https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1522991272897699841
https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1522991275859152896
https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1522991279176564736
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https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1522990706746224640
https://archive.ph/2Zrj8#selection-519.0-572.0
KRYVYI RIH, Ukraine — The solicitation to commit treason came to Oleksandr Vilkul on the second day of the war, in a phone call from an old colleague.
Mr. Vilkul, the scion of a powerful political family in southeastern Ukraine that was long seen as harboring pro-Russian views, took the call as Russian troops were advancing to within a few miles of his hometown, Kryvyi Rih.
“He said, ‘Oleksandr Yurivich, you are looking at the map, you see the situation is predetermined,’” Mr. Vilkul said, recalling the conversation with a fellow minister in a former, pro-Russian Ukrainian government.
“Sign an agreement of friendship, cooperation and defense with Russia and they will have good relations with you,” the former colleague said. “You will be a big person in the new Ukraine.”
The offer failed spectacularly. Once war had begun, Mr. Vilkul said, the gray area seeped out of Ukrainian politics for him. Missiles striking his hometown made the choice obvious: he would fight back.
“I responded with profanity,” Mr. Vilkul said in an interview.
God bless Ukrainians.
“Nobody wanted to be part of that thing behind the wall,” said Kostyantyn Usov, a former member of Parliament from Kryvyi Rih, referring to Russia’s isolated, authoritarian system.
He said that system has dismal appeal in Ukraine and noted the absence of widespread collaboration with Russia, including among Ukrainians who speak Russian and share the country’s cultural values.
“We are part of something bright,” he said of Ukraine. “It is here, with us, in our group. And they have nothing to offer.”
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The drones certainly seem to be able to do that but the laser guided rockets I think they’re using are pretty small. The patrol boats they hit are small and quick. One of them was hauling ass and making quick turns but to no avail. In the video above, that boat is larger and if not for the fire might have survived?
Maybe, but I think it’s way more likely it’s because Russia’s ships are old as fuck and likely not particularly well maintained. Moskva was 43 years old. Russian sailors don’t particularly seem well trained.
Who posted that YouTube video about Russia going to Japan? That applies here I think, and it was hilarious.
Found it, sorry to ever posted this first:
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The namesake of the missing frigate died in that war. Makarov:
On 13 April 1904 Makarov led his flotilla to the aid of a destroyer that had been ambushed by the Japanese. Makarov was killed in the subsequent battle when his flagship Petropavlovsk struck a naval mine and the ship’s magazine detonated. Japanese divers found Makarov’s body after the war and gave him a burial at sea, and as a mark of good will Japanese officers led Makarov’s funeral in Port Arthur.
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They should use a hookshot to hit the blinking red eye
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This article has some great detective work.
WFP is releasing scary videos like this:
https://twitter.com/WFPChief/status/1522588515351117824?s=20&t=27hB8RS3RFQlM2ebR5eNwg
Last I read this was thought to be overstated.
Ukraine is one of the biggest wheat exporters (among other things) but their exports “only” amount to 7% of global supply. Not all of that is lost and other countries are stepping in. That means that most of the world will be fine but experience higher prices.
Overstated is relative. There probably won’t be a global food crisis. Countries that already were on the brink of catastrophe will likely suffer.
This article provides some details:
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https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1523142792058654721?t=Fp5WZPsryeqjo20Jad0msQ&s=19
https://twitter.com/OAlexanderDK/status/1523051350787035136?t=gPgijXP2S9aD7l7L5Slyjg&s=19
This island is tiny. You could stroll across it in 10 minutes. Hard to understand all that’s happened here. The Russians captured it in the first days and seemingly didn’t bother to set up air defense on it before the Moskva was destroyed. Since then they’ve seemed to be trying to set up SAM batteries but they’re ineffective (jammed?) or been destroyed before becoming operational. Drones and now manned aircraft seem to come and go at will.
I think they’re sequential, but not really sure.
I read The Charm School a while back and it struck me how absolutely plausible it is the Russia could hide camps pretty easily. Not good :(
