Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION #5

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  • #561

‘How can I complain about heroes?’: A trans woman fights the Russians — and the misogyny of her Ukrainian comrades​

''As a trans woman who once lived as a man Lavrenova has witnessed first-hand the different experiences of women and men on Ukraine’s front line. She became a soldier fighting on two fronts — defending her country from Russian aggression and combating stigma at home.

It was a brave and tumultuous decision for Lavrenova to transition, living in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Ukraine’s anti-LGBTQ hate levels are some of Europe’s worst, according to international organizations. And eastern Ukraine has long been bombarded by the homophobic campaigns of its Russian neighbours.''

''Sexual harassment in Ukraine’s military is widespread and part of an inherited Soviet culture of “toxic masculinity, sex discrimination and lack of professionalism,” according to a study by Invisible Battalion, an international advocacy group.

And Ukraine’s fight against Russia appears to be putting the women’s rights fight on hold.''
 
  • #562
  • #563
JUL 7, 2023
What are the cluster munitions the US is expected to supply Ukraine? | CNN

The United States has confirmed it will supply cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.

[...]

The US has a stockpile of cluster munitions known as DPICMs, or dual-purpose improved conventional munitions, that it no longer uses after phasing them out in 2016.

[...]

The bomblets in a DPICM have shaped charges that, when striking a tank or armored vehicle, “create a metallic jet that perforates metallic armor,” the article says, adding that it can take 10 or more bomblets to destroy an armored vehicle, but it may take only one to disable the armored vehicle’s weapons or render it immobile.

[...]

As the bomblets fall over a wide area, they can endanger non-combatants.

In addition, somewhere between 10% to 40% of the munitions fail, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The unexploded munitions can then be detonated by civilian activity years or even decades later.

The Cluster Munition Coalition, an activist group trying to get the weapons banned everywhere, says potentially deadly cluster submunitions still lie dormant in Laos and Vietnam 50 years after their use.

[...]

Much of the world has banned the use of these weapons through the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which also prohibits the stockpiling, production and transfer of them.

Though 123 nations have joined that convention, the United States, Ukraine, Russia and 71 other countries have not.

Using the munitions to attack enemy troops or vehicles is not illegal under international law, but striking civilians with the weapons could amount to a war crime, according to Human Rights Watch.

[...]

The US last used the weapons in Iraq from 2003 to 2006, the coalition says.

US forces began phasing them out in 2016 because of the danger they pose to civilians, according to a 2017 statement from US Central Command.
 
  • #564
JUL 7, 2023
www.theguardian.com

‘We need Russia’s complete defeat’: Ukrainian forces upbeat on the frontline

As the counteroffensive slowly advances, those doing the fighting call for more arms from the west
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
[...]

“The Russians have a lot of stuff. That’s the problem,” Garry said, sitting on a green camping chair, set up in front of a console, and hidden in a shady copse. Both sides conceal their vehicles under tree cover. Sometimes, a shadow was visible in late afternoon and gave away a location, he said. His Ukrainian-made drone flew at a 1km altitude and was equipped with a night-time thermal camera that detected large objects, he explained.

[...]

The Ukrainian soldiers said they were grateful for the support from western nations but emphasised that more was needed to defeat the Russians. In a different field planted with sunflowers, a senior lieutenant known as “Cuba” chatted with a four-man crew. They sat on an AMX wheeled light tank, recently donated by France. British Husky infantry vehicles nestled under nearby foliage.

“The Russian army has an advantage in the number of people, tanks and artillery,” Cuba said. “The gap is not as wide as it was a year ago. But still there is a gap. We are moving forward, step by step. It isn’t an easy task.” He added: “We want more heavy equipment, to make a successful offensive operation. We need an advantage in heavy tanks – not just light ones – and artillery.”

The Russians had had a long time to prepare their defences, Cuba said. They have built the most extensive fortifications seen anywhere for decades, which included three layers of trenches, 30km deep, he said and had laid a lot of mines. When his brigade stormed an enemy position last month, they found multiple underground chambers reinforced with concrete.

Cuba expressed frustration at some foreign politicians. “My perception is support from the west is too little, too late. You have to analyse the situation, with too many stakeholders. You react to yesterday’s realities and not today’s.” What would he say to those who thought the counteroffensive was a flop? “Come here and help,” he said. “We need Russia’s complete defeat so this doesn’t repeat in 10-15 years.”

[...]
 
  • #565

Canada condemns use of cluster munitions following U.S. decision to send weapon to Ukraine​

''Canada is reiterating its stance against the use of cluster munitions following the Biden administration’s decision to send the controversial weapon to Ukraine amid Russia's invasion.

In a statement sent to CTV News, the Government of Canada said its longstanding position on the weapon is clear in that Canada is fully against its use in accordance with Canada's ban against landmines.

"Building on the trailblazing work of Lloyd Axworthy on the Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines, Canada championed the adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which is now ratified by more than 100 countries," the statement said.

"We do not support the use of cluster munitions and are committed to putting an end to the effects cluster munitions have on civilians – particularly children."
 
  • #566
  • #567
  • #568
JUL 8, 2023

Exile? Execution? Or a new empire? What’s next for ‘Putin’s chef’ Yevgeny Prigozhin?​

''What will happen to the chief mercenary, Yevgeny Prigozhin, fallen from grace after a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin?

Whether the Kremlin sends the warlord to exile or executes him, the events of June 23-24 have left disarray in its wake, observers say.

While it is “quite unclear” what would happen to Prigozhin, the 62-year-old former chief of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) forces, according to Sergei Markov, a former spokesman for Putin, the exposure the mutiny has given him could be treated as an opportunity.

“He has a chance to be head of the Wagner group, a small group in Belarus. And also, he has a chance to be head of the Wagner Group in the global arena and sign contracts with African and Asian leaders. He has extraordinary advertising.”

The best scenario for Prigozhin, as Markov sees it, would be to take his business outside of Russia, since other countries acknowledge the Wagner groups’ military prowess, and may be inclined to work with him.

“It very much depends on his behaviour and his psychology. He is unpredictable and has very unusual behaviour,” Markov said in an interview with the Star.''
 
  • #569
www.bbc.com

Cluster bombs: Unease grows over US sending cluster bombs to Ukraine

Washington is supplying the weapons to Kyiv, but they are outlawed in more than 100 countries.
www.bbc.com
[...]

The US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the American cluster bombs being sent to Ukraine failed far less often than the ones already being used by Russia in the conflict.

Mr Biden told CNN in an interview on Friday that he had spoken to allies about the decision, which was part of a military aid package worth $800m (£626m).

The president said it had taken him "a while to be convinced to do it", but he had acted because "the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition".

The decision was quickly criticised by human rights groups, with Amnesty International saying cluster munitions pose "a grave threat to civilian lives, even long after the conflict has ended".
And on Saturday, some Western allies of the US refused to endorse its decision.

When asked about his position on the US decision, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighted that the UK was one of 123 countries that had signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production or use of the weapons and discourages their use.

Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles went further, telling reporters her country had a "firm commitment" that certain weapons and bombs could not be sent to Ukraine.

[...]
 
  • #570

Ukraine Emergency Crews Train For Nuclear Incident Amid Zaporizhzhya Plant Fears​


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeated his warning that Russia is planning "dangerous provocations" at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. In a recent training scenario, emergency crews prepared for radiation decontamination and the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.

Deadly Russian Missile Strike 'One Of The Heaviest Attacks' On Lviv's Civilian Areas​


Russian forces on July 6 launched a deadly cruise missile attack on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. The strike, which destroyed an apartment block, is being called one of the "heaviest attacks" on the city's civilian areas. At least five people were killed in the attack and many wounded.

'Every Street Is Mined': Hidden Dangers Slow Ukraine's Counteroffensive​


When Ukrainian troops liberated the village of Neskuchne in the Donetsk region, they found the area covered in land mines left by retreating Russian forces. After it took them three days to storm a Russian stronghold, a Ukrainian soldier says the counteroffensive is not as easy as people think.
 
  • #571
  • #572

Institute for the Study of War

Five hundred days ago Russia launched an unprovoked war of conquest against Ukraine. The Russian military intended to take Kyiv within three days but failed to accomplish any of its intended objectives in Ukraine. Determined and skillful Ukrainian
understandingwar.org understandingwar.org

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE ASSESSMENT, JULY 8, 2023​

Key Takeaways:
  • Five hundred days ago Russia launched an unprovoked war of conquest against Ukraine.
  • Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on July 8. US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl noted on July 7 that current Ukrainian operations across the front are the "beginning of the middle” of the wider counteroffensive and that it is therefore "too early to judge” how the counteroffensive is going.
  • The United States announced a new military aid package for Ukraine that includes cluster munitions on July 7.
  • Russian forces conducted another series of Shahed 131/136 drone and missile strikes against Ukraine's industrial and infrastructure facilities overnight from July 7 to 8.
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Ukraine “deserves NATO membership” ahead of the July 11 to 12 NATO summit in a press conference on July 7 in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky returned to Ukraine from Turkey with five Ukrainian commanders involved in the defense of Azovstal Metallurgical Combine in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast whom Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey had previously agreed would remain in Turkey until the end of the war.
  • Ukrainian intelligence indicated that Russian authorities are capitalizing on the fear of a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to drive out Ukrainian personnel and increase the Russian presence at the ZNPP ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.
  • A Wagner commander stated that the Wagner Group will go to Belarus after completing rest and recuperation through August 2023. The status of the deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prigozhin is unclear, and the deal may be in flux.
  • The Kremlin may be attempting to ensure that it has control over Wagner leadership and personnel in Africa and the Middle East.
  • A prominent Russian milblogger speculated that the Russian military leadership may be in the process of making the decision to replace Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, suggesting that the implications of the June 24 Wagner Group rebellion may still be having ramifications on the highest echelons of military command.
  • Russian authorities reportedly prevented former Russian officer and ardent nationalist Igor Girkin from holding a talk about the Wagner Group rebellion.
  • Russian forces conducted ground attacks along the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast border and south of Kreminna, and Ukraine likely continues to conduct strikes on Russian concentration areas deep within the rear of occupied Luhansk Oblast.
  • Ukrainian and Russian forces conducted ground attacks around Bakhmut.
  • Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.
  • Russian and Ukrainian forces continued ground attacks along the administrative border between Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts on July 8.
  • Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
  • Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reportedly observed combat training of Russian contract servicemen at the Southern Military District (SMD) training grounds on July 8, likely in an attempt to favorably portray Russian formalization efforts and incentivize personnel recruitment.
  • The Ukrainian government has indicated that Russian occupation authorities struggle to compensate staff in critical industries, resulting in staffing shortages that could hinder the Russian war effort.
 
  • #573
JUL 9, 2023
www.dailymail.co.uk

Putin sacks another top general in charge of the war against Ukraine

General Valery Gerasimov, 67, has been ousted as conflict commander and replaced by Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy as Putin tries to regain control following an attempted coup.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has sacked a top general in charge of the war against Ukraine as he continues his purge of the top brass following Wagner's attempted coup last month.

General Valery Gerasimov, 67, has been ousted as conflict commander less than six months after he was appointed. He has been replaced by Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy, according to Russian media.

The truculent move by Putin - which has not officially been confirmed - is the latest upheaval in the command of his almost 17-month invasion of Ukraine.

During his ill-conceived war, the Russian despot has fired several leaders including Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, also known as 'The Butcher of Mariupol', as well as General Rustam Muradov who was behind the massacre in Vuhledar earlier this year.

Gerasimov will remain in charge of the Russian armed forces as chief of the general staff but overall responsibility for the war now goes to Teplinskiy, 54, commander of the country's airborne troops, according to The Moscow Times citing military-linked pro-war Z-channels.

[...]
 
  • #574
  • #575
  • #576
www.cnn.com

Latest news on Russia's war in Ukraine, upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius

With a pivotal NATO summit looming, Ukraine tops the agenda for the US and other allies in the military alliance. Follow live updates here.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com
1 hr 9 min ago

It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know.​

From CNN staff

NATO leaders are preparing for a summit in Lithuania on Tuesday, with US President Joe Biden meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asking for his country to be allowed to join the European Union before Sweden is admitted to NATO.
Here are the latest headlines:
  • Biden meets Sunak in London: US President Joe Biden heralded a “rock solid” relationship with the United Kingdom during a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday morning. Biden said they would be strengthening cooperation on joint economic security, as well as discussing the NATO alliance ahead of the summit with NATO leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania.
  • Kyiv pushing for NATO membership: Ukraine wants a unanimous invitation from NATO members for Kyiv to join the defense alliance, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna said. Russia’s war in Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s push for NATO membership will be among the key issues at the NATO summit.
  • Erdogan pushes for EU accession: Turkey's path to membership of the European Union should be cleared before Sweden's NATO membership, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "First, let's clear Turkey's way in the European Union, then let's clear the way for Sweden," Erdogan said Monday.
  • Ukrainian counter-offensive making slow progress: The Ukrainian military says it has liberated 169 square kilometers of territory in the south since the beginning of the offensive in mid-May, an area roughly the size of the city of Odesa. The Institute for the Study of War said that “the current pace of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is reflective of a deliberate effort to conserve Ukrainian combat power and attrit Russian manpower and equipment at the cost of slower territorial advances.”
  • Prigozhin and Putin have met: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin after his short-lived mutiny at the end of June. There has been widespread speculation about where the Wagner leader has been since the aborted mutiny on June 23-24.
  • Moscow accused of "war crime": Russia's deadly bombing Sunday of a school where civilians were receiving humanitarian aid is a "war crime," according to police in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region. At least four people were killed and 11 others injured in the attack in the city of Orikhiv.
  • Top Russian general seen in public: Russia's Ministry of Defense has published video that appears to show top army general Valery Gerasimov in his first public appearance since the failed Wagner insurrection last month. The ministry said Gerasimov, who rarely makes public appearances, was listening to a report on Ukraine's alleged attempts to strike targets in Crimea.
 
  • #577
JUL 10, 2023
www.theguardian.com

Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after mutiny, says Kremlin

Spokesperson says president had three-hour meeting with Wagner head on 29 June, just days after the short-lived rebellion
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
06.44 EDT

Putin met with Wagner leader just days after the rebellion​

Associated Press reports that Putin has met with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner leader, just days after a short-lived rebellion by the mercenary chief and his private army.

According to the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, a three-hour meeting took place on 29 June, which also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded.

[...]

www.nytimes.com

Putin Met With Prigozhin Days After Failed Mutiny, Kremlin Says

The Russian president held a three-hour meeting with the Wagner mercenary leader and his top commanders on June 29, according to the Kremlin’s spokesman.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia held a lengthy meeting with Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and his top commanders from the Wagner private military company just five days after the group launched a brief mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov said on Monday.

It is the first known contact between the two men since the Wagner group’s brief uprising, which posed the most dramatic challenge to Mr. Putin’s authority in his more than two decades in power.

Mr. Putin invited 35 people to the three-hour meeting, including the top Wagner commanders and the group’s leader, Mr. Prigozhin, on June 29, the Kremlin spokesman said. Just days earlier, the mercenaries seized a southern Russian city and an important Russian military headquarters, and began a short-lived march on Moscow, seeking the removal of the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry.
 
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