Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24

[nogojones]

Hostile takeovers in Ukraine have involved militia storming factories, attacks on courts and local government members.

Very similar to how mergers and acquisitions are conducted in Russia.

Over the last 7-8 years Ukraine has reigned it in a bit, but some of that reigning in was also one of the influences in the DSR/LSR breakaway, with the Donetsk block of politicians/industrialists wanting to keep what's theirs - well what they corruptly accumulated in the post soviet years, through fixed tendering processes, gangsterism and the sell-off of state assets at remarkably low prices.

The remainder of the Ukrainian state post Maidan set their sights to the west and looked to internationalise their capital at the expense of the Donetsk block, opening up all the assets to international capital.

I'm not 100% sure Western multinationals are all that better than Russian gangsters/oligarchs. Whilst Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs have luxury yachts our oligarchs are fucking building spaceships for joyrides.

 

[nogojones]

Interestingly enough some reports say 48 of those are Azov . Dunno if it’s the ones with Nazi tattoos though .

I wonder how many of the Russian POWs being sent back have nazi tattoos

 

[Dystopiary]

Absolutely, especially as there were calls in Russia to put them on trial etc , but it was never about that anyway.
Equally ludicrous has been the denial that there are Nazis in the Ukraine .

I can understand Ukrainians and their allies playing it down after all the exaggerated stuff being used to justify the invasion by all sorts of dubious characters, but the far right defo need to be kept an eye on and suppressed in Ukraine, as everywhere.

 

[The39thStep]

Very similar to how mergers and acquisitions are conducted in Russia.

Over the last 7-8 years Ukraine has reigned it in a bit, but some of that reigning in was also one of the influences in the DSR/LSR breakaway, with the Donetsk block of politicians/industrialists wanting to keep what's theirs - well what they corruptly accumulated in the post soviet years, through fixed tendering processes, gangsterism and the sell-off of state assets at remarkably low prices.

The remainder of the Ukrainian state post Maidan set their sights to the west and looked to internationalise their capital at the expense of the Donetsk block, opening up all the assets to international capital.

I'm not 100% sure Western multinationals are all that better than Russian gangsters/oligarchs. Whilst Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs have luxury yachts our oligarchs are fucking building spaceships for joyrides.

I think you are right to point out that this is a battle between international ( well European) and national capital on who gets their , and who keeps their , grubby hands on national assets . Squeezed in the middle of course is the Ukrainian working class who will lose the limited rights they have .

 

[nogojones]

I think you are right to point out that this is a battle between international ( well European) and national capital on who gets their , and who keeps their , grubby hands on national assets . Squeezed in the middle of course is the Ukrainian working class who will lose the limited rights they have .

The working class will loose regardless unless they act as a class in their own interests.

 

[The39thStep]

The working class will loose regardless unless they act as a class in their own interests.

Bang on the nail there pal.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Very similar to how mergers and acquisitions are conducted in Russia.

Over the last 7-8 years Ukraine has reigned it in a bit, but some of that reigning in was also one of the influences in the DSR/LSR breakaway, with the Donetsk block of politicians/industrialists wanting to keep what's theirs - well what they corruptly accumulated in the post soviet years, through fixed tendering processes, gangsterism and the sell-off of state assets at remarkably low prices.

The remainder of the Ukrainian state post Maidan set their sights to the west and looked to internationalise their capital at the expense of the Donetsk block, opening up all the assets to international capital.

I'm not 100% sure Western multinationals are all that better than Russian gangsters/oligarchs. Whilst Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs have luxury yachts our oligarchs are fucking building spaceships for joyrides.

Tesla is renowned for workplace segregation and has fired anyone who disagrees with him or organises a union

 

[Raheem]

Equally ludicrous has been the denial that there are Nazis in the Ukraine .

It gets worse. There are people saying Ukraine is actually on the moon.

 

[The39thStep]

It gets worse. There are people saying Ukraine is actually on the moon.

hopefully not made of blue cheese

 

[Pickman's model]

hopefully not made of blue cheese

it's made of yarg

 

[Dogsauce]

Russian forces have withdrawn from Snake Island as a 'gesture of goodwill' (presumably to the mothers of all the soldiers there who kept getting blown up by rockets from the Ukraine mainland)
]

Twitter war nerds have been busy turning ‘goodwill’ into a verb today, saying Russia needs ‘goodwilling’ in other territory too.

 

[kebabking]

Twitter war nerds have been busy turning ‘goodwill’ into a verb today, saying Russia needs ‘goodwilling’ in other territory too.

I thang yew...

 

[SpookyFrank]

Our brave lads giving Afghanistan to the Taliban as a gesture of goodwill.

 

[Dystopiary]

Straight from the horse's mouth - Lukashenka has confirmed missile launches from Belarus as Russian/Belarusian policy.

Btw, during his meeting with him, he called Lavrov "the chief diplomat of the world."

 

[Dogsauce]

Straight from the horse's mouth - Lukashenka has confirmed missile launches from Belarus as Russian/Belarusian policy.

Btw, during his meeting with him, he called Lavrov "the chief diplomat of the world."

They’ve been doing it since the start of the war (and using airbases too) so nothing new. Client state and all that.

 

[Dystopiary]

They’ve been doing it since the start of the war (and using airbases too) so nothing new. Client state and all that.

Well exactly. But has he admitted it before? I don't think so.

 

[tim]

Total War, innit? Similar to what Bomber Command did to Germany. Kill/dehouse the population, on the assumption that civilians contribute to the military effort. (E2a: not to denigrate the crews, who've never had the appreciation they deserve.)

Edit: if Ukraine has AA missiles which can hit cruise missiles, another benefit for Russia is that Ukaine has to site those missiles at civilian buildings, which means less protection for their military. (Also similar to Bomber Command's rationale. Germany took huge numbers of troops and guns away from the Russian front and put them in cities to defend against bombers.)

The attack on this shopping centre is not comparable with the bombing of Dresden or Hamburg.

 

[tim]

Largest prisoner swap so far - 144 Ukrainian prisoners for 144 Russian prisoners.

Kyiv says 144 Ukrainian soldiers freed in largest prisoner swap

A gross for a gross.

 

[Pickman's model]

The attack on this shopping centre is not comparable with the bombing of Dresden or Hamburg.

David Clapson is rather excitable and has no historical knowledge which might provide a context for the phrases he sprinkles without comprehension

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Interestingly enough some reports say 48 of those are Azov . Dunno if it’s the ones with Nazi tattoos though .

mostly it's an exchange of medical costs, not sure you can cut medical care to prisonners, your own citizens are a different story
please don't call me cynical

It gets worse. There are people saying Ukraine is actually on the moon.

on top of a WWII bomber I heard

 

[Yossarian]

21 dead, including children, in strikes on an Odesa-area block of flats and a holiday camp, apparently in response the retaking of Snake Island.

Ukraine war: Russian missile strikes kill 21 in Odesa region - emergency service

The overnight strikes hit a residential building and a recreation centre in a village, officials say.

www.bbc.com

Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said: “A terrorist country is killing our people. In response to defeats on the battlefield, they fight civilians.

 

[teqniq]

See Syria and Chechnya. Should have been stopped before. Ends.

 

[David Clapson]

An analyst has written an overview of Russia's missile production
Missed Targets: the Struggles of Russia’s Missile Industry | CEPA The short version is that they might run out by the end of the year, because of sanctions and a skilled labour shortage.

 

[Dogsauce]

The Russian ammo dump near Popasna hosted a goodwill fireworks display for the enjoyment of the Ukrainian populace:

 

[Smangus]

wow , that's a biggie.

 

[David Clapson]

Amazing. Why the reddish colour?

 

[IC3D]

Amazing. Why the reddish colour?

Looks more like they hit ammonium nitrate storage rather than weapons.
See Beruit explosion below

 

[Pickman's model]

Looks more like they hit ammonium nitrate storage rather than weapons.
See Beruit explosion below
View attachment 330060

Red also occurs in flame tests for strontium. But it'd be nice to have kebabking tell us what to look for when a great arms dump explodes, really pissed off at the lack of fireworks

 

[IC3D]

Belgorod in Russia just been hit by missiles overnight.
So that's happening then. Hardly surprising I suppose.

 

[strung out]

Belgorod in Russia just been hit by missiles overnight.
So that's happening then. Hardly surprising I suppose.

Been happening for months.

This from May:

‘Now we get hit too’: Belgorod, the Russian city on the Ukraine frontline | Russia | The Guardian

Locals speak of a tense atmosphere after a number of attacks – and reports of Ukrainian saboteurs

amp.theguardian.com