Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24

[The39thStep]

Nationalist campaigner for the Ukrainian language is shot dead in Lviv

Iryna Farion, 60, a former MP known for her opposition to officials speaking in Russian, was attacked on the street

www.theguardian.com

Punch Russian speakers in the jaw was her campaign

She was a member of Svoboda. This party once reached the dizzy heights of having one of its members as the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine following the 2014 Euromaidan 'revolution'. The leader of her party said in the Ukraine Parliament that he would fight ‘the Moscow-Jewish mafia ruling Ukraine’. He has also claimed that ‘organised Jewry dominate Ukrainian media and government, and have enriched themselves through criminal activities and plan to engineer a “genocide” upon the Christian Ukrainian population’. Svobaoda were in the same European Party grouping as the BNP.

 

[Dogsauce]

She got a bit of stick last year for slagging off Russian speakers fighting in the Ukrainian Army. A divisive piece of shit, sad to see the amount of eulogising going on.

 

[The39thStep]

Boris Johnson who was described here as once having a point of principle has borrowed from Grouch Marx and now has others. His article in the Daily Mail urges support for Ukraine in reaching an agreement with Russia based on the 2022 borders with special protections for Russian language speakers in exchange for NATO membership. He also feels that 'with Trump in the White House, there is the real prospect of some global rapprochement with Russia, and with Putin, a return to the days when Russia was a respected partner of the G8 and even of NATO.'

 

[Chz]

To join NATO (which isn't something most NATO members are keen on anyway), Ukraine would have to surrender any territorial claims on the territory Russia is occupying. I don't see it happening in the short term. I mean, things could certainly change but as it all stands right now I see that as impossible. Which is a very Johnson thing to clamour for.

 

[The39thStep]

To join NATO (which isn't something most NATO members are keen on anyway), Ukraine would have to surrender any territorial claims on the territory Russia is occupying. I don't see it happening in the short term. I mean, things could certainly change but as it all stands right now I see that as impossible. Which is a very Johnson thing to clamour for.

Not convinced that Russia would see the 2022 borders as an exchange for membership of NATO

 

[Chz]

Not convinced that Russia would see the 2022 borders as an exchange for membership of NATO

Oh not that either. I was just thinking that by NATO's own rules Ukraine would have to formally cede it. Russia's opinions are a whole other fish kettle.

 

[gosub]

Ukraine tells China that Russia is not ready for ‘good faith’ talks

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited Guangzhou, China to discuss bilateral relations.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[The39thStep]

Fash on fash

 

[TopCat]

Fash on fash


View attachment 435056

More of this please

 

[keybored]

More of this please

 

[gosub]

Ukraine tells China that Russia is not ready for ‘good faith’ talks

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited Guangzhou, China to discuss bilateral relations.

www.aljazeera.com

Why did Ukraine’s top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba meet China’s Wang Yi in Guangzhou?

Ukrainian foreign minister visits southern metropolis, rather than capital Beijing, during first trip to China since war broke out.

www.scmp.com

 

[two sheds]

Ukraine Hacks ATMs Across Russia in Ongoing Massive Cyberattack

The cyberattack, which started July 23, is “gaining momentum” a Ukrainian source in intelligence said.

www.kyivpost.com

The Ukrainian cyberattack began on the morning of July 23. So far, the hackers have:

• Frozen bank payment systems and mobile applications.
• Caused outages in personal offices
• Barred payments for public transport
• Caused interruptions to the Russian mobile and internet providers Beeline, MegaFon, Tele2, and Rostelecom
• Attacked popular online messengers and the largest Russian social networks
• Gained access to major banks’ databases

The source said that the Russian bank Dom.RF was added to the list of hacked banks – a list that includes VTB Bank, Alfa-Bank, Sberbank, Raiffeisen Bank, RSHB Bank, Rosbank, Gazprombank, Tinkoff Bank and iBank.

and a quote

“This is an opportune moment to fully implement the Kremlin’s long-desired ‘import substitution’ in the form of wooden abacuses, paper savings books, and cave paintings for accounting,” the source had said, the day after the cyberattack had begun.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I hope all that is true, and I am loving that quote.

 

[two sheds]

yep me too - article says came from "a source working in Ukrainian intelligence"

 

[Pickman's model]

Ukraine Hacks ATMs Across Russia in Ongoing Massive Cyberattack

The cyberattack, which started July 23, is “gaining momentum” a Ukrainian source in intelligence said.

www.kyivpost.com

and a quote

Tbh I'm reminded of the cyber attack on russia's tax database in December and so shall hold comment until we see confirmation of the claims.

 

[JimW]

Latest Meduza round-up has more bad news from the front, breakthrough in Pokrovsk sector and AFU struggling elsewhere too: The fall of Prohres A new Russian breakthrough threatens Ukraine’s supply lines at the most vulnerable part of the front — Meduza

 

[Chz]

Confirmation from Ukraine that the Kharkiv offensive was a feint to draw resources from other fronts, and it was largely successful.

The reinvasion of the Kharkiv region, while yielding limited gains, nonetheless diverted Ukrainian resources. Oleksandr, 30, a battalion commander of the 47th brigade, fighting near Ocheretyne, said that Ukrainian forces are struggling and that Putin’s prize increasingly seems within Russia’s reach.

Putin’s troops are now pressing along an arc of three key points: Chasiv Yar, just west of the city of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in spring 2023; the small industrial city of Toretsk; and in rural terrain west of Ocheretyne, a village on strategic high ground seized in May after Russian forces advanced northwest from Avdiivka, which they occupied in February.

Ukraine's lack of soldiers is proving critical in certain locations, that Russia is starting to exploit.

Ukrainian commanders and soldiers interviewed by The Washington Post cited exhaustion and dwindling resources, including a severe lack of troops. A new mobilization law adopted by Ukraine’s parliament has yet to provide desperately needed reinforcements, as new conscripts are still undergoing training, and some draft-eligible men have fled the country or are hiding at home to avoid conscription.

One sergeant, 56, who goes by the call sign “Bart,” described the situation as “critical” and said there was “serious chaos” on the front lines. He blamed failures in leadership decisions, including cases of Ukrainian and Russian forces mixing up their positions.

Last week, Russian forces managed to advance four miles west from Ocheretyne, forcing the retreat of a Ukrainian infantry brigade holding the line in the village of Prohres.

Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade was forced into a “chaotic retreat” due to a lack of soldiers.

MSN

 

[Yossarian]

Gershkovich and Whelan reportedly released

https://archive.ph/pXJ4s

 

[TopCat]

A success for negotiations. Russia frees Evan Gershkovich and others in biggest prisoner swap since cold war

 

[Spymaster]

A success for negotiations. Russia frees Evan Gershkovich and others in biggest prisoner swap since cold war

“Negotiations” which involve the exchange of convicted murderers and assassins, for kidnapped and wrongly imprisoned journalists and politicians

 

[TopCat]

“Negotiations” which involve the exchange of convicted murderers and assassins, for kidnapped and wrongly imprisoned journalists and politicians

Must have been delicate talks. But a successful conclusion.

 

[TopCat]

In depth report on how it was done. Took years apparently. Two years, secret talks, high stakes: The long road to prisoners deal

 

[Spymaster]

Must have been delicate talks. But a successful conclusion.

It's not negotiation though.

It's blackmail of the most disgusting kind on the part of your Russian friends.

 

[two sheds]

It's not negotiation though.

It's blackmail of the most disgusting kind on the part of your Russian friends.

But that would be nothing like the negotiations that would be needed to end the present conflict. Nothing at all.

 

[TopCat]

It's not negotiation though.

It's blackmail of the most disgusting kind on the part of your Russian friends.

You are being silly. Again. Of course the swap was the result of negotiations. The article describes the negotiations in detail.

 

[TopCat]

Reuters had a good piece on the successful negotiations including contributions from several key people.

https://www.reuters.com/world/years-us-negotiations-behind-russia-prisoner-swap-2024-08-01/

 

[Yossarian]

Not sure the success of this prisoner swap foreshadows a Ukraine deal unless Ukraine and its allies have some Russian land and hundreds of thousands of kidnapped Russian kids they can bring to the table

 

[teuchter]

If I had custody of a murderous assassin, I think I'd happily swap them for a wrongly imprisoned journalist. Seems like a good deal.

 

[maomao]

If I had custody of a murderous assassin, I think I'd happily swap them for a wrongly imprisoned journalist. Seems like a good deal.

Murderous assassin is surely a tautology.

 

[TopCat]

I know some here just want more war but these successful, delicate negotiations show that a ceasefire and talks could work and would save many lives.