Ukraine Invasion: Part 25

[MagicFox]

Hi all, another thread for supporting and sharing

JustLookingAtTractors

really good points. Maybe he's also less overtly hawkish now as he has a lot of turmoil within the people around him judging by the rumours of replacements and firings.

PMK

Kharkiv residents return as 'Ukrainians force Russian soldiers out' after weeks of fighting

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-05-16/kharkiv-residents-return-as-ukrainians-force-russians-out-in-turnaround

Euromaidan PR
@EuromaidanPR
·
17s
Just In: About 10 buses with #Ukrainian military leave #Azovstal plant in #Mariupol

For real???????!!

That would be wonderful, I hope so!

According to Russian news, the wounded soldiers were taken to DNR, and the other soldiers surrendered... I don't know how plausible that is though.

Sorry if this has already been discussed, just catching up a bit from earlier on - don't want to miss anything! Is this significant?

BBC News:

"Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said Swedish and Finnish delegations should not bother to come to Turkey.
The incumbent members of Nato said earlier on Monday that they would send diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome the country's objections to their plan to join the military alliance.
But President Erdogan has stated Turkey will not approve their bids to join Nato.
He has labelled Sweden a "hatchery" for terrorist organisations, claiming there are terrorists within parliament.
Turkey accuses Sweden and Finland of sheltering people it says are linked to groups it deems terrorists, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt against President Erdogan and his government."

Ugh, damn paragraphs.

Oh god. I hope they go the right way.

According to Russian media, about 10 buses and 300 Ukrainian soldiers left the Azovstal plant. Wounded soldiers are being taken to Novoazovsk, others to Yelenovka. Zelensky will adress the nation regarding Mariupol tonight.

Ive seen this a short while ago too. I have no idea what it means:

Azovstal commander says obeys order to save lives

May 16 (Reuters) - A senior commander of Ukrainian forces holed up beneath the Azovstal steel mill besieged by Russian forces said he was carrying out a decision by the military high command to save the lives of service personnel, but made no mention of surrendering.

"The main thing is to realise all the risks, is there a plan B, are you fully committed to that plan which must allow for fulfilling the assigned tasks and preserve the lives and health of personnel?" Commander Denys Prokopenko said in a video posted on social media.

"This is the highest level of overseeing troops. All the more so when your decision is endorsed by the highest military command.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/azovstal-commander-says-obeys-order-save-lives-2022-05-16/?taid=6282a64789369800010b1ca1&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

There was talk a little earlier this evening that 10 soliders had surrendered which i thought odd.

MAYBE the commanders have sacrificed themselves???!! I dont know. Something is definitely happening.

Apologies, correction:

The wounded were taken to hospital in Novoazovsk (Russia controlled, doesn't say how many)

9 soldiers came out with a white flag, I assume Russians took them.

It says they were a part of larger group, so maybe the rest went to Ukraine side?

All eyes will be on Russia now though, regarding how they are treated.

Worried about those wounded soldiers and the ones that surrendered, what will happen to them.

And I thought Erdogan had previously said he wasn’t completely closing the door on F&S joining NATO. If he doesn’t agree does that mean they won’t be able to join?

Katerina Sergatskova AT ksergatskova
Seriously wounded Azov fighters were evacuated from #Azovstal and taken to #Donetsk occupied by Russia. Azov commander Denys Prokopenko asked the public not to blame them for this decision. I don't know what kind of human one should be to blame them for this very humane decision.

That sounds like they've been given orders for the wounded to surrender rather than marytr themselves.

I think the quote being used is as follows:

May 16: "In order to save lives, the entire Mariupol garrison is implementing the approved decision of the high military."

Surrender I'm guessing.

I saw a video on twitter a little while ago supposedly of the Azovstal soldiers getting on the buses, tried looking for news to back it up but couldn't find any then. I just hope nothing nasty happens to them now.

I was reading earlier and the sense seems to be that Turkey want to impose leverage to get Sweden and Finland to lift certain sanctions that they current have imposed against Turkey in return for a vote in favour of their accession.

Tim White AT TWMCltd
Ukraine President Zelensky is expected to make a statement soon to explain the deal of Azovstal.

It's believed the wounded in Mariupol' have been exchanged for Russian Prisoners of War.

Erdogan is changing his mind back and forth so quickly on this he's going to get whiplash.

That makes sense, hopefully it won’t become a drawn out thing.

Some suggestion that Prokopenko had said a few days ago that the Azov felt they had now fulfilled their duty but they hadn't surrendered because they feared treatment in captivity due to the demonisation of the Azov.

Tbf, its in Russian interests for them to allow them passage out at this point so they can just take Mariupol. Its not in Ukrainian interests at this point to keep them there.

Its just whether whatever deal has been struck is honoured...

Thats what I read too. Turkey is trying to capitalise on the situation for its own gain. Which i guess is probably to be expected and what others might do.

That would be a great outcome!

It's a major complication....politics being politics some are wondering if behind the scenes this isn't about certain refugees at all. It's quite possible the Turks see this as a chance to finally resolve this ongoing spat with the US.

www.defensenews.com/air/2019/07/17/turkey-officially-kicked-out-of-f-35-program/

www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-urges-us-supply-f35-jets-patriot-missile-systems

If they do get out, and they don’t suffer some terrible fate at the hands of the Russians, I dread to think what the mental health of those fighters will be like. Obviously massively jumping the gun but I truly hope that they would be able to access some sort of care, though I’m doubtful.

Wow look at this on Russian state media. "We are in a state of isolation", "we shouldn't sabre rattle", the Ukrainians have "high morale" and are fighting for their motherland: twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1526293852704890882?s=21&t=GUCUThS1zOdDiPkBJDWgAQ