Ukraine Invasion - Please do not post videos showing attacks/similar

[Custor]

What , Russia paying for NATO troops to be killed?https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ny...politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.amp.html

Na the bit where they investigated the allegation by the Washington Post and decided it was full of ++++. But you couldn't be arsed to give the nuanced version where there are caveats for people to see the full picture.
Don't worry though your posts are low to moderate too. So good for you.

Afghanistan war: US spies doubt reports of Russian 'bounties' for troops.​

The White House has acknowledged there was little evidence that Russia had offered Taliban militants bounties to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan

Afghanistan war: US spies doubt reports of Russian 'bounties' for troops

US spies have "low to moderate confidence" that Russia offered cash for American deaths, officials say.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Turn]

Spoiler: *Scholz Defends Germany’s Caution on Sending Heavy Arms to Ukraine — RTRS

Spoiler: *Russia Cuts State-Backed Mortgage Rate, Extends Scheme — RTRS

Spoiler: *Russia Says 46 Civilians Left Area Near Azovstal Plant on Saturday — RTRS

Spoiler: *Russia Strikes U.S. Weapons at Airfield Near Odesa, Defence Ministry Says — RTRS

 

[Hades]

My cousin's friends family have made it out of Melitopol apparently - don't really know details but they flew into the UK couple of days ago, quite a risky journey apparently.

Good to hear they are out.

 

[bris]

No one should be turning up at the border, they are recruiting volunteers through their embassies, so what you've described is the correct process for any volunteers wanting to join the Ukrainian military.

To be honest I don't really care what they are being paid if they are stopping Putin from ultimately invading the rest of Europe and the UK, good luck to them. That still makes them nothing like Wagner who are evil. Context matters.

You can keep swallowing whatever Putin is throwing at you though if you want, I think you have some on your chin.

No they are recruiting mercenaries through their embassies, calling them volunteers is very misleading, they are there for 2k a day.
Don't get me wrong this is a good thing, getting well trained ex army veterans with all their experience is priceless. They will be making a difference on the ground.

Putin isn't throwing anything at me, I hate the murdering scumbag with a passion as you would know if you have seen any of my posts.

I may be naive but I thought all these "volunteers" were just adrenilan junkies looking to do some good and use their experience to help defend Ukrain.
So I was surprised to find out they are acually there for the money.

The Wagner mercinaries are murdering scumbags and I am certainly not tarring them with the same brush.

My main point being the young American, only 22 with a baby, no amount of money can make up for the loss his family have now suffered.

So am I naive, did every one but me know the were mercenaries?

 

[Rroff]

Interesting the NATO AWACS over Romania on the Black Sea coast - along with several what seem to be QRA activations in that area recently - doesn't look good.

Good to hear they are out.

Can't even imagine how my cousin's friend must have been feeling with all the stories coming out.

 

[Bar]

No they are recruiting mercenaries through their embassies, calling them volunteers is very misleading, they are there for 2k a day.
Don't get me wrong this is a good thing, getting well trained ex army veterans with all their experience is priceless. They will be making a difference on the ground.

Putin isn't throwing anything at me, I hate the murdering scumbag with a passion as you would know if you have seen any of my posts.

I may be naive but I thought all these "volunteers" were just adrenilan junkies looking to do some good and use their experience to help defend Ukrain.
So I was surprised to find out they are acually there for the money.

The Wagner mercinaries are murdering scumbags and I am certainly not tarring them with the same brush.

My main point being the young American, only 22 with a baby, no amount of money can make up for the loss his family have now suffered.

So am I naive, did every one but me know the were mercenaries?

To my mind the main difference between a paid volunteer and a mercenary is intent.

 

[Washout]

Interesting the NATO AWACS over Romania on the Black Sea coast - along with several what seem to be QRA activations in that area recently - doesn't look good.



Can't even imagine how my cousin's friend must have been feeling with all the stories coming out.

Could be much higher security for the high level American diplomats who are in Kyiv this morning? Making sure nothing comes near whatever flight they took in or they have lots of notice on anything launched towards the capital while there.

 

[Mr Jack]

So am I naive, did every one but me know the were mercenaries?

Foreign legion soldiers are not mercenaries. A mercenary company hires out its forces to another body (usually a state, but it doesn't have to be) and will take positions serving alongside another force. Mercenary companies usually maintain their own command structure. A foreign volunteer joins the military structure of the country they are fighting for and specifically joins the particular country/cause they are going to be fighting for.

Some particularly experienced and valuable volunteers may be getting paid $2k/day (there have been adverts as such) but it's certainly not the norm for these volunteers.

 

[Rroff]

Could be much higher security for the high level American diplomats who are in Kyiv this morning? Making sure nothing comes near whatever flight they took in or they have lots of notice on anything launched towards the capital while there.

Maybe - definitely a lot of eyes right now on the locations Russia has typically been firing long range missiles from.

They had the experimental ARTEMIS platform up earlier as well.

 

[Turn]

Spoiler: *Pope Says Ukraine’s Mariupol Has Been ‘Barbarously Bombarded’ — RTRS

Spoiler: *Ukraine Says Mariupol Evacuation Possible on Sunday — RTRS

 

[Minusorange]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1520719357923504128

A Railway bridge in Kursk region has been damaged/destroyed

 

[Turn]

Spoiler: *EU Leans Towards Russian Oil Ban by Year-End, Diplomats Say — RTRS

Spoiler: *More Civilians Evacuated From Around Azovstal Plant- Reuters Photographer — RTRS

 

[ubersonic]

Just seen this:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1520708941696708609

I'm not sure what's worse, that they would plan something like that or that they're already done so much evil I have little trouble believing it

There was a period where Western leaders had good relations with Moscow. The UK have had a strong affinity towards Russia for some time. That has fallen apart since Putin though. I don't think it's as simple as blaming the west for this break down in relations.

This is true, however it shouldn't be forgotten that Putin's election in the first place came about as a direct result of western meddling in former Soviet states. They saw NATO invade Yugoslavia and carve it up into smaller weaker countries, they got scared for Russia's/their security and they elected a hardman who promised to make Russia strong again militarily as well as economically, if that hadn't happened they would probably have elected another Gorbachev or Yeltsin and have similar western relations as Ukraine. Obviously I'm not saying we shouldn't have invaded Yugoslavia as the people being exterminated weren't going to save themselves, but Putin's rise can directly be traced back to what was perceived as the west destabilising/dismantling former Soviet states.

Sadly unintended butterfly effects have always been a thing with global geopolitics

 

[Minusorange]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1520733766230155264

 

[andybird123]

No they are recruiting mercenaries through their embassies, calling them volunteers is very misleading, they are there for 2k a day.
Don't get me wrong this is a good thing, getting well trained ex army veterans with all their experience is priceless. They will be making a difference on the ground.

Putin isn't throwing anything at me, I hate the murdering scumbag with a passion as you would know if you have seen any of my posts.

I may be naive but I thought all these "volunteers" were just adrenilan junkies looking to do some good and use their experience to help defend Ukrain.
So I was surprised to find out they are acually there for the money.

The Wagner mercinaries are murdering scumbags and I am certainly not tarring them with the same brush.

My main point being the young American, only 22 with a baby, no amount of money can make up for the loss his family have now suffered.

So am I naive, did every one but me know the were mercenaries?

You're calling them "mercenaries" because they get paid. Anyone who joins the army is called a "volunteer" because it distinguishes between forces that recruit people who join up through their own choice vs. countries that force people to join the army (look up "conscription"). It doesn't mean they join up for free, all armed forces globally are paid. It's not misleading, it's the actual definition of the words in the context they are being used.

 

[Turn]

Spoiler: *EU looks to provide further emergency lending to Ukraine — FT

https://www.ft.com/content/8d3a4174-6bcb-4867-a83e-47a258a918d0

 

[bingham67]

It is crazy how Kharkiv has held out - close to the border opposite several big Russian military bases which Russia had beefed up the transport network to, long way from the Ukrainian supply lines, facing off against a force primarily composed of elements from 3 of Russia's elite divisions with heavy armour and combat experience rather than the likes of VDV and forces fleshed out with conscripts, militia or contractors etc.

At one point the defenders were on the back foot when a Russian column made what seems to be an accidental run into the city centre, but they were repulsed.

I read Ukranians have taken quite a few places back in Kharkiv, problem is ive also read that it mainly due to Russian units pulling back to beef up other areas.

 

[Hagar]

This is true, however it shouldn't be forgotten that Putin's election in the first place came about as a direct result of western meddling in former Soviet states. They saw NATO invade Yugoslavia and carve it up into smaller weaker countries, they got scared for Russia's/their security and they elected a hardman who promised to make Russia strong again militarily as well as economically, if that hadn't happened they would probably have elected another Gorbachev or Yeltsin and have similar western relations as Ukraine. Obviously I'm not saying we shouldn't have invaded Yugoslavia as the people being exterminated weren't going to save themselves, but Putin's rise can directly be traced back to what was perceived as the west destabilising/dismantling former Soviet states.

Sadly unintended butterfly effects have always been a thing with global geopolitics

I am not aware that we did warfighting in Yugoslavia. There were some bombing runs over Serbia but the main effort was UN peacekeeping not NATO boots on the ground. The splitting up of Yugoslavia was also carried out by local nationalism, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro etc., all being recognised as seperate states, not enforced by outsiders.

Putins initial raising to leader was a stitch up later ratified by election. Gorbachev was deposed because of his allowing the breakup of the USSR and Yeltsin was an incompetent drunk allowing gangsters to become oligarchs paving the way for the biggest gangster Putin.

 

[Turn]

Spoiler: *More Civilians Evacuated From Around Azovstal Plant- Reuters Photographer — RTRS

*Another 14 Civilians Arrive at Temporary Accommodation Centre in Ukraine’s Donetsk Region After Leaving Azovstal Steel Works- Reuters Photographer — RTRS

Spoiler: *UPDATE 2-Civilians Evacuated From Azovstal Plant- Reuters Photographer

 

[Turn]

Spoiler: *Russia Reports Fire at Military Facility Near Ukraine Border — RTRS

Spoiler: *U.N. Confirms Evacuation of Civilians Underway From Ukraine’s Mariupol — RTRS