Ukraine Invasion: Part 23

[MagicFox]

Welcome all, thanks for the company

Omg 😆

This is the level of debate? They're worse than us 🤭

Patrushev, if that stuff about Russia creating its own economy is accurate, is going to push Russia back into the 1950's.

If he gets in power then Europe needs to wear the mask of a hard man because the Patrushevs of the world just can't cope without an enemy. Very restricted visions. Better they turn on China than Europe.

Let's hope it's not him.

Good Lord, Patrushev sounds even worse than Putin

Good BBC article this morning on how others see the West and the Russian-Ukraine war:

Ukraine - the narrative the West doesn't hear www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61272203

My next small project is going to be to talk to some Russians in Russia. A number of people there I knew before 2013/14 pretty much cut me out or dropped down to very formal contact because they didn't like my commitment to the Maydan Revolution. I'll see who I can find though.

I see that Catholic Pope Francis 'reached out to Putin three times asking to allow the ship with a Vatican flag to evacuate civilians trapped in Mariupol's Azovstal steel mill, but all three times his requests were rejected, according to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.'

That reaction makes sense. Firstly because Putin wants surrender at Mariupol and secondly because... the Pope in Rome? Who?

In the West the Roman Pope has some status even to non-Catholics. In Moscow he's just the leader of a breakaway sect. Roman Catholics are Orthodoxy's Protestants in a way. He might as well be the Dalai Lama. At least Buddhists aren't heretical though, so maybe not even that. If you see Putin being friendly to Catholics, it's mostly for show.

The relationship of Orthodoxy with the rest of the Christian world is an interesting one as it is clearly the 'right way'. Moscow is also not talking to Constantinople over the reorganisation of the Church in Ukraine so it is extra complicated at the moment. My father is Catholic and Mother is Orthodox so I'm both and neither depending on the situation.

Orthodox trivia: 1. during the English Reformation there were unity feelers put out to the Orthodox Church by the CoE which never developed. 2. There is a Pope, but he is subordinate to the Ecumenical Patriarch. Greek Theodoros II is in Alexandria and one of his titles is Pope. Not to be confused with Coptic Pope Tawadros II who is also in Alexandria. Yes, they are basically two Theodore IIs. To many Francis is just 'that third guy'.

Russia's "quagmire" in Ukraine not helping China's ambition to reintegrate Taiwan

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/russias-ukrainian-quagmire-providing-tough-lessons-china-2022-04-29/

Thanks for your inputs, that's very interesting @MMBaranova

Yes, very! @MMBaranova

Another good article, measured. www.economist.com/by-invitation/rob-lee-on-why-attrition-will-be-a-critical-factor-in-the-battle-for-donbas/21808954

What struck me about that article is that a lot of the countries that don’t want to condemn Russia are in that position because Russia supplies them with arms.
But a weakened, sanctioned Russia cut off economically and scientifically isn’t going to be so good at arms supply, either in how much they can afford to give or the quality of what they produce. I wonder how long it will be before those effects are seen.

Reports this morning seem to suggest that it was relatively quiet overnight.

There are rumours that an coal power station in Russia is on fire. Not seen anything reliable yet though.

Worth looking out for.

I am in middle of nowhere this weekend so i am unsure if I will be about much to check.

I am in middle of nowhere this weekend so i am unsure if I will be about much to check.

Enjoy your rural idyll Red.

I come to this thread first before checking the news/twitter, that's how much I value the commentary here, helps me put alarming stuff in context so less panic.

Been following these threads for a while.

Titled 'The Face Of War' this was created by Ukrainian artist, Daria Marchenko
for the picture she used 5000 bullet cases, collected from the streets of Ukraine

I’m the same 😂 anything totally earth shattering will be on here so no need to concern myself with all the panic inducing speculation on Twitter.

This is wonderful. There must be something therapeutic in creating new things out of destruction.

That really is good! the most unusual mosaic material =)

Thank you so much for these threads. They are so useful and reassuring - and non hysterical!

Indeed!
And if the shadow under the nose was made a tad longer and a little bit wider he really would look like Hitler.

I know this has been gone over before on these threads. I have an ASD daughter who has been doom scrolling a lot.

can someone offer some advice on the news that is coming out where the propaganda machines are saying that the British Isles will be nuked? I have tried to talk her down but she is 17 and it’s tough!

@ItsDisneyBitch it was in the context of sabre rattling, they didn't say they would do that they said their newest missile could. In the same piece one of the pundits (Popev) also said 'you do realise that would be the end of the planet?!' and he was incredulous about that

Well my biggest thing, as I’ve said many times before, is look at where our leaders are. Boris is far more occupied with party gate/ cost of living/ his own MOs watching Porn in the commons than he is about hiding from an imminent nuclear attack (and he’d be the first to be getting into a cosy bunker).

Secondly multiple experts have said that it’s a negligible risk that nukes will be used at all, and certainly not against a NATO state considering it would trigger Article 5 - besides Lavrov just said they aren’t at war with NATO so at present no purpose is served with a strike on the UK.

My main bit of advise is keep the heck away from the Daily Mail, Express, Star etc. they have absolutely no interest in responsible journalism, only in getting clicks. The same with Twitter, if you aren’t prepared to wage through 100s of posts that are utter nonsense and just want to spread fear I order to find the 1 that is balanced and truthful then Twitter serves absolutely no useful purpose.

These threats should be taken seriously and it's scary to think how close we came during the CMC - that's the issue I think rather than the crazy threats the propagandists are making. The possibility of escalation through misunderstanding

I hate camping. I always forget how much i hate camping. Until i go camping.

Anyway fire at coal power station is in Sakhalin. Which is as far in the east as you can get.

I'm watching this with interest because Kamil Galeev had said about before covid there being unrest and protests in this region and he suspected there would be a lot more trouble there. Theres been a fire at a police station and a military recruitment office and now this. And the regional governor elections were postponed 'because of the cost' at this crucial time last week.

There is every chance this is completely unrelated to Ukraine and much more likely if there is sabotage in the far east of Russia that its related to long running internal unrest. But for obvious reasons its well worth keeping an eye on and there is a common interest.

This particular power station isn't old. It was built in 2019. The footage of the fire looks like its huge and the damage very extensive. It's not a small loss.

The Kuril islands that Japan claims are part of the same region.

There are reports in Ukrainian media that deported Ukrainians have been moved to Sakhalin and offered work there, so it is possible that this is the cause. (article predates fire)

There is also talk that such a big fire at an energy plant could cause supply chain issues in the region.

Some of these sources Via Fionna O'Leary AT fascinatorfun

It is however important to be mindful of how far communication methods have come since the time of the CMC.

Also important to remember that there are incredibly intelligent experts working tirelessly to avoid escalation and miscommunication. These people know their shit, they’re analysing everything in minute detail and doing their absolute best to keep the World safe.

This is a fascinating account 2017 by Katya Soldak of her childhood and adolescence in Kharkiv under the USSR up until the 1990s.

It really shows how this era in Russian history is hardly past; and also the extraordinary difference between their lives then, and ours.

www.forbes.com/sites/katyasoldak/2017/12/20/this-is-how-propaganda-works-a-look-inside-a-soviet-childhood/