Russia invades Ukraine {2022-02-24} (Part 1)

Yeah, this is exactly what China is trying to avoid by appearing, at least on the surface, to be ‘neutral’. I guess traders aren’t buying it any more than anyone else is. At some point, China is going to have to make a call on this…and, the issue is going to be, how do you trust what they are saying when they lie about so much? It’s going to be a real issue for them going forward. I mean, even if they are being 100% upfront about something, how do you trust that they aren’t?

A Russian journalist who protested the war in Ukraine on a live TV news programme and released an anti-war video has been handed a fine.

$280, or 30,000 rubles.

A fine? I’ll be surprised if we ever see her again.

They understood the west would be watching this story intently. If that weren’t the case, she’d already be on the train to Siberia.

The internet conspiracy people are all atwitter that this was staged, that she’s secretly pro war, and that this was pre-recorded and leaked only to the West (with no Russian airing) specifically as counter-narrative to the idea that the media are impenetrably locked down and transgressors are punished harshly.

Can we put this trope to rest? The worst prisons in Russia are just a few hours drive outside of Moscow. The inhabited parts of Siberia are as modern and accessible as any other place in Russia.

Okay, on the proverbial train to Siberia.

I think this should be playing on all of the radios/communication equipment in the Soviet Russian Army. Just change they lyrics slightly:

We’re not gonna make it
No no we’re not gonna to make it
'Cause there’s a million better armies
With a million better guns
Soldiers who can fight
And leaders who can lead

The Presidents of the United States of America - We Are not Gonna Make It - YouTube

I bet there’s been a lot of shuffling of Chinese funds lately as China tries to sanction-proof itself.

This is a fantastic project. People are documenting the war with their phones.

Some footage shows Ukrainian daily lives in a war zone. There’s a lot of video showing battle damage.

Database Link is in blue (it’s database) Its a google drive folder. Very well organized by date.

And to continue that thought, check up on her whereabouts around 90 days from now…

OH NO! All of our Canadian politicians have now been BANNED from travelling to Russia. Oh the humanity! It was probably on the very top of their list of things that they wanted to do!

From Jack Detsch at the Pentagon:

US assesses that Russia has made “limited to no progress” in achieving military objectives in Ukraine nearly 3 weeks into conflict: sr US defense official.

Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv remains under assault from :ru: long-range fires, but :ru: troops remain about 10 mi away.

Places where U.S. has seen NO movement from Russia in Ukraine, per senior defense official:

  • NO movement of MORE :ru: troops into :ukraine:
  • NO evidence of MORE :ru: supplies coming into :ukraine:
  • NO indications of Belarus joining fight
  • NO updates on 40-mi :ru: convoy that “remains stuck”

US assessment of Russia’s military advances outside of Kyiv, per a senior defense official:

  • Chernihiv “remains isolated” but :ukraine: working to keep comms open
  • Mariupol “isolated & still suffering heavy bombardment”
  • Kharkiv providing stiff resistance to :ru: forces outside city

Too lazy to find a cite, but saw a tweet that implies that Hillary is also banned - there goes that vacation for her, I guess.

ETA: and I see that is in the sub-head of that article.

Yes. This isn’t over for her, not by a long shot (from the NYT live blog):

The protest may cost her more dearly.

Tass, a state publication, reported that Ms. Ovsyannikova was being investigated for violating Russia’s new “false information” law, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison for anyone convicted of disseminating news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that goes against the Kremlin’s official narrative. Mr. Badamshin confirmed that the investigation was underway.

Dmitri Peskov, the spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin, said at a news conference Tuesday that what “this woman did is hooliganism.”

Biden, Harris, Blinken, Milley, and a host of others including the press secretary Jen Psaki have also been banned. So Trudeau can get together with them to discuss alternative plans for their dream vacation now that Russia is out of bounds. Maybe Belarus will still let them in?

Very nice! Thank you for sharing!

Good to know that Trump is still welcome in Russia. :smile:

Putin claims 40,000 Syrian fighters are coming to fight in Ukraine. That number is probably exaggerated. But even 10k is too many.

Might be a good time to take Syria out of the picture, if much of their military is off fighting Russia’s war.