The Ukraine War

[Ram-Alf]

54 minutes ago, Ramarena said:

I’m glad you picked the sky version and didn’t post the extended version of this video, as it’s pretty horrific.

The other one starts with this guys colleague being wounded and deciding to commit suicide, the drone then moves to this guy to try to get him to surrender.

A bit of context to that video, which shows how his thought process must be absolutely struggling in that situation. He also gets fired upon by his own Army as they notice he’s surrendering.

I find it hard to have sympathy with Russians who have invaded and committed genocide in Ukraine willingly. But sometimes videos like this pop up to remind you that not everything is as black and white as that.

 

Yes there's plenty of nasty stuff out there, If someone has invaded your Country, And abused, Murdered, Raped, Looted, Tortured amongst other vile atrocities it would be hard not to take revenge on those that surrender...as the Russians have done to Ukrainian soldiers in the same boat.

There's no way we can sugar coat War/Conflict, When and if this ends there'll be accountability for those in the Hague, But until then there'll be more of the same 😡

Just to add, I have family on my Mothers side(Austrian)that were impacted by the Russian invasion of Vienna in WW2 including Ukrainian forces, The Russian Mongols were murderous animals my Mother said, The white Russians just looted and raped. 

Edited May 16, 2023 by The Last Post

[Ramarena]

On 15/05/2023 at 17:00, The Last Post said:

You can see the fear 

https://news.sky.com/video/ukraine-war-russian-soldier-surrenders-in-bakhmut-and-is-told-to-follow-drone-to-ukrainian-trenches-12878536?dicbo=v2-3MGmpjq

Your man here has been interviewed by the Russian human rights organisation Gulagu, to add a follow up to this particular story.

 

[Ram-Alf]

8 hours ago, Ramarena said:

Your man here has been interviewed by the Russian human rights organisation Gulagu, to add a follow up to this particular story.

 

Thanks for that.

A couple of things, He won't be able to go back home to Russia, Also his family if he has any are now marked people.

A Russian soldier/mercenary who was told one thing but in essence if he doesn't do as he's told he's a dead man, I'm aware there's fanatics doing Putins bidding but there's also those who now realise they were lied too.

Putin must have thought after taking Crimea that this would be a walk in the park...it's a loooong walk.

   

[uttoxram75]

Whatever happens to the people of Ukraine, there's only ever going to be one winner.

 

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/world/story/is-ukraine-being-privatised-netizens-fume-over-president-zelenskyys-meet-with-blackrock-management-380295-2023-05-06

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-proviv-zustrich-iz-kerivnictvom-najbilshoyi-u-svit-82725

https://jacobin.com/2023/01/ukraine-postwar-reconstruction-western-capital-blackrock-neoliberalism

[Ram-Alf]

7 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

Whatever happens to the people of Ukraine, there's only ever going to be one winner.

 

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/world/story/is-ukraine-being-privatised-netizens-fume-over-president-zelenskyys-meet-with-blackrock-management-380295-2023-05-06

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-proviv-zustrich-iz-kerivnictvom-najbilshoyi-u-svit-82725

https://jacobin.com/2023/01/ukraine-postwar-reconstruction-western-capital-blackrock-neoliberalism

Some one some where is going to have to pay billions and billions and billions of £ $ €, England during WW2 only finished paying off lend lease in the late 90s to the USA for goods/armaments, There's always winners in war and not necessarily the aggressor/defender.

Zelensky is already in hock for the weapons he's been sent, I doubt we have given along with other Countries these FOC but I could be wrong.

Take a look at Iraq and who made billions from that conflict 🙄, Freedom comes at a cost and defending your homeland has it's price.

[Ramarena]

1 hour ago, uttoxram75 said:

Whatever happens to the people of Ukraine, there's only ever going to be one winner.

 

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/world/story/is-ukraine-being-privatised-netizens-fume-over-president-zelenskyys-meet-with-blackrock-

1 hour ago, uttoxram75 said:

Whatever happens to the people of Ukraine, there's only ever going to be one winner.

 

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/world/story/is-ukraine-being-privatised-netizens-fume-over-president-zelenskyys-meet-with-blackrock-management-380295-2023-05-06

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-proviv-zustrich-iz-kerivnictvom-najbilshoyi-u-svit-82725

https://jacobin.com/2023/01/ukraine-postwar-reconstruction-western-capital-blackrock-neoliberalism

management-380295-2023-05-06

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-proviv-zustrich-iz-kerivnictvom-najbilshoyi-u-svit-82725

https://jacobin.com/2023/01/ukraine-postwar-reconstruction-western-capital-blackrock-neoliberalism

Hopefully we’re not criticising the guy trying to rebuild his destroyed country, instead of the guy who destroyed it?

But to zero in on the links. These are meetings to set up a fund of sone description, at least that’s what the links say. 

Now of course Blackrock and every other top bank/financial institution will want a piece of this pie.

As much as we detest them, these are the people that hold/have access to the amounts of money Ukraine needs to rebuild.

We aren’t just talking infrastructure, which has absolutely been devasted. We’re also talking about all the lives that Russias invasion has taken and the demographic problem it will have created for at least a couple of generations.

How do you solve these problems on you own? Even something as basic as clearing the huge numbers of mines Russia has laid will cost a huge amount of time, money and lives!

I personally don’t like it, but I’m not sure of any other way and I don’t think the average person understands the level of devastation Ukraine needs to rebuild.

Of course they could send a bill to that lovely Mr Putin for the damage he’s done…………..I’m not sure he’s going to pay it though.

[uttoxram75]

14 minutes ago, Ramarena said:

Hopefully we’re not criticising the guy trying to rebuild his destroyed country, instead of the guy who destroyed it?

But to zero in on the links. These are meetings to set up a fund of sone description, at least that’s what the links say. 

Now of course Blackrock and every other top bank/financial institution will want a piece of this pie.

As much as we detest them, these are the people that hold/have access to the amounts of money Ukraine needs to rebuild.

We aren’t just talking infrastructure, which has absolutely been devasted. We’re also talking about all the lives that Russias invasion has taken and the demographic problem it will have created for at least a couple of generations.

How do you solve these problems on you own? Even something as basic as clearing the huge numbers of mines Russia has laid will cost a huge amount of time, money and lives!

I personally don’t like it, but I’m not sure of any other way and I don’t think the average person understands the level of devastation Ukraine needs to rebuild.

Of course they could send a bill to that lovely Mr Putin for the damage he’s done…………..I’m not sure he’s going to pay it though.

The rebuilding seems to depend on the Ukrainian government submitting to deregulation, privatisation of public services, weakening labour laws......the same billionaires who are currently openly trading with Russia will get richer and richer off the people of Ukraine.

I know theres f all we can do about it, its just a reminder that the same people always benefit from every war and conflict on the globe. Its just coincidence I'm sure that they also control the politicians who push for these wars.....on every side.

[Ramarena]

2 hours ago, The Last Post said:

Some one some where is going to have to pay billions and billions and billions of £ $ €, England during WW2 only finished paying off lend lease in the late 90s to the USA for goods/armaments, There's always winners in war and not necessarily the aggressor/defender.

Zelensky is already in hock for the weapons he's been sent, I doubt we have given along with other Countries these FOC but I could be wrong.

Take a look at Iraq and who made billions from that conflict 🙄, Freedom comes at a cost and defending your homeland has it's price.

Yep I also don’t think people understand the scale of the destruction and the cost and resources it will take to rebuild. Just clearing mines and undetonated munitions is going to cost huge amounts.

Its incomprehensible to people like us.

The amount of money, Human Resources, etc needed will be something the world hasn’t seen for decades in such a short space of time.

Where does the leader of a country go to fund that and get it moving…….remember Ukraine wasn’t a particularly rich country before Russia invaded?

Its easy to criticise, like these articles do. But what alternative solution do they want? I don’t like Blackrock either and would be happy if they wernt involved. But here we are.

I don’t see them coming up with other ideas. The reason for that is, there’s no easy answers here and Ukraine needs to start the process whilst still fighting to free it’s citizens and reclaim  lands!

 

 

[Ramarena]

26 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

The rebuilding seems to depend on the Ukrainian government submitting to deregulation, privatisation of public services, weakening labour laws......the same billionaires who are currently openly trading with Russia will get richer and richer off the people of Ukraine.

I know theres f all we can do about it, its just a reminder that the same people always benefit from every war and conflict on the globe. Its just coincidence I'm sure that they also control the politicians who push for these wars.....on every side.

I’d agree with this in many cases, but it doesn’t really apply here.

Putin isn’t beholden to any of these international corporations and Russian corporations are totally beholden to Putin, not vice versa. He can and has had the oligarchs he created, wiped out in the past and will continue to do so if it suits his agenda.

He invaded Ukraine for his own ideological and political reasons. Not to benefit some oligarchs or corporation, although some will have benefited further down the line if they paid their dues.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Ramarena

[Ram-Alf]

Taken from Sky news...Oh dear

Hypersonic missile scientists facing 'very serious' treason accusations from Russia

Three academics who have worked on Russian hypersonic missile technology face "very serious" treason accusations, the Kremlin has said. 

Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev have worked on the weapons for years, publishing a book chapter entitled "Hypersonic Short-Duration Facilities for Aerodynamic Research at ITAM, Russia" in 2016. 

We don't have details on exactly what the three have are alleged to have done.

Vladimir Putin has boasted that Russia is the global leader in hypersonic missiles, capable of travelling at speeds of up to 12,250 kph to evade enemy air defences. He called them "undefeatable".

But, earlier this week, Ukraine said it had managed to destroy six of the weapons in a single night - a claim Russia has disputed. 

In a letter, Siberian colleagues of the trio protested their innocence and said the prosecutions threatened to inflict grave damage on Russian science.

"We know each of them as a patriot and a decent person who is not capable of doing what the investigating authorities suspect them of," they said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was aware of the letter but that the case was a matter for the security services. 

"We have indeed seen this appeal, but Russian special services are working on this. They are doing their job. These are very serious accusations," he said. 

[Wolfie]

2 hours ago, The Last Post said:

Taken from Sky news...Oh dear

Hypersonic missile scientists facing 'very serious' treason accusations from Russia

Three academics who have worked on Russian hypersonic missile technology face "very serious" treason accusations, the Kremlin has said. 

Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev have worked on the weapons for years, publishing a book chapter entitled "Hypersonic Short-Duration Facilities for Aerodynamic Research at ITAM, Russia" in 2016. 

We don't have details on exactly what the three have are alleged to have done.

Vladimir Putin has boasted that Russia is the global leader in hypersonic missiles, capable of travelling at speeds of up to 12,250 kph to evade enemy air defences. He called them "undefeatable".

But, earlier this week, Ukraine said it had managed to destroy six of the weapons in a single night - a claim Russia has disputed. 

In a letter, Siberian colleagues of the trio protested their innocence and said the prosecutions threatened to inflict grave damage on Russian science.

"We know each of them as a patriot and a decent person who is not capable of doing what the investigating authorities suspect them of," they said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was aware of the letter but that the case was a matter for the security services. 

"We have indeed seen this appeal, but Russian special services are working on this. They are doing their job. These are very serious accusations," he said. 

It's almost comical what decades of fear and corruption have done to the Russian defence forces.

I wonder how many of their nukes aren't actually glitter bombs?

[Ramarena]

21 hours ago, The Last Post said:

Taken from Sky news...Oh dear

Hypersonic missile scientists facing 'very serious' treason accusations from Russia

Three academics who have worked on Russian hypersonic missile technology face "very serious" treason accusations, the Kremlin has said. 

Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev have worked on the weapons for years, publishing a book chapter entitled "Hypersonic Short-Duration Facilities for Aerodynamic Research at ITAM, Russia" in 2016. 

We don't have details on exactly what the three have are alleged to have done.

Vladimir Putin has boasted that Russia is the global leader in hypersonic missiles, capable of travelling at speeds of up to 12,250 kph to evade enemy air defences. He called them "undefeatable".

But, earlier this week, Ukraine said it had managed to destroy six of the weapons in a single night - a claim Russia has disputed. 

In a letter, Siberian colleagues of the trio protested their innocence and said the prosecutions threatened to inflict grave damage on Russian science.

"We know each of them as a patriot and a decent person who is not capable of doing what the investigating authorities suspect them of," they said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was aware of the letter but that the case was a matter for the security services. 

"We have indeed seen this appeal, but Russian special services are working on this. They are doing their job. These are very serious accusations," he said. 

I saw people joking about this online after the Kinzhals we’re shot down. “Vlads going to have the creators of the Kinzhal suicided or arrested” 

The Russians actually went and did it……….what do you say about such fragility?

At least the Patriot battery they claimed to have destroyed only received minor damge, from what seems to be falling debris and is still operational.

[Ram-Alf]

Sky News

'Russian officials being intimidated to stop working with Wagner - but Prigozhin isn't being scared into obedience'

In our previous post, we brought you an update from the Institute for the Study of War which spoke about Ukraine's take on a potential Kherson offensive. But the US thinktank also gave its assessment on the situation surrounding Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia. 

Russian officials affiliated with the mercenary leader are being intimidated by Moscow's strongmen, also known as the siloviki, to discourage their cooperation with the group, it said. 

The ISW found one Telegram channel noted Mr Prigozhin is "losing contact with chairperson of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and had a fight with first deputy chief of staff of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergey Kiriyenko who originally supported his initiatives". 

"The channel noted that Prigozhin still has contact with Putin’s administration... and noted that Prigozhin's fate lies entirely in Putin's hands," it added. 

The siloviki are also likely attempting to signal to Mr Prigozhin that he must "cease his political ambitions in Russia" but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to"scare him into obedience". 

"Prigozhin stated that he is ready to take on the 'bureaucrats' and accused them of attempting to gain more authority while using Wagner to fight the war," the ISW added. 

"Prigozhin also accused unnamed officials of being apathetic about Russian deaths on the frontlines and sarcastically stated that the future Russian defence minister has been in Bakhmut for over a week when responding to a question asking if Shoigu had accepted his invitation to visit the Bakhmut frontline."

[Wolfie]

21 minutes ago, Ramarena said:

I saw people joking about this online after the Kinzhals we’re shot down. “Vlads going to have the creators of the Kinzhal suicided or arrested” 

The Russians actually went and did it……….what do you say about such fragility?

At least the Patriot battery they claimed to have destroyed only received minor damge, from what seems to be falling debris and is still operational.

I saw an article this morning (and then lost the link) claiming that for big Russian science and defence contracts, at least 70% of the total funding ends up getting trousered & sent abroad by ministers and officials at every level.

You end up with things like this and military trucks on day 1 of the invasion failing because of sub-standard tyres and the wrong fuel. Nobody at the bottom (engineers/scientists) are going to have the steel balls to question it, are they?. Not when everyone above them is in on it.

[Ramarena]

1 hour ago, Wolfie said:

I saw an article this morning (and then lost the link) claiming that for big Russian science and defence contracts, at least 70% of the total funding ends up getting trousered & sent abroad by ministers and officials at every level.

You end up with things like this and military trucks on day 1 of the invasion failing because of sub-standard tyres and the wrong fuel. Nobody at the bottom (engineers/scientists) are going to have the steel balls to question it, are they?. Not when everyone above them is in on it.

This is why the “Russian army is the second world army” claim is always laughed at.

Yes they have huge amounts of military hardware, but lots of it has either been cannibalised, sold for parts, sold and only exists on paper, or is totally obsolete/not in a fit state for combat.

Lots of people in the military have benefited from the corruption. New hardware is available, but they don’t have much of that left now either and with sanctions are struggling to replace what Ukraine is destroying.

military scientists and manufacturers end up just keeping their heads down and hoping for the best, if they aren’t in on it and can’t leave the country easily.

[Ramarena]

So it looks Russia has finally taken central Bakhmut.

Ukrainians saying they have withdrawn and Russia/Wagner declaring the town as taken.

Bakhmut has served its purpose for Ukraine and has severely depleted Wagner and the mobilised Russian army, U.S intelligence estimates up to 70k Wagners and mobilised have been killed or wounded in the battle for the city.

Given the amount of resources Russia and Wagner have lost for this, it’s amazing the Ukrainians were able to hold on as long as they did. They’ve bought themselves vital time, attrition and favourable movement of Russian forces.

What will Prigozhin do now? He has delivered Bakhmut, as per his agreement with Putin, but relations are tense. I’d imagine Prigozhin wants to claim success and get the remaining core of his mercenaries out to regroup. 

Does Putin order the Russian army to defend the city, or demand Prigozhin holds it.

Whichever the case, Russia now holds a completely leveled town, that used to be populated with 75k people.

Whoever defends it, they have Ukraine with artillery on the high ground, with a deep defense further back. Ukraine has also eaten into the flanks. Many people are speculating on Ukraine encircling the city.

I’m not so sure and wonder if they just cut off the supply lines to the city, wait them out and go around it with the counterattack.

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Ramarena

[Ramarena]

Interesting turn of events in Belgorod.

A group called Freedom of Russia has attacked an FSB base and destroyed it.

I wasn’t aware of this group so had to look them up. Seems they are a 4-5000 strong army of Russian soldiers who defected. They now fight to defend Ukraine from Invasion, with the ultimate goal, to “end the war criminal  Putin’s reign and defend Ukraine and Russia from the real Nazis”.

Video footage from the Belgorod attack shows some pretty heavy equipment including tanks, which they have gained from Russian forces they have defeated.

Wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the acts of sabotage in Russia these days is from this group as well.

Interesting development.

[Ram-Alf]

24 minutes ago, Ramarena said:

Interesting turn of events in Belgorod.

A group called Freedom of Russia has attacked an FSB base and destroyed it.

I wasn’t aware of this group so had to look them up. Seems they are a 4-5000 strong army of Russian soldiers who defected. They now fight to defend Ukraine from Invasion, with the ultimate goal, to “end the war criminal  Putin’s reign and defend Ukraine and Russia from the real Nazis”.

Video footage from the Belgorod attack shows some pretty heavy equipment including tanks, which they have gained from Russian forces they have defeated.

Wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the acts of sabotage in Russia these days is from this group as well.

Interesting development.

I can only see more ex Russian soldiers following suit.

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-free-russian-legion-fighters-against-kremlin/32260682.html

[Ramarena]

In an attempt to play this down Russian social media is pushing a “pentagon is on fire after an attack” narrative with AI generated images of some building that doesn’t really look like the pentagon on fire.

Needless to say, the Pentagon isn’t on fire.

 

[Ramarena]

So this week we’ve had, Ukraines withdrawal from Bakhmut and this “uprising” in Belgorod, which Ukraine will have absolute known about.

Add in the huge Russian artillery losses in the last week or so and this looks like the battlefield shaping excercises are really getting going.

I’d be expecting the counteroffensive very soon, as Ukraine gets the Russians to move their assets to advantageous positions for the attack.