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

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109 lege kinderwagens in Lviv symboliseren slachtoffers • Xi: oorlog in niemands belang

31 MINUTES AGO

Chechen soldiers may be shelling apartment building in Mariupol
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov today published a video on his Telegram channel which allegedly showed Chechen soldiers shelling an apartment building in a Mariupol neighborhood. The location has been verified by the NOS. It is not clear when the images were taken, probably today or in the past few days.

Kadyrov and Putin are allies. In recent weeks, images of suspected Chechen soldiers in Ukraine have appeared on social media more often.


Russians With Attitude
@RWApodcast


Ramzan Kadyrov has published combat footage from Mariupol, says it's Chechen soldiers engaging Azov fighters who took up position on the upper floors of a civilian residence

 

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Ukraine’s ballet dancers are a ‘voice of resistance’ amid a greater struggle

Ballet icon and Soviet defector Mikhail Baryshnikov calls Putin’s invasion of Ukraine ‘unconscionable’

 

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War crimes: How Putin could be tried in the International Criminal Court - CNNPolitics.
[...]

The International Criminal Court has specific definitions for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Read about them in this guide published by the ICC.

[...]

Who can be tried by the court?

Anyone accused of a crime in the jurisdiction of the court, which includes countries that are members of the ICC, can be tried. The court tries people, not countries, and focuses on those who hold the most responsibility: leaders and officials. While Ukraine is not a member of the court, it has previously accepted its jurisdiction.

Putin could, therefore, theoretically be indicted by the court for previously ordering war crimes in Crimea.

However, the ICC does not conduct trials in absentia, so he would either have to be handed over by Russia or arrested outside of Russia. That seems unlikely.

[...]

How long do these investigations take?

If justice in general moves slowly, international justice barely moves at all. Investigations at the ICC take many years. Only a handful of convictions have ever been won.

A preliminary investigation into the hostilities in eastern Ukraine lasted more than six years -- from April 2014 until December 2020. At the time, the prosecutor said there was evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Next steps were slowed by the Covid-19 pandemic and a lack of resources at the court, which is conducting multiple investigations.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Senate passes resolution supporting Putin war crime probe
U.S. Senate passes a non-binding resolution supporting war crime investigation of Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Q&A: The International Criminal Court and the United States

 

[PommyMommy]

Biden warns Xi of 'consequences' if China aides Russia's invasion of Ukraine | CBC News
''U.S. President Joe Biden warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday there would be "consequences" if Beijing gave material support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said, while both sides stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

In a video call that lasted just under two hours at a time of deepening acrimony between the world's two biggest powers, Biden detailed the efforts of the United States and its allies to respond to the invasion, including by imposing costs on Russia.

"He described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians," the White House said in statement.

It also noted that Biden "underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis."

China's foreign ministry said Xi told Biden the war in Ukraine must end as soon as possible and called on NATO nations to hold a dialogue with Moscow. He did not, however, assign blame to Russia for the invasion.''

 

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How does Putin justify Ukraine war? | CTV News
''TEL AVIV, ISRAEL -- Vladimir Putin on Friday again painted his enemies in Ukraine as "neo-Nazis," even though the country has a Jewish president who lost relatives in the Holocaust and who heads a Western-backed, democratically elected government.

The Holocaust, the Second World War and Nazism have been important tools for Putin in his bid to legitimize Russia's war in Ukraine, but historians see their use as disinformation and a cynical ploy to further the Russian leader's aims.

Israel has proceeded cautiously, seeking not to jeopardize its security ties with the Kremlin, despite what it considers the sacred memory of the 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust.''

''Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has repeatedly condemned Russia's invasion. But Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has stopped short of issuing a public condemnation of Russia. Through that neutral stance, he has emerged as an unlikely mediator between Kyiv and Moscow.

Vera Michlin-Shapir, a former official at Israel's National Security Council and the author of "Fluid Russia," a book about the country's national identity, said that Israel's regional security concerns were of greater interest than challenging Russia on its narrative.

"Russia can provide weapons systems to our worst enemies and therefore Israel is proceeding very cautiously -- you could say too cautiously -- because there is an issue here that is at the heart of Israel's security," she said''

 

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https://twitter.com/JackDetsch/status/1504935429770027008
“NEW: Russia is beginning to lose so many troops after 3 weeks of war in Ukraine that frontline soldiers are starting to worry about how long they can hold out, officials told @ak_mack & me”

How Putin Bungled His Invasion of Ukraine

 

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''Ukraine War: UK homes prepare to welcome Ukrainian refugees''

''UN Migration Agency estimates nearly 6.5 million people displaced in Ukraine Mar 18, 2022''

 

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Ukrainian cat Stepan reveals on Instagram that he and his human escaped after bombing: ‘We’re all right now’

The account for Ukrainian cat influencer Stepan shared an update following the bombing of Kharkiv. Stepan’s followers were worried after his Instagram account went dark for two weeks.

“On February 24, early in the morning, we were sleeping at home,” the post began. “At 5 am, some explosion was heard, and I didn't even understand what it was.

After a while, after half an hour later, there were more explosions, the windows trembled. I jumped up and understood that something terrible was happening! The attack and shelling of Kharkiv (especially on the North Saltovka where we live). We realized that the war had come to our house.”

The post, from Stepan’s owner who is thought to be named Anna, explained how shells hit their neighbors's homes and that while they witnessed many houses burn down, their home stayed safe for a week before it was damaged after a shell hit another home's balcony.

The account described hiding in the basement for two days and spending a week without electricity before they were able to leave the city.

“Kharkiv volunteers helped by taking us to the railway station. We got on the train Kharkiv - Lviv (in 20 hours, we got to Lviv). Then we followed to the border with Poland. At the border, we stood in a line in a pedestrian crossing. There were a lot of people (4-5 thousand).

After 9 hours, we crossed the border,” the post continued. “When we reached Poland, we were offered help from the World Influencers and Bloggers Association from Monaco. They helped us get to France to wait for the very day when we could return home.”

 

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‘Brandsen welcomed her arrival in a statement. "It is a privilege to have her dance with our company in the Netherlands, even if the circumstances that drove this move are incredibly sad," he said.

"Nevertheless, as a company we are pleased to have such an inspiring dancer join us at Dutch National Ballet."

Olga Smirnova: Ballerina leaves Russia for Netherlands after denouncing war

 

[PommyMommy]

Christopher Miller on Twitter
Ukraine says military medic Julia Paevska has been captured by Russian forces. I first met Paevska in the frontline city of Avdiivka in Feb 2017 and was impressed by her compassion and determination. We met several times later in Mariupol. Can't imagine what she's going through.

Hromadske Int. on Twitter
Our journalist Victoria Roshchyna is held captive by the Russian occupiers. She was reporting from hotspots in Eastern and Southern Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. On March 12, we couldn't contact Victoria 1/3

As we learned from witnesses, at that time the journalist was in the temporarily occupied Berdiansk. On March 16, we learned that the day before (probably March 15), Victoria Roshchyna was detained by the Russian FSB. Currently, we do not know where she is 2/3

We call on the Ukrainian and international community to help us to find and release Victoria Roshchyna, Hromadske journalist 3/3

 

[PommyMommy]

“When his body was found, seven days later, it emerged that he had taken off his bulletproof vest to give it to a child he was carrying. It was an elementary mistake for a man in uniform to make. But then he had never meant to be a soldier.”

Pasha Lee went from Ukrainian screen idol to volunteer

He was killed near the bridge at Irpin on March 6th, aged 33

 

[PommyMommy]

Late 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' parents in Kyiv preparing ‘for the worst,’ her husband says

George W. Bush and Bill Clinton visit Ukrainian Church to lay flowers, pay respects

 

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Ukraine war latest: Gun battles as Russian troops reach Mariupol city centre, says mayor - BBC News
''20:40
Ukraine military says it is 'temporarily' cut off from Sea of Azov
Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff says the Russians have managed to cut off the Ukrainians from the Sea of Azov

"The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational area - temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov," the press release said.''

''Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Saturday for meaningful peace and security talks "without delay" with Moscow.

He said it was Russia's only chance to limit the damage from its "mistakes" in the wake of its invasion.

"This is the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

"It's time to meet, it's time to talk, it's time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine.

"Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that you will need several generations to recover."

''A US military aircraft with four people onboard has reportedly crashed in northern Norway while taking part in Nato military exercises.

Norway's federal search and rescue co-ordination agency told Reuters that a V-22 Osprey on a training flight went missing during bad weather on Friday.

According to Reuters, a spokesman later confirmed it had "hit the ground".
The status of its four passengers is not currently known.''

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
Macron calls on Putin to end Russia's blockade of Mariupol. In a telephone call with Putin, Macron expressed “grave concern” over the situation in Mariupol, where over 300,000 people are cut off from the world, according to French president's office.

NEXTA on Twitter - Video
Subscribers report that #Lithuanians donate their SUVs for the needs of the territorial defense of #Ukraine Moreover, not empty, but filled with humanitarian aid.

NEXTA on Twitter - 3 hrs ago
According to preliminary information, Lieutenant General Andrei Mordvichev, commander of the 8th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, was slain in #Chernobayevka, The Insider reports.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Russia plans to transfer to Ukraine some units from the 102-nd Russian military base in Armenia to restore Russia's combat capability, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine The enemy is getting weaker https://facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/275463534766732

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Russian troops are digging in, making earthen ridges around its military equipment, according to Maxar Technologies' analysis and satellite images. These protective berms have been noticed northwest of Kyiv, near Ozera and the Antonov Air Base. https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-18-22/index.html

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Petting zoo near Kyiv requests humanitarian corridor to rescue animals. The zoo, “Park XII Months”, located 25 km north from Kyiv, asked for assistance to evacuate animals or bring food for those that are difficult to transport, as some have begun to die.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter
The Armed Forces of Ukraine gained back control over 30 settlements in Kyiv Oblast, kicking away Russian troops who were hiding behind the backs of civilians, Kostiantyn Usov, Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration.

 

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 18 | Institute for the Study of War (understandingwar.org)
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 18

Ukrainian forces conducted a major successful counterattack around Mykolayiv in the past several days, and Russian forces continued to secure territorial gains only around Mariupol on March 18. Russian forces face growing morale and supply problems, including growing reports of self-mutilation among Russian troops to avoid deployment to Ukraine and shortages of key guided munitions. The Ukrainian General Staff continued to report on March 18 that Russia has failed to achieve its strategic objectives in Ukraine, including destroying the Ukrainian Armed Forces, capturing Kyiv, and establishing control over Ukraine to the east bank of the Dnipro River—the first time the Ukrainian General Staff included this territorial conquest as an explicit Russian objective.[1] The Ukrainian General Staff additionally stated that Ukrainian forces “continue step by step to liberate the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in all directions” on March 18, the first Ukrainian mention of conducting counterattacks “in all directions.”[2]

[...]

Russian forces are engaged in four primary efforts at this time:

• Main effort—Kyiv (comprised of three subordinate supporting efforts);
• Supporting effort 1—Kharkiv;
  • Supporting effort 1a—Luhansk Oblast;
• Supporting effort 2—Mariupol and Donetsk Oblast; and
• Supporting effort 3—Kherson and advances westward.

[...]

[...]

Immediate items to watch

• Russian forces will likely capture Mariupol or force the city to capitulate within the coming weeks.
• The Ukrainian General Staff continued to report that there is a high probability of Russian provocations aimed at involving Belarus in the war in Ukraine, though ISW continues to assess that Belarus is unlikely to open a new line of advance into Ukraine.
• Ukrainian counterattacks and operations by Territorial Defense Forces in northeastern Ukraine threaten Russia’s exposed line of communicating, requiring Russia to redeploy forces away from the offensive toward eastern Kyiv.
• Company and battalion-level attacks northwest of Kyiv likely represent the largest scale of offensive operations Russian forces can currently undertake to complete the encirclement of the city.

 

[PommyMommy]

Z (military symbol) - Wikipedia

According to an infographic shared by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the following symbols and corresponding meanings have been used by the Russian Armed Forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine:[16]

• Z: Russian forces from the Eastern Military District[16]
• (enclosed in square): Russian forces from Crimea
• O: Forces from Belarus
• V: Marines
• X: Forces from Chechnya (Kadyrovtsy)
• A: Special forces, including SOBR, Alpha Group, and the Special Operations Forces

The invasion has acquired the nickname "Operation Z", derived from the "Z" symbol.[17] The symbol is in the form of the Latin letter Z, instead of the equivalent Cyrillic letter З (Ze) used in the Russian alphabet, which has been described as peculiar considering the symbol's theme of Russian nationalism.[18]

 

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A Search for Survival Outside Kyiv
[...]

After checking into a hotel and meeting with Ukrainian officials, my colleagues and I drove toward Irpin, a suburb cursed by its geography. The small city of sixty thousand people sits in the way of the Russian Army as it tries to move from Hostomel Airport, which it controls, and into the capital. ...

[...]

Ukrainian forces change shifts near a destroyed bridge in Irpin.

At the last turnoff for Irpin, stern-faced Ukrainian soldiers and police, hunched under a frigid gray sky, manned a checkpoint of piled-up sandbags. A tent offered evacuees basic medical treatment; a nearby stand held sandwiches and a pile of children’s winter coats. Soldiers refused to allow us to go any further. Brent Renaud, an American journalist, had been killed earlier that day, they said, nodding toward the grassy side of the road where the award-winning documentary filmmaker’s body lay, covered in a blanket.

[...]

“Most of the people in the shelters were elderly,” Sessini told me. “They were all very scared.”

[...]

Outside, the bodies of four Russian soldiers lay on the ground near a burned-out Russian tank, Sessini said. They had lain there for several days, after trying to advance down a set of railway tracks, Ukrainian soldiers told Sessini. One of the Russians had been severely burned, seemingly having climbed out of the tank when it was on fire, and died nearby.

[...]

 

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Russian state TV cuts off Putin speech mid-sentence

As the Russian leader addresses the crowds, state television switches to showing a clip of patriotic music from earlier in the event.

Russian state television is tightly controlled and such interruptions are highly unusual.

The Kremlin later says that the broadcast was “interrupted due to technical problems on the server.”

Around 10 minutes later, state television replays Putin’s speech from start to finish before he walks off stage.

 

[CrimeAway]

Ukraine war: Putin has redrawn the world - but not the way he wanted