News and Updates about Russia's War against Ukraine.

[Meoima]

I have a friend in Kherson and the situation is incredibly bad. They said to me: “I am reading a lot of shit about Kherson, unfortunately it’s nothing compared to reality. It is much, much worse” Ukrainians are facing a dire situation, which I’ll lay out in a short thread:

• Escape routes out of the city are blocked. My friend has attempted to get out several times - the last driver they were in contact with was captured and had their car destroyed.
• There are now many Russians in Kherson who arrived for the 9th May parade. Many of them now work at the market and sell Russian products. My friend says that when they go out now they don’t see familiar faces. Russians are arriving to replace Ukrainians and live in their homes.
• This sort of thing is going on all over Kherson. For example, a story of a Russian person moving into an apartment block, becoming admin of the block and sending messages to residents about how they want Ukrainians to burn.
• There are checkpoints between Kherson and all other cities - the Russian army check all papers and search anyone who comes into the city. People are forced to undress and show any tattoos, to check for any “pro-Western” or patriotic iconography.

Hearing this stuff from people on the ground is utterly horrific. Wider coverage of the war seems to have faded away in many media outlets, which means that people shrug their shoulders and probably assume everything is a bit better now. In Kherson, it is very much not the case.

https://twitter.com/JosephStash/status/1524675550152904704?s=20&t=rq9bzsKzQAJqWzD2k6r2-w

 

[Dobre]

"Another Russian ship was hit today by Ukrainian navy near Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island). As a result of the attack, Vsevolod Bobrov, one of the newest ships of the Russian Navy, caught fire, according to Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa regional military administration"

https://twitter.com/RealMiBaWi/status/1524843164271530029?cxt=HHwW2sCyie2xqqkqAAAA

___

"U.S. sanctions are forcing #Russia to use computer chips from dishwashers and refrigerators in some military equipment."

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1524813077803302913?cxt=HHwWgoCwtcvanKkqAAAA

----

"The UN Human Rights Council supported the resolution to launch an investigation into the war crimes of #Russian troops 33 countries participating in the Council voted in favor of the investigation, 12 abstained. #China and #Eritrea were the only countries to vote against."

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1524805228402511874?cxt=HHwWhMC46diRmakqAAAA

 

[Dobre]

Granted it’s on the Twitter, but it looks like the Russians tried twice? At the same location?

"According to Ukrainian sources the Russians once again attempted to ford the Siverskyi Donets river, near Bilohorivka, earlier this afternoon. It went about as well as their previous attempts..."

https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/1524783663908634624?cxt=HHwWgIC-6byqj6kqAAAA

 

[alexikeguchi]

"U.S. sanctions are forcing #Russia to use computer chips from dishwashers and refrigerators in some military equipment."

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1524813077803302913?cxt=HHwWgoCwtcvanKkqAAAA

So now we see why they were looting bulky items in a war zone, mkay...

 

[Meoima]

Russian forces may be abandoning efforts at a wide encirclement of Ukrainian troops along the Izyum-Slovyansk-Debaltseve line in favor of shallower encirclements of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.
The relative success of Russian operations in this area combined with their failure to advance from Izyum and the notable decline in the energy of that attempted advance suggest that they may be giving up on the Izyum axis.
Reports that Russian forces in Popasna are advancing north, toward Severodonetsk-Lysychansk, rather than east toward the Slovyansk-Debaltseve highway, support this hypothesis.
It's unclear if Russian forces can encircle/capture Severodonetsk and Lysychansk even if their efforts focus on that much-reduced objective. Russian offensives have bogged down every time they hit a built-up area throughout this war, and these areas are unlikely to be different.

https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1524933375772852229?s=20&t=CZNqIbBkrFBzxZyGsj-ipA

 

[MacMadame]

Russian soldiers in revolt:

‘They were furious’: the Russian soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine

Troops are saying no to officers, knowing that punishment is light while Russia is not technically at war

www.theguardian.com

 

[reut]

And that’s literally “leave there.”

Yes, it was being reported since the very beginning. Ukraine even tried to contact families/mothers directly via some organizations. It's just incredible how russia doesn't care and how families don't care.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1523607158541094912

 

[reut]

Gifted WaPo story

Thank you for the link.

Some bereaved family members want Russia to redouble its military campaign in Ukraine so, they say, that their boys will not have died in vain.
Gulnara Valiyeva, 43, whose son Yevgeny was killed with his German shepherd service dog in Hostomel, near Kyiv, called on social media for Russia to keep fighting “to the end.”

The only people I'm really sorry for are Ukrainian officials who need to deal with all these piles of enemies' bodies on top of other things they need to deal with right now.

 

[reut]

17 times last I heard. When the soldiers are cannon fodder for an administration, why not 170? İt's not like it's hurting anyone in the Kremlin! Sorry, the bunker!

19

https://www.segodnya.ua/strana/podrobnosti/seriya-19-vsu-nanesli-udar-po-vragu-v-chernobaevke-1620459.html

 

[Buzz]

Ukraine conflict: Russian soldiers seen shooting dead unarmed civilians

The incident, captured on video seen by the BBC, is being investigated as a suspected war crime.

www.bbc.com

 

[reut]

CNN: UN official warns Putin millions will die if Ukraine’s ports remain blocked.

David Beasley, head of the UN World Food Program, told CNN that if Putin does not reopen Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, it could cause a global hunger crisis and the collapse of Ukraine’s economy. “If you have any heart at all for the rest of the world, regardless of how you feel about Ukraine, you need to open up those ports,” Beasley said.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524946686677762054

For real? He talks about putin's heart?? Loved the "regardless of how you feel about Ukraine" part too.

 

[Asli]

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1524946686677762054

For real? He talks about putin's heart?? Loved the "regardless of how you feel about Ukraine" part too.

Plus Russia is blocking the ships specifically to cause the hunger crisis. This is Putin's reply to the sanctions. Pretending that he's doing it because he somehow doesn't "like" Ukraine makes no sense.

I don't understand why the blockade of its ports should ultimately destroy Ukraine's economy anyway. Doesn't the WTO, the International Court of Justice, the International Chamber of Commerce or any other body have a mechanism where Ukraine can sue Russia for its losses? The amount could be paid from Russia's currency reserves abroad. Could someone less ignorant than me on the subject explain?

 

[hoptoad]

This a further reason why Russia must be permanently removed from Crimea. Trade on the Black Sea is too important to allow Russia a large naval presence there in the future.

 

[reut]

This a further reason why Russia must be permanently removed from Crimea. Trade on the Black Sea is too important to allow Russia a large naval presence there in the future.

And a reason why the world should have reacted differently when Crimea was annexed...

 

[reut]

Plus Russia is blocking the ships specifically to cause the hunger crisis.

Or to make those countries in need to start buying grain russia looted - and is continually looting now - from Ukraine.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/05/europe/russia-ukraine-grain-theft-cmd-intl/index.html
https://thehill.com/policy/internat...idence-russia-looting-ukrainian-grain-supply/
https://bykvu.com/eng/bukvy/growing...thern-east-ukraine-s-grain-stockpiles-gaidai/

 

[Asli]

And a reason why the world should have reacted differently when Crimea was annexed...

True, OTOH in this case the West is taking its cue from Ukraine itself. If it still looked like a lost cause as Crimea had and as many people believed in the beginning, Ukraine might not have received this kind of support.

 

[Asli]

Or to make those countries in need to start buying grain russia looted - and is continually looting now - from Ukraine.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/05/europe/russia-ukraine-grain-theft-cmd-intl/index.html
https://thehill.com/policy/internat...idence-russia-looting-ukrainian-grain-supply/
https://bykvu.com/eng/bukvy/growing...thern-east-ukraine-s-grain-stockpiles-gaidai/

I'm pretty sure some of that grain ends up in Turkey. Turkey has the entire southern coast of the Black Sea and it doesn't apply any trade sanctions to Russia.

 

[reut]

True, OTOH in this case the West is taking its cue from Ukraine itself. If it still looked like a lost cause as many people believed in the beginning, Ukraine might not have received this kind of support.

Yes, but situation in 2014 and with Crimea was different, Ukraine was different and the more importantly Ukrainian army looked different. Ukraine couldn't fight it in 2014, the world could. All those sanctions we see now could and should have been introduced in 2014. Because of how important Black Sea was and is, among other things.

 

[reut]

I'm pretty sure some of that grain ends up in Turkey. Turkey has the entire southern coast of the Black Sea and it doesn't apply any trade sanctions to Russia.

Among the products we're used to buy there are a few from Ukraine (which, obv, we noticed only now). For example, sunflower oil and millet. Last time I wanted to buy sunflower oil I couldn't find the usual type we take, instead the shelf was full of a new product I've never seen before, "made in russia". I do wonder whether it was looted, didn't take it, ofc (because in general I now try not to buy anything produced in russia). Luckily another supermarket had supplies of the usual one we use.

 

[Vagabond]

Doesn't the WTO, the International Court of Justice, the International Chamber of Commerce or any other body have a mechanism where Ukraine can sue Russia for its losses? The amount could be paid from Russia's currency reserves abroad.

In short, no.

The solution in the past has been reparations.

War is hell.

 

[Asli]

In short, no.

The solution in the past has been reparations.

War is hell.

By "reparations", do you mean a sum would be paid to Ukraine?

 

[Vagabond]

By "reparations", do you mean a sum would be paid to Ukraine?

Yes, but conceivably also to individuals, companies, and organizations in Ukraine as well as to countries affected by famine, etc.

 

[Asli]

Among the products we're used to buy there are a few from Ukraine (which, obv, we noticed only now). For example, sunflower oil and millet. Last time I wanted to buy sunflower oil I couldn't find the usual type we take, instead the shelf was full of a new product I've never seen before, "made in russia". I do wonder whether it was looted, didn't take it, ofc (because in general I now try not to buy anything produced in russia). Luckily another supermarket had supplies of the usual one we use.

Ukraine used to be by far Turkey 's biggest supplier in sunflower oil. İn the beginning of March, 16 Turkish ships carrying Ukrainian sunflower oil were among those blocked by Russia. In order to prevent any panic, a ship carrying sunflower oil from a Russian port made the main news bulletin in the pro-government CNN Turk.

So Turkey is definitely continuing to buy sunflower oil from Russia. It's quite probable that in any Turkish bottles that you see, Russian oil has replaced Ukrainian oil. The same for any other imports.

 

[Asli]

Yes, but conceivably also to individuals, companies, and organizations in Ukraine as well as to countries affected by famine, etc.

Good.

 

[Vagabond]

Good.

Good if Russia agrees to make reparations.

Dreadful if it doesn't.

 

[Asli]

Good if Russia agrees to make reparations.

Dreadful if it doesn't.

They can be paid from Russia's blocked foreign currency reserves.

 

[Hedwig]

Russia will not let go of the power of the grain. The world might be forced to buy the grain from Russia to save millions of people

(since there is no way to grow enough elsewhere in a short period of time and the other solution, to bring people to eat no/a lot less meat is nothing any politician is daring to even suggest even though it would be so much easier than a lot of other sacrifices that we will face in the future...)

- so they will be able to remake the money they lost and are losing from gas and oil

 

[text_skate]

so sad and good at the same time, meduza published the account of three Azovstal workers, their time in the bunkers and evacuation

‘We comforted the kids, crossed ourselves, and bid our lives farewell’ Three Azovstal steel plant workers tell the story of their escape — Meduza

The Azovstal steel plant remains the sole point of resistance against the Russian invaders in Mariupol. Though fighting has been ongoing outside of the plant for almost two months, none of the civilians hiding inside were evacuated until April 30. Azovstal workers Ilya and Pavlo (names changed)...

meduza.io

 

[DORISPULASKI]

US farmers are planting more wheat

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/wh...-grow-more-wheat-pay-market-loans-2022-04-28/

USDA estimates the US should be able to replace 50% of the Ukrainian usual production.

There is discussion of having navy ships escort Ukrainian grain ships past the Russian fleet.

That has been done before in conflict zones, like Somalia, 2008, and for that matter, the Murmansk run in WW 2.

Turkey has closed the Bosphorus to all military vessels, however, and no one trusts the Russians not to attack humanitarian ships like the Trenton, so this is not settled.

 

[Asli]

Turkey has closed the Bosphorus to all military vessels, however, and no one trusts the Russians not to attack humanitarian ships like the Trenton, so this is not settled.

Turkey hasn't closed the straits of its own accord. Turkey HAS to close its straits to military ships at wartime according to the Montreux convention.

Again according to this convention, the straits can be opened to all ships for humanitarian purposes and preventing famine is one such.