16 votes

Megathread for news/updates/discussion of Russian invasion of Ukraine - April 25-26

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Tags: russia, ukraine, recurring, military conflict, war, geopolitics, 2022 russian invasion of ukraine

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.

32 comments

  1. [18]
    vektor
    (edited )
    Link
    A few more observation from Germany: I see lots and lots of discussion on social media in general that seeks to make out Germany as the ultimate enabler of Russia. I'll be the first to say that...
    • Exemplary

    A few more observation from Germany:

    I see lots and lots of discussion on social media in general that seeks to make out Germany as the ultimate enabler of Russia. I'll be the first to say that Germany could do more, and that Germany has definitely made (retrospectively anyway) mistakes in east european foreign policy. But:

    • There's e.g. the issue of Ukraine's 2008 bid for EU entry: Supposedly Germany torpedoed that. Counter point: Apparently all Germany did here was vote for the usual method of EU entry, rather than some UA-preferred special procedure. Apologies, I have not gone to search for sources on this one.

    • The Austria situation: (I know Austria is not Germany. It's basically petit Germany, on the international stage. Humor me please.) Consider this article - "Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was quoted saying that Kyiv should not be offered membership of the 27-country bloc, and alternative paths should be considered to develop EU-Ukraine ties." But: here's the counter narrative, I'll paraphrase. My comments are in italics. Schallenberg's statement is not at all resistance to EU membership, though it has been misquoted as such. Instead, he advocates for individual solutions for applicant states of closest possible ties. EU membership doesn't have to happen as instant full membership or nothing. Instead, we can custom-tailor which parts of the country we want to integrate when. (For example, having to compete freely on the EU market could easily crush the economy of less developed countries.) Considering that the entry process is lengthy, we should be mindful of the expectations these discussions about membership raise in Ukraine. He's basically offering to fast-track Ukraine into a defensive alliance, while offering to keep economic integration on the back burner, and newspapers misquote him as saying no? What the fuck is even going on?

    • The German energy policy situation: Apparently, getting out of Russian imports as fast as possible (without jeopardizing supply) is still bankrolling fascism. Germany is the country with the highest dependence on Russian energy in the EU, in terms of dollar value. That this will take some time to unwind should be clear. That sanctioning russian energy imports when you have no replacement ready is going to be more costly for us than Russia should also be clear. Sure, they get a few dollars for their fuel, but our economy grinds to a complete halt. Is that acceptable pain for the sanctions?

    • Arms deliveries. Germany has provided monetary and light infantry assistance galore. Germany is debating and expecting to decide on Marder IFVs by the end of the week. No other country, as far as I know, is currently exporting western IFVs. We're (collectively) sending light infantry equipment, ex-soviet armor, maybe some ex soviet jets and helicopters and recently also western 155mm artillery. No western tanks, IFVs, APCs. Maybe some MRAPs and armored cars. Our government is also being secretive about what it's actually sending these days. What is publicly known is that the funds Germany has made available can be used to free up ex-soviet stocks abroad. To what degree it can be used to buy from Germany's arms industry is somewhat murky. Govt says yes, ambassador says all the good stuff is no longer on the list. I've heard that on a per-GDP level, Germany has made more aid available than the US. Strack-Zimmermann has recently invited Scholz to attend the Bundestag defence committe meeting. He accepted for some time in May. There's an ominous statement from Strack-Zimmermann that this meeting is important to signal that Germany is "doing more than some others believe we are doing." I don't know what that means, but I'm aware that she knows more than I do, considering info on our arms shipments is made available to Bundestag members on conditions of secrecy. Maybe the interesting stuff like PzH2000 and Marder aren't on the list because the Bundeswehr already sent theirs, and the Rheinmetall courtyard is allocated for Bundeswehr backfill already? Would be quite disingenuous of the dear Mr. ambassador, but considering how he views his role, it would at least be consistent. Unfortunately, only time will tell. Until then, pressure on Scholz keeps mounting to get his ass in gear.

    • There's also the notion that anyone who argues what I'm arguing is a butthurt german more concerned about Germany's reputation than about actually contributing to Ukraine's effort. That's kind of a discussion-ending argument, as I couldn't really argue against it without proving it, in a way, right? Well, I can only tell you that my interest in writing this is EU/NATO unity, rather than Germany's reputation abroad. If I have to defend Germany's reputation to preserve EU/NATO unity, I'll regretfully bite that bullet.

    My overall takeaway is that (tinfoil hat) something is afoot. Either western media outlets have, for some reason, a big axe to grind with Germany. Or this is massively agitated by e.g. Russia. If Germany is doing what it can and is displayed as not even trying, that would help Russia, as other western governments have reason to do less: Why should we help Ukraine, if Germany is not doing their part? The non-tinfoil explanation (cheers, @cfabbro) is that German sources are just not available in English. In which case, are English newspapers just asleep? German isn't that hard to translate. It's also possible some of this was spurred on by Ukraine, but at this point I don't think they're the driving force behind it anymore.

    13 votes
    1. [2]
      skybrian
      Link Parent
      I still haven't seen all that much about blaming Germany in the news I read. But then, I don't pay close attention to diplomatic news. I think Germany could fairly be blamed for making some poor...

      I still haven't seen all that much about blaming Germany in the news I read. But then, I don't pay close attention to diplomatic news.

      I think Germany could fairly be blamed for making some poor energy decisions before the invasion. In particular, shutting down nuclear power plants early. But it seems like the Greens are mostly responsible? And to counter that, they went big early on alternative energy, so it's not all bad.

      3 votes
      1. vektor
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I gave a bit of a rundown of the state of nuclear energy in germany as it relates to the green party - TL;DR: The Greens were in govt in 2000 and arranged to get us on the road for climate change:...

        I gave a bit of a rundown of the state of nuclear energy in germany as it relates to the green party -

        TL;DR: The Greens were in govt in 2000 and arranged to get us on the road for climate change: Buildup of renewables, phasing out nuclear and fossil fuels. That plan got mangled to oblivion and beyond by Merkel, and when first Fukushima happened and then recently FFF and other eco movements popped up, we ended up getting back out of nuclear and back out of fossils, but at a time when that buildup of renewables was way behind the original Green schedule because Merkel basically killed that industry in her earlier chancellorship. The last time greens had a say in federal govt, we were on course to have a high ratio of renewables by 2022. That was 2005.

        TL;DR of the TL;DR: Thanks Merkel.

        5 votes
    2. [5]
      vektor
      Link Parent
      Contrary to the previously announced timeline, Germany is working on a plan to become independent of Russian oil imports within the next few days. He also gives a more general statement on the...

      Contrary to the previously announced timeline, Germany is working on a plan to become independent of Russian oil imports within the next few days.

      He also gives a more general statement on the state of energy-Russia affairs in the embedded press conference. Summarized/translated, italics are mine:

      Germany will comply with the EU embargo of coal (in 4 months), and is working intensely on solving gas and oil, by way of LNG terminals. Oil dependency was reduced already during the last weeks from 35% to 12% (measured as fraction of german imports/consumption, I assume?) The topic of today's meeting with Poland's Anna Moskwa was the refinery in Schwedt, which is the last task on the oil embargo agenda. As of today, an oil embargo is doable (but probably still painful?) for Germany. We have agreed on mutual aid with Poland. The east German refineries partially supply Poland, and using national oil reserves in west Germany, this can be maintained. The next days and weeks we will work towards completing oil independence and abandon fossil fuels (from Russia only, I suppose?). The problem that seemed enormous only a few weeks ago has substantially shrunk, s.t. we're very close to independence from Russian oil. A statement of thanks regarding the extraordinary role in aiding Ukraine that Poland has.

      Can't understand the polish that follows at the 4 minute mark.

      If I understood correctly, the question is aimed at all 3 kinds of fuel. The situation was, before the war, that 50% of our burned coal was Russian, a few weeks ago that was 25%, we're working on the rest, by the time of the EU embargo. Gas, 55% before the war. It's no shame to admit that the high dependency here was a grave mistake, and we're paying for that now. We're working on terminating that ASAP, by building up LNG infrastructure. Today we're sitting at about 40%. We're planning to complete the infrastructure in record speed and the further reduce dependencies. Oil, as said before, went from 35% to 12%, and those 12% are accounted for by Schwedt alone. Schwedt is being managed by Rosneft, whose business model is buying Russian oil. If we want to get rid of that, we need an alternative to Schwedt. Setting that up will hopefully be achieved (in collaboration with Poland, I suppose?) hopefully in the coming days.

      Question on the matter of heavy arms aid to Ukraine, refers to the today's earlier statement of the minister of defence that said deliveries by KMW and Rheinmetall are possible. Those exports have to be approved (by Habeck's ministry, I believe, hence the question). What's your take, what could be the timeline? [...]

      The war has changed, and now our support has to change too. The war that Ukraine is fighting is one for international law, for democracy and liberty. Thus it is (correct/justified) for Germany to deliver heavy weapons as announced today. This isn't a sudden change, as Germany has previously decided on other measures, such as aiding in getting heavy weapons into Ukraine (presumably referring to training for e.g. dutch PzH2000s) [...some talk about a Bundestag proposal I can't make sense of] I'd be delighted if the unity of coalition and opposition could be restored, and I believe the last few days and hours have contributed massively towards ensuring that Germany acts in accordance with the changing situation in the war, and that today's events ensure coalition and opposition converge towards and express a united stance. (seems like if Rheinmetall asks his ministry to permit export of Leo1 or Marder vehicles, he'll send them onwards without a lot of fuss)

      Can I just say that translating German can be a fucking pain sometimes, at least if you want to stick close to the original wording? Maybe I'll have to renege my previous statement to the contrary. Germans tend to produce long sentences with lots of subclauses that are perfectly easy to parse due to word order, but you can't really translate them without producing a massive garden path sentence. Kind of like this Thus I'm switching back and forth between very direct translations and loose paraphrases. If you want to get the details right somewhere, feel free to ask me to clarify.

      3 votes
      1. [4]
        Liru
        Link Parent
        You can probably guess roughly what the question was from the context, but here's a quick, literalish translation:

        Can't understand the polish that follows at the 4 minute mark.

        You can probably guess roughly what the question was from the context, but here's a quick, literalish translation:

        Hello, Wojciech Jakóbik (Jesus, that's a weird way of spelling that surname), BiznesAlert. I wanted to ask a question about German coal imports, and if Germany is planning to reject coal just like Poland is. And my second question is regarding not only our cooperation regarding petroleum, but also if, and to what degree, Germany can/will receive coal, petroleum, and natural gas [from sources other than] Russia through Poland.

        3 votes
        1. [3]
          vektor
          Link Parent
          Seems like Habeck got the question slightly wrong there, as it was more "what of the other fuels will you source via Poland?" rather than "what of the other fuels?", no?

          Seems like Habeck got the question slightly wrong there, as it was more "what of the other fuels will you source via Poland?" rather than "what of the other fuels?", no?

          1 vote
          1. [2]
            Liru
            Link Parent
            The second question, yeah. The first one was (accidentally) expanded on with the three fuels, but it seems like the second one was forgotten about or accidentally combined with the first one....

            The second question, yeah. The first one was (accidentally) expanded on with the three fuels, but it seems like the second one was forgotten about or accidentally combined with the first one. Tough to tell since we can't hear what the interpreter said.

            Edit: Or maybe he assumed that the question regarding sourcing via Poland only applied to the petroleum, or something? Not quite sure. It's not healthy to speculate on stuff like this.

            2 votes
            1. vektor
              Link Parent
              Oh, agree on the speculation part. Doesn't seem like a big deal either. Anyway, great results. Really happy with that.

              Oh, agree on the speculation part. Doesn't seem like a big deal either.

              Anyway, great results. Really happy with that.

              1 vote
    3. [7]
      vektor
      Link Parent
      Germany has approved the delivery of ex-Bundeswehr Gepard SPAA to Ukraine from Rheinmetall stocks. Apparently, the high-velocity 35mm guns are dangerous even to armored vehicles. I'd hazard the...

      Germany has approved the delivery of ex-Bundeswehr Gepard SPAA to Ukraine from Rheinmetall stocks. Apparently, the high-velocity 35mm guns are dangerous even to armored vehicles. I'd hazard the guess that if you catch an MBT out and can hit it from the side, you could even deal with that.

      2 votes
      1. [6]
        FishFingus
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I've seen footage from a Ukrainian BTR camera that shows its rounds appearing to penetrate the side of a T-72, just above the tracks. I think the cannon being used was a 30mm, possibly with sabot...

        I've seen footage from a Ukrainian BTR camera that shows its rounds appearing to penetrate the side of a T-72, just above the tracks. I think the cannon being used was a 30mm, possibly with sabot rounds. Not sure what ammunition the Gerald's are coming with, but the extra 5mm combined with their fire rate means they will probably seriously endanger MBTs in urban combat while reducing all other Russian vehicles into burnt Swiss cheese and their troops to red mist.

        For further illustration, the Red Army used US half-tracks with quad-mounted .50-cals in WW2 against German ground targets, referring to them as "meat choppers".

        Edit:
        The Leopard 1A5s are also out-of-service, so providing ammunition for those might be an issue, but the latest 105mm sabot shells should be good enough to threaten at least some Russian tanks and 105 of HE is more than enough to turn their lighter vehicles and troops into confetti. The armour isn't worth mentioning, but IIRC the mobility is great and it should have adequate optics. If nothing else, they can free up Ukraine's better stuff for the front lines.

        3 votes
        1. [5]
          vektor
          Link Parent
          At least in Bundeswehr use, they always packed 2x20 rounds of High-velocity APDS-T, to be used in single fire. If we have any of that left, I'm sure it'll do the job. The fire rate will hardly...

          At least in Bundeswehr use, they always packed 2x20 rounds of High-velocity APDS-T, to be used in single fire. If we have any of that left, I'm sure it'll do the job. The fire rate will hardly come into play there. However, I'm not sure what a full auto burst of HE to the face will do to a tank's optics, could be pretty bad. Also, there's AHEAD ammo, which might be compatible, and is an airbursting round with 150 or so tungsten projectiles. Those could also mess up a tank's optics, I'd imagine.

          2 votes
          1. [4]
            FishFingus
            Link Parent
            Wow, they've got even nastier stuff than I was aware of. I think these should give a pretty good account of themselves.

            Wow, they've got even nastier stuff than I was aware of. I think these should give a pretty good account of themselves.

            1 vote
            1. [3]
              vektor
              Link Parent
              Yeah. The thing I'd be worried about with Gepards is the problem of "whoever shoots first". I imagine Gepard sensors and tall layout aren't exactly doing it any favors here. Best to use the AP...

              Yeah. The thing I'd be worried about with Gepards is the problem of "whoever shoots first". I imagine Gepard sensors and tall layout aren't exactly doing it any favors here. Best to use the AP capabilities as a last resort and use the thing mostly to mop up aircraft and helicopters, as it's intended. Also, short range radar + airburst AAA are a hell of a combination against UAVs.

              1 vote
              1. [2]
                FishFingus
                Link Parent
                Yes, it would probably be much better to use it for that. By the time it enters the theatre, though, there may be little for it to attack besides infantry and transports. In any case, a nasty...

                Yes, it would probably be much better to use it for that. By the time it enters the theatre, though, there may be little for it to attack besides infantry and transports. In any case, a nasty thing to be on the end of, and it frees up the better stuff - Odessa probably doesn't need such to defend it against a suicidal Hail Mary from Transnistria, marines and/or VDV.

                1 vote
                1. vektor
                  Link Parent
                  Honestly, I wouldn't expect Russia to run out of jets or helicopters anytime soon. Maybe drones, I can't say. But as far as I can tell, with jets, the bottleneck has been Russian capability to...

                  Honestly, I wouldn't expect Russia to run out of jets or helicopters anytime soon. Maybe drones, I can't say. But as far as I can tell, with jets, the bottleneck has been Russian capability to organize them. Otherwise, Ukraine's high altitude air defense presumably would have crumbled in the first days. As it stands, S-300s apparently exist in just enough numbers to force jets to hug the ground and get messed up by MANPADS. Or Gepards. Pick your poison.

                  1 vote
    4. [3]
      ThatFanficGuy
      Link Parent
      From your perspective, how likely is it that Germany loses its position as the de facto leader of the EU to France? This has been the flavor of the latest armchair politics takes on Twitter. I...

      From your perspective, how likely is it that Germany loses its position as the de facto leader of the EU to France?

      This has been the flavor of the latest armchair politics takes on Twitter. I wonder how real that seems to you.

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        nukeman
        Link Parent
        Obviously I’m not @Vektor, but I don’t really think either is the unambiguous de facto leader of the EU. France is militarily, Germany is economically, but neither is the leader as a whole. Merkel...

        Obviously I’m not @Vektor, but I don’t really think either is the unambiguous de facto leader of the EU. France is militarily, Germany is economically, but neither is the leader as a whole. Merkel was certainly a political leader of the EU (even if she wasn’t a member of an EU body per se), but it seems that role has moved toward Macron as of late.

        Honestly I think many EU countries prefer this sort of diarchy. Better than one strong country that dominates the bloc as a whole.

        6 votes
        1. vektor
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          cc @ThatFanficGuy I think you're mostly correct. I can imagine Scholz taking on a similar role in the future, but for now that's a seriously big pair of shoes to fill there. Merkel didn't start...

          cc @ThatFanficGuy

          I think you're mostly correct. I can imagine Scholz taking on a similar role in the future, but for now that's a seriously big pair of shoes to fill there. Merkel didn't start out as a European leader in 2005, that happened over time. So I can imagine the same happening to Scholz. I certainly wouldn't have expected anything of the sort from Merkel when she was first elected, and yet it happened.

          But hey, if Germany doesn't take on a dominant role in the EU, that's ok with me too. Though tbf, apart from Scholz I'm quite happy with our government, particularly Habeck and Baerbock. So if they make waves in Europe, that'd be great. (Edit: Their departments, climate policy & economics and foreign affairs also lend themselves to EU stuff)

          2 votes
  2. [2]
    Adys
    (edited )
    Link
    It's now been two full months of the war. Let's do a quick recap of where we're at. The Kyiv Independent has released an article with some symbolic photos like they did last month. Russia...

    It's now been two full months of the war. Let's do a quick recap of where we're at.

    • The Kyiv Independent has released an article with some symbolic photos like they did last month.
    • Russia announces plans to fully control Donbas and southern Ukraine
    • With Russia gone from Kyiv, a lot of things are resuming there. Embassies going back, companies resuming service and business-as-usual. I worry it's all a very temporary relief, and hope I'm wrong.
    • There's been a lot of rumours about Putin's health since before the war even started, but I have to say even I'm starting to seriously think something is wrong with him physically. I've seen some truly weird (and well-sourced) videos. Remember, a leader's failing health is a critical symptom of a coup in an authoritarian regime.
    • In Europe, although we've gone a bit quieter, we're still very actively supporting Ukraine, both in equipment and in politics. Inclusion of Ukraine in the EU is gaining a lot of popular support and overall steam. Also, Finland and Sweden are applying to NATO. Like, very soon. I'll skip the Germany situation since @vektor has done such a great job summarizing it.

    A couple of extra interesting links:

    And finally, a personal update: I feel fucking great. Boy am I glad I can actually say that right now. I mean don't get me wrong, the situation is still shit, but being able to sleep normally? Damn, I've missed that. It wasn't all the war, but it's been at the epicenter of it all. The twin sisters are doing great as well, coaching is going well, and the three of us even went ice skating together for the closing of my rink. Oh and actually, the refugee registration status just completed yesterday so she's officially able to stay in Belgium for the next year (renewable at least for one more year, and more if the situation continues).

    I'll post an update about this towards the end of the year. I'm just able to breathe again, normally. Wow. I have missed being able to write positive personal updates to people.

    8 votes
    1. vektor
      Link Parent
      Thanks for the shout! I can only return the favor: You're doing, as always, an excellent job at keeping the big picture alive. And I'm glad you're better. And I don't mean to make this thread too...

      Thanks for the shout! I can only return the favor: You're doing, as always, an excellent job at keeping the big picture alive. And I'm glad you're better.

      And I don't mean to make this thread too much about whining about Germany and the media. It was just something on my mind that needed an outlet and a bit of writing down for my own sake too.

      Sunflower oil also out elsewhere in Europe, by the way? Over here, we've decided that sunflower oil is the new toilet paper.

      I worry it's all a very temporary relief, and hope I'm wrong.

      I'm actually cautiously optimistic. I should really keep sources for my shit around, so this is rumor level now, but I've heard that Russia is actually currently losing troops in eastern Ukraine at what is essentially unsustainable rates. Basically, the refitted and redeployed units moving into the east? With the current (UA-estimated, so caveat) loss rates, half of that is getting eaten up currently. Basis was, I think, western estimates of BTGs moving into the Donbas area vs UAF's estimates of russian equipment losses.

      It seems like a lull in the fighting right now, but that's apparently because Ukraine's defenses are working very well. The Russian's aren't just probing around for a weakness, they're either probing on an unreasonably massive scale, or they're legit trying to break in, but it's not really working. So I'm cautiously optimistic that this isn't going to work out for the Russians either. Mykolaiv doesn't seem in particular danger either, so that's excellent for Odessa too. Ohh, and it's already been another week since I wrote that it's not looking good for Mariupol. Which I guess it still doesn't, but I'm going to have to eat a hat on that one. Really thought the situation would be over one way or another by now.

      So I'm actually feeling somewhat optimistic about Ukraine's short term prospects. More indication that we really need to think about longer-term aid. Get a Marshall plan passed while support is there, train them on heavier equipment, make sure our defense industries are producing the right amount of the right stuff, that kind of thing.

      8 votes
  3. [2]
    cfabbro
    Link
    Ukrainian forces have used specific coordinates shared by the U.S. to direct fire on Russian positions and aircraft, current and former officials tell NBC News

    Ukrainian forces have used specific coordinates shared by the U.S. to direct fire on Russian positions and aircraft, current and former officials tell NBC News

    As Russia launched its invasion, the U.S. gave Ukrainian forces detailed intelligence about exactly when and where Russian missiles and bombs were intended to strike, prompting Ukraine to move air defenses and aircraft out of harm’s way, current and former U.S. officials told NBC News.

    That near real-time intelligence-sharing also paved the way for Ukraine to shoot down a Russian transport plane carrying hundreds of troops in the early days of the war, the officials say, helping repel a Russian assault on a key airport near Kyiv.

    It was part of what American officials call a massive and unprecedented intelligence-sharing operation with a non-NATO partner that they say has played a crucial role in Ukraine’s success to date against the larger and better-equipped Russian military.

    The details about the air defenses and the transport plane, which have not previously been reported, underscore why, two months into the war, officials assess that intelligence from U.S. spy agencies and the Pentagon has been an important factor in helping Ukraine thwart Russia’s effort to seize most of the country.

    Ukraine continues to move air defenses and aircraft nearly every day with the help of American intelligence, which is one reason Russia has not been able to establish air dominance. In some cases, Ukraine moved the targeted air defense systems or planes just in time, the officials said.

    “The Russian military has literally been cratering empty fields where air defenses were once set up,” one U.S. official said. “It has had an enormous impact on the Russian military’s ability on the ground.”

    8 votes
    1. Autoxidation
      Link Parent
      I am really glad this is happening, and I suspect it's a large part in why Ukraine has been so effective at eliminating Russian commanders. Overall I have been pretty happy with the US response so...

      I am really glad this is happening, and I suspect it's a large part in why Ukraine has been so effective at eliminating Russian commanders.

      Overall I have been pretty happy with the US response so far, and I'm glad we have some competent adults in charge who are clearly facilitating all of this. I can't imagine how fucked this would all be under a Trump admin.

      7 votes
  4. cfabbro
    Link
    Sweden and Finland agree to submit Nato applications, say reports (The Guardian)

    Sweden and Finland agree to submit Nato applications, say reports (The Guardian)

    Sweden and Finland have agreed to submit simultaneous membership applications to the US-led Nato alliance as early as the middle of next month, Nordic media have reported.

    The Finnish daily Iltalehti said on Monday that Stockholm had “suggested the two countries indicate their willingness to join” on the same day, and that Helsinki had agreed “as long as the Swedish government has made its decision”.

    The Swedish newspaper Expressen cited government sources as confirming the report. The two countries’ prime ministers said this month they were deliberating the question, arguing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had changed Europe’s “whole security landscape” and “dramatically shaped mindsets” in the Nordic region.

    Expressen said the simultaneous applications could be submitted in the week of 16 May, coinciding with a state visit to Stockholm by the Finnish president Sauli Niinistö. The Guardian could not independently confirm the reports.

    6 votes
  5. cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    Canada giving itself power to turn over seized assets to victims (The Globe & Mail)

    Canada giving itself power to turn over seized assets to victims (The Globe & Mail)

    As Russia’s assault on Ukraine enters its third month, the Canadian government says it plans to give itself the power to sell off assets of foreigners seized under sanctions law, and then turn them over to affected victims or pay for rebuilding war-torn countries.

    This could mean, for instance, that funds or property seized from Russia could be paid out to help reconstruct Ukraine or to compensate those affected by Moscow’s military assault on its neighbour.

    The change would make Canada the first among Group of Seven countries to allow such actions.

    Ottawa would also require banks to provide lists of foreign assets frozen by Canadian government sanctions so that Ottawa has an inventory of what has been seized.

    The information is contained in a ways and means motion tabled Tuesday. A ways and means motion is a precursor to a budget bill, which the government will introduce after the motion is approved.

    Ottawa is also expanding the definition of assets that can be seized by sanction to include cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens.

    The government has sanctioned more than 1,100 individuals and entities in connection with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

    Deputy Minister Chrystia Freeland discussed this new sanctions measure with G7 finance ministers last week. She also discussed the proposal with U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Prime Minister of Ukraine at a dinner last Thursday in Washington.

    Adrienne Vaupshas, press secretary for Ms. Freeland, said Canada hopes other countries will follow its lead on these measures.

    5 votes
  6. [2]
    skybrian
    Link
    A bit about Ukrainian folk songs: Oi u luzi chervona kalyna (Wikipedia) Here's an accordion performance. And the same accordionist did Top Ten Ukrainian Songs on Accordion.

    A bit about Ukrainian folk songs:

    Oi u luzi chervona kalyna (Wikipedia)

    Here's an accordion performance. And the same accordionist did Top Ten Ukrainian Songs on Accordion.

    3 votes
  7. [3]
    cfabbro
    Link
    France’s victorious Macron boosts weapons, stakes in Ukraine (Reuters) p.s. Video of the CAESAR in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFSZigjP5ew

    France’s victorious Macron boosts weapons, stakes in Ukraine (Reuters)

    As he embarks on a second term, with the intention of keeping France at the forefront of international efforts to force Putin to change course in Ukraine, Macron has given a green light for the delivery of modern artillery pieces to Kyiv that could help stem Russia’s new offensive in the east of the country.

    Firing six rounds per minute over 40 kilometers (25 miles) or more, the truck-mounted Caesar cannons will allow Ukrainian crews to pound Russian troops from afar, then move and pound them again. Used to great effect against Islamic State forces in Iraq and in other conflicts, they represent a step up in France’s assistance to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government.

    In another remarkable move, Macron is talking openly about the guns, lifting a veil of secrecy he’d thrown over French military aid. The delivery and the publicity together signal a tougher line from Macron in his dealings with Putin — talking less and engaging more in brinksmanship with the Kremlin.

    “Initially, we were a bit shy to show what was being provided,” said retired Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France’s military mission at the United Nations. But “we have been escalating week after week, testing the reaction.”

    Macron didn’t give numbers. Citing unidentified French sources, Ouest-France said 12 Caesars will be drawn from the French arsenal and that 40 Ukrainian artillery soldiers were arriving for training at a military base in the south of France.

    p.s. Video of the CAESAR in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFSZigjP5ew

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      AugustusFerdinand
      Link Parent
      Generally speaking I abhor war, but I'll freely admit that the machinery of war is fascinating and that piece of equipment is fun to watch. Under two minutes from full stop to first fire,...

      p.s. Video of the CAESAR in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFSZigjP5ew

      Generally speaking I abhor war, but I'll freely admit that the machinery of war is fascinating and that piece of equipment is fun to watch. Under two minutes from full stop to first fire, additional shot in under 15 seconds onwards to 6 shots in under 3 minutes, averaging 30 seconds a shot from the order to deploy.

      4 votes
      1. cfabbro
        Link Parent
        Am also War despiser too, but Military History lover, and I concur; That's one crazy effective piece of kit.

        Am also War despiser too, but Military History lover, and I concur; That's one crazy effective piece of kit.

        3 votes
  8. [2]
    cfabbro
    Link
    Large fires break out at Russian oil depots

    Large fires break out at Russian oil depots

    Large fires broke out early on Monday at two oil depots in the Russian city of Bryansk, less than 100 miles from the border with Ukraine, in a potential act of sabotage by Kyiv.

    Russian state media said the first fire occurred at a civilian facility in Bryansk holding 10,000 tons of fuel, followed by a second fire at a military fuel depot holding 5,000 tons.

    Bryansk, which is less than 100 miles north-east of the Ukrainian border, serves as a logistics base for Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.

    Images posted on Russian social media showed columns of smoke rising from the facilities in the Russian city on Monday morning.

    Military analyst Rob Lee said that the footage suggested the fire was “probably” caused by Ukrainian sabotage. “It sounds like something is flying through the air before the explosion. I think it was probably a Ukrainian attack, but we cannot be certain,” Lee said.

    “The fact that it was two separate sites not far from the border is important,” Lee said, adding that the fires may have been caused by a Tochka-U tactical ballistic missile, which he said had the range to reach both targets if deployed near the Russian-Ukrainian border.

    Lee added that if Ukrainian involvement was confirmed, the strikes were likely to have been conducted to “disrupt fuel supplies for the Russian military”.

    2 votes
    1. cfabbro
      Link Parent
      Blasts heard overnight in three Russian provinces along Ukraine border

      Blasts heard overnight in three Russian provinces along Ukraine border

      Series of blasts were heard in the early hours of Wednesday in three Russian provinces bordering Ukraine, authorities said, and an ammunition depot in the Belgorod province caught fire around the same time.

      Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a fire at the ammunition depot near the Staraya Nelidovka village had been extinguished and no civilians have been injured.

      Separately, Roman Starovoyt, the governor of Russia's Kursk province, which also borders Ukraine, said that explosions had been heard in Kursk city early on Wednesday which were most likely the sounds of air defence systems firing.

      In Voronezh, the administrative centre of another province adjacent to Ukraine, Russia's TASS news agency cited an emergencies ministry official as saying that two blasts had been heard and the authorities were investigating.

      1 vote
  9. cfabbro
    Link
    Russia warns Poland, Bulgaria of gas supply cuts on Wednesday

    Russia warns Poland, Bulgaria of gas supply cuts on Wednesday

    Russian energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) has told Poland and Bulgaria it will halt gas supplies from Wednesday, in a major escalation of Russia's broader row with the West over its invasion of Ukraine.

    Poland and Bulgaria would be the first countries to have their gas cut off by Europe's main supplier since Moscow started what it calls a military operation in Ukraine on Feb. 24. The move to cut off supplies also followed sanctions imposed by Warsaw against Russian individuals and companies.

    Poland's gas supply contract with Gazprom is for 10.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year, and covers about 50% of national consumption.

    Earlier, data from the European Union network of gas transmission operators showed physical gas flows via the Yamal-Europe route had halted, but they resumed later on Tuesday.

    Gazprom also informed Bulgarian state gas company Bulgargaz it will halt gas supplies from Wednesday, the energy ministry said. Bulgaria also had a contract due to expire at the end of the year. It meets over 90% of its gas needs with Gazprom's imports at around 3 bcm a year.

    1 vote