Russian invasion of Ukraine imminent, BBC reports

[sene5hos]

Russia Threatens Finland With Retaliation if it Joins NATO:

Russia will be "forced to take retaliatory steps" if Finland joins NATO, Russian foreign ministry says

Ukrainian counterattacks near the Russian border in Kharkiv are making Moscow "very worried," according to a senior Ukrainian official.

www.cnn.com

How Sweden and Finland went from neutral to Nato

Russia has threatened to retaliate, but Sweden is now set to join Finland as the 32nd Nato member.

www.bbc.com

Finland has made its first move towards joining Nato, and Sweden could follow within days - a monumental shift for two nations with a long history of wartime neutrality and staying out of military alliances.

Russia strongly opposes the two states joining and uses the expansion of the West's defensive military alliance as a pretext for its war in Ukraine.

If they do, it will end over 200 years of Swedish non-alignment. Finland adopted neutrality following a bitter defeat by the Soviet Union during World War Two.

Finnish public support for joining Nato was for years at around 20-25%.
But since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it has shot up to a record high of 76%, according to the latest opinion poll.
In Sweden, 57% of the population want to join, again far higher than before the war.

 

[sene5hos]

Update:

+ 6,000,000 Refugees.

 

[sene5hos]

Ukrainians say they don't have any regrets after deliberately flooding their village to prevent Russian tanks from reaching Kyiv.
Ukrainians say they don't have any regrets after deliberately flooding the village of Demydiv to stop Russian tanks from reaching Kyiv, the New York Times stated on Wednesday.

Just a day after the conflict began, Ukrainian troops on February 25 opened a nearby dam to flood Demydiv, north of Kyiv, and the encompassing countryside, Times stated said. Satellite imagery from March confirmed flooding in the Irpin River basin, northwest of Kyiv. But it was not right away clear who or what triggered the flooding till now after Ukrainians claimed credit score for the sacrificial protecting move.

 

[sene5hos]

SHOCKING video captures the moment a Russian tank is reportedly blown up, sending its turret hurtling 250ft into the air following a Ukrainian missile strike.

The captured dashcam footage, reportedly filmed in eastern Ukraine, shows Putin's war machine exploding in an enormous fireball as it drives along a road.

In the clip filmed from a car driving behind the tank, a huge blast erupts shortly up the road, and what appears to be a tank turret goes flying into the sky.

A number of figures, possibly Russian soldiers, are seen desperately scrambling for cover.

 

[wetnose]

SHOCKING video captures the moment a Russian tank is reportedly blown up, sending its turret hurtling 250ft into the air following a Ukrainian missile strike.

The captured dashcam footage, reportedly filmed in eastern Ukraine, shows Putin's war machine exploding in an enormous fireball as it drives along a road.

In the clip filmed from a car driving behind the tank, a huge blast erupts shortly up the road, and what appears to be a tank turret goes flying into the sky.

A number of figures, possibly Russian soldiers, are seen desperately scrambling for cover.

That turret probably weighs at least 15 tons - just imagine the sheer power of the explosion that could fling it 250 ft in the air.

 

[sene5hos]

Drone footage show a Russian Z tank "graveyard" littered with 52 vehicles that were blown up by Ukrainian troops in a single battle.

The woefully unprepared Russian battalion was bombed to smithereens trying to cross the river Donets in Ukraine in another humiliating setback for Vladimir Putin's forces.

The embarrassing news comes as Russian forces were forced back from the outskirts of the eastern city of Kharkiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the counteroffensive had "liberated" the country's second-biggest city and surrounding villages and given his troops a clear line to attack occupying forces in the strategic town of Izyum.

"The occupiers are gradually being pushed away," Zelensky said as he hailed the effort of his "superhuman" forces.

"I am grateful to all our defenders who are holding the line and demonstrating truly superhuman strength to drive out the army of invaders."

 

[sene5hos]

Russia Spending an Estimated $900 Million a Day on Ukraine War

The figure doesn't take into consideration how much Russia may have lost financially because of the severe economic sanctions.

www.newsweek.com

As Russia continues its military assault on Ukraine, the heavy toll on the Russian economy could be felt for years to come.

The invasion is now in its third month, and sustaining it requires approximately $900 million a day, Sean Spoonts, editor-in-chief of SOFREP, a media outlet focused on military news, told Newsweek.

Several factors play into that heavy price, according to SOFREP's estimate.
That includes paying the Russian soldiers who are fighting in Ukraine; providing them with munitions, bullets and rockets; and the cost to repair lost or damaged military equipment. Russia also must pay for the thousands of critical weapons and cruise missiles that have been used during the war, which run about $1.5 million apiece, according to Spoonts.

 

[wetnose]

The new face of modern combat. All modern militaries are going to deploy drones at the lowest level, for a myriad of tasks.

 

[sene5hos]

Russian soldier on trial in first Ukraine war-crimes case

A Russian soldier has gone on trial in Ukraine for the killing of an unarmed civilian

abcnews.go.com

KYIV, Ukraine -- A 21-year-old Russian soldier went on trial Friday in Kyiv for the killing of an unarmed Ukrainian civilian, marking the first war crime prosecution of a member of the Russian military from 11 weeks of bloodshed in Ukraine.

The soldier, a captured member of a tank unit is accused of shooting a 62-year-old Ukrainian man in the head through an open car window in the northeastern village of Chupakhivka during the first days of the war.

And it won't be the last.

 

[Fradi]

^^^^^
What exactly are they achieving with this.
This 21 year old while deserving to be held accountable is but a pawn he probably had no idea what he was fighting for or why he was there, more than likely scared out of his mind.
The real murderer is Putin and his cohorts, generals, prosecuting a 21 year old soldier does nothing, these soldiers mean absolutely nothing to Putin they are dispensable, this will not be a deterrent to other soldiers either they are being brain washed and ordered to do this.
Total waste of time and money but great for CNN.

 

[cloudsurf]

^^^^^
What exactly are they achieving with this.

Publicity and credibility to war crimes being committed by Russian soldiers. Will see if his testimony will implicate Russian officers.

 

[Fradi]

Publicity and credibility to war crimes being committed by Russian soldiers. Will see if his testimony will implicate Russian officers.

What if it does, do you think Russia will ever hand over any of their officers for trial. Russia will claim the soldier was tortured brainwashed or maybe that he isn’t even a Russian soldier but a Ukrainian actor and the whole thing is theatre.
I doubt there is anybody living in the so called West or NATO countries that needs more publicity to accept the fact that Putin and his regime are a gang of War criminals and murderers. Turn on CNN and watch.
Putting a 21 year old Russian soldier on trial in front of the world for me is stupid, a waste of time and achieves absolutely nothing.
Now if they were to capture one of Putins generals and put him on trial that would be entirely different.

 

[sene5hos]

^^^^^
What exactly are they achieving with this.
This 21 year old while deserving to be held accountable is but a pawn he probably had no idea what he was fighting for or why he was there, more than likely scared out of his mind.
The real murderer is Putin and his cohorts, generals, prosecuting a 21 year old soldier does nothing, these soldiers mean absolutely nothing to Putin they are dispensable, this will not be a deterrent to other soldiers either they are being brain washed and ordered to do this.
Total waste of time and money but great for CNN.

I understand your argument.

It's Putin who is really responsible, and it's also true that Putin doesn't give a damn, he will do absolutely nothing for all his soldiers.

A 21-year-old soldier kills a 62-year-old civilian, and we should forgive him for everything?

The war = Russian soldiers against Ukrainian soldiers, not civilians.

 

[sene5hos]

Now if they were to capture one of Putins generals and put him on trial that would be entirely different.

High Death Toll of Russian Generals in Ukraine a Blow to Military Capability - The Moscow Times

In a ceremony deserving of his rank, Russian Major General Vladimir Frolov was laid to rest in St.

www.themoscowtimes.com

Frolov is one of a total of 12 Russian generals to be killed in Ukraine in just over two months of fighting, according to a report Thursday by The New York Times.

That is twice the number of generals killed in the Soviet Union’s 10-year military campaign in Afghanistan.

 

[Fradi]

I understand your argument.

It's Putin who is really responsible, and it's also true that Putin doesn't give a damn, he will do absolutely nothing for all his soldiers.

A 21-year-old soldier kills a 62-year-old civilian, and we should forgive him for everything?

The war = Russian soldiers against Ukrainian soldiers, not civilians.

What did I say that he deserves to be held accountable, I doubt that means to forgive him.
Holding court hearings on a 21 year old soldier, as publicity for the world to see who probably actually thinks he is killing nazis and at the same time scared out of his mind of being killed himself serves no purpose.
Why waste time on stupidity like this, soldiers do as they are commanded to do it is Putin, his generals, the ones that started this war that need to be held accountable and brought before a war crimes tribunal not 21 year old witless uneducated soldiers who should still be in school or playing soccer with their friends, you think these soldiers want to be in Ukraine dying for a lunatic like Putin.

 

[sene5hos]

What did I say that he deserves to be held accountable, I doubt that means to forgive him.
Holding court hearings on a 21 year old soldier, as publicity for the world to see who probably actually thinks he is killing nazis and at the same time scared out of his mind of being killed himself serves no purpose.
Why waste time on stupidity like this, soldiers do as they are commanded to do it is Putin, his generals, the ones that started this war that need to be held accountable and brought before a war crimes tribunal not 21 year old witless uneducated soldiers who should still be in school or playing soccer with their friends, you think these soldiers want to be in Ukraine dying for a lunatic like Putin.

Because Russian soldiers have been brainwashed, they have a license to kill, not soldiers, civilians.

 

[Fradi]

Because Russian soldiers have been brainwashed, they have a license to kill, not soldiers, civilians.

Where are you getting this from.
I know English is not your first language it is not mine either but read what is written, “should be held accountable“ does not mean a license to kill.
Unfortunately throughout history you can look at any war and you will find these same barbaric things taking place, yes the individual soldier is to blame also, but not nearly as much as the lunatics like Putin who orchestrate these wars.
Most of these soldiers would rather be at home with their girl friends and friends not being scared out of their minds in a foreign land not knowing who is a soldier who is a civilian and who is going to shoot or kill them also. How many US soldiers have been killed and blown up by innocent looking teenagers in the Middle East, when you are scared out of your mind you do strange things.
You honestly think some Russian soldiers have not been killed or shot by civilians, farmers etc… and I am not blaming these civilians they are fighting for their lives and their families lives I would do the same.
Try putting yourself in the shoes of a 21 year old kid scared out of his mind in a foreign country, no I am not defending killing of innocent civilians at all just not so quick to be so judgemental without trying to put myself in their shoes.
Putting Putin and his generals in front of a firing squad or jail for eternity would suit me just fine, putting a 21 year old soldier on public display in front of the whole world is stupid and the wrong way to seek publicity. Go after the real murderers.
War and revolutions get very ugly a civilian can also kill you not just a soldier luckily you have never witnessed this, I have.

 

[sene5hos]

Try putting yourself in the shoes of a 21 year old kid

Try putting yourself in the shoes of a 62 year old civilian, without weapon.

 

[Fradi]

Try putting yourself in the shoes of a 62 year old civilian, without weapon.

You just never get what is written and what people are trying to tell you.
I wonder why I bother trying to explain things to you.
My mother and father were those civilians you are talking about and so was I as an infant so I think I know what I am talking about. Do a bit of reading on the Hungarian revolution of 1956.
I have a reason to hate Russia as much as Ukrainians do but I can still think objectively and put the blame where it really belongs.

 

[cloudsurf]

Try putting yourself in the shoes of a 62 year old civilian, without weapon.

He probably is one. LOL