The Crazy SOB Actually Did it!

[lester1/2jr]

The article also states that the video had not been verified.

to my point!

[lester1/2jr]

"The military aid the west is providing to Ukraine is changing the dynamic and if Russia doesn't find a way to address this meaningfully... the conflict will never end."


scott ritter was a UN Weapons inspector who came out against the Iraq war. He is also, regrettably, known for his habit of soliciting teenage girls online for video sex stuff, for which he has been arrested I believe multiple times. He's also a former marine and kind of knows what he's talking about.

https://www.unz.com/mwhitney/scott-ritters-switcheroo-why-i-radically-changed-my-overall-assessment/

Ritter was riding high on the contrarian side till facts on the ground changed: the billions of dollars in weapons the US is sending to Ukraine is having a profound effect.


"Unless Russia is willing to jump across the Dnieper River and head into western Ukraine ... then demilitarization of Ukraine is not going to take place"

[ER]

As I feared the sensation of this war is dwindling in people's minds and it's on the news less and less as fresh "stories" come along. Even in here no one has added a post to this thread in over a week.

Well, don't forget Ukrainians are still suffering an invasion of their cities and homes, and still need help. If you can donate anything to refugee relief, it's needed.

[Rev. Powell]

It became less urgent to me personally when Putin gave up on Kiev, but yeah, there is a predictable degree of fatigue. The news doesn't change much, or changes very slowly.

[ER]

Have you heard from your friend lately, Rev?

[Rev. Powell]

Have you heard from your friend lately, Rev?

Not directly but I check her FB page every now and then, and things seem to have returned to near-normal in Kiev: people are trying to go about their ordinary lives. Yesterday she posted video of a psychedelic jam band a friend of hers is in playing a concert in a courtyard for about 4 people.

She also reposts lots of material from other Ukrainians. She posted one of a resident walking through the streets of Bucha back in February. Eerie, almost the entire town was a field of rubble as far as the eye could see, a few houses still standing, fires still burning, some abandoned tanks in the streets. Surreal.

[lester1/2jr]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/13/climate/russia-oil-gas-record-revenue.html

Russia's Oil Revenue Soars Despite Sanctions, Study Finds

Rising oil prices more than offset a decline in export volumes during the first 100 days of the assault on Ukraine.


so much for that

Russia earned what is very likely a record 93 billion euros in revenue from exports of oil, gas and coal in the first 100 days of the country's invasion of Ukraine, according to data analyzed by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a research organization based in Helsinki, Finland. About two-thirds of those earnings, the equivalent of about $97 billion, came from oil, and most of the remainder from natural gas.

"The current rate of revenue is unprecedented, because prices are unprecedented, and export volumes are close to their highest levels on record," said Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst who led the center's research.

our sanctions are raising the price of oil, which is helping russia.

[lester1/2jr]

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1619499/putin-russia-will-respond-if-nato-sets-up-infrastructure-in-finland-sweden

Putin: Russia will respond if NATO sets up infrastructure in Finland, Sweden

turkey lifted its veto after finland and sweden agreed to sell them planes or something

[LilCerberus]

It's from last week, but I understand this is what Putin's down to...

https://nypost.com/2022/06/26/obese-retired-russian-general-called-to-fight-in-ukraine-report/

[lester1/2jr]

fat general story is fake

https://twitter.com/ArbiterOfTweets/status/1545651614253555712

turns out its from a celebration of border guards.

"It turns out to be a local ceremony celebrating "Border Guard Day", a holiday for (former) border guards in Russia.

On Yelansky district's official Telegram, we even find a picture of 'Pavel' at the microphone stand giving a military salute...

Our '67-year old general Pavel' turns out to be the 58-year old Ivan Ivanovich Turchin, veteran of both the Russian military and the Border Guard.

He retired in 2011, after 20 years of service at the border in Uzbekistan."

[LilCerberus]

^wondered about that after googling the name, but I assumed the pictures were old...^

[lester1/2jr]

Yes Pavel is I guess a first name? I don't know much about Russia

If Putin is calling on retired border guards to serve as battle commanders he really is in deep trouble

[LilCerberus]

Yes Pavel is I guess a first name? I don't know much about Russia

If Putin is calling on retired border guards to serve as battle commanders he really is in deep trouble

Been a while with so much going on, but the Pavel I could find at the time was a veteran of Afghanistan & went on to be some sort of diplomat....
He didn't look quite like that, but I'd figured retirement had it's effect in him...

[ER]

Sad how people's interest in something fades so fast. The woman at a megachurch near me who handles donations for Ukrainian refugees says she has not had anything from the outside come in specifically earmarked for Ukraine in three weeks now. The church is still sending money itself from its funds, but I suppose no one is thinking about Ukraine anymore enough to donate. Heck, even this thread has gone mostly dormant and sunk to the bottom of the page, and it only takes an outraged thought to bump it forward.

[Alex]

We are still making donations locally. Just earlier on this week, we took in stuff for roughly 70 Ukrainian refugees that are being housed locally. I've been following the course of the war closely, but not posting much on the thread because I am trying to not accidentally say more than I am allowed to about what is happening out there.