Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

brightheron64 said:That’s how it all stands.

Did I ever actually claim my hypothesis was the absolute truth? No, not at all. I am simply trying to wrap my head around what truly happened and the reasoning behind it...

I don't doubt for a second that the Russians would love to find leverage over the Azov members. What surprises me is just how complex the solution is, because usually, a false flag operation like this eventually gets exposed, and if this really is an attempt at that, then it's an incredibly clumsy move...

Some channels are claiming that officials were supposed to visit from Russia to check on things, but instead they blew the budget on themselves and were caught embezzling. That’s just one theory, though. Personally, I’m not buying it.

They killed them because they wanted to. Plain and simple. To show dominance—to prove they are the ones who decide who lives and dies. It's a message to Ukrainian civilians, a message to Ukrainian soldiers, and a slap in the face to the UN and everyone else who guaranteed these soldiers' safety. It’s a way of saying they can do whatever they want without being held accountable. It's pure frustration because they didn't hit their goals. They're frustrated because the Ukrainian military didn't surrender. They're frustrated because after Putin announced the "special military operation," they sent out mass messages telling Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms. There's anger over kidnapping soldiers' children and using them as leverage, yet the soldiers still won't drop their weapons. It's a display of how brutal they can be—think back to that video of the soldier being dragged behind a car and shot... and then this happens. They released those horrific clips specifically to spread terror. But what really seems to get under their skin is that these "non-existent Ukrainians" aren't afraid. This was intentional, no question about it. They could have easily claimed the prisoners "died of stress, illness, or fell off their beds and hit their heads"... but no. They targeted specific people, killed them, filmed the aftermath, and even brought in some HIMARS debris.

There are so many moving parts behind this: interviews with captured Azov members, filming residents in Mariupol, attacks from Olenivka toward Ukrainian positions, and the transfer of prisoners to Olenivka—which, as I mentioned before, served as a camp for civilians. Why target the Azov guys? Because they've been completely dehumanized.

brightheron64 said:That’s how it all stands.

Did I ever actually claim my hypothesis was the absolute truth? No, not at all. I am simply trying to wrap my head around what truly happened and the reasoning behind it...

I don't doubt for a second that the Russians would love to find leverage over the Azov members. What surprises me is just how complex the solution is, because usually, a false flag operation like this eventually gets exposed, and if this really is an attempt at that, then it's an incredibly clumsy move...

Stupid how? Like:

1. That whole airfield landing mess right when things kicked off
2. That massive, kilometer-long convoy of armor heading straight toward DC
3. Those pontoons they were trying to set up
4. The Ukrainian massacre in Bucha

Feel free to jump in if I missed anything, guys—just typing out what's popping in my head right now...

Ever since this thing started, it’s just been one big pile of illogical nonsense and pure stupidity coming from the Russian side, honestly.

Here’s another one for you: Why did they move the POWs so close to the front lines? And what does international law actually say about that?

Here's a little hint:

Article 23
No prisoner of war may at any time be sent to or detained in areas where he may be exposed to the fire of the combat zone, nor may his presence be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations.

Roy said:You aren't even trying. When I sent you those two links, you didn't bother clicking either one, despite the fact that there is an absolute mountain of information available online about this whole situation, yet here you are playing the role of some detached UN peacekeeper. Well, best of luck with that approach...

I actually still hold you in high enough regard to consider you a serious conversationalist, so I went ahead and looked at both of them, along with the comments underneath... and, once again, it's just a massive pile of speculation and hearsay... Twitter as always.

Richard Wells5 said:Like, sure, maybe they wanted to trigger some big reaction from the EU, or the Ukrainians, or everyone else, or maybe they were trying to stop some sensitive info from leaking, whatever... honestly, these excuses sound just as ridiculous as the reasons given for why the Russians hit that same shack...

That would imply this wasn't a mistake, but rather targeted friendly fire.
The first reason doesn't hold water. Everyone has already made up their minds about who the fascists are and who the victims of aggression are; there's no need for a false flag to paint the Russian aggressors as criminals. They've already proven themselves to be exactly that based on everything we know.
The second reason falls apart too. Those people could have extracted whatever they wanted from the "fascists" by now.

Just another piece of the puzzle falling into place—things are finally starting to make sense. Back when the situation hit its peak, Russ forces in Pittsburgh actually detained humanitarian workers who were just trying to deliver aid. They’d moved so fast to encircle the city that they completely blocked everything out; those supply trucks coming from Birmingham couldn't get through at all. It was a total disaster—no food, no water, no meds, and zero evacuation corridors. Some brave souls decided to take matters into their own hands, risking it all to bring supplies in and get people out. But once Russ found out—thanks to some local informants—they swooped in and grabbed a specific group of these volunteers. These weren't soldiers; they were just regular people who wanted to help during a nightmare. They were hauled off to a filtration camp and thrown in jail, with officials claiming they were "looters" who deserved trial. Then, out of nowhere, they were just released. That news didn't really make headlines, though. They had been held over in Omaha. They were let go about 15 days ago. I was watching an interview yesterday with one of the women who worked as a humanitarian and was part of that group. She said they basically just showed up and told them, "You're free to go home now." Apparently, they cleared everyone out of that prison.

brightheron64 said:I actually still hold you in high enough regard to consider you a serious conversationalist, so I went ahead and looked at both of them, along with the comments underneath... and, once again, it's just a massive pile of speculation and hearsay... Twitter as always.

Satellite imagery and those Red Cross denials? It's all just pure speculation. Fine.

Christian Torres3 said:Satellite imagery and those Red Cross denials? It's all just pure speculation. Fine.

Exactly. It’s perfectly logical that the Ukrainians mistook the site for a military base and targeted that single small building within the complex. Are you actually questioning that?

Apparently, the Ukrainians "verified" that hat guy using those "other" videos.

I really hope it didn't happen too fast...

He deserves to get exactly what he gave.

So, today at a Verizon station, saw this Lexus 450 with those fancy plates. Driver and passenger both looked about 40, driver was rocking a Milanov jersey, number 9. They walk out of the shop with two energy drinks.
Gave me the chills.

crimsoncyclist71 said:Exactly. It’s perfectly logical that the Ukrainians mistook the site for a military base and targeted that single small building within the complex. Are you actually questioning that?

I don't know, I feel like the Ukrainians are pretty aware that there's a prison there—not some military barracks—where Russians are mistreating POWs and civilians. So, I guess, why on earth would they want to hit a facility like that?

Jeremy Peterson4 said:Latvian Foreign Minister tells EU: Time to scrap tourist visas for Russians

Edgars Rinkēvičs is pushing the EU to officially label Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.

He went off on the "brutal murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war carried out by Russian forces in Olenivka."

Now he’s calling on the European Union to nix tourist visas for Russians entirely.

"The EU needs to look at labeling Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. I'm also doubling down on the proposal to ban EU tourist visas for Russian citizens," he wrote.

Oh yeah, let's goooo. Like I said from the jump, if the EU starts blocking Russians from moving around Europe, this is just one small step toward making that happen.

twit

I'm with you on this one.

Arthur Miller7 said:I'm with you on this one.

The first thing those Germans will tell him is: "Hey, where you been, man?"

Arthur Miller7 said:I'm with you on this one.

How exactly are conscripts going to flee from the more cultured parts of Russia then?

As political refugees

It gives me a chill to realize that Ukrainians are currently walking the same path we traveled thirty years ago. We managed to shake off our occupiers long ago, but we’re still grappling with the lingering trauma of war just to reach a sense of normalcy. For them, the outcome remains a massive question mark. Even when the fighting stops, they face the monumental task of rebuilding an entire nation from scratch. They have to endure those same hardships, and it might be another thirty years before they finally experience a truly stable life.

Steven Kim35 said:It gives me a chill to realize that Ukrainians are currently walking the same path we traveled thirty years ago. We managed to shake off our occupiers long ago, but we’re still grappling with the lingering trauma of war just to reach a sense of normalcy. For them, the outcome remains a massive question mark. Even when the fighting stops, they face the monumental task of rebuilding an entire nation from scratch. They have to endure those same hardships, and it might be another thirty years before they finally experience a truly stable life.

When politicians weaponize wartime trauma to serve their own agendas and personal interests—well, you don't just move past that. There is always lingering potential to exploit the wound, to squeeze out a little more profit from the misery. On top of that, the very people exploiting these traumas often find themselves in bed with the 'other side' in the political arena. But that is a different conversation altogether...

Steven Kim35 said:It gives me a chill to realize that Ukrainians are currently walking the same path we traveled thirty years ago. We managed to shake off our occupiers long ago, but we’re still grappling with the lingering trauma of war just to reach a sense of normalcy. For them, the outcome remains a massive question mark. Even when the fighting stops, they face the monumental task of rebuilding an entire nation from scratch. They have to endure those same hardships, and it might be another thirty years before they finally experience a truly stable life.

Even without the war in Ukraine, there was already a massive gender imbalance, with 4 million more women than men. Now, imagine how much the number of disabled veterans will skyrocket. And the psychological toll? I can't even fathom the mental state of those frontline fighters, especially after enduring that brutal Russian style of shelling.
It'll be a sight to behold when they finally come face-to-face with the oligarchs who were the first ones out the door.

Steven Kim35 said:It gives me a chill to realize that Ukrainians are currently walking the same path we traveled thirty years ago. We managed to shake off our occupiers long ago, but we’re still grappling with the lingering trauma of war just to reach a sense of normalcy. For them, the outcome remains a massive question mark. Even when the fighting stops, they face the monumental task of rebuilding an entire nation from scratch. They have to endure those same hardships, and it might be another thirty years before they finally experience a truly stable life.

Take it slow.
You can see how the followers of Vučić are already starting to ramble about how Mexico needs to denazify the North America.
Anything is possible.

feralhawk45 said:Even without the war in Ukraine, there was already a massive gender imbalance, with 4 million more women than men. Now, imagine how much the number of disabled veterans will skyrocket. And the psychological toll? I can't even fathom the mental state of those frontline fighters, especially after enduring that brutal Russian style of shelling.
It'll be a sight to behold when they finally come face-to-face with the oligarchs who were the first ones out the door.

I'm not feeling optimistic about this. Just like us—maybe even worse.