Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[Duque de Bragança]

EDIT: but someone brought a Ukrainian flag! ... no, wait, that's the flag of Lower Austria.

Bragança castle illuminated with Ukrainian colours as symbolic support, which happen to be the same of the cit flag, coincidentally.



Russian consulates and embassies in Lisbon and Porto have seen protests by Ukrainians about the whole war.



Portuguese communists, (former) partners of the PS government still refuse to condemn the invasion but somewhat criticise Putin since he did not follow Lenin's principles. After all, the USSR had found a solution for the nationalities problem. 
Plus, the crisis should not be used as an excuse to remilitarise Europe and it's part of the ongoing confrontation between the US and NATO with Russia.

https://observador.pt/2022/02/24/jeronimo-diz-que-declaracoes-de-putin-desferem-um-ataque-a-uniao-sovietica/

Jerónimo diz que declarações de Putin "desferem um ataque à União Soviética"
Jerónimo entende que as declarações de Putin "desferem um ataque à União Soviética e à notável solução que encontrou para a questão das nacionalidades e o respeito pelos povos e as suas culturas".

O líder comunista reiterou que o conflito no leste europeu, que culminou esta quinta-feira com a invasão do território ucraniano, é "inseparável de décadas de crescente tensão e de confrontação" dos Estados Unidos da América (EUA) e da Aliança do Tratado do Atlântico Norte (NATO) contra a Rússia.


O dirigente comunista disse que a ofensiva em curso na Ucrânia "comporta perigos e consequências e não pode ser pretexto" para o reforço da "militarização da Europa" ou para agravamentos "das condições de vida dos povos".

[Syt]

The folks protesting for their freedom and against the oppressive Austrian dictatorship, meanwhile.

[Tamas]

t's still very early days - and I'm worried about the Russians moving strategy having realised this is going to be tougher than expected. But there is a bit of me that wonders if this goes the way of the Sino-Vietnamese war: fighting for a bit, negotiated settlement, Russia declares victory but history and the rest of the world sees that Ukraine won or at least fought their far bigger and more militarily advanced neighbour to a standstill?

Well yeah switching to traditional tactics in face of the failure of the lets-avoid-civilian-casualties strategy can be expected but the alternative was this strategy succeeding and Russians winning.

[Duque de Bragança]

French marines patrolling English Channel area intercept Russian cargo ship
• ASSOCIATED PRESS • FEBRUARY 26, 2022



French officials say marines patrolling the English Channel area have intercepted a cargo ship sailing under the Russian flag and escorted it to the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer for an investigation.

The interception of the ship, carrying cars, early Saturday was triggered by financial sanctions levied days ago against Russia for its invasion of the Ukraine. Maritime spokesperson Veronique Magnin said it appeared to be the first such action in the English Channel.

The approximately 130-meter-(427-foot) ship was headed from Rouen, in Normandy, to Saint Petersburg, and was stopped near Honfleur, Magnin said.

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2022-02-26/Ukraine-health-minister-198-killed-1000-wounded-in-Russian-offensive-5152372.html

Customs officials carrying out the investigation were verifying if the vessel is indeed linked to Russian financial interests, the spokesperson said. The process could take up to 48 hours.

The French government has given maritime officials the power to intercept vessels suspected of contravening the sanctions, she said.

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2022-02-26/Ukraine-health-minister-198-killed-1000-wounded-in-Russian-offensive-5152372.html

Cars... Purely symbolic.

[Syt]

Orban has issued a statement that Hungary will support any and all sanctions against Russia that the EU decides on. Makes me wonder what he was bribed/threatened with - would have loved to be a fly on the wall during those discussions.

Austrian parliamentary president Wolfgang Sobotka, ÖVP, a controversial figure who handled previous parliamentary investigations against his party friends with such obvious bias that people literally shat in front of his door during the night (repeatedly), was asked about Austria taking in refugees from Ukraine.

He said the Ukrainians should first of all stay at home and defend their country. And added: "Just imagine if Austrians had fled their country in 1945!" He later had to clarify that he of course did NOT mean to say that Austria in 1945 was defending themselves against hostile invaders (in the form of the WW2 Allies) and that it would be better to aid and support Ukrainians in their own country. He then pointed out his charity work for Ukrainian and Russian orphans.

(Not to mention that after WW2 and its widespread destruction and displacement across the continent there were not exactly many countries in Europe to flee to, really.)

He used to be a history teacher, you know. 

[celedhring]

Turkey closes the Dardanelles to Russian warships. That seems like a pretty big deal (not as in militarily, but that Erdogan agrees to it).

[Syt]

Turkey closes the Dardanelles to Russian warships. That seems like a pretty big deal (not as in militarily, but that Erdogan agrees to it).

Read an article the other day that due to the treaty about passage through the Bosphorus they can lock it down for ships of parties engaged in war BUT that there's also a (supposedly overriding?) provision that ships can always return to their home port. Not sure how "home port" is determined, though. If Russia declares their entire Baltic Fleet's home port is now Sevastopol - what then?

[celedhring]

Priti Patel must be delighted, this whole affair allows her to indulge in her favorite past-time  - blocking people from coming to the UK - without being a git.

Priti Patel
@pritipatel
I have cancelled the visas of the Belarusian Men's Basketball Team who were due to play in Newcastle tomorrow night.

The UK will not welcome the national sports teams of those countries who are complicit in Putin's unprovoked and illegal invasion of #Ukraine.

[Sheilbh]

Ukraine's Defence Ministry have launched a hotline for mother's of Russian soldiers captured or killed in Ukraine where they can get information. No language barrier and a sharp contrast to the Kremlin stonewalling. It seems like a very smart move - and Ukraine is proving very good at propaganda both from what I can see to Russia and the rest of the world.

[Tamas]

Turkey closes the Dardanelles to Russian warships. That seems like a pretty big deal (not as in militarily, but that Erdogan agrees to it).

News denied by Turkey.

[Sheilbh]

Russia is now also restricting access to Twitter and the state censor is going absolutely crazy at any Russian news organisation using information about the war that did not come from state sources. I think they're losing the information war at home.

[Sheilbh]

Turkey closes the Dardanelles to Russian warships. That seems like a pretty big deal (not as in militarily, but that Erdogan agrees to it).

News denied by Turkey.

They've said no decision yet. It seems to be from a Zelensky tweet after he'd spoken to Erdogan. I suspect this is possibly going to be like SWIFT where it takes a little while to work through.

[Syt]

Russia is now also restricting access to Twitter and the state censor is going absolutely crazy at any Russian news organisation using information about the war that did not come from state sources. I think they're losing the information war at home.

As oppressive a regime as Russia is, and how much they brought media etc. under their thumb, they never struck me as particularly savvy when it comes to controlling the online sphere. Sure, a measure here, a ban there etc. But they can only dream of having things locked down as much as China has. The PRC isn't exactly water tight, but a lot more so than Russia in that regard. And Putin himself is not particularly interested in the internet, either. I wonder if that will change now.

[Syt]

About 3000 people at the anti-Covid protest. The demonstration in support of Ukraine seems to have significantly more.

[Sheilbh]

Via the BBC - which might suggest why Russia could be losing the information war: "Russian military spokesperson Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov claimed Saturday that Moscow had suffered no casualties during the invasion"