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Home › Society › Politics › War in Ukraine › Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

Started by Charles Ross3 · · 👁 770 views · 9.2K replies

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Participants Charles Ross3rowdytiger13electrichawk94nimblemoose2Noah Ward2George Robinson43Larry Wilson25Larry Walker24Amanda Allen4Noah Sanchez2Paul Thomas46Jessica Peterson2Nancy Gomez26Nathan Evans78William Anderson5electricsurfer47gentlestag15wiredseal7Thomas Nelson25Donna Harris11Nicholas WatsonJack Kelly5Carol Johnson21Kate Cook27 …
goldenowl73 goldenowl73 Active Member
206 messages
joined Dec 2005
#4821 ·
Matthew Young35 said: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?

I think you might have mixed up your categories or maybe just worded things a bit clunkily. Russian civilians aren't the ones dying in this war.
Timothy Williams5 Timothy Williams5 Regular
325 messages
joined Jun 2022
#4822 ·
Matthew Young35 said: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?

I don't see how you're missing the point.

A woman writes about upwards of >80,000 people being killed (in a single city over just a month and a half) in Mariupol, and you try to rationalize it away by saying "civilians die in war."

It's twisted. You could use that same logic to excuse mass execution sites across the South—places like Auschwitz, Srebrenica, or Bleiburg... just saying "war is a crime, these things happen" doesn't cut it.
😵
Timothy Williams5 Timothy Williams5 Regular
325 messages
joined Jun 2022
#4823 ·
It appears the Russians have recently wasted a significant amount of ordnance on wooden HIMARS decoys.

Quincy:
According to various sources and photographic evidence reviewed by The Washington Post, Ukraine has developed a system of wooden decoys designed to mimic American rocket systems. These replicas have successfully tricked Russian forces into squandering expensive, long-range cruise missiles on nothing more than hollow shells.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...coy-artillery/
Kate Cook27 Kate Cook27 Regular
557 messages
joined Jun 2022
#4824 ·
Matthew Young35 said:It’s war.
Did you honestly think only the Russ would be dying?

I don't get it.
Kate Cook27 Kate Cook27 Regular
557 messages
joined Jun 2022
#4825 ·
Timothy Williams5 said: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

Yeah, they've been reporting this specific figure for about ten days now. The issue is they're just tearing everything down without actually inspecting individual buildings or searching for victims. If that number holds up, one out of every five people was killed. If it's higher—which feels likely—we're looking at one out of four.
Matthew Young35 Matthew Young35 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Jan 2018
#4826 ·
goldenowl73 said:I think you might have mixed up your categories or maybe just worded things a bit clunkily. Russian civilians aren't the ones dying in this war.

People are certainly dying in those separatist regions.
But that’s beside the point.

My intention wasn't to defend Russians; I was simply surprised that anyone found the massive civilian death toll shocking.

What exactly do you think happens when a volley of sixty or more missiles rains down on a city? Do you honestly believe civilians walk away unscathed?

I wasn't trying to downplay Russia's responsibility at all.
Timothy Williams5 Timothy Williams5 Regular
325 messages
joined Jun 2022
#4827 ·
Manizha, the singer who represented Russia at Eurovision 2021, is currently facing a massive wave of harassment following her condemnation of the war in Ukraine.

Pro-war internet trolls have launched a targeted campaign against the acclaimed singer Manizha Sangin after she spoke out against the conflict in Ukraine. As a direct result of calls to boycott her music, many of her scheduled summer tour dates have been canceled.

Manizha, known for representing Russia at Eurovision 2021, took to Instagram to state that the invasion was "against the will of the Russian people," describing the violence as "fratricidal."

She also released a song titled “Soldier” just weeks after the fighting broke out in Donbas. The track repeatedly urges soldiers to "stop the war," even though new laws now threaten public figures with up to 15 years in prison simply for using terms like "war" or "invasion" to describe the Russian military actions in Ukraine.

In retaliation for her vocal opposition to the invasion, pro-war factions have flooded the internet, urging the public to report Manizha to the Department of Homeland Security as someone "engaged in public actions aimed at discrediting the Russian Armed Forces."

The backlash hasn't stopped at reports; she has also received threats, with some social media users warning her not to return to Russia from France, where she had traveled to visit her sister following a car accident.

Another tactic employed by online agitators against Manizha involves leaking the contact information of her concert promoters and inciting followers to flood them with demands to cancel her upcoming shows.

One message circulating on Telegram explicitly instructs people to "write in" and "demand that Manizha's performances be canceled because she opposes the Russian military."

Consequently, Manizha has been dropped from the lineup of the Stereoleto family festival. On Facebook, the festival organizers claimed the cancellation was "due to reasons beyond our control," while the festival's founder, Ilya Bortnyuk, stated the decision was "correct given the current circumstances."

The Moscow Glavclub also pulled Manizha from their schedule following the organized smear campaign.

However, not all organizers are bowing to the pressure from pro-war internet mobs. In an earlier statement, the organizers of the Alexandrovskay krepost folk music festival noted, “Unfortunately, we did receive a significant volume of negative emails and calls from individuals who seem dissatisfied with Manizha’s support for peace. However, we see no contradiction in her stance, as peace is a necessary prerequisite for celebrating diversity and multiculturalism.”

...

https://intellinews.com/russian-euro...?source=russia

Thomas Walker84 Thomas Walker84 Active Member
114 messages
joined Oct 2009
#4828 ·
Matthew Young35 said:I’m not looking to equate anything. I'm just pointing out what is plainly obvious.

Take it easy; this isn't some gutter, it's a civilized forum. 😠

The city is a mass grave 😢 At least you can still maintain a shred of dignity and respect.
Christian Torres3 Christian Torres3 Regular
604 messages
joined Sep 2014
#4829 ·
Photo of Russian base in Kyiv destroyed this morning.
https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/...9BPwoIsLadSHEA
Matthew Young35 Matthew Young35 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Jan 2018
#4830 ·
Thomas Walker84 said:Take it easy; this isn't some gutter, it's a civilized forum. 😠

The city is a mass grave 😢 At least you can still maintain a shred of dignity and respect.

I have zero interest in hypocritical outcries or performative "dignity."
I feel for the people killed in this reckless Russian aggression against Ukraine—where an appalling number of crimes have been committed—but that won't change how I speak.

Yes, I will find it strange, and frankly, jarring, every single time someone acts surprised that civilians are dying in droves.
And yes, I will swear if I want to when someone misinterprets my disbelief as "false equivalence," "relativism," or "rationalization."
It isn't any of those things. It is simply the sheer astonishment that anyone could be shocked by the massive loss of civilian life.
Sam Alvarez4 Sam Alvarez4 Regular
303 messages
joined Sep 2014
#4831 ·
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.

Please include the link again next time.

We all know massive numbers of civilians have been killed.
But posting random nonsense from bottom-tier websites just doesn't make sense. Honestly, it actually disrespects the real victims.
Thomas Walker84 Thomas Walker84 Active Member
114 messages
joined Oct 2009
#4832 ·
Matthew Young35 said:I have zero interest in hypocritical outcries or performative "dignity."
I feel for the people killed in this reckless Russian aggression against Ukraine—where an appalling number of crimes have been committed—but that won't change how I speak.

Yes, I will find it strange, and frankly, jarring, every single time someone acts surprised that civilians are dying in droves.
And yes, I will swear if I want to when someone misinterprets my disbelief as "false equivalence," "relativism," or "rationalization."
It isn't any of those things. It is simply the sheer astonishment that anyone could be shocked by the massive loss of civilian life.

Is everyone else just being hypocritical and putting on an act? ☕

Quincy:
I’m truly saddened by the lives lost in this reckless Russian aggression against Ukraine. So many horrific crimes have been committed in this conflict. But... It won't change the way I speak my own language.
Wow, what a strong personality. 🤣
These are always interesting to follow.But...Even when they include those nonsensical follow-ups in their statements.

Thomas Walker84:
Yeah, I’ll probably still find it hard to wrap my head around whenever I hear about mass civilian casualties. It just feels wrong every single time.
I’ll swear if I want to if someone decides to label my genuine confusion as "equivalence," "relativizing," or just making excuses.
Not really—it’s more just pure disbelief that anyone could be unaware of how many civilians are losing their lives.
You're essentially a victim of a misunderstanding here. It’s sad and unfortunate, so I can definitely get why you're feeling so righteous and angry, but our primary sympathy has to go to the victims in Ukraine, specifically in Mariupol.
Matthew Young35 Matthew Young35 Veteran
1.1K messages
joined Jan 2018
#4833 ·
Thomas Walker84 said:Is everyone else just being hypocritical and putting on an act? ☕

Quincy:
I’m truly saddened by the lives lost in this reckless Russian aggression against Ukraine. So many horrific crimes have been committed in this conflict. But... It won't change the way I speak my own language.
Wow, what a strong personality. 🤣
These are always interesting to follow.But...Even when they include those nonsensical follow-ups in their statements.

Thomas Walker84:
Yeah, I’ll probably still find it hard to wrap my head around whenever I hear about mass civilian casualties. It just feels wrong every single time.
I’ll swear if I want to if someone decides to label my genuine confusion as "equivalence," "relativizing," or just making excuses.
Not really—it’s more just pure disbelief that anyone could be unaware of how many civilians are losing their lives.
You're essentially a victim of a misunderstanding here. It’s sad and unfortunate, so I can definitely get why you're feeling so righteous and angry, but our primary sympathy has to go to the victims in Ukraine, specifically in Mariupol.

What "but"? Where exactly are you seeing a "but"?

We are discussing the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
I still find it strange that someone is only just now realizing that a horrific number of civilians have been killed.
That was expected from the very start of this war.
The same goes for the massive number of wounded, the refugees, and the children left without parents.

War is an evil thing, and these are the realities of war.

I truly don't see where you found a "but" in my words, nor do I understand why you'd think I lack empathy for the victims.
analogbear5 analogbear5 Regular
571 messages
joined Aug 2019
#4834 ·
Matthew Young35 said:What "but"? Where exactly are you seeing a "but"?

We are discussing the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
I still find it strange that someone is only just now realizing that a horrific number of civilians have been killed.
That was expected from the very start of this war.
The same goes for the massive number of wounded, the refugees, and the children left without parents.

War is an evil thing, and these are the realities of war.

I truly don't see where you found a "but" in my words, nor do I understand why you'd think I lack empathy for the victims.

I don't know what kind of rush you get from trying to act smarter than everyone else, but give it a rest. There's always some guy trying to lecture the room, but doing it in the middle of a tragedy like this is just gross.
stormybison9 stormybison9 Newcomer
3 messages
joined Jul 2020
#4835 ·
ironpuma29 said: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

It's just like how America became Switzerland thirty years later.
Timothy Williams5 Timothy Williams5 Regular
325 messages
joined Jun 2022
#4836 ·
I’ve been doing some reading on the Holocaust, and this particular passage immediately brought certain threads on this forum to mind:

For most Russians, none of that actually registers. They would much rather turn a blind eye to the humanitarian and moral catastrophe unfolding right in front of them by choosing to swallow Russian propaganda instead.
I don't think the issue here is that Russians are being "zombified" by state television; rather, it feels more like a deliberate blindness and deafness—a conscious filtering and suppression of any information that might make them uncomfortable.

As a consequence, the genocide remains unrecognized by the vast majority of the Russian population. To them, the fascists are always "the others"—the Ukrainians, the Americans, or the Germans you see in old war movies—never themselves.
A collective mentality, even if it doesn't actively cheer for war, serves to normalize it and turn it into just another routine. That is where the core of the problem lies: war crimes aren't viewed as exceptional events; they are treated as a standard of civilization. This is simply how Russia conducts war—dirty, bloody, indiscriminate, and leaving a massive trail of bodies in its wake.

The article is excellent; I highly recommend giving it a read.
https://holod.media/en/2022/08/08/an...of-a-genocide/
Jessica Peterson2 Jessica Peterson2 Active Member
214 messages
joined Sep 2008
#4837 ·
Quincy:
I’m not entirely sure what you’re getting at there, but I suppose that’s one way to start a conversation. Is there actually a point behind that, or are we just testing the waters? As if I haven't heard this before...
I’ve been doing some reading on the Holocaust, and this particular passage immediately brought certain discussions on this forum to mind:

This article is actually quite excellent; you really ought to give it a read.
The article explores the harrowing concept of genocide through a modern lens, specifically examining how historical traumas shape current geopolitical tensions. It’s a heavy read, isn't it? One can't help but wonder if we truly learn from the shadows of the past, or if we are simply destined to watch history repeat its darkest chapters under different names. The piece delves into the systematic destruction of identity and life, drawing parallels that force you to confront uncomfortable truths about power and survival. Is there such a thing as a "forgotten" atrocity, or are they merely waiting for the right moment to resurface in our collective consciousness? It makes you question the resilience of the human spirit when faced with such calculated cruelty. A sobering reflection on how much weight history still carries in today's fractured world.
Well, isn't this just a magnificent... collection of intellectual giants we have here. Truly breathtaking. 🤦

Quincy:
For most people living in Russia, none of this actually seems to register. They’d much rather just look the other way and ignore the humanitarian and moral catastrophe unfolding right in front of them, choosing instead to swallow whatever propaganda the Kremlin feeds them. Why bother facing a grim reality when you can just believe the lies?
For most people living under the Russian regime, those state-run propaganda outlets are the absolute only window into reality. Whether they’re looking for news about life back in the Homeland, what's happening abroad, the situation in Ukraine, or even developments on the Moon or Mars, they rely entirely on that single, curated stream of information. It really makes you wonder: how can anyone form an independent thought when their entire perception of the universe is filtered through a single lens?
Most people out there are essentially zombies—brainwashed, programmed, or just plain stuck in some sorted version of a fever dream. Is it even possible to reach them anymore?
Which black hole of misinformation is being ignored more heavily: the one fueled by Vasya from that Unknown region, or the one peddled by Mansur from that other Unknown area? They sit there glued to their TV screens, which consist of nothing but channels broadcasting straight from Moscow, where they spend twenty-four hours a day being fed the same relentless narrative. They’re told, daily, that Putin was simply acting preemptively to stop a joint NATO and Ukrainian assault on innocent Russian soil. They’re told that Ukrainians are nothing more than drug-addled, Nazi cannibals who slaughtered almost the entire population of the free territories. They’re even told that Ukrainians aren't a real ethnic group at all, and that Ukraine is just some fake concept invented by evil Americans. Is anyone actually listening to this, or are we all just pretending this nonsense doesn't exist?
Some people truly seem to be living in a parallel universe. In their world, truth isn't some objective reality you find through facts or logic; instead, it’s whatever Putin says from Moscow, or perhaps just whatever some local, micro-version of him declares. That’s it, apparently. Is there any other metric for reality in their eyes?
A humanitarian catastrophe? Really? Is that the phrase we’re settling on now? It feels like such a heavy, sweeping label to toss around without much thought. I wonder if anyone actually stops to consider the weight behind those words before they start typing them out. Are we talking about a genuine crisis, or is this just another way to add some dramatic flair to an already complicated conversation?
Where exactly are we talking about?
They honestly think people don't realize what's actually happening in Ukraine. They claim the Russian Army entered just to hand out humanitarian aid and rebuild schools and hospitals—the very ones that were supposedly leveled by the Azov forces along with all the staff, patients, and students inside. It’s quite a narrative, isn't it?
Of course, they’re fully aware that in Russia, the shelves are practically overflowing with vodka, sausages, and cheap Chinese canned goods or various other budget imports from China. It’s a predictable cycle, isn't it? If a shortage ever actually hits the stores, Putin will simply point his finger at those "sanctions" imposed by a supposedly "Russophobic" West, and just like that, the blame is shifted. Problem solved, right? 🤷

Quincy:
I don't think we’re actually dealing with a case of Russian television "zombifying" people. That feels like an oversimplification. To me, the real issue lies in a deliberate choice—a sort of willful blindness and deafness. They aren't just being misled; they are actively filtering out and suppressing any information that might make them uncomfortable. Why is it so much easier to ignore the truth than to face it?
In much of the Russian Federation, the vast majority of the population simply doesn't have access to any information that might be considered inconvenient or uncomfortable enough to ignore. It’s just not there. They don't have it. Is it even possible to ignore what you aren't allowed to see?

Quincy:
As a direct consequence of all this, the Holocaust remains completely unacknowledged by the vast majority of the population in Russia. In their eyes, "fascists" are always someone else—it’s always the Ukrainians, the Americans, or those stereotypical Germans you see in old war movies—never them. Is it really that hard to look in the mirror?
I couldn't agree more.

Quincy:
There's this collective mindset at play where, even if people aren't actively cheering for war, they somehow normalize it until it just becomes part of the daily routine. That’s really where the core issue lies: war crimes stop being viewed as extraordinary atrocities and start being treated as some kind of civilized standard. It’s the signature Russian way of fighting—dirty, bloody, completely indiscriminate, and leaving a trail of bodies in its wake.
I have to agree here. The Russians are deeply statist; their society is built on a foundation of paternalism and a pervasive sense of fatalism.🙂
Christian Torres3 Christian Torres3 Regular
604 messages
joined Sep 2014
#4838 ·
I occasionally tune into ABC or CNN, and honestly, their coverage of the war on the ground feels totally abstract. It’s like the conflict isn't even happening.
Jessica Peterson2 Jessica Peterson2 Active Member
214 messages
joined Sep 2008
#4839 ·
Christian Torres3 said:I occasionally tune into ABC or CNN, and honestly, their coverage of the war on the ground feels totally abstract. It’s like the conflict isn't even happening.

This is essentially modus operandi for Putin's propaganda machine—an apparatus with roots stretching back to the USSR era and the war in Afghanistan. They focus less on hard data and more on cinematic shots of artillery fire, footage of buildings supposedly "destroyed by terrorists," or endless clips of humanitarian aid being handed out. Then you have the non-stop cycle of "analysts" providing commentary, paired with hysterical talk shows filled with insults, profanity, and constant vitriol directed at Ukraine, Ukrainians, and, naturally, any perceived "fifth column" or figures like Navalny.
electricsurfer47 electricsurfer47 Active Member
177 messages
joined Jun 2018
#4840 ·
Wait, how did they even bring up Navalny??? He was killed back in 2015

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