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Megathread for news/updates/discussion of Russian invasion of Ukraine - April 20-21
This thread is posted Monday/Wednesday/Friday - please try to post relevant content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Especially significant updates may warrant a separate topic, but most should be posted here.
If you'd like to help support Ukraine, please visit the official site at https://help.gov.ua/ - an official portal for those who want to provide humanitarian or financial assistance to people of Ukraine, businesses or the government at the times of resistance against the Russian aggression.
Russia tests nuclear-capable missile that Putin calls world's best
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-business-europe-states-3e1560d3b38bc0110d65fe388a6ea4ad
The UN general assembly might actually do something about security council vetoes.
West sends Ukraine fighter jets, heavy weapons as fighting intensifies in Donbas (Washington Post)
[...]
What? Are we doing "ooops, how did Polish MiGs get into Ukraine? We shall never know!" now? Let me guess, they were training Ukrainian pilots on those in Poland, "just in case", and when all the pilots were airborne at the same time, they just shuffled over the border whistling?
I know we've gotten used to getting lots of information about the war when it happens, but secrecy is not that unusual in war and there are good reasons for it. Eventually the story will come out, but there's no reason to give the Russians clues about where to look.
Possibly some of Zelensky's complaints are cover.
Ohh, I'm not complaining about them keeping it quiet. I'm just making jokes because it's a bit close to the "little green men"(not that I mind, fight fire with fire!), and it's also relatively obvious there's a quiet part to that statement.
I don't expect them to tell us exactly who's jets those are and how they got there. Under-the radar flight into Transcarpathia, so as to be unobservable by Russia?
Good point. With how relatively transparently we handle these arms shipments usually, it's probably a nightmare for military planners. They'd rather have some toys the Russians are unaware of. Logically, then, it would behoove us to send them stuff on the down low at least some of the time. But of course everyone has to then do this silly song-and-dance where Ukraine goes "fuck off, we're dying for your freedom over here, now give me your aircraft carriers." and the west goes "sorry, really can't do that".
Unfortunately that thought alone is dangerous if we assume our governments are secretive instead of incompetent or inactive.
These Polish MiGs can be bought at any army surplus store!
From the verified official Ukrainian Air Force account on twitter:
https://twitter.com/KpsZSU/status/1516686129642233859
I wonder if they mean Officially or "Officially" <wink>?
Putin honors brigade accused of war crimes in Bucha (WaPo)
Meet ‘Phoenix Ghost,’ the US Air Force’s new drone designed for Ukraine’s war with Russia
https://breakingdefense.com/2022/04/meet-phoenix-ghost-the-us-air-forces-new-drone-designed-for-ukraines-war-with-russia/
I bet my silver dollar of nonfalsifiable hypotheses that: Since we're hearing about this in the press, the Russians already know everything in that article. Which is to say, this system was already in Ukrainian hands and has hit Russian targets before this article was released.
2 Russian oligarchs were found dead one day apart alongside their wives and children, reports say (Business Insider)
Another two back in January and February:
https://twitter.com/olga_chyzh/status/1517167013663289345
G20 members condemn Russia's war in Ukraine, after Yellen and others stage walkout (Reuters)
Seven die in fire at Russia defence institute – reports (The Guardian)
Latvian and Estonian parliaments say Russia committed genocide in Ukraine (Reuters)
Putin calls off plan to storm Mariupol plant, opts for blockade instead (Reuters)
Germany to Help Ukraine With Artillery Ammunition, Training (Bloomberg)
Germany will end oil imports from Russia by year end, says minister (Reuters)