Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION #2

[PommyMommy]

Ukrainians of occupied towns protest against Russian invasion | Euromaidan Press
Ukraine has been resisting the Russian invasion for almost two weeks. As Russia has been obliterating many Ukrainian cities where it faced military resistance, including Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, the cities it managed to occupy in the first days of war continue peaceful protests against the Russian occupation.

For several days now, starting from 5 March, Ukrainian civilians are taking to the streets of Russian-occupied cities and towns. The unarmed citizens keep protesting under Ukrainian flags to show that the Russian troops aren’t welcome in Ukraine despite at least two cases when Putin’s soldiers opened fire on the protesters, killing one and wounding several more people.

The anti-occupation rallies have been taking place in the oblasts of Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, earlier considered rather pro-Russian by many in Ukraine. Now, with incredible bravery, the unarmed locals show the unity of these regions with the rest of the country.

(Many videos and much more information at the link)

 

[CrimeAway]

Press conference with Anthony Blinken and Liz Truss. Conference starts at around 50:00 on the video, and question of the MiG situation is raised at around 1:00 (tagging @Simply Southern if interested).

An article from The Guardian about 'MiG-gate'

Clash between Poland and US over MiG-29s reveals tensions in escalating war

 

[CrimeAway]

Russia admits using thermobaric weapons in Ukraine according to this headline from The Guardian:

Russia-Ukraine war: Russia admits using thermobaric weapons, UK says; fears Putin could use chemical attack – live

 

[PommyMommy]

"In Marina di Carrara, a small Italian town on the Tuscan coast, one of the world’s biggest, newest and most expensive superyachts — called the Scheherazade — is under scrutiny by the Italian police. Almost as long as a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, it dominates the waterfront.

The yacht, estimated by the website SuperYachtFan to cost about $700 million, has two helicopter decks and is studded with satellite domes. Inside, photos supplied by a former crew member show, is a swimming pool with a retractable cover that converts to a dance floor. Then there’s the fully equipped gym and the gold-plated fixtures in the bathrooms"

The ship’s captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce, a British national, denied that Mr. Putin owned or had ever been on the yacht. “I have never seen him. I have never met him,” he said. He added, in a phone interview from the yacht, that its owner was not on any sanctions list"

A 459-Foot Mystery in a Tuscan Port: Is It a Russian’s Superyacht?

 

[PommyMommy]

Victoria Nuland, the US State Department's undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, said Tuesday she believes the war will end “when Putin realizes that this adventure has put his own leadership standing at risk, with his own military, with his own people, that he is hemorrhaging the lives of the people of Russia, the army of Russia and their future to his own vain ambition.”
War will end when Putin realizes it puts his own leadership at risk, top State Department official says

They are frozen’: Poland praised for generous welcome to 1m Ukrainians | Poland | The Guardian

 

[PommyMommy]

The email also elaborates on the reason for the layoffs: “The implications of these sanctions has ended up with a number of companies that support the crew, unable to continue their normal lines of business.” That means that the crew’s employment “is unable to continue as a result of the sanctions imposed.” While Sarnia can no longer pay the crew directly as a result of the sanctions, the email states that final wages will be paid directly by the owner of Dilbar: “As a result of these sanctions, Sarnia yachts are unable to pay our salaries so we are planning for these final salaries, including any unpaid leave due, to be paid to your accounts from the vessel.”

Instead, a small crew employed by German shipbuilder Lürssen will look after the “safety and security” of the ship. Spokespersons for both Usmanov and Lürssen, which owns the Blohm+Voss shipyards where Dilbar has been stationed since October for a refit, declined to comment. A representative for Sarnia Yachts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Crew Of Russian Billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s Dilbar Yacht Has All Been Fired

 

[PommyMommy]

The Polish authorities officially confirmed their readiness to hand over the MiG-29 aircraft. The planes will not fly to Ukrainian airports. They will be handed over to our NATO allies.

Update: Department of Defense declaration
"(...) the decision to hand over Polish aircraft to Ukraine is ultimately up to the Polish government. (...) The prospect of fighters" at the disposal of the US government "departing from the US / NATO base in Germany into the airspace over Ukraine raises serious concerns about the Alliance ... we do not believe that Poland's proposal is defensible, "Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Twitter.

Polish proposal
The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs has cut short the speculation that has been circulating for many days regarding the transfer of Polish planes to the Ukrainian air force. According to the official announcement, Poland is ready to hand over the planes, not to Ukraine, but to the Americans.

"The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations with the President and the Government of the Republic of Poland, are ready to immediately and free of charge transfer all their MiG-29 planes to the base in Ramstein and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America" - reads a laconic communiqué.

Its further part is a postulate to the United States to provide Poland with "used aircraft with similar operational capabilities" for the transferred MiGs. Importantly, Poland is ready to pay for these planes. The only problem is the position of the US Department of Defense, which briefly summed up the Polish proposal: "We have nothing to offer at the moment."


MiG-i 29 in the Polish aviation
The first MiG-i 29s were delivered to Poland in 1989. A batch of 12 brand new machines went to the 1st Fighter Aviation Regiment "Warszawa" stationed in Mińsk Mazowiecki. We bought the next ten machines from the Czechs and we took over 23 from Germany.

Designed in the USSR in the 1970s, the aircraft was developed as a light, twin-engine frontal fighter. It was supposed to be a relatively cheap and simple supplement to air superiority fighters, i.e. more advanced and more capable Su-27 aircraft.

The fighters in service in Poland have undergone a fairly shallow modernization, the main task of which was to achieve interoperability with other machines belonging to NATO. Due to the lack of major improvements, the Polish MiG-i 29 - unlike, for example, the F-16 - did not become fully multi-purpose machines. Their main purpose is air combat.

The MiG-29 is over 17 meters long, has a wingspan of just over 11 meters, and weighs 18 tons in its ready-to-fly configuration. The aircraft can accelerate to the speed of Mach 2.3 and reach an altitude of 17 km. Version 9.12, operated in Poland, can carry two tons of weapons on six suspension nodes - mainly air-to-air missiles, or unguided bombs and air-to-ground missiles.

The planes serving in Poland are heavily used machines. After a long time of trouble-free service, a series of accidents took place several years ago, after which the planes were temporarily grounded. After the break, they returned to service in November 2020.

MiG-i 29 for Ukraine?
The official statement seems to end long speculations about the possible transfer of Polish planes to Ukraine.

It seems that the countries concerned - as long as they agree on compensation for the MiG-i - have found a way to strengthen the Ukrainian air force without risking that Poland will be accused of involvement in the ongoing war. Handing over the planes to the Americans solves this problem - they will decide what will happen to the MiGs, bearing any international repercussions of the decisions made.

(used GT)
Source:
Polska zgadza się przekazać MiG-i 29. Nie polecą do Ukrainy

 

[PommyMommy]

Kamala Harris' trip to Poland and Romania turns fraught after US rejects Polish plan to get jets to Ukraine - CNNPolitics

Vice President Kamala Harris is jetting to Europe Wednesday for a trip that became more complicated after one of her hosts – Poland – caught the United States by surprise with a proposal to provide its Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine.

What seemed like a straightforward mission turned more fraught when the Polish foreign ministry announced it was prepared to deploy the jets to the US Air Force’s Ramstein Air Base in Germany, which in theory could then be provided to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for more aircraft amid the Russian invasion. But that offer had not been discussed with the US before Poland announced it publicly, and Polish officials did not bring it up with Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he was recently in Poland, either.

It appeared designed to avoid the appearance of Poland directly arming Ukraine in its battle against Russia, but created a conundrum for the United States, which is also intent on avoiding direct conflict with Moscow.

 

[PommyMommy]

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the U.A.E.’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan both declined U.S. requests to speak to Mr. Biden in recent weeks, the officials said, as Saudi and Emirati officials have become more vocal in recent weeks in their criticism of American policy in the Gulf.

WSJ News Exclusive | Saudi, Emirati Leaders Decline Calls With Biden During Ukraine Crisis

 

[PommyMommy]

https://twitter.com/BBCr4today/status/1500779527777230852?t=Gkv8qnSPonLSO_tLU7A5Ng&s=19

"We've been talking to both parties for days on end"

Dominik Stillhart, Director of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross, says it's important to get both parties to agree on precise details for humanitarian corridors out of Ukriane

As it happened: Russian shelling prevents evacuations once again - Ukraine - BBC News https://t.co/3iIrpNOwCN

 

[PommyMommy]

"I’d like to address the mothers, wives, sisters, brides and girlfriends of our soldiers and officers who are in battle now," Putin said Tuesday in a televised address, according to a translation shared by The Telegraph.

"I know how worried you are for your loved ones," he went on. "You can be proud of them just as the whole country is proud and feels for them."

Russia’s defense ministry further revealed Wednesday that some of the conscripts who had been used in war had been captured by Ukrainian forces, according to the Reuters report.

Russia-Ukraine war: Russian Defense Ministry admits use of conscripts in invasion, despite Putin's denials

 

[PommyMommy]

"Who are these ‘experts?’" Koffler continued, specifically naming Evelyn Farkas, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia. "Evelyn Farkas, former top Russia ‘expert’ at the Pentagon? Dumb as a Siberian shoe!"

"Every top Russia ‘expert’ at the Pentagon, the DASD for Russia and Eurasia, for the past several years had NO Russia background or expertise," the author of "Putin's Playbook" added. "Take that in."

The Hill: Foreign policy experts call for 'limited no-fly zone' over Ukraine

Same "experts" who got UKR-RUS into this conflict in the first place, by promoting foolish ideas, not grounded in reality.

Russia expert shreds Biden admin over Ukraine no-fly zone: 'Dumb as a Siberian shoe'

 

[PommyMommy]

Scholz: Sending Polish jets to Ukraine via US base in Germany 'certainly' not an option | DW | 09.03.2022

MiG-29 machines fighter jets for Ukraine? Poland and USA cause confusion
MiG-29-Maschinen - Kampfflugzeuge für die Ukraine? Polen und USA sorgen für Verwirrung

 

[PommyMommy]

March 24, 2005
The last F-16C, the Block 50 CC-231 AF 01-7053, was delivered on March 18, 2005, and assigned to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Air Force receives last F-16 > Air Force > Article Display

January 21, 2021
U.S. Air Force officials are talking about ordering new Lockheed Martin F-16s two decades after signing the last production contract.
U.S. Air Force Talks New F-16 Orders In Latest Acquisition Shake-up | Aviation Week Network

May 28 2021
The U.S. Navy is preparing to receive F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets from the Air Force as it moves to rid its inventory of legacy F/A-18 Hornet models used in its Reserve fleets, according to its fiscal 2022 budget request.
Navy Will Get Air Force F-16 Fighter Jets to Fill Super Hornet Gap

 

[PommyMommy]

Poland has been modernizing its aircraft fleet since 2006, when it first started flying F-16s, and in 2020 signed a $4.6 billion deal for 32 F-35s, the first of which will arrive in 2024, making those older Russian-made planes expendable.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.po...-deal-fighter-jets-ukraine-00014424?_amp=true

Putin Has a Grimly Absolute Vision of the ‘Russian World’

UN denies report that staff were warned not to call Russian attack on Ukraine a 'war' or 'invasion'

 

[PommyMommy]

Ukraine war: Russia 'reopens' evacuation routes out of besieged cities | Daily Mail Online

Putin’s new atrocity: Maternity hospital is bombed, with children buried under rubble in Mariupol, where '3,000 babies are without food or medicine', while Russian troops round up 400 Ukrainian 'hostages' in Kherson

• Children's hospital in Mariupol, southern Ukraine, suffered a 'direct hit' by Russian rockets, Zelensky has said
• Video shows one building completely destroyed and another badly damaged as wounded patients evacuate
• Zelensky said children are trapped under rubble as he accused world leaders of being 'accomplice to terror'
• Hours earlier, foreign minister had warned 3,000 babies in the city were without access to food or medicine
• Ukrainian military says 400 people have also been arrested by Russian forces in the occupied city of Kherson

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia has admitted using conscripts in the war against Ukraine.
However, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow emphasized that this had not been approved by the leadership. According to the Tass agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, the military prosecutor's office would investigate these cases and punish those responsible.

GT from live blog - news ticker :
Liveblog: ++ Moskau gibt Einsatz von Rekruten zu ++

He continued, "Accordingly, staff are asked to frame any communications on Ukraine as well as other political matters in a manner that is consistent with the position of the Organization and the statements of the Secretary-General. This applies not only to the ongoing situation in Ukraine but other situations around the world."
UN denies report that staff were warned not to call Russian attack on Ukraine a 'war' or 'invasion'

 

[PommyMommy]

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1501587316028153867?t=oNtsS95aX6Seld8FOVkLXA&s=19

️ Russian airstrike destroys maternity, children's hospital in Mariupol.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, there are still adults and kids under the rubble. The number of victims is yet unknown, local authorities report.

Video: Mariupol City Council https://t.co/dBGWRzEQrw

 

[PommyMommy]

UK to Give Anti-aircraft Missiles to Ukraine: Minister

The STARStreak system is made by Thales.

If confirmed, the supply would mark a significant step in the U.K.'s support for Ukraine. So far, Ukraine has praised the U.K.'s contribution of thousands of anti-tank missiles which have helped slow the Russian advance on Kyiv.

However the U.K.'s support has been limited to defensive weaponry.

"Everything we do is bound by the decision to supply defensive systems, and are calibrated not to escalate to a strategic level," Wallace said.

As a member of the NATO military alliance, the U.K. has rejected pleas from Ukraine to impose a no-fly zone over the country. The U.K. says that could mean NATO forces shooting down Russian planes, resulting in a significant escalation of the conflict.

A proposed plan to allow Poland to donate fighter jets for use in Ukraine was rejected by the United States on Tuesday. Poland now says any supply of fighter jets to Ukraine must be done jointly by NATO countries.

 

[PommyMommy]

TASS News Agency joins Reuters Connect
TASS News Agency joins Reuters Connect