Thread: Russia launches Ukraine invasion

These are the pictures the War Criminal is afraid of.

Krieg in der Ukraine: Die erschutternden Bilder aus Irpin - WELT

Paris, France: Images of devastation from the Ukrainian cities like Mariupol, Chernihiv and Kharkiv bring back memories of the bloody sieges of Aleppo in Syria and the Chechen capital Grozny, both razed on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Images of devastated Ukrainian cities resurrect memories of Aleppo and Grozny

Ceasefire and Humanitarian corridor take 3. Apparently they are trying again and news suggests there are two corridors, one from Kyiv but goes north to Belarus, one from Mariupol into Russia - not sure how teh Ukrainians will see those as leading to safety.

From the Beeb news feed


5:47
BREAKING
Russia says it will hold fire to allow civilians to escape

Russia will open new humanitarian corridors across multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday to allow civilians to evacuate, state media is reporting.

The ceasefire will take place from 10:00 Moscow time (07:00 GMT) according to Russia's defence ministry, with evacuation routes set up in the capital Kyiv, as well as Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy. All of these cities are currently under a significant Russian assault operation.

Ukrainian officials have yet to confirm this.

Over the weekend, two efforts to open a route to allow civilians to evacuate from Mariupol in the country's south-east collapsed.

Ukraine officials said this was because Russia continued to shell the city during the agreed ceasefire hours.

Erm, HTG this is not a Picture thread, and those are not News articles.

Mariupol into Russia - not sure how teh Ukrainians will see those as leading to safety.

Most of the population in Mariupol are ethnically Russian. In fairness, even some of the Azov Battalion.

Update on the Beeb newsfeed "ceasefire", seems Micron is having trouble with his dealings with Putin, he's really not helping.

Posted at 7:507:50

Macron 'did not ask for corridors to Russia'

More now on the reports of evacuation routes heading to Russia and Belarus. French President Emmanuel Macron denies requesting for those corridors to lead into Russia, French news outlet BFMTV reports.

"The president of the Republic has neither requested nor obtained corridors to Russia after his conversation with Vladimir Putin," the Elysee presidential palace told BFMTV.

"The president of the Republic insistently asks to let the civilian populations leave and to allow the transport of aid.

"It's another way for Putin to push his narrative and say that it is the Ukrainians who are the aggressors and they are the ones who offer asylum to everyone."

China's Red Cross will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine "as soon as possible", Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday, as he praised his country's friendship with Russia as "rock solid".

China has refused to condemn Russia's attack on Ukraine or call it an invasion while asking Western countries to respect Russia's "legitimate security concerns."

Wang said the causes of the "Ukraine situation" were "complex" and had not happened overnight, noting, using a traditional Chinese expression, that "three feet of ice does not form in a single day".

"Solving complex problems requires calmness and rationality, rather than adding fuel to the fire and intensifying contradictions," he told a news conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China's parliament.

China has already done "some work" to promote peace talks and has all along been in contact with all sides, he added.

"China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in pushing for peace and promoting talks, and is willing to work with the international community to carry out necessary mediation when needed."

China is willing to continue to make its own efforts to resolve the humanitarian crisis and the country's Red Cross will "as soon as possible" provide a batch of aid to Ukraine, Wang said, without giving details. It was the first time the country has announced such help.

China proposes that "humanitarian action" must abide by the principles of neutrality and impartiality, and humanitarian issues should not be politicised, he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping hours before the start of last month's Winter Olympics in Beijing and they signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership aimed at countering U.S. influence and said they would have "no 'forbidden' areas of cooperation".

Wang said the friendship between China and Russia was "rock solid" and prospects for cooperation bright.

"No matter how sinister the international situation is, both China and Russia will maintain their strategic determination and continuously push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era."

China to provide Ukraine humanitarian aid, praises Russia ties (msn.com)

Ukraine's army is using a nimble 'game-changing' drone called The Punisher that has completed scores of successful missions against the Russians, say reports


The Ukrainian military is using "game-changing" drones that can carry 3kg of explosives and hit targets up to 30 miles behind enemy lines, The Times of London reported.

Eugene Bulatsev, an engineer with the Ukrainian designer UA-Dynamics, told the outlet that the "game-changing" Punisher drones had completed up to 60 "successful" missions since the Russian invasion began.

"This is the cheapest and easiest way to deliver a punch from a long distance, without risking civilian lives," Bulatsev told the newspaper.

The electric drones have a 7.5-foot wingspan and can fly for hours at 1,300ft and need only the coordinates of their target so they can carry out their mission automatically, Bulatsev said.

A smaller reconnaissance drone called Spectre flies alongside to identify targets before the Punisher strikes.

After the fighting started in eastern Ukraine in 2014, a group of veterans launched the drone-making company, UA-Dynamics, according to an Haaretz report, last month.

"Three-quarters of the company's employees are veterans with experience in special operations deep in enemy territory," Maxim Subbotin, a marketing expert and an unofficial spokesman for UA-Dynamics, told the newspaper.

Bulatsev said that the main targets were stationary, including fuel and ammunition storage, electronic and counter-electronic warfare stations, and anti-air systems.

Different units in the Ukrainian military are using the drones, but the number of how many and the locations where the Punisher drones are being deployed is classified, Bulatsev said.

Bulatsev previously told The Sun that stealthy Punisher drones had been "causing havoc behind pro-Russian lines on Donbas for years because the enemy has no idea what has hit them."
He told the outlet that the drone is relatively small and light and is undetectable to radars.

"What's more, it can drop three bombs at a time or hit three separate targets then return to base to be reloaded and sent back into battle within minutes," Bulatsev told The Sun.

British defense secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News that Ukraine had stalled Russian advances partly by carrying out a "very clever plan."

"We've seen footage we can't verify but we've seen footage of Ukrainians using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to attack petrol train convoys, to go after logistical lines, we've seen lines blown up, all the things you and I think of when it comes to resistance," Wallace said.

Along with the Punisher drones, the Ukrainian military is also using around 20 of the highly-rated Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey.

Videos shared by the Ukrainian military last week showed at least one strike from a TB2 drone appearing to tear apart a column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles.

The drones are deployed as the battle over Ukraine's skies continues following the Russian military invasion.

A senior US defense official described the airspace as "contested" and "very dynamic" earlier this week in an off-camera press briefing, despite Russia claiming to have gained control.

Although Russia was expected to quickly knock out Ukraine's air defense capabilities, in recent days, Ukraine has claimed to have shot down Russian fighter jets, helicopters, and even troop transport planes.

Experts have been surprised that Russia has not deployed the full force of its air force, as was expected.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukra...reports-2022-3

^I was reading about that last week, interesting, sadly "necessity is the mother of invention" as they say.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

I was reading about that last week, interesting, sadly "necessity is the mother of invention" as they say.

There is a lot of information yet to come out about this war and why it is unfolding the way it is. I think in the coming days, weeks and months we are going to learn a lot more about the innovation, heroism and determination of the Ukrainian people. Things that are completely lacking on the other side.

Seems to me, Russia should be busy Denazifying Donetsk.

Russian separatist warlord who led Neo-Nazi 'Sparta' mob is shot dead during battle in eastern Ukraine town in fresh blow to Putin's floundering invasion

A leader of a rebel military group in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), blamed for brutal war crimes and shooting Ukrainian POWs since its formation in 2014, was shot dead in battle.

Russian warlord Vladimir Zhoga, who headed the Neo-Nazi 'Sparta Battalion', was killed in Volnovakha, Ukraine, following the eleventh day of Russia's invasion as Putin's troops fail to make big wins.

Zhoga's kill was yesterday confirmed in a Telegram channel post from Denis Pushilin, head of the breakaway DPR.

He wrote: 'Today in Volnovakha, the commander of a separate reconnaissance battalion 'Sparta' of the Guard, Colonel Vladimir Zhoga, call sign Vokha, died heroically.

'He was mortally wounded while ensuring the exit of civilians.

'I have signed a decree on conferring the title of Hero of the Donetsk People's Republic on Vladimir Artemovich Zhoga posthumously.

'He died a heroic death, just a little short of victory. But his feat brought it closer.

'I express my sincere condolences to family and friends.

'Rest in peace, Brother!'

Zhoga became the group's leader in 2016 after his predecessor Arsen Pavlov died following an IED explosion in the lift of his apartment.

Pavlov was accused of several war crimes, and in 2015 the Kyiv Post shared audio of him, in a phone call with the news outlet, saying he shot '15 prisoners dead'.

'I don't give a f**** about what I am accused of, believe it or not,' he added.

'I shot 15 prisoners dead. I don't give a f****. No comment. I kill if I want to. I don't if I don't.'

A second attempt to evacuate refugees from Mariupol was scuppered again today after the city was shelled just minutes into an agreed ceasefire.

Some 400,000 residents were hoped to be evacuated from 12pm today, with an initial agreement in place until 9pm, but residents are now having to take cover in bomb shelters without electricity and water.

It followed similar attempts on Saturday when plans to evacuate refugees were halted when shelling recommenced 45 minutes into a ceasefire.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said: 'Amid devastating scenes of human suffering in Mariupol, a second attempt today to start evacuating an estimated 200,000 people out of the city came to a halt.

'The failed attempts yesterday and today underscore the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between the parties to the conflict.'

However, in a telephone call with French President Emmanual Macron, Putin blamed Kyiv for the failed evacuations.

Putin instead claimed 'Ukrainian nationalists' prevented civilians and foreign citizens from leaving the port city and neighbouring Volnovakha.

But Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky today warned that Russian forces are preparing to shell Odessa - a historic port city on the Black Sea coast.

In a video address, the Ukrainian leader said: 'They are preparing to bomb Odessa.

'Russians have always come to Odessa. They have always felt only warmth in Odessa. Only sincerity. And now what? Bombs against Odessa? Artillery against Odessa? Missiles against Odessa?

'It will be a war crime. It will be a historical crime.'

Russian warlord who led Neo-Nazi 'Sparta' mob shot dead during battle in eastern Ukraine | Daily Mail Online

Ukraine decries ‘immoral’ stunt after Moscow says it will let civilians flee – to Russia


LVIV/KYIV, Ukraine, March 7 (Reuters) – Russia announced new “humanitarian corridors” on Monday to transport Ukrainians trapped under its bombardment – to Russia itself and its ally Belarus, a move immediately dismissed by Kyiv as an immoral stunt.


The announcement came after two days of failed ceasefires to let civilians escape the besieged city of Mariupol, where hundreds of thousands of people are trapped without food and water, under relentless bombardment and unable to evacuate their wounded.


The new “corridors” would be opened at 10 a.m. Moscow time (0700 GMT) from the capital Kyiv and the eastern cities of Kharkiv and Sumy, as well as Mariupol, Russia’s defence ministry said.


According to maps published by the RIA news agency, the corridor from Kyiv would lead to Belarus, while civilians from Kharkiv would be permitted to go only to Russia. Russia would also mount an airlift to take Ukrainians from Kyiv to Russia, the ministry said.


“Attempts by the Ukrainian side to deceive Russia and the whole civilised world … are useless this time,” the ministry said.


A spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the move “completely immoral” and said Russia was trying to “use people’s suffering to create a television picture”.


“They are citizens of Ukraine, they should have the right to evacuate to the territory of Ukraine,” the spokesperson told Reuters.


“This is one of the problems that is causing the humanitarian corridors to break down. They seem to agree to them, but they themselves want to supply humanitarian aid for a picture on TV, and want the corridors to lead in their direction.”


Russia’s invasion has been condemned around the world, sent more than 1.5 million Ukrainians fleeing abroad, and triggered sweeping sanctions that have isolated Russia in a way never before experienced by such a large economy.


Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians. It calls the campaign it launched on Feb. 24 a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and arrest leaders it calls neo-Nazis. Ukraine and its Western allies say this a transparent pretext for an invasion to conquer a nation of 44 million people.


Oil prices soared to their highest levels since 2008 in Asian trade after the Biden administration said it was exploring banning imports of Russian oil. Russia provides 7% of global supply and Russian oil accounts for about 8% of U.S. crude imports.


Japan, which counts Russia as its fifth-biggest supplier of crude oil, is also in discussion with the United States and European countries about possibly banning Russian oil imports, Kyodo News reported on Monday.


Europe relies on Russia for crude oil and natural gas but has become more open to the idea of banning Russian products, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.


The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Russian forces were “beginning to accumulate resources for the storming of Kyiv”, a city of more than 3 million, after days of slow progress in their main advance south from Belarus.


While Russia’s advance in the north on Kyiv has been stalled for days with an armoured column stretching for miles along a highway, it has had more success in the south, pushing east and west along the Black and Azov Sea coasts.


About 200,000 people remained trapped in Mariupol, most sleeping underground to escape more than six days of shelling by Russian forces that has cut off food, water, power and heating, according to the Ukrainian authorities.


About half of the people in the city were due to be evacuated on Sunday, but that effort was aborted for a second day when a ceasefire plan collapsed as the sides accused each other of failing to stop shooting and shelling.


Ukrainian authorities said on Monday the southern city of Mykolayiv was being shelled. Zelenskiy has warned that Russia’s next big target could be Odessa, an historic Black Sea port of 1 million people.

‘NO PEACEFUL PLACE ON THIS EARTH’


The official U.N. civilian death toll from hostilities across Ukraine is 364, including more than 20 children, though officials acknowledge this probably represents a fraction of the true toll.


Russia has acknowledged nearly 500 deaths among its soldiers. Ukraine says the true toll many thousands. Death tolls cannot be verified, but footage widely filmed across Ukraine shows bombed out wreckage of Russian armoured columns and Ukrainian cities reduced to rubble by Russian strikes.


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States had seen credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians and was documenting them to support a potential war crimes investigation.


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Russians who committed atrocities against civilians they would face punishment.


“For you there will be no peaceful place on this earth, except for the grave,” he said in a televised evening address.


As anti-war protests took place around the world, Ukraine renewed its appeal to the West to toughen sanctions and also requested more weapons, including Russian-made planes.


Blinken said the United States was considering how it could backfill aircraft for Poland if it decided to supply its warplanes to Ukraine.


Ukraine decries 'immoral' stunt after Moscow says it will let civilians flee – to Russia | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

Originally Posted by misskit

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States had seen credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians and was documenting them to support a potential war crimes investigation.

There is already massive amounts of evidence of war crimes to anyone that wants to take the blinders off.

Seems I'm not the only one that picked up on Puffy Putin....

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Seems I'm not the only one that picked up on Puffy Putin....

?????

^ I had to google it.

PHOTO

Five reasons ‘puffy-faced’ Putin could be seriously ill – DNyuz

More than 4,500 antiwar protesters arrested in one day in Russia, group says

More than 4,500 protesters were arrested Sunday at antiwar demonstrations across Russia, according to the independent human rights organization OVD-Info, as people risked jail time to denounce the nation’s war with Ukraine.

The scenes joined other displays of defiance in a country that has continued to clamp down on opposition to the invasion. Crowds chanted “No to war!” while streaming through Moscow and St. Petersburg in a pair of videos posted to Twitter. In another, a demonstrator being hauled away by law enforcement sang Ukraine’s anthem.

A woman was recorded telling a police officer she had survived the Nazi siege of Leningrad, the former name of St. Petersburg, and lost both her parents. Another woman added, “We have relatives, we have friends in Ukraine.”


“You came to support fascists?” the officer responded, a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s justification for the war.


“What fascists?” the crowd asked.


The officer then gave an order: “Arrest everyone.”


Authorities on Sunday arrested at least 4,640 people across 56 cities in Russia, reported OVD-Info, which was declared a foreign agent by Russian authorities last year during Putin’s sweeping suppression of activists, rights groups and opposition figures. The group reported multiple instances of excessive force against protesters, including beatings and use of stun guns. Among those detained were 13 journalists and 113 juveniles.

MORE/VIDEO MSN