Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING — Turkey has closed its airspace to Russian civilian and military aircraft that transports soldiers to Syria after notifying Moscow: Turkish Foreign Minister via TRT

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Let’s not forget that Turkey has shot down Russian jets before! Without any retaliation from Russia.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to visit Ukraine on April 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky has just announced.

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BREAKING: President Zelenskyy warns that if Russia further destroys our people in Mariupol, if a pseudo-referendum is announced as part of the creation of new pseudo-republics, Ukraine will withdraw from the process of negotiations. - Ukraine Ministry of Defence.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

That seems a bit of a self defeating threat, why would Russia care if they pull out ?

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

They will pretend they don’t care, but the reality is that Ukraine is signalling that it knows what Russia’s next steps in the occupied south are likely to be (especially with regard to stunted-up referendums) and that it no longer believes that its best case resolution to the conflict lies in continuing talks. Furthermore, at present, further “peace” talks simply legitimise Russia’s war aims. Ukraine has participated in talks up to this point because it suited them as the victim to be seen to be acting reasonably in pursuit of peace.

Whatever Russia’s public response, privately they should be worried because this signals that Ukraine doesn’t see this ending with Russia in control of the territory it currently occupies. At the very least it might force them to consider trying to consolidate what they currently hold rather than continuing piecemeal advances that are doomed to fail because they simply don’t have enough resources in theatre to achieve their goals.

There is a school of thought that says Russia no longer sees its 9th May Victory Day celebrations as the day to declare operations in Ukraine complete, but rather as an inflection point around which Putin can rally the entire economy and population for an actual, declared war. If that’s the case then it’s likely to be in Ukraine’s interests to start putting serious pressure on Russian-held territory before they are able to ramp up their own resources.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

I think the Russians have been careful not to use the word war as that could well give Ukraine the nudge it needs to send a few missiles back Russia's way which I'm sure they're more than capable of doing though not as far as Moscow (sadly), but I'd also be surprised if their are no Ukrainian special forces in Russia just waiting for the order to cause enough chaos to give Putin a bloody nose and make him think about what he's doing.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Three strategically important buildings near Moscow mysteriously caught fire yesterday. I’m pretty sure they’re already at it.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Good, the sooner they give Vlad a bloody nose the better.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

They have to change track as it is clear they are not likely to achieve even their scaled back ambitions by May 9th.

Fortunately for Putin though, 80% of Russians will swallow any official line given to them.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Are we sure of that.They may do publicly but in private it may be a different situation.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Found this heart warming story -i do hope it's true.

Russian soldier has 'millions' in life savings stolen after losing phone in Ukraine
AN INJURED Russian soldier has seen his entire life savings stolen from his bank account after losing his phone in Ukraine.

The contract soldier, called Denis, comes from the Krasnodar region and was on a combat mission in Ukraine, when he got injured and lost his phone. He was transferred back to Russia and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the Samara Oblast. However, someone in Ukraine later found his phone and used the banking app on it to access his account at the Promsvyaz bank in Russia.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...vladimir-putin

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: Foreign Ministry: Ukraine disappointed by Austria opposing Ukraine's EU membership.

According to the ministry's spokesperson, such statements ignore the fact that the vast majority of the EU's founding countries' population supports Ukraine's membership. - Kyiv Independent

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Civillian casualites will be far higher due to Russia targeting civillian area and the number of areas they control and those numbers not being available. Do those casualty numbers include those women raped by Russian forces in liberated areas? I think not.

It is estimated that over 2m were raped in Germany during the Russian assault in WW2. Are they casualties?

If you think Russia thinks the civilised norms of the west are the same you are very much mistaken. There is still a west-east divide purely due to history.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

They try to say that the rapes were in someway revenge for atrocities committed in Russia, I disagree with that statement as it made the war last longer and prolonged the suffering but I can understand that statement at least, where it falls down is they also raped concentration camp victims and even female Soviet pows to, any woman that falls into Russian army hands is in danger of being raped, repeatedly

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

I agree with you entirely, it is the "norm" for them. As I said western civilisation and eastern civilisation norms are entirely different. To understand why you have to delve deep into the history of the people.

What we see and accept as civilised behaviour and what Russia and other eastern states view is are totally different because their history is different to ours.

It is history which shapes the concept of civilisiation. Different history, different concept.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Seems like Ukainian forces are doing exactly what they need to do. Disrupt logistical supply lines and hold out in Mariupol to tie down a section of the Russian forces.

I'm inclined to think that the forces in Mariupol knew or accepted it was a possible suicide mission purely to tie up Russian forces. They've now been doing it for more than weeks.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

On that note, this morning another Russian oil depot has accidentally caught fire.

https://twitter.com/bbcstever/status...IDdT6wOh34ygnQ

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Shame

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Really, those Russians really need to updtae thier safety protocls.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

I disagree with rapes full stop. Raping an innocent person (man, woman or child) in response to the same thing being done to the opposing side is ludicrous.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

The world accepted that excuse, in much the same way they accepted the ethnic cleansing of Germans from areas of Europe post war that lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of women and children and to be clear just because someone understands something doesn't mean the agree with it.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

NEW: German opposition party Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has suggested a resolution to immediately intensify weapons supplies to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the German government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has blocked the supplies of heavy weapons to Ukraine. - Kyiv Independent

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

You can disagree with whatever you want it won't change anything. Our "norms" and their "norms" are worlds apart.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

but, but ... but ... welcoming diversity and all that stuff . .

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

This is true.

---------- Post added at 15:28 ---------- Previous post was at 15:26 ----------

What are you talking about? What has diversity got to do with the rape of men, women or children? :confused:

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

well . . I presumed (probably wrongly) that the great minds of the world want us all to be friends with each other, accept the differences between cultures and religions, and all live happily ever after in a unicorn filled utopia . . . forgive me for thinking that a few bad apples is all it takes to burn the orchard

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

What are you smoking?

I know a few ocean-going hand wringers when it comes to the whole “embracing diversity” thing, but not one of them would ever come close to condoning rape for any reason.

If this was an attempt at satire it was in poor taste and fell very flat indeed. Though I hope that’s what it was because if you were serious, it’s quite insulting.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

I don't wish to speak for Carth, but if I were to give him a huge B.o.t.D. I think it was a very clumsy attempt at highlighting that East & West values, much as Western & Islamic values are like oil & water.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

aah hell with it, I wrote a post explaining but may as well bang my head against the wall . . . carry on while I go do something else :(

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

This is where the dream of "one world" falls flat in other words is impossible.

Just look at the cases in this country of sexual abuse and the "gangs" that did it. It wasn't anything against their culture, it was/is acceptable then and now.

There is no such thing as "we are all the same" because we are not, it would be nice if were.

Past history of any Country forms the culture and by extention their view of what civilisation is.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Most of the Russian population live in Eastern Europe, not the East - they are (mostly) Western, like the rest of Europe…

http://www.geo-ref.net/pdf/russia.pdf

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...2&d=1650907212

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

As regards Russian outlook and culture would you care to explain the difference?

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Russian culture is pretty Western anyway, isn't it? Similar historical influences, majority Christian. A lot of their music and literature influenced Western Europe and vice versa. Before the first world war and the Russian revolution there were a lot of mixing of European and Russian elites and artists.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Russia is not a Western culture, I would listen to Brendan O’Neil’s interview with Konstantin Kisin.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Definitely not. Orthodox Christianity is not Roman Catholic and never has been (it isn’t Protestant either - it’s been around pretty much since the get-go). There isn’t an Orthodox Pope; the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is nominally in charge but his influence is more or less analogous to the Archbishop of Canterbury in worldwide Anglicanism. This means the territorial Patriarchs of the Orthodox churches have a great deal of personal influence. Patriarch Kiril of the Russian Orthodox has been pushing a quite violently nationalist message that gives some serious legitimacy to what Putin is doing (so far as Russians are concerned anyway).

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Fair enough. I always kinda thought of Russia as a tangent of Western culture.

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Will do.

The culture and influence derived from Christianity is different to the branches that then followed isn't it?

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

That’s a common error.

As Christianity spread north to the lands now identified with Russia from the eastern Roman Empire, the cultural influences were Byzantine, not Roman (even when the east was fully incorporated in the empire there were differences). In an effort to promote learning, especially of their religion, early missionaries devised a script for them which was based on Greek, as this was their language. Notably, not Latin. Language and even the way languages are written can isolate one culture from another. Had the land been evangelised by Roman clerics rather than Byzantine ones things might have been very different.

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To take an example, Protestant and Roman Catholic theologies (which I know more about than Orthodox) lead to quite different views about what an individual’s responsibility is towards their religion and their community. In fact strongly individualistic conceptions of the self within a community are very much a hallmark of Protestant rather than Catholic countries.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Church history is next year but one cause of divide between the Eastern and Western churches was over a small change to a creed. The western churches wanted to amend a clause about The Holy Spirit - "from The Father" to "from The Father and The Son". The filioque clause.



The issue to the eastern churches was not so much the theology but that the change was to be imposed by the pope without consultation.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

True, and the difference persists to this day (I happen to think the Roman Catholic view was correct, and the Orthodox only omit it out of pique). The difference is technical and makes no difference to the daily lived experience of any Christian anywhere.

However it is of minimal significance to the wider reasons for differences in Russian culture from the rest of Europe. That has far more to do with Western Europe’s easy ability to transmit ideas right up to the renaissance period in Latin, because this had been enforced as the ecclesial language across western Christianity. It was not the official language in the east, which actually didn’t have one single language at all. In some places Koine Greek (the language the New Testament was actually written in) persisted, but in Eastern Europe, including Russia, Church Slavonic was the ecclesial language.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Nuclear weapons likely to be used? Such piffle.:rolleyes:

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: Russia's foreign ministry says it will impose sanctions on 287 members of the House of Commons.

(via Interfax news agency)

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

I wonder why only 287?

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Possibly these are the only members who Russia can't control already. It will be interesting to see who is left off the list.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

:D:D That's both hilarious and possibly true.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Russian Ambassador to Ireland. The atrocities in Ukraine have been commited by Ukrainan Special forces.
Starts about 13 mins in but would recommend listening to the full interview to get a handle on where he's coming from. Total Russian properganda.

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22090605/

Does this guy really think we are that stupid? Does Russia really think the West are?

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

You say what Vlad tells you to say or you get polonium in your soup. Or at least that’s the charitable view. Alternatively, lying is just so much a part of the job description they no longer have any sense of how ludicrous they might sound to anyone else.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: Kremlin spokesperson says Security of Europe and the West is under threat if it continues to supply arms and weapons to Ukraine. - AFP News Agency.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: Despite Russian threats to European security over sending arms and weapons to Ukraine: German parliament gives green light for supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine.

586 of 693 German lawmakers voted in favor of providing Ukraine with “heavy weapons and complex [weapons] systems” on April 28. - Kyiv Independent

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NEW: UK Defense Secretary says Ukraine can target Russian logistics, but unlikely to use British weapons.

Ben Wallace said on April 28 to BBC that it “would be legitimate under international law” if Ukraine did so, but U.K.-supplied artillery is being used within Ukraine.

Wallace also noted that, while he expected Russian President Vladimir Putin to dig in Ukraine like a “cancerous growth,” he appears to want to expand further. - Kyiv Independent

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Bloomberg: US lifts some restrictions on sharing intelligence with Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg’s undisclosed sources, the U.S. is sharing more timely intelligence with Ukraine to help Kyiv defend and retake territory in southern and eastern Ukraine. - Kyiv Independent

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NEW: The United States has information that Russia is planning for a forced capitulation of Ukraine’s democratic elected government “dissolving all local municipal governments”: US official

US ambassador to OSCE Michael Carpenter said Russia has set up new govt structures in occupied territories. - Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy.

---------- Post added at 13:42 ---------- Previous post was at 13:29 ----------

BREAKING: Finland and Sweden will be able to join NATO quickly should they decide to ask for membership in the Western military alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. - Reuters.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Russia's missile and airstrikes into Ukraine are mostly being launched from inside Russia: senior U.S. defense official

Ukraine's airspace remains "contested" on Day 64 of the conflict Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Ukraine's Air Force: 15 aerial targets shot down on April 28.

Spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force Yuriy Ignat said while Russia is increasing the number of its airstrikes, its air force suffered heavy losses on April 28, losing an aircraft, five cruise missiles, and nine UAVs. - Kyiv Independent

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

A really good Military strategic update from War Expert, Dr Mike Martin, here goes:

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

It's a great thread.

In particular, really pleased to read this:

https://twitter.com/ThreshedThought/...44083233517571

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

This is the most interesting bit

If Ukraine went to retake The Crimea that would be the final humiliation for Putin.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Putin has blundered massively, my own uptake, feel free to agree or disagree:

On February 24th, Putin ordered his illegal invasion, as reports came out of missile strikes hitting multiple cities in Ukraine, we knew then the war was on.

The plan was to decapitate the Ukrainian government & literally kill President Zelenskyy, doing this damages morale of all Ukrainians, so Russia’s attempts to seize Kyiv, and install its own pro-Russian government, this in effect would have made Ukrainian resistance collapse & and Putin gambled, he would have had toppled and taken Ukraine within the week.

A spectacular blunder of huge proportions. Ukraine is a massive European country, with a huge military army, it’s not going to lie down for the Russians and they didn’t, they doubled down, no tripled down. The show of defiance from Zelenskyy, has boosted the morale of the entire country.

Russia didn’t count for this defiance and they certainly didn’t expect to lose one of their navel strategic assets, missile cruiser, Moskva. The Russians are still putting together, Fake News, about ammunition exploding on board, causing the sinking. Ukraine claims, it struck the vessel with its Neptune missiles, U.S official and other key western allies, obviously believe the Ukrainian version.

My view is, because of the way Putin leads his country, with literal cold fascist style governance, much like Hitler. Hitler’s downfall was his paranoia and it will be Putin’s.

Trouble is, when Hitler was cornered, he fled to his mountain. He didn’t have one last throw of the dice in the form of Nukes. If he had them, he would have used them.

The U.S and other key NATO countries are beginning to believe, though this could still be a big mistake, that Putin is bluffing when he says, he’ll use them. My view is that when he finally sees he is defeated in Ukraine, let’s hope his henchmen do first and strike with a coup, but failing this, he’ll use a small scale Nuke, he’s that mad enough and he absolutely won’t accept defeat, neither will his own country and he knows that.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Me too.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

I agree, he expected Ukraine to roll over, he didn't expect 60+ year old grannies to train how to shoot an AK-47 to help protect their country.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

It would be the end of his tyrannical reign.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

I don't see that happening though? Haven't they been putting Russians into that area over the years. I can't imagine it'll be a stable situation.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

The key loss for Russia in the Crimea would be the naval base (Sevastopol) which Russia leased from Ukraine before the 2014 invasion. Ukraine gaining the Crimea would actually put Russia in a worse situation than it was before the 2014 invasion as I can't see Ukraine re-leasing Sevastopol to Russia.

If Ukraine did re-gain the Crimea, I wonder if UN peace-keeping troops might be deployed?

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

My view is not much has changed since WWII, let's cut to the bs about nazis and spheres of influence, the reason he invaded was because a prosperous Ukraine on the boarder would make Russians think why can't we have that and topple Vlad and his chums cushy lives, it's why there is more troops and security services in Russia keeping the population in check than their is in Ukraine and it was the same 75 odd years ago, thousands of Soviet soldiers who were in any way impressed with German houses compared to their own hovels were sent to the gulag.

I think you're right, I think he expected Zelenskyy to flee and the country to collapse, I suspect we did to given the Anericans offered to fly Zelenskyy out.

I think it'll have to be his henchmen that topple him, it's why I thought it such a good idea to go after their wives and children with sanctions, can't see the Russian people rising up to do it like they did 100+ years ago and that'll lead to a bit of nose holding when it comes to dealing with his successor

I've quoted this book before WWIII by General Sir John Hackett, it's a future history written in the 70's, he's frighteningly accurate about the collapse of the Soviet Union in terms of events and timeline right up until Gorbachev, he had rabid hardliners in charge and on the brink of collapse they invaded Germany and get bogged down much like they have in Ukraine and as a final act of lunacy launch a tactical Nuke on Birmingham, we had to retaliate by dropping one on Kiev...

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

https://twitter.com/iaponomarenko/st...QtJseryZBkkUHQ

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...8&d=1651268683

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

This whole thing has worked out pretty well for countries like Poland. Not only has it revitalised American interest in NATO which has been tested in recent years, brought Germany into a more active role and possibly added Finland and Sweden to the alliance but it's also depleting Russia's military capacity for any further threat. Poland is probably delighted to be shipping over weapons to have Ukraine fight them there reducing the chance Poland will ever need to do so.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Putin's done more good to promote NATO membership than any previous Russian Prime Minister and American President put together.

I wonder if Poland is also getting rid of older weapons and getting newer ones from the US in their place?

Even if it's not, it's better for Poland that Ukraine uses those weapons against Russia troops than having to use them itself against Russian troops.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Nothing here is said or done by accident.

The USA is now spending the entire military budget of a mid-sized country on Ukraine. The UK is encouraging Ukraine to go after Donbas and Crimea. Poland has got the nod to transfer the sort of kit previously seen as too inflammatory for a country that might have found itself sharing a border with Russia had things gone sideways for Zelensky.

The mood music says NATO thinks Russia is a busted flush that can be brought to heel, and that there are enough sane people around Putin whose sense of self preservation will eventually compel them to replace him rather than obey him.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: Russia has declared that it is not at war with NATO, as senior U.S Defence Official doubts Kremlins Nuclear weapons threats. - Sky News.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Russia possibly twigging for the first time that its recent blood-curdling rhetoric may in some way be responsible for provoking the massive buildup of NATO military assets on its borders …

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

:tu:

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Ouch that had to hurt

moment Chechen commander killed while boasting about victories

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...vladimir-putin

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Russia's foreign minister has been criticised for claiming Adolf Hitler "had Jewish origins" and "some of the worst antisemites are Jews".

Sergei Lavrov hit out at Ukraine's president during an interview with Italian media, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Jewish ancestry "doesn't mean anything" while trying to justify Vladimir Putin's call to "denazify" the nation.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, President Putin described it as a "special military operation" to remove leaders he claimed were neo-Nazis.

Israel has called Mr Lavrov's remarks "unforgiveable" and summoned Russia's ambassador for an explanation. - Sky News

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

TBH Israel have to an extent hedged their bets a bit on Ukraine and it would be good to see them have a more unequivocal approach to this topic.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

TBH = To be Honest. Just a way to introduce a random point really. Otherwise it's a freestanding observation.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

But it's okay for them to call Jews criticising Israel and zionists self hating Jews, cake and eat it springs to mind...

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Would be good to see them provide Ukraine with their Iron Dome defence system. However, Israel seems to be in an informal alliance with Russia in Syria so that's unlikely. And like other Middle Eastern countries, it's shown little enthusiasm to impose sanctions on Russia.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Musing : even if Russia have to withdraw they could make such a mess of Ukraine that the latter can't farm effectively for a season giving Russia a big market for wheat and other products that the world "needs". Even if we don't like it we may have to lump it and pay Russia's price.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Good point. If Russia finally have to accept that they cannot take Ukraine, they may well decide to cause as much destruction as possible out of pure spite. Like a spoilt child.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Not a lot they can do there as they occupy very little of the farming areas of Ukraine

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

By their actions in the Black Sea they're preventing Ukranian exports so are wounding the economy that way; they don't need intervene in the farms. This is a good thread about the situation: https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/sta...33244872413184

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Longer range anti ship missiles are on the way to Ukraine which could end the blockade. I believe exports are being routed via Poland currently but at a reduced rate.

Also

Rumours are swirling in Moscow that former generals / KGB officials are preparing to oust Russia’s president Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, which is increasingly seen across Russia as a strategic mistake / an economic disaster.

https://www.cityam.com/kremlin-on-hi...d-ukraine-war/

---------- Post added at 14:40 ---------- Previous post was at 14:25 ----------

Breaking: State Border Service: Ukraine ready if Belarus joins Russia's war.

Belarus said it has begun large-scale drills on May 4 to test its combat readiness, while local residents reported spotting columns of military vehicles moving in the direction of Ukraine and Lithuania.

Kyiv Independent

---------- Post added at 14:59 ---------- Previous post was at 14:40 ----------

Breaking: Russian troops storming Azovstal in Mariupol for the second day breached the factory. Heavy fighting is taking place.

More details to follow. Contact with our men has been lost.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: U.S. believes that Russia's top military general Valery Gerasimov visited Ukraine on a fact-finding and oversight mission over the weekend: senior U.S. defense official. - Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy.

---------- Post added at 17:04 ---------- Previous post was at 17:00 ----------

Bulgaria will be repairing Ukrainian defense equipment.

Bulgaria parliament passed a package that includes humanitarian, financial and military aid to Ukraine. While the country won't provide arms to Ukraine, it agreed to help by repairing Ukraine's military equipment. - Kyiv Independent.

---------- Post added at 17:06 ---------- Previous post was at 17:04 ----------

Kremlin spokesman: War declaration on May 9 'nonsense.'

Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports that Russia could officially declare war against Ukraine and start a national mobilization on May 9, when Russia celebrates the Soviet Union's victory in World War II. - Kyiv Independent

---------- Post added at 17:09 ---------- Previous post was at 17:06 ----------

BREAKING: Austrian minister: No fast-track EU procedure for Ukraine.

Austria’s EU and Constitutional Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler said Ukraine’s accession to the EU cannot be achieved "in the next five to ten years," according to Euractiv. - Kyiv Independent.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Ukraine innovation to help improve air defense.

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...1&d=1651683188

https://itcluster.lviv.ua/en/lviv-cl...-command-west/

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

UPDATE: Ex-British Army armoured ambulances, refurbished by Britain's leading emergency vehicle manufacturer @VenariUK on a not-for-profit basis at its factories in Yorkshire, have arrived in Ukraine.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Based not far from me in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

BREAKING: The Russian assault on Azovstal in Mariupol has failed.

Contact re-established.

---------- Post added at 19:19 ---------- Previous post was at 18:56 ----------

Bulgaria will be repairing Ukrainian defense equipment.

Bulgaria parliament passed a package that includes humanitarian, financial and military aid to Ukraine. While the country won't provide arms to Ukraine, it agreed to help by repairing Ukraine's military equipment.

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

They don't need to "invade" farms but could make the land/crops unusable. In ancient days they'd salt the ground and sew rocks. Could they engineer "an accident"?

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Breaking: Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet is reportedly on fire near Zmiiny island in Black Sea. Rescue operation ongoing, multiple aircraft, rescue vessels in the area.

Meanwhile.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...AWUrxW?ocid=st

and

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcr...ound-briefing/

Re: Russia has invaded Ukraine
 

Now getting more widespread coverage as rumour hardens into verifiable facts

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2073007.html

Honestly, Russians shouldn’t play with matches, the amount of their stuff that mysteriously catches fire and explodes is ridiculous.