My guess is that they were being basically decent people at that moment and trying to help the stranded folks (I hope there were adults inside the vehicle), but then decided that the problem was beyond them and left (they might or might not have called some mechanic to help). And that meanwhile, one of them set down his rifle at the start, and forgot it at the end through typical Russian competence.
I think that if they were deliberately leaving the weapon with the civilians, they’d have actually handed it to a person, not just left it propped up against the side of the car.
There’s no-one visible in car (video quality is better at source); the driver’s side window is closed (one might expect it to be open if the soldiers were helping a stranded vehicle and people were in the car); with the car’s hood being up, the child is not visible to any potential occupants of the vehicle.
I remember when Ukraine freed these cities last Sept. They’re in danger of Russian occupation again. Russian military aggression never seems to stop. Chase them out and they just bomb the city all to hell. Kupiansk is being bombed this weekend.
Ukraine has claimed it struck five Russian fighter jets in a kamikaze drone attack on Kursk Airfield overnight.
Speaking exclusively to Kyiv Post, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said a wave of drones hit “four Su-30 aircraft and one MiG-29” at the facility, as well as damaging two Pantsir missile launchers and the radars of an S-300 air defense system.
Like it or not, “kamikaze drone” is the current usage for a cheap cruise missile with loiter and remote control capability. As opposed to a spotting drone or a bomber drone.
Which is kinda funny, because there’ve always been jet missiles, from the German V-1 right up through the Tomahawk.
And some of these drones, such as the Iranian Shaheds used by the Russians and the made-in-Ukraine ‘Beaver’ that’s been used to attack Moscow a lot recently are basically prop-driven cruise missiles. I’m not even sure if these types can have courses altered or targets re-designated after they’ve been launched. Probably not when they’re deep in enemy territory. They have much more in common with regular cruise missiles than they do with drones like the Bayraktars, or the US Reapers and Global Hawks, or what have you.
a supposed UKR drone attack on some russian airfield with 4-5 planes (Su-30, Su-29) taken out … let’s see if there is some footage showing up in the next few days to confirm this… or the russians claiming they downed the drone and there was just minor damage to a bicycle, just like last week
Poland and Baltic states will shut Belarus border if ‘critical incident’ occurs, minister says
Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a “critical incident” involving Wagner mercenaries takes place, the Polish interior minister, Mariusz Kamiński, said on Monday.
Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, EU members that share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Wagner mercenaries arrived Belarus at the invitation of president Alexander Lukashenko.
Poland has also seen an increase in the number of mainly Middle Eastern and African migrants trying to cross the border in recent months and has accused Belarus of facilitating them.
Kamiński said:
We demand from the authorities in Minsk that the Wagner Group immediately leave the territory of Belarus and that illegal migrants immediately leave the border area and are sent back to their home countries.
If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. All border crossings that have been opened so far will be closed.