Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

[N.E. Brigand]

Video of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, recruiting mercenaries from a Russian prison to fight in Ukraine.

[Frelga]

I haven't listened to the video, but I found this translation, which gives you a bit of the flavor.

Full Translation:

“I *unclear* represent a private military company. Have you heard of it? It is called Wagner. The war is difficult, it is completely different from the war in Chechnya and other wars. Our burn rate of ammunition is about 2.5 times more than in Stalingrad.

The first sin is desertion. No one turns back. No one retreats. No one surrenders as a POW. When you go through training they’ll tell you about surrendering as a POW and the two grenades that you should always be carrying with you.

The second sin is alcohol and drugs in the war zone. For the 6 months you’ll be with us you’ll be in the war zone the whole time. And the third sin is marauding, including sexual contact with local women, the flora and fauna, men, or anyone else.

The minimum age we will take is 22-years-old. If you’re younger, no one asks for a… paper… about your closest relative [this sentence is chopped up in the video]. The maximum age is, conditionally, 50.

But if you are strong, we can do some elementary tests right here at the interview to check your strength and physical condition and then we will make a decision about whether to take you.

The first prisoners that fought with me were involved on June 1st: the storming of [something unclear]. It was forty guys from St. Petersburg in a strict regime. Forty men attacked the opponent and cut him with knives.

Three were killed and seven were injured. Of the three killed, one was 52-years-old who was serving a 30-year sentence. He died a hero.

We pay special attention to those of you convicted under article 228 [in Russian law, article 228 is about drug-related offenses] solely on the basis of whether or not there was addiction involved.

If there are questions, leave your [unclear]… behind while we’re preparing to retrieve you, to run a polygraph test, and ask questions to determine how stable you are. We are very careful with those of you convicted for sexual crimes. But we understand that mistakes happen.

Who do we need? We only need “storm troopers.” 60% of young men… [video cuts off]”

Frelga, can you give me a link for the full text of his speech, please?

Sorry, didn't see. Zelensky made a Telegram post, so there's no video. AFAIK, the translation I posted above is the complete text.

[Eldy]

Former Soviet states eye opportunities as Russia suffers Ukraine rout - The Guardian

Interesting piece touching on the current Armenia–Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes, and Russia's waning ability to play referee over other post-Soviet states.

[Sunsilver]

sexual contact with local women, the flora and fauna,

And FLORA?? Oookay, I have to assume he was using some exaggeration there, to convince the prospective recruit he REALLY REALLY meant it! Unless there are some kinky sexual practices in Russia I've never heard of before!

[RoseMorninStar]

sexual contact with local women, the flora and fauna,

And FLORA?? Oookay, I have to assume he was using some exaggeration there, to convince the prospective recruit he REALLY REALLY meant it! Unless there are some kinky sexual practices in Russia I've never heard of before!

Venus fly trap? I dunno.

[N.E. Brigand]

Video of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, recruiting mercenaries from a Russian prison to fight in Ukraine.

The speaker, Yevgeny Prigozhin, sometimes referred to as "Putin's chef," led one prong of Russia's attack on the 2016 U.S. election and was charged for that crime, as was the company he owns. The company hired lawyers to fight the charge against it in court* as a way of trying to extort the Dept. of Justice into releasing classified information, and the U.S. eventually dropped that charge -- but the charge against Progizhin stands. He has also been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Dept.

*Again I will repeat my opinion that corporate personhood doesn't really exist and it's ridiculous that we pretend otherwise.

[Frelga]

sexual contact with local women, the flora and fauna,

And FLORA?? Oookay, I have to assume he was using some exaggeration there, to convince the prospective recruit he REALLY REALLY meant it! Unless there are some kinky sexual practices in Russia I've never heard of before!

I hesitate to link to Russian state media, even subtitled, because it needs to be processed in the context. But let me just say that this is not even in the top ten craziest things I heard in the last 24 hours.

[N.E. Brigand]

Cool analysis of the Prigozhin video by the New York Times.

[Frelga]

One of my new favorite accounts to follow is Alexander Kamyshin (@AKamyshin), the CEO of Ukrainian railways. Trains kept running throughout the war, under air raids, rescuing people out of the war zone and bringing supplies.

Kamyshin himself was filmed walking the tracks with the team of sappers as they restore service to recently liberated areas.

Evening train to #Balakliya, day 2:

- 110 departed from #Kharkiv, 90 arrived to

Balakliya.

- 83 departed from Balakliya, 40 arrived to Kharkiv.

The difference stands for those stopped at interim stations.

Times more than yesterday. Happy to see people getting the freedom back.

[Frelga]

So this actually happened. As reported by Max Seddon of the Financial Times.

Alla Pugacheva, the legendary Russian crooner, speaks out against "the death of our boys for illusory goals that are making our country a pariah and weighing down on the lives of our citizens."

Losing the faith of nationalist bloggers is one thing. But losing Alla Borisovna...

This puts the Kremlin in a tight spot. Leave this unanswered and you risk letting public criticism spiral.

But Alla Pugacheva is something like a cross between Oprah and the Pope in Russia – a pretty much universally loved figure

I can't express to you how much "legendary" is an understatement. Pope only wishes he were that popular. There is no English-speaking star who compares. Beatles? They've been and gone. Alla reigned since 1975, and hand-picked three generations of Soviet pop stars.

Back in the 80s, the joke was that then-leader Brezhnev's encyclopedia entry would say "minor politician of the Pugacheva era". I thought putin would go the same way, but he had earned his place in infamy.

[Sunsilver]

As Ukrainian troops take back Izium mass graves are being found. It is very evident from the exhumed bodies that many were tortured before being killed.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... lice-chief

Western media has said they are 'shocked'. [massive eyeroll]

Seriously, have they REALLY forgotten Mauripol and Bucha? What did you expect??

[Frelga]

There were initial calls to caution, saying that some of the victims were civilians who died under bombings and buried in mass graves because that's all that was possible to do.

But every day, there is new evidence of kidnapping, torture, and mass murder of civilians. Russian state media quickly swung from calling it a false flag to saying, "yes we did and we'll do it again." And the sense of dread of what we'll find in Mariupol keeps rising.

And that's why there can be no diplomatic solution. For Ukraine to surrender any territory would mean betraying its citizens to genocidal invaders. And in return, it would only get empty promises from a country that can't be trusted. It's why Ukrainians are saying they will get used to living under bombs but will never surrender.

PS. I actually came here to post this animated map.

[River]

Russia is mobilizing reserves and I have it on good authority that flights from Moscow to Belgrade are sold out for the foreseeable future.

I'm not sure what the end game here is. I know that they're going to attempt holding referenda on joining Russia in LNR and DNR but those territories are under enemy occupation and I don't see how anyone can imagine the results would be legit. Obviously, it's a ploy for Russia to hide behind and scream that now Ukraine is invading them while Ukraine pushes to reclaim its territory. I wonder what can be done to head that off.

[N.E. Brigand]

Reading this, the first word that comes to my mind is fragging.

[Dave_LF]

[Sunsilver]

Russia is mobilizing reserves and I have it on good authority that flights from Moscow to Belgrade are sold out for the foreseeable future.

River, I am SO clueless that it took me several days to realize WHY the flights were sold out! DUH! It was the fragging reference to Vietnam that did the trick. Yup, bet Putin is real popular with Russians right now...

[N.E. Brigand]

"Russian soldiers have raped and tortured children as young as 4 years old in Ukraine, a UN-appointed panel of independent legal experts said in a damning statement on Friday that concluded war crimes had been committed in the conflict." (New York Times)

[N.E. Brigand]

So does this mean that Edward Snowden will be conscripted by Russia to fight in Ukraine? (The article says no, so obviously I'm not the first one to wonder.)

[RoseMorninStar]

"Russian soldiers have raped and tortured children as young as 4 years old in Ukraine, a UN-appointed panel of independent legal experts said in a damning statement on Friday that concluded war crimes had been committed in the conflict." (New York Times)

Because they were Nazi's I suppose. This breaks my heart.

As for Snowden, I think they'd want him somewhere they can keep a closer eye on him.

[N.E. Brigand]

Given Vladimir Putin's recent talk of nuclear weapons, allow me to wish a Happy Stanislav Petrov Day to those who celebrate!