The Invasion Continues...

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Thread two as thread one is complete...

I thought Russia had a great military, why are they sending teenagers in? Cannon fodder? That's going to go down well with the Russian population.

Videos on the BBC of Ukrainian civilians walking back a Russian tank 🥺 the bravery of ordinary people is incredible.

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

I thought Russia had a great military, why are they sending teenagers in? Cannon fodder? That's going to go down well with the Russian population.

There seems to be a lot of speculation that Russia expected Ukraine to quickly capitulate and weren’t really expecting any real resistance

@Roundeartheratchriatmas

There are videos of captured/surrendered Russian soldiers and some of them aren’t even out of their teens. They look terrified.

Personally i suspect there is some truth in that they don’t know the entire situation they were forced into.

Agree.

As the mum to a 17yo ds with strong political views I Cana Lao see how he'd end up being persuaded into something he didn't fully understand because the emotional maturity just isn't there yet.

Propaganda often works best on young teens/adults who are starting to forge their own path. A promised future.

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants I'm from one of the countries you mention. Public and political opinion is split. Russian-sponsored propaganda and fake news have been a real scourge in my country in recent years, so the pro Russian people are scathing of the west. The narrative goes that the West/the EU/NATO poked the bear (Putin) and he is right to retaliate...and that the EU/NATO are hypocrites for "installing a pro-west government" in Ukraine and then abandoning them.

The other half (the people who are pro-EU and anti Putin...that includes me) don't agree with the Russian propaganda obviously.
We are glad that we're in the EU/NATO as that offers protection against Russian aggression, at least for the time being.

There have been protests and rescue efforts for the refugees, many have already crossed into my country and have been taken in by people, into their homes.

But whilst everyone feels awful for the ordinary Ukranians, the general consensus is that, we don't want the west/the EU to get involved. If that happens all hell will break loose. We're one of the first in Russia's firing line, both geographically and in terms of the influence Russia has historically had in the region, and feels entitled to have. There is also Serbia nearby, which has been getting weapons from Russia. And Russian propaganda has been stoking tensions in the region re North Macedonia. Things could get very messy indeed.

The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives and their country, the Russian soldiers don't even know why they're there. What morale must they have? No wonder the Russians are failing.

Thanks @notimagain. I think it's really irresponsible to be stoking fear about the use of nuclear power based on interpretation. We all know it's an option, but to misrepresent it as a being delivered as a direct threat - and a development in the situation - in this way is completely wrong

I can feel pretty negative about the internet some days. But I think the internet has played a blinder so far in rallying people together and shining a light on this debacle.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are also matching a one million pound donation to help the people of Ukraine. We need more rich people to recognise a radioactive cloud of dust particles affects ALL of us. You can’t opt out of a nuclear fallout. The earth is everyone’s playground and by threatening the West with Nukes he is threatening us all. You don’t get to look the other way.

I think there is mounting pressure on all countries to condemn Russia’s actions. Trial by media exists. Everyone is watching.

I recognise it’s unlikely to ever happen but the thought of Putin and his cronies being dragged through the ICC for war crimes me with glee!

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation I agree in the videos I’ve seen they seem confused and or scared.

They certainly didn’t expect the response they are getting.

@Olden how is a direct threat and an indirect threat different in this instance? The outcome is still the same which is why Nato daren't get directly involved.

@igotjelly I'd like to see him go out like Stalin, crying out for help and nobody daring to help him whilst he lies crumpled in a corner.

I imagine Special Forces are already looking at how to take Putin out

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives and their country, the Russian soldiers don't even know why they're there. What morale must they have? No wonder the Russians are failing.

Like Afghan invasion all over again… Russian conscripts just used Afghan heroin /opium from what I read and wanted to go home to Mum.

They probably don’t want to even BE In Ukraine.
Putin’s expendable pawns.

Putin is hiding away , somewhere safe.

Apparently Ukrainian army are having them call their parents to tell them where they are.

@dementedma

I imagine Special Forces are already looking at how to take Putin out

You don't assassinate the Head of a foreign country without there being massive consequences.

The only way Putin will go is if those with power in Russia remove him.

The people won't be able to do that. It has to come from those near him.

This is a great thread, thanks everyone. The links below from Twitter showing Zelenskyy with his family, on his TV show and winning Strictly made me smile this morning, what an amazing man and leader.

twitter.com/NazliIbrahim11/status/1497833176953143297?t=0KsMU6tmN2jT4QbvnrC9zg&s=19

twitter.com/therecount/status/1497771809751588864?t=YQvgLhIWjh8kbdiH_dsJsQ&s=19

twitter.com/nazirafzal/status/1497828389373284358?t=EC9HmFxgFkZesIrpg5u0Pg&s=19

twitter.com/nazirafzal/status/1497819294905864192?t=n8ML9i0NLhZ-dT6H89IpLQ&s=19

@dementedma

I imagine Special Forces are already looking at how to take Putin out

I bet they are. Putin will have a bombproof hideaway, no doubt.

Anyone who takes him out will be hero.
It may be one of his own who takes him out.

The man is clearly unreasonable.

Putin needs a novichok sandwich for his lunch. Let's hope someone inside sees sense and fixes it up.

Al Jazeera just had a good interview with a regional expert.

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

I was reading about this yesterday and, apparently, the people who launch the nuclear weapons only receive orders and don't have the information to actually know what they're doing. They hold regular drills and are not given any information about what the drills are for.

I’d be very very sceptical of anything written in the press or any other open source for that claiming to tell how nuclear release might be authorized.

@oakleaffy I never knew that about Afghanistan. That's really sad about those soldiers. I hope the Russian people can have their freedom one day.

I’d be very very sceptical of anything written in the press or any other open source for that claiming to tell how nuclear release might be authorized

Well yes, of course, but launches have been halted before and I'd accept that it's reasonable that a head of state like putin would seek to avoid this happening again.

Waking up to another morning of Ukraine holding out...holding out is a victory. Total respect from the last telling Ivan to put seeds in his pockets to grow flowers from his corpse to the government and former president taking up arms and Zelensky uniting and inspiring his country and the world.

Phone problems and other daily life are keeping me off the thread but I'm catching up with as much of the discussion as I can on here. So thank you all, you are doing yourselves and each of us great credit and I'm often getting information on here I'm missing from other media so I and the rest of us on here are all benefitting from a wider view of the news.

A special thank you to those of you posting from Eastern Europe and the lady involved with refugee support, thoroughly insightful both.

Hoping tomorrow morning is still positive. Just wanted to say thanks and apologies for not contributing for a while.

Has anyone seen the Netflix documentary ‘Winter on Fire’? It follows the protests in Kyiv in 2013 / 2014 against the pro Putin government at the time. The riot police sent in started using real bullets instead of rubber ones. Suffice to say things got very ugly.

It helped fill in some of the blanks about Ukraine’s recent history and why so many ordinary citizens are taking up arms.