Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Crunchy Frog
Crunchy Frog's Journal
Crunchy Frog's Journal
April 26, 2022
Russian Karen verbally assaults Ukrainian woman in Stockholm.
Watch with CC. Has to be seen to be believed.
April 25, 2022
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-attack-civilian-convoy-havronschchyna-war-crime-rcna25628
So basically they let a bunch of civilians flee in their cars, and then opened fire on them. I guess these are acceptable wartime practices now.
'They were trying to escape': Ukrainian man says he saw Russian forces shooting civilians
Patsan said Russian troops who had been occupying Havronshchyna had agreed to allow civilians to leave in a convoy. He said he and his wife had packed their car and were ready to join the end of the column of vehicles as it passed by.
“They were trying to escape. Men, women and children. And the Russian vehicles came up behind them and started to shoot,” he said.
~snip~
“People were running away, and they were being shot at. I saw an old man get shot. I fled to my house. Then slowly I came back and saw the bodies,” Patsan said.
He could also see a woman bent over a toddler trying to protect it in the backseat, and an older woman and a teenager in the car, he said. They were all dead.
“They were trying to escape. Men, women and children. And the Russian vehicles came up behind them and started to shoot,” he said.
~snip~
“People were running away, and they were being shot at. I saw an old man get shot. I fled to my house. Then slowly I came back and saw the bodies,” Patsan said.
He could also see a woman bent over a toddler trying to protect it in the backseat, and an older woman and a teenager in the car, he said. They were all dead.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-attack-civilian-convoy-havronschchyna-war-crime-rcna25628
So basically they let a bunch of civilians flee in their cars, and then opened fire on them. I guess these are acceptable wartime practices now.
April 25, 2022
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3466328-russia-says-it-has-deported-nearly-one-million-ukrainians-to-its-territory.html
Even if the Russians are kicked out of Ukraine, how do they get all these hostages out?
Russia says it has deported nearly one million Ukrainians to its territory
The Russian Ministry of Defense has said that more than 951,000 Ukrainians have been deported to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Interfax, with reference to Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of Russia's National Defense Management Center.
According to him, "over the past 24 hours, without the participation of the Ukrainian authorities, 16,838 people were evacuated to Russia from dangerous regions of Ukraine, certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, including 1,402 children, in total, since the start of the war, there have already been 951,329 people, including 174,689 children."
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Interfax, with reference to Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of Russia's National Defense Management Center.
According to him, "over the past 24 hours, without the participation of the Ukrainian authorities, 16,838 people were evacuated to Russia from dangerous regions of Ukraine, certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, including 1,402 children, in total, since the start of the war, there have already been 951,329 people, including 174,689 children."
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3466328-russia-says-it-has-deported-nearly-one-million-ukrainians-to-its-territory.html
Even if the Russians are kicked out of Ukraine, how do they get all these hostages out?
April 24, 2022
Everyday it's a new war crime.
Kherson grain storage facility emptied by #Russia soldiers.
https://twitter.com/lesiavasylenko/status/1517844021699305475?s=20&t=-vW8AwO7NMoJj10kOMrRgAEveryday it's a new war crime.
April 22, 2022
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russian-soldiers-celebrate-birthday-of-comrade-and-friend-hitler-lpvm56xz0#
Russian soldiers celebrate birthday of 'comrade and friend' Hitler
Two Russian soldiers posed for a picture in front of a military van emblazoned with the letter “Z”, a symbol used for the war in Ukraine. The windscreen of the truck also bore the number 88, a white supremacist numerical code for “Heil Hitler”.
In a post yesterday on Govorit TopaZ, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel with almost 70,000 subscribers, the soldiers talked about how they had been inspired by Nazi ethno-nationalist ideology.
~snip~
“Even though he has not been with us for a long time, his work and his words live on in our hearts and inspire us to kill Ukro-Bolshevik dirt and magnify the glory of great Russia.”
Hitler was born on April 20, 1889.
In a post yesterday on Govorit TopaZ, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel with almost 70,000 subscribers, the soldiers talked about how they had been inspired by Nazi ethno-nationalist ideology.
~snip~
“Even though he has not been with us for a long time, his work and his words live on in our hearts and inspire us to kill Ukro-Bolshevik dirt and magnify the glory of great Russia.”
Hitler was born on April 20, 1889.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russian-soldiers-celebrate-birthday-of-comrade-and-friend-hitler-lpvm56xz0#
April 20, 2022
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-should-liquidate-russias-foreign-reserves-ukraine-war-harvard-professor-2022-4
It seems like that would solve a lot of problems. Would also be a good source of funds for humanitarian aid, and to get a start on rebuilding.
Harvard Law professor says US should liquidate Russia's foreign reserves and use the money to fund
military aid to UkraineA Harvard Law School professor suggested recently that the US should liquidate Russia's foreign reserves and use the money to fund Ukrainian military aid.
Russia's central bank may have up to $100 billion in foreign exchange reserves sitting in the US and liquidating the funds may be an "obvious solution" to punishing Russia for its unprovoked war against Ukraine, constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe and Harvard Law student Jeremy Lewin wrote in a New York Times op-ed published on Friday.
Liquidating the funds could be a quick way to unlock money to provide military aid for Ukraine, while also saving American taxpayers from feeling "burdened," Tribe and Lewin wrote.
Russia's central bank may have up to $100 billion in foreign exchange reserves sitting in the US and liquidating the funds may be an "obvious solution" to punishing Russia for its unprovoked war against Ukraine, constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe and Harvard Law student Jeremy Lewin wrote in a New York Times op-ed published on Friday.
Liquidating the funds could be a quick way to unlock money to provide military aid for Ukraine, while also saving American taxpayers from feeling "burdened," Tribe and Lewin wrote.
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-should-liquidate-russias-foreign-reserves-ukraine-war-harvard-professor-2022-4
It seems like that would solve a lot of problems. Would also be a good source of funds for humanitarian aid, and to get a start on rebuilding.
April 17, 2022
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-torture-chamber-killing-murder-b2059421.html
Anyway, interesting article.
Bound, beaten, killed: Ukrainian civilians reveal horrors of Russian torture chamber
Special report: One prisoner recalls how a man was beaten to death next to him. Another recounts being stripped, stabbed and subjected to electric shocks. In recently liberated Trostyanets in Sumy, Bel Trew speaks to torture victims and uncovers fresh evidence of possible war crimes in northeast Ukraine
Blindfolded, arms and legs bound, and lying in the corner of the torture room, Dima could only hear his fellow prisoner scream and his ribs crack, as the man was beaten to death next to him.
The soldiers had grunted with exertion as they bound the prisoner – Kolya – into the “lastochka” or “swallow” position, an infamous torture method long favoured by Russian forces.
Dima remembers how Kolya, who had apparently denounced Moscow publicly, was subjected to particularly savage violence. Even after Kolya was dragged to the blood-stained room, he refused to stop cursing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fuelling the relentless blows that rained down on him.
Blindfolded, arms and legs bound, and lying in the corner of the torture room, Dima could only hear his fellow prisoner scream and his ribs crack, as the man was beaten to death next to him.
The soldiers had grunted with exertion as they bound the prisoner – Kolya – into the “lastochka” or “swallow” position, an infamous torture method long favoured by Russian forces.
Dima remembers how Kolya, who had apparently denounced Moscow publicly, was subjected to particularly savage violence. Even after Kolya was dragged to the blood-stained room, he refused to stop cursing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fuelling the relentless blows that rained down on him.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-torture-chamber-killing-murder-b2059421.html
Anyway, interesting article.
April 17, 2022
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/u5cbzr/the_world_is_threatened_by_famine_if_russia_does/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/u5cbzr/comment/i512ya3/
Does the prospect of mass starvation in the developing world alter the calculus for anyone?
Should the West take steps to unblock ports in Ukraine to prevent global famine?
The world is threatened by famine if Russia does not unblock the ports of Ukraine - the UN
Ukrainian repositories are overflowing with grain, which helps feed 400 million people worldwide in a typical year. But the supply chain has been disrupted by the war, and ports cannot function properly in the center of the war zone.
The director of the UN World Food Program, David Beasley, said that global food supplies were under threat because the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Mykolayiv were blocked.
"We have not made any progress. This is where the international community must come in and make very serious decisions about protecting ports for humanitarian purposes and opening ports to the world. Because the whole world will pay the price if we do not open ports," he said. UN programs.
The UN spokesman warned that there was a shortage in the world food market and a further sharp rise in food prices would be a disaster for poor countries.
David Beasley explained that Ukrainian farmers can still reap a harvest that will help feed the world's hungry. But this requires that the war cease immediately and the southern ports and Black Sea routes be open.
Ukrainian repositories are overflowing with grain, which helps feed 400 million people worldwide in a typical year. But the supply chain has been disrupted by the war, and ports cannot function properly in the center of the war zone.
The director of the UN World Food Program, David Beasley, said that global food supplies were under threat because the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Mykolayiv were blocked.
"We have not made any progress. This is where the international community must come in and make very serious decisions about protecting ports for humanitarian purposes and opening ports to the world. Because the whole world will pay the price if we do not open ports," he said. UN programs.
The UN spokesman warned that there was a shortage in the world food market and a further sharp rise in food prices would be a disaster for poor countries.
David Beasley explained that Ukrainian farmers can still reap a harvest that will help feed the world's hungry. But this requires that the war cease immediately and the southern ports and Black Sea routes be open.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/u5cbzr/the_world_is_threatened_by_famine_if_russia_does/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/u5cbzr/comment/i512ya3/
Does the prospect of mass starvation in the developing world alter the calculus for anyone?
April 16, 2022
Alternate take.
I think it has more to do with it being a clear act of unprovoked aggression by a military superpower against a smaller and weaker country.
There is a clarity with the Ukraine situation that is lacking in these other ones which tend to be civil wars or insurgencies, or involve non-state militia groups. It's often far less easy to distinguish "good guys" from "bad guys". Oftentimes both, or all sides, appear to be equally, or similarly bad. They also tend to be more complex, with no easy solutions.
There's also the fact that these types of conflict are relatively common, and often very long lasting, and people kind of get used to them, almost as a status quo, while a conflict at this level has not happened in Europe since the end of WWII.
That said, there is just as much civilian suffering, and we should pay more attention than we do.
I believe that if/when China launches a similar attack against Taiwan, that we will see similar sorts of reactions, as it will be a similar type of conflict, despite the fact that the victims will not be white. I hope that my hypothesis on this won't get tested.
April 15, 2022
https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1514964574197489664?s=20&t=zrILr58GhJqet6b4DNhbBg
https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1514964592019005442?s=20&t=zrILr58GhJqet6b4DNhbBg
Soldier and wife who encouraged him to rape id'd, info and pictures released.
https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1514964537690177541?s=20&t=zrILr58GhJqet6b4DNhbBghttps://twitter.com/kromark/status/1514964574197489664?s=20&t=zrILr58GhJqet6b4DNhbBg
https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1514964592019005442?s=20&t=zrILr58GhJqet6b4DNhbBg
Profile Information
Name: Debbie DownerGender: Female
Home country: A republic if we can keep it.
Member since: Sun Oct 26, 2003, 05:06 AM
Number of posts: 26,579
