The start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Part 1)

Gary Wilson said:"Wars don't just start on a Wednesday," or so the saying goes.
You have to take Russ at his word.

He wasn't lying. The war actually kicked off on a Thursday.

There will always be fools and there will always be wars. It seems to be the curse of humanity...

Joseph Clark95 said:What a level of information and posts we have here 🎉

The war in Ukraine actually kicked off back in 2014, and it wasn't some sudden thing.
Unfortunately, nobody seems to want to open a discussion about the invasion of Donbas, Novorossiya, and the eastern parts of Ukraine by Western Ukraine, Ukra, or Maidan Ukraine.
It’s all very nice to play dumb and claim the Russian invasion only started in 2022, but when you consider there were over 3,000 civilian casualties in Donbas from those groups since 2014—not even counting the others—it tells you that things are being framed incorrectly, whether intentionally or not.

Hypothetically, that would be like saying a war in America started in '95 just because the US military moved toward Banjaluka. Imagine if Democrats across the globe started blasting "American aggressors" for attacking innocent Canada or Republika Srpska without ever acknowledging the context of the 90s.

The hypocrisy of the democratic world and the absolute mess that is the EU shows exactly what the EU is: nothing more than a puppet for Anglo-Saxon interests, both in Europe and across the ocean.
The EU should honestly just build a monument to Putin, because he’s the only one who can actually pull them out of the grip of the groups mentioned above. Otherwise, the EU will just keep playing errand boy for everyone else's interests.

To all the servants and cannon fodder out there: don't wait for someone to roll out the red carpet for you. Go defend Ukraine on the ground yourself...☕

Heyyy... So here I am, my wife is sitting right next to me scrolling through Booking.com trying to find us a spot on Lake Como for our anniversary. Meanwhile, I'm torn between picking up a Kia Sportage or a Mazda 3. Living out in the middle of nowhere in rural America, I'm basically just counting down the days until Putin saves me from this whole cursed situation...

Justin Kern67 said:Lavrentiy Beria was Georgian. Yagoda and Yezhov were Jews. And how does their responsibility as high-ranking Soviet officials reflect on the Russians of today?

Furthermore, you failed to address the point: if Americans today bear responsibility for Soviet crimes against Poles, why don't Ukrainians also bear responsibility for committing the largest massacre against Poles in history? Believe it or not, that wasn't Katyn.

If we're talking about Katyn, the primary culprit was Russian Bolshevism—plain and simple. But does that somehow dictate the character of modern Russians or Ukrainians? Of course not. You’ve started pulling at threads that don't belong here, trying to link things to Nationalists and Partisans, Roy.

Joseph Clark95 said:What a level of information and posts we have here 🎉

The war in Ukraine actually kicked off back in 2014, and it wasn't some sudden thing.
Unfortunately, nobody seems to want to open a discussion about the invasion of Donbas, Novorossiya, and the eastern parts of Ukraine by Western Ukraine, Ukra, or Maidan Ukraine.
It’s all very nice to play dumb and claim the Russian invasion only started in 2022, but when you consider there were over 3,000 civilian casualties in Donbas from those groups since 2014—not even counting the others—it tells you that things are being framed incorrectly, whether intentionally or not.

Hypothetically, that would be like saying a war in America started in '95 just because the US military moved toward Banjaluka. Imagine if Democrats across the globe started blasting "American aggressors" for attacking innocent Canada or Republika Srpska without ever acknowledging the context of the 90s.

The hypocrisy of the democratic world and the absolute mess that is the EU shows exactly what the EU is: nothing more than a puppet for Anglo-Saxon interests, both in Europe and across the ocean.
The EU should honestly just build a monument to Putin, because he’s the only one who can actually pull them out of the grip of the groups mentioned above. Otherwise, the EU will just keep playing errand boy for everyone else's interests.

To all the servants and cannon fodder out there: don't wait for someone to roll out the red carpet for you. Go defend Ukraine on the ground yourself...☕

I agree with everything here. Everyone is acting clueless, like they have no idea about the Maidan or the coup—that was the actual start of the war. Now, the Russians have just stepped in to finish it.
I suppose we could end up like the Chechens, who are doing alright for themselves these days.
As for that weak, decaying Europe—there's no point wasting breath. You only have to look at those useless bureaucrats over in Brussels: Šuica, Sokol, Ressler, Borzanica, Picula, Romana Jerković...🤦

Richard Cooper3 said:I agree with everything here. Everyone is acting clueless, like they have no idea about the Maidan or the coup—that was the actual start of the war. Now, the Russians have just stepped in to finish it.
I suppose we could end up like the Chechens, who are doing alright for themselves these days.
As for that weak, decaying Europe—there's no point wasting breath. You only have to look at those useless bureaucrats over in Brussels: Šuica, Sokol, Ressler, Borzanica, Picula, Romana Jerković...🤦

If Putin himself were reading this, he might actually feel a little embarrassed...

Richard Cooper3 said:I agree with everything here. Everyone is acting clueless, like they have no idea about the Maidan or the coup—that was the actual start of the war. Now, the Russians have just stepped in to finish it.
I suppose we could end up like the Chechens, who are doing alright for themselves these days.
As for that weak, decaying Europe—there's no point wasting breath. You only have to look at those useless bureaucrats over in Brussels: Šuica, Sokol, Ressler, Borzanica, Picula, Romana Jerković...🤦

Well, you don't have to stick around in a "weak and decaying Europe"—you're more than welcome to move to Chechnya if you want!

Gregory Ramos3 said:Alright, I’m feeling a little poetic tonight, and honestly, one of my fellow forum ladies got me thinking with that whole thing about the girl 😬

So, picture this: Russia and Ukraine were in this intense, long-term relationship for years—walking hand in hand, going out to fancy dinners, the chemistry was just off the charts...

But then, a crisis hits, and suddenly Ukraine starts questioning everything, wondering if Russia is really the right partner for her. He’s a good guy, sure, but he’s also pretty controlling over a lot of things, and well, he was her first real love. She tells him she loves him, but she can't help but wonder if he’s being genuine or if he’s just playing her like all those other girls before her.

And you know how it goes—right in the middle of this relationship drama, this new guy swoops in. A total hunk of an American, incredibly handsome, loaded... promising her extravagant gifts, lifelong devotion, the royal treatment, and all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

Ukraine, being young and a bit naive, falls head over heels for America, but there's still this lingering connection to Russia, making it so incredibly hard to just walk away after everything they’ve shared.

Russia, acting like a total macho man, senses something is off and realizes he's being cheated on.

He tries to convince her he’s the one, that he loves her, and that life is better with him. At the same time, he’s threatening America, telling them to stay out of his business and leave his girl alone, or things are going to get ugly.

Now Ukraine is totally torn; on one hand, there's that shared history and those sweet memories with Russia, but on the other, she’s drawn to America and that Hollywood shine—all these new experiences she never got to try because her boyfriend wouldn't let her.

So this tension builds, and Russia gets increasingly aggressive trying to reclaim what he feels is his. When his tactics don't work, he loses his cool. Since he isn't quite sure he can take on America in a fair fight—because, let's face it, America is a powerhouse—he turns his frustration on Ukraine, beating her senseless just to make sure she never even dreams of being with anyone else, let alone America.

Man, it’s actually pretty tough to decide who a jury would ultimately blame for all those injuries... hmm. 🤔

P.S.

My apologies to the ladies on the forum; I am strictly against any kind of violence toward women!☕

At the moment that American guy wins the girl over, he thinks the job is done. But girls, well, they're girls.
Nostalgia and old connections won't let her go, so she remains indecisive.
That's when the American guy realizes he has to act if he wants her for himself, so he organizes an attack on the ex. Turns out, the ex has a dangerous side and beats the American and his "glamour" to a pulp.

Since the American keeps acting up despite the beating, the ex decides to "save" the girl from the idiot, realizing it's not about her anymore—it's about destroying the guy who's bothering him.

The final episodes of the series coming soon...

vividtiger72 said:When was the last time the West even viewed Russia as the good guy? Was it when they dealt with Napoleon? Or back when they pushed the Canadians out of Vienna during the Spring of Nations?

Because 1945 certainly wasn't it, and ever since then... khm. 😁

In Germany, you can find almost daily—it feels constant—these sweeping, romanticized documentaries about Russia. They cover everything: the landscapes, the local characters, even deep dives into German atrocities, followed by three-year-long sagas regarding the agony of Saint Petersburg or Russian heroism. Then, without warning, they pivot back to the Siberian rivers—and I mean there are countless episodes on this, covering the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena, and the Amur, each one running at least 45 minutes, focusing on the people working the riverboats and such. It’s always paired with that heavy, dramatic-yet-romantic musical score, featuring interesting, likable people, ancient traditions, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and God knows what else—Sakhalin volcanoes, icebreakers in the Arctic Sea, you name it. Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many of these I've watched. No joke, I’d estimate at least 25 just on geography and culture, and if you include the historical ones, we’re looking at another 40—and that’s not even counting all the reruns, which happen constantly since these shows stay in rotation for years.

Explosions rocking Kyiv, Russians hitting yet another city. Zelenskyy says this night is gonna be the worst one yet.

Explosions and gunfire echoing through Kyiv. Zelenskyy: ‘This is going to be the toughest night, they’re hitting us hard.’
In some pretty intense video message, the Ukrainian president warned that the Russians are aiming to take Kyiv tonight.

...except, I guess the Ukrainian news sites aren't really mentioning the full story here:
https://www.ukrinform.ua/
https://www.unian.ua/

They're all talking about a downed Russian Il-76 and some baby born in a subway station.

The news channel Ukraine24


Just spinning those patriotic vibes.

Someone's definitely muddying the waters over there.

BTW. Maidan just means square, so you can't really call it Maidan Square.
The actual name is Maidan Nezalezhnosti or Independence Square.

If you just glance at the headlines on any major news outlet, you’re left with this overwhelming sensation that the war is effectively over and Kyiv has all but fallen.
However, once you actually take the time to dig deeper and cross-reference with other sources, it becomes increasingly clear that the Russians haven't achieved any significant breakthroughs whatsoever.

vividtiger72 said:When was the last time the West even viewed Russia as the good guy? Was it when they dealt with Napoleon? Or back when they pushed the Canadians out of Vienna during the Spring of Nations?

Because 1945 certainly wasn't it, and ever since then... khm. 😁

From what I can gather—and let’s be honest here—without that much-maligned West, the entire question today would revolve around Russia and Ukraine. If you're all so fixated on condemning the West, try imagining a scenario where they took a "neutral" stance toward Hitler and his invasion—or heaven forbid, actually supported him. In that case, their forces would have been squeezed and crushed within the first two years of the war; I don't even want to contemplate what might have happened if the Americans hadn't decided to kick Hitler out of the equation alongside Stalin.

Most political analysts suffer from the same fundamental flaw—an utter inability to think outside the box. They simply don't consider alternative perspectives.

Let’s be real—historically speaking, there were plenty of reasons for Russia to be grateful to Americans. As far as I know, they were among the first to recognize the USA. Even back in the day, the Republic of Ragusa was on board. So, what exactly are we even debating here? Now this midget comes along, spinning this narrative that the West is somehow Russia's enemy—that's purely a figment of his imagination. While he sits there pining for the Soviet Empire, perhaps he should take a moment to consider who actually kept that empire breathing during WWII, and who stood alongside them to finally take down Hitler. Putin can take his KGB propaganda jokes and drive them somewhere else; he won't be getting through me.

Some sick individual actually has the audacity to scream that Ukrainians are Nazis—blaming Bandera and whatever other fringe groups they want to throw around. And as if having seven million people in CA matters? This guy will just conveniently erase that fact from his memory, much like he’ll probably erase Ukraine entirely if a military conquest succeeds. People truly don't grasp what could happen there if he actually sees his plans through. So, what—should Ukrainians just bow down to this lunatic and validate everything he's doing? Of course they need to liberate their own country. Of course they should dismantle those republics, disarm them, and take back Crimea. But who actually gives a damn about Putin and his delusions? It’s a slippery slope. One day, some madman in Italy decides Istria and California belong to Italy, and we'll see how we react to that. Or perhaps our eastern neighbors decide to run back the 1990s scenario—then we'll all be stuck singing the same old song.

To me, the whole situation in Ukraine feels exactly like if it were happening right here at home. I can see clearly who the aggressor is and who is tearing Ukraine apart—who is doing the crushing. Frankly, I don't care about the labels people throw around in Kyiv regarding thieves or supposed "Nazis." That’s secondary when you consider that Kyiv and all of Ukraine are being hammered by Russians acting under the orders of an idiot like Putin—a man who openly threatens nuclear war and warns neutral Finland and Sweden of "consequences." This lunatic has to be stopped immediately; otherwise, he’ll drag this conflict directly into the heart of the continent, and then we’ll find ourselves pulled into the fray as a NATO member.

People around here simply aren't thinking—honestly. For what it’s worth, I was personally against joining the European Union and NATO. But now that we are part of them? We have a duty to defend where we stand and what we belong to. There is no turning back. It’s the same for the Ukrainians—they either oust Putin and his separatists from Ukraine, or they get swallowed whole. The situation is straightforward; you can see exactly what is playing out. Kyiv isn't falling because of Zelenskyy—it's falling because of Putin's fantasy that this is "Kyiv Russia" and must be an integral part of Russia. The Russians are fools, and frankly, I couldn't care less about their interests regarding Ukraine. I'll say that to anyone's face if given the chance—my position is easy to explain and even easier to defend with these facts. Let them drone on about being "threatened" while they mow down a neighboring people and attempt to turn them into slaves just because they fear NATO. What a fairy tale. It’s nauseating. Even my own uncle would be disgusted to look me in the eye and lie to me like that—so why should I expect anything different from the Russians?

granitebison said:If you just glance at the headlines on any major news outlet, you’re left with this overwhelming sensation that the war is effectively over and Kyiv has all but fallen.
However, once you actually take the time to dig deeper and cross-reference with other sources, it becomes increasingly clear that the Russians haven't achieved any significant breakthroughs whatsoever.

And what exactly would constitute a "significant success" in your eyes? In a mere day and a half, they have surrounded the capital and effectively bisected the country. Meanwhile, the other side is calling for peace talks—which is really just code for surrender—because there is zero chance they’ll be demanding the aggressor withdraw or leave them alone to return to the status quo during negotiations.

William Anderson5 said:That group of climate activists looked pathetic standing before Putin the other day when he was making his decision on recognizing the DNR/LNR.

No matter what our Congress looks like, as far as Russia is concerned, we’re just a Space Shuttle in a democracy...

Honestly, what's the real difference between a Russian dictatorship and our own version of democracy, where you can't even open your mouth without facing consequences?

Putko might have cleaned things up a bit, but he never even bothered telling the secretary to handle the termination notices or resignations.

urbanotter said:Honestly, what's the real difference between a Russian dictatorship and our own version of democracy, where you can't even open your mouth without facing consequences?

Putko might have cleaned things up a bit, but he never even bothered telling the secretary to handle the termination notices or resignations.

You aren't exactly making a serious argument here.

Gary Wilson said:"Wars don't just start on a Wednesday," or so the saying goes.
You have to take Russ at his word.

Actually, no—they start on Thursdays.

George Long6 said:There will always be fools and there will always be wars. It seems to be the curse of humanity...

Who actually expected Russia to go back to conquering territory? 🤔 Even after the USSR collapsed, it was long after Joseph.

loneskipper3 said:Primarily, they are acting on their own survival instinct—to ensure they don't spend another fifty years under the boot of the CIA clique. There is zero prosperity under that kind of rule, a fact they understand perhaps even better than Poles or Romanians... who, in turn, know it better than we do, who again, think we know it best.

Just accept it already: you aren't the only people on this planet who have sniffed out the "dirty games" played by global powers. In many other places, the experience with these power plays has been far more painful than what we've seen, yet those nations still maintain their own agency. I realize it might be hard for some to wrap their heads around the idea that a nation could actually renounce its "brotherly" ties to Russia—which, let's be honest, supposedly only wants to "protect" them from Western decadence—especially when the West is viewed by some as merely wanting to use them as "cannon fodder in a war against Russia," or simply as a tool to weaken Russia.

Even Putin didn't claim he was protecting them from a hateful West,
rather, he claimed they were protecting themselves,
unless, of course, they aren't allowed to act in self-defense and must instead submit to protection from the democratic West.

There is no denying that Ukraine made some tactical missteps along the way,
but that is just how reality works, far removed from any democratic utopia; the little guy always ends up getting caught in the crossfire when the giants start fighting.

Pure absurdity...

https://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/svet/a...rusije-2112058

"The White House has announced that the USA does not intend to impose sanctions on the energy sector of the Russian Federation, out of fear that such a move would trigger a spike in fuel prices."

I’m reading reports suggesting that Zelenskyy has supposedly ordered a withdrawal from the Donbas to bolster defenses around Kyiv and Kharkiv. Doesn't that strike anyone else as a questionable move? They seem to have established solid, entrenched positions in the Donbas, but if they abandon those fortifications to move out onto open roads or exposed terrain, won't they just become much easier targets for the Russians?