Thread: Russia launches Ukraine invasion

Putin Vows More ‘Severe’ Attacks AFter Russian Missiles Batter Ukraine

Russian forces launched a barrage of fatal bombardments across Ukraine early on Monday and President Vladimir Putin vowed even more "severe" retaliation against Kyiv.


The biggest wave of strikes across Ukraine in months killed at least 11 people nationwide, and was apparent retaliation for an explosion this weekend that damaged a key bridge linking Russia to the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula.


The Ukrainian military said Russian forces had fired more than 80 missiles on cities across the country and that Russia had also used Iranian drones launched from neighboring Belarus.


"Let there be no doubt," Putin said in televised comments addressed to his Security Council, "if attempts at terrorist attacks continue, the response from Russia will be severe."


Putin's predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev, warned on social media that the strikes — which disrupted water and electricity services across Ukraine — were only "the first episode."


"We were sleeping when we heard the first explosion. We woke up, went to check and then the second explosion came," Ksenia Ryazantseva, a 39-year-old language teacher, told AFP.


"We saw the smoke, then the cars, and then we realized we didn't have a window anymore," she added.


"There's no military target or anything like that here. They're just killing civilians."


'Demonstration of weakness'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian strikes had aimed to take down Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Regional officials across the country confirmed widespread disruptions to services.


Russia's Defense Ministry meanwhile confirmed it had targeted Ukrainian energy, military command and communications facilities, claiming the strikes had been a success and "achieved their aims."


Ukraine's foreign minister said the attacks had not been "provoked" and the onslaught was Moscow's response to a series of embarrassing military losses in eastern Ukraine.


"Putin is desperate because of battlefield defeats and uses missile terror to try to change the pace of war in his favor," minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on social media.


U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and other cities were "unacceptable."


"This is a demonstration of weakness by Putin, not strength," he tweeted, adding that he had contacted Kuleba.


Zelensky said on social media meanwhile that he had spoken with the leaders of France and Germany and urged them to "increase pressure" on Russia.


Dozens injured
In Kyiv, the national police service said that at least 11 people had been killed and at least another 64 wounded.


Ukrainian officials said the central Shevchenko district of the city was hit and that a university, museums and the philharmonic building had been damaged.


An AFP journalist in Kyiv saw a projectile land near a playground and smoke rising from a large crater at the impact site.


Several trees and benches nearby were charred by the blast and a number of ambulances were at the scene.


"If there is no urgent need, it's better not to go to the city today," Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.


In the western city of Lviv, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said there were disruptions to electricity and hot water services after bombardments that targeted critical infrastructure, including energy facilities.


AFP photographers there said plumes of black smoke could be seen rising above the town's skyline.


Moldova, a pro-democracy former Soviet republic, said several Russian cruise missiles targeting Ukraine had crossed its airspace, and it had summoned Moscow's envoy to demand an explanation.


"Our thoughts are with the victims of the brutal strikes," Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said on Twitter.


Moldova, which is a candidate to join the European Union, has a small breakaway region, Transnistria, which is armed and supported by Russia.


Crimean bridge attack
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin's, meanwhile claimed on Monday that Ukraine was preparing an attack on his country's territory.


He said Russia and Belarus would "deploy" troops together, without specifying where.


The autocratic leader also accused Ukraine, alongside neighboring Poland and Lithuania, of training Belarusian militants to carry out attacks at home.


The strikes across Ukraine came a day after Moscow blamed Kyiv for the blast that damaged a bridge linking Crimea to Russia, leaving three people dead.


"The authors, perpetrators and sponsors are the Ukrainian secret services," Putin said of Saturday's bridge bombing, which he described as a "terrorist act."


The blast that hit the bridge sparked celebrations by Ukrainians and others on social media.


But Zelensky, in his nightly address on Saturday, did not directly mention the incident, and officials in Kyiv have made no direct claim of responsibility.


On Saturday, Russia said some road and rail traffic had resumed over the strategic link, a symbol of the Kremlin's 2014 annexation of Crimea.


The 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge is also a vital supply link between Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.


Some military analysts argue that the explosion could have a major impact if Moscow sees the need to shift already hard-pressed troops to Crimea from other regions — or if it prompts a rush by residents to leave.

The Symbolism of Russia’s Bridge to Crimea - The Moscow Times

UN Bracing for More Displacements After Russian Strikes in Ukraine

The United Nations refugee chief on Monday warned more people will be forced to flee their homes in Ukraine after Russian missiles rained down on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.


Moscow earlier on Monday unleashed the biggest wave of strikes across Ukraine in months in retaliation for an explosion this weekend that damaged a key bridge linking Russia to the Crimean peninsula.


The bridge is a symbol of the Kremlin's 2014 annexation of Crimea.


"The horror of what happened in Ukraine today... is inexcusable," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told journalists in Geneva.


"The bombing of civilians, of houses..., of non-military infrastructure in an indiscriminate manner in many cities across Ukraine, means the war is becoming harder and more difficult for civilians," he said.


"I fear that the events of these last hours will provoke more displacements."


Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, more than 7.6 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded across Europe.


While a number of those people have since returned, more than 4.2 million Ukrainians have registered for temporary protection status in EU countries.


Another nearly seven million people have also been displaced within the conflict-torn country, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration.


Grandi said he expected to see people mainly flee within Ukraine following Monday's attacks, which Kyiv said left at least 14 dead and nearly 100 injured.


"My prognosis... is that we will mainly see internal displacements," he said, speaking on the sidelines of the UNHCR's prestigious Nansen Award ceremony, which this year went to former German chancellor Angela Merkel.


Grandi said the displacement situation in Ukraine at the moment was "extremely fluid".


"You have people who flee for only a few hours, to escape the bombs..., and then try to return home," he said.


But in situations where the destruction is greater, and people can no longer access heat or food, "I fear the displacements will last longer".

UN Bracing for more Displacements After Russian Strikes in Ukraine - The Moscow Times

Originally Posted by sabang

“We must demand immediate negotiation of a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine, or we will end up in World War III and there will never be a war like this.”

Like the negoitiated peace agreement you initiated in Afganistan?
How'd that work out Mr Bone Spurs (Mr BS for short)?

Russia-Ukraine war live updates


US, Germany promise air defence systems


In the aftermath of an explosion that damaged the bridge linking Russia and Crimea, the former has mounted aggressive missile attacks on Ukraine. Consequently, allies US and Germany have stepped up and promised to rush air defence systems to Kyiv's rescue.

Ukraine ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya's speech at UNGA

In an emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Ukraine ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, in an impassioned speech, called for deterring Russia.

“Russia has proven once again, that this is a terrorist state that must be deterred in the strongest possible ways,” said Sergiy. He added that Russia’s illegal annexations pose an “existential threat” to the UN charter.

"Should russian convulsions went on I’d be compelled to request Secretariat to bring a defibrillator - russian delegation needed an emergency room in a general hospital rather than emergency session in General Assembly. Bowing under UA colors at ru #77UNGA seat is act of exorcism!" he later tweeted.

Zelensky speaks to Biden

In a message posted on Telegram, Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky said he had a productive conversation with his US counterpart regarding the ongoing developments.

"Had a productive conversation with US President Joe Biden. The main topic of discussion was air defence. Currently, this is the number 1 priority in our defense cooperation. America's leadership, G7's tough stance and support for our UNGA resolution is very important for Ukraine," wrote the Ukrainian President.

Russia-Ukraine war live updates | Zelensky holds 'productive' talks with Biden - World News

Originally Posted by misskit

US, Germany promise air defence systems

It's the 7th month of the war, and Russia can easily terrorize downtown Kyiv with massive cruise missiles. They have been promising these systems for months, the fact they have not been fully supplied is unconscionable.

The Germans are afraid of upsetting Putin before they can wean themselves off of his gas. Hungary will be the fly in the EU ointment.

Putin Seeks Escalation with Ukraine Missile Blitz

With Russia firing a hail of missiles into Ukraine on Monday and Belarus making fresh threats against Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin is seeking to escalate the nearly eight-month war and compensate for humiliating recent losses, Western analysts say.


According to Ukrainian authorities, 41 out of 75 missiles were intercepted, but the remainder struck cities around the country, including the capital Kyiv and western Lviv near the border with Poland.


Putin warned Ukraine he was ready to authorize more "severe" attacks, while deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that "the first episode has been played. There will be others."


UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the strikes as "another unacceptable escalation" while French leader Emmanuel Macron called them "a profound change in the nature of this war."


Analysts said the strikes appeared to be a response to a blast on Saturday on the Kerch bridge linking the occupied Crimea peninsula to Russia which was personally inaugurated by Putin in 2018.


Yordan Bozhilov, director of Bulgarian think-tank Sofia Security Forum, called the explosion that downed one of the road sections "the first personal humiliation for Putin."


The attack — not claimed by Ukraine but immediately blamed on Kyiv by Russia — came after major battlefield reverses for Russian troops around Lyman in northeast Ukraine and Kherson in the south in recent weeks.


"Russia demonstrated that it can still escalate the conflict but it can only escalate by attacking more and more civilian targets," said Wojciech Lorenz, head of the international security program at the Polish Institute of International Affairs.


"The Russian regime was under pressure from its own propagandists and some opinion makers to demonstrate that it was able to respond to Ukrainian offensives," he told AFP.


Belarus
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, also issued fresh threats against Kyiv on Monday, raising fears he might be preparing to finally join Russia's offensive against its neighbor.


Lukashenko has granted Russia use of his territory but has declined to send troops directly into battle.


He said Monday he had agreed to deploy "a regional grouping" that would mix Russian and Belarusian troops but did not say where they would be sent.


"I am skeptical of Belarus entering the conflict. Belarus troops are primarily engaged in repressing their own people," said William Alberque, a military expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think-tank.


Lorenz said he was also doubtful about Belarus's direct involvement, but he said that "Ukraine will have to devote some resources to defend its border."


"It's better to concentrate those resources in the east (against Russia) without having to spare thousands of troops in the west and the north," he said.


Options
Strong-arming Belarus into greater involvement, nuclear threats and increasing the brutality of attacks on Ukraine are seen as some of the few options available to Putin in the short term as he seeks to change the momentum on the battlefield.


Alberque viewed Monday's missile attacks as being part of Putin's strategy of trying to raise pressure on Ukraine and the West.


"Russia has entered a cycle of shock and the peak of violence. It started with mobilization and annexation, then with nuclear threats and now with indiscriminate attacks against civilians," he said.


Despite recent setbacks, Putin formally annexed four Ukrainian regions in late September and ordered a partial mobilization of up to 300,000 men.


"Putin is trying both to put pressure on Ukrainian society by destroying power plants and civilian infrastructure and to put pressure on Western countries, to try to undermine their unity," added Bozhilov from the Sofia Security Forum.


Attacks on civilians also help him "portray himself as someone ready for anything."


But Lorenz stressed that large-scale missile attacks of the sort seen Monday could not be repeated regularly by Russian forces and that Western nations were now likely to boost Ukrainian air defenses to help protect major cities.


"Russia's precision-strike capabilities are limited and because of international sanctions it is able to rebuild them quickly," he said.


"It can do a show of force, but because its resources are depleted, it is just a gesture."

Ukraine War: Russia Continues Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure - The Moscow Times

Not just missiles


Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin’s troops ‘move into Belarus by trainload’

Russian troops are “entering Belarus by the trainload”, according to reports, after Moscow ally Alexander Lukashenko ordered his forces on a joint deployment to Ukraine’s northern border in what Minsk called a defensive measure.


The Belarusian leader, a close friend of Vladimir Putin’s, claimed yesterday that he was making the move as his country was under threat from a plot being hatched in Kyiv at the urging of Western powers.


His accusation was likely unfounded and designed to justify a greater role in the conflict for Belarus, which has facilitated Russian movements but refrained from sending troops to fight.


Jason Jay Smart, reporter for the Kyiv Post, said a Belarusian source told him hours after Mr Lukashenko’s statement that “Russian soldiers are entering Belarus by the trainload. They’re traveling in cattle cars – just a huge quantity.”


Air raid sirens rang across Ukraine this morning in anticipation of a second day of missile strikes by a resurgent Russia.


Bombs rained on Zaporizhzhia around dawn, hitting a school, a medical facility and a car dealership, according to local officials.

more https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-news-russia-war-latest-b2200068.html

Presidents of 11 countries warn Russia that war crimes not subject to any statute of limitations

Russia's bombardment of Ukrainian cities is a war crime that is not subject to any statute of limitations and falls under the jurisdiction of international courts.
The presidents of 11 countries in Central and Eastern Europe said this in a joint statement, Ukrinform reports, citing the Polish presidential administration.


"We, the Presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia condemn the mass bombardments of Ukrainian cities recently carried out by Russia, which constitute war crimes under international law," the statement reads.

They recalled that war crimes and crimes against humanity are not subject to any statute of limitations and are covered by the jurisdiction of courts all over the world.


"On behalf of our states we demand that Russia immediately stop attacking civilian targets. We will not cease our efforts to bring to court persons responsible of today's crimes," the presidents said.


They emphasized that they "find any threats by Russian representatives to use nuclear weapons unacceptable."


In this context, they reaffirmed their commitment to protecting their countries and allies.


Early on October 10, Russia launched multiple missile strikes on Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Dnipro and other cities. In total, 84 rockets were fired across Ukraine. Forty-three of them were shot down.

Presidents of 11 countries warn Russia that war crimes not subject to any statute of limitations

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

The Germans are afraid of upsetting Putin before they can wean themselves off of his gas. Hungary will be the fly in the EU ointment.

What is the deal with Italy and Austria ?

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

The Germans are afraid of upsetting Putin before they can wean themselves off of his gas.

Bullshit!

the Presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia condemn

Yada yada. Problem is, Russia- like the USA, China, Israel and several other states- is not a member of the ICJ or subject to it's jurisdiction. So unless someone has come up with some brilliant idea that I am not aware of, Putin has no more chance of being tried for war crimes than GW Bush.

A feeble excuse for Putin’s lack of morals!

Originally Posted by Troy

Bullshit!

Thank you for your erudite comment Troy. I was actually repeating part of a story that appeared to be the consensus from a panel of "experts" on D.W. that aired earlier this week. They were certainly critical at the tardiness of their own govt. I'm sure you can find it somewhere on youtube. While Helge rightly points out Italy and Austria (and there are others) and rightly so, They are not considered to be the european leaders.

Originally Posted by Switch

A feeble excuse for Putin’s lack of morals!

A solid legal point however. The ICC cannot bring charges against Putin or anyone else without a request from the UN Security Council. Given Russia would veto any attempt to do so, it ain't gonna happen so Putin can, with impunity, do what are in fact war crimes.

U.N. publicly rejects Russia’s call for secret vote on Ukraine


The United Nations General Assembly voted on Monday to reject Russia’s call for the 193-member body to hold a secret ballot later this week on whether to condemn Moscow’s move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine.


The General Assembly decided, with 107 votes in favor, that it would hold a public vote – not a secret ballot – on a draft resolution that condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” and the “attempted illegal annexation.” Diplomats said the vote on the resolution would likely be on Wednesday or Thursday.


Only 13 countries on Monday opposed holding a public vote on the draft resolution, another 39 countries abstained and the remaining countries – including Russia and China – did not vote.


Russia had argued that Western lobbying meant that “it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly.” During the meeting on Monday Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia questioned the push to condemn Moscow.


“What does this have to do with peace and security or trying to settle conflicts?” said Nebenzia, describing it as “yet one more step towards division and escalation, which I’m sure is not something the absolute majority of states in this room need.”


After the General Assembly decided on Monday that it would hold a public vote on the draft resolution, Russia immediately tried to get the body to reconsider the issue, but it overwhelmingly failed.


Moscow has moved to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – after staging what it called referendums. Ukraine and allies have denounced the votes as illegal and coercive.


The draft U.N. General Assembly resolution calls on states not to recognize Russia’s move and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.


‘TRAIL OF BLOOD’


Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya called on countries to defend the principles of the founding U.N. Charter.


“A trail of blood is left behind the Russian delegation when it enters the General Assembly and the hall is filled up with the smell of smoldering human flesh. That’s what we have tolerated in Syria. That’s what is happening today in Ukraine,” he told the General Assembly on Monday.


Russia rained cruise missiles on busy Ukrainian cities on Monday in what the United States called “horrific strikes”, killing civilians and knocking out power and heat with its most widespread air attacks since the start of the war more than seven months ago.


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed the international community earlier on Monday to make clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions were “completely unacceptable.”


“Now is the time to speak out in support for Ukraine; it is not the time for abstentions, placating words, or equivocations under claims of neutrality. The core principles of the U.N. Charter are at stake,” Blinken said in a statement.


Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last month. It has been trying to chip away at its international isolation after nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly reprimanded Moscow and demanded it withdraw its troops within a week of its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.


The moves at the United Nations mirror what happened in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea. At the Security Council Russia vetoed a draft resolution that opposed a referendum on the status of Crimea and urged countries not to recognize it.


The General Assembly then adopted a resolution declaring the referendum invalid with 100 votes in favor, 11 against and 58 formal abstentions, while two dozen countries didn’t take part.


https://www.thaipbsworld.com/u-n-pub...te-on-ukraine/

Ukraine War: US Taking Advantage Of Energy Crisis To Exploit EU, Selling Gas At Four Times The Price – French Minister



Le Maire, who spoke on Monday while addressing the National Assembly, said, “The conflict in Ukraine must not end in American economic domination and a weakening of the EU."


The French finance minister Bruno Le Maire has warned that the United States should not be allowed to dominate the global energy market while the European Union suffers from the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine.


Le Maire, who spoke on Monday while addressing the National Assembly, said, “The conflict in Ukraine must not end in American economic domination and a weakening of the EU."

He described as unacceptable that Washington “sells its liquefied natural gas at four times the price than it sets for its own industrialists,” adding that “the economic weakening of Europe is not in anyone’s interest.”


“We must reach a more balanced economic relationship on the energy issue between our American partners and the European continent,” Le Maire said as quoted by RT.

Prior to the conflict in Ukraine, Russia was the EU’s largest gas supplier, responsible for about 45% of the bloc’s gas imports. However, due to sanctions imposed on Moscow in recent months, Russian gas supplies to the EU have decreased significantly.

Facing an energy crisis, EU countries have rushed to fill their storage facilities – the level of reserves in underground storages was close to 91% as of Monday, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe. The storage sites are largely filled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), and are currently at their highest seasonal levels since at least 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

However, LNG imports from overseas cost much more than gas supplied via pipeline from Russia under long-term contracts, and energy prices in the bloc continue to rise.

The EU has considered setting a cap on natural gas prices for all suppliers, but a number of countries are opposed to this. Norway, a non-EU state but a partner in the European Economic Area (EEA) and one of EU’s major gas suppliers, recently warned that a step such as this could aggravate the situation, forcing exporters to divert supplies to other markets.

Thousands of protesters are rallying in major cities of European countries over the soaring energy price and gallop inflation across the EU.

Ukraine War: US Taking Advantage Of Energy Crisis To Exploit EU, Selling Gas At Four Times The Price – French Minister | Sahara Reporters


Given the horrendous economic cost of this conflict to the EU economies, I think there is a strong case to be made for US suppliers to "give them a break" and offer energy supplies on somewhat preferential terms. Profiteering off their allies misery is surely not a good look for the US.

.....forgive the grammar and spelling. Dog's breakfast.

Kremlin war hawks demand more devastating strikes on Ukraine

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Moscow’s barrage of missile strikes on cities all across Ukraine has elicited celebratory comments from Russian officials and pro-Kremlin pundits, who in recent weeks have actively criticized the Russian military for a series of embarrassing setbacks on the battlefield.


Russian nationalist commentators and state media war correspondents lauded Monday’s attack as an appropriate, and long-awaited, response to a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive and a weekend attack on the bridge between Russia and Crimea, the prized Black Sea peninsula Russia annexed in 2014.


Many of them argued that Moscow should keep up the intensity of Monday’s strikes to win the war now. Some analysts suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin was becoming a hostage of his allies’ views on how the campaign in Ukraine should unfold.


“Putin’s initiative is weakening, and he is becoming more dependent on circumstances and those who are forging the ‘victory’ (in Ukraine) for him,” Tatyana Stanovaya, founder of the independent R.Politik think tank, wrote in an online commentary Monday.

“The fear of defeat is so strong, especially for those who are now fully immersed in this military venture, that Putin’s indecisiveness, with his logic of ‘We have not started anything yet’ and ‘Restrained tactics have paid off’ has become a problem,” the analyst said.

MORE Kremlin war hawks demand more devastating strikes on Ukraine | AP News

^ Mine come up 'normal TD white' on my screen Russ- I typically have to do a quick edit to make them that way. Anyone else have this issue?

NATO to hold nuclear deterrence exercise as Russia rages at Ukraine

An annual NATO exercise focused on nuclear weapons deterrence will take place next week in a regular show of force displayed against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.


“Now is the right time to be firm and to be clear that NATO is there to protect and defend all allies,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian politician, told reporters Tuesday. “It’s a routine exercise, and it’s an exercise to ensure that our nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, and effective.”

Fourteen NATO allies participated in the October 2021 installment of Steadfast Noon, as the annual exercise is known, and the alliance emphasized that “no live weapons are used.” These drills coincide with the Kremlin’s attempt to deter the Western allies from providing Ukraine with long-range missile systems as Russian President Vladimir Putin tries to batter Ukrainian society into submission following a series of setbacks for Russian forces.


“President Putin is failing in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. "His attempted annexations, partial mobilization, and reckless nuclear rhetoric represent the most significant escalation since the start of the war. And they show that this war is not going as planned.”

MORE NATO to hold nuclear deterrence exercise as Russia rages at Ukraine | Washington Examiner