Ukraine War Watch Thread

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

Russian State TV protest 'sent shockwaves through all of Russian society' says American on the ground

Sarah K. Burris
March 14, 2022

Yakov Kronrod went back to Russia to care for his mother months before the invasion of Ukraine, so he was on the ground watching as a Channel One editor took the bold move to stage a protest on live television.

Marina Ovsyannikova, the editor of Channel One, held up a sign saying that Russians were being lied to and not to believe the propaganda. She was detained and taken to the Ostankino police department. Russia's Vladimir Putin passed a law that any person who says something that conflicts with the government can be thrown in jail for 15 years.

According to Kronrod, even pro-Putin outlets have reported on the story, he said, delivering her message even farther to more people.

"It sends shock waves through all of Russian society. Yandex News had a story about it, and they rarely have anything that's against the main narrative," said Kronrod. "Her Facebook page was getting thousands of people commenting every minute. Literally, it exploded. Everyone was texting each other, calling each other saying, did you see? Did you see what happened? And many of the human rights activists that I'm talking to feel this may very well be the start of the wave to see someone like that Channel 1 has 250 million viewers, it's the number one watched station by most common Russians. For a lot of Russians, this was the first time they saw any dissenting voice."

https://www.rawstory.com/russia-channel ... est-putin/

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Mariupol is still holding out but the situation is becoming more and more dire.

The city is encircled by Russian troops and remains under constant bombardment with almost 400,000 people still trapped without running water, and food and medical supplies quickly running out. The local authorities say the war there has left at least 2,400 civilians dead, but even they acknowledge that this is an underestimate.

/snip

Some streets are so dangerous that few go out to pick up the dead. Many are being buried in mass graves. The almost non-stop Russian attacks have turned their old neighbourhoods into wasteland. New drone footage (pictured above) showed the vast extent of the damage, with fire and smoke billowing out of apartment blocks and blackened streets in ruins.

"On the left bank, there's no residential building intact, it's all burned to the ground," Ms Ponomareva said. "The city centre is unrecognisable."

/snip

But no humanitarian aid was allowed into the city. Sergei Orlov, the deputy mayor of Mariupol, said things were "getting more difficult by the hour". Monday's convoy of vehicles had been organised by civilians who decided to leave, he said, and was not part of an official corridor.

"The situation is horrible," he said. "There isn't enough food, water, medicine, insulin, baby food. Everyone has specific needs." According to Mr Orlov, cars with supplies have been waiting for four days but the Russians have not let it in. "We get a lot of calls. For example, a mother who says 'I have a child in my hands [who] is dying from hunger.' Or we get a call 'Here's our address. We're blocked in the

basement. What should we do?'," Mr Orlov said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60736845

[andmar74]

Clearly, the Russian military is struggling, which is great.
The question is, what will the lunatic President do? If he can't accept defeat, then it's a horror show.

Also, it's amazing that Zelenskyy can keep on talking to leaders and parlaments around the world. Is he using a Starlink connection? Can't the Russians jam the signal or hack it somehow? (Maybe not jam it since the Russians are far from Kyiv yet).

[weatheriscool]

Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski killed covering Ukraine invasion
Source: The Sun

Israel Salas-Rodriguez
11:13 ET, Mar 15 2022Updated: 11:21 ET, Mar 15 2022

FOX News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski has died while covering the Ukraine invasion after he was hit by gunfire that injured fellow correspondent Benjamin Hall.

The news outlet made the heartbreaking announcement in a memo to staffers on Tuesday.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski," Fox News said.

According to the outlet, Zakrzewski was killed while reporting fellow correspondent Hall in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine, after their vehicle was struck by incoming gunfire.

Read more: https://www.the-sun.com/news/4891549/fo ... d-ukraine/

[Xyls]

I think we are in the closing phases of the war. Russia and Ukraine will probably come to a "miraculous agreement" of some sort after the Fall of Mariupol. The Russians have lost the Battles of Kyiv and Kharkiv and have no path to taking control of the country. They are going to struggle with what they already have in south. They want that landbridge to Crimea though. And that is very likely achievable.

[raklian]

I think we are in the closing phases of the war. Russia and Ukraine will probably come to a "miraculous agreement" of some sort after the Fall of Mariupol. The Russians have lost the Battles of Kyiv and Kharkiv and have no path to taking control of the country. They are going to struggle with what they already have in south. They want that landbridge to Crimea though. And that is very likely achievable.

If the Russians do get Mariupol as part of the agreement to end hostilities, people there are going to revolt against whoever the mayor Russians installed and ask to be returned to Ukraine if they don't get to vote for a mayor of their own. I predict another conflict between Ukraine and Russia in a few years.

[caltrek]

I sincerely hope we are heading for a "miraculous agreement." Out of pessimism, I will believe it when I see it. While Biden is under pressure from right-wing nutcases to impose a no-fly zone over the Ukraine, there are politicians in Russia that make Putin look like a moderate. Consider this article:

Russian Member of Parliament Demands Putin Take Alaska
by Sara K. Burus
March 15, 2022

https://www.alternet.org/2022/03/russia-2656961439/

Introduction:

(Alternet) “There isn’t a single country in the world that is as easily manipulated as America,” (Oleg) Matveychev said. “Here’s what will be on the table after our victory... After Ukraine’s demilitarization is completed... we’re going to raise the stakes... For example, the lifting of all sanctions... The dissolution of NATO, because the presence of NATO in some countries is getting in our way. Extradition of all war criminals... like [Anton] Herashchenko [former deputy minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs], Zelensky, [former President of Ukraine Petro] Poroshenko. Extradition of various oligarchs, like [Mikhail] Khodorkovsky."

"We should be thinking about reparations from the damage that was caused by the sanctions and the war itself, because that too costs money and we should get it back. The return of all Russian properties, those of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and current Russia, which has been seized in the United States, and so on."

“Are you including Alaska and Fort Ross?” the host asked.

“That was my next point. As well as the Antarctic," Matveychev, continued. "We discovered it, so it belongs to us... Also, the return of all medals that have been unlawfully taken from our sportsmen during all Olympic games, as well as the extradition of [Grigory] Rodchenkov, along with the extradition of multiple other criminals we’ll want. I think we should start voicing all of that, so they understand what will be on the table. You didn’t want to talk to us about something small, like Ukraine’s neutrality, here’s what you get. And that’s not even all of it.”

[Yuli Ban]

Well I mean if you're bringing up crazy Russian politicians, you naturally have to talk about Mad Vlad

Zhirinovsky has on several occasions become involved in altercations with other politicians and debate opponents. As a candidate, he also took part in the 2000 and 2008 presidential elections, promising a "police state", and to institute summary executions. A BBC documentary from 1995 showed Zhirinovsky telling the crowd at a campaign rally: "Help us, and you'll never have to vote again! I'm not saying, 'Vote for us and maybe in 20 years' time somebody will do something.' No, these will be the last elections! The last ones!" During the 1990s, some commentators described Zhirinovsky as a fascist, having fascist tendencies, or a neo-fascist. He is considered by Russian scholars as a neo-Eurasianist.

Then again, he's a clown that few take seriously on principle, like our own David Duke.

[Maximus]

"We should be thinking about reparations from the damage that was caused by the sanctions and the war itself, because that too costs money and we should get it back. The return of all Russian properties, those of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and current Russia, which has been seized in the United States, and so on."

“Are you including Alaska and Fort Ross?” the host asked.

“That was my next point. As well as the Antarctic," Matveychev, continued. "We discovered it, so it belongs to us... Also, the return of all medals that have been unlawfully taken from our sportsmen during all Olympic games, as well as the extradition of [Grigory] Rodchenkov, along with the extradition of multiple other criminals we’ll want. I think we should start voicing all of that, so they understand what will be on the table. You didn’t want to talk to us about something small, like Ukraine’s neutrality, here’s what you get. And that’s not even all of it.”

I can see it already: "we are conducting a special military operation to depose the Antarctic of all neo-Nazi penguins".

[caltrek]

Well I mean if you're bringing up crazy Russian politicians, you naturally have to talk about Mad Vlad

Zhirinovsky has on several occasions become involved in altercations with other politicians and debate opponents. As a candidate, he also took part in the 2000 and 2008 presidential elections, promising a "police state", and to institute summary executions. A BBC documentary from 1995 showed Zhirinovsky telling the crowd at a campaign rally: "Help us, and you'll never have to vote again! I'm not saying, 'Vote for us and maybe in 20 years' time somebody will do something.' No, these will be the last elections! The last ones!" During the 1990s, some commentators described Zhirinovsky as a fascist, having fascist tendencies, or a neo-fascist. He is considered by Russian scholars as a neo-Eurasianist.

Then again, he's a clown that few take seriously on principle, like our own David Duke.

Well, I don't know about Mad Vlad and whether he gets any attention in the current media. Yet, the Russian member of Parliament, Oleg Matveychev, that I referred to has apparently been interviewed on Russian national television in recent days. Contrast that with the protestor who showed one anti-war placard on a news show who is now facing a fifteen-year prison term. If Matveychev's line of garbage continues to be fed to the Russian people, while such protestors are so brutally repressed, what will be the result?

Sure, one result may very well be a loss of credibility for their media. On the darker side, another result may be a public that has a long way to go before it finally turns against this war. If it ever does arrive at that point. Meanwhile, "brotherly love" for Ukraine is liable to turn into a hatred that lasts for generations - or manifests itself into support for a "final solution."

Phoenix Ru may turn out to be right about one thing: by Russian standards he may very well end up looking like a moderate.

Mind you, I am not advocating any kind of blanket and bigoted condemnation of Russians. We all need to remember that there are brave Russians risking their careers, prison sentences, and even their lives for speaking out against this war. They should be commended for their bravery and compassion. We just need to remember and understand what they are up against.

[caltrek]

I can see it already: "we are conducting a special military operation to depose the Antarctic of all neo-Nazi penguins".

Shhh...Don't give them any ideas.

[Xyls]

I think we are in the closing phases of the war. Russia and Ukraine will probably come to a "miraculous agreement" of some sort after the Fall of Mariupol. The Russians have lost the Battles of Kyiv and Kharkiv and have no path to taking control of the country. They are going to struggle with what they already have in south. They want that landbridge to Crimea though. And that is very likely achievable.

If the Russians do get Mariupol as part of the agreement to end hostilities, people there are going to revolt against whoever the mayor Russians installed and ask to be returned to Ukraine if they don't get to vote for a mayor of their own. I predict another conflict between Ukraine and Russia in a few years.

This is going to sound really terrible... but that is is there is anyone left alive to do so. The Russians are going full genocide/extermination mode on this city in an attempt to force it to capitulate. I saw a suggestion that up to 20,000 people may have already died here out of a population of 400,000ish...

[raklian]

I think we are in the closing phases of the war. Russia and Ukraine will probably come to a "miraculous agreement" of some sort after the Fall of Mariupol. The Russians have lost the Battles of Kyiv and Kharkiv and have no path to taking control of the country. They are going to struggle with what they already have in south. They want that landbridge to Crimea though. And that is very likely achievable.

If the Russians do get Mariupol as part of the agreement to end hostilities, people there are going to revolt against whoever the mayor Russians installed and ask to be returned to Ukraine if they don't get to vote for a mayor of their own. I predict another conflict between Ukraine and Russia in a few years.

This is going to sound really terrible... but that is is there is anyone left alive to do so. The Russians are going full genocide/extermination mode on this city in an attempt to force it to capitulate. I saw a suggestion that up to 20,000 people may have already died here out of a population of 400,000ish...

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if most of the remaining ones moved to the western part of Ukraine or even other countries.

[Certain Russian user]

Foreign mercenaries share their first (and last) war experience in Ukraine.

Brazilian dude:
blocked/14028

English-speaking dude:
blocked/32801

[wjfox]

Here’s a list of Russia’s upcoming debt payments

Updated Tue, Mar 15 2022 8:29 PM EDT

Russia is close to defaulting on its debt for the first time in decades, with two payments totaling $117 million due on Wednesday.

The payment is the first since a slew of international sanctions were imposed on Moscow in response to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, offering the first test of the government’s ability, and willingness, to pay foreign creditors while its central bank and financial institutions are hamstrung by sanctions and domestic mitigation policies.

A default could trigger a protracted dispute with credit ratings agencies, international bodies and foreign creditors, and set the tone for a slew of upcoming payments this year.

Here is a list of Russia’s upcoming external bond payments this year and the initial currency in which they were denominated:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/15/heres-a ... ments.html

[wjfox]

Russia faces IT crisis with just two months of data storage left

March 15, 2022 12:52 PM

Russia faces a critical IT storage crisis after Western cloud providers pulled out of the country, leaving Russia with only two more months before they run out of data storage.

[...]

For example, the locally-sourced storage capacity needs of Russian mobile carrier MegaFon increased fivefold, MTS tenfold, and VK had to seek 20% more storage resources in just a week.

This has created an insurmountable practical problem as there are not enough data centers in Russia to accommodate the needs of local operators; hence, a national solution for the Russian storage crisis is needed.

Kommersant further explains that the situation coincides with public Russian agencies' storage needs growing exponentially due to "smart city" projects involving extensive video surveillance and facial recognition systems.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/t ... rage-left/

[wjfox]