Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Gotta give some shots out to my favorite Aussie poster on the forum (Other than Meclazine naturally)...

Mick Ryan just dumped an entire (23) page Tweet starts with his opinions regarding involving the significance of recent Western Allies of Ukraine donating huge amounts of military hardware to Ukraine, but also credits Leadership as a key "X-Factor" in terms of the overall Ukrainian survival factor, but then even dips down the level of training and significance of "Tactical Leaders", in the future upcoming assaults to free every inch of Russian Occupied Ukraine.

In order to see all (23) Tweets you will likely need to go directly to the Twitter thread in question.

https://twitter.com/WarintheFuture/status/1660788055274557441?s=20

This tracks with what I would expect. Great to see this nonetheless.
Thanks for sharing.

[NOVA Green]

Meanwhile, Live from Subvert City, Media Zone reports live from Radio Free Europe and the Russian Underground in Exile:

Article titled: "The fight for Glotovo. What is known about the Belgorod raid of Russians fighting on the side of Ukraine".

No Paywall required, but please feel free to donate for the Russian journalists in exile...

On the morning of May 22, a group of armed men in infantry fighting vehicles and tanks entered Russia through the Graivoron checkpoint on the border of the Belgorod Region. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, units fighting on the side of Ukraine, in which Russians are members. According to the regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, eight civilians were injured in the attack. Mediazona reveals what is known about the raid and its aftermath.

Shortly before 10:00 am , a video message from its fighters appeared on the telegram channel of the Freedom of Russia Legion, a volunteer unit where Russians who fight on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine serve . The man speaking on camera denounced Putin and urged Russians to be brave. "Don't be afraid, because we're coming home! Russia will be free!” he promised. An hour later, the telegram channel called on residents of the border regions to stay at home and not resist.

At the same time, a video appeared on the telegram channel of the Russian Volunteer Corps with fighters against the background of a sign to enter the village of Bezlyudovka in the Shebekinsky district of the Belgorod region. The off-screen voice claimed that the fighters of the corps had crossed the Russian border.

According to the pro-Russian telegram channel Rybar, two tanks, one armored personnel carrier and nine armored vehicles entered Russia from the Grayvoron checkpoint. The Gray Zone telegram channel associated with PMC Wagner claimed that the infantry fighters of the sabotage group were moving in a KrAZ truck and American infantry fighting vehicles, HMMWV and Cougar .

Around 17:00 , Shot reported that about 80 Ukrainian saboteurs in two tanks and two armored personnel carriers were again in the area of ​​​​the village of Kozinka, from where they were squeezed out by Russian security forces - probably at this time the invasion group began to retreat back to the territory of Ukraine. Baza reported that at the same time fighting was going on in Glotovo, where the shootout was taking place in a residential area, the inhabitants of which had to hide in the basements of buildings.

At 18:00, Governor Gladkov announced the introduction of a counter-terrorist operation regime in the Belgorod Region, which includes control over telephone and other conversations, restricting access to certain territories, seizing vehicles and other restrictive measures. He later reportedthat most of the residents of the border villages left their territory - without specifying whether they were evacuated or left on their own.

https://zona.media/article/2023/05/22/raid

[NOVA Green]

Meanwhile Russians against the War appear to be continuing a campaign of tossing Molotov Cocktails into Russian Military Recruitment Offices:

In the north-east of Moscow, a building caught fire, in which the military registration and enlistment office of the Preobrazhensky district is located. This was reported to "Evening Moscow" in emergency services.

All people were evacuated from the building at 14 Kolodezny Lane. According to TASS , 15 rescue crews are involved in putting out the fire on the sixth floor.

RBC writes that the military registration and enlistment office is located from the first to the third floors. In other areas of the building there are offices of commercial companies, a spa, a cafe and a housing inspection for the Eastern Administrative District.

The Oktyabrsky District Court of Murmansk sent a 19-year-old boy to a pre-trial detention center accused of setting fire to a regional military registration and enlistment office. This was reported on the website of the court.

The young man is charged with committing a terrorist act (Part 1 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, on the night of May 14, he set fire to the basement of the building of the regional military registration and enlistment office. After that, he tried to escape, but he was detained by the police.

Baza,  without indicating the source  , reported that the young man's name was Shamil Aliev-Gasanov. He, according to the Telegram channel, broke the glass on the basement floor of the building, filled the window frame with an incendiary mixture and set it on fire. The fire burned down furniture and appliances in the welfare office.

During interrogation by the security forces, writes Baza, Aliyev-Hasanov admitted his guilt and said that he committed arson because of death threats and blackmail of an anonymous person from the Internet, and not because of anti-war beliefs. The press release of the court says that after the arson, the young man threw away the canister and the lighter, which "took measures to destroy the evidence of the crime."

Mikhail Balabanov, accused of plotting to set fire to the military enlistment office in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Territory, is being transferred from the pre-trial detention center to a hospital for a psychiatric examination. This is reported by the project "Solidarity Zone".

The 20-year-old boy was detained on December 19. According to investigators, Balabanov colluded with a Ukrainian intelligence officer and decided to set fire to the military registration and enlistment office. As the father of the accused told the ASTRA telegram channel , the security forces believe that his son communicated with the special services through the “I want to live” bot. During a search in his rented apartment, incendiary mixtures were allegedly found.

Arrest was chosen as a preventive measure for the young man. During his testimony, Balabanov said: “After the start of the war in Ukraine, I experienced deep feelings of discomfort, anger, hatred for the Russian leadership, regret and sympathy for the citizens of Ukraine, in my opinion, Russia attacked Ukraine.”

In Balashikha near Moscow, five young men aged 15 to 20 were detained, whom the security forces suspect of trying to set fire to equipment in a military unit. This is reported by RBC , Astra and Baza sources in law enforcement agencies.

According to the interlocutors of the publications, in March, the detainees “created a dangerous group”, tried to dig under military unit No. 13816 and bring “flammable substance” there.

Baza writes that 19-year-old Anton Khripko and 20-year-old Sergey Korkhov led the group. It also included 20-year-old Ilya Korkach and Ivan Silin, as well as a 15-year-old youth whose real name is unknown. They were charged with organizing and participating in a terrorist community (Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code).

https://zona.media/theme/gorit

[Woody]

Bakhmut is now Artemovsk again (It's Soviet and pre-2016 name):

https://twitter.com/Spriter99880/status/1660966197595193344?cxt=HHwWgIC--Zv994wu...

[jaichind]

https://nypost.com/2023/05/22/ukraine-losing-10000-drones-per-month-to-russia/

"Ukraine losing 10,000 drones per month to Russian electronic warfare: report"

[rc18]

February 2022: "The Russian army is the 2nd best army in the world!"

May 2023: "The Russian army is the 2nd best army in Russia."

[jaichind]

Russia renames the city of Bakhmut to Artemovsk, as it was in 2014, by a decree issued by the President of the Republic of Donetsk.

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://twitter.com/maks_nafo_fella/status/1660962245168209921?s=12

[jaichind]

Sunday Telegraph cartoon on G7 summit

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://twitter.com/maks_nafo_fella/status/1660999611924848640?s=12

[Virginiá]

Making Belgorod the primary thrust for a counter-offensive could have let Ukraine not only seize significant territory to leverage in future negotiations..

So you're suggesting hostage taking then? Because that's what terrorists do.

"Man, why won't NATO let me use their stuff to conquer Russian cities and use their citizens as bargain?"

What do you think happens in war? You're acting like this is something else. Perhaps some game where Ukraine just gets bled out indefinitely by its much larger neighbor, who has no rules or decency? If Ukraine could up its chances of liberating their own people by occupying Russian border areas, and / or using those border areas to bypass hardened defensive lines in Ukraine, why shouldn't they?

Perhaps you would have a different opinion if a foreign enemy was slaughtering your people and showed no signs of leaving. Let's see how long your creative interpretations of war last then.

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://twitter.com/reshetz/status/1660975103566397441?s=12
The Russian partisan group is claiming on telegram that they had another breakthrough in the map area the tweet shows. And there are rumblings apparently on telegram Ukraine might pull a troll job and declare the area a crisis zone and send in the Georgian and Belarusian volunteers legion to support this

[Torie]

Making Belgorod the primary thrust for a counter-offensive could have let Ukraine not only seize significant territory to leverage in future negotiations..

So you're suggesting hostage taking then? Because that's what terrorists do.

"Man, why won't NATO let me use their stuff to conquer Russian cities and use their citizens as bargain?"

What do you think happens in war? You're acting like this is something else. Perhaps some game where Ukraine just gets bled out indefinitely by its much larger neighbor, who has no rules or decency? If Ukraine could up its chances of liberating their own people by occupying Russian border areas, and / or using those border areas to bypass hardened defensive lines in Ukraine, why shouldn't they?

Perhaps you would have a different opinion if a foreign enemy was slaughtering your people and showed no signs of leaving. Let's see how long your creative interpretations of war last then.

When it comes to Ukraine using Russian territory to better defend itself, the problem is not Woody, but Biden unfortunately.

[Logical]

Sending Nazis to die fighting fascists makes Zelensky the greatest anti-fascist.
https://twitter.com/AricToler/status/1660772959621873664
https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1660980457993822209

[CumbrianLefty]

Making Belgorod the primary thrust for a counter-offensive could have let Ukraine not only seize significant territory to leverage in future negotiations..

So you're suggesting hostage taking then? Because that's what terrorists do.

"Man, why won't NATO let me use their stuff to conquer Russian cities and use their citizens as bargain?"

What do you think happens in war? You're acting like this is something else. Perhaps some game where Ukraine just gets bled out indefinitely by its much larger neighbor, who has no rules or decency? If Ukraine could up its chances of liberating their own people by occupying Russian border areas, and / or using those border areas to bypass hardened defensive lines in Ukraine, why shouldn't they?

Perhaps you would have a different opinion if a foreign enemy was slaughtering your people and showed no signs of leaving. Let's see how long your creative interpretations of war last then.

When it comes to Ukraine using Russian territory to better defend itself, the problem is not Woody, but Biden unfortunately.

Honestly, is it a surprise that Biden is cautious where this is concerned? Though I do still wonder if the US were tipped off in advance about this latest development, and gave it the nod.

[Torie]

Making Belgorod the primary thrust for a counter-offensive could have let Ukraine not only seize significant territory to leverage in future negotiations..

So you're suggesting hostage taking then? Because that's what terrorists do.

"Man, why won't NATO let me use their stuff to conquer Russian cities and use their citizens as bargain?"

What do you think happens in war? You're acting like this is something else. Perhaps some game where Ukraine just gets bled out indefinitely by its much larger neighbor, who has no rules or decency? If Ukraine could up its chances of liberating their own people by occupying Russian border areas, and / or using those border areas to bypass hardened defensive lines in Ukraine, why shouldn't they?

Perhaps you would have a different opinion if a foreign enemy was slaughtering your people and showed no signs of leaving. Let's see how long your creative interpretations of war last then.

When it comes to Ukraine using Russian territory to better defend itself, the problem is not Woody, but Biden unfortunately.

Honestly, is it a surprise that Biden is cautious where this is concerned? Though I do still wonder if the US were tipped off in advance about this latest development, and gave it the nod.

Maybe not surprising, but wrong headed. The red line about no US troops around, and no targeting of non military assets, would make sense, but if ordinance is coming into Ukraine from Russia, why not go after where it is coming from? I am  not giving Biden as pass on this one. He says no, until he says yes, and his incrementalism has cost a lot of Ukrainian lives.

[Hindsight was 2020]

I’m normally one to get annoyed about fear mongering that Putin using nukes but I think you guys are seriously downplaying that likelihood of Putin launching nukes if Ukraine actually invaded Belogord. Retaking Ukrainian land Russia has stolen over the past 9 years in one thing, taking actual Russian land (that could also put Moscow itself in a missile strike range) is a completely different ballgame

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

https://nypost.com/2023/05/22/ukraine-losing-10000-drones-per-month-to-russia/

"Ukraine losing 10,000 drones per month to Russian electronic warfare: report"

I’m pretty sure there aren’t 10,000 UA drones in the first place, but who am I to argue with America’s tabloid of record.
Keep coping bro

ETA: OK this look like a total including Amazon/Alibaba Express civilian market stuff thrown together.
Also the report paints a different picture across the entire front, NYpost and our most fascist cheerleading posters decided to run with one line.

[Stranger in a strange land]

https://nypost.com/2023/05/22/ukraine-losing-10000-drones-per-month-to-russia/

"Ukraine losing 10,000 drones per month to Russian electronic warfare: report"

I’m pretty sure there aren’t 10,000 UA drones in the first place, but who am I to argue with America’s tabloid of record.
Keep coping bro

The drones shown in the article are those little quadcopter hobby drones you can buy off of AliExpress or Temu for 100-200 bucks, which Ukrainians have been using for recon or grenade drops. As Perun said in one of his videos, these are so cheap and disposable that they're more accurately regarded as ordnance rather than UAVs, but the fact that Russia now apparently has EW systems that can take them out is the real and concerning finding here. The 10,000 figure is to grab clicks and eyeballs, and even then I don't find it realistic. 

[Person Man]

Gone from “Kyiv will fall in 3 days” to “Belgorod holds!” In little over a year. Quite the special military operation eh? Lol

Going from conquering a country a third the size of your own in a few days to losing territory a year later is definitely a “special” kind of special operation.

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/avalaina/status/1660890953412927490?s=20

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/1661017347967299589?s=20

[Woody]

Sending Nazis to die fighting fascists makes Zelensky the greatest anti-fascist.
https://twitter.com/AricToler/status/1660772959621873664
https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1660980457993822209

"Putin's justification for this war is to de-nazify us, how do we dispel this?"

.."I got it! Let's invade their country with actual Nazis!"

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/lilia_yapparova/status/1660970617556852739?s=20

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1661042414142865416?s=12
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1661045018168119298?s=12