Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #4

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/06/russia-ukraine-war-biden-and-zelenskiy-discuss-more-support-for-ukraine-as-visa-mastercard-pull-out-of-russia-live']Russia-Ukraine war: Mariupol evacuation halted for second day; Vinnytsia regional airport completely destroyed – live | World news | The Guardian[/URL]
44m ago 12:19

Staff at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant under Russian orders, IAEA says
Staff at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continue to operate it, but management is now under the orders of the commander of the Russian forces that seized it last week, the UN nuclear watchdog said.

[...]

35m ago 12:29

A German-flagged ship carrying Russian oil which had been moored in the UK has moved on after workers made it clear they would not unload the cargo.

Unions have urged the government to close what they believe is a loophole following a ban on Russian vessels docking in the UK, saying cargo is not covered.

The German-flagged Seacod was moored near the Stanlow Oil Refinery in the North West but moved away on Sunday, heading north. Unite said because the vessel is German flagged it doesn’t fall under the UK’s ban on Russian shipping.

[...]

19m ago 12:46

Ukraine is not willing to compromise on its territorial integrity in talks with Russia but is open to discussing “non- NATO models” for its future, one of its negotiators told Fox News.

Ukraine has pursued membership of the European Union and NATO, both opposed by Moscow. Vladimir Putin has cited Ukraine’s potential membership of NATO as evidence of what he portrays as NATO aggression toward Russia.

“The response that we are getting from the NATO countries is that they are not ready to even discuss having us in NATO, not for the next period of five or 10 years,” negotiator David Arakhamia said in remarks published by Fox News late on Saturday.

“We are ready to discuss some non-NATO models. For example, there could be direct guarantees by different countries like the US, China, UK, maybe Germany and France. We are open to discussing such things in a broader circle, not only in bilateral discussions with Russia but also with other partners.”

[...]

9m ago 12:58

The Bolshoi Theatre’s music director and principal conductor Tugan Sokhiev has announced his resignation, saying he felt under pressure due to calls to take a position on the Ukraine conflict.

The Russian said in a statement he was resigning “with immediate effect” from his post at the Moscow theatre, as well as his equivalent position at France’s Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

[...]

 

[Sundog]

Russia-Ukraine war: Mariupol evacuation halted for second day; Vinnytsia regional airport completely destroyed – live | World news | The Guardian
44m ago 12:19

Staff at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant under Russian orders, IAEA says
Staff at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continue to operate it, but management is now under the orders of the commander of the Russian forces that seized it last week, the UN nuclear watchdog said.

[...]

35m ago 12:29

A German-flagged ship carrying Russian oil which had been moored in the UK has moved on after workers made it clear they would not unload the cargo.

Unions have urged the government to close what they believe is a loophole following a ban on Russian vessels docking in the UK, saying cargo is not covered.

The German-flagged Seacod was moored near the Stanlow Oil Refinery in the North West but moved away on Sunday, heading north. Unite said because the vessel is German flagged it doesn’t fall under the UK’s ban on Russian shipping.

[...]

19m ago 12:46

Ukraine is not willing to compromise on its territorial integrity in talks with Russia but is open to discussing “non- NATO models” for its future, one of its negotiators told Fox News.

Ukraine has pursued membership of the European Union and NATO, both opposed by Moscow. Vladimir Putin has cited Ukraine’s potential membership of NATO as evidence of what he portrays as NATO aggression toward Russia.

“The response that we are getting from the NATO countries is that they are not ready to even discuss having us in NATO, not for the next period of five or 10 years,” negotiator David Arakhamia said in remarks published by Fox News late on Saturday.

“We are ready to discuss some non-NATO models. For example, there could be direct guarantees by different countries like the US, China, UK, maybe Germany and France. We are open to discussing such things in a broader circle, not only in bilateral discussions with Russia but also with other partners.”

[...]

9m ago 12:58

The Bolshoi Theatre’s music director and principal conductor Tugan Sokhiev has announced his resignation, saying he felt under pressure due to calls to take a position on the Ukraine conflict.

The Russian said in a statement he was resigning “with immediate effect” from his post at the Moscow theatre, as well as his equivalent position at France’s Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

[...]

From article quoted above. If this is accurate, then there could be openings in negotiations.

Ukraine is not willing to compromise on its territorial integrity in talks with Russia but is open to discussing “non- NATO models” for its future, one of its negotiators told Fox News.

Ukraine has pursued membership of the European Union and NATO, both opposed by Moscow. Vladimir Putin has cited Ukraine’s potential membership of NATO as evidence of what he portrays as NATO aggression toward Russia.

“The response that we are getting from the NATO countries is that they are not ready to even discuss having us in NATO, not for the next period of five or 10 years,” negotiator David Arakhamia said in remarks published by Fox News late on Saturday.

“We are ready to discuss some non-NATO models. For example, there could be direct guarantees by different countries like the US, China, UK, maybe Germany and France. We are open to discussing such things in a broader circle, not only in bilateral discussions with Russia but also with other partners.”

edited to add title of clip

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 6, 2022
UN Nuclear Watchdog Alarmed By Developments At Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Seized By Russian Forces (rferl.org)
[...]

The IAEA said in a statement that its director-general, Rafael Grossi, is “extremely concerned” about the latest developments.

According to IAEA safety guidelines, the operating staff “must be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure.”

Grossi said the situation that Ukraine has reported at Zaporizhzhya “contravenes” this guideline, which is one of what the IAEA calls the “seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security.”

The IAEA also said Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has told the Vienna-based nuclear watchdog that it is having problems communicating with staff operating Zaporizhzhya, contravening another of the pillars.

Russian forces at the plant have switched off some mobile networks and the Internet "so that reliable information from the site cannot be obtained through the normal channels of communication," the IAEA statement said. Mobile phone communication was still possible, but with poor quality, it added.

“I’m extremely concerned about these developments that were reported to me today," Grossi said.

[...]

 

[Tiff23fr]

@cujenn81 - You can add AMEX to your well done list.

American Express suspends operations in Russia and Belarus

American Express suspends operations in Russia and Belarus

 

[Sundog]

I was afraid of this.

Russia: any country offering airfields to Ukraine will enter conflict

A Russian defense ministry spokesman said Sunday that any country that offers its airfields to Ukraine for attacks on Russia may consider itself as having “involved” in the war.


“We would like to point out that the use of the network of airfields of those countries for the stationing of Ukrainian combat aviation for the further use against the Russian Armed Forces could be viewed as the involvement of those countries in the armed conflict,” spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Interfax news agency.


The warning follows Ukraine’s efforts to obtain MiG fighters from neighboring countries, including NATO allies such as Poland.


Ukraine officials report attack on airport, humanitarian corridor fails again: LIVE UPDATES

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

The sooner one of Putin’s daughters kills him, the better.

 

[sds71]

Moscow’s mouthpieces claim they’re being tormented with a flood of texts and calls about the war, including photos allegedly showing the bodies of dead Russian soldiers.

Putin’s Henchmen Rage About Getting Trolled With ‘Endless Photos’ of Dead Russian Troops

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 6, 2022
Mariupol: Fires, no water, and bodies in the street - BBC News
[...]

The city is now in its fifth day with no running water, no power, no sanitation, and food and water are fast running out.

Maxim, a 27-year-old IT developer who is caring for his grandparents in their sixth-floor apartment, spoke to the BBC on Saturday night to describe a day that began with hope and ended in despair.

We tried to escape today, during the planned time of no shooting. We heard we could get out.

As fast as I could, I packed four bags for me and my grandparents with warm clothes and food, and all of our remaining water, and I packed them into my car.

My grandparents are in their eighties, they cannot help. I carried everything down six flights of stairs to my car. There is no lift now.

Right when I was ready to drive, the shelling started again. I heard explosions near to us. I carried everything back upstairs as fast as I could to the apartment. From there, I could see smoke rising from the city and smoke rising from the highway to Zaporizhzhia where people were supposed to escape.

So I am still in my grandparents' apartment and the shelling and bombing has continued all day. But now instead of three of us here, there are nearly 20.

Many people came into the city centre because they heard there was a ceasefire and buses to take them out, and to flee the shelling there. Then they could not get back to their shelters when it started again.

So we have taken many people into the apartment. They are from the left side of the city, they say it is destroyed. All the houses are burning and no one can put out the fires. There are many dead bodies lying in the streets and no one can carry them.

[...]

We have run out of bottled water. We are down to the water that I filled in the bath before the taps went off. The gas is the only thing still working - we can use it to boil the bath water to drink.

[...]

 

[JerseyGirl]

Pressed on Putin, Russian Conductor Quits Bolshoi and French Post

A prominent Russian conductor said on Sunday that he would resign from his positions with two orchestras — at the storied Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and in Toulouse, France — after facing intense pressure to condemn President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The conductor, Tugan Sokhiev, had faced demands from French officials that he clarify his position on the war before his next appearance with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse later this month. In his statement on Sunday, in which he said he would “always be against any conflicts,” Mr. Sokhiev said he felt he was being forced to pick between the two ensembles.

 

[Herat]

Interesting:

The SuperMegaDrone the Global Hawk is up over the Black Sea in a E-W surveillance loop. Looking in on Odessa and that Ukrainian coastline.

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

Global Hawk

 

[PommyMommy]

Olivier Knox on Twitter - Washington Post reporter
"provoked them." We forced Russia to screw with Ukraine's elections and poison its leading politician in 2004 by offering them a path to NATO membership in 2008? This is some pretty amazing stuff here.

Rustem Umerov on Twitter - Member of the Ukrainian Parliament
️140,000 Ukrainians returned to the country since the beginning of the war. Ukraine is as strong and united as ever.

Emily Clark on Twitter - Currently in Ukraine. Journalist for @abcnews
Actions in case of air alarm here in #Ukraine

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 43 minutes ago
️8 civilians killed during evacuation from Irpin near Kyiv.
Approximately eight people, including two children, were killed when Russian troops opened fire at civilians who were trying to evacuate from Irpin by buses, according to Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushin.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 38 minutes ago
Balenciaga dedicates its show to Ukraine. Ahead of the Paris fashion show, the brand put T-shirts in Ukrainian national colors, blue and yellow, on attendees' seats. The show opened with a Ukrainian poem. Photo: Demna Gvasalia/Instagram

 

[JerseyGirl]

Live updates: Russia interfering at nuclear plant, IAEA says

The International Atomic Energy Agency has said Russian forces are tightening their grip on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, Ukraine’s largest, that they seized last week.

The director general of the agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said Sunday Ukrainian staff members are now required to seek approval for any operation, even maintenance, from the Russians, and that they have impeded normal communications by switching off some mobile networks and internet at the site.

Ukraine’s regulatory authority said that phone lines, as well as e-mails and fax, are no longer working. Grossi said he is “extremely concerned about these developments,” adding that for the plant to operate safely, “staff must be allowed to carry out their vital duties in stable conditions, without undue external interference or pressure.”

 

[sunshineray]

Pressed on Putin, Russian Conductor Quits Bolshoi and French Post

A prominent Russian conductor said on Sunday that he would resign from his positions with two orchestras — at the storied Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and in Toulouse, France — after facing intense pressure to condemn President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The conductor, Tugan Sokhiev, had faced demands from French officials that he clarify his position on the war before his next appearance with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse later this month. In his statement on Sunday, in which he said he would “always be against any conflicts,” Mr. Sokhiev said he felt he was being forced to pick between the two ensembles.

Oh too bad, someone wanted him to choose a side, good or evil?

 

[Bit of hope]

Moscow’s mouthpieces claim they’re being tormented with a flood of texts and calls about the war, including photos allegedly showing the bodies of dead Russian soldiers.

Putin’s Henchmen Rage About Getting Trolled With ‘Endless Photos’ of Dead Russian Troops

They need even more I think, drive them over the edge. Ignorant and very annoying reaction.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has told CNN that “all western companies must withdraw from Russia” on humanitarian grounds.

Kuleba also reserved criticism for Coca-Cola and McDonalds as two multinational companies that continue to do business in Russia.

“We were upset to hear companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald's remain in Russia and continue providing their products,” he said.

Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine

 

[sunshineray]

They need even more I think, drive them over the edge. Ignorant and very annoying reaction.

I so agree. These Russian mouthpieces (can't even call them news people or God forbid journalists) know what they're passing on to the populus are lies but yet they fly into a rage at the truth being shown over and over again to them? Bravo, Brava Anonymous!

 

[sunshineray]

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has told CNN that “all western companies must withdraw from Russia” on humanitarian grounds.

Kuleba also reserved criticism for Coca-Cola and McDonalds as two multinational companies that continue to do business in Russia.

“We were upset to hear companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald's remain in Russia and continue providing their products,” he said.

Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine

I thought MickyD's had closed up shop there already? They deserve an email too then.

 

[Bit of hope]

Oh too bad, someone wanted him to choose a side, good or evil?

Here is another one......

Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest breekt met Russische dirigent Gergiev | NU - Het laatste nieuws het eerst op NU.nl

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is no longer working with the Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. The conductor, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not openly opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That is why the orchestra decided on Tuesday to end the collaboration.

That also means that the Gergiev Festival will not take place in September. More than twenty years ago, Gergiev became a permanent guest conductor of the Dutch orchestra and since then the festival, which was founded by the conductor himself, has been held annually.

"Last night there was contact with Gergiev and in this conversation the gap turned out to be unbridgeable," said a spokesperson for the orchestra.

The organizations already announced on Friday that they had taken note of the Russian invasion of Ukraine "with dismay" and that they expected a clear signal from Gergiev against it. If the 68-year-old conductor did not distance himself in the short term, he would no longer take the stage in Rotterdam, so it sounded.

Bye, bye.

 

[JerseyGirl]

US and Europe weigh plans for Ukrainian government in exile