Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION #3

[PommyMommy]

NEXTA on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
The website of the #Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations was hacked and spread information about the ongoing war in #Ukraine. Shortly afterwards, it became unavailable.

NEXTA on Twitter - Audio
Another intercepted conversation of the #SBU shows how demoralized and broken the invader army is: #Russian occupiers look for "#Ukrainian ammunition" to shoot themselves in the legs and go to the hospital.

NEXTA on Twitter - 1 hr ago
#Russian Ministry of Defense presented "facts" about #US development of biological weapons in #Ukraine

 

[PommyMommy]

Ukrainian police say American citizen has been killed in Chernihiv | Daily Mail Online

The Chernihiv Region Police posted on Facebook on Thursday: 'Police are documenting the consequences of enemy shelling of civilians in the center of Chernihiv.

'Today, the occupiers once again carried out a heavy artillery attack on unarmed civilian residents of the city. There are dead and wounded people. Among the dead - a US citizen.

A State Department spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'We are aware of reports of the death of a U.S. citizen in Ukraine on March 17. We are monitoring the situation closely but cannot confirm these reports at this time.

 

[PommyMommy]

Mar 16, 2022
Royal Navy carrier leads 25 warships putting on a show of force to Putin

 

[PommyMommy]

Athlon Avia Scientific – Production Enterprise produces the best UAS since 2013 and is a leader in the field of unmanned systems in Ukraine. Our solutions have clear terms of reference and designed to perform tactical military missions, including intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, and artillery fire adjustment.

ST-35 Silent Thunder | Athlon Avia - Unmanned solutions

ST-35 Silent Thunder Loitering Munition, Ukraine

 

[PommyMommy]

12h ago 23:24

China 'will never attack Ukraine', praises Ukrainian unity and resistance...

...Fan Xianrong said China “will never attack Ukraine” but will support it economically and politically during a meeting with Lviv’s regional military administration, Ukrainian media outlet Ukrinform reported, citing the administration’s press service.

China will never attack Ukraine, we will help, in particular in the economic direction.

In this situation, which you have now, we will act responsibly. We have seen how great the unity of the Ukrainian people is, and that means its strength...

Xianrong added:

China is a friendly country for the Ukrainian people. As an ambassador, I can responsibly say that China will forever be a good force for Ukraine, both economically and politically. We will always respect your state, we will develop relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. We will respect the path chosen by Ukrainians because this is the sovereign right of every nation.”

Updated at 11.59pm EDT

Mayor of Melitopol released after abduction - as it happened

 

[PommyMommy]

Jack Detsch @JackDetsch 20m
NEW: Russian troops controlling Ukraine’s Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants are obstructing employees from doing their work: Ukrainian defense official “Their behavior is unpredictable,” the official said.

 

[PommyMommy]

Russische destroyers en landingsschepen gedetecteerd bij Japan - op weg naar Oekraïne?

Russian destroyers and landing ships detected near Japan - heading for Ukraine?

Four Russian landing ships (Alligator and Ropucha class) have sailed through the Tsugaru Strait, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced yesterday. The ships were followed by a Japanese P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. One of the ships has fourteen vehicles on deck. The other ships have any vehicles below decks.

It concerns the following four ships of the Pacific Fleet:
• Oslyabya (Ropucha II)
• Admiral Nevelskoy (Ropucha II)
• Peresvet (Ropucha III)
• Nikolay Vilkov (Alligator)

In addition to the landing ships, other Russian naval vessels also passed through the Tsugaru Strait and the Soy Strait on March 10, 11 and 14. These included six Russian destroyers and three submarines. On March 11, Japan was already concerned about the passage of the Russian ships, followed by a Japanese destroyer and minesweeper.

To Ukraine?
The question, of course, is what Russia intends to do with the landing ships. According to an intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defense, Russia is struggling with the offensive operation due to heavy Ukrainian resistance and Russia is moving units from, among others, the Pacific Fleet. A spokesman for the Japanese defense was asked , according to international news agency Reuterswhether the ships are on their way to Ukraine, "that is possible," the spokesman replied.

This is not to say that these ships are actually going in that direction. The journey from Vladivostok in eastern Russia to Sevastopol in Crimea is almost 11,000 km. At the usual speed of these ships of about 10 knots, the ships (if continuously at sea) would arrive in Crimea in late April or early May.

That is far, but not impossible. However, there is one major obstacle: the Bosphorus is closed to Russian naval ships and so they will not be able to go to the Black Sea. Does Putin want to force passage, possibly together with a number of frigates, in the Mediterranean? You could, but it's risky. And does that risk outweigh the added value of another four landing ships?

However, it is also possible that the ships are on their way to Tartus, Syria, which has been cut off from Russian transport by naval vessel since the closure of the Bosphorus.

Perhaps most likely, however, the ships are on their way back to home base Vladivostok.

 

[PommyMommy]

Only NATO Intervention in Ukraine Can Save Putin - The Atlantic
''The odds of a palace coup against Putin are already low; the odds of such a move while Russia is at war with NATO are even lower.

By Tom Nichols

''Russian President Vladimir Putin is in trouble. Despite his limited gains on the ground in Ukraine, he is facing strategic defeat in a war that no one (including me) would have expected him to lose. The vaunted Russian army has turned out to be a hollow force whose major skill sets seem to be bullying its own conscripts and killing foreign civilians. The Russian air force has underperformed even the lowest expectations; perhaps Russian pilots should have spent more time getting training and logging flying hours instead of doing fancy maneuvers at foreign air shows. At home, Putin distrusts his own security services and is apparently purging some of his top spies. The Russian people are going into the streets, prompting the regime to arrest thousands. The Russian economy is in a deep freeze and is likely to stay there for years.''

''Only one military force in the world can save Putin from utter humiliation now: NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO intervention in Russia’s war on Ukraine could halt that country’s barbarous attacks. But it would mean war between Putin’s regime and the West, and this war would be such a gift to Putin that we should expect that he will soon do everything he can to provoke it.

The U.S. and Europe should resist such provocations.

First and foremost, NATO intervention would help Putin by allowing him to rally his nation and impose even harsher measures to suffocate dissent. Millions of Russians clearly want nothing to do with this fratricidal war, which is one reason Putin has been desperate to keep them from hearing anything about it other than weird Soviet-era cant about neo-Nazis and weapons of mass destruction. If NATO were to become involved, however, Putin’s regime would gladly play footage of Russian men being blasted to pieces by U.S., British, and other allied jets. ''

 

[PommyMommy]

Ukraine war: Russia 'has lost up to a fifth of its pre-invasion force' | Daily Mail Online

Sobbing Russian mother says just ten soldiers remain in her son's regiment and begs for his return | Daily Mail Online

Heartwarming moment Ukrainian girl beams with delight when volunteers sing Happy Birthday | Daily Mail Online

The Kyiv Independent @KyivIndependent
Agriculture minister: Ukraine’s basic food supply enough for years. According to Roman Leshchenko, Ukraine’s current wheat stock will be enough for two years. The stock of sunflower oil will be enough for five years, along with corn enough for 1.5 years.

 

[PommyMommy]

"It was not yet clear whether all those who sheltered in the theater had survived. Taruta said on Thursday that 1,300 people were in the building when it was bombed and 130 have so far been rescued.

"People are doing everything themselves. My friends went to help, but due to constant shelling it was not safe. People are clearing away the rubble themselves. There is no rescue operation, because all the services that are supposed to rescue people, to treat them, to bury them, these services no longer exist," Taruta told Ukrainian television."

Survivors emerge from rubble of Mariupol theater bombed by Russia - CNN

 

[PommyMommy]

BNO News on Twitter
Biden: Putin is "a murderous dictator, a pure t hug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine"

@John_Hudson
U.S. citizen killed in Ukraine today, says U.S. official: “We can confirm the death of a U.S. citizen in Ukraine on March 17. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”

The U.S. citizen was killed in central Chernihiv, where a local Ukrainian police official said shelling by Russian troops killed multiple people -- the total number remains unknown

NYT reporting that the man killed was 68-yo James Whitney Hill. He was in Ukraine for his wife's treatment.

 

[PommyMommy]

Driggs man trapped in Ukraine - Local News 8
A man from Driggs, Idaho is trapped in a regional hospital 90 miles outside of Kyiv, Ukraine.

Jim Hill traveled to Chernihiv, Ukraine in December for life-extending MS treatment for his partner and Ukraine citizen Irina.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hill and his companions were trapped inisde the regional hospital with little food, water or electricity.

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia-Ukraine live news: At least 21 killed in school attack | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera
''10 mins ago (18:34 GMT)
Russia may stage chemical weapon attack and blame Ukraine, Blinken says
Russia may stage a chemical attack to escalate the war against Ukraine, Blinken has said, noting that Washington accurately predicted the Russian invasion weeks before it started.''

''1 hour ago (17:43 GMT)
Russia’s Putin does not want peace, Italian prime minister says
Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace and it is possible that further sanctions might be needed against Moscow to try to end the conflict in Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has said.
“On Putin’s part there is no willingness for peace. There is a willingness for war,” Draghi told reporters.''

''4 hours ago (15:08 GMT)
Strongman Kadyrov says ‘thousand’ Chechen volunteers headed to Ukraine
A thousand Chechen volunteers are on their way to fight for Russia in Ukraine, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has said.''

 

[PommyMommy]

See how US weapons are helping Ukraine's army

Ukraine President Zelensky visits victims of Russian attacks in Kyiv hospital

2017
'How To Be A Russian Oligarch' With Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov

 

[PommyMommy]

Originally conceptualized as a simple "withdraw" vs. "remain" list, our new list of companies now consists of four categories:

1) WITHDRAWAL - Clean Break: companies completely halting Russian engagements;

2) SUSPENSION - Keeping Options Open for Return: companies temporarily curtailing operations while keeping return options open;

3) SCALING BACK - Reducing Activities: companies scaling back some but not all operations, or delaying investments;

4) DIGGING IN - Defying Demands for Exit: companies defying demands for exit/reduction of activities

https://som.yale.edu/story/2022/over-400-companies-have-withdrawn-russia-some-remain

 

[PommyMommy]

Chemical Attack Fact Sheet | Homeland Security
''A chemical attack is the spreading of toxic chemicals with the intent to do harm. A wide variety of chemicals could be made, stolen, or otherwise acquired for use in an attack. Industrial chemical plants or the vehicles used to transport chemicals could also be sabotaged. Harmful chemicals that could be used in an attack include:

1. Chemical weapons (warfare agents) developed for military use.
2. Toxic industrial and commercial chemicals that are produced, transported, and stored in the making of petroleum, textiles, plastics, fertilizers, paper, foods, pesticides, household cleaners, and other products.
3. Chemical toxins of biological origin such as ricin.''

Russia plotting chemical weapons attack: New details | LiveNOW from FOX

''Is Russia setting the stage to use chemical weapons in Ukraine? - BBC Newsnight''

 

[PommyMommy]

March 11 2022
The Western firms that have not cut Russia ties over Ukraine
''A shrinking number of well-known companies are still doing business in Russia, even as hundreds have announced plans to curtail ties.

Burger King restaurants are open, Eli Lilly is supplying drugs, and PepsiCo is selling milk and baby food, but no more soda.''

''Take Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo, which drew negative attention after the CEO of its parent company told the Nikkei newspaper in a story published on Tuesday that the reason to keep nearly 50 Russian stores open was that: “clothing is a necessity of life”. By Thursday, Uniqlo said it would close the stores.

“There’s potentially a big downside of companies to be on the wrong side of this,” Lovely said.''

''The response from industrial food producers has been complicated by Russia’s role as a major exporter of wheat and other commodities.

Bunge, which has assets of $121m in Russia, said on Thursday that its Russian oilseed plant will operate and serve the domestic market, but that it has suspended “any new export business”. Farm equipment maker John Deere said it has stopped machine shipments to Russia; it is monitoring a Russian plant that makes seeding equipment and its dealer network in the country “day by day.” Cargill and ADM, other agriculture companies, have not responded to questions.''

 

[PommyMommy]

Boycott of Russian gas and oil ‘could cause mass poverty in Germany’ | Germany | The Guardian

China Doubles Down on Support for Ukraine, Backs Peace Talks to End War
China's Foreign Ministry is standing by a bold statement by its ambassador to Ukraine— who pledged Beijing's economic and political support for Kyiv—but is still refusing to rebuke Russia openly.

The envoy, Fan Xianrong, told officials in Lviv that China and Ukraine were "strategic partners" celebrating three decades of formal diplomatic relations.

"China is a friendly country for the Ukrainian people. As an ambassador, I can responsibly say that China will forever be a good force for Ukraine, both economically and politically," he said, according to state news agency Ukrinform.

"We will always respect your state, we will develop relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. We will respect the path chosen by Ukrainians because this is the sovereign right of every nation," he said on Monday.

On Thursday, at a regular press briefing in Beijing, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: "China of course supports the statement by the Chinese ambassador. China supports all efforts that are conducive to easing the situation in Ukraine and a political settlement."

 

[PommyMommy]

Muscovites Say Goodbye To McDonald's

I hope that link works, it’s a video of Russians explaining why they’ll miss McDonalds. One man comments that you just don’t see young people laughing and having fun in Russian cafes, others note the unique atmosphere and have fond memories with their friends.

Seems like apart from fast food McD’s also brought a bit of Western atmosphere and culture with it, in terms of social behaviours.

 

[PommyMommy]

A Ukrainian Town Deals Russia One of the War’s Most Decisive Routs

VOZNESENSK, Ukraine—A Kalashnikov rifle slung over his shoulder, Voznesensk’s funeral director, Mykhailo Sokurenko, spent this Tuesday driving through fields and forests, picking up dead Russian soldiers and taking them to a freezer railway car piled with Russian bodies—the casualties of one of the most comprehensive routs President Vladimir Putin’s forces have suffered since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian officers estimated that some 100 Russian troops died in Voznesensk, including those whose bodies were taken by retreating Russian troops or burned inside carbonized vehicles. As of Tuesday, 11 dead Russian soldiers were in the railway car turned morgue, with search parties looking for other bodies in nearby forests. Villagers buried some others.