Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[DINGO Joe]

Between work and my war addiction my sleep habits have been utterly shot.  And now the Queen is about to pass. 

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://mobile.twitter.com/TpyxaNews/status/1567894651545309184

[Woody]

https://mobile.twitter.com/TpyxaNews/status/1567894651545309184

That flag was put up by some of the residents of the city. There is no confirmation by APU nor the office of the President about Balakliya being liberated.

There are still fights on the outskirts of the city.

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://mobile.twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1567904298029260800

[It’s so Joever]

Between work and my war addiction my sleep habits have been utterly shot.  And now the Queen is about to pass. 

If a war addiction exists…would the Cheney’s be genetically predisposed to it?

[Torie]

https://mobile.twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1567904298029260800

Yes, I think the Russians just fled. The town looks in good shape. Flight rather than fight.

[Splash]

https://twitter.com/haynesdeborah/status/1567863002614927360

[2952-0-0]

https://twitter.com/WarMonitor3/status/1567895144078123011?t=626O_SSQRS_KgYpa7yi...

[Splash]

https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1567883017015726082

[Logical]

https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1567883017015726082

Gunner's view. He sounds North American.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1567901702958768131

[NOVA Green]

Meanwhile it appears that partisan activities continue in Occupied Melitopol:

Vladimir Rogov, a senior collaborator in occupied Melitopol in Ukraine’s south, said the headquarters of his group “We Are Together with Russia” had been blown up Wednesday.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-evacuates-occupied-area-as-ukraine-presses-offensive-in-east-11662634838?mod=hp_lead_pos5

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://mobile.twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1567897139308634114
Kherson offensive wants in on all the action

[NOVA Green]

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1567885354253811712?s=20&t=fCKGlaPKxycVj9...

[Storr]

Note the five railway lines (two that come from Russia) that meet at Kupyansk. https://twitter.com/Nrg8000/status/1567935220489273345?s=20&t=5HV_uyOyjrNKpP...

[Storr]

The one old man who was on his knees got to me:https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/1567936769127063552?s=20&t=nSflZyT1sVQ...

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

The one old man who was on his knees got to me:https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/1567936769127063552?s=20&t=nSflZyT1sVQ...

It's fine to repost it here given how far it's already reached, but this footage shouldn't be available. OPSEC concerns aside, whoever released it did too little to censor the identities of the celebrating civilians in what is a very fluid situation. If Russian troops come back tomorrow (or at any point in the near future), these guys will be in danger.

[Lord Halifax]

It's fine to repost it here given how far it's already reached, but this footage shouldn't be available. OPSEC concerns aside, whoever released it did too little to censor the identities of the celebrating civilians in what is a very fluid situation. If Russian troops come back tomorrow (or at any point in the near future), these guys will be in danger.

I seriously doubt that, maybe in the Donbass, but this is from Kharkiv oblast where the Russians are well aware the locals identify as Ukrainians.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

It's fine to repost it here given how far it's already reached, but this footage shouldn't be available. OPSEC concerns aside, whoever released it did too little to censor the identities of the celebrating civilians in what is a very fluid situation. If Russian troops come back tomorrow (or at any point in the near future), these guys will be in danger.

I seriously doubt that, maybe in the Donbass, but this is from Kharkiv oblast where the Russians are well aware the locals identify as Ukrainians.

There have been many instances in history of occupying soldiers knowing they are widely disliked and choosing to make examples out of those who defy them most openly. The Russians have not exactly been hands-off in this war.

[JimJamUK]

I seriously doubt that, maybe in the Donbass, but this is from Kharkiv oblast where the Russians are well aware the locals identify as Ukrainians.

It’s a minority, but there’s quite a lot of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in eastern Kharkiv oblast (and a majority in some villages). In the 2019 elections it was the best area for the pro-Russian opposition outside the Donbass/southern Odessa oblast. It’s obviously difficult to accurately work out how much support the Russians have amongst occupied civilians, but I would imagine it’s higher there than the likes of Kherson.

[The Dowager Mod]

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1567950839469477889

[Lord Halifax]

I seriously doubt that, maybe in the Donbass, but this is from Kharkiv oblast where the Russians are well aware the locals identify as Ukrainians.

It’s a minority, but there’s quite a lot of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in eastern Kharkiv oblast (and a majority in some villages). In the 2019 elections it was the best area for the pro-Russian opposition outside the Donbass/southern Odessa oblast. It’s obviously difficult to accurately work out how much support the Russians have amongst occupied civilians, but I would imagine it’s higher there than the likes of Kherson.

I'd be very reluctant to translate support of "pro-Russian" parties to Russian national identity or support for annexation by Russia outside of the Donbass.

[JimJamUK]

It’s a minority, but there’s quite a lot of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in eastern Kharkiv oblast (and a majority in some villages). In the 2019 elections it was the best area for the pro-Russian opposition outside the Donbass/southern Odessa oblast. It’s obviously difficult to accurately work out how much support the Russians have amongst occupied civilians, but I would imagine it’s higher there than the likes of Kherson.

I'd be very reluctant to translate support of "pro-Russian" parties to Russian national identity or support for annexation by Russia outside of the Donbass.

I’d translate it as relatively less strongly opposed, but since credible opinion polling cannot be carried out I have no idea whether that’s 5% support or 50% support (but I’d guess closer to the latter).

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

bilaps probably ain't happy about Balakliya!

[Logical]

It will be some time until we get Russian casualty figures from the offensive, but I've personally seen at least a hundred dead Russian bodies and another hundred captives in the last 3 days. The true number must be horrendous and unsustainable.

[Hope For A New Era]

This is happening incredibly fast.