Redlands18
Well-Known Member
I could see Ukraine turning into another Afghanistan for Russia with one massive difference, a western Border dominated by Hostile Nations backed by NATO
The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread
- Thread starter Feanor
- Start date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #1,022
I'm slightly confused. The fact that the Ukrainian government has made use of right wing extremists in both internal political struggles and most prominantly in the conflict in the Donbas in '14-'15 is not really being disputed by anyone here, and the information has been posted on this forum many times, with commentary and discussion from many members. If you have something to add to that conversation, feel free. If it pertains to the fighting or to the state of Ukraine, then this is the appropriate thread. At the end of the day, there's a reason the EU wasn't tripping over it's feet to offer Ukraine membership (there's actually many reasons). Is it that you don't see it being discussed in major media outlets? Well... that's media for you. Between the fact that major media outlets frequently push a narrative, and that major media outlets have become more and more centralized owned by fewer and fewer entities, it's not surprising that the quality of coverage drops. And in general there has been, in my opinion, a drastic decline in the quality of journalism over the past two decades across multiple countries. Bellingcat has some great materials on the subject, if it interests you.
Is the video available on YouTube so it could be reviewed/analyzed here? It seems like much of the footage shared on social media of the Russian Air Force allegedly flying over Ukraine are fake. Some of the videos being shared are amateur mobile captures from a flypast that took place in Moscow a few years back.
Last edited:
Russian forces were observed via CCTV to be in Kherson.
Assault on Kharkiv has started
Redlands18
Well-Known Member
The quality of Journalism has declined over the last 2 Decades.
Has a truer Post ever been posted on DT?
We need a 100% button
Muukalainen
New Member
I was replying to this particular post in the thread, though it is an argument I have heard frequently in more mainstream settings. I will double-check any future posts for relevancy.
I follow Bellingcat intermittently, but I pulled back from their non-technical pieces when I heard some claims about ties to US intelligence communities. I will admit to forgetting the source of those claims, so take with some grains of salt.
I do have 2 related questions. Firstly, I haven't been able to get even a rough sense of the proportion of Ultra-nationalists/Neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian military. Is it very small, less than 1%, or a considerable fraction, greater than 5%? From your posts I am aware of a lack of a general census for many years, which does not inspire much confidence in more specific polling. I would be interested in any general pointers in the right direction. Secondly, I was wondering what military competence the Azov Battalion has had in the past; I would assume it would need to be at least somewhat significant for the Ukrainian government to do so little to reject them. They are also legally not supposed to US aid, so I would imagine that would force them to use older gear. I guess I am asking what would the realpolitik reason for Ukraine not aggressively pushing them out?
Also this projection assumes a) they will take control of the whole of Ukraine (unlikely IMO), and b) they won't ethnically cleanse whatever part of it they keep (also unlikely IMO)
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #1,029
I suspect Russia won't ethnically cleanse anything, but the LDNR are a different story. On the other hand one thing I definitely noticed is a difference in the way locals react to rebel forces, mainly making small advances within their own regions, and Russian forces moving all over the country. The rebels tend to encounter a much friendlier reception. Russian forces seem to inspire either fear or anger. I do not think this is a coincidence. Also, there are already plenty of Ukrainian fleeing the fighting. When the rebels took their areas, many left then as well. I suspect it won't require Russian ethnic cleansing to have many Ukrainians simply leave, especially the younger ones.
I've heard those claims as well (specifically about UK not US) but also can't speak to their veracity.
I honestly don't know. I suspect it depends on how you define it and what counts as a Neo-Nazi. I suspect less then 1% would be accurate but I could be wrong. Also, Azov as a military unit is small, though the political movement includes a much larger number. And S14 isn't a part of the military at all, and is just a political group of right wing extremists.
The first few seconds of this video: A convoy of SU-57 fighter jets launching missiles at residential areas in Ukraine.This is so scary
The video looks like it may have been rotated from what I saw on Twitter a few days ago (that post has since been removed for violating Twitter's policies). But it's the same overall clip.
Todjaeger
Potstirrer
Given the low altitude and formation flying, I strongly suspect the clip is a montage of other clips from the past, with nothing to do with the current fighting.
What is that supposed to be? That looks a lot more like footage flight performance at some airshow with sounds being added in.
Todjaeger
Potstirrer
Given the buildings, I tend to suspect that it was filmed either just outside of an area near an urban area, or just outside for an airport or air base. That kind of low-level flying, albeit not typically in close formation, could be in the approach or departure corridor.
Yes this would be true. However you could find such groups in a significant number of countries including Russia I know the link is wiki but it does give an indication of neo Nazis in Russia Russian National Unity - Wikipedia
When you have to fight a much larger country that has invaded you country, I would suggest that you would welcome any help you can get.
Others have provided the cluster munitions links. WRT the thermobaric weapons, I had seen a report that they were illegal but afterwards I was doubtful and decided today to check up on it. @Todjaeger has replied regarding this but I did find this in a recent Newsweek article:
"Have thermobaric weapons been banned?
Vacuum bombs are not technically illegal and can be used in certain battle situations. However, the use of fuel-air explosives on civilians is considered a breach of the Geneva Convention, which drafted guidelines for how weapons can be used during war in regards to human populations. Nongovernmental watchdog groups have also long condemned the use of thermobarics for the indiscriminate nature of the destruction it can cause."
Yes a media article, but the best explanation that I could find. I note that in this 2003 US report that it stated Russia was exporting thermobaric weapons but no mention was made about any illegalities. So I am wrong about it and quite happy to admit my mistake.
Ananda
The Bunker Group
This is one of video in you tube that shown Russian and Rebels progressing in Ukraine day to day. I have check with many similar map online, and in western media, seems more or less they shown what happen already.
I do suspect that also, as seeing how some (especialy in the East with the rebels) shown acceptance, while others fleeing. Also how the relative faster movement from Russian forces from Crimea done in South, either the Ukraine more or less provide less stiffer resistances or the Populance provide relative less opposition.
The movement so far inidicating Russian basically not shown movement yet to the West. Perhaps they are not interested with the West. Will be interesting whether they aim to whole south including Odessa thus, cut off Ukraine from coast.
Even with consolidating the area in south and east under new pro Russian Republic with mostly ethnic Russian population (as that's according to Ukraine population distribution), it will already reach some of Putin aim.
So, in the end there's probabilities Russia and the seperatist will not going to govern most majority ethnic ukraine population. The movement in Kyiv I do believe more to push and cut off Zelensky.
Looking at the size of the actual explosions, they seem a bit large to be from AGLs, especially when compared to the cars shown in the image. I.could be wrong of course.
On the Tigrs, from what we saw none suffered any penetrations, thus I'm curious why the crews decided to abandon the vehicles rather than drive off from the kill or ambush zone. Also, would it be accurate to assume that the Tigrs were a lead or scout element of a larger unit? I have no idea what type of units are equipped with Tigrs.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #1,038
If they were immobilized with damage to the wheels, they could have been in bad shape. It's hard to say what happened. Combat situations are highly fluid. Tigrs are indeed used by recon elements, though in some cases they are just used by regular light infantry like the 55th Motor-Rifles out of Tyva. They are also used by SpN elements, though these are probably not that.
Capt. Ironpants
Active Member
For anyone interested in the humanitarian situation, this is my go-to source:
reliefweb.int
Information is collated from various UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations (ICRC, etc) and reported in summary fashion with timely updates. Of course in such situations, numbers of civilian casualties, etc. cannot be perfect, but their figures are surprisingly accurate considering the challenges. You may not be able to see it on the map, but about 667,000 have fled to neighboring countries. Not in this report, UNHCR reporting very long waits at border crossings still at this time, up to 60 hours. Some who crossed today had been waiting in cars for days in freezing temperatures.
Ukraine: Humanitarian Impact Situation Report (As of 5:00 p.m. (EET), 1 March 2022) - Ukraine
Situation Report in English on Ukraine and 5 other countries about Contributions, Coordination, Epidemic and more; published on 1 Mar 2022 by OCHA
Information is collated from various UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations (ICRC, etc) and reported in summary fashion with timely updates. Of course in such situations, numbers of civilian casualties, etc. cannot be perfect, but their figures are surprisingly accurate considering the challenges. You may not be able to see it on the map, but about 667,000 have fled to neighboring countries. Not in this report, UNHCR reporting very long waits at border crossings still at this time, up to 60 hours. Some who crossed today had been waiting in cars for days in freezing temperatures.
