Ukraine Invasion: Part 26

[MagicFox]

Here we are, on top of our rock

KyivPost on Twitter: "The famous dystopian novel “1984” by British author George Orwell is being withdrawn from sale in #Belarus. t.co/PhU3B8T9yK t.co/i04pc6unxA" / Twitter

mobile.twitter.com/hashtag/ukraine
mobile.twitter.com/KyivPost/status/1527289456838881287

A bit too close to the truth

Twitter thread from March about the impact of sanctions on the aviation industry. In effect, because the planes are leased, they cannot have maintenance done inside of Russia, rendering insurance invalid. Russia got around the sanctions by "stealing" the planes and cutting the number of flights operating. This allowed them to cannibalise some of the fleet for parts, keeping the airlines going. However, they are rapidly running out of road and it looks overseas countries like China are taking action on safety grounds.

mobile.twitter.com/janedvidek/status/1498723248183382020&ved=2ahUKEwjLuduh24D4AhUJLsAKHTz8CKsQFnoECAoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3lNSvWzA3XqcEyxCrr9XcN

This is an interesting and sad article about the all too swift Russian invasion of Kherson early in the war. Was it simply because the Ukrainian forces were outnumbered? Why did they fail to blow up the bridges? Was there treason?

Personally I'd be cutting those involved a bit of slack and also putting fog of war in there before treason.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog_of_war

It won't be the first time in warfare bridges haven't been blown up when perhaps they should have been and as always with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight it often becomes obvious what should have been done more quickly.

You'd need see any after action reports from the Ukrainian military side, if such exist, to get close to the truth.

Trump has started speaking against helping Ukraine at The National Rifle Association Conference, using the tragic primary school shooting to his own ends.
www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61614782

“If the US can send billions to Ukraine, "we should be able to do whatever it takes to keep our children safe at home", he said at a pro-gun conference.”

“We spent trillions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and got nothing for it," Mr Trump continued in Friday's speech, drawing loud applause.

"Before we nation-build the rest of the world, we should be building safe schools for our own children in our own nation."

Has anyone donated to help Lithuania rise the funds to help buy a Bayraktar Drone for the Ukraine Arm Forces.

If everyone donates as little as a pound or a euro it would go along way.

If you don't feel comfortable donating via bank transfer. They also accept PayPal donations.

PLEASE SHARE THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
Much appreciated. Thank you!!

Twitter Page with more information

Arvydas Anušauskas
@a_anusauskas
❗️Lithuanians are buying a BAYRAKTAR for 🇺🇦. In one day 1 mill. € was gathered (need 5 mill. €). If you want to HELP Lithuanians HELP🇺🇦 - here are the details for your support:

Recipient: Všį Laisvės TV
Acc nr: LT167300010156927144
SWIFT: HABALT22
Purpose: Bayraktar

Paypal: [email protected]

To follow on from my post above.

This is how much the Bayraktar Drone's mean to the Ukrainian Army.
These Drone's are very much a game changer in modern warfare.

I have donated also and found it every simple. It's the least I could do feeling so powerless in this war.

Ukrainian Love

I love the Bayraktar song

ISW Key Takeaways

Russian forces began direct assaults on built-up areas of Severodonetsk without having fully encircled the city and will likely struggle to take ground in the city itself.

[various sources including the BBC Russia and Radio Free Europe are warning outright that Severodonetsk may have have to be lost. Other sources are hinting strongly at it]

Russian forces in Lyman appear to be dividing their efforts—attacking both southwest to support stalled forces in Izyum and southeast to advance on Siversk; they will likely struggle to accomplish either objective in the coming days.

Russian forces in Popasna seek to advance north to support the encirclement of Severodonestk rather than advancing west toward Bakhmut.

Positions northeast of Kharkiv City remain largely static, with no major attacks by either Russian or Ukrainian forces.

Russian forces continue to fortify their defensive positions along the southern axis and advance efforts to integrate the Kherson region into Russian economic and political structures.

+++

www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2022/05/28/the-operational-update-regarding-the-russian-invasion-on-06-00-on-may-28-2022/

+++

Aljazeera

BREAKING
Biden accuses Putin of seeking to 'wipe out' Ukrainian culture, identity
BREAKING
Russia expects $14.4bn in additional oil and gas revenues this year

[ugh, depressing]

+++

Ukraine NOW [English], [28/05/2022 07:11]
⚡️Operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

▪️In the Bakhmut direction, Russian invaders are trying to go to the rear of the Ukrainian troops and disrupt the logistics lines, the General Staff reports.

▪️The enemy was actively advancing on the settlements of Sieverodonetsk, Oskolonivka, Toshkivka, Pasika, Nagirne, Vasylivka, Komyshuvakha, and Vidrodzhenya. Over the past 24 hours, only in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled 8 enemy attacks.

▪️Artillery and airstrikes by Russian invaders became more frequent. Settlements in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under fire.

BIG HISTORICAL MOMENT FOR 🇺🇦: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church, separates and declares independence.

+++

Kyiv Independent telegram channel

⚡️General Staff: Russian forces resume offensive towards Slovyansk.

⚡️Governor: Lyman in Donetsk Oblast mostly under Russian control.

⚡️Official: Russian sabotage group broke into Mir hotel in Sievierodonetsk. [this has been reported quite a few times, they seem to put some weight on it - wonder if it was a central command place for the Ukr forces or something?]
⚡️Russians say occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts will switch to Russian phone code.

The Kyiv Independent, [27/05/2022 18:55]
⚡️Meduza: Kremlin still discussing attacking Kyiv.

Russian media Meduza quoted undisclosed sources saying the Kremlin is discussing a possible assault on Kyiv and even hopes for a full-scale victory by fall. The Russian leadership is hoping Europe will get tired of helping Ukraine and that bloc members will have to agree with Russia on gas and oil before the heating season, according to Meduza’s sources. [re this, there are reports that that class pissartist Trump is saying that the US needs to concentrate on controlling gun crime before helping the rest of the world. He and Lavrov are cousins, aren't they]

The Kyiv Independent, [28/05/2022 01:34]
⚡️New York Times: US will send long-range mobile rocket launchers to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has reportedly approved sending long-range multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to talk publicly on security matters.

The weapons in the transfer, that will likely be announced next week, will include mobile rocket launchers that can shoot much farther than the launchers Ukraine’s military is using now.

+++

Ukraine Now Media
@UkraineNowMedia
·
18m
🔥Harpoon entered service in Ukraine.

Ukraine is receiving land-based launchers and a corresponding number of Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The Ministry of Defense has already shown how they work.

Euromaidan PR
@EuromaidanPR
·
1m
“Ukraine has already received the American M109 Paladin ACS of one of the modifications. This is a very high quality equipment. And its receipt was the result of cooperation between several countries", says Oleksiy Reznikov

Given that Russia is now digging very old tanks out of storage (I do wonder what the maintenance was like!) ..... Where are they digging the skilled tank crew from? Or are the poor bloody Donetsk males being shoved in there on the threat of harm coming to their families?

It gives a new meaning to the term "cannon fodder"

Neh, it is simply the original meaning being demonstrated. Troops regarded as expendable by their commanders seems like an exact fit for those poor sods.

And if the tanks are as ill-maintained as the first wave were, they seem pretty expendable as well.

(Looking at the pictures: I do hope the Russian army will be required to clear up all those rusty tin cans they have left beside the roads in Ukraine. Litter-louts!)

That's true @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

Reports of rapes inside the Russian borders at military transit areas also going up.

I remember many years ago watching a documentary about the volumes of marital rape and abuse in Russia and it’s horrendous. There is a definite culture of not valuing women as anything other than objects. Then you add in a war context and that must just be magnified tenfold.

Alcohol abuse is widespread in Russia. Domestic violence and alcohol go hand in hand.

Thank you for your news @Ijsbear

Now this is interesting

🇪🇺EU seeks opportunities to unblock Ukrainian ports [ UkraineNOW]

The European Union is considering launching a special maritime mission to unblock Ukrainian ports. The issues are planned to be considered at the summit of EU leaders on May 30-31. In the European Union, the following option is allowed: escort of cargo ships from the port in Odessa by warships. There may be a risk of collision with Russian warships, but in some countries of the world a humanitarian crisis is already beginning due to food shortages.

Oh I hope they can do that

This would be so great and long overdue.

I am not sure of the practicalities but aren't there mines in the waters which are also protecting Ukraine from being stormed by sea by Russa?

@Ijsbear · Today 13:30
Now this is interesting

🇪🇺EU seeks opportunities to unblock Ukrainian ports [ UkraineNOW]

The European Union is considering launching a special maritime mission to unblock Ukrainian ports. The issues are planned to be considered at the summit of EU leaders on May 30-31. In the European Union, the following option is allowed: escort of cargo ships from the port in Odessa by warships. There may be a risk of collision with Russian warships, but in some countries of the world a humanitarian crisis is already beginning due to food shortages

That is interesting. Do you know whether there would need to be a unanimous vote to do this? I wonder in particular what Germany would say?

It seems so sad to me that grain can be defended and saved, prioritised for the preservation of lives elsewhere but this can’t be done for the lives of Ukrainians, the children being raped, the women being erased, the soldiers trying to defend their land.

LT_OSCE

What seemed to be a crazy idea, for some - even a joke, may become a reality any minute!

In just 3 days Laisvės TV collected €3.9m out of needed €5m!
One more final try and we get #BayraktarasUkrainai🇺🇦!

Verified Twitter account latest

AndriusTapinas
It is Saturday morning and as of 9am Vilnius time, we have 3 913 258 euro in our Quest for Bayraktar. Labas rytas! #bayraktarasUkrainai
7:29 AM · May 28, 2022·Twitter for iPhone

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It's like the Spitfire Funds of WW2!

Rightly so, as I think the Bayraktar may be the Spitfire of 2022: an excellently designed weapon that fits the exact job in hand.

(As others have said previously, it's very disconcerting to be so pleased at big things going bang. I still feel for the poor cannon-fodder boys of Russia – but not as much as I feel for the residents of Ukraine.)