The Russians have gone in

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Perfect example of how Russian disinformation is used on varied social media, even on health sites/apps.
 
Finally!

The United Nations' judicial arm on Wednesday ordered Russia to "immediately suspend the military operations" it started when it invaded Ukraine nearly three weeks ago – yet another attempt by the international community to condemn the country's actions and globally isolate it.

The decision – which was approved by a 13-2 vote – by the International Court of Justice calls for Russia to "take no steps in furtherance" of the invasion. It follows a request by Ukraine for the court to intervene and order a halt to Russia's attacks. The only two judges to vote against the order are from Russia and China – another example of the two countries' alignment.

"The Court considers that the civilian population affected by the present conflict is extremely vulnerable," the decision reads. "The 'special military operation' being conducted by the Russian Federation has resulted in numerous civilian deaths and injuries. It has also caused significant material damage, including the destruction of buildings and infrastructure. Attacks are ongoing and are creating increasingly difficult living conditions for the civilian population."

Louise Blais, the former Canadian ambassador to the U.N., noted in a tweet that the decision creates conditions for the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly to enforce the order. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas added that now, because of the order, "any shot fired, any bomb dropped by Russia on Ukraine violates international law."

MSN
 
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So I watched the Stone film in its entirety; I'm not going so far as to call it a documentary.

That doesn't mean that there wasn't interesting stuff. Those interviews with Putin, Yanukovich, and the interior minister will make great material for anybody producing a REAL documentary juxtaposing them with people who do not seamlessly agree with their and Stone's narrative.

I'm not going to dissect the Maidan events in detail. But I do have major quibbles with the history. Especially as it tries to bolster Putin's Nazi story.

There is no doubt that Ukraine was the most anti-Soviet section of the USSR when the Germans invaded in 1941, and that many Ukrainian volunteers joined the Nazis, including participating in the Holocaust. Anti-semitism in Ukraine was as virulent and genocidal as elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

But the film starts with Ukrainian collaboration in 1941 and completely skips over the reason for Ukrainian anti-Soviet and anti-Russian attitudes: not Ukrainian nationalism, but the basic but essential fact that in the 1920s/30s Stalin had tried to kill them all, and succeeded to the tune of several million Ukrainian peasants. Knowing that might explain a bit.

What it does not support is the implied idea that somehow there is a continuous strong Nazi streak running through Ukrainians, from back then to today.

It is true that a variety of radical groups emerged in 2013/14 on the fringe of the Maidan movement that toppled Yanukovich. Organizations such as the Azov group have actually enjoyed some uncomfortably close connections to the state. But they were always politically irrelevant. In the last elections in 2019, the far-right groups and parties mentioned in the film, like Svoboda, teamed up, together got less than 3%, and didn't win a single seat in parliament. Hardly the basis for a government run by Nazis.
 
Many calls for putin to be "taken out". He is Mr. KGB, he's in a bunker in Siberia, surrounded by toadies and food tasters, or? I would not bet on it.
 
Biku324, I appreciate your diligence in updating this thread. It is good to have a member, like yourself, with in theater experience, posting updates.

Thank you. It's an odd feeling to be tooling down the 'autocesta' in Republka Serpska and see 6'-10' Russian tricolor flags hanging from every highway lightpost. Russians have been sticking their fingers in our eyes at every opportunity everywhere they have 'friends' since Putin gained power. Not a fan.

Once in Croatia I had to buy fuel from Gazprom or run out. I still shudder.
 
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While this is all above my pay grade I have kept up with this thread and have gotten a lot out of it.

I just wanted to say that there are some well informed and very astute posters here. Well done.
 
Interesting comments on this thread over the past 24 hours...thanks to everyone for your insights...good reading!

I'm gifting to the thread this thought-provoking column from the New York Times...the author makes a powerful case that what's happening today parallels what happened in the 1930s, as Germany and Japan engaged in a series of aggressive acts which went unchallenged.

From the column: "World War II didn't so much begin as it gathered, like water rising until it breaches a dam. We, too, have been living through years of rising waters, though it took Russia's invasion of Ukraine for much of the world to notice."

Opinion | Russia's War in Ukraine: This Is How World War III Begins - The New York Times
 
4th Russian general, Oleg Mityarv, killed in Ukraine.

Four generals killed in three weeks...hmmm. I have no expertise in military tactics, but it seems to me that if you can't keep your general officers out of harm's way, you're probably in serious trouble...

Lots of speculation on the news this morning about Putin's state of mind...yesterday's rant about cleansing the country was really disturbing. I've been on the fence between the opinions that he's just doing what has always worked for him in the past...and that he's crossed the line into bat-guano craziness. Whatever the case, this guy is not talking the way you'd hope somebody with access to nukes would talk.

I'm hoping and praying that somebody in his inner circle decides enough is enough...and the sooner the better.
 
It's always been "Peace Through Strength".
The weakness in NATO and it's leaders emboldens the reckless and powerful.
No action while Putin was amassing his army on the border for months signaled weakness.
Arming the Ukraine with modern air defense systems prior to the invasion would make a no fly zone unnecessary and the invaders air superiority and cruise missiles much less effective.
 
It's a side note in the news coverage, but a gamer-changer on the way to Ukraine is both counter-battery radar to pinpoint artillery sources, then counter-mortar radar to do the same for motars. This makes stable, massed artillery emplacements impossible to maintain against counter-barrage and drone strikes.
 
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