ok what the fuck is happening in ukraine

Has Anonymous lived up to their boasts even once?

― papal hotwife (milo z), Thursday, March 24, 2022 7:28 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

although it's phrased as a question, OTM

As tempting as it is, I'm pretty leery of mocking Russia's creaky military capabilities...

I dunno. I know I keep mentioning this, but back in 2011, Russia itself was saying that 20% of its entire military budget was stolen (can we presume that the actual amount is much higher?). Then in 2018, Russian military expenditure dropped for the first time - presumably scrapping whatever modernization programs were happening.

Where that money went:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKYL0H0lgqg

fair warning: homophobia in some lyrics, sarcasm in the refrain; song is from 2009, but at minimum selling half of your diesel is still considered "a human right" in the army. Make of it what you will.

Look, that wasn’t so hard. H/t @owenhatherley pic.twitter.com/SEj1ZgcPjh

— Keith Gessen (@keithgessen) March 25, 2022

Focusing on the issues!

Putin is making a live address. He's currently whining about how Hollywood refuses to make movies about the Russian contribution to defeating Nazi Germany and claiming "progressives" are trying to "cancel Russia".

— Jimmy (@JimmySecUK) March 25, 2022

Putin doing a live speech and just did a bit on "cancel culture" in the West focusing particularly on J. K. Rowling being cancelled. I wish I was joking.

— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) March 25, 2022

Positively (or negatively) Trumpian

Will he pull the troops out if the West promises to uncancel JK Rowling

It appears another general is gone

Ukrainian military confirm the elimination of LTG Yakov Rezantsev, Russia’s 49th CAA commander, in Chornobaivka near Kherson.
Russia is unlikely to confirm — but if he’s alive, let them just show the general verifiably alive and well. pic.twitter.com/B9OfqDHc4f

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) March 25, 2022

Focusing on the issues!

🐦[Putin is making a live address. He’s currently whining about how Hollywood refuses to make movies about the Russian contribution to defeating Nazi Germany and claiming "progressives" are trying to "cancel Russia".
— Jimmy (@JimmySecUK) March 25, 2022🕸]🐦

🐦[Putin doing a live speech and just did a bit on "cancel culture" in the West focusing particularly on J. K. Rowling being cancelled. I wish I was joking.
— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) March 25, 2022🕸]🐦

"Putin is winning because we care about pronouns" has been a popular right wing take since this whole thing started, this is just him playing into that; might convince some morons in the West, helps establish the West as decadent and Other at home.

I thought better of Putin but now I find out he is online idk what to think..

pic.twitter.com/lT2XwsFe3b

— Ben Walker (@BNHWalker) March 25, 2022

Brave opponent of "woke" nonsense such as gender neutral pronouns, proper tank maintenance

it's only a tank if it has a turret

aand it's gone.

https://i.imgur.com/5wjPMnX.jpg?1

decadent western supply lines keeping soldiers "fed" and vehicles "fueled"

I've pointed this out before but this war has unfolded in a very Trumpy fashion. just seems to be a lot of general incompetence and self-owning on Russia's side stemming from some misguided idea that everything was gonna be easy

Russia's defense ministry effectively admits their attempt to conquer Ukraine has failed, and they're going to focus on taking and holding territory in the east where they were already backing separatists.
If followed through with action, it'll be a big walk back of war aims. https://t.co/4FDIfViC4g

— Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) March 25, 2022

Oh and apparently the count of generals who have died is seven plus the Chechnyan one, it seems. Insane.

Putin's exact quote: "It was always our intention to fortify the People's Republics of Donbas and Lughansk before they, too, were taken offline like Joe Rogan."

— Michael Weiss 🌻🇺🇸🇮🇪 (@michaeldweiss) March 25, 2022

Russia cancels the teaching of sociology, cultural studies and political science in all pedagogical universities of the country https://t.co/F2UUxNTLON

— Olga Irisova (@IrisovaOlga) March 25, 2022

"Pedagogical universities are moving to new curricula based on the “Core of Higher Pedagogical Education”. Instead of separate disciplines there will be modules. Within the framework of the social and humanitarian module, the teaching of philosophy, history, economics and law is preserved. And the teaching of sociology, cultural studies, the MHC (world artistic culture) and political science is excluded. Fully.

Take that, wokeness.

Nobody had to bomb them into the stone age, they went there of their own accord

I've pointed this out before but this war has unfolded in a very Trumpy fashion. just seems to be a lot of general incompetence and self-owning on Russia's side stemming from some misguided idea that everything was gonna be easy

Except thenUS military is well equipped, funded, and disciplined, so our wars. while incredible self-owns, unfold a bit differently.

I guess it's tempting to think of Putin as some master strategist but I really do not understand what he's doing now. like between this and that "Hunter Biden tied to Ukrainian biolabs" story it's like he's just trying to communicate directly with Tucker Carlson. which maybe makes sense before an election but not after you started a war in which you are getting your ass kicked

Looking where the light is.

gish galloping towards the horizon

It’s almost like he’s a Russian op

Panelist on Russian state TV got worried about the future of Tulsi Gabbard, who he said was canceled by every social media network.

Another panelist replied: "But she still appears on [Tucker] Carlson."

He retorted: "I don't know if he'll manage to run away. I'm not joking." pic.twitter.com/29Pnehb0LD

— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) March 24, 2022

They may be making the classic mistake of ascribing to espionage that which can be explained by malice and cupidity.

was pretty funny to see Tulsi get all incredulous about her Instagram engagement plummeting literally the day after Russia switched it off

Holy shit, the fragging has actually begun:

BREAKING: A Russian brigade commander has been killed deliberately by his own troops after his unit suffered many losses in Ukraine, a western official said.
Colonel Medvechek, commander of 37 Motor Rifle Brigade, was run over by his soldiers, the official said

— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) March 25, 2022

I guess it's tempting to think of Putin as some master strategist but I really do not understand what he's doing now. like between this and that "Hunter Biden tied to Ukrainian biolabs" story it's like he's just trying to communicate directly with Tucker Carlson. which maybe makes sense before an election but not after you started a war in which you are getting your ass kicked

Feels consistent with his previous playbook, tbh - throw a lot at the wall and see what sticks, exploit whatever divisions you can find, create a lot of white noise. No it's not a stance that will help with getting him the support of international public opinion but you gotta figure he knows that ship has sailed.

Not suggesting this makes him a master strategist, as a master strategist...wouldn't be in this war.

https://www.bombreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/enemy-at-the-gates.jpg

Has Vlad never seen The Enemy at the Gates?? The Russian was the hero!!

NEW: Ukrainian strikes left a Russian Alligator-class landing ship partially submerged and set fire to fuel storage depots in 🇷🇺-occupied Berdyansk.

The strikes also struck ammo depots, UK defense intel said yday. Ukraine has begun mounting counter-attacks this week.

📷:@Maxar pic.twitter.com/xbrQgHWrdO

— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) March 25, 2022

UN says more than half of Ukraine’s children (4.3 million) have been displaced in a month of war. Stolen childhoods.

Two Ukrainian girls have joined my daughter’s preschool class this week (I live in Poland). I’m sure there will be many more.

This is significant:

Russia's military held a big briefing this afternoon, announcing the war was entering a 'second phase'.

Here's a summary of how Russia, at this point in the war, is depicting what it set out to do, why, and where we're at. (relaying their words, pls don't shoot msnger) pic.twitter.com/1kS2VRK8iI

— Polina Ivanova (@polinaivanovva) March 25, 2022

It looks like the current intention is to solidify the position in the East ahead of any ceasefire talks and declare ‘mission accomplished’.

making it up as they go along

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9MU2oXzSL4

the plan was to distract Ukrainian forces while Russia/ Donetsk/ Luhansk made territorial gains in the east

the Russian soldiers who provided this distraction aren't going to appreciate this explanation

For the first time in weeks, the Pentagon assessed today that Kherson, a port city in southern Ukraine, is no longer under full Russian control.

— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) March 25, 2022

Russian Forces have been seen Falling Back from the City and the areas near the City en-masse over the Last few Days as Ukrainian Force have very quickly advanced on them, Defense Officials now believe that Russian Forces are moving East to try and Take/Hold the Donetsk Region.

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 25, 2022

Російські мусора упаковали велосипед "Україна" на 15 діб.

Цей велосипед - єдиний, хто там протестував. pic.twitter.com/SPvr5NOk2v

— Volodymyr Harets (@VHarets) March 13, 2022

Police in Moscow detain a lone protesting bicycle.

Accused of pedaling lies

only straight cycles are allowed in Russia, no bi

Alperovitch on the Russian MOD briefing and his take on how it probably plays out from here:

Quick thread on today's very important developments from the Russian MOD briefing

Essentially we are reaching - as they themselves acknowledged today - the new phase of the war and it is a combination of #1 and #2 of my predictions below 🧵 https://t.co/TR3OUg8n40

— Dmitri Alperovitch (@DAlperovitch) March 25, 2022

In unconfirmed Ukrainian intelligence news: mass panic and property selloffs continue in Crimea among FSB and government officials.

Meanwhile, in totally normal and cool Russian news: traffic closings along the Sevastopol-Kerch highway, first on a bridge in Sevastopol itself, then along the center of Simferopol (coincidentally right before another bridge), as well as the army takeover of the "Gelendzhik Radiocentre" on the other side of the Kerch bridge. Could all add up to nothing, or could be preparation to move armed forces out of Crimea and block the Kerch bridge to deny Russian civilians a way out, as the rumors hold.

The Krasnodar branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "UVO of the Ministry of Transport of Russia" took under protection the bridge over the Belbek River on the Simferopol-Kerch highway, as well as the Gelendzhik radio center of the Azov-Black Sea basin. This was announced by the director of the FSUE Krasnodar branch Vyacheslav Bury..

In the capital of Crimea, restrictions on the passage of vehicles in the very center will be introduced.
According to the mayor's office of Simferopol, from 6 am on March 29 to 3 am on April 3, the passage on Sevastopolskaya Street will be closed - between the intersections with Kozlov Street and Kirov Avenue.

For those who may be wondering what does Gelendzhik, across from the Crimea, have to do with all this? Location, location, location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEhEnAHzxqc

that linked assessment by alperovitch seems accurate to me. the public briefing today by the Russian military brass was not setting the stage for a big escalation of the war, but instead clears the way for cutting their losses, pulling back and retrenching.

the real world effect of the west's financial sanctions against Russia seems much harder to predict now than the military outcome does. how Putin weathers this disaster is anyone's guess.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/putin-jk-rowling-cancel-culture-b2043978.html

The leader went on to liken “cancel culture” Nazis trying to burn books in the 1930s, a theme he has returned on a number of times during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

“We remember the footage when they were burning books,” he said.

“It is impossible to imagine such a thing in our country and we are insured against this thanks to our culture.

Inconceivable, even.

https://i.imgur.com/o7v5ArM.jpg?1

(Government status for our native Russian Language)- Bloc of Natalia Vitrenko"

Vitrenko is the Chairwoman of the recently suspended Progressive Socialist Party.

Jan. 25, 2022 (EIRNS)—On Jan. 19, the Central Committee of the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine (PSPU) issued an Open Letter ripping apart the fraud of those pushing for confrontation with Russia on the pretext of allowing the people of Ukraine to “write their own future.”

https://i.imgur.com/pc70Xsu.jpg?1

The Kremlin stashed away billions before invading Ukraine. China helped them hide it. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with economist Benn Steil about his investigation into Russian assets.

They may be making the classic mistake of ascribing to espionage that which can be explained by malice and cupidity.

That story of Putin sitting in the KGB office in Dresden... Moscow is silent while East Germany collapses around him. It's a good story, but the background surrounding the Dresden office was that it wasn't particularly a prestige espionage gig compared with Berlin. Dresden was instead central to several major smuggling/black market networks, organized crime, etc. The only takeaway I've ever had from seeing Putin *ugh* ascend through the years is that his actions have only been that of an organized crime boss. Irrational, lashing out. In three moves, any one of them would have smashed that 4th-dimensional chess set to pieces.