Ukraine war mega thread

[helge]

It just happens to be a group of guys who enjoy taking the piss out of clowns like you.

So you appreciate me ?

You could not checkmate a five-year-old.

Have done that

Even check mated my son when he was 8.

So wrong again

You might have had a point if the bridge was inside the Sea of Azov, but it isn't it is on the Black Sea side of the channel, so it is exposed to the salinity of the Black Sea.

So ya, your point of "substance" was horseshit.

OK
I settle for a hasip-hasip on that one

They all have humiliation fetishes.

Yeah

Only reason to type a post or two here

Do hurt me, Mr Well Vetted in millitary history.

Nah


Carry on and have all the fun you want.


Won't hurt nobody

[sabang]

Oh the irony- snub describing others as having a 'humiliation fetish'. Seems like only yesterday he humiliated himself by falsely stating the Kerch rail crossing was totally closed, when in fact 17 trains had passed through. But actually, it was the day before. Acting like a chimpanzee and throwing little bits of monkey poo from your cage only humiliates yourself, little boy.

[sabang]

Three years ago, describing an Australian white supremacist charged with massacring 49 people in New Zealand, the New York Times (3/15/19) wrote: “On his flak jacket was a symbol commonly used by the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization.”

The New York Times (10/4/22) shares a “handout photo” from a paramilitary organization that was founded to “lead the white races of the world in a final crusade…against Semite-led Untermenschen.”

What a difference a war makes! A Times story (10/4/22) in the paper’s Ukraine War news roundup began:

Commanders of Ukraine’s celebrated Azov Battalion have held an emotional reunion with their families in Turkey, Ukrainian officials said, honoring the fighters released from Russian confinement last month as part of the largest prisoner swap since the start of the war.

“Celebrated” is an odd word to describe a group whose founder urged Ukraine to “lead the white races of the world in a final crusade…against Semite-led Untermenschen (subhumans)” (Guardian, 3/13/18). Its official logo features the Wolfsangel, a runic icon adopted by the SS that’s become “a symbol of choice for neo-Nazis in Europe and the United States,” according to the ADL. (To dispel any doubt about what the symbol means, Azov used to superimpose it on a Black Sun, a Nordic design beloved by Heinrich Himmler.)

The Azov movement has linked up with other far-right groups across Europe and in the United States, including the Rise Above Movement, a violently racist group based in Southern California (New Republic, 7/9/19). Azov is “believed to have participated in training and radicalizing United States–based white supremacy organizations,” according to an FBI report (RFE/RL, 11/14/18).

But Times reporter Enjoli Liston indeed went on to celebrate the group:

The group’s defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol—the southern port city decimated by Russian forces in the first months of the war—has become a powerful symbol of the suffering inflicted by Russia and the resistance mounted by Ukraine.

The story’s headline: “Released Azov Commanders Have an Emotional Reunion With Family Members in Turkey.” The accompanying photo shows the fascistic unit’s commander sharing a joyful hug with his wife.

Not a word in the eight-paragraph story gives any hint about the ugly far-right politics of the unit, incorporated since 2014 into Ukraine’s military structure (when it was rebranded as the Azov Regiment). The Times did, however, find space to convey to the Azov fighters, from Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, “Thanks from Ukraine, from the president and all the people for whom they are fighting.”

ACTION:

Please tell the New York Times not to treat neo-Nazis as heroes.

https://fair.org/home/action-alert-nyt-celebrates-neo-nazi-azov-unit/

[OhOh]

how functional is that Railway?

Where is that taken? It doesn't look as if it's up on the bridge. The background appears to be a grassy bank.

However:

Having never taken rails off or replaced them, I suggest unbolting/cutting it if welded together, the buckled rail, removing it, placing a new piece and bolting/welding together at each end and bolting down onto the track:

Presuming Russia has spare rails at the site, IMHO very probable, an hour or two to strip/cut the old section and replace it with new rail section.

One UK Network Rail example using special equipment:

P Track right first time / high speed handback successes

Langley, East Coast South.

"The site, located between Stevenage station and Langley junction, is on a stretch of the East Coast main line where access is notoriously difficult.

The IP Track Plain Line team, working with the principal contractor, Carillion, safely delivered 330yds of Cat 11 complete renewal, handing back the job at the line speed of 125mph.

Relaying was completed on Christmas night, prior to undertaking three passes of the tamper and three passes of the Automatic Finishing Machine (AFM) using its Dynamic Track Stabiliser (DTS) capability (effectively the original method from British Rail inter-citydays.) In avoiding the 50mph TSR, the team saved c630 minutes of direct delay and c 210 minutes of reactionary delay–a schedule 8 saving in the region of £150k-£175k."

The link opens a pdf.

http://cdn.prgloo.com/media/download/8388f4dcaebc416d8ea13fcacd24c756

In the repacement example above, a track total length of 330m/330yd, was renewed in one night, 12 hours, for say, 10 x 33m pieces, to be replaced.

Using Russian manpower, say double?

Now the offensive to liberate Ukraine will continue...

Allegedly the Russians are at it again, 11/10/22, the 16% will be still "drinking their coffee".

[David48atTD]

“On his flak jacket was a symbol commonly used by the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization.”

The New York Times (10/4/22) shares a “handout photo” from a paramilitary organization that was founded to “lead the white races of the world in a final crusade…against Semite-led Untermenschen.”

ACTION:

Please tell the New York Times not to treat neo-Nazis as heroes.

https://fair.org/home/action-alert-nyt-celebrates-neo-nazi-azov-unit/

sabang, a few things to emerge from your article above.

Do you really think that putting words in large bold font somehow makes your point valid, as in the size and strength compensates for weakness of the story?

---

How important is the Author?
His articles, from his website are dated

October 6, 2022
September 9, 2022
September 17, 2021
July 2, 2021

---

What/Who is the subject matter of his musings?

ACTION ALERT: NYT Celebrates Neo-Nazi Azov Unit
NYT Scolds China for Not ‘Learning to Live’—or Die—With Covid
NYT: China Needs to Rethink Its Not-Letting-People-Die-From-Covid Policy

His last 3 articles (displayed from his website).

Do you think he likes to target the NYT ... New York Times?

---

What is the lead image in that article that sabang didn't show?



^ Now, that image which goes to the core of the articles argument, you'd think that the origins would be explained early on?

Ah, you would be disappointed.

The image leads the article and it's explained ... where?

It's in a footnote, not even included in the article!

"Featured image: Emblem of the 2nd SS Panzer Division (left) compared with those of the Azov Battalion (center) and Azov Regiment (right)."

Barrel-Bottom-Scraping

[David48atTD]

So ... back on track ... how functional is that Railway?

Where is that taken? It doesn't look as if it's up on the bridge. The background appears to be a grassy bank.

The video below, from the 12.20 - 12.45

[bsnub]

Do hurt me, Mr Well Vetted in millitary history.

Nah

Let the butthurt flow through you.

Oh the irony- snub describing others as having a 'humiliation fetish'.

Why must you constantly make a fool of yourself? Do you remember bleating on for months that this war would never happen? Talk about irony.

Seems like only yesterday he humiliated himself by falsely stating the Kerch rail crossing was totally closed, when in fact 17 trains had passed through.

Your source for that dandy was Russian state propaganda. A few passengers trains have tip toed across, but there are no heavy freight trains crossing as yet. Big weight difference between a freight and passenger train.

[bsnub]

IZIUM/1200 UTC 11 OCT/ UKR has cut the H-26 HWY at Krokhalne, threatening Svatove. In response, RU units have flattened their lines to maintain control over the vital P-66 HWY, the principal north-south line of communication and supply (LOCS) in the Kupiansk-Izium sector.

[sabang]

large bold font

I only copied and pasted actually- although the bottom bit about telling the NYT not to glorify Nazis I did put in larger font. If it bothers you, I will check next time and if it is in Bold type, revert to normal. I think it's called Shouting- it is OK to emphasize some things in Bold, or italics, or even larger type for small passages/ punchlines- but 'Shouting' is tedious. Noted- but not done deliberately.

How important is the Author?

Don't know- he's certainly not Uncle Noam! But the NYT glorifying an openly Nazi organisation is simply unacceptable. Sure, we share a mutual enemy in this conflict- but that does not make them our friends. Unless perhaps, you share their beliefs- which I rather doubt.

[sabang]

^^ You're the war porn kid, not me- but of course you provide a very one sided view. People have the right to see both sides of the story, in sabs world. So rather than bog the forum down with endless war porn (we have enough of that!), I'll just provide a Link-

High Price Of Ukrainian Offensive Reconnaissance OperationsSouth Front

Suffice to say, Ukrainian losses in both men and material are pretty horrendous. It may be they are pushing hard because of the cold, wet Ukrainian winter a coming, but the question arises- is this rate of attrition sustainable? Several attempted advances are being repulsed, seemingly on a daily basis. With heavy losses,

For your daily dose of Russian updates, this site is pretty good, and doesn't seem too juvenile-

SouthFront: Crisis News, World Events, Political SurveySouth Front | Analysis & Intelligence

[sabang]

https://s4.cdnstatic.space/wp-conten.../10/jm.mp4?_=1

This is only a short 2 minute video, but when Prof. John Mearsheimer speaks- you really should listen. You can also follow the Link-

Russia Will Use All The Available Means In Ukraine For The Sake Of Victory - John MearsheimerSouth Front

[Switch]

^^ You're the war porn kid, not me- but of course you provide a very one sided view. People have the right to see both sides of the story, in sabs world. So rather than bog the forum down with endless war porn (we have enough of that!), I'll just provide a Link-

High Price Of Ukrainian Offensive Reconnaissance OperationsSouth Front

Suffice to say, Ukrainian losses in both men and material are pretty horrendous. It may be they are pushing hard because of the cold, wet Ukrainian winter a coming, but the question arises- is this rate of attrition sustainable? Several attempted advances are being repulsed, seemingly on a daily basis. With heavy losses,

For your daily dose of Russian updates, this site is pretty good, and doesn't seem too juvenile-

SouthFront: Crisis News, World Events, Political SurveySouth Front | Analysis & Intelligence

No, you don’t get to decide the depth and flavour of what you might call war porn. If you enter into, or provoke a debate, then you can expect to face the music at some point. War is not a genteel business. Harden the fuck up, or walk away and join a crochet circle.

[Joe 90]

^^ Sobering and depressing is that video.

Still with General Snubbles at the helm I feel a resounding victory is on the cards this winter.

[misskit]

[QUOTE=David48atTD;4439692]sabang, a few things to emerge from your article above.
Do you really think that putting words in large bold font somehow makes your point valid, as in the size and strength compensates for weakness of the story?



It is the sensationalist nature of the authors he choses to read and pass on.

[sabang]

I really do not think FAIR is aptly described as sensationalist MK. Do you? Catty Johnstone's invective maybe, but this is certainly not Catty.

[sabang]

Harden the fuck up, or walk away and join a crochet circle.

Am I to assume you want me to copy and paste the daily update from the Russian POV (ie concentrating on Ukie setbacks, defeats, losses & casualties) in full? If enough posters also request it, I will be happy to do so- only takes a minute or two. But for the warporn vids you will have to follow the Link.

[misskit]

Kremlin TV Exposes the Real Goal of Putin’s ‘Revenge-Bombs’

Russia escalated its reign of terror against its neighbor this week, raining missiles on the people of Ukraine and civilian infrastructure in what appeared to be a series of indiscriminate strikes. While the attacks seemed to be devoid of any military meaning—changing nothing on the battlefield, where Russia continues to lose—the rationale behind them was revealed on Russian state media, where the ugly truth is systematically breaking through state-erected barriers.


An explosion that rocked the Crimean bridge last week was an attack against one of the symbols of “Russia’s pride,” said State Duma Defense Committee's head Andrey Kartapolov during the latest broadcast of Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov. According to Kartapolov, another such symbol was the sunken warship Moskva—and now, the only symbol that remains is Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kartapolov urged Russians to unite behind Putin, and his desperate plea spotlighted the true reason behind Moscow’s barrage of missiles: to curb waning public support for Putin’s mindless war.

Aggravated by the excitement in Kyiv that followed the explosion of the Crimean bridge last week, Konstantin Dolgov, the former Russian commissioner for human rights, said during Monday’s broadcast of state tv show 60 Minutes that the retaliatory strikes were justified, and that all of Ukraine’s infrastructure should be considered military targets that are fair game for destruction. Dolgov yearned for pained reactions from Ukrainians affected by the strikes, asking: "Are they whining yet? Are they howling yet?"


Appearing on 60 Minutes, member of Russia’s State Duma Andrey Isayev noted that the strikes served as a mood booster for Russian audiences: “It’s absolutely clear that the citizens support the decisive actions of the president and the mood of many has improved.”


Anton Krasovsky, director of broadcasting for the state-funded RT channel, said that he was beyond happy and posted a video of himself dancing on his balcony in his pajamas on Telegram, while the strikes were taking place on Monday.

Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the committee of the State Duma for the CIS and relations with Russian nationals abroad, said that seeing the aftermath of Russia’s missile strikes against Ukraine brought a “feeling of satisfaction.” He stated that Russia’s short-term goal is “to reclaim the initiative we used to have, which was unfortunately depleted during the summer, which resulted in considerable losses of the territories we previously controlled.”


Political scientist Sergey Mikheyev argued that the destruction of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure should have been the priority from the get-go. He opined that the best way Russia can exhibit compassion in Ukraine would be best compared to cutting a dog’s tail off: the faster, the better. Mikheyev advocated leaving all of Ukraine without gas, electricity, running water or sewers. He explained that unless Ukrainians are forced to freeze, they won’t understand what a war truly is. Mikheyev added, “Five to ten million of them should head to Europe.” The same view was previously voiced last week, when Andrey Sidorov, Deputy Dean of world politics at the Moscow State University, urged Russia to cause a massive refugee crisis in Europe, exacerbating economic and political tensions by prompting a massive influx of Ukrainian refugees.


Solovyov wholeheartedly agreed that the Ukrainian infrastructure should be demolished with a constant barrage of missile strikes: “They already consider us villains anyway. It’s better to be feared than to be laughed at.” Sidorov concurred and said that the latest strikes were important for “psychological reasons” and should continue.


Mikheyev stressed that propaganda was a far more effective weapon than HIMARS. He argued that Russia “legitimized” the Ukrainian government and described the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky as a “roach,” who was turned by Russia into a figure of global stature. Excitedly talking over each other, Mikheyev and Solovyov asserted that Zelensky and the rest of the Ukrainian government should be considered top military targets for the Russian military. Mikheyev added: “Symbolic strikes are very important—we live in the information age.”

Karen Shakhnazarov said he was disturbed by the escalation that he described as a potential Armageddon, but immediately tried to excuse Putin’s strikes against Ukrainian civilians by comparing the Crimean bridge incident to the September 11 attacks in the U.S.


“It is a terrorist action. More than that, in its magnitude, it’s comparable to September 11th in the United States. For Russia, the Crimean bridge is of an even larger importance. The skyscrapers are symbols, but they had no importance to the infrastructure,” Shakhnazarov said. “The Crimean bridge is of enormous importance in linking Crimea to Russia... The United States immediately declared those whom they believed responsible for the destruction of those towers to be outside the law.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia...raine?ref=home

[sabang]

by Ray McGovern Posted onOctober 11, 2022


Have the Germans learned anything since 1933? We are about to find out, now that they face a choice they have bent over backwards to avoid.

Will the Germans dutifully obey U.S. diktat on sanctions (and suffer economic-collapse-mit-frostbite this winter)? Or will they rise out of several post-World War II decades of vassalage; deal independently with Russia; and open the spigot for Nord Stream 2?

It is now clear that the saboteurs, who on Sept. 26 attacked the Baltic pipelines from Russia to Germany, thought they had denied Germany the more sensible (spigot) option. But (surprise, surprise), they screwed up.

A day before the sabotage I noted: "On the sanctions front, German politicians may not be able to resist turning on the spigot to North Stream 2, lest the European economy and the European people freeze this winter."

This, of course, was no secret to the sabotage’s intellectual authors (almost certainly Berlin’s NATO allies – whether in Washington, London, Warsaw, or Vilnius). That the Germans had come to a similar conclusion is suggested in what journalist Pepe Escobar reported just three days after the sabotage; namely, that the Germans and Russians had been holding secret talks to find some way out of Germany’s dilemma. According to Pepe:

"Diplomatic sources confirm that Berlin and Moscow were involved in a secret negotiation to solve both the NS and NS2 issues. So they had to be stopped – no holds barred."

Twists and Turns

On Oct. 6, Escobar put it succinctly in his Nord Stream 2 Offers Germany a Date with Destiny:

"The twists and turns of the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) saga have yielded yet another stunning game-changer.

"It started with Gazprom revealing that the Line B string of NS2 is intact … and may ‘potentially’ be used to pump gas to Germany.

"Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak followed up, with a caveat: restoration of the whole system … is possible, and "requires time and appropriate funds". But first, in Russia’s order of priorities, the perpetrators must be conclusively identified.

"Subsequently in Vienna, attending the OPEC+ meeting, Novak remarked the Russian Federation is "ready to supply gas through the second line of Nord Stream 2. This is possible if necessary".


"So we know it’s possible. ‘Necessary’ will depend on a political decision by Germany."

Will the Germans Cave One More Time? - Antiwar.com Blog

Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. His 27-year career as a CIA analyst includes serving as Chief of the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch and preparer/briefer of the President’s Daily Brief. He is co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).

[bsnub]

You're the war porn kid, not me- but of course you provide a very one sided view.

You do not know the meaning of war porn apparently. Not surprising since you are a blathering idiot.

People have the right to see both sides of the story, in sabs world.

Your side is loaded with propaganda, lies and total horseshit and I think many posters have come in here to point that out to you it is not just myself.

So rather than bog the forum down with endless war porn (we have enough of that!), I'll just provide a Link-

As usual, your hypocrisy is boundless. You spam more trash in this thread than just about anyone aside from your colleague OhDoh. You two morons have literally dragged this forum off-topic countless times with your ridiculous snivelling whataboutism and apologist bullshit.

Prof. John Mearsheimer speaks- you really should listen.

A clueless Putin apologist one of several bozos you regularly role out to push your BS false narrative.

Catty Johnstone's invective maybe

Another vile appologist.

Russian POV

Lies. That's all you get from the Russians.

Dupe sorry

Evidence of your ridiculous repetitive spamming of propaganda horseshit.

Once again, you have succeeded in dragging this thread off-topic. Anything but a discussion of what is going on in this war.

[harrybarracuda]

sabang, Do you really think that putting words in large bold font somehow makes your point valid, as in the size and strength compensates for weakness of the story?

Yes he does. He's not very bright you see.

[harrybarracuda]

I really do not think FAIR is aptly described as sensationalist MK.

Correct, it is however lefty nonsense carefully masquerading as "nonpartisan reporting" and most intelligent people know this.

[sabang]

Your side is loaded with propaganda, lies and total horseshit

The curious reader is quite capable of reading and deciding for themself- they certainly don't need an adolescent in perpetual hissy fit telling them what to think. In fact, it would likely have the opposite effect, given your disgraceful conduct on this forum- "reckon I'll just take a look see".

And you can go as apoplectic with your infantile hissy fits and lamentably childish attempts at insult as you want (not like the Mods do anything about it)- it makes not one iota of difference to what actually happens, and is happening, on the ground. BooHoo.

[bsnub]

they certainly don't need an adolescent in perpetual hissy fit telling them what to think. In fact, it would likely have the opposite effect, given your disgraceful conduct on this forum-

Your irony meter just exploded again.

[misskit]

Startup Pollsters Challenge Accepted Wisdom on Russian’s Support of War

The day Russia invaded Ukraine, social entrepreneur and political activist Alexei Minyaylo gathered his friends and partners to brainstorm how to “end this madness.” The answer came quickly: public opinion polling.


“The authorities always use polls to create the illusion of a majority and that’s a very powerful social mechanism,” Minyaylo told The Moscow Times.


“People see this general trend that people support the war, so they say, ‘Yes I support it as well.’ We understood that we needed to destroy this illusion if we wanted to change anything.”


The resulting Chronicles research project materialized almost overnight. Within four days of the war’s outbreak, Chronicles’ pollsters had started phoning people across the country.


Innovative polling outfits trying to gauge what Russian people are really thinking have sprung up since the invasion of Ukraine as draconian wartime censorship laws and growing authoritarianism make it hard for traditional pollsters to accurately measure public opinion. As well as Chronicles, they include projects like Russia Watcher, Extreme Scan, and Russian Field.


Given the challenges of operating inside the country, researchers have also ramped up polling in Russia from abroad, eager to understand how the largest ground war in Europe since World War II is perceived in the country that ignited it.


In Cyprus, the independent sociologist Elena Koneva assembled an international collective of researchers and academics called ExtremeScan to cut through the “fog of war” and provide data on the mood inside Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In the United States, political scientists at Princeton University launched Russia Watcher, a daily survey of public attitudes toward the war in Ukraine.

“We offer an alternative vision of what’s going on inside Russia,” Koneva told The Moscow Times. “Research in wartime is not only possible but it is necessary, it is important. Even if the research is limited or restricted, any knowledge is better than no knowledge.”


Koneva sold her market research company and left Russia in 2016.


“I decided that I would be a person of Europe and the world,” she said. “But still, my thoughts and feelings are left in Russia.”


With ExtremeScan, Koneva aims to give more nuanced data to world leaders and policymakers. The issue of closing borders to Russians fleeing mobilization, for example, should be considered with the knowledge that “real, conscious support” for the war is around 40% — not the oft-cited figure of 70%, she said.


The group arrived at that figure after six waves of polling showed 55% of respondents answering “yes” when directly asked if they back the war. Support dwindled to 38%, however, as pollsters posed more probing questions: Are you willing to contribute financially to the Russian army? Do you think a Russian victory would personally benefit you? Are you ready to mobilize?


The pollsters pay close attention to factors like how fast respondents answer, how they breathe, and whether they are open and friendly or closed and suspicious, she said. “We are very curious about the combination where you support the war but also want the war to stop immediately.”


The Chronicles project pegs support for the war at about 30% using similarly targeted questioning. The group’s sociologists craft polls knowing that Russia’s criminalization of public anti-war sentiment has instilled fear in many people, Minyaylo said.


Respondents have told pollsters, “I am afraid to say this” or “If I reply to you, the police will come and get me” or “I would like to say what I think but it’s now a criminal case,” Minyaylo said. To measure the extent of the fear, Chronicles conducted an experiment giving people the option of not answering a question. An estimated 10% of respondents who would otherwise declare support for the war chose “I don’t want to answer” instead, he said.

“It’s very difficult in a dictatorship, during a war, to get what people are really thinking because they tend to identify themselves with the majority, they tend to lie because they are afraid,” Minyaylo said.


“But what I can say with high confidence is that the picture we get is much closer to what people are really thinking because we use more appropriate and smarter methods.”


Minyaylo remains in Russia, as does half the team. He said he has no intentions of leaving, calling his choice a “matter of principle.”


“Both my grandfathers fought in World War II and they defeated Hitler, they didn’t run from him, they actually ran towards him. So now my duty is to defeat Putin, who is Hitler’s spiritual successor,” he said.


While ExtremeScan and Chronicles suggest a minority of Russians support the war, other polling agencies — including veteran Russian outfits — put the figure much higher.


Support for the war in Russia was at 72% in September, down from 80% in March, according to data from the independent Levada Center. State-run polling agencies like VTsIOM have consistently given similar figures.


At Princeton University, political scientists tracking public opinion in Russia as part of the Russia Watcher project said they have been struck by the stability of support for the seventh-month war. Grigore Pop-Eleches, Isabelle DeSisto and Jacob Tucker said approval for Putin’s decision to conduct a “special military operation,” which they estimate at about 74%, appears unwavering despite the campaign’s military setbacks.


Russia Watcher has tracked opinion on various developments, day by day, since May.

The daily samples allow the project to capture a much more “fine-grained measure of over-time changes,” the group told The Moscow Times via email.


Every day, 200 randomly selected respondents in Russia fill out an online questionnaire set by Russia Watcher that contains 25 questions. The survey avoids using the word “war” to protect respondents from legal problems.


Pop-Eleches, DeSisto and Tucker pointed out that Western sanctions have made polling in Russia much more difficult, especially if it involves working with Russian firms.


Still, they hope to gather high-quality data that will help foster “a better understanding of the extent and the nature of public support (and opposition) to Russia’s war in Ukraine.”


The burst of new polling initiatives and projects has been a boon to researchers looking to cross-validate their findings and create a comprehensive picture of wartime Russia, said Maxim Alyukov, a researcher at King’s College London.


Alyukov is part of the Public Sociology Laboratory, a research group formed in the aftermath of Russia’s 2011 opposition protests to study politics and society in Russia and post-Soviet regions. Three days after the war began, the laboratory began delving into how Russian citizens perceive the conflict, arranging interviews of up to two hours with respondents.

“It’s a more in-depth method which allows us to understand how people think in terms of psychological motives,” Alyukov said. “This is something we can’t really understand when we conduct surveys and ask people questions.”


Of more than 200 people interviewed, the majority are “doubters” who claim they have no opinion on the war, according to another member of the laboratory.


“Their reaction to the war is distancing; not support, but distancing: ‘I can’t trust independent media, I can’t trust state propaganda, I don’t know what to believe so I’m going to stay away from politics’,” Alyukov said.


Despite the problems of censorship and the illegality of anti-war sentiment, Alyukov believes polling still has an important role to play in surveying the mood inside Russia — as long as the results are properly contextualized.


“Very often results are taken at face value — OK, 70% of people in Russia support Putin. But looking at different sorts and kinds of data we know that it’s not [that number],” he said.


“We have to take into account how an opinion is formed. Does ‘yes’ mean ‘Yes, I support Putin’ or do people say ‘yes’ so they are left alone? What is often measured is not people’s opinions but people's reactions to the opinions of others.”

Oil Exports Helping Cushion Russian Economy – IMF - The Moscow Times

[sabang]

The Moscow Times

Maybe we should start calling TASS the Beltway Bugle.
About as appropriate.