And this has been a problem for them for a long, long time. When people are punished for the truth, what did they expect would happen? AS was so eloquently put in the HBO Chernobyl miniseries:
They’ve never quite figured out the cost of lies, and until they do, this will keep biting them in the ass.
I thought the laws of war allowed for the summary execution of un-uniformed spies.
No, its a claim that pops up every now and then, but it isn’t true, however unlike (lawful) combatants they’re not protected by the GC, and can be tried for espionage if captured.
Basic human rights apply still apply.
Wow, that was a great read. How many veterans here recall the US military’s battles with what was then termed “zero defect mentality”?
Zero defect mentality - or an institutional intolerance/fear of error in a command structure on any scale - can lead to all sorts of false reporting. Sounds like Russia has been bit by that bug 20 times as bad as we ever were.
All orbits around Russia become increasingly eccentric. First it was Georgia and Azerbaijan coming to blows, now it’s Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan getting into a shoving match.
Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border conflict: Tensions rise with Russia allies (msn.com)
From the article:
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon are both attending a regional security summit in Uzbekistan and are featured among the leaders in a group photograph taken at dinner on Thursday.
awwk-ward!
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Georgia proposes holding “a referendum” on whether to go to war with Russia to reclaim Abkhazia and South Ossetia, although it may be political rhetoric and I’m not sure how serious the idea is.
In any case, there’s a lot going on on Russia’s southern border.
You’re right, of course. Don’t know why I confused Georgia
dark clouds indeed on the horizon for Mr. P. … in every direction he chooses to look ;o)
it seems that many puppet republics are starting to try their luck - IMHO - the busier of a fireman Putin has to be, the better for the rest of the world …
For all of us wondering how Nazi military was going down in 44-45 - this is probably the best analogue event…
.
a PS: maybe they saw Putin uncharacteristically weak at the meeting and hence decided to move forward???
I found a very interesting summary of the laws on this issue, as set out in the military rules for a number of nations by the International Red Cross.
The general rule is straightforward: civilians are not a legitimate military target, unless they are directly involved in combat.
Except, that “directly involved in combat” gets tricky, as it looks like civilians working on a military base could be lawfully killed in attacks on the military base, even if they don’t have a gun in their hands, because even if they’re just filing clerks, by working on a military base they can be a target. (my paraphrase).
So what is a “deputy head of military civil administration”? If he’s part of the military, does that make him a legitimate military target? And his wife collateral damage, like the civilian file clerk on a military base? Or is he considered “civil administration”, and not a legitimate military target?
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule6
This feels almost like something that Kipling might have written.
Rather, something composed by Idle hands.
Since… basically after the start of the invasion, it’s been a real shock to see the battles Dr. Pollack talks about in Armies of Sand or Arabs at War playing out again in 2022, with the Russians having apparently learned none of the lessons Soviets advisors tried to impress on their allies. A “culture of institutionalized lying”* chief among them—lying about the disposition of your unit, about where the enemy is, about whether you’re engaging them.
I saw somebody on Twitter compare the Kharkiv offensive to the Six-Day War, and I think the Russian rationalization is going to echo some of the narrative around that one, too—that Israel’s opponents were out-equipped by technology unfairly provided to them by the West. But the IDF didn’t enjoy an overwhelming technological advantage in 1967 any more than they did in 1948. No technology could’ve saved the Egyptians or Syrians from their catastrophically, astonishingly incompetent soldiering.
No technology could’ve saved the Russians, either.
*Although see also Prokhorovka, which was still one of the largest tank battles of all time when I was studying military history at uni. These days it appears to have been a fairly small engagement, which General Vatutin spun into a much larger one to explain his 15:1 losses without being sacked (or worse) by Stalin.
I can’t help thinking Putin has been following Hitler’s playbook. He has to see these deaths as parallels to Mussolini. All this needs is a bunker for him to hide in and a shiny gun.
Idling knew how to Kipple.
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
The worst don’t seem that passionate these days, either.
Also:
“Stop slouching!”
“But Moooom! I’m gonna miss the birth!”
The next phase of the counter offensive should begin soon. It won’t be a surprise this time. Crossing that river will be difficult.
Should Ukraine open another front or focus on Kherson?
The guardian using The Ministry of Defense briefing
https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1571008798134763523?s=20&t=6gz9wc46H2RBfOE81uMzWQ