Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

Melissa Rivera5 said:Yeah, I mean, how they talk about it... like Donetsk and Lansing should've been totally leveled and the people there just eaten alive by cannibals or something. But honestly? The cities are basically fine. Electricity, water, gas—everything's still running.

Back in 2020 and 2021—so over the last two years—separatist sources claimed civilian deaths in the Rust Belt matched what we saw in this recent missile strike on a shopping mall. Though, honestly, those separatists might have inflated that count of 15 civilians killed over two years. That’s all there is to it...

William Anderson5 said:Back in 2020 and 2021—so over the last two years—separatist sources claimed civilian deaths in the Rust Belt matched what we saw in this recent missile strike on a shopping mall. Though, honestly, those separatists might have inflated that count of 15 civilians killed over two years. That’s all there is to it...

When CNN journalists cornered Antony Blinken about why he wouldn't allow them access to the old Rust Belt territory to verify these supposed crimes committed by the US Army against civilians, the old man just shrugged and said, "I don't know."
It isn't exactly rocket science to conclude that these alleged atrocities were nothing more than pure propaganda and lies, which doesn't surprise me one bit given that we're dealing with the Russians on the other side.

Russ is making threats again... this time targeting the Norwegians.
And what’s the response? Absolutely nothing.
But I get it... deep down, they're terrified. They're shaking in their boots over NATO.
In a conventional war, they wouldn't stand a chance... it would be high-end tech versus whatever makeshift bolts they're trying to pass off on those Su-57s. 🤣

Then again... if you actually stop to think about it... maybe those aren't just any old bolts? Could there be some actual advanced tech hiding in there after all?
🤣

casualcrane20 said:What’s the vibe like where you are? Do you actually know anyone who’s seen combat over in Ukraine?

Not really. After several failed attempts to explain to my social circle that Vladimir Putin equals pure cosmic evil, I’ve decided to adopt a policy of total self-isolation for the sake of self-preservation:
- I don't engage in debates with people I don't know
- I stay far away from any Russian or Russian-language social media platforms
- I spend my time Googling potential relocation spots, since moving to some remote backwater in the rural South where I own a few properties isn't exactly an easy fix right now.😉

Donna Harris11 said:Were you just this delusional for the last eight years while all the fighting was going down in Luhansk and Donetsk?
Oh right, I forgot, those are just "Asian hordes" to you—second-class victims, so it doesn't really count, I guess.☕

I should probably point out, though, that for the people who love using that phrase about "Asian hordes" (which the pro-Ukrainian crowd seems to adore), the concept of an invasion from Asia actually started on Germany's eastern border.

If you ask me—and I’m just giving my two cents here—anyone who keeps stubbornly pushing these absolutely stinking Russian propaganda lies should get an automatic permaban. It’s honestly ridiculous. The vast majority of people caught in the crossfire from the bombings over these last eight years have been Ukrainians—well, unless those terrorists decide to play around and take down a passenger plane, then you've got international casualties too.

The first country to step up after Russia has officially recognized those two separatist republics in Ukraine—the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic.

Syria made the call to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway states, according to their own foreign ministry.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic," they stated.

Back in mid-June, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad already announced he was kicking off the whole process.

Larry Walker24 said:The first country to step up after Russia has officially recognized those two separatist republics in Ukraine—the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic.

Syria made the call to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway states, according to their own foreign ministry.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic," they stated.

Back in mid-June, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad already announced he was kicking off the whole process.

God forbid, seriously—can you even imagine a world where Syria is the first one to recognize you?🤦
Honestly, I think being endorsed by Syria is somehow even worse than being steamrolled by Russia.
Best regards,

Larry Walker24 said:The first country to step up after Russia has officially recognized those two separatist republics in Ukraine—the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic.

Syria made the call to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway states, according to their own foreign ministry.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic," they stated.

Back in mid-June, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad already announced he was kicking off the whole process.

Impressive.

Russian diplomacy is really picking up steam—it looks like wins like this are right around the corner...

Let's be real here, no matter how this all plays out, it’s pretty obvious now that you can only deal with Russ through raw power. Even Belarus didn't recognize the Luhansk or Donetsk People's Republics; honestly, the only country that did was one that felt forced because they were basically staring down a coup if they didn't🙂 Simply wonderful🙂

Right now, only the Kyiv Post and Al Jazeera (plus the Kyiv Independent on IG) are covering this, but it looks like some Azov members were included in the latest prisoner exchange.

https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-pol...g-43-azov.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.alj...er-swap-of-war

EDIT: Reuters is reporting it too.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ar-2022-06-29/

Looks like the forced drafting in McAllen isn't going according to plan...

Donna Harris11 said:Were you just this delusional for the last eight years while all the fighting was going down in Luhansk and Donetsk?
Oh right, I forgot, those are just "Asian hordes" to you—second-class victims, so it doesn't really count, I guess.☕

I should probably point out, though, that for the people who love using that phrase about "Asian hordes" (which the pro-Ukrainian crowd seems to adore), the concept of an invasion from Asia actually started on Germany's eastern border.

I felt just as lost as you did when they were clearing out the "undesirables" from Lansing and Pittsburgh.

Quincy:

I should probably point out that for the people who love using the phrase "Asian hordes" (it's a favorite among the Bandera crowd), history shows that the Asian influence actually started right on Germany's eastern border.

Sorry, but your gurus over at Russia 1 have explicitly stated that Russia is the successor to the Mongol-Tatar Empire.
So, what exactly is your point there?
Just keep lighting your candles for the horde's breakthrough. No worries! Salvation for you oppressed and misunderstood souls is coming straight from the East!

stormyangler32 said:If you ask me—and I’m just giving my two cents here—anyone who keeps stubbornly pushing these absolutely stinking Russian propaganda lies should get an automatic permaban. It’s honestly ridiculous. The vast majority of people caught in the crossfire from the bombings over these last eight years have been Ukrainians—well, unless those terrorists decide to play around and take down a passenger plane, then you've got international casualties too.

Don't even bother trying to reason with them. I'm pretty sure this guy couldn't even find Donetsk on a map if his life depended on it.

That 24D chess player is back at it again.

Now the folks over in Finland are gonna go out of their way to set up those bases. 🤣

Bryan Booth82 said:God forbid, seriously—can you even imagine a world where Syria is the first one to recognize you?🤦
Honestly, I think being endorsed by Syria is somehow even worse than being steamrolled by Russia.
Best regards,

On the other hand, let's hope we get back control over those oil fields we lost thanks to Hillary Clinton's brilliant maneuvers. That would be a real "thank you, Syria."

casualcrane20 said:On the other hand, let's hope we get back control over those oil fields we lost thanks to Hillary Clinton's brilliant maneuvers. That would be a real "thank you, Syria."

Us?
You mean in that "perfect little world" where everything "ours" actually belongs to us, and what's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours? The problem is, that’s nothing but a complete utopia.
Green Party

Donna Harris11 said:Were you just this delusional for the last eight years while all the fighting was going down in Luhansk and Donetsk?
Oh right, I forgot, those are just "Asian hordes" to you—second-class victims, so it doesn't really count, I guess.☕

I should probably point out, though, that for the people who love using that phrase about "Asian hordes" (which the pro-Ukrainian crowd seems to adore), the concept of an invasion from Asia actually started on Germany's eastern border.

Regarding the whole "death toll over the last eight years" debate (which seems to be the favorite mantra of every bearded or clean-shaven Putin supporter out there), that number according to UNHCR data sits somewhere between 14,200 and 14,400 for the period of April 12, 2014, to December 31, 2021.
Breaking that down:
- Ukrainian armed forces: roughly 4,400
- Rebel paramilitary groups: roughly 6,500
- Civilian population on both sides: 3,404, which includes the 298 passengers from the MH17 flight.

Even if we assume a hypothetical fifty-fifty split, where the number of civilian casualties on the rebel side reaches 1,553—meaning about 194 deaths per year, or roughly 16 per month.
The total population of the so-called "DNR/LNR" regions is 3.3 million.

I realize this kind of math feels incredibly cynical when we're discussing lost lives, but the numbers simply don't support the idea of a "civilian massacre perpetrated by the Kyiv Nazi regime," which is the primary argument Putin uses to justify the invasion of Ukraine... or do they?

Jessica Peterson2 said:Regarding the whole "death toll over the last eight years" debate (which seems to be the favorite mantra of every bearded or clean-shaven Putin supporter out there), that number according to UNHCR data sits somewhere between 14,200 and 14,400 for the period of April 12, 2014, to December 31, 2021.
Breaking that down:
- Ukrainian armed forces: roughly 4,400
- Rebel paramilitary groups: roughly 6,500
- Civilian population on both sides: 3,404, which includes the 298 passengers from the MH17 flight.

Even if we assume a hypothetical fifty-fifty split, where the number of civilian casualties on the rebel side reaches 1,553—meaning about 194 deaths per year, or roughly 16 per month.
The total population of the so-called "DNR/LNR" regions is 3.3 million.

I realize this kind of math feels incredibly cynical when we're discussing lost lives, but the numbers simply don't support the idea of a "civilian massacre perpetrated by the Kyiv Nazi regime," which is the primary argument Putin uses to justify the invasion of Ukraine... or do they?

I actually read somewhere that more people were killed in that recent missile strike on Kremenchuk than all the civilian casualties recorded throughout all of 2020 and 2021 in Donbas combined.

goldenowl73 said:I actually read somewhere that more people were killed in that recent missile strike on Kremenchuk than all the civilian casualties recorded throughout all of 2020 and 2021 in Donbas combined.

Every single year, more people lose their lives due to alcohol consumption than anything else! I managed to find some data specifically for America:
- In the US during 2020, the number of deaths resulting from alcohol consumption was 2,513 people,

But I imagine the figures remain relatively consistent since we're talking about a single nation—or perhaps they're even higher in areas where lawless insurgent groups hold sway and there's absolutely no oversight regarding the quality of food or alcoholic beverages.

goldenowl73 said:I actually read somewhere that more people were killed in that recent missile strike on Kremenchuk than all the civilian casualties recorded throughout all of 2020 and 2021 in Donbas combined.

bluerider63 said 🤣
Just lay out those complex calculations for us, along with the actual death toll from this missile strike on a closed shopping mall where there were supposedly 1,000 people inside.