Any Ukrainian riders?

[meepmeepmayer]

@Paul ABy the way, thank you very much for posting the regular news updates! 

[redsnapper]

6 hours ago, Wolverine said:

 

More talk of escalation, increased military spending in buffer states, etc. One can only hope that there are simultaneous back-channel de-escalation/compromise talks happening to end this. Hopefully this maximum pressure on Russia campaign ( via greater influx of western weaponry, more sanctions,etc) will force the invaders back. But what might Putin do as a caged rat? Hopefully cooler heads in Russia will put he and his cronies on ice and move Russia towards a better future.
Ukrainian courage reminds us that conquest is fraught with difficulties (Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq) - the invaded will fight tooth and nail for their lands with never-ending resolve. Still - the price in human suffering is immeasurably large. Such is the folly of war...

Edited March 24, 2022 by redsnapper

[OldFartRides]

I’m suspicious of anything the Murdochs have to do with…

https://theconversation.com/is-sky-news-shifting-australian-politics-to-the-right-not-yet-but-there-is-cause-for-alarm-155356

[Paul A]

Richardo, yes.

Noam Chomsky is a prominent critic.

[Paul A]

OFR, yes.

Murdoch is a menace to societies in the US, UK, Australia.

Sky News commentary is akin to Fox News.

It is not objective, not factual, not journalism.  It is extreme right wing propaganda.  

Ratings of it are low, but the newly acquired access to free to air audience is very concerning.

Newscorp is despicable.

The masthead 'News of the World', UK, scandal and closure.

 

James Murdoch walked away because the ethics were so bad.

Very good article, thanks.

Edited March 24, 2022 by Paul A

[Paul A]

🔴 Ukraine War - Large Russian Landing Ship Explodes After Ukrainian Missile Strike In Berdyansk

405K views · 2 hours ago

WarLeaks - Military Blog
2.07M subscribers

 

 

[Wolverine]

 

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3438723-russia-amasses-weapons-equipment-in-belarus-and-crimea-to-conduct-offensive-operations.html

Thursday, 24 March 2022

Russia amasses weapons, equipment in Belarus and Crimea to conduct offensive operations

Russia is delivering weapons and equipment to Belarus and Crimea to carry out offensive operations.

"The Russian military leadership, realizing that the available forces and means are not enough to keep the temporarily occupied territories and carry out hostilities, redeploys military equipment and weapons from other Russian military districts to Belarus and the temporarily occupied Crimea. The goal is to try to get ready for and carry out an offensive to encircle Kyiv," Oleksandr Motuzianyk, Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said at a briefing.

According to him, in the Volyn, Polissya, and Siversky directions, the enemy had to abandon offensive actions, trying by all means to hold the previously occupied frontiers.

 

[Paul A]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/sweden-provide-ukraine-with-5000-more-anti-tank-weapons-tt-news-agency-2022-03-23/

March 24, 2022

Sweden to provide Ukraine with 5,000 more anti-tank weapons - TT news agency

STOCKHOLM, March 23 (Reuters) - Sweden will provide Ukraine with an additional 5,000 anti-tank weapons, TT news agency quoted the Swedish Defence Minister saying on Wednesday.

Sweden has already sent 5,000 anti-tank weapons, along with other military materiel to Ukraine.

 

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3438964-us-nato-ready-to-respond-in-kind-if-russia-uses-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine.html

24.03.2022

U.S., NATO ready to respond “in kind” if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine

The United States and NATO would respond proportionally to the possible use by Russia of chemical arms and other weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine.

That’s according to U.S. President Joe Biden, who spoke at a press conference in Brussels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

NATO would respond “in kind” if Russia uses weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine, including chemical arms.

 

“We will respond if he uses it,” Biden said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The nature of the response depends on the nature of the use.”

As Ukrinform reported earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that the Alliance would strengthen its chemical, biological, and nuclear defenses in the wake of threats of Russia using such types of weapons against Ukraine.

Edited March 24, 2022 by Paul A

[Paul A]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/03/23/ukrainians-capture-russian-warfare-equipment-used-intercept/

23 March 2022

Russian military secrets could be laid bare after Ukraine captures electronic warfare systems

The Krasukha-4 unit, which was recovered from the battlefield near Kyiv, will be flown to the US for examination.

 

 

[Paul A]

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/03/24/ukraine-captures-top-russian-electronic-warfare-officer/

Mar 24, 2022

Ukraine captures top Russian electronic warfare officer

Lieutenant colonel likely to yield vital intelligence on Russian soldiers' ability to jam and intercept signals.

Ukrainian forces have taken prisoner a Russian lieutenant colonel specialised in electronic warfare, western officials have said.

The captured officer is possibly the most senior Russian figure to be held as a prisoner of war, and is likely to yield vital intelligence on the military's electronic jamming and signals interception capabilities.

 

Electronic warfare was meant to be an important asset in Russia’s initial offensive, allowing it to track Ukrainian unit movements, locate and jam drones, and eavesdrop on top-level conversations.

However, it has so far proved to be less than effective and its abilities will decline with the high-profile capture.

_______________________________________________________

 

Meanwhile, the six Russian generals who have been killed during the campaign, including an army chief, have all now been replaced, a security source confirmed.

Reinforcements coming in to replace the estimated 10,000 Russian dead and 20,000 wounded are reportedly experiencing low morale after hearing accounts from those fighting in the first wave, it has been disclosed.

Suffering very high casualties, the Russians have been mobilising troops from across the country to reconstitute its forces “because they've had such significant losses so far,” the official said.

 

“Those units that come forward are likely to be more poorly equipped than the professional units that came in the first instance," the official said. "Their morale is likely to be more fragile when they come forward, having heard about what's happened to the first-line forces and that have come through."

 

It appears that there is less optimism on how long the Ukrainian defenders of the strategic southern city of Mariupol can hold out. The Russians have been using “dumb munitions” — heavy bombs that are causing heavy civilian casualties.

But Ukrainian forces were getting much-needed weapons and supplies of ammunition, taking them from dead or captured Russian troops, the official said.

 

The official was asked if the very high casualty figure — almost equal to that suffered by Soviet troops in Afghanistan during more than a decade of fighting — was having an impact on Russia's leadership.

“Putin himself probably has a pretty high tolerance for casualty rates and therefore the willingness at the most senior political level to pour more resources in is really significant,” he said.

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3439675-ukraine-army-ready-for-potential-attack-by-belarusian-troops.html

Ukraine Army ready for potential attack by Belarusian troops

Friday, 25 March 2022

Oleksandr Hruzevych, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command, said this at a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center, Ukrinform reports.

"There is a threat from Belarus, but respective measures have been taken and we are ready even if that happens. Relevant groups have already been identified, and we are ready for the worst-case scenario. The enemy has recently been launching tactical missiles and setting up logistics from Belarus," Hruzevych said.

In his opinion, the enemy will not be able to block the supply of aid from the West.

"They don't have enough forces. Today it is problematic. They can only use missiles. Measures have been taken to prevent this from happening, or, as a last resort, minimizing their actions," he added.

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/25/russia-ukraine-war-news-biden-live-updates/#link-5KM2VKL3OVFOJDFCIDT4HOD6HQ

By Liz Sly12:56 p.m

Russian troops reportedly attack commanding officer after heavy losses

Russian soldiers have attacked and injured their commanding officer after their brigade suffered heavy losses in the fighting outside the capital, Kyiv, according to a Western official and a Ukrainian journalist.

 

Troops with the 37th Motor Rifle Brigade ran a tank into Col. Yuri Medvedev, injuring both his legs, after their unit lost almost half its men, according to a Facebook post by Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk. The post said the colonel had been hospitalized.

A senior Western official said he believed Medvedev had been killed, “as a consequence of the scale of the losses taken by his own brigade.”

The incident offers an insight into the plummeting morale of Russian soldiers as they face continued fierce opposition from Ukrainian forces, said the official, who briefed journalists on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive subjects.

 

Earlier this week, a senior NATO official said that as many as 40,000 troops of the original Russian force of an estimated 190,000 may have been killed, wounded or captured or are missing. The enormous losses “raise questions about Russia’s ability to sustain the fight,” the Western official said.

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/25/russia-ukraine-war-news-biden-live-updates/#link-5KM2VKL3OVFOJDFCIDT4HOD6HQ

By Paulina Firozi10:57 a.m

Poll finds 67% of Americans support accepting Ukrainian refugees

As the White House announces plans for the United States to welcome tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion, a recent AP-NORC poll shows that a majority of Americans favor accepting refugees from Ukraine into the country.

The poll, published Wednesday, found that 67 percent approve of accepting refugees, compared with 13 percent who oppose it and 21 percent who express no preference.

It also found that 82 percent favor providing humanitarian support to refugees from Ukraine, with 5 percent opposed.

 

The United States is working out details of how refugees from Ukraine will be admitted, and one senior administration official said the number of admissible refugees may change.

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/25/russia-ukraine-war-news-biden-live-updates/#link-5KM2VKL3OVFOJDFCIDT4HOD6HQ

By John Wagner10:45 a.m.

 

Sullivan says White House has seen no movement by China to help arm Russia

 

In the week since President Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping not to provide military aid to Russia, the United States has seen no movement in that direction, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters Friday.

“We have not seen the Chinese move forward with the provision of military equipment to Russia, but it’s something we continue to watch every day,” Sullivan told reporters traveling with Biden on Air Force One to Poland.

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/25/russia-ukraine-war-news-biden-live-updates/

Updated today at 1:43 p.m. EDT

Biden arrives in Poland; Russia might be changing course of its invasion

RZESZOW, Poland — President Biden landed in Poland Friday, where he met with U.S. service members and received briefings about the millions of refugees who have fled Ukraine as Russia shows signs of changing course in its invasion, favoring shoring up its holdings in the eastern territories over trying to seize the capital with ground forces.

 

Russian defense ministry official Sergey Rudskoy claimed Friday that “the main goal” of the Russian operation is “the liberation of Donbas” — referring to an area of eastern Ukraine that has been partially controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces since 2014.

The Pentagon also believes that Russian forces “are putting their priorities in the east of Ukraine,” according to a senior defense official, who added:

“It looks like they have stopped really any interest in terms of ground movement toward Kyiv — but obviously air attacks, bombardment and long-range strikes continue to occur.”

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/24/ukraine-war-drones/

March 24, 2022

At Polish site, Ukrainians train to fly drones for rescue missions and targeting Russians

An American manufacturer is providing the aircraft and teaching the Ukrainians how to operate them.

KUJAWY-POMERANIA PROVINCE, Poland — Olexi Kroshchenko, a clean-cut Ukrainian helicopter pilot, stood elbow-to-elbow with Chase Bailey, a bearded Las Vegas hipster, and learned how to fly drones in war zones.

 

Within days, Kroshchenko hoped, some of the 10 specialized quadcopters donated by an American manufacturer would be angling into the treacherous gaps of bombed-out apartments and high-rises, giving Ukrainian rescuers a better chance to reach victims.

“A little more throttle,” said Bailey, gently touching the joystick controller. “Watch the screen, not the drone.”

“Da, yes,” said Kroshchenko, 25, as he mastered the subtle pitch and yaw of a device designed — with laser guidance, night-vision and a concrete-penetrating signal — to operate in the kind of grisly rubble being created daily by Russian missiles and shells.

 

 

Nearby, two others — Ukrainian military officers who had traveled secretly into Poland — were practicing another wartime application: using the drones to soar above ridgelines and buildings to peer down at enemy forces and feed targeting locations to artillery units and reconnaissance information to commanders.

 

Yurii Shevchenko, a pilot with the Ukrainian Emergency Service, examines a Lemur drone at a training workshop organized by Brinc, a Seattle-based drone maker. (Karolina Jonderko for The Washington Post)

[Paul A]

American volunteer fighting in Ukraine describes destruction of Russian

97,523 views

Mar 25, 2022

The Telegraph

2.74M subscribers

 

US army veteran James Vasquez, 47, has joined Ukraines military as a foreign volunteer.

He left Connecticut earlier this month and has been fighting on the front lines alongside Ukrainians as part of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Since joining the Ukrainian military, Vasquez has uploaded nerve-wracking video footage to Twitter with updates about his unit’s wins over the Russians.

 

As he narrates what has been happening that day, he pans the camera to show how many Russian tanks have been destroyed.

According to Twitter, Vasquez arrived in Poland on the 15th March and quickly crossed into Ukraine.

Within three days he was on the front lines in Lviv. Since then, Vasquez has posted videos and tweets of his account of the battle.

 

On Thursday he tweeted: “Just went through six straight hours of combat. I have crazy video I’ll post later. 2 men were shot but will be ok. One fatality.”

Vasquez left his job as a home renovation contractor and his family back in Connecticut.

 

Since Ukraine's President Zelesky urged for international help to fight Russian forces, people from all across the world have volunteered to help Ukraines army and to join the international legion, with the aim to repel Russian advances.

 

[supercurio]

No change, no trend one way or another can be observed in the Russian regular citizen's outlook on their country's invasion of Ukraine compared to weeks ago after sanctions were adopted.

At least from those who are willing to speak to a camera.

 

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3439582-ukrainian-troops-killed-commander-of-russias-49th-combined-arms-army-arestovych.html

25.03.2022

Ukrainian troops have killed Lieutenant General Yakov Rezantsev, commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Southern Military District.

Oleksiy Arestovych, a freelance adviser to the head of the President's Office, said this at a briefing on Friday, March 25, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Over the past day, our troops -- as we previously reported and we can now say for sure -- killed the commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District of Russia, Lieutenant General Yakov Vladimirovich Rezantsev," he said.

According to Arestovych, the enemy general was liquidated at the airfield in Chornobaivka, the Kherson region.

[Paul A]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60807538

Russian general Yakov Rezantsev killed in Ukraine

By Ben Tobias
BBC News

Published

3 hours ago

Ukraine's defence ministry says another Russian general, Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev, was killed in a strike near the southern city of Kherson.

Rezantsev was the commander of Russia's 49th combined army.

A western official said he was the seventh general to die in Ukraine, and the second lieutenant general - the highest rank officer reportedly killed.

It is thought that low morale among Russian troops has forced senior officers closer to the front line.

 

It is unusual for such senior Russian officers to be so close to the battlefield, and western officials believe that they have been forced to move towards the front lines to deal with low morale among Russian troops.

The unexpectedly strong Ukrainian resistance, poor Russian equipment and a high death toll amongst Russian troops are all thought to be contributing to the low morale.

 

Russian forces are believed to be relying in part on open communication systems, for example mobile phones and analogue radios, which are easy to intercept and could give away the locations of high-ranking officers.

A person inside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle told the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine had a military intelligence team dedicated to targeting Russia's officer class.

[Paul A]

Russian Ministry of Defence have claimed it has launched missiles on Ukraine from the Black Sea

8K views · 17 minutes ago

The Sun
2.57M subscribers

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation have claimed it has launched missile attacks on a Ukrainian military infrastructure from the Black Sea. They have said that the target was in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr which stands around 96 miles from the capital city of Kyiv.

 

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3440344-russian-forces-lost-about-16400-personnel-575-tanks.html

26.03.2022

From February 24 to March 26, the Russian troops lost about 16,400 personnel.

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine wrote this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

The enemy also lost 575 tanks, 1,640 armored personnel carriers, 293 artillery systems, 91 MLRS, 51 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 117 aircraft, 127 helicopters, 1,131 vehicles, 7 ships/boats, 73 fuel tanks, 56 UAVs of operational and tactical level, 19 special equipment units, and 2 mobile SRBM systems.

The ministry notes that data is being updated. The calculation is complicated by the high intensity of hostilities.

 

[Paul A]

https://theprint.in/world/ukraine-has-another-battle-on-its-hands-what-to-do-with-rotting-bodies-of-russian-soldiers/886279/

24 March, 2022

 

Ukraine has another battle on its hands: what to do with rotting bodies of Russian soldiers

While Russia refuses to claim its own, Ukraine readies websites, railway carriages, facial recognition software to help identify the dead.

 

With temperatures going up, Ukraine’s landscape has begun to smell from the rotting bodies of dead Russian soldiers.

 

Vitaly Kim, the governor of the Mykolaiv region in the south – one of the first to be attacked by Russian forces – has requested locals to put the bodies in bags and refrigerate them. “We are not beasts are we,” he appealed to citizens who have lost many of their own, CNN reported.

 

Russia has not yet given out the exact number of soldiers killed in Ukraine. The official figures so far have remained a little above 500. The Ukraine military has claimed the number could be above 15,000.

 

The Ukraine government has also said the Russian army was carrying mobile crematoriums to burn their dead.

 

Ukrainian railways, meanwhile, has provided refrigerated cars to the army to transport the dead to Russia. But Russia is yet to send a request for the repatriation of bodies. 

 

“For the sake of ‘victorious’ propaganda, they will deprive mothers of even the opportunity to bury the bodies,” the railways chief shared in a post.

 

Ukraine continues in its effort to help Russian families identify the dead. The Internal Affairs Ministry has set up a website that “publishes a steady stream of photos of dead soldiers and captured young men, sometimes alongside their identity cards,” CNN reported.

 

Ukraine is also using facial recognition software to identify the bodies. The technology from a New York-based facial recognition provider finds images on the web that match faces from uploaded photos, according to Reuters.

 

They are trying to trace social media accounts of dead Russian soldiers and “messaging relatives to make arrangements to collect the body”.