Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[Silent Hunter]

https://twitter.com/lapatina_/status/1510210221444055043
https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1510223260356648967
https://twitter.com/NikaMelkozerova/status/1510205199335444482
https://twitter.com/OleksandraZubal/status/1510263865531060234

There was a coordinated loot transportation process in 1945; although the most common item taken then was nails for use in rebuilding homes.

'Plunder' has been a part of warfare forever - it's just had various names.

[pppolitics]

https://twitter.com/TelegraphWorld/status/1510283459226390539

[Torie]

The value of the ruble has bounced back. Krugman speculates that it is because Putin is focusing solely on that goal at the cost of high inflation rates and a tanking economy. Why? Because the ruble exchange rate is something that cannot be masked, while a sick economy and high inflation can be denied. Lie about stuff that is not subject to making it instantly obvious that you are lying.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/01/opinion/russia-ruble-economy.html

[dead0man]

The klepto plot line is one that I had not thought of before. Maybe that was a factor in combat ineffectiveness. You can't fight and loot at the same time.

I read that (at least) one of the generals killed was up at the "front" trying to stop his men from looting.

[NOVA Green]

More happy liberated Ukrainians.

https://twitter.com/avalaina/status/1510259319866109953?s=20&t=fO8kRdokC4ta9...

[pppolitics]

https://twitter.com/lapatina_/status/1510309179147358210

[NOVA Green]

Russian Gas no longer flowing to the Baltics...

Russian natural gas has not flowed to the Baltic states for the past two days, the head of the Latvian natural gas storage operator said Saturday, a potential first sign of a broader cutoff of Russian gas to Europe.

In the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, there may already have been a cutoff, Uldis Bariss, the chairman of Conexus Baltic Grid, the Latvian natural gas grid operator and storage company, told Latvian Radio on Saturday.

“While there was still doubt that Russian supplies could be relied on, these events clearly show that, from a security perspective, there is no longer any confidence,” Bariss said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/02/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/#link-LMWH4GEHBVC2REDLZE6N5GURB4

[pppolitics]

https://twitter.com/olgatokariuk/status/1510301441621213192

[pppolitics]

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1510336175776665602

[pppolitics]

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1510337011537883141

[NOVA Green]

Did China attempt to launch a cyber attack on Ukraine before the Russian Invasion?

China launched cyber-attacks on Ukrainian military and nuclear targets shortly before the Russian invasion, according to a report.

The UK government confirmed that the National Cyber Security Centre was investigating the allegations, which claim that more than 600 websites, including Ukraine’s defence ministry, were subjected to thousands of hacking attempts coordinated by the Chinese government.

A UK government spokesperson said: “The National Cyber Security Centre is investigating these allegations with our international partners.”

The claims are based on intelligence memos obtained by the Times. However, the Ukrainian security service denied on Friday night that it had supplied any information on the alleged attacks.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/01/china-accused-of-launching-cyber-attacks-on-ukraine-before-russian-invasion

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/pmakela1/status/1510321818112077831?s=20&t=2NtVSI57I9-m0...

[Roll Roons]

https://twitter.com/Blake_Allen13/status/1510340727489892357?cxt=HHwWisC4_fa45_U...

But compucomp said Putin was justified because apparently all 2.6 billion people in China and India support him.

[NOVA Green]

Russia continuing to detain elected officials within Ukraine:

Russian troops have kidnapped a local deputy mayor in the Sumy region of northern Ukraine, the region's head Dmytro Zhyvytskyi told BBC Ukrainian.

The official was named as Oleksiy Shibayev, deputy mayor of Nova Sloboda district. He was accompanying an aid delivery stopped by Russian troops at a checkpoint on Friday in the Putyvl area, about 80km (50 miles) northwest of Sumy.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60949706

[NOVA Green]

https://twitter.com/vorobyov/status/1509934514348474371?s=20&t=fO8kRdokC4ta9...

[NOVA Green]

https://twitter.com/CovertShores/status/1510294159034310657?s=20&t=fO8kRdokC...

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/vorobyov/status/1509934514348474371?s=20&t=fO8kRdokC4ta9...

TFW when you are being a camping f****t pwning n00bs with your n00b cannon, but it feels so good to see everyone crumpled before you.

[Splash]

Some extremely upsetting imagery is coming out of the recently liberated suburbs of Kyiv. A lot of civilians - mostly men but some women and children as well - killed in apparent executions. Some of the dead are just scattered across roadways and sidewalks while others appear to have been partially buried in mass graves. Given the scale, it's difficult to imagine that this is just random wanton violence. There are unconfirmed reports that Russian troops were under order to kill all 'fighting age' men regardless of whether they took up arms or not. Whatever the reason, I think this makes any sort of negotiated settlement less likely in the short-term as Ukrainians will (understandably) harden their resolve.

[Storr]

Some extremely upsetting imagery is coming out of the recently liberated suburbs of Kyiv. A lot of civilians - mostly men but some women and children as well - killed in apparent executions. Some of the dead are just scattered across roadways and sidewalks while others appear to have been partially buried in mass graves. Given the scale, it's difficult to imagine that this is just random wanton violence. There are unconfirmed reports that Russian troops were under order to kill all 'fighting age' men regardless of whether they took up arms or not. Whatever the reason, I think this makes any sort of negotiated settlement less likely in the short-term as Ukrainians will (understandably) harden their resolve.

There are particularly concerning photos of dead bodies (which look like men) wearing civilian clothes with their hands tied behind their backs. To be fair, this is exactly the same as what the Russians did in Chechnya. Is it disgusting and wrong? Yes, but I'm not surprised.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samashki_massacre

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1510352263566483459?s=20&t=ZEJ8k1g...

[Hindsight was 2020]

Some extremely upsetting imagery is coming out of the recently liberated suburbs of Kyiv. A lot of civilians - mostly men but some women and children as well - killed in apparent executions. Some of the dead are just scattered across roadways and sidewalks while others appear to have been partially buried in mass graves. Given the scale, it's difficult to imagine that this is just random wanton violence. There are unconfirmed reports that Russian troops were under order to kill all 'fighting age' men regardless of whether they took up arms or not. Whatever the reason, I think this makes any sort of negotiated settlement less likely in the short-term as Ukrainians will (understandably) harden their resolve.

Putin can’t stay in power after this is over

[Frodo]

Some extremely upsetting imagery is coming out of the recently liberated suburbs of Kyiv. A lot of civilians - mostly men but some women and children as well - killed in apparent executions. Some of the dead are just scattered across roadways and sidewalks while others appear to have been partially buried in mass graves. Given the scale, it's difficult to imagine that this is just random wanton violence. There are unconfirmed reports that Russian troops were under order to kill all 'fighting age' men regardless of whether they took up arms or not. Whatever the reason, I think this makes any sort of negotiated settlement less likely in the short-term as Ukrainians will (understandably) harden their resolve.

Putin can’t stay in power after this is over

Speaking of which:

A former Russian official now working with an opposition leader says Putin could lose his grasp on power in a few months

[Admiral Kizaru]

Some extremely upsetting imagery is coming out of the recently liberated suburbs of Kyiv. A lot of civilians - mostly men but some women and children as well - killed in apparent executions. Some of the dead are just scattered across roadways and sidewalks while others appear to have been partially buried in mass graves. Given the scale, it's difficult to imagine that this is just random wanton violence. There are unconfirmed reports that Russian troops were under order to kill all 'fighting age' men regardless of whether they took up arms or not. Whatever the reason, I think this makes any sort of negotiated settlement less likely in the short-term as Ukrainians will (understandably) harden their resolve.

It also makes any country that's trying to claim "neutrality" in this conflict all the more utterly pathetic. Wars can often be morally grey things but it's clear in this conflict who the bad guys are - most of the civilized world has recognised this. The gruesome pictures we've seen from Bucha today where Ukrainian civilian men were tied and summarily executed before the Russian forces departed were sickening. The Russian apologists and "West haters" will have to go back a long time to try and find any equivalence to anything that the West has done that is comparable in cruelty and barbarism - at least not with serious consequences to the perpetrators responsible.

Mind you it's only really one so called upcoming country that this really applies to (I think most people know who that is). Most of the rest are either smaller countries who are beholden to either Russia or China which is slightly more understandable even if wrong as it's clear they'll go down on the wrong side of history on this.

[lfromnj]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1683055/russian-invasion-of-ukraine-must-be-stopped-immediately-coas-bajwa

Pakistan usually goes through a cycle of Democratic rule to Military Junta. I guess its time for the US to support the Junta .

[Hindsight was 2020]

The images from Bucha turn my stomach ☹️

[Filuwaúrdjan]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1683055/russian-invasion-of-ukraine-must-be-stopped-immediately-coas-bajwa

Pakistan usually goes through a cycle of Democratic rule to Military Junta. I guess its time for the US to support the Junta .

The elections that brought Khan to power were quite blatantly rigged by the military, so it's more that that relationship appears to be... certainly strained and perhaps collapsed - we'll find out the latter soon enough.