[OFFICIAL] Ukraine Thread

[d000hg]

£350pcm for renting a room isn't bad. Though the local council gets £10k for each Ukrainian!
Good way for all those contractors squeezed by Covid/IR35 to get a butler again.

[Eirikur]

I wonder if hosts will be screened and DBS checked. Saw already a few guys on FB saying they would welcome a beautiful Ukrainian lady in their house

[jamesbrown]

I wonder if hosts will be screened and DBS checked. Saw already a few guys on FB saying they would welcome a beautiful Ukrainian lady in their house

They will.

[SueEllen]

I wonder if hosts will be screened and DBS checked. Saw already a few guys on FB saying they would welcome a beautiful Ukrainian lady in their house

Ahh didn't know so many men wanted to help out female OAPs because that's the beautiful Ukrainian lady they will get.

Least they may get their dinner cooked for them...

[SueEllen]

Dead or disappeared?

(Video clip of protest via link)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...a-ovsyannikova

An employee on Russia’s state Channel One television has interrupted the channel’s main news programme with an extraordinary protest against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One, burst on to the set of the live broadcast of the nightly news on Monday evening, shouting: “Stop the war. No to war.”

She also held a sign saying: “Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here.” It was signed in English: “Russians against the war.”
</snip>

OVD-Info said that Ovsyannikova was arrested shortly after her protest and was being held at the Ostankino television centre. Pavel Chikov, head of of the Agora human rights group, later said Ovsyannikova had been arrested and taken to a Moscow police station.

</snip>

[DealorNoDeal]

Brave woman but an extremely dangerous thing to do in Putin's police state.

Over here, pulling a stunt like that might be career but in Russia...

[OwlHoot]

A guy called Lawrence Freedman has been posting commentaries every two or three days of how he thinks the Ukraine situation is developing and the likely outcomes.

He is a Professor of War Studies at King's College London, so probably knows what he is talking about more than most, especially most air-headed TV commentators!

He now thinks, and plausibly argues, that it is becoming increasingly clear that one way or another Putin has bitten off more than he can chew!

Comment is Freed

And, no, this isn't a back-handed way on my part of promoting some contrarian view. For a start, the guy is certainly no fan of Putin. It is a genuine wish to draw CUKers' attention to what seem fairly impartial and authoritative views on the conflict.

[DealorNoDeal]

He now thinks, and plausibly argues, that it is becoming increasingly clear that one way or another Putin has bitten off more than he can chew!

Yep, quite a few academics/analysts/ex-military/diplomats interviewed recently on Ch4 news have been saying the same thing. This could be turning into another Afghanistan. Reportedly, China are not happy with the way it's going either. I guess Vlad sold it to them that it would be a quick bish bash bosh.

My fear is what happens if Vlad starts to get really desperate.

[Paddy]

Dead or disappeared?

(Video clip of protest via link)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...a-ovsyannikova

An employee on Russia’s state Channel One television has interrupted the channel’s main news programme with an extraordinary protest against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One, burst on to the set of the live broadcast of the nightly news on Monday evening, shouting: “Stop the war. No to war.”

She also held a sign saying: “Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here.” It was signed in English: “Russians against the war.”


OVD-Info said that Ovsyannikova was arrested shortly after her protest and was being held at the Ostankino television centre. Pavel Chikov, head of of the Agora human rights group, later said Ovsyannikova had been arrested and taken to a Moscow police station.

Not naming names for obvious reasons, but some Russian musicians are making subliminal protests such as changing the stage lighting to blue above yellow throughout the performance.

[d000hg]

A guy called Lawrence Freedman has been posting commentaries every two or three days of how he thinks the Ukraine situation is developing and the likely outcomes.

He is a Professor of War Studies at King's College London, so probably knows what he is talking about more than most, especially most air-headed TV commentators!

He now thinks, and plausibly argues, that it is becoming increasingly clear that one way or another Putin has bitten off more than he can chew!

Isn't that what the media coverage has been saying for the last week anyway?

What will Putin do if he ends up stalled or worse, can't keep supply chains going? The embarrassment of being pushed out would surely be too terrible. The fear of chemical attacks is being mentioned a lot, but given Russia operates in a parallel universe might they simply withdraw claiming the operation was a success - Ukraine has been sufficiently weakened and 'taught a lesson'?

Though of course we're only just coming to 3 weeks in. For a land war, isn't that pretty early days if Russia really wants to hunker down? Ukraine is going to see terrible living conditions so if the country remains besieged can they hold out?