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

[PommyMommy]

Zelenskiy Says Any War Compromises Will Be Put To Ukraine Referendum (rferl.org)
“The people will have a say in any type of compromises. But what the [compromises] will end up being will be the result of our talks and agreements between Ukraine and Russia. Therefore, I am ready to do whatever is necessary if our people support my decisions," he added.

Biden Warns U.S. Private Sector Of Russian Cyberattacks, Citing 'Evolving Evidence' (rferl.org)
He said the latest warnings are based on “evolving intelligence” that the Kremlin is exploring options for potential cyberattacks. He did not give specifics.

Russia Summons U.S. Ambassador After Biden Calls Putin A 'War Criminal' (rferl.org)
Russia's Foreign Ministry has summoned U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan over recent comments by President Joe Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin "a war criminal" for Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The ministry said in a statement on March 21 that it issued a démarche and handed a note of protest to Sullivan "in connection with the recent unacceptable remarks by the head of the White House, Joe Biden, regarding the president of Russia."

Mariupol: Apocalyptic Images From A City Under Siege (rferl.org)

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy urges talks with Putin; Biden flags ‘clear sign’ Russia considering chemical and biological weapons – live | World news | The Guardian

1h ago 20:28
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for direct talks with his Russian counterpart as the key to ending the war.

Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of talks via videoconferencing, but so far without a major breakthrough, and Zelenskiy reiterated that direct talks with his Russian counterpart “in any format” were now needed.

Without this meeting it is impossible to fully understand what they are ready for in order to stop the war.”

Zelenskiy said his country would be “destroyed” before it surrenders its cities to invading Russian forces.

The Ukrainian president made clear his countrymen would not “hand over” the capital, the eastern city of Kharkiv, or the heavily bombarded and besieged Mariupol.

Ukraine cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums.

We should be destroyed first.”

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 21, 2022
Live updates: Zelenskyy: Russia shells humanitarian corridor | AP News
LVIV, Ukraine — Russian forces shelled along a humanitarian corridor on Monday, wounding four children who were among the civilians being evacuated, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nighttime video address to the nation. He said the shelling took place in the Zaporizhzhia region, the initial destination of those fleeing Mariupol.

The Ukrainian government said that about 3,000 people from Mariupol were evacuated on Monday.

Zelenskyy said he spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Emmanual Macron to coordinate their positions before Western leaders meet on Thursday.

“Our position will be expressed and will be expressed strongly, believe me,” Zelenskyy said.

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 26, 2022
Russia-Ukraine news: How a potential Russian cyberattack could affect Americans and how to prepare - ABC7 New York (abc7ny.com)
[...]

Senior U.S. law enforcement and Homeland Security officials have told ABC News that there is growing concern that Russia could launch further cyberattacks against the West. The potential targets include electrical grids, banking systems and mobile networks, according to the officials.

[...]

The biggest indirect hacking examples in the past have targeted key infrastructure points such as the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in May 2021, which affected everything from gas prices to flights.

"In the last two years, we've been seeing more of these attacks around the world," Madnick said. "You need to realize how many of our systems are connected to computers and just one hack can have bigger effects."

[...]

U.S. and international officials have accused the Russian government of committing cyber attacks that targeted Ukraine's banks in recent weeks.

On Friday, Ukrainian officials warned of a phishing scheme emanating from Belarus, which pretended to be a member of the Ukrainian cybersecurity agency.

[...]

Madnick said when it comes to individual Americans, there is very little they could do to prevent an indirect attack on the country's infrastructure systems, but they should always prepare for the possibility. He likened it to preparing for a big storm and suggested that individuals who are concerned about their money should always have cash available for emergencies.

Madnick also urged people to back up their important computer files, including bank statements, important e-mails and other documents frequently and to offline sources such as an external drive.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 21, 2022
How Ukraine swaps living soldiers for dead Russians (kyivindependent.com)
[...]

Inside that pit near the town of Rusaniv east of Kyiv, several Russian soldiers were given an improvised burial courtesy of the local townsfolk, saving their bodies from animals and decomposing in the open.

A fierce clash with Ukrainian forces defending the capital spelled their quick and bitter end.

But in a twist of dark irony, the invading army’s dead soldiers will redeem themselves in death — and help save the living.

Six of them will be exchanged for two Ukrainian soldiers taken as prisoners of war in a rare instance of an unofficial swap between the opposing armies on the battlefield.

[...]

None of the assault’s participants had any identification documents with them.

“They simply take the IDs away from them before the attack,” Ukrainian soldiers say.

“No service cards, no dog tags, nothing. We don’t get it – did their commanders believe they would fight harder if left to die nameless?”

[...]

The deal is simple: Six Russian bodies for two living Ukrainian soldiers held captive following the latest fighting in the area.

Emergency workers hastily load up the blackened cadavers on stretches and drag them to the riverbank.

An inflatable boat will transport them one by one to the other side, where a pickup truck is waiting.

Through negotiations via unsecured communication lines, with the help of civilian mediators, the exchange will take place soon, as agreed upon by officers from both sides.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

These journalists documented the destruction in Mariupol and escaped as Russian forces hunted them down - The Globe and Mail

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Russia attacks Ukraine using 40 airfields in western Russia, Belarus and annexed Crimea. Map: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
A group of Ukrainians on a small boat tries to block Solaris, a yacht belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, from docking in Bodrum, Turkey, on March 21. Photo: Irina Demiroglu/Facebook.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter
Russian invaders are making covert preparations for electing pro-russian administrations of districts and cities in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhia Oblast - GenStaff, 18.00

 

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/21/russia-ukraine-war-latest-news-kyiv-rejects-moscows-deadline-for-mariupol-surrender-biden-to-visit-poland-live']Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy urges talks with Putin; Biden flags ‘clear sign’ Russia considering chemical and biological weapons – live | World news | The Guardian[/URL]

1h ago 02:03
The Ukrainian military has released its operational report as of 10pm this evening.

According to officials, Russian forces hold the land corridor with Crimea and are blocking access to the Sea of Azov.

The city of Sumy is also partially blocked while artillery shelling continues on the city of Kharkiv.

The report also claims Russia is carrying out “aggressive propaganda campaigns” aimed at servicemen of the armed forces of Belarus to join the military invasion of Ukraine.

Russian forces continue to use the airfield network of the republic of Belarus and are trying to rebuild the railway section from Valuyki to Kupyansk in order to improve the logistics of the group, Ukraine’s ministry of defence added.

On Monday, Ukrainian forces claim they thwarted 13 enemy attacks and destroyed 14 tanks, 8 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 multi-purpose light armoured vehicles, 3 artillery systems and 4 vehicles, while air defence units hit 2 enemy air targets.

Military officials said they estimate Russian lost about 300 personnel.

“It is expected that the enemy will continue to launch insidious missile and bomb strikes and carry out artillery shelling of critical infrastructure of Ukraine using jet artillery, aircraft, high-precision weapons and indiscriminate munitions.” the report read.

 

[PommyMommy]

NEXTA on Twitter
#Russia has given the International Red Cross data on more than 500 #Ukrainian prisoners of war. They are ready to be exchanged for #Russian army soldiers taken prisoner of war, the Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Ukrainian troops liberate Makariv. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on March 21 that “the Ukrainian flag was raised over the town of Makariv” and Russian forces have been pushed back. Makariv is located 60 kilometres west from Kyiv.

UK donates 3.7 million medical items to Ukraine - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
[...]

More than 3.7 million items of medical supplies have been given to Ukraine by the UK to help the country cope with the emergency caused by the Russian invasion and to help save tens of thousands of lives.

Items including vital medicines, wound packs, and intensive care equipment donated by NHS England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have been flown to the region over the past three weeks, leaving from Stansted and Heathrow Airports, and RAF Brize Norton.

The latest flight – the 11th so far – left from Heathrow yesterday morning (Monday 21 March) carrying over 100,000 packs of medicine, including strong painkillers to treat severe pain for those who have been injured by Russian attacks.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Fortnite owner Epic Games raises $36M to support Ukraine
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/fo...76IIy0KwgfGz75_PAYtsXJF9mjVSVsAhilMk6jRzOfoKI

David Beckham Lends His Social Media Accounts to Doctor Helping Mothers Give Birth in Ukraine - E! Online

David and Victoria Beckham donate $1.8 million to Unicef’s Emergency Appeal for Ukraine

Biden says Putin considering using chemical, biological weapons in Ukraine

U.K. seizes Russian oligarch’s reputed superyacht moored in Gibraltar

 

[PommyMommy]

Russian soldiers in Kherson throw a grenade & open fire at residents yelling "go home." Incredible how Ukrainian civilians keep standing up to troops. At least 2 injured. @u24_news
https://mobile.twitter.com/ASLuhn/status/1505883503686295557

The Ukrainian military has released its operational report as of 6am this morning, claiming Russian forces have stockpiles of ammunition and food that will last for “no more than three days”.

Officials said the situation is similar with fuel and blamed Russia’s inability to organise a pipeline to meet the needs of troops as the reason behind the logistic failure.
Russian supplies will last 'no more than 3 days', Ukraine military says

 

[PommyMommy]

Ireland is preparing for up to 200,000 refugees from Ukraine.

Transport minister Eamon Ryan said on Monday that 10,000 have already arrived.

Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy urges talks with Putin; Biden flags ‘clear sign’ Russia considering chemical weapons – live

"On the road to Dnipro car after car we pass has “CHILDREN” taped to the windshield
A country on the run to save their children’s lives, a few letters their only protection against bullets and shells
They know from Mariupol Russia often doesn’t care, but it’s all they have"

- Emma Graham-Harrison, The Guardian

Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy urges talks with Putin; Biden flags ‘clear sign’ Russia considering chemical weapons – live

 

[PommyMommy]

March 22 2022
What is behind Russian trolls? | The Star
''Canada recently removed Russia’s English and French broadcaster RT, formerly known as Russia Today, from the airwaves. But the everyday march of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trolls continues.

They exist on Twitter, Facebook and other realms of the internet, acting as attack dogs for the Russian government. Social-media trolls spreading Kremlin propaganda or disinformation have become ubiquitous online, and the ongoing war in Ukraine has pulled the issue of Moscow’s attempts to influence public opinion and undermine democracy into the attentions of more people.''

To better understand these operations, the Star spoke with Finnish journalist and author Jessikka Aro, whose book “Putin’s Trolls” examines the Kremlin’s use of media to sow chaos around the world. Aro was in Ottawa this week to speak at the Russian Cognitive Warfare conference.''

''(They are) trying to create the idea that Russia is not waging war in Ukraine; it’s the EU and NATO and even the U.S. who are actually guilty of the warfare in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president is a warmonger, Putin loves peace and negotiations, this is the material that the trolls were writing (since 2014) and are still writing.

''They are given different themes every day, every morning to write about and that’s why they also operate 24/7 so that they can attack any online conversation when they take place.''
Back in 2016 I labelled Russian trolls and social-media propaganda a national security threat to many countries''

 

[PommyMommy]

(1) Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy urges talks with Putin; 10 Ukrainian hospitals ‘completely destroyed’ – live | World news | The Guardian
March 22 2022
6m ago12:23
Russian forces 'kidnapped' 2,389 children from Donetsk and Luhansk, US embassy says
The US embassy in Kyiv cited Ukraine’s foreign ministry as saying 2,389 Ukrainian children have been “illegally removed” from the Russian-controlled territories of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts and taken to Russia.
The embassy said:
This is not assistance. It is kidnapping.''

''22m ago12:10
A superyacht linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was held up by a group of Ukrainian protesters as it tried to dock in Turkey.
Protesters in a tiny inflatable dinghy attempted to block the 140-metre (460-foot) superyacht Solaris, reported to be worth £430m, from docking in the resort of Bodrum in south-west Turkey on Monday.''

Eclipse, the private luxury yacht linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, anchors at Cruise Port in Marmaris district of Mugla, Turkey. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The Eclipse, which is one of the world’s biggest at 162.5 metres (533 feet) long, arrived in Marmaris after cruising south-east of the Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes, according to Marine Traffic data.''

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 21, 2022
How I escaped my Russian-occupied city where they kill, rape locals | Euromaidan Press
“Irpin is Hell. There are plenty of Russian soldiers out there who just shoot people who enter private homes and, at best, just kick people out of their homes. They rape women and the dead are just being dumped. They open the basements where people are hiding and shoot them,” said 30-year-old AT, who worked as a waitress until recently and currently writes tips on Instagram on how to get out of the occupied city.

MAR 22, 2022
Ukraine retakes key Kyiv suburb; battle for Mariupol rages | AP News
Early Tuesday, Ukrainian troops forced Russian forces out of the Kyiv suburb of Makariv after a fierce battle, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said. The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key highway and block Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest.

Still, the Defense Ministry said Russian forces were able to partially take other northwest suburbs, Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin, some of which had been under attack almost since Russia’s military invaded almost a month ago.

Ukrainian refugees speak of bombs, half-empty cities, hunger | AP News
Yulia Bondarieva spent 10 days in a basement as Russian planes flew over and bombs were falling on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Having reached safety in Poland, Bondarieva’s only wish now is for her twin sister in the besieged city of Mariupol to get out, too.

“They have been in the basement since Feb. 24, they have not been out at all,” Bondarieva said. “They are running out of food and water.”

Navalny sentenced to 9 years in prison by Russian court | AP News
Navalny was arrested in January 2021 immediately upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months convalescing from a poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin, a claim Russian officials vehemently denied. Shortly after the arrest, a court sentenced him to 2½ years in prison over the parole violations stemming from a 2014 suspended sentence in a fraud case that Navalny insists was politically driven.

 

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/22/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskiy-urges-talks-with-putin-biden-flags-clear-sign-russia-considering-chemical-weapons-live']Russia-Ukraine war: 2,389 children from Donetsk and Luhansk ‘kidnapped’ by Putin’s forces, US embassy says – live | World news | The Guardian[/URL]
5m ago 08:49

Here’s more on the article published yesterday in Russia’s Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper that said nearly 10,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in the conflict in Ukraine, a report the paper has since claimed was the work of hackers.

The online article quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying 9,861 Russian servicemen have been killed and 16,153 wounded in what Moscow calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

Those figures had been removed from a version of the same article visible on the website on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Instead, an advisory said:

On March 21, access to the administrator interface was hacked on the Komsomolskaya Pravda website and a fake insert was made in this publication about the situation around the special operation in Ukraine. The inaccurate information was immediately removed.

Russia has not officially updated its casualty figures since 2 March, when it said 498 servicemen had been killed and 1,597 wounded.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Zelenskiy Warns Ukraine 'On The Brink' As Battle For Mariupol Rages (rferl.org)
"For Russian troops, Ukraine is the gates of Europe, where they want to break in, but barbarism must not be allowed to pass," he told Italian lawmakers in an address via video link.

"We are on the brink of survival," he added.

Russia Talks With North Korea Amid Western Outrage Over Ukraine (rferl.org)
The ministry said in a statement on March 22 that Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov held talks with North Korea's ambassador to Russia, Sin Hong-chol.

"During the meeting, issues of the development of bilateral relations in the context of changes taking place in the international arena, as well as topical regional problems, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, were touched upon," the statement said.

It gave no further details.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 22, 2022
20 days in Mariupol: The team that documented city’s agony | AP News
The Russians were hunting us down. They had a list of names, including ours, and they were closing in.

We were the only international journalists left in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, and we had been documenting its siege by Russian troops for more than two weeks. We were reporting inside the hospital when gunmen began stalking the corridors. Surgeons gave us white scrubs to wear as camouflage.

[...]

Mstyslav Chernov is a video journalist for The Associated Press. This is his account of the siege of Mariupol, as documented with photographer Evgeniy Maloletka and told to correspondent Lori Hinnant.

[...]

We ran into the street, abandoning the doctors who had sheltered us, the pregnant women who had been shelled and the people who slept in the hallways because they had nowhere else to go. I felt terrible leaving them all behind.

Nine minutes, maybe 10, an eternity through roads and bombed-out apartment buildings. As shells crashed nearby, we dropped to the ground. Time was measured from one shell to the next, our bodies tense and breath held. Shockwave after shockwave jolted my chest, and my hands went cold.

We reached an entryway, and armored cars whisked us to a darkened basement. Only then did we learn from a policeman why the Ukrainians had risked the lives of soldiers to extract us from the hospital.

[...]

It was March 15. We had no idea if we would make it out alive.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

VLAD TIDINGS: Pals want Putin mistress to help end Ukraine war | Toronto Sun
''The pampered pals of Vladimir Putin’s mistress Alina Kabaeva are begging the so-called “Eva Braun” to try to persuade the tiny terror to end his invasion of Ukraine.''

“Alina’s female friends are begging her to fly to Putin and persuade him to end the war,” a source told the New York Post. “He doesn’t seem to be listening to anybody, but perhaps he might listen to her.

The source added: “Putin is surrounded by rings and rings of security. Alina says she doesn’t know if she can get to him – and even if she does, she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to get out again to be with their kids.

Kabaeva is one of the most powerful women in Russia and the suspected mother of four of his children. Still, Putin has never commented on the relationship.

Following the Ukrainian invasion launched last month, the ‘Vlad Hatter’ reportedly stashed Kabaeva in a pal’s luxurious Swiss hideaway located near the frontier with France''.

''The gold medal-winning Olympian and her children allegedly have Swiss passports. She is also said to have a number of different passports under different names and nationalities.''

''Besides the push for her removal from Switzerland, a number of sports bodies are calling for her to be stripped of her plethora of Olympic and World Championship medals.

 

[PommyMommy]

NEXTA on Twitter - 7 hrs ago
In #Hostomel, #Russian occupiers burned down stables along with the horses. Most of the animals were burned alive.

NEXTA on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
The #Russian authorities gave the task of supplying the occupation troops in #Ukraine with condensed milk and socks was given to the schoolchildren of #Rostov.

NEXTA on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
Deputy Foreign Minister #Ryabkov claimed that #Russia will overcome all economic difficulties, there is no reason for alarm.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 3 hrs ago
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian invaders shelled a Ukrainian family with 2 kids from a tank, Prosecutor's General Office. Both parents and their 9-year-old girl died, the 17-year-old son received an injury. https://facebook.com/pgo.gov.ua/posts/335290821967091

NEXTA on Twitter
Colonel General Mikhail #Mizintsev, who previously headed the #Russian military operation in #Syria, is personally in charge of the siege of #Mariupol. This was reported by Sergei #Bratchuk, the spokesman of the operative headquarters of the #Odesa administration.

NEXTA on Twitter
A #Russian soldier did not want to die in a senseless massacre and surrendered his tank to the #Ukrainians. At the end of the war he will receive 10 thousand dollars and an opportunity to apply for citizenship.

NEXTA on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
The occupiers hung their flag out the window of the half-destroyed SSU building in #Kherson.

NEXTA on Twitter - 1 hr ago
The Baltic countries plan to ban #Russian ships from entering their ports.

NEXTA on Twitter - 25 min ago
It is reported that the #Russian occupiers in #Bucha, #Irpen, and #Gostomel are cut off from supplies and surrounded.

NEXTA on Twitter - 5 min ago
"I want to tell President Zelenskyy that #Italy is on Ukraine's side in this process. Italy wants to see #Ukraine as an #EU member," Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said.