Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
- RoseMorninStar
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Cute.
I think they (cows) are very curious creatures.
I think they (cows) are very curious creatures.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
It's possible the cows have been abandoned to fend for themselves, and are hoping these humans will feed them.
Human suffering in a war zone generally gets all the attention. People rarely think about the animals. Cows can't graze when the fields are covered in snow.
Human suffering in a war zone generally gets all the attention. People rarely think about the animals. Cows can't graze when the fields are covered in snow.
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
- Voronwë the Faithful
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Wow. Here's the statement on the ICC website. It appears Putin has been charged with the war crimes version of kidnapping children.
Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
It's worth noting that sicnce the verdict, at least 50 children have been returned to their families. It's a drop in the sea of more than 13,000 kidnapped children. Some children have been taken to the Far East regions of Russia, and all are forced to go through re-education to instill the love of Russia.
In less heavy news, Orlando Bloom was in Kyiv as part of his work for UNESCO, meeting with Zelensky.
In less heavy news, Orlando Bloom was in Kyiv as part of his work for UNESCO, meeting with Zelensky.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- Dave_LF
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Political scientist Branislav L. Slantchev's articles on the war are typically long and highly informative, and his latest is no exception:
https://slantchev.wordpress.com/2023/03 ... hat-wasnt/
https://slantchev.wordpress.com/2023/03 ... hat-wasnt/
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
This genocidal rant from Dmitry Medvedev, formerly Russia's president and prime minister and now the deputy chair of it security council, is quite something.
- RoseMorninStar
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Then why does Russia want it so bad?N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Sun Apr 09, 2023 10:58 pm This genocidal rant from Dmitry Medvedev, formerly Russia's president and prime minister and now the deputy chair of it security council, is quite something.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
On the heels of Medvedev's genocidal creed, an extremely graphic video surfaced of Russians torturing and murdering a Ukrainian soldier. I haven't watched it. I don't think anyone here should watch it. But everyone should know. From the description, to call it a beheading does not begin to capture the magnitude of this crime.
This is not an exception, this is policy, entirely consistent with the rants on the Russian state TV. This is what we, as a civilization, are faced with, what we thought we left behind in the 20th century.
For most of us, there's only one thing we can do, and it's to help organizations that support military or humanitarian projects in Ukraine.
United24 is Zelensky's official charity organization,
https://u24.gov.ua/
Liberty Ukraine is based in Texas and provides aid to hospitals in Ukraine and refugees in Austin, among other projects. Also drones.
https://www.libertyukraine.org/projects
Both are US non-profits, and donations are tax deductible in the US (u24 for sure, but I think both).
This is not an exception, this is policy, entirely consistent with the rants on the Russian state TV. This is what we, as a civilization, are faced with, what we thought we left behind in the 20th century.
For most of us, there's only one thing we can do, and it's to help organizations that support military or humanitarian projects in Ukraine.
United24 is Zelensky's official charity organization,
https://u24.gov.ua/
Liberty Ukraine is based in Texas and provides aid to hospitals in Ukraine and refugees in Austin, among other projects. Also drones.
https://www.libertyukraine.org/projects
Both are US non-profits, and donations are tax deductible in the US (u24 for sure, but I think both).
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
In June 2022, Amnesty International issued a press release that faulted Ukraine for putting its own civilians in danger. In response to the outcry that his press release engendered, Amnesty charged an independent panel of international humanitarian law experts to review the press release and the information it was based on. That report has now been posted to Amnesty's website. The panel finds that some parts of the press release were fine, some parts were reasonable judgment calls, and some parts "were written in language that was ambiguous, imprecise, and in some respects legally questionable." In particular, the opening paragraphs "could be read as implying ... that on a systemic or general level, Ukrainian forces were primarily or equally to blame for the death of civilians resulting from attacks by Russia."
(I personally incline to J.R.R. Tolkien's view about how to apportion blame for misdeeds in war.)
(I personally incline to J.R.R. Tolkien's view about how to apportion blame for misdeeds in war.)
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Ouch. Amnesty International only made the report public today after the New York Times reported that the report had been presented more than two months ago to Amnesty's board of directors, who sat on it. Also the report originally was even tougher on Amnesty before the board asked the independent panel to reconsider their criticism. Is there a pro-Russian faction at Amnesty? Last August, the Russian government had praised Amnesty for reporting "exactly what Russia has been saying all along."N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:30 pm In June 2022, Amnesty International issued a press release that faulted Ukraine for putting its own civilians in danger. In response to the outcry that his press release engendered, Amnesty charged an independent panel of international humanitarian law experts to review the press release and the information it was based on. That report has now been posted to Amnesty's website. The panel finds that some parts of the press release were fine, some parts were reasonable judgment calls, and some parts "were written in language that was ambiguous, imprecise, and in some respects legally questionable." In particular, the opening paragraphs "could be read as implying ... that on a systemic or general level, Ukrainian forces were primarily or equally to blame for the death of civilians resulting from attacks by Russia."
- Dave_LF
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
As ironic as that would be, from your lips to God's ears:
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
The U.S. National Security Council estimates that Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties, including 20,000 killed, many of whom are former convicts who were released from prison to join Prigozhin's Wagner mercenaries -- and those number are just since December.
- Dave_LF
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
As others have pointed out, that's comparable to what the US suffered during the entirety of the Korean War, and that was back in the days before unmanned drones etc.
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
The U.S. had more than 33,000 KIA and 103,000 wounded over three years in the Korean War, so it's still a greater number than Russia's losses in the past five months.
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
David Frum wonders whether U.S. House Speaker Kevin Mccarthy, speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem where he's been traveling with a bipartisan Congressional delegation, would have been so forthright responding to a Russian reporter if not for Tucker Carlson having been fired from Fox News last week. McCarthy said to the Russian reporter: "I do support aid for Ukraine. I do not support what your country has done to Ukraine. I do not support your killing of the children either ... You should pull out and I don't think it's right, and we will continue to support Ukraine."
I expect certain anti-establishment figures on both sides will point to Frum's analysis as suggesting that Carlson is the victim of a deep state war machine.
I expect certain anti-establishment figures on both sides will point to Frum's analysis as suggesting that Carlson is the victim of a deep state war machine.
Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Something hit and set on fire a flag on top Kremlin.
Russia blames a Ukrainian drone. Others speculate that this is a Russian false flag (heh) to justify canceling the Victory Day parade in the Red Square next Tuesday. This is plausible - during the war with Chechnya, Russian secret services blew up whole apartment buildings in Moscow to blame on Chechens.
I don't think Ukraine said anything official, although there are noises about Russian partisans. Partisan in this contest means guerrilla, not political supporter. Very unofficial sources said something to the tune of "if it were Ukraine, it would be more than just a flag."
We'll have to see what Russia denies later today.
Russia blames a Ukrainian drone. Others speculate that this is a Russian false flag (heh) to justify canceling the Victory Day parade in the Red Square next Tuesday. This is plausible - during the war with Chechnya, Russian secret services blew up whole apartment buildings in Moscow to blame on Chechens.
I don't think Ukraine said anything official, although there are noises about Russian partisans. Partisan in this contest means guerrilla, not political supporter. Very unofficial sources said something to the tune of "if it were Ukraine, it would be more than just a flag."
We'll have to see what Russia denies later today.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- Dave_LF
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Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
They are officially denying any knowledge of the incident, from what I saw (if I can find it again, I'll edit a link in).Frelga wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 3:36 pmI don't think Ukraine said anything official, although there are noises about Russian partisans. Partisan in this contest means guerrilla, not political supporter. Very unofficial sources said something to the tune of "if it were Ukraine, it would be more than just a flag."
Edit: I had some sort of official statement before that I can't find now, but this NBC article says the same thing:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russ ... -rcna82608
That Russia is lying goes without saying, but that only narrows down the possibilities a little bit.
Last edited by Dave_LF on Wed May 03, 2023 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
The linked video is unsubtitled, but goes with the false flag theory. Which seems the most plausible, TBH.Oliver Carroll wrote:Ukrainian air forces command spokesman Yury Ihnat on alleged drone attack on Kremlin: “Maybe it was a UFO.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been surgically taking out Russian fuel depots in Crimea, Krasnodar, and other Russian, and Russian-occupied territories.
PS in reply to Dave's PS: what it wasn't was an attempt to assassinate putin, who was not expected to be in Kremlin, where he is rarely found.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!