War in Ukraine

Russia has a new system for getting rid of under-performing officers: have his troops run him over with a tank. In this case, it was a colonel. (I don't know how they could know at this point whether it was intentional or accidental without Russia reporting it, which they probably wouldn't.)

Russian troops attack own commanding officer after suffering heavy losses

Just when you thought this war couldn't get any weirder.

Maybe Ukraine could put up signs advertising rewards for bumping off Russian officers:

Decommission a general, get a date with Ukrainian movie star.
Bump off a colonel, get a date with a pretty girl.
Terminate a major, get a date with a girl.
Plant a captain, get a steak dinner.
Finish off a lieutenant, get a chee-borgie, chee-borgie, chee-borgie!



(I know the SNL skit is supposed to be about Greeks, but it could easily be applied to Ukrainians.)

 

Reminder: After the last election, Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the Open Skies Treaty giving Putin cover to do the same.

Ukraine begged us not to because it would rob the west of vital intelligence should Putin invade. Now here we are.

 

But guys, it’s always been about Donbas all along.
Putin on brink of major RETREAT in Kyiv – Russia to 'scale back' invasion

 

Yep...moving the goalposts to be able to declare victory back home....except you can't erase the internet, what they've said, done, etc.

If I'm Ukraine I push through those 2 regions, let everyone who wants to go to Russia go freely, and take it all back. Maybe even Crimea.

 

Proud of Chef....always traveling the world to feed those in crisis...

"Biden meets with chef José Andrés at food distribution site in Poland

From CNN's Allie Malloy

US President Joe Biden met with chef José Andrés and volunteers in Warsaw Saturday at a food distribution site for Andrés’ World Center Kitchen, the nonprofit devoted to providing meals in the wake of disasters.

Biden met with some of the volunteers, some of whom are from Europe and the United States.

“God love ya,” the President could be heard saying to them while asking if he could help them."

 

Cnn live

"Ambulance blessed and donated by Pope Francis en route to Lviv

From CNN's Livia Borghese in Rome

An ambulance that was donated and blessed by Pope Francis is on its way to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, according to the Holy See press office.

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, on Saturday left for Lviv and will make the approximately 18-hour drive to give the vehicle to authorities in Lviv in an effort to provide relief to the city. Lviv has seen a stream of internally displaced Ukrainians arriving from the east."

 

So proud of our President.

 

For what precisely? This is pretty vague given the topic.

 

Cnn live...well said

"US president tells Russian people you are "not our enemy"

From CNN's Allie Malloy

US President Joe Biden gave a direct message to the Russian people while speaking from Warsaw Saturday telling them, “You… are not our enemy.”

“I’ve always spoken directly and honestly to you, the Russian people, let me say this if you’re able to listen: You the Russian people are not our enemy. I refuse to believe that you welcome the killing of innocent children and grandparents or that you accept hospitals, schools, maternity wards -- for God’s sake -- being pummeled with Russian missiles and bombs,” Biden said.

Biden also said Putin’s actions in Ukraine are “not the actions of a great nation” and called on Russians who were alive during the Soviet Union and heard of it from their families to speak up. “These are not memories of the past," Biden said. "This is exactly what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine right now."

“This is not who you are. This is not the future you deserve for your families and your children. I’m telling you the truth. This war is not worthy of you, the Russian people,” Biden said. "

 

Cnn live

"Biden sends warning to Putin: Don't "even think" about moving on NATO territory

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

US President Joe Biden, standing along NATO’s eastern edge in Poland, issued a stern warning to Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Saturday: “Don't even think about moving on one single inch of NATO territory.”

Biden delivered the notice during a speech in Warsaw. He said the US was committed to the collective protection obligations laid out in NATO’s charter “with the full force of our collective power.”"

 

Cnn live

"Biden calls for regime change in Russia, saying Putin "cannot remain in power"

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

US President Joe Biden declared forcefully Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin should no longer be the leader of his country.

"For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," Biden announced at the very conclusion of a capstone address delivered at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

It was the furthest Biden has gone in calling for regime change in Russia, and it reflects a significant change in the American approach to Moscow.

US officials had said previously said removing Putin from power was not their goal.
....

The Kremlin's response: “This is not to be decided by Mr. Biden," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "It should only be a choice of the people of the Russian Federation.”"
......

Choice of the people? That's rich.

 

A number of reasons but I have to admit my standards might be pretty low because of the last guy that held the office.

 

If Peskov really believes that it should be choice of the people of the Russian Federation, his boss can begin by releasing Alexander Navalny from prison, restoring the free press and agreeing to hold free and fair elections in which Navalny or any other candidate(s) can run against Putin without fear with retribution. Never going to happen.

 

It'll happen only if it's the will of the people to topple/assassinate Putin. But that's it.

 

Woulda preferred it a couple weeks ago, but a solid message from POTUS from the "front".

 

Well, this thread is about the War in Ukraine. So that should narrow it down sufficiently?

 

It won't be the will of the people. It will be the will of a general or intelligence officer. Hopefully, the people will finally have a say in how their country is run.

 

My brother told me about this a while back. This was the 10th Special Forces Group out of Fort Carson, CO. (My brother was in the 5th Group) It's amazing how a single battalion can turn minimally trained locals into a cunning and formidable territorial defense force.

 

Problem is because of the sanctions, no one in Russia will get that message with most likely the Kremlin making up their own version having him basically say "You Russian people are dead to me".

 

Whether the message gets through has little to do with “sanctions” as the Russian govt fully controls the media, including now shutting down western social media. Just as in China, it takes a certain tech savviness to get around their blocks (use of VPN’s to spoof their location and such). We can assume Biden’s message somewhat gets through to educated younger Russians and those who might spend time physically in the west. For the country folks and elderly plugged-in only to state TV? Not so much. They *only* get the state propaganda take that the “special military operation” is going “perfectly”.

That being said, I’m sure they are busy blaming the U.S. for their economic woes, so the impact of the sanctions are probably a mixed bag between those who listen to the state TV take on its face, and those who are able to see through the regime.