Ukraine Invasion: Part 24

[MagicFox]

Welcome one and all and thanks again to everyone contributing

Singer, Kateryna, who is a soldier in the Azovstal Steel works: m.youtube.com/watch?v=epl7aBAuqaA

That last post was a video of her singing.
Here is more about her from CNN

Kateryna Polishchuk, one of the soldiers trapped at the steel plant, has issued a defiant message via Facebook that the plant's defenders will fight to the last.

A former music student, the 21-year-old combat medic was seen last week leading the soldiers in singing the army's battle hymn. Since then she has become known on social media as "The Bird."

"Azovstal is holding on against the Russians. While they are here, we are fighting to the last," she said.
The video was uploaded to the Facebook page of another soldier at Azovstal, as the last holdout of resistance in the southern city continues to endure heavy shelling.

From: CNN www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-05-10-22/index.html

Indeed.

They can dismiss him all they want for being a clown. In order to be a successful comedian he will have had a great sensitivity to audience responses and he is clearly making use of that. What Zelensky is, among other things, is a gifted communicator. I suspect it’s not just the speeches we see, I imagine he spends quite a lot of his day on private calls to other international leaders persuading them to give Ukraine military aid.

Comedians tend to be astute observers of the human condition. His speeches all strike at the heart.

I've done a close up of putrid from yesterday. It shows just how bad a state he's in. He has had fillers and is wearing makeup, but even so, it's quite shocking. I don't give him 6 months.

Well if this shot doesn't give me nightmares, I'm not sure what will.

I didn't think he looked too bad when I watched his speech but this shows how wrong I was!

Makes my blood boil too

He is an actor, an orator and a clearly gifted manipulator. And what a job he has done

When the bots say "he's a clown, he's a comedian" the response should be

So what. He's also the blueprint for a president

I wonder what the odds are for Ukraine winning Eurovision. And we had a decent song this year too

Ukraine currently 7/10 on oddschecker. Hot fav.
Italy second on 25/4 and then uk third on 11/1.
Odds are lengthening slightly on Ukraine (and UK) but I think you would be foolish to bet against them tbh.

Heartbreaking 😥 I can't imagine how they all must be feeling down there. I hope they can be evacuated somehow. What a terrible thing.

Did anyone ever have the impression (other than Putin) that Ukraine was all about farmers and tractors? Where does that come from? Ukraine has been newsworthy ever since it gained independence, mainly for corruption, political upheaval, war and dogged determination, not agriculture and peasantry. It's also been an easy to visit, tourist friendly, culturally rich, 'modern' and digitally savvy country for years and until the upheavals of 2014 supported a healthy number of tourists from around the world. It's been crying out for its tourist numbers to beef up ever since.

It's also no stranger to the influence of the arts in politics. Ruslana, the 2004 Ukrainian Eurovision winner, went on to help change the then corrupt political landscape and get the message out to the rest of Europe. She's still trying to fight for her homeland (in the last few weeks from the safety of Lithuania) and retains a huge fanbase across Europe (not the UK really though with her being a Eurovision winner and everything. Seriously Eurovision winners are often huge across the rest of Europe, but never here, it's like we shut the door after Abba, maybe this year we'll think differently)

And if you haven't been then put all of Eastern Europe on the list to visit, it took so much for that part of the world to gain independence - and it's fragile. Go to Moldova (and Transdniester, they don't want any of this) too, that possibility could change in the future, and they need tourists more than most at the best of times.

And I don't think Putin has any interest in cultural influence, he just wants to win (the prize being control), whatever the arena.

I'm in awe of those brave journalists, I hope they are safe. I thought it was one article, but there's loads! Very powerful stuff. One of the articles claims Putin doesn't even have a mobile phone? Wow, just wow.

I wondered off to Russian news website yesterday, they had the article about Putin's speech, all the usual "the West is to blame" sort of stuff. I like to read the comments afterwards, and now and again you'll have a sane person pointing out how delusional this is, but yesterday there were so many comments from people clearly not believing it, it was quite astonishing. It looks like the tide is really starting to turn? Hence the defeatist speech yesterday. Just a load of excuses.

In other news, 5 Russian regional governors resigned today!

He is also highly academic and intellectual with a Law degree from the Kyiv National Economic University - this with his communications skills, resilience and obvious compassion is a formidable combination.

Apologies if this has been posted before - I couldn't see it

Thread from the king of ambassadors Kyslytsya, the master of shade. About Bonnie and Clyde. Love the comments

twitter.com/sergiykyslytsya/status/1523788073774948356?s=21&t=_GVzP6WG6NsoSQAV5sgmTQ

@Snorkelface I had no idea. Been learning a lot about Ukrainian culture and history!

I think we've all learned just how extraordinarily stubborn Ukrainians can be!

Gosh, I did not know that. Zelensky has the perfect crucible of skills and traits for the role as Ukrainian war time leader and defender of freedoms.

He is The One.

Moldova is now near top of my hit list for travel. I quite fancy a train journey from Chișinău to Bucharest... (genuinely)

@RedToothBrush - do it! That's a brilliant trip! (but not at the height of summer, the trains can get quite hot) Romania is also an amazing place to explore.

Johnson off to Stockholm and Helsinki tomorrow.

Seems to be to formalise bilateral military cooperation during the NATO ratification process. (In other words, clearly signalling that if Russia tries it on during ratification they will get military back up...)

People who can dance like this. Astounding.

And this is without the costumes etc which you can see if you look up Hopak dancing.

This is a video of male dancers practising rather than a show.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-Y7oKPdV70

Just seen some pictures of the Azov Steelworks defenders. In tears.

I don't think there is much chance of getting them out at all. But jesus.

I wonder if the 5 regional governors had been asked to do anything specific that they didn’t want to.

BBC news bleak:
Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long war in Ukraine, the US is warning, and a Russian victory in the eastern region of Donbas might not end its attack.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines tells a Senate hearing the next few months could see Russian actions escalate and become more unpredictable.

"The current trend increases the likelihood that President Putin will turn to more drastic means," Haines says.

She warns Russia could seek a land bridge to the breakaway Moldovan territory of Transnistria and says it's likely President Putin will seek to impose martial law in Russia.

Haines says Putin is counting on the resolve of the US and of Ukraine's European allies to weaken over time.

But she thinks the Kremlin will only authorise the use of nuclear weapons if Putin perceives an "existential threat" to Russia.
From this site:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-61353374

@Ijsbear · 10/05/2022 17:31

Just seen some pictures of the Azov Steelworks defenders. In tears.

I don't think there is much chance of getting them out at all. But jesus.

Where did you see that, please?

Just another agreement with RTB's assessment of perceptions of Ukraine.

There's no getting away from the fact that this way has been a PR triumph (from which it will help to re-build) for Ukraine and perceptions of the Ukrainian people and an utter disaster for Russia.

I don't just mean Putin either. The widespread looting, rapes, targeting of civilians and awful phone calls where relatives of those in Ukraine refuse to believe their own family, mothers condoning torture, wives condoning rape when speaking to Russian soldiers and an overall unwillingness to engage in rational thinking and a critique of a bizarre narrative.

I sure there are a lot of decent Russians, but this war has opened up a very, very nasty (and not small) underbelly of Russian society to the glare of many.

UkraineNOW telegram channel.