Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24

[elbows]

In my opinion the secret to Putins success was that his regime didn't actually seem like a dictatorship for many years. When I was in Russia it sounds weird but I was able to go to events where you could hear people Criticise Putin and say what a travesty his regime was becoming. You could say Putin was a bastard and people didn't seem to care. I was studying in a Russian university and some of the lecturers we had were critical (albeit in a limited way) of the regime in academia whereas they had some foreign academics who were a lot more opposed to him.

Stuff like this and the rest of what you wrote has even popped up in some commentary in recent days along the lines of 'things in Russia are surprisingly open', although they only mean things along certain lines and to certain extents. Presumably its considered a surprise because plenty of people have out of date ideas about just how tightly opinion and though is controlled there, there are lots of leftover assumptions from the most extreme Soviet eras, and some of those assumptions werent even totally true back in that era either. Plus we get to hear about it when there are crackdowns and suppression, we dont get to hear about all the occasions where internal threats are dealt with by different means. Means more akin to what we are used to in the west, where certain opinions and groups are marginalised, defanged and ignored rather than utterly squished.

 

[Ming]

I wonder if they took Chernobyl early as it’d be difficult to safely bomb the area without irradiating most of Europe. I know it’s on the way to Kiev from the North but it’d be an additional benefit.
ETA: Also it’s mainly plains (flat) so more difficult to conduct guerrilla operations i would think.

 

[RD2003]

Stuff like this and the rest of what you wrote has even popped up in some commentary in recent days along the lines of 'things in Russia are surprisingly open', although they only mean things along certain lines and to certain extents. Presumably its considered a surprise because plenty of people have out of date ideas about just how tightly opinion and though is controlled there, there are lots of leftover assumptions from the most extreme Soviet eras, and some of those assumptions werent even totally true back in that era either. Plus we get to hear about it when there are crackdowns and suppression, we dont get to hear about all the occasions where internal threats are dealt with by different means. Means more akin to what we are used to in the west, where certain opinions and groups are marginalised, defanged and ignored.

Most people in the west seem to think the era of Communist rule was like the Stalin period in its entirety, just as suits our masters. And now, for simplification, we are led to believe the simpleton idea that it's the same again. So even as we watch anti-Putin demonstrators on live streams, people (who don't understand the word) talk of totalitarianism.

 

[frogwoman]

Stuff like this and the rest of what you wrote has even popped up in some commentary in recent days along the lines of 'things in Russia are surprisingly open', although they only mean things along certain lines and to certain extents. Presumably its considered a surprise because plenty of people have out of date ideas about just how tightly opinion and though is controlled there, there are lots of leftover assumptions from the most extreme Soviet eras, and some of those assumptions werent even totally true back in that era either. Plus we get to hear about it when there are crackdowns and suppression, we dont get to hear about all the occasions where internal threats are dealt with by different means. Means more akin to what we are used to in the west, where certain opinions and groups are marginalised, defanged and ignored rather than utterly squished.

It's not that russia is not an authoritarian regime it's that people don't understand that authoritarian regimes don't all look like china or North Korea. Often putin wasn't actually very good at repression, like the first days of his ban on telegram was totally shambolic. But in a way it kinda makes it worse? Because it's so subtle the average person thinks Oh well if I can make a joke on fb it can't possibly be that bad...until it is

 

[Dystopiary]

There were brave people in Minsk and elsewhere in Belarus protesting against the war. Many got arrested.

Belarusians chanting "No to war!"

At the Belarusian embassy in Lithuania today, Belarusian people put up the flag of Ukraine in solidarity.

 

[Dystopiary]

There were brave people in Minsk and elsewhere in Belarus protesting against the war. Many got arrested.

Belarusians chanting "No to war!"

At the Belarusian embassy in Lithuania today, Belarusian people put up the flag of Ukraine in solidarity.

#Belarus I ask Ukrainians to see this. Belarusians are gathering in their cities and chanting, "No to war!" Security forces are mobilized, are arresting citizens, dispersing them. People shout at police: "Traitors!", coming out with banners but immediately dragged away by police

 

[Weller]

His thermobaric stuff makes me a bit windy.

Perhaps it should

 

[not-bono-ever]

the amount of anti tank hardware being thrust at Ukraine from europe is utterly mind boggling.

 

[donkyboy]

Regardless of asset freeze, no oligarch in their right mind would abandon Putin if they value their lives.

 

[DaveCinzano]

archive.org snagged it before it was taken down

Наступление России и нового мира

Новый мир рождается на наших глазах. Военная операция России на Украине открыла новую эпоху — причем сразу в трех измерениях. И конечно, в четвертом,... РИА Новости, 26.02.2022

web.archive.org

I threw it into google translate 1 para at a time:

Putin out on his historian's hat during lockdown and produced a really fucking long monograph last year on the relationship of Ukraine and Russia. Only mentions 'Luttle Russia' once, and even Malorussia(n) gets used a mere seven times (by way of comparison Ukraine/Ukrainian is used 134 times).

Article by Vladimir Putin ”On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians“

web.archive.org

 

[Lord Camomile]

Regardless of asset freeze, no oligarch in their right mind would abandon Putin if they value their lives.

There's a gag here about what oligarchs know of the value of a human life, but I'm sleepy.

 

[Lord Camomile]

"Intimidation is imprudent... therefore we advise the occupiers to go home"



(War is still horrible, etc)

 

[Weller]

In the televised version of Putin telling his 2 top military blokes to raise the nuke readiness level the two of them look deeply unimpressed with and not at all fond of him.
View attachment 312163
Don’t look keen.

Im unsure with people like this and the life they have led until now
it equally looks like they are thinking "nuke them already you fucking snowflake"

 

[cuppa tee]

Do you think shooting at the Russians is the best approach?

...one guy on reddit thought Ukrainians should be pissing and shitting in the streets to make the Russians feel ‘uncomfortable‘ ....

 

[Humberto]

He trades on fear and intimidation doesn't he? But he wouldn't nuke anyone for two reasons: he would be unceremoniously dispatched if he tried it, second God wouldn't allow it/it's impossible.

 

[A380]

He trades on fear and intimidation doesn't he? But he wouldn't nuke anyone for two reasons: he would be unceremoniously dispatched if he tried it, second God wouldn't allow it/it's impossible.

God wouldn’t allow it??

That’s ok then.

 

[Humberto]

Well yeah. Read Revelations if you want.

 

[A380]

Well yeah. Read Revelations if you want.

Makes more sense then anything you’ve written TBF

 

[Humberto]

Well yeah it's in the Bible.

 

[Diamond]

A short while earlier, the EU announced that it would be donating fighter jets to the Ukrainians - now they seem to have already arrived.



EU being super decisive, quite unusual. Also, very involved indeed now.

Johnson seems to be increasingly sticking his oar in, which doesn't bode well, Churchill wannabe that he is.

 

[A380]

Well yeah it's in the Bible.

Gate’s been left open again I see.

 

[Dystopiary]

 

[RileyOBlimey]

A short while earlier, the EU announced that it would be donating fighter jets to the Ukrainians - now they seem to have already arrived.



EU being super decisive, quite unusual. Also, very involved indeed now.

Johnson seems to be increasingly sticking his oar in, which doesn't bode well, Churchill wannabe that he is.

That escalated quickly.

 

[Humberto]

Gate’s been left open again I see.

Sorry for telling the truth that there will be no nuclear war. Laugh at the loony shtick much appreciated.

The richest man in the world, billionaire cronies everywhere, going to top himself?

 

[Humberto]

Or see his arse after being cornered? When he's got the option.

 

[AmateurAgitator]

People love refugees all of a sudden! But it's nothing to do with these more recent ones being white - ofcourse not!

 

[not-bono-ever]

Sberbank European collapsing after a run on its cash by predominantly Eastern Europe’s punters

 

[RD2003]

If Russia doesn't succeed in Ukraine, there will inevitably be, after the also inevitable period of western-backed self-congratulation, a nationalistic backlash in Russia. Will it coincide with the coming chaos in basket case USA as the Trumpists come surging back? Two basket case nations going at it amongst themselves at the same time? What will the effects be internationally?

 

[elbows]

Apparently from the way AP worded this, it sounds like Klitschko said something to them that he later wanted to retract, and in order to destroy the earlier claim he later blamed Russian misinformation.

Kyiv mayor proud of citizens' spirit, anxious about future

As Russian troops draw closer to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv's mayor is filled with pride over his citizens’ spirit and anxious about how long they can hold out.

apnews.com

In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, after a grueling night of Russian attacks on the outskirts of the city, Mayor Vitali Klitschko was silent for several seconds when asked if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops managed to take Kyiv.

“We can’t do that, because all ways are blocked,” he finally said, speaking in English. “All ways are blocked and right now we are encircled — everywhere is Russians and we don’t have a way to evacuate the people. And everyone who had plans to evacuate himself already moved.”

The AP was not able to immediately verify the mayor’s report that Kyiv was surrounded, and his spokesperson later tweeted that the mayor had misspoken.

Klitschko himself later backed away from his earlier assessment, saying on his Telegram channel that “In the evening, Russian Internet publications spread information with reference to me that Kyiv is allegedly surrounded and evacuation of people is impossible. ... Do not believe lies! Trust information only from official sources.”

 

[Humberto]

People love refugees all of a sudden! But it's nothing to do with these more recent ones being white - ofcourse not!

Is foreign policy sold on the basis of what can be unquestionably given to the Liberal elite, who are Tories/Libertarians/opressors with a veneer of civility, and massively racist and murdering to boot.