Any Ukrainian riders?

[redsnapper]

30 minutes ago, level9 said:

They refuse to listen and are consciously aware of their refusals. So.. Putin is currently operating with the consent of the governed as best I can tell. The sanctions will take a while for full effect. Nonetheless, whenever dealing with a narcissistic/sociopathic/psychopathic leadership and/or society (or even individual), you still cut them off. Refuse to do business and otherwise attempt to isolate them. In essence, the ultimate punishment for these kinds of people is... irrelevancy. We've been down this road before. It worked the last time. It took a generation but they came apart eventually.

Under totalitarian regimes, the notion of consent of the governed seems tenuous - since any form of dissent leads to crushing consequences (death, prison, etc). Taken to its extremes you end up with the dystopian vision of Orwell's 1984 where even private thoughts of dissent are difficult to conjure (war is peace, freedom is slavery,etc.). I imagine this is true to some level in Russia, NKorea, China, Saudi Arabia, etc. places where propaganda and force are used to extremes. Russian people suffered extremely from the time of the Russian revolution to the fall of the USSR - this is many generations (1917 to 1991) and it did not go much better for them after (since this is when Putin took over). And it is the Russian people who will suffer the most under the regime of sanctions now being applied - it is easy to think that they should just revolt and get rid of Putin but that is difficult under his reign of terror (with a high likelihood of death or imprisonment for revolutionaries). This explains why countries with tyrannical despots don't often get rid of them. Here is the ethical dilemma - should 300M Russians be made to suffer (even more) for the narcissism of Putin and his cronies? I figure the west has decided yes since the alternative (some form of golden bridge) appears not to be on offer. On the big chessboard of the world, it has been decided that Putin cannot be allowed to save face (no matter how many Russians and Ukrainians will get ground up in the process). And maybe that is the right call since it sends a strong message to other tyrants and it affirms UKR right to self-determination (if the path they were heading towards was truly self-determined). But the cynical side of me -looks back at how power (even wielded by the "good guys") often leads to immeasurable human suffering  - see the history of regime changing initiatives https://scheerpost.com/2022/04/03/matt-taibbi-regime-change-doesnt-work-you-morons/ 

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/01/truth-social-trump-network-propaganda/

April 1, 2022 

Opinion: I tried Trump’s Truth Social so you don’t have to.

 

As a result, I have come to be in possession of the following new pieces of information about the war in Ukraine:

 

Hunter Biden is involved in building and running biolabs in the country.

The CIA and National Institutes of Health are both “deeply involved” in the Ukrainian biolabs.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was set in motion by a CIA false-flag operation that was funded by George Soros.

The covid-19 pathogen originated not in China but in Shpyl’chyna, a village in Ukraine.

The bioweapons developed in Ukraine specifically target the “Abrahamic Bloodline.”

Neo-Nazis from Ukraine joined with the FBI to infiltrate the Capitol on Jan. 6 and participated in the insurrection.

Ukraine was planning to use drones to attack Russia with pathogens from the U.S.-funded bioweapons labs.

President Biden has been using Ukraine to launder money.

Ukrainian neo-Nazis controlled the Ukrainian city of Mariupol before Russians invaded.

Russia’s alleged war crimes were staged.

 

I also found many posts calling President Biden a pedophile (or a “groomer” in the new parlance of QAnon). I found badly photoshopped images of Vice President Harris in sexualized situations. I found ceaseless attacks on trans people, an edited video of a cat attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, attacks on Disney for opposing Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, references to satanic sacrifice by the “deep state,” a few racist epithets and endless accusations about Hunter Biden’s laptop and drug abuse.

[Paul A]

Trump Truth Social might be following the strategy of Nigerian email scams.

Nigerian email scams are intentionally, extremely ludicrous. 

The purpose of which is to be efficient in filtering out people who would not be fooled in the second stage, which is to have people send money via Western Union, transfer money etc.

It is very unsophisticated.

Low cost mass emails to (hundreds of thousands?)

Do not want to have respondents intelligent enough to not be fooled at the second stage.  It costs the scammers wasted time and effort when they begin to interact with respondents.

[UniMe]

5 hours ago, Wolverine said:

Exiled Russian oligarch says 'the next steps' of Putin's war may be invasion of the Baltic countries:

https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-oligarch-says-next-steps-putin-invasion-of-baltic-countries-2022-4?r=US&IR=T

Well, if Russia wants to learn what a full NATO response looks like... complete with air dominance supported by a dozen countries...

It's not like NATO isn't tracking military movements minute by minute in Russia, or that they haven't already predicted this by building up reactionary forces in the region.

[Paul A]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/world/europe/bucha-ukraine-bodies.html

By Malachy Browne, David Botti and Haley Willis

April 4, 2022

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

New York: An analysis of satellite images rebuts claims by Russia that the killing of civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, occurred after its soldiers had left the town.

When images emerged over the weekend of the bodies of dead civilians lying on the streets of Bucha – some with their hands bound, some with gunshot wounds to the head – Russia’s Ministry of Defence denied responsibility. In a Telegram post on Sunday, the ministry suggested that the bodies had been recently placed on the streets after “all Russian units withdrew completely from Bucha” around Wednesday.

 

Russia claimed that the images were “another hoax” and called for an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on what it called “provocations of Ukrainian radicals” in Bucha.

But a review of videos and satellite imagery by The New York Times shows that many of the civilians were killed more than three weeks ago, when Russia’s military was in control of the town.

One video filmed by a local council member on Saturday shows multiple bodies scattered along Yablonska Street in Bucha. Satellite images provided to the Times by Maxar Technologies show that at least 11 of those had been on the street since March 11, when Russia, by its own account, occupied the town.

 

Some have their hands bound behind their backs with white cloth. The victims were scattered over more than half a kilometre of Yablonska Street.

The Associated Press published images of at least six dead men lying together in the rear of an office building, some with hands tied behind their backs. The building is just over a kilometre west of the other victims found along Yablonska Street.

Less than two kilometres farther along, a photographer with the Times discovered the body of a man with a gunshot wound to his head lying beside a bicycle.

 

 

Satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies show Yablonska Street in Bucha, Ukraine, strewn with bodies on March 19, 2022.Credit:Maxar Technologies via The New York Times

[Paul A]

Yes, difficult to hide build up of forces on borders from satellites.

[level9]

Yeah those satellites will get you every time!  But it's not even just that. If the reports are to be believed and from at least the pictures and video evidence I've seen - ~30% of Russians munitions they've used have failed to explode. Yeah.. they apparently really are this bad at this whole 'war' thing.. and consequently, we know exactly what they were bombing  (as in - civilians, aka war crimes). (Internationally banned) and unexploded clusters mentions are everywhere. Unexploded rockets in the street. An ~8 foot tall air dropped unexploded bomb that had crashed through the roof of a house in the middle of a residential neighborhood and videoed lodged into the kitchen sink... my favorite. And what's that? Is that an effectively.. 'made in Russia' printed on the bomb? Oh. and a legible serial number such that it can be exactly traced to where this was made, when and by whom?  They're not just bad at war... they're even bad at being bad. The level of incompetence on display is simply stunning...

Edited April 5, 2022 by level9

[Paul A]

https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/21/bomb-disposal-team-removes-huge-missile-that-got-stuck-in-kitchen-sink-16314286/

Monday 21 Mar, 2022

Bomb disposal team casually removes huge missile which got stuck in kitchen sink

A giant missile crashed through the roof of a house in Ukraine – and somehow only damaged the ceiling and the kitchen sink.

The unexploded Russian rocket landed in a residential area in Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, yesterday.

Video footage shows someone walking into the home to see the huge missile lodged in the kitchen sink – but miraculously very little damage elsewhere, even considering the lack of explosion.

A later clip shows several members of a Ukrainian bomb disposal unit inspecting the device and appearing to give it a shake, perhaps to see if it comes unstuck.

Some TikTok users attempted to find some humour in the surreal situation.

 

 

One person wrote: ‘When you wash the dishes and they give you more.’

Another said: ‘A fighter of Azov was sat under the sink.’

Someone else added: ‘The ceiling is incredibly solid, I don’t want to say anything, but it’s unusual.’

 

Somehow relatively little other damage was done to the home in Kharkiv, Ukraine (Picture: @pd05763 / TikTok)

 

Video footage shows someone walking into the home to see the huge missile lodged in the kitchen sink (Picture: @pd05763 / TikTok)

 

A bomb disposal team arrived later and calmly removed the unexploded rocket (Picture: @pd05763 / TikTok)

 

Another unexploded Russian rocket is seen sticking out of the ground on the northern outskirts of Kharkiv (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

 

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/05/russia-ukraine-war-news-zelensky-live-updates/#link-ITSTRG3LQFGELPQ4VVMK4EAVSA

By Adela Suliman 5:17 a.m.

China’s foreign minister has rare call with Ukrainian counterpart

 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a rare call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on Monday.

It was the first reported high-level conversation between the countries since March 1, according to Reuters, with pressure growing on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to reach out to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

 

“China welcomes peace talks between Russia and Ukraine,” Wang said, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. “China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in its own way.”

 

Since the war began, Beijing has tried to displease neither Russia nor the international coalition opposing President Vladimir Putin — a position that is increasingly untenable.

 

Following a summit between China and the European Union on Friday, pressure is mounting on Xi to denounce the war and use his country’s economic ties with Russia to force a cease-fire.

 

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3449242-two-children-with-signs-of-rape-and-torture-found-dead-in-irpin-denisova.html

05.04.2022

Two children with signs of rape and torture found dead in Irpin – Denisova

 

The mass cases of tortures of civilians have been revealed within the areas liberated from Russian occupiers.

The relevant statement was made by Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

 

“Two children under the age of 10 with signs of rape and torture were found dead in the city of Irpin,” Denisova wrote.

 

In Kyiv Region, the Prolisok children’s camp has been used as a base by the rashist army unit for three weeks.

Five corpses of men with their hands tied behind their backs were found in the basement of the building. They were tortured and then killed in cold blood. One of the victims had his skull crushed with butt blows with special hardness. Others were shot in the back of the head or chest.

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3449457-commanders-order-russian-soldiers-to-shoot-civilians-in-ukraine-intercept.html

05.04.2022

Commanders order Russian soldiers to shoot civilians in Ukraine - intercept

 

The Security Service of Ukraine has intercepted communications of Russian forces testifying to criminal orders being issued by Russian commanders to their soldiers to open fire on civilians in Ukraine.

The SBU press service reported this on Facebook.

 

“F’cking kill them all!" If they’re civilians – f*cking finish them!” that’s a bit of what Russian commanders order their soldiers to do, the SBU stressed.

 

It is noted that Russian terrorists carry out these orders, while Russian politicians and propagandists claim all atrocities have been “staged” by Ukraine to compromise the Russian army.

"That’s no staging. These are crimes for which you will be held accountable!” said the Security Service.

 

At the same time, it is noted that the new communications intercepted by the SBU show that the invaders complain of their hardships when confronted by a motivated Ukrainian Army rather than unarmed civilians.

 

Out of sheer fear, they invent in phone calls unrealistic stories about Ukrainian troops outnumbering them massively – only to somehow explain their own helplessness.

 

“… Their grouping is 150,000-strong …! And if we have 3,000 soldiers that’s considered to be damn good… They are on the left, on the right, f*cking encircling us. What struck me most is that they outnumber us so massively…" one of the Russian soldiers said, speaking over the phone.

 

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on April 5, the SBU said Russia was plotting a large-scale provocation in Mariupol to accuse Ukraine of mass killings of civilians. Scenarios for new fake reports have already been developed, and Russian propagandists are staging the groundwork.

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3446694-in-chilling-call-to-wife-russian-soldier-boasts-of-children-safari-in-mariupol-audio-intercept.html

02.04.2022

In chilling call to wife, Russian soldier boasts of “children safari” in Mariupol - intercept

 

Moral degradation and proof of Russian atrocities in besieged Mariupol – this is what comes from multiple communication intercepts that are being partially made public by the Ukrainian security agency, the SBU.

 

That’s according to the relevant report the agency posted on its official Telegram channel, with a piece of the intercepted call attached, Ukrinform reports.

 

One of the invaders seems to enjoy telling his wife of a so-called “safari,” which is pretty much a brutal hunt for children in Mariupol. The soldier tells of Chechen leader Ramzan  Kadyrov’s men, colloquially referred to as “Kadyrovites,” chasing a little Ukrainian girl, shooting her in the legs – just for fun.

 

He goes on to boast of the “trophies” looted in settlements outside Kyiv, which include cars and hunting rifles.

Another soldier quite routinely tells his father about his experience of eating dog meat.

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/3449991-eu-toughening-sanctions-against-russia-imposing-ban-on-coal-imports.html

Wednesday, 06 April 2022

EU toughening sanctions against Russia, imposing ban on coal imports

European Council President Charles Michel thinks that sanctions against Russian oil and gas will be needed sooner or later.

“We are toughening our sanctions to keep maximum pressure on the Kremlin. The new package includes a ban on coal imports. And I think that measures on oil, and even gas, will also be needed sooner or later,” Michel posted on Twitter.

Earlier, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen outlined the peculiarities of the EC proposals on the fifth round of sanctions against the Russian Federation over its invasion of Ukraine.

According to her, the fifth package of sanctions, which “will cut even deeper in the Russian economy”, has six main pillars, including import ban on coal from Russia, worth EUR 4 billion per year to cut another important revenue source for Russia.

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/06/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/#link-QURVQQBNSBFIZCEIVLXILAP7IA

By Bryan Pietsch 1:13 a.m.

 

U.S. to send Ukraine $100 million worth of antitank Javelins

The Biden administration on Tuesday approved sending additional Javelin antitank missile systems to Ukraine to aid in its defense against Russia.

The $100 million worth of Javelins is the sixth such drawdown of equipment from the Pentagon’s inventories since August, said Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby, adding that the Ukrainians have been using the Javelins “so effectively to defend their country.”

 

At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, lawmakers praised the Ukrainians’ deft use of the Javelins in discussions with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley.

The Javelin is a shoulder-mounted antitank missile system that locks onto a target’s thermal picture. It can strike from the top, making it very potent against tanks.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Manufactured by US weapons manufacturers Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, the Javelin costs $178,000, including the launch system and missile, according to the Pentagon's 2021 budget.

Each replacement missile costs around $78,000.

 

16 Mar 2022

[Paul A]

Intercepted Phone Calls - 2 Russian Soldiers Talk About Looting And Eating Wild Animals

171K views · 4 days ago

Insights from Ukraine and Russia
7.3K subscribers

 

 

[Paul A]

Occupiers are abandoning their own soldiers

341K views · 9 days ago

Служба безпеки України
261K subscribers

 

[Paul A]

SSU interception: occupiers receive orders to shoot civilian

90K views · 10 hours ago

Служба безпеки України
261K subscribers

 

[Paul A]

Russian contractor decides to surrender rather than be killed

177K views · 6 days ago

Служба безпеки України
261K subscribers

 

[Paul A]

The #StopRussianAggression video Ukraine president Zelensky showed the UN Security Council.

Viewer discretion advised.

 

[Paul A]

Drone vid shows devastation in Ukraine's besieged Mariupol

69K views · 2 days ago

The Sun
2.66M subscribers

 

[Paul A]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3450707-about-60-pskov-paratroopers-refused-to-go-to-ukraine-russian-media.html

Thursday, 07 April 2022,

About 60 Pskov paratroopers refused to go to Ukraine - Russian media

About 60 Pskov paratroopers have refused to take part in hostilities in Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, the opposition news site Pskovskaya Guberniya reported this on its Telegram channel, citing its sources.

"About 60 servicemen from Pskov refused to go to war on Ukrainian territory, according to our sources. After the first days of the war, they were first brought to the territory of the Republic of Belarus, and then they returned to their base in Pskov. Most of them are currently being dismissed, but some of them are threatened with criminal cases," the statement reads.

Earlier media reports said there were several cases of representatives of the Russian security forces refusing to fight in Ukraine. In particular, it was claimed that servicemen of the Kuban National Guard and special forces soldiers from Khakassia refused to carry out the orders of their command.

_______________________________________________________

Pskov

Pskov is a city in west Russia, near Estonia.

 

 

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/06/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/#link-QDN7ND44YFARVEALDHIJOBCKPE

By Karoun Demirjian and Dan Lamothe 5:41 p.m.

 

Russia has withdrawn from Kyiv and Chernihiv, Pentagon says

 

Russian forces have withdrawn from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and the city of Chernihiv to its north, the Pentagon said Wednesday, as Moscow concentrates its invading forces in the eastern part of the country.

 

U.S. and European intelligence officials have been tracking for days Russia’s reorientation after encountering fierce resistance — and suffering thousands of casualties — in northern Ukraine. Moscow has greater support in the east, where Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists have been locked in a grinding conflict for many years.

 

But while Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine’s capital region appears to be complete, with many units retreating through Belarus, the Pentagon has yet to see those personnel reenter eastern Ukraine, the senior defense official said Wednesday.

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/07/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/#link-5MR2F6HSSFAFLJYU4EVI2DRCS4

By Andrew Jeong 6:50 a.m.

 

Photos: Thousands stage ‘die-in’ protest outside German legislature

Thousands of people staged a “die-in” demonstration near the Reichstag building in Berlin on Wednesday, protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Some protesters posed as if their hands were bound behind their backs, according to German media, in an apparent reference to how some corpses in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha were found.

Some yelled out for German officials to stop importing Russian gas and oil. Berlin relies on Moscow for about 55 percent of its natural gas and 35 percent of its oil.

[Paul A]

https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/05/ukrainian-parents-writing-contact-details-on-their-children-in-case-theyre-killed-16406672/

Tuesday 5 Apr 2022

 

Ukrainian parents writing contact details on their children in case they’re killed

Ukrainian parents are writing emergency contact details on the bodies of their children to ensure their safety in case they get killed in the war.

Heartbreaking images show mothers and fathers are writing numbers on their kids’ clothes and backs so they can be rescued if they become orphaned during the conflict.

Ukrainian journalist Anastasiia Lapatina shared one such photo on Twitter, adding: ‘Ukrainian mothers are writing their family contacts on the bodies of their children in case they get killed and the child survives. And Europe is still discussing gas.’

The photo showed a little girl called Vira with her date of birth written in pen on her back alongside several numbers.

 

Vira’s mother, Sasha Makoviy, explained on Instagram that she did this ‘in case something happens, someone would welcome her as a survivor’.

 

 

Sasha, from Kyiv, said she signed her daughter’s back on the day that Russia invaded ‘with my hands trembling very much’.

She added: ‘Even a crazy thought flashed through my mind. why didn’t I tattoo her with this information?’

Sasha shared a second photo which showed a card with Vira’s information.

The mother said that although she was currently safe, ‘I still can’t bring myself to put this scrambled paper in the second photo out of my overalls pocket.’

Vira’s mum said she wrote the number on her back with her hands ‘trembling’ (Picture: @alexsandra.mako)

 

She still carries this card around with her (Picture: @alexsandra.mako)

 

Many parents reacted to the photo with similar heartbreaking stories of the steps they had taken to protect their children.

One person said: ‘On the first day of the war I did the same for my 3-year-old son. And although we are now with him in England, the paper is always with him.’

Another said: ‘I also wrote, wrote and cried for my son (2.5 years old).’

Others said they had stitched paper with emergency contact details into their child’s clothes or created bracelets with contact numbers on them.

On Twitter, one Ukrainian father shared an image of his little girl’s t-shirt with numbers on, writing: ‘My 5 years old daughter wearing this t-shirt while Europe thinking about Russian oil, gas and money.’

One dad shared an image of his little girl’s t-shirt with numbers on (Picture: Twitter/@seriousgarry)

 

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said yesterday that the European Union should talk about ending Russian gas imports.  

The country has so far resisted calls to impose an embargo on energy imports from Russia, saying its economy and that of other European countries are too dependent on them.

[Paul A]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/07/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/

U.N. votes to suspend Russia from Human Rights Council

By Karen DeYoung 12:15 p.m.

 

The U.N. General Assembly voted 93 to 24 to suspend Russia from the body’s Human Rights Council amid global outrage over civilian deaths in Ukraine. There were 58 abstentions.

In a statement after the vote, Russia said it had resigned from the council before it was ousted, an assertion challenged by both Britain and France.

Members of the Human Rights Council, whose mandate calls for it to monitor and promote adherence to human rights and humanitarian law, are chosen for three-year terms by regional member groupings and confirmed by the General Assembly.

Russia’s current term would have expired next year.