Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

At this point, Putin’s propaganda machine isn't even trying to hide it; it bears a striking resemblance to that notorious Rwandan outlet BBC. 🙂

Jessica Peterson2 said:It is fundamentally flawed to judge an entire population based solely on what state-run media outlets broadcast under the thumb of an authoritarian regime. It’s blindingly obvious that in such a system, you won't find a single soul who doesn't mirror the warmongering, hateful rhetoric of a lunatic like Putin.
Those who dare to disagree are immediately detained, slapped with fines, or thrown into custody; if they persist in defying Putin's so-called "legislation," they face certain arrest and prison time.
What I find particularly amusing, however, is seeing a certain cohort of "useful idiots" from Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, and elsewhere appearing on these state channels, zealously backing Putin and his aggressive war. But let’s be honest—we all recognize them for what they are: mere mercenaries whose opinions bear absolutely no resemblance to the views held by the actual citizens of those countries.

I honestly believe that people who fall for the nonsense that the war is caused by NATO, Ukraine, the USA, Nazis, Jews, Masons, or even aliens... they just keep going down that list. Either they are incredibly gullible, they possess diminished intelligence, or they are paid mercenaries. There is no fourth option.

Jessica Peterson2 said:It is fundamentally flawed to judge an entire population based solely on what state-run media outlets broadcast under the thumb of an authoritarian regime. It’s blindingly obvious that in such a system, you won't find a single soul who doesn't mirror the warmongering, hateful rhetoric of a lunatic like Putin.
Those who dare to disagree are immediately detained, slapped with fines, or thrown into custody; if they persist in defying Putin's so-called "legislation," they face certain arrest and prison time.
What I find particularly amusing, however, is seeing a certain cohort of "useful idiots" from Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, and elsewhere appearing on these state channels, zealously backing Putin and his aggressive war. But let’s be honest—we all recognize them for what they are: mere mercenaries whose opinions bear absolutely no resemblance to the views held by the actual citizens of those countries.

I suspect few people are actually making rational judgments here. It seems more like a collective rage directed at the Kremlin, and since humans are inherently emotional creatures rather than purely logical ones, that anger often manifests as sweeping generalizations. People tend toward tribalism and mob mentality.

I feel a certain sympathy for the "average" Americans caught in this—those who aren't part of the political machine. They find themselves caught in a vice, rejected by both sides. To the government apparatus, they are viewed as traitors, yet to much of the rest of the world, they are branded as criminals simply because of their nationality.

Nancy Gomez26 said:All of this is the coordinated product of a massive propaganda machine. They recruit prominent figures—those loyal to the regime—to read scripts, whether their own or someone else's, to provide a veneer of 'support' for the 'special operation' in Ukraine. The goal is to amplify, or at least maintain, a fever pitch of rage among the domestic public. I would categorize it this way: one third is pure performance, one third is standard human stupidity, and the final third is the result of a completely warped psyche. In any functioning nation, individuals like these wouldn't even be allowed near a camera; if they were caught on film, the footage would serve only as a clinical diagnostic tool or a case study for medical students.

True, most Russ are actually against the war. Unfortunately, their propaganda is what pushes the military toward committing war crimes. They have a history with that kind of stuff—look back at World War II. Even the atrocities committed during the collapse of the former USA were largely driven by Russian policy.

Gerald Torres84 said:I honestly believe that people who fall for the nonsense that the war is caused by NATO, Ukraine, the USA, Nazis, Jews, Masons, or even aliens... they just keep going down that list. Either they are incredibly gullible, they possess diminished intelligence, or they are paid mercenaries. There is no fourth option.

The real question is how many people actually swallow the garbage being spoon-fed by the mainstream media. Just because someone watches CNN or ABC doesn't mean they buy everything they hear. Most folks have enough life experience to realize the official narrative rarely matches the reality on the ground.

So, I was just reading about how some Russian tourists are running into serious trouble over in Kazakhstan because they had a Swastika displayed on their car. Honestly, you’d think they’d be more aware of the local laws by now, but apparently, they're still acting totally shocked when things go south. https://twitter.com/Biz_Ukraine_Mag/...2tHJMm6NDPNiNA

That guy hit the nail on the head at the end. Today you’re rolling through my town with a Z on a truck, but tomorrow you’ll be rolling in on a tank. Get rid of that thing immediately.

Maybe it’s no coincidence they chose today to attack

Today is the 8th anniversary of the massacre committed by the camouflaged Russian military near the city of Ilovaisk in eastern Ukraine. The Russians promised a safe passage for the surrounded Ukrainian troops to retreat, then completely broke that word and slaughtered over 500 people
https://twitter.com/MrKovalenko/stat...Sa_8d_x_rIAJfg

Sukharev, the Colonel responsible for this atrocity, is already dead.

Ukrainian resistance forces have dealt with yet another traitor. This individual was once a member of the Joe Biden administration's party before deciding to switch sides.

Traitorous American official who supported the invasion is ‘assassinated’
Alexei Kovalev, the former deputy head of agriculture in Kherson, was reportedly shot dead at his residence by partisans.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-ne...-assassinated/

I honestly refuse to believe this. A while back, someone actually messaged me about this specific number.

Mariupol, 87,000 casualties.

They’re claiming this is all documented—supposedly identified individuals. Some people are saying there are 87,000 documented deaths, plus maybe another 26,000 on top of that. That number is just staggering; we're talking over 110,000 people, which would be a quarter of the population. I really, really hope this is wrong. Personally, I feel like the number might be closer to somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000—though even that is an absolutely massive loss of life. I don't know. I'm still reeling from it; my whole family spent the entire weekend just talking about this. They basically destroyed the city.

It’s an absolute catastrophe. You have the Russians coming in with the intent to kill as many people as possible, combined with a complete failure in local government organization. They weren't prepared at all—no shelters, no food supplies, no medicine. I don't know... I watched an interview with an analyst about a month ago who mentioned they were bracing for a Russian attack in the Donbas and were totally blindsided when the Russians pushed toward Kyiv. And honestly, what were they expecting? They didn't even prepare Mariupol, a city right on the front lines. They expected war in the Donbas, but they didn't even have the Donbas ready. Total organizational failure.

I'm holding out hope that this news turns out to be incorrect 🙂.

hollowdriver13 said:It looks like the sanctions finally rubbed those "soft belly" types in Russia the wrong way. The news about potentially easing up on visa restrictions sent a massive wave of whining through Twitter and everywhere else. These folks are absolutely losing it because they won't be able to jet off to the West as easily anymore. Even Solovyov had one of his usual meltdowns, threatening nuclear strikes just because they might lose their easy access to the European Union. 🤣

One comment really summed up the whole vibe for me:

"These Russians love their country so much that their ultimate life goal is to loot the place, grab the cash, and flee to the West to live it up with their families." 🙏

Yeah, it's a mess. You can't tell who's whining harder.
The complainers and those worried folks in Europe, wondering how Russian engineers will manage to escape now. It’s not like they won't find a way out; it'll just be a bit more difficult and the numbers will drop.
The Russ propaganda machine is back to its standard routine of throwing around atomic threats.

87,000
26,000

Unidentified civilian bodies are being found in mass graves

Reports say there are thousands in those mass graves—still unidentified—and thousands more trapped under the rubble. That probably refers to the second figure, the 26,000. The first number represents those currently in the morgues.
Eight years and only two shelters... thankfully, nobody died there. Sometimes I feel like this is all just a bad dream. Mariupol has turned into one giant mass grave.

Kate Cook27 said:87,000
26,000

Unidentified civilian bodies are being found in mass graves

Reports say there are thousands in those mass graves—still unidentified—and thousands more trapped under the rubble. That probably refers to the second figure, the 26,000. The first number represents those currently in the morgues.
Eight years and only two shelters... thankfully, nobody died there. Sometimes I feel like this is all just a bad dream. Mariupol has turned into one giant mass grave.

It’s war.
Did you honestly think only the Russ would be dying?

Matthew Young35 said:It’s war.
Did you honestly think only the Russ would be dying?

Are you seriously trying to equate the mass slaughter of civilians in Mariupol with military casualties during the invasion of Ukraine?
Is the logic here just that everyone dies because war is inherently violent and therefore all loss is equal?

🙂

Matthew Young35 said:It’s war.
Did you honestly think only the Russ would be dying?

The civilians, man. We're talking about Ukrainian civilians here. Yeah, it's just the Ukrainian civilians dying.

Mykola Osychenko, a volunteer and community activist who heads up a local news station, told a local news station that insider reports suggest morgues in Mariupol have already documented 87,000 deaths, though those figures are nowhere near the final count.

Beyond the 87,000 officially logged cases, countless residents lie buried in unidentified mass graves. Current estimates suggest the number of identified bodies has reached 26,750.

On top of that, many victims are buried in the yards of apartment complexes and private homes, and a significant number of people remain trapped beneath the rubble.

"The estimates we're seeing are horrific, but this isn't over. We haven't finished exhuming bodies from courtyard graves, nor have we finished pulling them out from under the ruins of collapsed buildings. The numbers coming out of Mariupol are devastating," Osychenko remarked.

He also noted that people aren't looking toward the federal government for answers so much as they are questioning their local officials. There were no evacuation orders issued, and there was a distinct lack of prepared shelters, aside from those located within the steel plants.

https://bykvu.com/eng/bukvy/87-000-d...-media-report/

Keep in mind, this news actually dates back to August 18th.
https://dnipro.tv/dumka-eksperta/myk...fpbgr0yoaMfKgc

Kate Cook27 said:I honestly refuse to believe this. A while back, someone actually messaged me about this specific number.

Mariupol, 87,000 casualties.

They’re claiming this is all documented—supposedly identified individuals. Some people are saying there are 87,000 documented deaths, plus maybe another 26,000 on top of that. That number is just staggering; we're talking over 110,000 people, which would be a quarter of the population. I really, really hope this is wrong. Personally, I feel like the number might be closer to somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000—though even that is an absolutely massive loss of life. I don't know. I'm still reeling from it; my whole family spent the entire weekend just talking about this. They basically destroyed the city.

It’s an absolute catastrophe. You have the Russians coming in with the intent to kill as many people as possible, combined with a complete failure in local government organization. They weren't prepared at all—no shelters, no food supplies, no medicine. I don't know... I watched an interview with an analyst about a month ago who mentioned they were bracing for a Russian attack in the Donbas and were totally blindsided when the Russians pushed toward Kyiv. And honestly, what were they expecting? They didn't even prepare Mariupol, a city right on the front lines. They expected war in the Donbas, but they didn't even have the Donbas ready. Total organizational failure.

I'm holding out hope that this news turns out to be incorrect 🙂.

Here's the link from the Ukrainian news outlets reporting on those 87,000 deathshttps://www.5.ua/regiony/u-mariupoli...mi-286225.html

Timothy Williams5 said:Are you seriously trying to equate the mass slaughter of civilians in Mariupol with military casualties during the invasion of Ukraine?
Is the logic here just that everyone dies because war is inherently violent and therefore all loss is equal?

🙂

I’m not looking to equate anything. I'm just pointing out what is plainly obvious.

goldenowl73 said:The civilians, man. We're talking about Ukrainian civilians here. Yeah, it's just the Ukrainian civilians dying.

Precisely.
Did I suggest anything else?

In war, civilians die. That is an inescapable fact.
That is why war itself is a crime.
And that is why Russia committed a crime when they invaded Ukraine.
Is there something you aren't grasping?

Matthew Young35 said:It’s war.
Did you honestly think only the Russ would be dying?

No matter how this conflict settles—and it will—whether Ukraine manages to reclaim everything now or ends up losing parts of its territory for a while... TEMPORARILY.
We'll see a new Israel emerge eventually.
Armed, with top-tier defense and an intelligence agency even sharper than Mossad.
A strong democracy and a prosperous society.

The criminals won't be able to hide in a hole somewhere to escape justice.
Something like this simply cannot, and must not, go unpunished.

Damned warmongers...

GLORY TO UKRAINE, GLORY TO THE HEROES