Ukraine / Russia Thread

[Zeedox]

Russians trying to help the Kremlin are being scammed into throwing Molotov cocktails at its offices and cars instead: reports

Most of the would-be arsonists were senior citizens, local media reported. Some were told they were helping Russia's military with the attacks.

news.yahoo.com

Since the war in Ukraine began, Russian citizens have carried out at least 16 separate arson attempts on government or bank properties at the behest of scammers, reported the independent Russian media outlet, MediaZona.

The people involved have tried to set fire to enlistment offices, bank ATMs, a car trunk, and a police department, though most have been unsuccessful, the outlet reported. At least 11 of them were over 55, per MediaZona.

Some of them, like the 65-year-old Yelena Belova, were told to shout pro-Ukrainian slogans as they chucked the Molotov cocktails — even though they were also told they were helping the Russian military.

 

[Gomez Adams]

I somehow want to doubt this. I believe it's more of a case of trying to go underground for a while.

Well, they were thrown into the meat grinder for weeks. There were many articles that suggested that Putin was doing it intentionally to cut him down to size after he openly blamed the Russian defense ministry for not supplying him properly.

I wouldn't be to quick to dismiss it. According to news articles over the last couple of months, this has been coming.

 

[Gomez Adams]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1652246167894228992

 

[Gomez Adams]

This one killed me.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1652237414625058817

 

[Zeedox]

Russian troops and Wagner mercenaries killed each other in a shootout after blaming each other for their war failures, Ukrainian government says

Multiple soldiers from both groups were killed in their fatal exchange in Luhansk, Ukraine's government claimed in a daily briefing.

news.yahoo.com

The Wagner Group is not officially part of the Russian army, but has been enlisted by the Kremlin to fight alongside Moscow's troops in Ukraine.

Both sides clashed as they blamed each other for defeats in Ukraine, the update claimed.

"They shift the responsibility for their own tactical miscalculations and losses suffered onto each other," the briefing said. "As a result, a fight between Russian Armed Forces and PMC Wagner mercenaries broke out in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska recently."

Russia has not confirmed Ukraine's Sunday report. Insider could not independently verify Ukraine's claim about the shootout.

 

[Gomez Adams]

I wouldn't doubt it.

That Wagner guy was really running his mouth non stop up until about 4 to 5 weeks ago. He's not really said a word since. And Putin strikes me as the kind of idiot, like Hitler, that would ruin one of his best armies and its leadership just to prove he's in charge.

Field Marshalls Rommel and Paulus come to mind.

 

[Zeedox]

Those two have nothing on whatever Roman invented "decimation"

 

[Gomez Adams]

Jesus. According to this, Russia has lost 100,000 troops since December.

I find that difficult to believe.

Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine

Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties since December in a key signal that Moscow's winter offensive has "backfired," according to new estimated figures from the White House. Follow live updates here.

www.cnn.com

 

[Zeedox]

Russia's winter offensive has “backfired” as its forces suffered more than 100,000 casualties since December, according to new estimated figures announced by the Biden administration on Monday.

White House official John Kirby told reporters Russia has "exhausted its military stockpiles and its armed forces" and the US estimates more than 20,000 of its troops have been killed in action in recent months.

The US defines a “casualty” as wounded or killed.

The whole statement is interesting. December til May is 6 months with '100,000 casualties'. 'Recent months' (I'm going to assume they mean two months by this term) there has been 20,000 'KIA'. But then it goes on to state 'casualty is defined as...'.

There's two different measurements here. I wonder what the KIA actually is for the first four months and how many were only wounded (or frostbitten) vice killed.

I do believe the 100,000 figure though but it's not all deaths.

 

[Gomez Adams]

That's what's confusing to me: they're making it sound like 100,000 KIA. Russia didn't lose that many that fast in 1942.

 

[Zeedox]

Media: South Africa trying to convince Putin not to come due to arrest warrant

South African officials are trying to persuade Russian dictator Vladimir Putin not to come to South Africa for a BRICS summit in August due to the International Criminal Court's warrant for his arrest, South Africa's Sunday Times reported on April 30.

kyivindependent.com

The officials want Putin to attend the summit virtually, according to the Sunday Times.

According to government sources cited by the Sunday Times, a special commission established by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa concluded that, if Putin were to set foot in the country for the summit, they would be compelled to arrest him.

"We have no option not to arrest Putin," a government official told the Sunday Times. "If he comes here, we will be forced to detain him."

It's like they told Russia this privately and Russia's response was "We don't believe you. We're still coming. No one would dare arrest The Vlad and we challenge them to do so".

And now South Africa is caught in the middle and needs a public way out.

 

[Gomez Adams]

Forgive me for taking that article with about half a shaker of salt. The Kiev independent? Really?