Ukraine

[Bristol Red Rover]

Reading the BBC report on the burials, it's clear how evil Russia is and Ukraine are saints. No need for a thorough investigation, the causes are obvious.  The BBC already have a lawyer in the job too.

They interviewed one tortured guy who is clearly representitive of the whole population of the city. Not even a rumour of Ukraines holding any of the Russian sympathisers prisoner. The situation is clear. It's black and white. Neat for those with blinkers.

Are you not getting the Russian propaganda reports directly? You are behind the times. The line to take now is yes these things happened and if you dont stop and surrender we will do worse. 'We will make you fear us'.

https://twitter.com/OSINTEng/status/1571381583008907264

Get a grip.

[wilts rover]

Reading the BBC report on the burials, it's clear how evil Russia is and Ukraine are saints. No need for a thorough investigation, the causes are obvious.  The BBC already have a lawyer in the job too.

They interviewed one tortured guy who is clearly representitive of the whole population of the city. Not even a rumour of Ukraines holding any of the Russian sympathisers prisoner. The situation is clear. It's black and white. Neat for those with blinkers.

Are you not getting the Russian propaganda reports directly? You are behind the times. The line to take now is yes these things happened and if you dont stop and surrender we will do worse. 'We will make you fear us'.

https://twitter.com/OSINTEng/status/1571381583008907264

Get a grip.

Said the above poster about rape and torture victims buried in a mass grave in a wood. 'Neat with those blinkers.'

[Bristol Red Rover]

Reading the BBC report on the burials, it's clear how evil Russia is and Ukraine are saints. No need for a thorough investigation, the causes are obvious.  The BBC already have a lawyer in the job too.

They interviewed one tortured guy who is clearly representitive of the whole population of the city. Not even a rumour of Ukraines holding any of the Russian sympathisers prisoner. The situation is clear. It's black and white. Neat for those with blinkers.

Are you not getting the Russian propaganda reports directly? You are behind the times. The line to take now is yes these things happened and if you dont stop and surrender we will do worse. 'We will make you fear us'.

https://twitter.com/OSINTEng/status/1571381583008907264

Get a grip.

Said the above poster about rape and torture victims buried in a mass grave in a wood. 'Neat with those blinkers.'

Like you, I have no idea of what surrounded their deaths. Unlike you I'm not making the same old one sided assumption based on evidently biased reports. And I'm not claiming - without evidence - that one army of f£&@ed up soldiers is innocent.

Get a grip.

[mushRTID]

Putin addressing the nation at 6pm!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Putin addressing the nation at 6pm!

Big thing!

He's going to announce that they'll hold sham referendums in Donetsk and Lugansk to become formally part of Russia. Then when Ukraine tries to reclaim them with Western weapons, he'd say it is a NATO-sponsored attack on the Russian homeland.

[mushRTID]

Still no sign of him. Guy on sky news saying it indicates chaos behind the scenes.

[BessieBlue]

It looks like Putin is in a tail spin at the moment. The Ukrainians have come out fighting in the last few weeks - they said they would - and the Russian forces seem to be spent - particularly now their artillery is being countered so effectively.

I read somewhere that the former Soviet army was largely composed of Ukranians rather than Russians and perhaps that is where the real fighting spirit rests.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Rumours that after the joke referendums he'll call a general mobilisation and Marshall Law.

Some military commentators say they haven't got the resources to train and arm a mass mobilisation. Who knows?

You wonder how Russia will react to a general mobilisation. Yes, some young folk have already scarpered but would they rather spill blood in Ukraine in Putins War or spill blood on home soil to get rid of Putin himself?

[River Don]

There is a suggestion there could be a revolt if Putin declares war but I have a feeling we'd see huge numbers dashing for the borders.

This national address is taking a longtime, it's gone 10pm in Moscow.

[Filo]

Conscripting untrained men for cannon fodder will be the end of him

[mushRTID]

Now tomorrow morning.

Apparently it’s pre recorded. Has someone interfered or he’s had second thoughts. Or he’s playing games.

[River Don]

Obviously something going on behind the scenes.

It does look like there are plans afoot for some sort of mobilisation. That is entirely consistent with Putin, who always escalates whenever he's backed into a corner.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Whether the referendums are sham or not is irrelevant. The West wouldn't recognise even the most kosha of referendums in these territories anyway. Plus given the situation, kosha would be impossible.

It's simply a way of instigating mobilisation which is needed because Ukraine forces far outnumber what Russia is able to use there as things stand.

Putin's speech is likely to outline what mobilisation means. One certain aspect is that Russia will be able to use all its regular army including current conscripts. Added to this it will be able to increase new conscripts. It will be able to force industry to work towards the war effort. All major increases in its force.

With its new territories being attacked by Ukraine, it can also get manpower and armour help from a few other countries.

Whilst this may make little difference for a few months,  it will change things, probably significantly, by the end of the year. It is however likely that some troops from its regular army will be deployed immediately. Meanwhile Ukraine is unlikely to make much more progress as the fields get muddy and the rivers fill up - likely within the next few weeks.

[River Don]

There we have it then. Escalate to de-escalate. Back off or I nuke you.

There is absolutely no way the west can bow to this intimidation, it's grim. I think we have to hope, either China can restrain him or something happens in Russia to remove him from power.

[Prez]

There we have it then. Escalate to de-escalate. Back off or I nuke you.

There is absolutely no way the west can bow to this intimidation, it's grim. I think we have to hope, either China can restrain him or something happens in Russia to remove him from power.

Hopefully its the latter.

Hes Getting desperate now. The worrying thing is desperate times, call for desperate measures.

Could be a Bluff of course, but Putin is clearly out of his mind. His paranoia of the west holds no boundaries.

[BillyStubbsTears]

"With its new territories being attacked by Ukraine,"

Is this a parody account?

[Filo]

There we have it then. Escalate to de-escalate. Back off or I nuke you.

There is absolutely no way the west can bow to this intimidation, it's grim. I think we have to hope, either China can restrain him or something happens in Russia to remove him from power.

Moscow will be flattened if he set a Nuke off

[SydneyRover]

Journo here is saying Macron who's spent 100 hrs or more talking to putin and Erdoğan should step up and try to make him see reason, if that's at all possible.

[Filo]

Journo here is saying Macron who's spent 100 hrs or more talking to putin and Erdoğan should step up and try to make him see reason, if that's at all possible.

You can’t reason with Putin, he’s a lying bas**rd, it was only days ago he was telling the Indian President he wanted to end the War

[Metalmicky]

Is this his last throw of the dice before he presses the instant sunshine button?
He sounds rather desperate to me and this willy waving is a means of showing he is still in control - even when his 'special operation' has derailed badly.  Not sure how many will be running to the front line - time will tell.  However, they currently don't seem able to resupply the conscripts cowboys he already has deployed..... so not sure how this is going to play out logistically - training, equipping, feeding and moving another 300k ain't happening overnight....

He has warned the west that 'this is not a bluff'...... personally I think it is and he is grasping...

[i_ateallthepies]

"With its new territories being attacked by Ukraine,"

Is this a parody account?

Desperate and wilfully deluded.  It would be all the West's fault even if Putin were to launch nuclear.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Mobilisation is going to do sweet FA. The regular Russian army has lost a massive chunk of its officers & 2000 of its 3000 front line tanks and it's all but run out of munitions. You're not going to fix that by calling up taxi drivers from Yakutsk.

He's lost the war on the battlefield. He's now lashing out threatening an escalation in a final attempt to bully everyone.

But here's the thing. The fact that the announcement was delayed 16 hours says a lot. It says to me that he's not in absolute control anymore. The delay wasn't about finessing detail because there wasn't any detail in the announcement. It can only be because there was uncertainty or disagreement in the background.

I've said all along that he's a low grade thug who has made his way by picking weak enemies to beat up. He f**ked up beyond all measure this time and he's flou dering utterly out of his depth.

[Metalmicky]

Good strong message from Ben Wallace

[Filo]

Flights out of Moscow sold out after Putins address, it seems his people are not keen on the General mobilisation

[River Don]

Flights out of Moscow sold out after Putins address, it seems his people are not keen on the General mobilisation

I thought that would happen. I bet the roads are full too.

[danumdon]

Journo here is saying Macron who's spent 100 hrs or more talking to putin and Erdoğan should step up and try to make him see reason, if that's at all possible.

The fact that people like Macron and Erdoğan have been seen to be attempting to hold dialogue with Putin has in effect enabled him to somehow maintain he's still relevant and a statesman on the world stage.

What they should of been doing is maintaining back channels out of the public domain, and telling this warmonger that in no uncertain terms would Russia ever be allowed back into normal society whist they continue to carry out this "special operation" and with people like him in control. Under no circumstances should the west have been seen to be trying to negotiate with this type of rouge state.

Pressure needs applying to prominent Russians, especially those outside the confines of Russia, until such a time people like Putin and his desperate cabal are removed one way or another then Russia will be sent back into the dark ages, either economically or politically. with finance or Nukes.

[Metalmicky]

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/09/20/russian-lawmakers-approve-long-jail-terms-for-military-surrender-refusal-to-serve-a78843

Russian lawmakers passed sweeping legislation Tuesday introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for wartime acts, including surrendering, as the country’s forces face major battlefield setbacks nearly seven months after invading Ukraine.

Voluntary surrender and looting are punished by 10 and 15 years in prison, respectively, with “mobilization, martial law and wartime” listed as aggravating circumstances.

Desertion during mobilization or wartime will be punished by up to 10 years, according to the bill authored by members of all parties represented in parliament.

Conscientious objectors are punished by up to three years in prison during wartime.

The bill introduces the concepts of “mobilization, martial law and wartime” previously not mentioned in the Russian Criminal Code, according to human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov, who first reported on the draft Duma bill.

Observers speculate that its passage paves the way for general mobilization amid Russia’s struggles to replenish its depleting troops in Ukraine.

Soldiers who refuse service can be jailed even without martial law, military lawyer Maxim Grebenyuk told the independent news website Vyorstka, pointing to language in the legislation that punishes soldiers during an “armed conflict.”

The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, voted unanimously in favor of the bill, Chikov said.

Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, is expected to pass the draft bill on Wednesday, according to state media.

The wartime jail terms will then come into force the day President Vladimir Putin signs the bill into law.

[River Don]

Reports on social media of a growing 35km long traffic jam at the Finland border.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1572568782748680194

[Metalmicky]

Another day..... another clumsy accidental death..

https://www.newsweek.com/putin-ally-dies-falling-down-stairs-day-russia-mobilization-1744944

[glosterred]

General mobilisation will do two things, it will bring mass to Russian army in Ukraine and bring mass casualties to Russian hospitals as under trained, under equipped and of poorly led troops are led to the front to face a well equipped and motivated Ukrainian army.