Ukrainian invasion part 13

[Alexandra2001]

Seems to be required.

“Public execution of Zelensky”

What does this mean?

*like the main character

@dreamingbohemian

I don't quite know why people are making such a big thing of Zelensky's NATO comments. He's just stating the bleeding obvious, which has been obvious since 2014, that there is no option of NATO membership as long as there is a conflict with Russia.

I mean it's helpful for him to say it loudly and slowly in the context of negotiations, if it will help Russia save face, but it's just stating reality.

I wondered whether it's obvious to the Russian public that Ukraine had no realistic prospect of joining NATO, given the difficulty in accessing unbiased media. If not, and assuming a significant proportion believe that Ukraine becoming a NATO member would pose a risk to Russian security, would that not give Putin a 'win' to present to the public, that he's protected Russia's security? Even if it's obviously nonsense to everyone else.

I absolutely agree that NATO was just an excuse to invade, but he said repeatedly that it was a core issue, even if it was a load of balls. So perhaps he might think it would look like he achieved his aims domestically, as he hasn't been upfront about what his true aims were.

Sorry I'm probably stating the obvious there, but I suppose it gives Putin a sound bite for the Russian public that could be twisted to look like a major concession. It's just awful that there has to be any negotiations at all, it's just so profoundly wrong and unfair to Ukraine

From my back windows I can see over Woolwich Common and the old Royal Military Academy. The road where Lee Rigby was murdered is on a bus route I use sometimes, which passes a training ground that's still in use. I occasionally see squaddies around Woolwich, and often see groups on horseback along my road. I'm very ignorant and have no idea what this all means, except that there's some sort of training ground along from the common, with accommodation where squaddies are often barracked. Massive helicopters (Chinooks?) frequently take off from and land down there and fly over my building, presumably out towards Kent and the Channel, sometimes two and three at a time. The noise is grim. It has been fairly quiet in that respect this last couple of days, but until then, since the invasion began, those copters were very active and hearing/seeing them filled me with foreboding.

Only a week or two before the war began I remember saying to a friend that, come to think of it, I hadn't heard any explosions from the training ground for ages. They sometimes do these drills down there where you get a series of horrendously loud bangs and can see trails of smoke rising up. Lo and behold, a few days ago, they held one of those drills and I looked out to see the smoke again. It made me nervous, but may not have any added significance.

I've often wondered if we might be a 'target' some day, because we're a stone's throw from the old Arsenal and the training ground and barracks, but I've no idea if that's true. I'm not someone who's particularly interested in what goes on, just aware of some of it.

papertyger dear god what on earth are you on about?

Key Takeaways

Russian forces are unlikely to launch offensive operations to encircle Kyiv larger than the scattered Russian attacks observed northwest of Kyiv targeting Irpin on March 14 and Guta-Mezhyhirska on March 15 within the coming week but may launch further tactical attacks.
Russian forces continued to assault Mariupol from the east and west.
Russian forces did not conduct major offensive operations toward northeastern Kyiv in the past 24 hours.
Russian forces attempting to encircle Kharkiv continue to face supply shortages, particularly regarding ammunition.
The Russian military falsely claimed to have captured the entirety of Kherson Oblast on March 15 but did not conduct any major operations toward either Zaporizhya or Mykolayiv.
Russia is unlikely to launch an unsupported amphibious operation against Odesa until Russian forces secure a ground line of communication to the city, but Russian Naval Infantry retain the capability to conduct a landing along the Black Sea coast.

I cannot see Ukraine agreeing to its demilitarisation as the Russians want. Russia is the aggressor here which makes their demand ludicrous: imagine if Ukraine couldn't defend itself?

@WeAreTheHeroes

I cannot see Ukraine agreeing to its demilitarisation as the Russians want. Russia is the aggressor here which makes their demand ludicrous: imagine if Ukraine couldn't defend itself?

No nor can I.

www.gov.uk/alerts

Just seen this on Twitter...

@TokyoSushi

https://www.gov.uk/alerts

Just seen this on Twitter...

My understanding is that this something that's been in the pipeline for a while - this is just unfortunate timing in terms of public concern.

I was going to ask a few threads back what would happen if we had an alert as I wasn't aware that we had any sirens.... I guess now we know!

Ijsbear Tue 15-Mar-22 22:08:25

papertyger dear god what on earth are you on about?

^ Sorry I asssumed^ everyone has seen the musical " Hamilton".

Basicially its a brilliant insipring musical written by a man called Lin Manuel Miranda ( he gets everywhere these days, he in Mary Poppins 2). Its about a Man called Alexander Hamilton who was one of the founding fathers of Amercia and how they fought the British to become independent in Amercia.
There are lots of songs about being " out gunned and out manned" coming up agaisnt the British, King George the III. No one thinks they will win, because all the odds are stacked against them, but obviously they do, eventually win because its their very freedom they are fighting for.
One of the lines " I am young scrappy and hungry, just like my country" as well as many other moments in it, made me think of Zelensky.

He of course is in a simlilar position now, trying to finally throw off the shackles of Putin/ Russia - out gunned etc = david v goliath

"Now I'm the model of a modern major general
The venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all
Lining up to put me up on a pedestal, writing letters to relatives
Embellishing my elegance and eloquence
But the elephant is in the room
The truth is in your face
When you hear the British cannons go
Boom!
Any hope of success is fleeting

We are out-gunned
(What!)
Out-manned
(What!)
Out-numbered, out-planned!
(Boom, boom, boom; boom, boom)
We gotta make an all-out stand
Hey yo, I'm gonna need a right-hand man
(Boom, boom, boom; boom, boom)
Incoming!

And becuse there are so many similarities I wondered if this musical and its inspiring theme had made it to Ukraine?

Sorry, as I said I stupildy assumed mn knew of it.

Yes I thought I'd heard something about it a while back too @toastfiend

Hopefully it's just a coincidence it's being rolled out now...

@TokyoSushi

https://www.gov.uk/alerts

Just seen this on Twitter...

And your point in? This system was announced over a year ago, with a spring 2022 roll out. Example of use are flood and storm warnings.

Are you just surprised that a government project has come in more on less on time?

@TokyoSushi Apparently that was put up last year but it’s only gone live from this year.

Found this posted last year in the Metro:

The system has been inspired by the outbreak of Covid-19, as previously the government had to rely on mobile phone operators to send out emergency alerts to customers in certain parts of the country.

@TokyoSushi

I was going to ask a few threads back what would happen if we had an alert as I wasn't aware that we had any sirens.... I guess now we know!

No, I think it's been delayed.

I don't think there is a system at the moment.

We have air raid sirens here, they go off due to flood warnings.

The timing for emergency alerts is unfortunate.

I think thats the biggest undersatement I have ever read!

And my point is that a) this had gone very quiet and seems to have suddenly appeared and b) it's actually perhaps quite helpful that it's been released now when there could be an actual alert for something serious and c) you're just being cantankerous and knew what my point was

An international peacekeeping mission with military capability should be sent to Ukraine, the leader of Poland's ruling party has suggested while on a symbolic trip to Kyiv.

"I think that it is necessary to have a peace mission - Nato, possibly some wider international structure - but a mission that will be able to defend itself, which will operate on Ukrainian territory," Jaroslaw Kaczynski said.

He made the suggestion at a press conference in Ukraine's capital, where he appeared tonight alongside the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky and the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia.

The central European leaders have made the risky trip to Kyiv by train in a show of support for Ukraine.

This is on BBC from the polish deputy PM
Sounds a recipe for disaster

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_alerts_in_the_United_Kingdom

They started working on this back in 2014, and this version was first talked about in 2030, and officially announced in June 2021.

Nothing whatsoever to do with war - intended purposes are severe flooding, fires, extreme weather, or public health emergencies

@elephantmarchingin near the biggest one. Moderate increase in activity, but not massive. I am not superclose though.

Thanks for confirming @scaevola

My heart sunk seeing that!

That's 2020 (not 2030 FFS)

not required!