fuck to dress up in a military uniform.

Scary.

[quote] Imagine that fat fuck to dress up in a military uniform.

You must be a millennial to be so superficial

Ukrainian politician Aleksandr Rzhavsky known for his pro-Russia sympathies, killed by Russian soldiers at his home in Bucha.

A day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stunned the world by embarking on a secretly-planned trip to Kyiv where he toured the streets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The city's mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, said Johnson's visit showed the world who the war-ravaged country's 'real friends' are.'

Meanwhile, the White House again dismissed the notion that President Joe Biden will visit Ukraine or Kyiv in the near future -- despite the country's leaders openly inviting him to do so.

The UK's Johnson took the train from Poland to Ukraine the following day.

'This visit was very important signal for our partners that Kyiv, much more safety right now, and also very important signal that Great Britain stay together with Ukraine, support Ukraine -- support our country in the fight for our freedom, for our independency,' Klitschko told ABC News' This Week.

'That's why we appreciate for humanitarian support, for political support and weapon support. It's very, very important for us in this critical time and we see who real friends of Ukraine.'

Late last month, one of Zelensky's deputies called on Biden to visit Ukraine while he was in Europe for a NATO summit if he was 'brave.'

R132, but contrary to BoJo, Churchill didn't look like a inbred hillbilly who had fallen into the dye tank.

I'm an American and I'm the one who posted about BoJo's trip first. He looked just fine in his blue suit and tie. BoJo never served in the military so yes, he would look ridiculous had he worn a military uniform and it would have been inappropriate. But Churchill was an even fatter fuck. I believe the picture at R132 is when he was First Lord of The Admiralty from 1939 to 1940. As for Biden, he just can't sneak over the way Johnson did. It's too much logistically to hide his trip. And he doesn't need to. as much as Zelenskyy wants him to. He'd look too thirsty. Better he's the Big Daddy sending over Lend-Lease materiel from the US>

Oh, as for Johnson looking like an inbred hillbilly, Churchill actually did look a little inbred despite his mother being an American. His father's family tree has a lot of cousin marriages.

Zelensky and Boris Johnson Lauded for Viral Video Showing Them Marching Down the Streets of Kyiv: ‘Courage at Every Level’

Defence of Ukraine @DefenceU

Ukraine government organization

At a handshake distance. @BorisJohnson and @ZelenskyyUa walked through the center of Kyiv and talked to ordinary Kyivans. This is what democracy looks like. This is what courage looks like. This is what true friendship between peoples and between nations looks like. 2:56 PM · Apr 9, 2022

R136 is right. Obama visited my city at one point--the security is pretty crazy--and we're not a war zone.

Assad and Syria are an interesting question. If Russia loses the war in Ukraine, I think Assad's days are numbered--getting him out of there could be useful for the West--could reduce the refugee issue among other things.

R131 That's near Odessa.

Johnson is as posh upper class as they come, and dresses up as an unkempt hillbilly as an act.

He's upper middle class. (Upper class is actual aristocrats and royals.)

[Quote]Ukrainian politician Aleksandr Rzhavsky known for his pro-Russia sympathies, killed by Russian soldiers at his home in Bucha.

Hello karma, my old friend.

I've come to talk with you again.

ABC News.- Russia-Ukraine live updates: 132 tortured bodies found in Makariv The murdered citizens were found in the Kyiv suburb as Russian troops exited.

Putin has appointed a new general to direct the war in Ukraine as his military shifts plans after a failure to take Kyiv. Alexander Dvornikov gained prominence while leading the Russian group of forces in Syria. The general is likely to usher in a fresh round of “crimes and brutality” against civilians, the US said.

[quote]We are not finished with Assad.

Oh yes you are.

R137, you've got a point re Churchill looking a bit inbred, but at least he didn't look like had fallen into a dye tank.

However Johnson looks, he doesn't sound like an inbred hillbilly. When standing next to Zelensky and praising him heartily, Johnson quoted Heraclitus.

Biden would have avoided pronouncing the name, and Trump if he'd ever heard it would think only of pussy.

Americans are so obsessed with optics. Shallowness is ingrained in Americans from birth.

[quote]Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt because it offered bondholders payments in rubles, not dollars, credit ratings agency S&P has said. Russia attempted to pay in rubles for two dollar-denominated bonds that matured on April 4, S&P said in a note on Friday. The agency said this amounted to a "selective default" because investors are unlikely to be able to convert the rubles into "dollars equivalent to the originally due amounts."

Tell me again about how the ruble rate is supposedly great.

Is Putin dead yet?

New Russian offensive today. Will this lead to the end?

R152 IMO no. It looks likely that this will go on for years even.

I assume Russia will be pushing to quickly take the Donbas before more Western aid arrives.

Austria's PM has met with Pootey. Apparently the meeting took place in one of Pootey's palaces.

Now that Karl Nehammer has intervened, the war is about to end, there can be absolutely no doubt about it!!!

The Ukrainians aren't going to back down though, they will just use that new aid to keep fighting.

“Ukrainian officials said Moscow’s aims likely go far beyond seizing these areas, and that Mr. Putin seeks to destroy the best Ukrainian units in the battle of Donbas to then try again to seize the rest of the country, including Kyiv.”

Lt. Gen. Kadyrov also says that they plan on taking Kyiv after the Donbas.

All indicators are that the Russians are in this for the long haul and that Putin is determined.

A possible chemical weapons attack on Ukraine is being reported:

"@Hromadske · 49m

About an hour ago, Russian occupation forces used a poisonous substance of unknown origin against Ukrainian military and civilians in Mariupol, which was dropped from an enemy UAV. The victims have respiratory failure, vestibulo-atactic syndrome"

That would be very bad if true. NATO has said they will respond to the use of chemical weapons.

Apparently May 9th is a big deal date symbolically for Putin and Russia to win SOMETHING so they’re bringing out the big guns (and human cannon fodder) to “prove” that.

I thought it was a lengthy process to join NATO but Sweden and Finland are being rushed in?

[quote]Austria's PM has met with Pootey. Apparently the meeting took place in one of Pootey's palaces.

There are no independent journalists left in Mariupol so it's hard to verify whether the claim is true or not. I wonder if Putin knew that.

R163, ridding the world of journalists has always been high on Putin's to-do list; I'm sure it's a constant factor in what he does.

It's looking like some sort of nerve agent, but it hasn't been verified yet, and I haven't seen any official comments from Ukraine or NATO.

'When standing next to Zelensky and praising him heartily, Johnson quoted Heraclitus.'

Johnson studied Classics at Oxford University and is quite charismatic and theatrical.

If it's chemical Putin may have fucked up enough to get bombed by multiple countries just as a warning.

If this war ends quickly and with Ukraine as the winner depends a lot on the Europeans, esp Germany, cut off Russian gas and oil and send all the weapons Ukraine needs.

It really should be in the interest of the EU, US and every pro democracy country that this war doesn't drag on for months or even years.

There needs to be a message to Putin that he can't just march his troops into any country and butcher people and that message needs to be sent clearly and without any hesitations.

Why not bring the fight to Putin?

After Ukraine kicks his ass, give them enough support to keep pushing north to fucking Moscow. Why not?

Take out that asshole and all his henchmen, install a puppet government and let western companies start moving in to develop the place. Lol!

That would really burn his ass. You mad, bra?

[quote] Why not bring the fight to Putin?

Nukes mostly, and that still might happen if Russian troops start to fail in Eastern Ukraine.

Was there a chemical attack or not? I’m not seeing anything about it on the news.

[quote] 'When standing next to Zelensky and praising him heartily, Johnson quoted Heraclitus.'

Had he actually gone to Ukraine Joe would have quoted Matlock

R171 problem is that it can't be verified because there are no independent journalists left in Mariupol. So there's the claim out there from Ukrainian soldiers, but reputable media can't report it for that reason - it needs to be verified.

"@OlgaNYC1211

There are reports that former Putin's adviser Vladislav Surkov has been arrested in Russia. He is under investigation and under house arrest."

War not gone well, Pootie?

There is no actual reason to think the Russians would use banned chemical/biological weapons. They didn't use them in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, or Afghanistan.

R175 Did you totally miss what they did to Syria?

R176, they used them in Chechnya, too, but apparently R175 has been unconscious for the past thirty years.

I know my fellow DataLoungers don’t share my fondness for Khrushchev, but Nikita (like Buck!) never would have used chemical weapons.

Of course neither would Brezhnev.

Brezhnev sent hundreds of Ukrainians to gulags, so I don’t think he would have had much compunction about using chemical weapons.

ElderLez, if you're such a big fan of Nikita "Shoe" Krushchev, did you think Steve Buscemi did him justice?

I thought it was an interesting artistic choice given obvious physical differences between the two. It probably presented him in a more sympathetic light than was historically accurate, and I mean beyond the fact that as a comedy no one is supposed to consider it accurate. (While the the poster who said that everyone who survived under Stalin did terrible things may have been disagreeing with me, I do not disagree with that poster. I just really respect NK’s decision to criticize Stalin and try to reform the internal political climate and his willingness to give up his position peacefully.)

Dear ElderLez,

If I weren't a man, I'd ask you to marry me. SERIOUSLY! You have both a kind heart and a good head on your shoulders.

Short of marriage, I wish you lived next door to me. We'd have A LOT of fun!

Khrushchev didn’t try to reform the political climate. He was trying to consolidate his own power.

Aww that’s so sweet of you R182 I am sure we would.

We can certainly disagree about his motivations, but reform he did.

The reforms though, were relatively superficial. My husband’s relatives kept a suitcase behind the door in case a black Chaika came in the night until about 1972.

Khrushchev expanded collective farms even more than they had been in Stalin’s time. Any apple tree in Ukraine that was not on a collective farm was cut down, for example.

The reason you're not hearing that much about the chemical attack is because it's being alleged by the Azov Battalion. And by now most independent analysts (quietly) admit the claims that they only number about 900 is ludicrous.

The US and UK are working urgently to confirm if chemical weapons were used in Mariupol.

What if chemicals were used? What happens then?

[quote]What if chemicals were used? What happens then?

NATO has said several times they would respond if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.

What level of escalation comes after that, who the fuck knows.

"@irgarner

Even I'm shocked by the tone of this first Russian denial of the chemical weapons attack. Not "we would never do this" but "Why poison a handful of cockroaches with Sarin when there are a host of simpler and cheaper ways to do it?"

Just read a tweet that it’s possible sarin gas was “tested” in Mariupol.

Sarin is horrible. Hey, I watched Homeland and saw what it did to Quinn.

If chemical weapons were used, the US has the most powerful military in the world and we could blow the troops and their weapons away. I headr on one of the news shows today that the eight miles of tanks the Russians have on the move have quite a few duds in the mix. They're trying to look like they have more spunk than they actually have.

The Ukrainians blew that up, I think.

Sarin gas was used in Syria.

I don’t get it. “We can’t get directly involved in Ukraine because then Putin might use nukes.” But on the other hand, “if he uses chemical weapons or attacks a NATO country, we’re in!” What about the nukes then?

Some of the detail and pictures in the NY Times is harrowing. Bodies everywhere. And: "A group of women and girls were kept in a basement of a house for 25 days. Nine of them are now pregnant."

R197, you have to draw your lines somewhere. An attack on one NATO country is an attack on all NATO countries, defense of the alliance is automatic. Chemical weapon usage is a red line drawn by NATO. They said NATO would respond, not specifically that they'd go to war over it.

More horrifying stories of rape and murder:

"Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn't want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children."

One woman was raped by a Chechen soldier, then her neck was slit. Her poor dog still sits in front of her house, he doesn't understand his owner is dead.

Why is use of chemical weapons so much worse than all the other atrocities?

[QUOTE] Chemical weapon usage is a red line drawn by NATO. They said NATO would respond, not specifically that they'd go to war over it.

In the recent past, the US has bombed missile bases if they suspected chemical weapons were being hoarded there.

Yes, but they've never bombed a (supposed) superpower armed with nukes. Any attack against Russia or on Russia soil is a declaration of war.

It may still happen, we'll see.

[quote]"Why poison a handful of cockroaches with Sarin when there are a host of simpler and cheaper ways to do it?"

The tone of dehumanising psychopathic contempt which encourages thug troops to all the barbarism cited above. Putin in one of his recent insane speeches fetishised 'purity', and managing the impure like dirty flies.

And so of course this suggests the disgusting Third Reich propaganda films juxtaposing Jews with rats. It's as well now not to be shocked by the worst of the Russian mindset. It's as bad as you can possibly imagine, probably worse, and demands the most powerful opposition the sane world can mount.

@KyivIndependent

⚡️ Deputy Defense Minister: Chemical weapon use not yet confirmed, may be phosphorus munition.

Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said that the information is still being verified, but the preliminary data suggests phosphorus munition was used in Mariupol.

Patrick Lancaster interviews civilians in Mariupol. The fighting hans't ceased yet, to my surprise. This war's duration is prolonging much more than most people coud have ever expected, even though I suspect that the fact that NATO is sending billions in weapons to the Ukrainian fascists, has a lot to do with it. So, it looks like Killary could very well get her nefarious wish: could this be turning into a second Afghanistan for Russia?

[quote]The US and UK are working urgently to confirm if chemical weapons were used in Mariupol.

What? Those impartial actors?

Fat fuck Patrick Lancaster video at R206! The guy who literally filmed autopsied cadavers and claimed that Ukrainians had blown them up in a terror attack.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR Very Bad News for Russia! Putin's Biggest Mistake Is Causing Him Trouble!

[quote]If chemical weapons were used, the US has the most powerful military in the world and we could blow the troops and their weapons away.

The "most powerful military in the world" hasn't had such a great track record the last 60 years or so.

And Russia has more nukes than we do.

Zelenskyy says Ukrainian troops could free Mariupol if they only had heavy weapons.

Need to start sinking those Russian war ships.

R210, we can defeat armies, we can't occupy countries. We would not be trying to occupy Ukraine--and Russia would. There's more grim news in our past military history for Russia than for us. As for nuclear weapons, both Russia and the U.S. have thousands of them. It's not as if one would survive a nuclear war and one wouldn't.

Zelensky is a dishonest pig, R211. Mariupol has been severely damaged and the Azov Battalion has set up its defenses among the civilian population. If heavy weaponry is used, the city's remaining citizens are going to be blown to smithereens... Which only shows how very little Zelensky cares for anyone but himself.

All I know about Volodymyr Zelenskyy is that this war could've been avoided if not for his own ego and need for personal aggrandisement. When this war is over and Ukrainians start to take stock, I'm betting the farm this will come up. The levelling of his country was unnecessary and avoidable with good negotiation and bargaining skills. A harsh reminder not to elect celebrities to high office.

The other side of that coin is, that he's a fantastic communicator and Ukraine couldn't have had a more excellent leader after the invasion (not before). Remember his approval had dropped to the 20s a month before the Russian invasion.

Wow... R214/R215 went full Boris.

A tiny sliver of good news this morning.

[quote]The Poles say a sudden arrival of large numbers of T-72s to the Donbas operated by the Ukrainian Army can’t be linked to the disappearance of the Polish 100 tanks from in Lublin.

[quote]They say T-72s can be bought in any army surplus store, just like the weapons used in Crimea in 2014

The end is approaching for Mariuopol. I fear the Russians won't give it back even after the war.

[quote] All I know about Volodymyr Zelenskyy is that this war could've been avoided if not for his own ego and need for personal aggrandisement.

"Ego need for personal aggrandizement" for R215 apparently mean "determination that his country not be conquered and colonized by Russia, and its duly elected government replaced by an autocratic puppet government."

[quote]The levelling of his country was unnecessary and avoidable with good negotiation and bargaining skills.

The Russians have only leveled a few cities in the southeast of the country, Mary; let's not exaggerate their achievements, shall we? Ukrainian skills have been quite effectively exercised in militarily frustrating the Russians' attempt to claim more territory.

[quote]A harsh reminder not to elect celebrities to high office.

Well, the Ukrainians, who overwhelmingly support resistance and independence from Russia, are grateful that their president agrees with them and not with R215.

I can't imagine that there are many people still alive in Mariupol due to bombs, torture and starvation.

I for one am glad that like NATO, Zelenskyy is responding to the possible chemical attack with caution.

A harsh reminder not to elect [bold]former KGB agents [/bold]to high office.

Fixed yer typo, Yevgeny.

[Bold]Britain SUPPLIES Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles to Ukraine[/Bold]

I hope Ukraine sinks the Russian Black Sea fleet.

Putin should burn along with his army of human monsters.

This isn't the Lord of the Rings, R224. Now, go back to playing videogames before your mommie dearest calls you to dinner, little child.

Putin's bestie just captured by Ukraine special forces near Kyiv, dressed in Ukraine military camos.

Hahaha, wow. Apparently Medvedchuk is one of the people who lied to Putin as well. I guess that's why he didn't feel like he could flee to Russia.

Wife of Medvedchuk now safe in Russia. Still dreams of becoming Vairst Letty of Ukraine!

Someone on twitter posted a Google Street Views of the place one of the dead Russian soldiers comes from. Wooden houses (literally - built from logs), no plumbing, no central heating. No asphalt roads.

Yes, if only Zelensky had just accepted that Putin is a demigod who simply needs to control all of Eastern Europe, this whole thing could've been avoided.

Russia Is Airing Its Ultimate 'Revenge Plan' For The United States

I think it's pretty telling that early on, according to an alleged leaked FSB report, Medvedchuk was supposed to be a top candidate to be a pro-Russia leader to replace Zelenskyy but when Russia invaded, he fled pretty soon.

Speaking of the FSB (which btw is the intelligence agency successor to the KGB), it was reported yesterday that Putin has purged several officers:

[quote]About 150 FSB officers have been dismissed, The Times of London reported Monday. The ousted agents belonged to the Fifth Service, a division that Putin – then director of the FSB – set up in 1998 in order to carry out operations in the countries of the former Soviet Union, aiming to keep those countries in Russia's orbit.

[quote] Speaking of the FSB (which btw is the intelligence agency successor to the KGB), it was reported yesterday that Putin has purged several officers:

Bush should have done the same to CIA twenty years ago

R234 Haha, fair point! Although I'll admit that U.S. intelligence has got its act together since and has been very good on the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Sergei Beseda (the guy who is in prison now) was the head of the Fifth Service specifically. The prison he's in now is the Lefortovo prison in Moscow which the NKVD, the KGB's predecessor, used for interrogation and torture during Stalin's 1930s Great Purge..

It was not in Bush's interest to get accurate information on Iraq.

The Pootie Bois must have split a gut upon seeing the Bojo and Ursula walkabouts with the splendid president. I have them all blocked, but from what you reference they haven't gotten any new material, poor tings. I read that an analysis of the stooges showed 30% located in Russia, 30% China and 40% in the US, so you might be talking to Bo as opposed to Boris.

R237 they do have VPNs so how does the analysis tell that they're in China/the US?

Biden has now used the word genocide.

I'm sorry, we're blaming Iraq on the CIA now?

Bush and Cheney received decent intelligence, which they ignored. Why is that so difficult to understand?

All the horseshit they spread about Iraq? NONE of that came from US intelligence.

Smarter trolls please.

I agree r240. Cheney kept pressing until he got the answer he wanted. The CIA did fold, which they shouldn't have, but it was primarily Cheney and Rumsfeld who wanted that war and kept pushing until they got their "reason."

Per r219, I have all the Russian trolls on ignore. However, the Zelensky government did negotiate with the Russians. So the troll’s narrative is ill informed.

Oh dear, Biden just referred to Putin/Russia as having committed genocide. First time he’s used that word. That will be considered a form of escalation.

R243, crossing the street is “escalation” to Putin.

You mean Biden just stated the obvious truth. Was he supposed to pretend it isn’t happening?

r243 see r239

Genocide is a term with a meaning and this isn't it. Meanwhile the chemical warfare story from yesterday seems to have vanished

[quote]Genocide is a term with a meaning and this isn't it

What is the meaning, r247?

R247, genocide means, among other things, the deliberate destruction of people of a particular nation. It does not have to be based on race or ethnicity. At this point, it’s just a question of what kind of numbers Putin is going to run up.

R225, no, it's worse because the evil is real. Tell Olga in HR you need more training.

"Yes, I called it genocide because it's become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being Ukrainian," President Biden tells reporters, saying more evidence has emerged and calling it "a horrible thing that the Russians have done in Ukraine."

Putin's right! Ukraine isn't a real country, it's always been a part of Russia! Also, it's totally corrupt!

Perfect example of hubris. The grift was good in Russia, really good. Isn't Putin one of the richest people in the world? But no, just had to go cunting in Ukraine. Had to turn Nazi and decide that an entire country just shouldn't exist for some fucked up nonsense reasons. There's no turning back. Putin needs to be destroyed and killed. There is no other way this ends. He's nuts at this point and can never be trusted to be rational again.

Thank you r249. That would be my definition. I don't understand why it wouldn't be r247's

Because, R254, R247 is obviously a Poot-apologist.

Oh, look, past midnight in Ukraine and how many days is it that the Russians still haven't overthrown the duly elected government there?

R247 is either an idiot or a Boris, or both.

'And Russia has more nukes than we do'

No, the US has more and stop pretending to be American, Boris.

And there’s even speculation their nukes are somewhat inoperable. I enjoy the theory that space aliens have deactivated them. Mischievous little motherfuckers that they are.

Vlad was on TV talking shit with some flunkies standing right next to him. Can’t one of these assholes get diagnosed with a terminal illness and they’ll find a way to rid us of this infernal autocratic piece of shit?

Russia has more declared nukes than the US. But both have enough to destroy the world many times over.

“Russia has the largest arsenal, which FAS estimates at 5,977 warheads, with the United States having the second-largest arsenal, at 5,428.”

Don’t think anyone is ever going to be able to use 5000+ nukes before destroying life on earth, so it really doesn’t matter. Also, the US has allies who have nukes, too.

Pakistan just dumped their Prime Minister (Imran Khan, who used to be quite a hottie). There was a time when there was a fear Pakistan and India would have a nuclear stand-off.

[quote]Speaking of the FSB (which btw is the intelligence agency successor to the KGB), it was reported yesterday that Putin has purged several officers:

There are speculations of massive intelligence leaks from this Fifth Service. Could be how the US got its intelligence of the invasion.

Also that some rogue agents intentionally leaked to the Ukrainians the details of the Zelensky assassination plans which may explain their failure at the start of the war.

Ambassador Marie Yovanovich was a good guest on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show yesterday. She answered a caller’s question as to why Kiev wasn’t blown to smithereens with Putin wanting to preserve specific historic buildings because Kiev is always meant to be the capital of the Ukraine Republic of Russia.

Kiev is mythologized as the birthplace of Russia because it was the capital of the Kievan Rus.

[quote]Encompassing a variety of polities and peoples, including East Slavic, Norse, Baltic, and Finnic, it was ruled by the Rurik dynasty founded by the Varangian [Viking] prince Rurik. The modern nations of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestors, with Belarus and Russia deriving their names from it. At its greatest extent in the mid-11th century, Kievan Rus' stretched from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south and from the headwaters of the Vistula in the west to the Taman Peninsula in the east, uniting the majority of East Slavic tribes.

This is something......

A few of the statements Vlad made on his visit that space launch centre in the far east:

[quote]Adding to the fears, Putin warned the West today that Russia will never again depend on them and he had no doubts about his brutal invasion of Ukraine.

I fear he has point here. With near-total sanctions, the West may have lost whatever leverage it had over Russia. Vlad is likely to block the companies that pulled out (Shell, Visa, IKEA, McDonald's etc) from ever returning even after the war has ended and a peace been thrashed out. The advantage for Russia would be strengthening its own local industry and economy and likely insulating it from global shocks and volatility. The con is less money and profits all around. Less money for Russia, and even less for Western economies. This will contribute to a likely recession (depression, possibly) that has been a long time coming.

[quote]'Its goals are absolutely clear and noble,' Putin said. 'It's clear that we didn't have a choice. It was the right decision.'

Ridiculous remark. He had a choice and chose to invade. Whole cities have been flattened. He could've backed out anytime so it's all on him. But here's the catch: from a Russian perspective, they were indeed painted into a corner by NATO and this escalation was just a matter of time. There are scholars who've been predicting it for the last 8 years.

[quote]He said that Russians' unity will only grow stronger in the face of Western sanctions and it will be the West that will face instability.

Both true and false). The Russsian economy will suffer then recover to a stabel equilibrium. Increased oil and gas prices will adversely affect Western economies, but they too will eventually find a way out.

Watch your portfolios carefully guys, some will get wiped out.

[quote]Russian soldiers comes from...Wooden houses (literally - built from logs), no plumbing, no central heating. No asphalt roads.

Is good noble Russian house, not like decadent West.

Playbook:

"Western intelligence assesses that Russia is likely to move significant numbers of military aircraft close to the border to Ukraine, in preparation for a new campaign in Donbas. Analysis of satellite images suggests Russian attack helicopters have been moved to camps just inside the Russian border in Valuyki and Soloti, just a few miles from the eastern Ukrainian border. There are also at least 30 Russian Su-27 fighter jets at the Voronezh air base, not far from Kharkiv. The airfield there has recently undergone improvements, the source said.

And by rail: Western intelligence also assesses that there has been a major increase in transportation of Russian military equipment by train across Belarus. Trains loaded with military equipment have been seen traveling through stations across the country, including Minsk, in what the West believes is preparation for a mass redeployment of forces to Ukraine’s eastern front.

How long have we got? The source told Playbook they expect the build up of Russian forces, aircraft and equipment on the eastern front to continue for at least the next two weeks. This timeline would appear to confirm Ukraine’s urgent need for military support in the days ahead, and raise concerns that efforts to send weapons in the next few weeks may not be fast enough."

Russians are even stealing toilets now...

Even the poorest parts of my country have plumbing. I can't imagine still having to shit in a bowl outside like those Russians do.

I bet there aren't Muscovites or people from St Petersburg in the army.

Awww ❤️

.,.,

That brilliant asshole economist, Larry Summers, has already forecasted a recession within 2 years. He made this prediction after calculating such unforeseeable events like COVID and the Ukrainian invasion. So, I’ll take his word this time since the asshole has no skin in the game this time. Get ready!

BREAKING: Sweden will apply for NATO membership in June.

Finland and Sweden usually move in tandem so I would expect Finland to do the same.

Enjoy more NATO all the people who claim that Russia's invasion was about NATO (it never was; it was always about imperialism).

This is an interesting report from the ISW. It's from yesterday, but it provides an insightful analysis of what Russia's actions actually mean, particularly in assigning Dvornikov as overall commander of the Ukraine invasion.

The media has been spinning up the whole "Butcher of Aleppo" narrative and that Ukraine might be put on the back-foot again. ISW seems to think that will not be the case and that Dvornikov's appointment is not due to any actual competence but just a matter of expediency.

Still looks like Russia is going to continue or worsen their barbaric attacks on civilian populations though, and I really hope the US will do some form of intervention if the chemical attack reports are verified.

Because I am an idiot I forgot to link the actual article.

Ukraine printed a million stamps with a soldier giving the finger to a Russian warship on them and the post office says they're already running out of them.

R279 I'd buy them!

R262 goodbye Imran Khan, you Putin loving prick. He blames his loss on "the West" of course.

[quote]'Its goals are absolutely clear and noble,' Putin said. 'It's clear that we didn't have a choice. It was the right decision.'

And just before the invasion he was saying that the West was lying it was imminent, that they were just holding normal 'exercises'....

R268. Well good look for Vlad if he looks forward to the prospect of living theisolated life like the North Koreans. Sure, it’s possible and doable. In some instances it would be the noble thing to do. Let’s see how long before the Russian people start to question why they are back to living life like they were in the Soviet era - or worse. Is it because they will reflect back and see the Ukrainians and Jewish Zelenskyy as Nazis? Exactly how long will it take for them to measure the cost vs. quality of life? Russians pride themselves as being survivalists and resilient. I’ll wait until I see no rats or pigeons in all of Russia because they’ll all be eaten by their starving population, just like in North Korea.

Tbf, many Russians, particularly those living in Russia's huge rural parts, don't live any better now than they did back in the Soviet era. Plus, Russians in general prefer suffering and material deprivation to political chaos and the lack of any sort of authority they can look up to and project their hopes and dumb national pride onto. Sadly, these people prefer living in shitholes as long as they can venerate a czar-like figure.

It's sad and the result of generations of brainwashing, R284. Not really much different than people who come from extremely religious and conservative backgrounds.

Vladimir Putin consulted with a fortune teller. He asked: “How long will I live?” The psychic replied: “I cannot tell that but I do know you will die on a Ukrainian holiday.” “Which holiday?” Putin asked. “Whichever day you die will be a Ukrainian holiday.”

[quote] Sadly, these people prefer living in shitholes as long as they can venerate a czar-like figure.

It ain’t just the Russians, R284.

[quote]@KevinRothrock Putin’s spox appears to throw Medvedchuk under the bus. “He’s not a Russian citizen, he has nothing to do with the special military operation [lol], and we don’t even know if he wants to be involved.”

Yep, Medvedchuk is one of the people who misled Putin on how the Ukrainians would react, isn't he? Over 4 weeks and he never surrendered to some Russian soldiers or got over the border.

Putin: I hardly knew him. He was basically just a coffee boy.

Sound familiar?

[quote] Sadly, these people prefer living in shitholes as long as they can venerate a czar-like figure.

Yes we noticed, But why settle for a czar when you can have the god of all things

Long, interesting discussion. Not for people who are new to Ukraine (i.e. those who started following Ukraine from about two or three months ago).

[quote]Let’s see how long before the Russian people start to question why they are back to living life like they were in the Soviet era - or worse.

I understood the received idea of embedded alcoholism in Russia was there for a reason. High percentages of folk tranquilizing themselves daily with cheap vodka to cope with joyless hopeless lives.

Those daring to attempt free speech by protesting Putin's war crimes - even with blank sheets - face fifteen years in prison. Imagine attempting to question a brutal kleptocracy, and think of Navalny's fate.

Questioning leads only to the choice, stay or go. I'm sincerely glad that tens of thousands of Russians made the choice to find a cleaner saner better life, and left.

[quote]quoteWell good look for Vlad if he looks forward to the prospect of living theisolated life like the North Koreans.

Russia is not isolated like North Korea. Only 37 countries, mostly in Europe and North America (i.e "the West") have imposed sanctions. Over 150 countries have refused to join in. Most of the world will continue to trade with Russia. Vlad is right about Russia being too big to isolate.

[quote] Russians in general prefer suffering and material deprivation to political chaos and the lack of any sort of authority they can look up to and project their hopes and dumb national pride onto. Sadly, these people prefer living in shitholes as long as they can venerate a czar-like figure.

I don't buy that this has to be an inevitability. The Germans have been able to transform from following autocrats or dictators to a functioning democracy. I think that they got unlucky that Yeltsin chose Putin.

The countries in yellow have condemned Russia and imposed sanctions. Hardly isolation.

And still no confirmation of the infamous chemical warfare attack. A blood test or tissue sample shouldn't take this long to collect and analyze.

R296 What don't you understand about that even independent journalists can't get into Mariupol? It's an apocalyptic hellscape. There is almost no ability to conduct a real investigation there.

But also, they think it was phosphorus munitions which is a gray area and could be argued either way... (and let's remember that the US and other countries don't want to get Nato involved):

[quote]Phosphorus munitions are not considered chemical weapons. Most armies have phosphorus munitions to use for illuminating battlefields or targets or to produce smoke screens. However, if an army deliberately fired a phosphorus munition into an enclosed space in order to expose people to toxic fumes, it could be a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention, said Blum. “Once you start using the properties of white phosphorus, toxic properties, specifically and deliberately then it becomes banned,” he said.

R295 Cute, Sergei. Yes, it's not isolation, you have a few countries from the developing world on your side and the rest saying 'we don't want to be involved, nothing to do with us'! Meanwhile most of the developed world has actively condemned what you Russians are doing.

Scott Ritter analyzes the alleged war crimes perpetrated by Russia in Ukraine, and concludes that the Ukrainian government is directly responsible for it - among other things, he mentions the fact that Ukrainian police and politicians have posted videos showcasing the murders, and have sent messages to their followers on social media not to go out on the street, because a "cleansing operation" and "a safari" were taking place in order to get rid of Russian collaborators and so-called traitors... What was their sin? Trading dairy products with Russian troops in exchange for ration packages.

Are you kidding me, R298? Countries are falling over each other for the chance to trade with Russia now! [I.e. to impoverish Russia by grabbing its resources at rock-bottom prices.]

R299 Sergei posting a video by two-time convicted pedophile and paid Kremlin propagandist Scott Ritter. Found guilty of five felonies and two misdemeanors.

So, r290, a FOX link? And you don't think what's going on in Ukraine is genocide?

I agree Ritter is probably on the take again, just as he was when datalounge worshiped him for trashing Bush on behalf of Saddam. But he isn't necessarily wrong. Neither side is wearing halos. I'll stick with guarded skepticism of both sides.

[quote]Neither side is wearing halos.

But only one side invaded the other.

[quote] I'll stick with guarded skepticism of both sides.

R303, there are these things called evidence, evaluation, and proportion.

So genocide is OK as long as the nation being genocided is not wearing a halo? Seems a bit odd R303. Are you wearing a halo? I am guessing not.

[quote]I'll stick with guarded skepticism of both sides

Because of course, r303... both sides

R303

“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” ― Dante Alighieri

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” ― Desmond Tutu

“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.” -- Elie Wiesel

[Bold]Russian Tech Industry Faces ‘Brain Drain’ as Workers Flee[/Bold]

By March 22, a Russian tech industry trade group estimated that between 50,000 and 70,000 tech workers had left the country and that an additional 70,000 to 100,000 would soon follow. They are part of a much larger exodus of workers from Russia, but their departure could have an even more lasting impact on the country’s economy.

@oivshina

After mass complaints from parents of Russian conscripts several hundred of soldiers (approx over 400) were returned to Russia. Parents tell that those alive returned with fever and insomnia, some had frostbites and pneumonia (they were deployed without proper winter uniform).

[quote]The source told Playbook they expect the build up of Russian forces, aircraft and equipment on the eastern front to continue for at least the next two weeks.

Since these are massing within a few miles of the border, Ukraine needs to be making some strategic pre-emptive strikes on these forceswhile they're still being marshaled.

[quote] If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” ― Desmond Tutu

Who cares? It's a mouse.

French journalist Georges Malbrunot, who works for Le Figaro, denounces the fact that US army operatives and UK mercenaries are in charge of the so-called defense of Ukraine, and they have orchestrated the entire "international brigade" operation from the beginning - thus, this wouldn't have been a war initiated by Russia at random, but they would have a legitimate case for having initiated a defensive military campaign in Ukraine.

Questions:

1) Why were there laboratories trying to develop bacteriological weapons in Ukraine, financed by the US government, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, all arranged by Hunter Biden?

2) Why were there members of the UK and Uk military in Ukraine from the before the conflict, making arrangements to "defend" a country that already has a massive army?

The answers will be quite interesting...

R313, if Hunter Biden is in charge of arranging for the development of bacteriological weapons, the world can sleep easily at night.

[quote]The answers will be quite interesting...

The answers will be as interesting as the questions, which are idiotic.

again, this desperate attempt to pretend that Putin just had to invade Ukraine cause ... Hunter Biden? Sorry, no, too stupid outside the wingnutosphere. Try again, Vlad.

Am I reading this right? Putin’s military plans are on Hunter Biden’s laptop?

Along with a map to Jimmy Hoffa’s body and proof of life on Mars?

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

All secrets will be revealed on Hunter Biden's laptop!

Hunter Biden again?

DL's Pootie fanboy must be REALLY desperate, LOL.

Tanks for sale

Recalibrate please. He's not desperate; he doesn't give a shit and is likely getting paid. Can you block them so we don't have to hear about their garbage?

Big development if true

There were still 1000 Ukrainian marines left in Mariupol? That city has been attacked and bombarded for weeks; have the Russians still not captured it?

Why so coy R323?

Mariupol has long been expected to fall but it's remarkable they have held off this long. Means that Russians have been tied up there and unable to move onto somewhere else.

[quote]⚡️ A rally in Tallinn in front of the Russian embassy. Photos from locals.

Today's reminder to NOT fuck with Ukrainians.

Russian media is ramping up the rhetoric, asserting that Ukrainians are monsters, Ukraine itself must be obliterated, and any remaining Ukrainians must be sent to “reeducation” camp. Putin is trying to sell the public on a long war and extended occupation of Ukraine.

[quote]Incredible. Russia's flagship missile cruiser, the famous "Moskva", has been destroyed by Ukraine, Russia admits (saying it was "seriously damaged by fire")

(the "Russian warship go fuck yourself" ship. currently broadcasting multiple SOS signals. LOLOL)

R327, that is downright grotesque and I cannot believe that the media has allowed many people to view murder-for-propaganda as something even remotely tolerable. If this is what billionaire Zelensky and his administration are promoting, they don't have a right to claim victimhood under any circumstances: they have caused this entire tragedy and dragged the entire Ukrainian population into a terrible war out of sheer depravity.

R328, where is the evidence of that "terrible rhetoric"? Because some random article by a person writing from the virulently anti-Russian Latvia (which by the way, happily collaborated with the Nazi extermination machine, as did Ukraine), cannot be catalogued as anything more than inflammatory propaganda.

E329, so many lies have been propagated by the Ukrainians (the Ghost of Kiev, the threatre in Mariupol, the 13 martyred heroes on Snake Island, the faulty Ukrainian missiles that hit residential areas being blamed on Russia, the little girl increpating a Russian soldier who ended up being a Palestinian girl increpating an Israeli soldier, the video game footage being presented as legitimate images from the war and a LONG etcetera), that i won't believe anything that's written until it's confirmed by other sources.

Sorry, but the information war is so transparently and incompetently fought, that it's impossible not to become skeptical.

After knowing what the Russian troops are doing to women and little girls, I hope the Ukrainians let the survivors on that ship drown.

*snort*

Emmanuel Macron Refuses to Follow Biden in Accusing Russia of ‘Genocide’

“So far, it has been established that war crimes were committed by the Russian army and that it is now necessary to find those responsible and bring them to justice,” Macron stated. “I am very careful with some terms [genocide] these days.”

“I’m not sure the escalation of words is helping the cause right now,” Macron also said. “I think there is one thing that can be said with certainty, and that is that the situation is unacceptable and that these are war crimes.”

[quote]Most of the world will continue to trade with Russia.

The countries that are standing against Russia represent almost 60% of the world GDP. China is another 17%. China's trade with the US, Japan, and the EU dwarfs their trade with Russia. China may give lip-service to Russia but they won't endanger their trade. Russia's ability to trade is crushed.

Ukrainian Officials Claim DESTROYING Russian Cruiser Moskva, Odessa

President Joe spoke to Zelensky for an hour today and it's been reported that he is sending a shit ton of heavy equipment to Ukraine. Good.

Five minutes to work out the arms transfer and the rest of the time Biden babbling about Beau

R336: that's the best news I've heard all day.

Even on Russian State TV they admit their trolls suck.

Apparently the Moskva warship (the one on those stamps btw) was hit by a Ukrainian Neptun missile strike and Ukraine flew a TB2 UCAV to distract the ship while it was targeted by the Neptun.

The ship turned on its side and sank. The Russians claim that the crew were evacuated but who knows since you can't trust anything they claim.. The ship had a crew of 510, so that could be the worst mass casualty-producing event of the war.

Is it confirmed that the ship actually sank? The reports I've seen state that it was badly damaged, but nothing said about it supposedly sinking.

R341 No but guess we'll find out soon enough. I'm getting my info from Rob Lee who is reliable and has good military sources.

Old ship launched in 1983. Contemporary US cruisers have gone to the scrapyard.

USNI confirms.

Russia trying to spin it as a fire that ignited ammunition is pretty laughable. That would be a staggering level of incompetence, though I suppose at this point we shouldn't put such ineptitude past Russia.

But the detail coming out about Ukraine's alleged attack on the warship is quite specific, so I'm inclined to believe that actually was a military strike. And that Ukraine got ahead of the story by alleging the strike BEFORE Russia addressed the "accident" is very telling.

I do hope the ship sank, but we'll have to see if those reports can be verified. A loss of life on that magnitude is of course sobering, but a good reminder to Russia's generals that they are in over their heads.

Can some Ukrainians translate, he's hot!

The Russians stole his underwear.

Ukraine shot down Russian flagship Moskva in Odesa!

These people are badass, get them into NATO NOW!!

I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole today. Apparently Mariupol is like 90% ethnic Russian.

The Russians spent almost two months grinding a city and killing inhabitants that they're supposed to be "saving."

It boggles the mind.

did some research and the OSINT community thought that the ship sank because it was sending out SOS Morse code saying that they were sinking (a sign of extreme distress if they did not have access to radio) Then about 20 minutes later all transmissions ceased, likely indicating the ship sank.

[quote]The countries that are standing against Russia represent almost 60% of the world GDP. China is another 17%. China's trade with the US, Japan, and the EU dwarfs their trade with Russia. China may give lip-service to Russia but they won't endanger their trade. Russia's ability to trade is crushed.

It's actually 40%, still huge. And it's not lip-service from China, new pipelines from Siberia to Manchuria are being constructed. They say China alone would more than cover the shortfall should the EU stop buying all Russian oil and gas. Also, when Western leaders boycotted the Olympics and Xi made a big show of Putin being the only world leader present, it wasn't about the Olympics at all. Russia and China are getting into a strategic partnership that'll form a quasi-military and economic alliance to include Central Asian nations. Putin told Xi about his plans at the Olympics and gave his tacit approval. Xi sees America as a nation in decline and expects their dominance to end within the next decade. He's using Russia to accelarate that decline.

quote][R295] Cute, Sergei. Yes, it's not isolation, you have a few countries from the developing world on your side and the rest saying 'we don't want to be involved, nothing to do with us'! Meanwhile most of the developed world has actively condemned what you Russians are doing.

The countries saying "we don't want to be involved" are not participating in sanctions and are continuing to do business with Russia. Which side do you think they've picked, by their actions?

There are 193 UN member states. 37 in the so-called "global" sanctions effort, 156 on every continent (ranging from China, India, Brazil and South Africa) are maintaining or reinforcing relations with Russia. Imagine the level of insularity for one to call this an "isolation". Most of the world is effectively siding with Russia yet that will not stop the absurd use of words like "global" and "international community". This while calling the Russian public "brainwashed"?

[quote][R295] Cute, Sergei. Yes, it's not isolation, you have a few countries from the developing world on your side and the rest saying 'we don't want to be involved, nothing to do with us'! Meanwhile most of the developed world has actively condemned what you Russians are doing.

The countries saying "we don't want to be involved" are not participating in sanctions and are continuing to do business with Russia. Which side do you think they've picked, by their actions?

There are 193 UN member states. 37 in the so-called "global" sanctions effort, 156 on every continent (ranging from China, India, Brazil and South Africa) are maintaining or reinforcing relations with Russia. Imagine the level of insularity for one to call this an "isolation". Most of the world is effectively siding with Russia yet that will not stop the absurd use of words like "global" and "international community". This while calling the Russian public "brainwashed".

^ Apologies for the double post.

Did Zelenskyy seriously offer Viktor Medvedchuk (a Ukrainian!) to the Russians for a POW exchange? Sorry, but that's just stupid.

Another thing: Zelenskyy is saying Europe should sanction all Russian energy. But those pipelines run through Ukraine. What's stopping him from blowing them up?

Really R347? That's astonishing.

Russia really has lost all legitimacy as a world power or even as a state. The first duty for a state is to it's own people.

If/When Russia learns the truth after all this is over, there needs to be some hefty political reforms involving demilitarization, denuclearization, and strong electoral reforms perhaps involving third-party observers.

The Moskva, btw is the Russian Warship That Was Told to ‘Go Fuck Yourself’ by the soldiers who were guarding Snake Island.

It was previously supposed to have been damaged/sunk by a strike by shore artillery. Let's see if this time it's really gone.

[quote]If/When Russia learns the truth after all this is over, there needs to be some hefty political reforms involving demilitarization, denuclearization, and strong electoral reforms perhaps involving third-party observers.

You mean effective colonisation of Russia where allow foreigners to determine their destiny? I let you reflect on what a ridiculous notion that is. Zero chance of it happening.

^ Wow. My typos really make me sound like a Yevgeny LOL.

A village on Donbas was shelled by Russia and a puppy was under the debris. Rescuers were able to save him and give him back to the owner (who himself narrowly escaped death from shelling).

R339 Thats what happens when the best and brightest who want no part of this war flee.

R345, he says he went home, the Russians had broken into his home, and his wife told him the Russians stole all his underwear. Then there’s a comment about what type of army would do this.

R330 = Boris Trollovich, spreading lies in the hope of earning some rubles to get him his daily barrel of cut vodka

Webby should tag R330. He's just ridiculously trolliish.

I naturally have R330 blocked for the troll he is, but thanks to R362 and R363 I can revel in his glorious use of the verb "increpate."

"Russia warned Finland and Sweden on Thursday that if they join NATO, Moscow will reinforce the Baltic Sea region, including by deploying nuclear weapons.

The threat came a day after Finnish officials suggested the country could request to join the 30-member military alliance within weeks and as Sweden mulled making a similar move.

If Finland were to join NATO, Russia’s land border with members of the alliance would more than double."

Heck of a job, Vladdie!

R365 Vlad only has empty threats. He can move nukes around Russia's borders like he's playing Monopoly, it won't make a blind bit of difference.

[quote]He can move nukes around Russia's borders like he's playing Monopoly, it won't make a blind bit of difference.

Yeah, he already has long-range nukes that can hit Finland and Sweden lickety-split.

Great news on the ship being destroyed.

Morse code is not used anymore; the chatter was from amateur hams (the twitter thread linked has lots of funny memes).

Someone needs to explain to Putin what DEFENSIVE means.

If he has no intention of invading, he should not be threatened by a defensive strategy for Finland and Sweden.

But we know what he really, really wants...

[R345]

"Daddy need patriotic twink to support my war effort"

Ukraine issues updated postage stamp:

[quote] those pipelines run through Ukraine. What's stopping him from blowing them up?

The need not to alienate the West, I imagine. The West is Zelensky's source of support, and if Ukraine isn't subsumed into Russia at the end of this he will also need the West's help to rebuild.

R372 I think a simpler reason: why would they blow up their own export and source of $$$$$ every day?

Russian corruption strikes again? (Whether sunk or not, both sides agree that the Moskva ship is out of action.)

"@TrentTelenko

Via DM, Moskva ammo detonation & related corruption:

"More than 692 million rubles were stolen from the Northern Fleet from the 1 billion rubles allocated for the repair of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) "Kinzhal", "Uragan" and "Krepost'" - Kommersant"

Russian spin: we destroyed a Ukrainian missile with our warship.

R359 OMG that is amazing! That pup so lucky.

I cannot stop laughing at “the Russians stole my underwear”.

That is fucking hilarious and pathetic all at once. Like the poor victim in the video, I have to wonder how inhumane the Russian army is if they have to steal underwear and shoes!

I can’t stop laughing.

R353, what is stopping Zelensky from blowing those pipelines is the fact that Russia pays billions to the Ukrainian government every year for transit rights. That is also one of the reasons why Ukraine adopted an increasingly hostile attitude towards Russia when the Nordstream 2 pipeline was built, because it was a very evident attempt to push Ukraine aside and exclude it from the very lucrative Russian energy market. People may not like to hear this but, without Russia, Ukraine's economy would be in a much worse position than it has been for the last 30 years.

Zelensky knows this and demonizes Russia while getting it to fill the Ukrainian exchequer... And his own pockets, of course.

The guy who got his underwear stolen really is adorable.

The soldiers have probably been wearing manky underwear for weeks so stealing it makes some sense. (If you want to give homeless people useful things other than money or food, give them clean socks and underwear.)

Utterly unsurprising but Trumpie is confused as ever:

"Between criticizing Biden for a laundry list of supposed shortcomings, the former president let on to Fox News host Sean Hannity that he agrees with Biden’s harsh description of Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“And now add to that what’s going on in Ukraine. That’s a genocide,” Trump said.

“This is a genocide that’s taking place,” he added later in the interview.

“I knew Putin very well. Almost as well as I know you, Sean,” Trump said, refusing to answer if he considered him “evil.”

Trump suggests that he would somehow be tougher on Russia than Biden has. And he says Russia would never have invaded Ukraine if he were still in office, without explaining why.

“We talked about it a lot, (Putin) did want Ukraine,” Trump added. “But I said, ‘You’re not going into Ukraine,’ He would never, ever have gone into Ukraine.”

Trump criticized Biden for failing to directly intervene in Ukraine, although he also regularly railed against intervention in foreign wars.

“I think in 100 years, people are going to look back, and they are going to say, ‘How did we stand back and NATO stand back?’” Trump said.

Joe: Trump Refuses To Criticize War Criminal Vladimir Putin

Russia’s finally admitting the Moskva sank.

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Yep, they are admitting it! OSINT was correct. And for the poster saying that Morse code isn't used anymore, it still is by the Russians.

The Russians are claiming that it happened while trying to tow it back to harbor “due to damage suffered by the hull during a storm.”

I don't know about you but I personally don't believe that one. The ship sank because the Ukrainians hit it with a missile.

I don't think that it's related but the Titanic sank in the early hours of April 15th. /random trivia/

[quote]Russia’s finally admitting the Moskva sank.

Here's what the Lithuanian defense minister said several hours ago. They say that a Turkish ship evacuated 54 crew members from the Moskva ship from 2am but then at 3am Turkey and Romania reported that the ship had sunk. If true, that would suggest that hundreds died....

Putin has threatened to move nukes to the Baltic Sea region if Sweden and Finland join NATO.

There are already nukes aimed at Sweden and Finland, moving 'em around is a big "So what?" All Putin's really admitting is that he doesn't have enough troops to move to the Finnish border.

It would be funny if all the countries with land stolen from them by Russia started demanding it back.

It's amazing that Ukraine released this postal stamp the actual day BEFORE they bombed and drowned the Moskva!!

Mariupol has effectively fallen.

R384. So first it was a fire that broke out in ammunition storage and now it is a storm? I suppose the storm could have started the fire.

It's all bullshit of course. But perhaps they prefer the idea that God hates them and wants them to lose over the reality that Ukraine is kicking their asses.

DA, ship catch on fire from innocent krokodil break in ammunition room, then storm break out as it towing back to Mother Russia. Storm put out fire in ammunition room, but ship capsize!

Russian State TV talking heads tonight are a laugh riot. First they say it sank by fire and storm, then they say it's grounds for war, then they nervously ask "what are we calling it now?" Then they demand Putin carpet-bomb Kiev because they're REALLY pissed world leaders have the audacity to visit a war zone that isn't a war zone.

Additional note: they really need to believe they're really at war with NATO and the US because they consider them peers. They can't emotionally process the fact that little old Ukraine is kicking their asses.

The Slave cruisers are very pretty boats but way overage.

Maybe having so many large missile tubes lining the side wasn't a good idea after all.

I sent the video of the Ukrainian guy who had his underwear stolen by the Russian soldiers to my friend who has Ukrainian parents and understands Ukrainian pretty well and asked him what the guy said.

Here's what he texted me back.

[Quote] He says, "I honestly can't believe it" about 10 times and that's when he mostly laughs. He says all the underwear they took was worth about $100 and some were pretty fancy and the boxers had very loud designs on them.

He laughs just thinking about if what other Russian soldiers would think if they knew their fellow comrade had cartoon character underwear on. Then he basically says. " what a country" an army that has to steal underwear. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Oops, I fucked up the quote -

[quote] He says, "I honestly can't believe it" about 10 times and that's when he mostly laughs. He says all the underwear they took was worth about $100 and some were pretty fancy and the boxers had very loud designs on them.

[quote] He laughs just thinking about if what other Russian soldiers would think if they knew their fellow comrade had cartoon character underwear on. Then he basically says. " what a country" an army that has to steal underwear. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[quote]It's actually 40%, still huge.

No, it's actually 56%. The global GDP is 92T. The countries in the chart below add up to 52T.

[quote]And it's not lip-service from China, new pipelines from Siberia to Manchuria are being constructed. They say China alone would more than cover the shortfall should the EU stop buying all Russian oil and gas.

Please cite a credible source for this assertion. All the US and EU have to say is they will cut back on trade with countries doing business with Russia. I believe they already put it out there without actually threatening.

[quote]Also, when Western leaders boycotted the Olympics and Xi made a big show of Putin being the only world leader present, it wasn't about the Olympics at all. Russia and China are getting into a strategic partnership that'll form a quasi-military and economic alliance to include Central Asian nations.

US and EU do ten times more trade with China than Russia (Bloomberg). China will not put their US and EU trade in danger for this "strategic partnership that'll form a quasi-military and economic alliance to include Central Asian nations." Any agreement was no doubt be predicated on a quick successful action in Ukraine by Russia. Russia has failed and China doesn't want to partner with a world pariah. China will always act in their best interests.

[quote]Putin told Xi about his plans at the Olympics and gave his tacit approval. Xi sees America as a nation in decline and expects their dominance to end within the next decade. He's using Russia to accelarate that decline.

Xi knows he can't rely on Russia for anything. Xi may believe the US is on the decline but Russia has fallen so far, so fast as to become near irrelevant. A gas station with nukes.

R400 China is a little nervous though and it's been showing in what Chinese businesses have been choosing to do with Russia. The threat of being sanctioned too is keeping them neutral and I think that this will make them think twice about invading Taiwan too.

r399 I'm getting about 56% via my calculations too (I'd missed a couple). They are t a larger portion of the world's GDP but the catch is that these countries' trade with Russia represents a relatively small part of those GDPs, so it doesn't matter if Russian gas is bought by the EU, Africa or Asia. It'll still be bought. Will Russia be unable to move its oil and gas, not likely, especially as energy prices threaten to scrape all-time highs. Other than energy and grain, the world doesn't depend on Russia for much. The problem is countries like France and Italy are unable to move their wines, cheeses and luxury items to one of their most important markets, Russia. Who is getting hurt more by the sanctions?

[quote]Please cite a credible source for this assertion.

This is why Vlad isn't worried about the EU giving up Russian gas.

[quote]US and EU do ten times more trade with China than Russia (Bloomberg). China will not put their US and EU trade in danger for this "strategic partnership that'll form a quasi-military and economic alliance to include Central Asian nations."

The US and EU are likely to risk sanctions on China, especially in the current climate where world economies are hanging on by a thread. Vlad is right - the world is too interconnected for certain countries to be isolated. The Russian population has a higher threshold for suffering than US and EU populations. Americans want gas prices back to what they're used to this won't help Biden in the polls. It'll take a lot more for Russians to rebel against Putin.

Good morning Svetlana. Blocked posts at R402, R403, R404 for me.

The bodies of 73 people have been removed from a mass grave near the Church of St. Andrew in the Kyiv region of Bucha, the mayor of the city, Anatoliy Fedoruk, said.

A total of 403 bodies were found in Bucha. According to the mayor, 167 people have been identified.

Estimates of Russia's combat losses as at April 15. This is according to Ukraine's armed forces, so more discerning among us might want to take it with the appropriate grain of salt.

I've always thought that the help the US, Britain and France are giving Ukraine is due to Putins election interference by sowing chaos in the election process and funneling money to far right candidates.

Russian Military Contractors REFUSE To Fight

[quote]Sorry, but the information war is so transparently and incompetently fought, that it's impossible not to become skeptical.

Hey, Yevgeny actually said something factually correct!

Good troll, take potato.

R403 - Nice way to address the wrong statement. Yes, there is a pipeline to China. No one argued there isn't. Your assertion was:

[quote]They say China alone would more than cover the shortfall should the EU stop buying all Russian oil and gas.

Who is they? The article you linked said nothing about the shortfall.

Also, the new pipeline is not a done deal and won't be completed for year should it go ahead.

[quote]First they say it sank by fire and storm,

Has any meteorologist confirmed the existence of such a storm?

It was just choppy seas from what I read.

Ukraine just cut the PR balls off Putin.

Good for them.

Slava Ukraini!

The Russian-Israeli oligarch Leonid Nevzlin says that defense minister Sergei Shoigu is in intensive care after suffering a “massive heart attack” as a result of an assassination attempt ordered by Putin.

Sorry Putin, time to resign and retire to Siberia. It is the only way.

R416. I hope this will be the beginning of the end for Putin.

His generals and inner circle must be terrified that they might be next. Surely a coup d'etat is in the works?

what's interesting is that this was reported fairly early on but then Putin put out video of Shoigu which shut the chatter up. That video was probably fake or repurposed (unless the heart attack happened afterwards).

Nevzlin also claims that 20 Russian generals have been arrested in Russia and charged with embezzling up to 10 billion dollars allocated to the war effort in Ukraine.

This is another video of a Russian POW calling home to his mom and dad. This is being released by the Ukrainians who facilitated the phone call. Is it faked with actors? Lots of people in the comment section think probably not, especially because the father seems so unsympathetic to the son as he is in distress and crying. That part seems real.

R 421, that POW is speaking Russian as it is spoken in Ukraine. The sounds are slightly different. I have listened to a lot of “intercepted calls”, and many are, unfortunately, propaganda.

That said, I do hope Russia loses this invasion, and that Putin dies soon, and painfully.

r418 People keep hoping but it's having the opposite effect. The Russians are consolidating support for Putin the more they feel under attack from the rest of the world.

Putin's inner circle must know now that he'd happily kill them all if he felt the need to do it, why don't they just take him out if only to save their own hides?

R402, Your argument, such as it is, doesn't make sense. Russia's a shrinking economy that sells gas and oil to stay viable, but somehow more harm will be done to France and Italy, both bigger economies, because Russians are less able to buy cheese? Don't know how to break this to you, but the French economy isn't based on cheese exports--cheese is no. 23 on the list of French exports. Nor is Russia among its top trading partners (Other EU countries and the US are.)

How small is the Russian economy? It's so small that it's about to taken over by Brazil's. It's smaller than Canada's, India's and South Korea. All that land, all those natural resources and, formerly, technical expertise--all wasted away by insane levels of corruption.

Not only is California's economy bigger than Russia's, so is Texas'.

India will continue to support Russia in exchange for cheap gas, but China will play the waiting game--if Russia wins, China will buy gas from them. If Russia loses and continues to crash, China will buy Russia, for all intents and purposes--at least the Asian parts. Russia's over-expanded. The infamous Russian winter and supply line issues have protected it from European invasions, but attacks from Asia are a different manner. It shares a long border with China. And while the U.S. and friends will protect Taiwan, I wouldn't expect the same courtesy to be extended to Russia. I suppose Putin will just keep talking about nukes . . .

Funny thing is that it didn't have to be this way. Russia could have turned Ukraine into a version of Canada--friendly neighboring country with strong cultural and economic ties, but with an agreement to stay out of one another's national politics.

R425 Putin doesn't think that way. He's a psychopath.

R425 well-stated!

...then the monsters ate their own, and the others lived happily ever after...

@EricaMarat

Kazakhstan won’t hold victory parade on May 9. Significant symbolic gesture that points at how the war in Ukraine undermines Russia-centric view of the Soviet history.

Kazakhstan has now explained that the May 9 parade is not feasible because the priority is to maintain combat readiness of the armed forces to ensure protection and defense of gov and military facilities. Hands down, this is bold.

@JuliaDavisNews

More genocidal talk on Russian state TV: pundit agrees that Putin's goal is to erase the very idea of being a Ukrainian. He finds even the name, "Ukrainians," to be an insult and sees no reason for that entire nation or nationality to exist outside of "Russian" identity.

r425 You seriously think China will invade Russia? They're in a fucking alliance. What kind of logic is that? By building that pipeline, Russia clearly is willing to shelve relations with Europe as it moves closer to China. Trump (in a stopped clock moment) is right about one thing: Russia and China getting closer and becoming allies in not good news for the West.

As the Russian economy being irrelevant. Tell that to the world that's seeing rising energy and grain prices. By October, I predict Europe won't be nonchalantly contemplating turning off Russian gas. Germany now says Nord Stream 2 is "on hold" not "dead" as reported by American media.

Urainians are blaming both Nord Streams and Turk Stream (calling them " pipelines of death" for squeezing them out of gas transit routes.

[quote]Putin's goal is to erase the very idea of being a Ukrainian. He finds even the name, "Ukrainians," to be an insult and sees no reason for that entire nation or nationality to exist outside of "Russian" identity.

To offset this, the civilised world's goal is to erase the very idea of being a Putin. We find the name to be an insult, and see no reason for that genocidal psychopath to exist inside or outside of his Russian identity.

R430, I think China will buy chunks of Russia for various intents and purposes. They might also decide to reclaim land that once belonged to China if it serves their purpose--if they do decide to reclaim outer Manchuria, no one's going to stop them and China *does* have a history of annexing nearby territories --i.e. Tibet. So I don't think China will invade, it's more that it wasn't a possibility before, now it is--except for the nukes.

It's news to everyone just how weak the Russian military now is. That changes the game. Russia can't fight multiple fronts, it's not even clear it can fight one. Its strategy, such as it is, is winning through attrition, but it no longer has the demographics to do that. And, ironically, logistics and supply lines favor China, not Russia, in such a conflict since the population and manufacturing centers of Russia are in Europe.

The alliance between Russia and China is one of convenience--they've had one before and it's fallen apart before. You're not looking at something like the Nordic countries or the Five Eyes, where there are strong cultural and historical connections.

China benefits from Russia being weak--and it's now demonstrably weak, whatever the outcome of the war in Ukraine. This is going to make India antsy as all get-out, since it has border disputes with China. (The other reason besides cheap oil that it backs Russia.)

There's a big political realignment happening now. I'll be curious to see how it all shakes out and glad, frankly, to be in America with a couple of oceans in the way.

^ Russia was weak in the '90s. Not anymore. Mishaps from a disorganised conscript led ground force do not preclude the largest nuclear arsenal of any country from destroying the earth. And as the U.S. learned from their defeat to the Taliban in Afghanistan, conquering countries (especially if they're well-armed) isn't easy anymore. Another thing: Russia itself is impossible to invade.

R433, Oh sweetie, Russia's share of the world GDP is dropping and the quality of life for the majority of its people sucks, thus the alcoholism and godawful life expectancy for the men. Destroying the Earth also destroys Russia, so maybe not such a good idea.

The Taliban didn't defeat the U.S. We basically got tired of holding down the fort for a group of people who didn't want us there. Basically, we cut our losses--Afghanistan isn't critical for us, though stability in the region would be nice, but no one holds Afghanistan--not the British, not the Russians, not the U.S.

And, no, Russia, itself, isn't impossible to invade. Japan did so successfully and China is in a good position to do so if it wants to take back outer Manchuria. Japan could certainly take back the Kiril Islands. Nobody wants the whole thing, but there are some choice bits.

You want to know what country is difficult to invade? The U.S.

No country is impossible to invade. That's just rhetoric to demoralize opponents.

r434 All the metrics you've mentioned are better now than in the '90s under Yeltsin. It's not a question of GDP. Look at how much upheaval Russia's so-called tiny economy is wreaking on the world. There are real dangers of crashes and even depression. Do you think Switzerland or Denmark or Texas would have the same effect? If, for instance, it was the UK (one of the world's larger economies) that was going rogue and had to be sanctioned, it wouldn't cause as much damage because the UK would be relatively easy to isolate. NATO would've folded after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact if Europe and the US considered Russia "weak".

I wish we could have intellectually honest debates on DL instead of defaulting to partisan jingoistic babble.

[quote]The Taliban didn't defeat the U.S.

Yes, they did. Just like the Viet Cong. You can dress these any way you want but the U.S. was defeated. I make a point of watching international news channels such as Al Jazeera and the Taliban are always bragging about how they beat the U.S. and forced them to flee the country. They did it to the Russians too.

If it weren't for nukes NATO could knocking on the Kremlin's doors in a couple of weeks.

Trump surrendered to the Taliban. The US wasn't defeated.

r438 Because it has to be NATO, an alliance of 30 countries. A bit of overkill against a so-called "weak" Russia, don't you think?

[quote]Trump surrendered to the Taliban. The US wasn't defeated.

Sure Jan. Whatever gets you through the night. Think of the objectives the US had when it invaded Afghanistan. Now ask yourselves, were any met by the time the U.S. was forced to leave in 2021? Afghanistan is back to exactly where it was on September 11th, 2001. Even Mullah Omar, who the U.S. set out to kill only died of natural causes in 2013, a full 12 years after the invasion.

Russia is the one making threats against NATO. If they think they can fuck around they can find out.

r429, Even if Ukraine were named South Russia, it would still be a separate and independent sovereign country.

Putin and Trump are the same in that they twist reality to conform to their views.

We see them as mad men with nukes. Thank god we took them away from Mr. Trump.

The poster making claims for Russia's strength based on differences from the mid 90s is posting from an air bubble in the communications room of the Moskva.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

seeing lots of pictures of the booby traps Russians have left everywhere - in washing machines, on trees. It's definitely cruel and unnecessary. Wire trips too.

Here's a booby trap in a glass left in a kitchen cupboard. The pin to the grenade is stringed to the cabinet so that when you open the cupboard the booby trap is supposed to explode, the glass shattering and hitting you too.

Patrick Lancaster interviews civilians in Mariupol.

TeleSur's report from Mariupol, showcasing the role that Russia has played in proptecting and liberating the city's civilian population.

Vijay Prashad makes analysis about the collective South's refusal to comply with US-imposed sanctions against Russia, highlighting the indigation caused by the West's blatant hypocrisy - which includes the USA's relentless harassment of anyoen who tries to investigate war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.

They're reporting all these disgusting booby traps; but it just occurred to me that I'm not hearing/reading any reports of the booby traps actually going off. Is it happening and the reports not getting much space online or in the papers; or I'm somehow overlooking them; or are these booby traps incompetently set and so unworking?

R448 is DL's Russian propagandist and supporter. Look at all his insane comments. Fuck off.

Kim iversen's take on the role that the US is playing in the gradual escalation of the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

R452, I do feel truly sorry for you. It must be painful to be so intellectually limited and incapable of dealing with the fact that someone, at some point, will challenge your opinions and effectively refute your arguments. I hope you find peace, someday.

R453 - Please, you called Zelensky a disgusting pig, wrongfully claimed he was a billionaire, then promoted conspiracy theories about medical facilities in Ukraine being setup by Hunter Biden.

Girl - you're fucking batshit crazy and a Russian, right-wing propogandist. Go sell crazy somewhere else, cuz we're not buying.

[quote]someone, at some point, will challenge your opinions and effectively refute your arguments.

No doubt, but it doesn't appear that someone will be you.

R451 Yeah, the ones people have managed to get pictures of are obviously ones that didn't explode. I would imagine that there are several that explode for every failed one (or ones intercepted before the pin is triggered).

We're *all* on to you, r453.

Video of an EOD tech defusing an anti-personnel mine that was hidden in a shopping bag.

No Douglas Macgregor or Aaron Mate videos? You're slipping, trollov.

I must say, I hadn't seen teleSUR linked to before. Looked it up and they're Venezuelan state TV, launched by Hugo Chavez.

Mediabiasfactcheck rates teleSUR as a 'questionable' source. "Reasoning: Lack of Transparency, Poor Sourcing, Propaganda, False Claims"

[quote] I do feel truly sorry for you.

I do feel truly sorry for you. Being an underpaid alcoholic Russian propaganda troll is a pretty shitty job.

Russian state TV is now telling their viewers that it's WWIII and the poor ickle wittle Russians are fighting against the entire of Nato. It's existential for the Russians, supposedly. They are having to explain to their viewers why the 'special military operation' is taking so long.

"Proxy war against Russia" is an odd way of describing the Russian invasion of a sovereign democratic country. The Russians invade a country, then if that country fights back, it's only because other nations are hostile to Russia. Do I have that right?

They just keep telling their viewers that the Ukrainians are supposedly attacking and killing Russians, the Russian language and so on in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Parliament:

"❗️ WARNING Russia plans to launch a new deepfake with President @ZelenskyyUa

In a fictitious statement, the president will allegedly express "his negative attitude towards Ukrainian cities, in particular to #Mariupol," according to the Center for Information Security."

Confirmed by the Russians: An 8th Russian general has been killed so there's a new one for the list.

Lt Gen Andrei Mordichev,

Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev

Maj Gen Oleg Mityaev,

Maj Gen Andrei Kolesnikov

Maj Gen Vitaily Gerasimov

Maj Gen Andrei Sukhovetsky

Maj Gen Magomed Tushaev

Maj Gen Vladimir Frolov.

3 EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) engineers have been killed and another wounded near Kharkiv today.

First footage of the rescued Moskva crew in Sevastopol. No information yet regarding casualties

Unpicking the reported parade of #Russian cruiser #Moskva's crew.

A) Captain alive

B) ~240 crew in video

R467 would love to have some verification that a) this video is from after the sinking of the Moskva b) is of the surviving sailors. I note that they look perfect too.

That's the problem with serial liars like the Russians - I just automatically distrust most of what they put out.

It's not going well for Putin and he's not going to stop. It will probably turn into WW3 when he does something incredibly stupid like lob a nuke.

"Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has asked the Kremlin to increase funding for troop funeral services and tombstones, according to government documents seen by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

The FSB, the KGB's main successor organization, has asked for a 17% increase in state funding for funeral arrangements, the documents show, per RFE/RL.

The request comes when Russia is suffering considerable troop losses as the war in Ukraine nears the two month mark."

@olliecarroll

Georgi Serdechny, deputy chief doctor at Irpin polyclinic says injured keep coming. While Russians were near, it was all about missile shrapnel. Now it’s bites from stray dogs (dozens daily), unexploded ordnance, and poisoning from water and out-of-date French humanitarian aid

Terrible pictures of Irpin, just destroyed. And this is going on now for new towns, villages and cities.

Again, Patrick Lancaster shows the situation in Mariupol.

Fat fuck Patrick Lancaster who actually filmed autopsied cadavers claiming they were killed in a terrorist attack by the Ukrainians!

The pics are still on his twitter feed. I'm stunned that he hasn't taken them down - the autopsy cuts are so obvious.

Why the fuck can’t I get past R462 when I return to this thread?

Then you're going to have a hell of a time reading this reply, R475.

So R463 to R474 were all Russkie trollbots? I don’t see a new Ukraine thread. Or is interest in this significantly waning?

[quote]So [R463] to [R474] were all Russkie trollbots?

I don't think so. I can see them and they don't appear to be Russian disinfo trolls. Only one of them was blocked for me, and I've blocked my generous share of those Putains.

Russian missiles raining down on central Kharkiv, Ukraine yesterday killed two people and injured 18. Among the latter group were workers at celebrity chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, a charitable effort which has fanned out across the country to feed those effected by the war there.

Also on Sunday the Executive Director of the U.N’s World Food Programme, David Beasley, told Face the Nation of seeing food depots and warehouses blown up — facilities that contain nothing else but food.

“There is no question that food is being used as a weapon of war in many different ways [in Ukraine],” he added.

Bastards.

[quote]workers at celebrity chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen

As a true DLer, I sent WCK $100. It makes me happy to feed the unfortunate and miserable.

r481

Please keep me blocked, r482,

r483

There's still high interest in the topic, I think. Today's a holiday, it's spring, etc.

Unconfirmed but looks legitimate. Russian navy ships use a red colored anti skid deck surfacing but the smoke damage midships and aft show the below deck fire was heavy

A mayor has said that the Russians raped and abused a male guard of a children's health camp in Vorzel so badly that he died afterwards. As well as scores of women and girls.

Lviv authorities say 6 civilians, including a child, were killed in a barrage of Russian rockets this morning. Part of the railroad siding/structures was targeted.

To add to R486, here's a short video (unconfirmed) of Moskva burning just before it sank.

There's no way that's the Moskva. The tugboat next to it is larger.

Ukraine being mercilessly pounded by missiles. The escalation has commenced.

And apparently the Russians STILL aren't in complete control of Mariupol. I'd been under the impression that they took that city weeks ago, but there are still pockets of resistance.

I feel horrible for the last defenders of Mariupol in the Azovstal steel plant (there is a labyrinth of corridors and rooms underneath it where they are). You just know that when the Russians finally get to them they will all be killed. The Azovstal plant was bombed today.

A senior U.S. defense official says that if/when the Russians capture Mariupol, it would free up 12 battalion tactical groups to fight in other parts of the country.

Some Chinese businesses are nervous about being hit with secondary sanctions:

!@IikkaKorhonen

Chinese exports to Russia -8% yoy in March. In January-February they were still growing 50% yoy..."

However, Russia has a huge account surplus and is still getting tons of money from selling oil and gas.

Putin approves (likely ordered it himself):

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday bestowed an honorary title on a brigade accused by Ukraine of committing atrocities in the town of Bucha"

The battle of Donbas starts now. I'm a bit scared because now that the Russians are focusing all resources on 1 area (as they should have from day 1, they have a good chance of taking it but either way the cruelty, the loss of life, and destruction is going to be awful).

"Ukrainian President Zelensky said in a video address that Russia’s next phase of attack — the battle in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region — started tonight. “We won’t give anything Ukrainian.”

One of Putin's most rabid defenders in this thread has revealed himself to be a racist bisexual man in another thread.

R497 heh, can I have which poster that is? (e.g. a post number by him so I can check out that)

The racist bisexual is at R441 and DOZENS of other posts intros thread, defending Russia and all sorts of trollery.

R499 Thanks, and I can confirm that person had already been blocked by me. And I *only* have 3 posters blocked... Make of that what you will.

It’s interesting that the US government is making a distinction between exports and deemed exports in the case of Russia.

(Let’s say you can’t export tanks to North Korea. Normally that also means you can’t allow North Korean nationals to work on tank production or tank research in the United States either. The is a “deemed export”)

So either the US is just being super nice to Russian nationals in the US or we are planning to offer those folks citizenship or we have some reason to think we don’t need to worry about future Russia.

Omg, someone stuck a dildo on an abandoned/destroyed Russian tank in Ukraine.

***Breaking theological news***

[quote]Sunken Russian warship may have carried Christian relic 'True Cross' piece

Well, this must not have been a real piece of the True Cross if it failed to save the Moskva. Maybe they should try another relic next time—I think I have Saint Ekaterina's desiccated left ear lobe somewhere around here, if Putin will only give me $1 billion for it.

[quote]Maybe they should try another relic next time

Rasputin's penis might do.

r504

[quote]One of Putin's most rabid defenders in this thread has revealed himself to be a racist bisexual man in another thread.

So he's exposed himself twice as being Russian? Cool.

I want Ukraine to follow up the sinking of the Moskva with the bombing of the Putin Palace on the Black Sea shore.

Kim Iversen discusses the article written by former NATO Colonel Jacques Baude, who was assiting the Ukrainian government to rebuild its army after the coup d'état in 2014. He basically states that:

- The Donbas are autonomists, rather than Russian separatists. They wanted to remain within Ukraine as autonomous regions and Russia didn't participate at all in this process. In fact, Russia didn't even want to legitimize them nor meddle in any way in this political process.

- The violence initiated against the Donbas by the Ukrainian government, and things got so extreme that there were mass defections in the Ukrainian army (the vast majority of whom were Russian speakers). Soldiers were joining the Donbas militias and providing them with weapons, contrarily to what was said, which is that Russia was sending arms to them. Eventually, even reservists refused to respond to the government's recalls, and the Ukrainian army collapsed.

- NATO started helping the Ukrainian government to rebuild their army, but the process was taking too long for their liking, as they were planning to initiate an aggressive subjugation campaign in the Donbas. Thus, at the behest of the US, France and the UK, the Ukrainian government decided to incorporate the nazi militias into their army, which they currently dominate (they are currently 40% of the army).

- Israel is particularly angry about this situation, as we all know the history between nazis and Jews. They have refused to side with the rest of the West and are trying to broker peace as a means to assist in the isolation of these radical fascist groups.

- The US deliberately financed anti-Russian groups and pushed Ukraine to escalate hostilities against Russia and accelerate attacks on the Donbas, which has warned Russia about what could possibly happen. The casus belli is that Russia needed to intervene in order to avoid a massacre - Biden knew it all because the US has been literally trying to goad Russia into reacting since his presidency started.

- Polish mercenaries were captured in Gorlivka the Donbas on the 18th of January. They were trying to release chemical weapons and were armed with Western equipment. They were part of a campaign designed to increase civilian casualties in order to push Russia into intervening.

He states that this could have been stopped years ago, as there was a humanitarian crisis that started in 2014 and rapidly spilled into Russia. This was deliberately ignored by Western media, which has misrepresented the situation as Russian interventionism.

The fascinating (and very long) article written by Colonel Baud.

Aaron Maté interviews Jacques Baud.

r507

I live in your head R511.

Лижи мою грязную дырочку, Борис.

Лижи это.

r512

And for all the Russian fellators here, IF, when the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine decided their new country would be called South Russia, it would still be a separate and sovereign country. Another country that Tsar Putin has no right to.

R513

514 r515

r517

r519

Get a room, you two!

What is this posting of replies about?

R520, people do it to see the post of someone they have blocked.

Can't you just go to the "Ignored" tab?

How fucking tedious.

I just went to mine and I see that Svetlana posted her quota of Kim Iverson and Aaron Mate videos for today.

And someone new called Jacques Baud. I looked him up and apparently he's been long known for 'checking all the boxes for geopolitical conspiracy'. He's appeared 'on the far-right web-television TV Libertés' and on RT France. Amongst many things he has claimed that the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal was 'food poisoning'.

You know, it really is sad that Putin spends so much money on these losers to peddle conspiracy theories and propaganda instead of buying people in underdeveloped areas of Russia indoor toilets and asphalt roads.

It is sad, r524...

A senior U.S. official says Russia is at about 75% of what they started with, so they've lost about a quarter of the combat power it first sent into Ukraine.

The official says that Russia has started “some limited offensive operations” southwest of Donetsk and south of Izyum in eastern Ukraine, but that it's likely "a prelude of larger offensive operations" which they are preparing for. There are signs that the Russians are "trying to learn and adapt from mistakes they make from earlier in the war, particularly around Kyiv".

It sounds like the coming battle for the Donbas will depend largely on logistics - who gets the logistics right and who can cut off logistic supplies for the other side. Food, fuel supplies, etc. And Ukraine needs to continue getting hardware from allies.

All modern warfare depends on logistics. And it would appears the Russians have begun correcting that failure.

R527, we will see. The Russian Army's logistics problems are legendary.

Let's just hope that Putin doesn't decide to end the war quickly.

Once Putin murders the entire eastern end of Ukraine, retaking it will be easier.

Putin has sown hatred for CENTURIES to come.

[quote] Putin has sown hatred for CENTURIES to come.

melodramatic aren't we

Once he's cost his backers their fortunes will they take him out?

R532 I don't think the oligarchs will take him out they're afraid of him it's the generals who will do the deed. Who's the next in line to command the war after the current one is taken out by the Ukraine army?

[quote]Who's the next in line to command the war after the current one is taken out by the Ukraine army?

Glenn Greenwald.

You people are an embarrassment and wouldn't know the truth even if it hit you right in the face. R523, Jacques Baud is a NATO Colonel who isn't even pro-Russian, but simple explains the truth as he LIVED it, because he was right in the middle of this conflict from before 2014 until very recently. So, before you bark out nonsense, do try and engage your one brain cell.

When even Noam Chomsky is being attacked for speaking reasonably about the war, you know that we have reached truly dangerous levels of hysteria.

Wimbledon bans Russian and Belarusian players – including reigning US Open champion Daniil Medvedv – from competing in this year's tournament.

[quote] When even Noam Chomsky is being attacked for speaking reasonably about the war, you know that we have reached truly dangerous levels of hysteria.

Honestly I've been enjoying the comedy. Chomsky is one of the people who have stayed intellectually consistent while the woke mob has suddenly joined the Bill Kristol and John Bolton's neocons beating the wardrums. The same neocons datalounge hated with a passion for so many years for pushing precisely these same policies that became fashionable just weeks ago.

I expect soon datalounge will soon move on to objecting to the fluoridation of our precious bodily fluids.

[quote]Americans are so obsessed with optics. Shallowness is ingrained in Americans from birth.

What nationality are you, r51?

There's nothing at all inconsistent about opposing the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq and supporting Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion, unless you think the constant term should be opposition to American policy/interests as mere warmongering, no matter what the details are. If you're genuinely against imperialist war by an avowedly colonialist kleptocracy, you won't scorn military aid to Ukraine as "beating the war drums" and "precisely the same policies" as the American invasion of Iraq—in fact you'll recognize the parallel between American imperialism and Russian imperialism.

In any case it's not a "woke mob" that supports Ukraine against Russia, it's the mainstream of opinion on the American left; the few on the left who don't are only giving lip service to leftist principles while actively supporting authoritarianism and nationalism. Talk to anti-capitalists and anti-authoritarians in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, etc. and you won't hear the Glenn Greenwald line.

Putin just penned a decree saying Russian companies must remove themselves from foreign stock exchanges like in NY and London. Putin signed the new rule April 16, and within the coming days Russian companies must comply, removing themselves from the likes of the NY Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, and other top bourses.

Ukrainian, U.S. officials including Janet Yellen, and multiple other international finance ministers and central bank governors walked out of the G-20 meeting this morning when Russian officials began to speak, per people familiar.

Botox supplies are apparently running low in Russia and the oligarch’s wives are PISSED.

[quote]Botox supplies are apparently running low in Russia and the oligarch’s wives are PISSED.

Every oligarch's wife by May Day:

R540, who does Putin imagine this will hurt? Insanity.

Why Putin's Inner Circle Hasn't Turned On Him

R543 It sounds more and more like that Putin's dream is North Korea, i.e. a lot of autarkic characteristics and nukes. Imagine if Europe stopped paying him $1bn a day to buy gas and oil from him because that's the big difference between the two..

R544 Weirdly, the video you linked to didn't explain why Putin's inner circle hasn't turned on him but the real reasons are 1) money - they depend on his patronage 2) fear - there's a genuine likelihood that he would order them to be killed if he found out 3) the fact that he pro-actively does things like replace his entire household shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine and is paranoid as fuck, so it's very hard to infiltrate that or get get close to him.

As for whether the Russian people will uprise against him, typically revolutions and uprisings only happen when people are starving, and I'm fairly sure that Putin can make sure that people have enough bread as such.

However, none of this means that it won't happen. It just means that the bar is high and difficult. Kasparov may be right and that in a bunch of months there may be enough unhappiness but in general I think that the talk of Putin being removed by his own people is a little overstated - historically there have been very few coups in Russia even if one or two of them are very famous!

Nobody knows what’s going on in Putin’s inner circle. It’s just a matter of time before they turn on him.

Alexander Christoforou's very interesting point of view on Russian sanctions. The beginning has a VERY funny bit from an interview with Lavrov at India Today. 🤣 🤣 🤣

R547, I don't think that Putin has an "inner circle" at this point, it's just bodyguards and food tasters.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐂𝐁𝐌

The new missile is planned as the successor to the Cold War-era R-36M Voyevoda ICBM, known to NATO as SS-18 Satan. The Sarmat is accordingly known as SS-X-30 Satan 2 by NATO.

Putin watched footage of today’s launch and described it as “a great and landmark event in the development of advanced weapon systems in the Russian army.” Russia’s willingness to continue to test ICBMs, including new designs, amid a period of unprecedented tensions between East and West is telling.

𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠, 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛-𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝐼𝐼𝐼 𝐼𝐶𝐵𝑀 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, after concerns that they could lead to a further deterioration in relations with Moscow, or even be misconstrued as a potential attack launched by the United States.

He seems to be killing his inner circle off R549.

Time for Putin to take the last trip to Yekatarinberg.

The video of the Ukrainian commander in Mariupol that's been shown all day on tv makes my heart sink.

Eastern Ukraine has been lost.

We must rearm the Ukrainians to retake Eastern Ukraine.

Just like Crimea, Putin will not stop.

He is a Zero Sum Tsar.

What some guerrilla actions in a Russian occupation will look like:

"Pro-Russian blogger Valery Kuleshov was killed in Kherson under unclear circumstances.

It is reported that Kuleshov actively cooperated with the invaders and even applied for the position of chief of the occupation police of the city."

Alex Christoforou at R548 lives in Moscow and is President and Chairman of The Duran.

Mediafactbiascheck:

"Overall, we rate The Duran as a Questionable source based on far-right-wing bias, promotion of Russian propaganda, right-wing conspiracies, a lack of transparency, use of poor sources, plagiarism, and failed fact checks."

There's a crackdown on Russian spies working in Europe going on. NYT has an article about a spy working in Slovakia. An unemployed man who nevertheless managed to donate money to pro-Russian politicians, figures and organisations working to influence, increase nationalism, and spread disinformation. The Slovak intelligence agency videoed him with his handler, a Russian diplomat, who gave him cash and instructions. The diplomat has since been expelled.

Putin has called a plan to storm the Mariupol steelworks “impractical.” The steelworks are surrounded by Russian troops and there are about 2,000 Ukrainians still holding out in there.

“I order it to be cancelled,” Putin said.

“This is the case when we have to think, that is, we always have to think, and in this case even more so, about preserving the lives and health of our soldiers and officers,” Putin said. “There is no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities.”

Instead, he called for Russian troops to blockade the area “so that a fly can’t get through.”

He's going to starve them to death.

Gonzalo Lira likely kidnapped by Azov, tortured, killed. Doxxed by The Daily Beast before his death.

R560 Can they do fat fuck Patrick Lancaster next? Pretty please.

I keep laughing when I read people comparing the loss of the Moskva to the sinking of the Belgrano during the Falklands War. Everyone knew the Belgrano was a WWII relic that was a sitting duck on a suicide run. The ship had no ability to defend itself from either missile attack or submarines.

The Moskva was one of the most powerful surface to surface combat ships in the world, with vastly more sophisticated electronics for defense as well. Just because they were two large ships doesn’t make them comparable. At all.

R562, the Moskva was a 43-year-old ship that had not been upgraded in over a decade. It wasn't in a sorry state like the Belgrano, but it wasn't the jewel of Russia's military crown, either. Your nonsense is aimed at magnifying an accident and turning it into some sort of victory for the shambolic Ukrainian army, which it clearly is not.

As for the Gonzalo Lira situation, R560, he is in an area of Kharkov that doesn't have any power, so it is very possible that he doesn't have any means to contact anyone. We shouldn't delude ourselves into thinking that it's impossible for him to have been captured by the Ukrainian SBU or some members of the S-14 or the several nazi battalions that run freely throughout Ukraine, but there's still some hope.

R561, let me guess: you are that repulsive tranny Sarah Ashton-Cirillo who has been asking for Gonzalo and Patrick to be murdered for weeks, and was gloating on Sunday about her playing an instrumental role in identifying where he lived so he could be apprehended. Poor little freak, you cannot understand that you are a very minor player in this game and your CIA handlers will abandon you to your luck once you're not useful to them anymore. Then you will know what the members of the Azov Battalion REALLY think of you... And no, it won't involve them bringing you flowers and telling you how feminine you are. You're a monster in every single sense.

By the way, I love how you ran away like a scared cat when Max Blumenthal and Anya Parampil raked you over the coals.

Hold up. Duran Duran now is Russian news media? Their stuff was questionable but not Russian propaganda bad.

Russians asked if they think the world hates them now. Some of the responses are a bit sad.

Belgrano is the wrong ship to compare. The sinking of Moskova by the Ukrainians is more comparable to the sinking of HMS Sheffield by the Argentinians. A significant score for the weaker force, but nothing on the scale of the Battle of Midway.

Are their friends not telling them what the world is seeing?

Just turned to CNN and Wolf Blitzer is doing a big heart-tugging piece of elderly Ukrainians crying they want to go home. They may as well be allowing the Ukrainian Information Ministry to write the scripts.

R564 Don't be naive. While it isn't overt Russian media like RT, the picture is clear that the Russians covertly pay certain Westerners to churn out conspiracy theories, disinformation, extremist content and pro-Kremlin content. E.g. read that NYT article about what the Slovak spy working for the Russians did.

It's clear that the Duran is one of them and the resident Russian troll often links to The Duran videos for a reason.

Pelosi Believes Russia Should Be Designated As 'State Sponsors Of Terror'

Gonzalo Lira is as sleazy as they get. If the Ukrainians whacked him he more than deserved it.

Good for Ukraine, r568. You know, on SVU, the show is about the rape VICTIMS, not the RAPIST.

Those old Ukrainians are crying on camera because American TV can't show dead babies in their own blood murdered in the streets. Let them weep.

Meanwhile, Russian TV news is giggling over the fantasy of nuking New York City with their fancy new rocket.

A Russian chemical plant and a military missile research facility both caught fire today.

A coincidence I'm sure.

Another recent trend: dead Russian oligarchs.

R563, the sinking of the Moskva is actually worse if you characterize it as “an accident,” because it shows how incompetent the Russians are. Apparently they were not able to rescue much of the crew, and they let an onboard fire get out of hand. This shows lack of training and discipline, and possibly a failure to properly maintain the ship.

Another military bigwig is dead-so sad.

Most glorious pundit of Russian state TV heroically proclaiming Americans genociding most glorious Russian peoples through arming of Ukraine beasts.

Because if Ukrainian beasts not killing brave Russian stallion soldiers they stay in the home fucking and making more Russian babies.

Wish I was joking.

(Russian soldiers killed by American weapons who should be home fucking and making Russian babies, therefore genocide. I mean who can argue with that logic?)

The Russian craziness in R578—that Americans are responsible for the genocide of Russians, because they're arming Ukrainians in order to exterminate the Russian genotype—is really no crazier than stuff that routinely spews out of Fox commentators and talk radio, or the majority of Republican Representatives' mouths.

Re: R575, assuming these may have been assassinations and not murder-suicides (and I think it looks suspicious), why would ex-gas executives be killed?

Russian "ex-gas executives" may know too much about payoffs to EU and German politicians to grease the way for Nord Stream

[quote]Re: [R575], assuming these may have been assassinations and not murder-suicides (and I think it looks suspicious), why would ex-gas executives be killed?

To keep the current gas executives in line? Just speculation of course.

Brilliant article in the New Yorker about how bad the Russian military sucks. And man, they really do suck.

Well, it’s an in-depth interview with a retired US colonel, actually. And man, does he go in deep on how badly the Russian military sucks.

So this is the timeline of gas executive 'suicides' so far this year:

January 30, 2022--Leonid Shulman, head of Gazprom Invest transport service, slit his wrists.

February, 25, 2022-- Alexander Tyulyakov, top-level manager of Gazprom, found hanged in his garage

April 19, 2022--Sergey Protosenya, former deputy chairman of Russian gas giant Novatek, found hanged at his house, his wife and daughter dead of stab wounds.

April 20, 2022--Vladislav Avayev, former Vice President for Gazprombank, allegedly shot his wife and daughter, then himself.

"@olliecarroll

Russian military for the first time says it is aiming for control over the entire of southern Ukraine. Forget “denazification,” now it’s officially about joining Transnistria with Russia and denying Ukraine access to the sea. "

"@RALee85

Rustam Minnekaev, the deputy commander of the Central Military District, said that one of the goals of Russia's second phase of the operation is to establish full control over the Donbas and southern Ukraine as well as to create a land corridor to Crimea."

Gonzalo Lira is alive and well. I'm glad that the international campaign in which so many people have participated, has had a positive effect.

So, you didn't get what you wanted, depraved ghouls: he is alive! :)

[quote]Russian military for the first time says it is aiming for control over the entire of southern Ukraine. Forget “denazification,” now it’s officially about joining Transnistria with Russia and denying Ukraine access to the sea.

But in that case they'll have to take Mykolaiv, Odessa, and parts south and east, not just a "a land corridor to Crimea" to the west. I kind of understand the goal of depriving Ukraine of a Black Sea coast (though Turkey might have some issues with that), but why this obsession with Transnistria, which has a population less than Wyoming's and a GDP at the level of minor atoll-nations? Russia seems intent on assimilating little pro-Russian shitholes—even at the price of endless resistance and the other costs of an unpopular occupation in southern Ukraine (not to mention the continuing sanctions from most of the biggest world economies).

R589 None of this is rational and hasn't been from day 1. The people who refused to believe that Russia would invade Ukraine believed that Putin was a rational actor but he isn't.

[quote] None of this is rational and hasn't been from day 1.

Sorry but it has been totally rational. A) You are not thinking in Russian terms, and B) you are ignoring the history of similar campaigns.

I've recommended this linked brief video synopsis of the Russo/Finnish War several times as it speaks to both. The Russian fear in Finland and I think Ukraine is direct western military confrontation. Finland was let down and so I think will be Ukraine. Russia achieved all its initial strategic objectives in Finland, but several other bonus areas as a penalty for the massive troops and equipment losses in the fighting. Matters are shaping up that the old pattern is now repeating.

R591 Yes of course you recommended a shitty Youtube video. Meanwhile the Finns have leaked that there is a massive majority in Finland's parliament to join Nato.

A pattern is repeating, R591, but where is the advantage in a long-term occupation of the whole of southern Ukraine, which means their already strained military will be bogged down, they won't have resources to deal with potential military problems elsewhere, etc. Another Afghanistan?

In any case their motivating concern here (and in Finland) can't be exactly "direct western military confrontation," since that's precisely what they're getting by invading countries to their west—in fact the obvious Russian threat has made countries to their west more eager to ally with the rest of Europe.

Gonzalo Lira is still alive but was detained by the local authorities and is being investigated. He can't leave Kharkov.

What are the most devastating (non-nuclear) missiles that we can give the Ukraine military to use on Putin's monsters?

Apache helicopters.

Bajour!

[Bold]Crimea Flashpoint I Why Ukraine May Target Europe's Longest Bridge & Why Kerch Is Vital For Putin[/Bold]

I hope Ukraine will destroy the bridge between Crimea and Russia

Link to Part XIII

Bridges can be rebuilt