Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24

[Dogsauce]

Mariupol is destroyed, no food no electric complete devastation, what is it that is required before it is said to have ‘fallen’ and the killing and shelling there stops? Is it announcement of surrender from local government?

This is what Russia has announced as their plan, ‘complete cleansing’:



Text for those with no Twatter:

"After a complete cleansing of Mariupol, the team of the DPR ombudsman, together with the law enforcement agencies of the republic, will enter the city and collect evidence of all the crimes of the Ukrainian national battalions for the tribunal" via RIA Novosti

They’ve also been reportedly going round in occupied areas gathering people that are on a ‘list’ for internment inside Russia - provided by local pro-Russian elements, anyone associated with or known to support the current administration basically. There’s a history of this sort of thing in Ukraine, unfortunately.

 

[emanymton]

This is what Russia has announced as their plan, ‘complete cleansing’:



Text for those with no Twatter:



They’ve also been reportedly going round in occupied areas gathering people that are on a ‘list’ for internment inside Russia - provided by local pro-Russian elements, anyone associated with or known to support the current administration basically. There’s a history of this sort of thing in Ukraine, unfortunately.

I am not unsympathetic to the idea that we should not want weapons sent to Ukraine and that will just prolong the war. It makes me feel sick that I want Nato to send weapons in

But things like this is why I see no other alternative. The result of a Russian victory is so horrific I don't want to even contemplate it.

 

[bimble]

The use of this word 'cleansing' makes me feel sick. I think Zelensky was right when he suggested that Putin really believes that Ukraine is stuffed full of anti-russian nazis requiring anihilation not just defeat.

 

[emanymton]

The use of this word 'cleansing' makes me feel sick. I think Zelensky was right when he suggested that Putin really believes that Ukraine is stuffed full of anti-russian nazis requiring anihilation not just defeat.

I don't know. I think he thinks (correctly) that Ukraine is full of people who oppose him, and that is enough for him.

 

[_Russ_]

I don't know the credentials of the poster, but there's a short thread about the banning/suspension of some opposition parties here:

Thanks for posting that.
practicalities are foremost in the current situation in Ukraine of course but that piece reinforces my feeling that there is a danger of extremists being outlawed and replaced by extremists

 

[emanymton]

Thanks for posting that.
practicalities are foremost in the current situation in Ukraine of course but that piece reinforces my feeling that there is a danger of extremists being outlawed and replaced by extremists

The Guardian article has this just tucked away at the end, which I find a lot more worrying to be honest.

"The political move comes as Zelenskiy aims to further assert his influence over the country’s media sphere. On Sunday, the Ukrainian leader signed a decree that aims to unite all national TV channels into one platform, citing the importance of a “unified information policy” under martial law."

Ukraine suspends 11 political parties with links to Russia

Zelenskiy says parties such as Viktor Medvedchuk’s Opposition Platform for Life are ‘aimed at division or collusion’

www.theguardian.com

 

[kabbes]

Ideally just between us in the thread, I can say that we are not yet observing increased malicious cyber activity from the major threat groups associated with Russia. This is a big surprise, as it was one of our major immediate escalations that we expected to happen.

 

[teqniq]

We witnessed Mariupol's agony and fled a Russian hit list

 

[cupid_stunt]

We witnessed Mariupol's agony and fled a Russian hit list

That was a hard read.

Once again I am in awe at the bravery shown by media teams out there.

 

[Flavour]

fucking hell. to think that Mariupol was a normal, peaceful city just a month ago. and now it doesn't exist.

 

[editor]

We witnessed Mariupol's agony and fled a Russian hit list

A hard read but superb, brave journalism. We witnessed Mariupol's agony and fled a Russian hit list

 

[editor]

Apologies if this has been posted already.
This was recorded in kyiv with permission of The Clash and all proceeds going to Ukrainian Resistance

It's not as good as it looks:

 

[Pickman's model]

It's not as good as it looks:

i did wonder when i saw pictures of the band who didn't look like the sort of people you'd see supporting, as strummer did, rock against the rich

 

[ohmyliver]

Ideally just between us in the thread, I can say that we are not yet observing increased malicious cyber activity from the major threat groups associated with Russia. This is a big surprise, as it was one of our major immediate escalations that we expected to happen.

Isn't that because NATO in 2019 said that a serious cyberattack could trigger Article 5,

NATO will defend itself (Article by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg published in Prospect)

The alliance will guard its cyber domain—and invoke collective defence if required.

www.nato.int

and recently there seems to be a lot more information coming out about things like Russian ransomware groups having a similar sort of link to the Russian state as privateer groups like the Sea Dogs did to the Englsih state in the 16th century.

Leaked ransomware documents show Conti helping Putin from the shadows

Hacker gang sometimes acts in Russia’s interest, with ad hoc links to FSB, Cozy Bear.

arstechnica.com

 

[Artaxerxes]

Ideally just between us in the thread, I can say that we are not yet observing increased malicious cyber activity from the major threat groups associated with Russia. This is a big surprise, as it was one of our major immediate escalations that we expected to happen.

A lot of the hacker groups had Ukrainian staff - one of the biggest groups literally had its servers thrown open in the early days of war by a senior Ukrainian member

 

[Pickman's model]

Isn't that because NATO in 2019 said that a serious cyberattack could trigger Article 5,

NATO will defend itself (Article by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg published in Prospect)

The alliance will guard its cyber domain—and invoke collective defence if required.

www.nato.int

and recently there seems to be a lot more information coming out about things like Russian ransomware groups having a similar sort of link to the Russian state as privateer groups like the Sea Dogs did to the Englsih state in the 16th century.

Leaked ransomware documents show Conti helping Putin from the shadows

Hacker gang sometimes acts in Russia’s interest, with ad hoc links to FSB, Cozy Bear.

arstechnica.com

privateers were explicitly licensed by the crown

 

[Raheem]

Protesters being fired on in Kherson.

(Note: not graphic but a bit scary)

 

[kebabking]

privateers were explicitly licensed by the crown

I bet Vlad the Great wears a crown when there's no one around...

 

[Dogsauce]

Ideally just between us in the thread, I can say that we are not yet observing increased malicious cyber activity from the major threat groups associated with Russia. This is a big surprise, as it was one of our major immediate escalations that we expected to happen.

Suspect some will be sufficiently tuned into western media and culture that they’ve thought ‘fuck this’ and got out, others might have had to go off and do proper fighting, or maybe working on obtaining targeting information etc - hacking into CCTV systems could provide useful intel and very easily done (most use the default password)

I did see something about current misinformation being targeted at Africa, South America and South Asia - they know they can’t swing opinions in the West, but it’s worth the effort to keep India from imposing sanctions for example.

 

[Dogsauce]

Hopefully Kherson might get liberated soon, Ukrainian counterattack is gaining ground nearby. Could be a messy process though.

 

[emanymton]

Ideally just between us in the thread, I can say that we are not yet observing increased malicious cyber activity from the major threat groups associated with Russia. This is a big surprise, as it was one of our major immediate escalations that we expected to happen.

And a little later urban goes down.

 

[andysays]

Ideally just between us in the thread, I can say that we are not yet observing increased malicious cyber activity from the major threat groups associated with Russia. This is a big surprise, as it was one of our major immediate escalations that we expected to happen.

I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that the Urban server went down only a couple of hours after this was posted...

ETA beaten to it by emanymton

 

[Sprocket.]

I bet Vlad the Great wears a crown when there's no one around...

Polishing his orb.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Hopefully Kherson might get liberated soon, Ukrainian counterattack is gaining ground nearby. Could be a messy process though.

interesting - any source for that?

 

[emanymton]

interesting - any source for that?

Be absolutely huge if true.

 

[steeplejack]

Belarusian opposition radio (and troop movements) seem to suggest Belarus will enter the war in next 1-2 days despite much opposition in Belarusian military circles & near total opposition amongst the wider civilian population. A further sign of desperation. Belarus' military is pretty outdated, and not rated highly.

 

[Dogsauce]

interesting - any source for that?

Nothing specific, they’ve been pushing out of Mykolaiv for a couple of days, a few villages liberated. I suspect Russia is concentrating it‘s efforts on crushing Mariupol and has pulled back a bit from other fronts in the south east. One of their fuckups has been fighting on too many fronts with insufficient supply lines, spread too thin.

 

[ohmyliver]

privateers were explicitly licensed by the crown

Ahh, there goes that analogy then.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Nothing specific, they’ve been pushing out of Mykolaiv for a couple of days, a few villages liberated. I suspect Russia is concentrating it‘s efforts on crushing Mariupol and has pulled back a bit from other fronts in the south east. One of their fuckups has been fighting on too many fronts with insufficient supply lines, spread too thin.

problems with desertion as well apparently - from here - Institute for the Study of War

Russian forces face mounting casualties among officers and increasingly frequent desertion and insubordination. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported on March 19 that “some [Russian] naval infantry units” (unspecified which, but likely referring to Eastern Military District units deployed to the fighting around Kyiv) have lost up to 90% of their personnel and cannot generate replacements.[4] The Ukrainian General Staff reported at noon local time on March 20 that Ukrainian forces wounded the commander of the 346th Independent Spetsnaz Brigade and claimed that Ukrainian forces killed the commanders of the 331st VDV Regiment, 247th VDV Regiment, and the 6th Tank Regiment (90th Tank Division, CMD) at unspecified times and locations.[5] The General Staff reported the Russian Black Sea Fleet is replacing 130 insubordinate soldiers in the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade with paratroopers from the 7th Airborne Assault Division – a measure highly likely to cause greater unit cohesion problems.[6] The General Staff additionally reported that Russian forces are increasingly using ”outdated and partially defective equipment” to replace combat losses.[7]

The Ukrainian MoD reported that forced mobilization in the DNR has demoralized Russian proxy forces, with many refusing to fight and accusing Russian leadership of forcing them into combat to find Ukrainian troop positions. The Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported the number of insubordinate Russian personnel who are refusing combat orders is “sharply increasing” in the Kherson and Mykolayiv oblasts on March 20.[8] The Ukrainian General Staff reported the Russian military commandant office in Belgorod City is investigating 10 Russian servicemen of 138th Motor Rifle Brigade who refused to continue fighting in
kharkiv and agitated for other Russian servicemen to abandon their posts.[9]

 

[gosub]

Must be quite hard though risking life and limb on the whim of Lukashenko , should get themselves proper democratic leader like Boris Johnson