Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Oh would you ever shut up. What was cultured about Bloody Sunday or ballymurphy. I’m sick of you making the Brits out to be saints when it comes to Ireland. It’s fking nauseating. You’re not Irish and clearly don’t have a clue about the history. What was cultured about the Brits in Kenya in the 50s to the 1960s when they imprisoned 1m without trial. Burned people alive, stuck glass bottles in every orifice, tortured , killed on the spot etc. The head of the British in Kenya said they were acting like soviet Russia and nazi Germany and if they must sin they must sin quietly. Present day Britain isn’t on the same level as Russia obviously but I’m sick of you constantly making them out to be saints regarding Ireland . You wouldn’t like it people were making Russia out to be saints in Ukraine . Learn a bit of Irish and british history and stop talking absolute shite over and over. And British flags aren’t flying in 26 counties because Irish people fought for independence not because the British were sound and thought oh we will leave as you’re implying.

So it seems Ukraine thwarted an attempt to assassinate Zelensky that involved a Ukrainian traitor cooperating with the Russians (no direct link available, copied from the guardian):

Ukraine’s security service said on Monday it had detained an informer accused of helping Russia plot an attack on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as he visited a flood-hit region, according to AFP.

The SBU security service said the detained woman was gathering intelligence to try to find out Zelenskiy’s itinerary before his visit to the southern Mykolaiv region.

It published a blurred image of the woman being detained by masked officers in a kitchen, as well as some phone messages and handwritten notes about military activity.

On Telegram, Zelenskiy said that the head of the SBU had updated him about the “fight against traitors”.

The SBU said that Ukraine was aware of the plot ahead of time and had put in additional security measures during Zelenskiy’s visit. It alleged the suspect was helping Russia prepare a “massive airstrike on the Mykolaiv region”.

She was allegedly seeking data on the location of electronic warfare systems and warehouses with ammunition.

The SBU said its officers kept monitoring the suspect to get more information on her Russian handlers and her assignments. Officers then caught the woman “red-handed” as she attempted to pass intelligence data to Russian secret services, the SBU said.

It said the woman lived in the small southern town of Ochakiv in the Mykolaiv region and formerly worked in a store at a military base there. She allegedly photographed locations and tried to get information from personal contacts in the area.

She may face a charge of unauthorised dissemination of information about the movements of weapons and troops. If convicted, she could serve up to 12 years in prison.

...

I'm inclined to cast a cool eye over the Russian losses stats as reported by Ukraine, it would be natural to overemphasise these a bit and underreport your own losses. But I would broadly accept them as being in that trajectory.

Whereas I would regard all reports from Russian sources on Ukr losses as unbridled propaganda full of untruths. Start even with the Russian ambassador in our own state, a completely untrustworthy liar.

19th century Britain was as authoritarian and oppressive and paranoid an empire as ever stalked the earth. Look up the peterloo massacre perpetrated in vicious paranoia against their own people not to mention the countless atrocities they carried out in their colonies. Including the horrific genocide that they were able to conveniently dress up as a famine in this country. They only ‘softened’ a bit in the 20 th century due to the losses in World War One and the rising influence of America who put them back in their box. But the British empire was as evil and rapacious an empire as ever existed and would be to this day if they could still get away with it.

Feigned concern..." Oh those poor Ukrainians, how dreadful !!! "

We don't know the context of the 'conversation'.

The tweet reporting this was deleted, which should tell you all that you need to know.

P.U.T.I.N

Although going through the footage of the explosion. Seems it could be grain dust exploding. But that wouldn't be difficult to purposely ignite.

One thing anyway Putin's government are getting circumstances in their favour for other's to look/beg for Russian grain.

It's getting to a stage now in global food supply with some elements treating food as a weapon that large stocks held in one place is maybe not such a good idea anymore.

Despite GOP/MAGA efforts still strong bipartisan support in the US for Ukraine

These things happen, not regularly, but they do happen, including in the cargo holds of grain ships. Never underestimate how flammable a cloud of combustible dust is, it only takes a small spark to set the whole thing off. Just Google "dust explosions".

Looking through Russian telegram channels it's clear the Ukrainians are suffering very heavy losses for their small gains. I will add there's been no let in Russian losses being shown by Ukrainian sources.

But it's depressing seeing the losses going both ways. The Russian army proper seems to be operating from relative safety shielded by the mine fields and the thousands of zero line mobiks.

It's going to take a lot more and continued western support to break down this defence. I doubt Russia has any shortage of mines or mobiks to sacrifice.

About time Ukraine just gave up and let Russia win I take it?

Having just checked the markets the basics like oil and wheat are still down 30-40% from a year ago.

Any talk of Putin having leverage in food supply is basically his own propaganda.

And Ukrainian children abducted in Ukraine will be taught this in Russia.

They'll never be free in Russia.

You can see this conflict is about trying to get the Russian public to rebel. Looks like government supported apathy still holds with an iron fist.