Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[Woody]

Ukrainians (supposedly) launching another night attack through Orikhiv.

Good luck.

Also, shooting near Nova Kahkovka. Ukrainian DRGs?

https://twitter.com/Sprinter99880/status/1669446430279213057?cxt=HHwWgoCxhd2riKs...

[Woody]

Ka-52

https://twitter.com/Trollstoy88/status/1669419497516613686?cxt=HHwW7IC2qYSM_KouA...

[jaichind]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-get-more-leopard-2-tanks-western-partners-2023-06-15/

"Ukraine to get more Leopard-2 tanks from Western partners"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65897919

"Ukraine war: The challenges of training F-16 pilots"

Ceaser 49BC:  I set forth to fight an army without a leader (Pompeian force in Hispania), so as later to fight a leader without an army (Pompey in Greece.)

Putin 2023AD: I set forth to fight a less well-trained Ukrainian army with advanced NATO weapons, so as later to fight a well-trained NATO army without advanced NATO weapons

[Dereich]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-get-more-leopard-2-tanks-western-partners-2023-06-15/

"Ukraine to get more Leopard-2 tanks from Western partners"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65897919

"Ukraine war: The challenges of training F-16 pilots"

Ceaser 49BC:  I set forth to fight an army without a leader (Pompeian force in Hispania), so as later to fight a leader without an army (Pompey in Greece.)

Putin 2023AD: I set forth to fight a less well-trained Ukrainian army with advanced NATO weapons, so as later to fight a well-trained NATO army without advanced NATO weapons

An odd comparison for a lot of reasons. For one, there's no compelling reason to believe that NATO has given weaponry in sufficient quantity AND of sufficient quality to degrade their ability to fight a major war. Plenty of advanced air/missile systems and newer technologies that would be the cornerstones of any NATO war have not even been contemplated as aid. Even the Leopard tanks that Russian bloggers so gleefully dream of capturing have been in operation for 50 years. For another, the Russian army has acquitted itself so poorly on the battlefield that any talk of another war on their part against ANYONE let alone NATO is pure comedy.

[jaichind]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-get-more-leopard-2-tanks-western-partners-2023-06-15/

"Ukraine to get more Leopard-2 tanks from Western partners"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65897919

"Ukraine war: The challenges of training F-16 pilots"

Ceaser 49BC:  I set forth to fight an army without a leader (Pompeian force in Hispania), so as later to fight a leader without an army (Pompey in Greece.)

Putin 2023AD: I set forth to fight a less well-trained Ukrainian army with advanced NATO weapons, so as later to fight a well-trained NATO army without advanced NATO weapons

An odd comparison for a lot of reasons. For one, there's no compelling reason to believe that NATO has given weaponry in sufficient quantity AND of sufficient quality to degrade their ability to fight a major war. Plenty of advanced air/missile systems and newer technologies that would be the cornerstones of any NATO war have not even been contemplated as aid. Even the Leopard tanks that Russian bloggers so gleefully dream of capturing have been in operation for 50 years. For another, the Russian army has acquitted itself so poorly on the battlefield that any talk of another war on their part against ANYONE let alone NATO is pure comedy.

https://www.newsweek.com/nato-allies-would-run-out-ammunition-within-days-war-russia-report-says-1780851

"NATO Allies Would Run Out of Ammo Within Days of War With Russia: Report"

[Storr]

Ukrainians (supposedly) launching another night attack through Orikhiv.

Good luck.

Also, shooting near Nova Kahkovka. Ukrainian DRGs?

https://twitter.com/Sprinter99880/status/1669446430279213057?cxt=HHwWgoCxhd2riKs...

I'm guessing Russians shooting at UAVs:

https://twitter.com/DefMon3/status/1669449842156789766?s=20

https://twitter.com/DefMon3/status/1669456944803852289?s=20

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/Faytuks/status/1669482487133642752?s=20

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

https://www.politico.eu/article/petr-pavel-russia-czech-republic-surveillance/

“All Russians living in Western countries should be monitored much more than in the past because they are citizens of a nation that leads an aggressive war,” Pavel said in an interview with Radio Free Europe released Thursday.

“I can be sorry for these people, but at the same time when we look back, when the Second World War started, all the Japanese population living in the United States were under a strict monitoring regime as well,” said the Czech president. “That’s simply a cost of war.”

Nasty rhetoric, but this seems unlikely to translate into concrete policy. If Ukraine isn't going to do it, I doubt Czechia's divided government will.

Hopefully it learns there are other options besides institutional racism and ignoring diplomats who are actually spies. The war is very likely to brutalise its participants over time, but Czechia is not a participant.

Yes, the president made a stupid populist statement that only sabotages the work of Czech intelligence. There are indeed many agents abroad among Russians financed through countless strange funds with a double bottom, but their activities must be investigated quietly, and not declared like this: urgently hide all evidence and watch your words.

And indeed, primarily they should investigate activities of Russian diplomats and Russian politicians and people associated with them, who continue to own real estate in the Czech Republic as if nothing had happened.

[dead0man]

"NATO Allies Would Run Out of Ammo Within Days of War With Russia: Report"

and the fact that "Russia Would Run Out of Ammo Within Hours of War With NATO" is meaningless to these people?

[jaichind]

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://twitter.com/amk_playz/status/1669498710643052544?s=12
https://twitter.com/ukraine_warmap/status/1669511651345805312?s=12
After everything that Russia has thrown into Bakhmut and after how much they made it this big crowning propaganda moment they’re likely going to have to abandon it in maybe month or so at the rate Ukraine is eating into the flanks lol

[2952-0-0]

After everything that Russia has thrown into Bakhmut and after how much they made it this big crowning propaganda moment they’re likely going to have to abandon it in maybe month or so at the rate Ukraine is eating into the flanks lol

Part of my armchair commanding says that the Ukrainians should push forward in Bakhmut as much as possible. If they accomplish as you describe, then Prigozhin will rant and rave, "I spent an entire year and so much blood to take Bakhmut, and then handed it over to the Russian Army, which then lost it in just a month! Shoigu and Gerasimov are a bunch of sh!ts! I should become the Defence Minister and then become the power behind the throne!"

[Pericles]

Only 28% of the US public saying too much aid is being provided isn't going to deter Biden or damage his re-election chances.

[Storr]

Ukraine launched a HIMARS strike near Kreminna that Russian sources are saying killed 200 Russian soldiers
https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1668922195777581057?s=12

Video:

https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1669497556336771075?s=20

https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1669497580672151553?s=20

https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1669497584711344128?s=20

[Hindsight was 2020]

That’s weird a certain poster who’s been active in the thread today forgot to cite one of his favorite twitter sources, wonder why?
https://twitter.com/suriyakmaps/status/1669479119787028481?s=12

[NOVA Green]

Meanwhile down in the "Subvert City" town of Leningrad / Saint Petersburg, a Russian Hip-Hop artist, had a concert disrupted by a massive police onslaught under allegations of "drugs", where also allegedly the artist said or sang a song to the theme of: "F**k the War".

EDIT: Forgot Link:

https://zona.media/news/2023/04/23/milano

Atlas Nation can be focused on minute little battlefield threads, cash flow and money, supplies of ammos and munitions, geo-politics, aspects and impacts within "Global South", Asia-Pacific, etc... but yet still perhaps sometimes neglect the realm of popular culture.

Don't have that on video, but might be available on Telegraph somewhere, so shopping for a couple other beats.

Personally not sure this dude is the best Russian Rapper on the planet, but still more difficult not speaking Russian.

Here are some samples from his Rap Mix... curious opinion what Russian language familiar speakers or comprehension think?

Spoiler alert! Click Show to show the content.

Show

Meanwhile a former image from a certain VA avatar pops up in the bottom of this search...

Well, I now listened to a couple of his songs, I didn’t find anything oppositional, the topics that are common for modern rap are money, sex, boasting, drugs. By the way, it’s strange that Mizulina decided to find fault with this rapper about drugs, it’s like fined one specific Austin Mini for speeding, while it was driving along the autobahn and other cars continue to drive around at a higher speed.

Yes, this is really not the best Russian rapper, this is the level of a completely novice Russian rapper, and the quality of the recording is very low, it is unlikely that he can become popular in Russia. Even great PR from Mizulina will not help here.

I think the chanting of "F*** the war" at the concert is just what an adequate part of Russian youth thinks, who somehow escaped brainwashing. Unlike the conscious opposition musicians I listed above, he is more of a part of it than a leader.

Thanks Oleg for confirming what I suspected from this rapper based upon looking at some of his music videos without understanding Russia.

So again perhaps makes the police raid even more interesting if even relatively innocuous crappy hip-hop shows end up with some drunk fans expressing how they really feel, while meanwhile some secret informant is in the audience waiting to call in the police for a raid.

[GoTfan]

In other news, Colonel James Burton is once again proven to be a pathological liar and Pentagon Wars is a pile of rubbish:

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1669381431372525570

I am overjoyed to see the Reformers fade into irrelevance.

[NOVA Green]

Although we are still dealing with the fog of war...

Thought there were a few interesting nuggets from a much longer NYT article, perhaps not mentioned much thus far (Although the exclusive stories from Ukrainian frontline soldiers quoted are interesting enough):

The combat taking place now is primarily in two locations about 50 miles apart, south of Velyka Novosilka and south of Orikhiv. After early uncertainty, these appear to be more than mere feints or probing attacks by Ukraine. By attacking in two places, Ukraine is forcing Russia to decide where to deploy reinforcements.

Both sides are now in a guessing game.

So far, the battle to the south of Velyka Novosilka, fought in the Donetsk region, where shadows of clouds played across fields of high green grass, wildflowers, small lakes and reedy swamps, has gone better for the Ukrainians than the fighting near Orikhiv, which is in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Hanna Malyar, a deputy minister of defense, said Thursday that the counteroffensive was progressing “gradually but steadily.” Gen. Oleksiy Hromov, a deputy commander of operations in the general staff, said Ukraine had advanced in total 6.5 kilometers, or about four miles.

Soldiers in the 68th Brigade said that a company of Russian soldiers — about 100 men — had been cut off while retreating from the village of Blahodatne. The Ukrainians have been hunting for them, while trying to avoid artillery fire.

Those they have captured so far are poorly trained troops, including former convicts, suggesting that Russia had deployed more fighters it considered more expendable near the front while keeping more capable ones in reserve.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/15/world/europe/ukraine-recapures-villages.html

[2952-0-0]

A delegation of African leaders are on a mission. First, they will visit Zelensky in Kyiv. Then, they will visit Putin in Moscow.

African leaders are “working to bring pressure” on Russia’s Vladimir Putin and others to end the war in Ukraine that has caused a cost of living crisis on much of their continent, according to the president of Sierra Leone.

Julius Maada Bio, who is seeking re-election this month, said Africa “always suffers disproportionately” during global crises, from wars to epidemics, but it was often ignored because “our voice has not been strong enough to stop what’s happening out there”.

Speaking on the eve of a high-profile peace mission by a group of African leaders to Moscow and Kyiv this week, Bio said: “We’re working to bring pressure to bear on President Putin and all those concerned so the war can come to an end, so we can live peacefully.”

https://www.ft.com/content/93563e03-0f36-4291-8169-eb42f89a47eb

The African leaders have proposed a plan that would meet Ukrainian demands, and only concede that Putin would not face the ICC warrant. It pours cold water on the idea that somehow Africa supports Russia. The prevailing sentiment in Africa is closer to "We want Ukraine to win, but the West should also listen to our needs".

The framework document, which has not been made public, states that the objective of the mission is "to promote the importance of peace and to encourage the parties to agree to a diplomacy-led process of negotiations".

"The conflict, as well as the sanctions placed on Russia by major trading partners of the (African) Continent, have had an adverse effect on African economies and livelihoods," it said.

The document lists a number of measures that could be proposed by the African leaders as part of the first stage of their engagement with the warring parties.

Those measures could include a Russian troop pull-back, removal of tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, suspension of implementation of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant targeting Putin, and sanctions relief.

"The above-mentioned measures should aim to facilitate the creation of an environment conducive for a ceasefire, and that will allow the parties to build trust and to consider formulating their peace restoration strategies," the document said.

A cessation of hostilities agreement could follow and would need to be accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West, the document stated.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/african-leaders-propose-confidence-building-measure-russia-ukraine-document-2023-06-15/

[NOVA Green]

Meanwhile to each according to their means and each according their ability to paraphrase a former American Anarcho-Syndicalist movement the Industrial Workers of the World.

Norway and Denmark have agreed to send an additional 9,000 artillery rounds to Ukraine, Norway’s Defense Ministry said in a statement Thursday. “Ukraine has an urgent need for artillery ammunition,” said Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram. Both Scandinavian nations have previously sent artillery to support Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted his gratitude for the “new joint defense assistance package.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/15/russia-ukraine-war-news-brussels/



Meanwhile here is a musical interlude written by the legendary Ukrainian Anarchist Nestor Makhno[/size] himself who fought to keep Ukraine free from the rising totalitarian regime emerging within Russia after the revolution.

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

Translated as "Horses are Running":

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

Well, nationality and statehood don't matter to real anarchists, and they didn't matter to Makhno either. I don't understand how the assistance of two Scandinavian states to Ukraine, which is fighting for the preservation of national identity and statehood, is connected with American and Ukrainian anarchists.

[NOVA Green]

Well, nationality and statehood don't matter to real anarchists, and they didn't matter to Makhno either. I don't understand how the assistance of two Scandinavian states to Ukraine, which is fighting for the preservation of national identity and statehood, is connected with American and Ukrainian anarchists.

Sorry Comrade... forgot to mention that I have been a philosophical Anarchist ever since I was in High School some ~35 years back.

Was involved in various Leftist organization and demos starting when I was in High School, including Internationalist activities a bit later in life in Europe.

Russia claims domination over Ukraine for what???

But YES--- If Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians reject the Anarchist cause of freedom, I fear that once again even after the changes and revolutions to come, that future totalitarian societies might emerge in the future.

Why is Kropotkin not taught within former Soviet Republics, including those who slipped away from the claws of mother Russia?

Sure, I get that my post might have been a bit odd when it comes to handful of ammo dumps from Scandinavia, but interestingly enough the history of the American Anarchist Labor movement was heavily influenced by immigrants from countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Norway....

But Oleg, feel completely reassured that American Anarchists absolutely support Ukraine vs Russia, despite certain concerns when it comes to expansion of NATO membership.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/12/1181714943/elizabeth-gilbert-halts-new-book-release-russia-ukraine
What a shame things like this are becoming a casualty of the war.
How stupid.
Sorry to say that, even if it brings pain to some Ukrainians that books are written set in Russia, they are better off not hectoring authors with this chip on their shoulders of themselves. They have much bigger problems, they don't have the luxury of getting offended at...*checks notes* books set in the Siberian tundra in 1970s Russia.

[Woody]

That’s weird a certain poster who’s been active in the thread today forgot to cite one of his favorite twitter sources, wonder why?
https://twitter.com/suriyakmaps/status/1669479119787028481?s=12

Because this is the 7th time you post about Lobkove. Didn't want to steal your spotlight when it came to this uninhabited village.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Ukraine-war/Russia-pays-Sakhalin-dividends-in-Chinese-yuan

Russia pays Sakhalin dividends in Chinese Yuam

This is mostly to Japanese firms and necessary due to sanctions which blocks Russia from sending money in USD

Where there's a will, there's a way.