I knew from the first paragraph where you were going.
I was waiting for the stink of the 'Get Russia' narrative to rear it's ugly head, and I wasn't disappointed.

"As a case in point, one must only look at the behavior of Russia at the onset of its invasion of Ukraine..."

The problem isn't Russia, the problem is your own stupid country.
One only needs to click your name in the forum to see you're from NYC.

America started this war, when they overthrew the country in 2014.
It's no-one else's fault except YOUR COUNTRY.

MUST WATCH: Nov 2013 (Pre-Maidan!): Ukraine Deputy has proof of USA staging civil war in Ukraine
http://youtu.be/y9hOl8TuBUM
(Turn on closed captions or read video transcript)

TechCamp Kyiv 2012
http://youtu.be/bpIoBUDuL3U

F-ck the EU!" (original File) - Victoria Nuland phoning with Geoffrey Pyatt
http://youtu.be/KIvRljAaNgg

Even now, America doesn't want to stop the war in Ukraine and push harder for a negotiated settlement, because to do so would be bad for Biden in the November mid terms.

“While a ‘military’ invasion has not yet occurred, there are other ways Russia can attack Ukraine that would be debilitating for Ukrainians and European security more generally,” said Risch. “Rather than simply restating authorities the president already has, the NYET Act takes immediate action to permanently stop Nord Stream 2, sends a powerful deterrent message, imposes heavy economic and military costs on Russia, strengthens U.S. allies and partners, and supports Ukraine via new authorities, funds, and tools.”
http://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/release/risch-leads-majority-of-republican-colleagues-in-introducing-russia-sanctions-legislation

You overthrow other countries, and use trade and sanctions as weapons against other nations.

Ukraine Should Admit Defeat NOW! Says Top U.S Military Leader
http://youtu.be/A9bnFWmHggk

Russian Sanctions Are Hurting U.S. WAY MORE Than Russia
http://youtu.be/9fIA4OfOg8E

America's been hoisted by its own petard, don't complain you caused this yourselves.
The United States doesn't bring anything good to the world anymore, all it brings is misery.
So stop trying to point the finger of blame the worlds shortcomings and go take a look in the mirror.
We're all having to pay for YOUR NATIONS blatant aggression and stupidity.

Yes and one of the most important reforms is the removal of the power of veto by a minority of the security council! Other things need only a majority vote to pass! And all nations need to pay their annual fee rather than coast along as freeloading passengers the others pay for. And for the UN to remain relevant, it needs to take stronger action against rogue nation that attack others in unprovoked action.
Alan B.

While I disagree with most of what he says, A.C. makes one important point and that is, who the sanctions are hurting? And the cost to us of coal-fired power a case in point. And only possible due to the privatization of most energy provision and a gas cartel operating down the eastern seaboard.

I mean, it's our coal and our gas! We built and paid for the power stations and the transmission lines! The real cost is what it costs to mine not what the international price may be! A 3,000% increase for heaven's sake!

Current outcome all down to asinine administrations that sold energy assets at fire sale prices due to idiotic idealogical imperatives. And I won't add they were all conservative admins because I don't have to! You and they know who they were and I know you know what I'm saying.

I won't say I told you so even though I did as I advocated for years for the transition to MSR thorium nuclear energy and without foreign involvement.

And as mass produced SMR's that could be placed close to the intended users. And meant local councils and or Co-ops would have controlled prices that could have been as low as 1 cent PKWH! And competing supply would greatly outstrip demand!

Still doable but requires energy Ministers with more than jelly for a backbone and a can do attitude, not one that is defeated before a pen makes a single stroke!

Such investment in infrastructure returns more than 2 dollars for every dollar invested! If that then means some foreign energy cartels have stranded assets? It's an animal of their own greed is good creation!
Alan B.

Ukraine is a sovereign country that was not threatening Russia. The assault by 100 000s of Russian troops and tanks is an invasion and a war by any definition of the word committing 1000s of war crimes.

In 2014 hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians marched to depose the Russian puppet regime after which Russia invaded for the first time.

The Minsk agreement that was supposedly a cease-fire was violated far more often by the Russians than the Ukrainians.

Putin is appearing to be as much of a Nazi as Hitler ever was.

Hey shadowminister,
You're proof that the right is just as incapable of thinking rationally as the libtard left, no matter what evidence is presented to them.
- The end result is that conflict is unavoidable -

I'm going to add to that statement above.
The only policy worth anything at all is a policy of unity in self-sustainability, and neutrality from the self-induced crises of rest of the world.
Anything less than that is a part of the problem, and most certainly not a part of the solution.

AC,

Take off your tinfoil hat and actually look at the evidence.

The justifications Russia gives for invading Ukraine are so flimsy as to be laughable. Its vaunted Wagner mercenaries are littered with neo-Nazis many with swastika tattoos.

Russia's economy like many other Petro states has hollowed out and is hugely dependent on imported technology without which it cannot replace its planes and helicopters and even its tanks and APVs are highly reliant on Western parts. Commercial and domestic vehicles are all imported and reliant on parts that are now sanctioned and breakdowns cost much more to fix.

After another month or two of fighting the Russian army's strength will have fallen to match that of Italy or lower.

There are also a string of sabotages occurring in Russia such as this one very recently:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWm0uyivit4

Hey shadowminister,
"The justifications Russia gives for invading Ukraine are so flimsy as to be laughable."

Maybe they should've honoured the Minsk agreements the UN supported.
Maybe they should've kept their word about NATO expansion.
And maybe they shouldn't have been killing thousands of people in the Donbass region for the last 8 years.
- No-one paid any attention then, did they?

It's no wonder Russia took matters into their own hands.
Did you expect them to just stand by as NAZI's killed Russians unabated?
I think your brain may have melted as much as Biden's has.
- If not, it's definitely on the way...

AC,

As the Russians constantly violated the Minsk agreement, why should the Ukrainians not respond to the Nazi Russian invaders?

I see the new weapons are having an effect. UK harpoon missiles took out a Russian ship and 3 Russian oil rigs (stolen in 2014 from Ukraine) and a refinery in Russia was hit by a drone.

I see the Russian economy is starting to implode as new cars are no available nor are car parts for imported cars. As per the Russian economists, the Russian economy is going to shrink by nearly 8% this year and more in 2023.

Without high-tech imports, Russia can no longer build tanks or aircraft to replace the nearly $1bn worth of tanks etc lost every day.

You see only that which you want to see shadowminister.
I on the other hand - keep tabs on this constantly.

Ukraine Reveals "Victory Plan" (includes new army and air force)
http://youtu.be/NhXoNVFQ-xs

More Ukrainian Troops Encircled in Donbass, West Argues over Strategy, Runs out of Options
http://youtu.be/dBrOEUEDPKU

Ukrainian army ordered to retreat from Severodonetsk

AC,

You are getting your information from your usual pro-Russian shills I see.

In 1944 Hitler ordered a massive counter-attack in the battle of the bulge and managed to drive into the allied lines and inflict massive casualties. However, in doing so the Germans lost so many men, tanks etc that their army soon collapsed.

Russia has already lost more than double the men, etc. than it lost in Afghanistan and with its economy in shambles, it cannot replace its losses. The separatist armies it conscripted are effectively destroyed and Russia is reduced to calling out 50yr old tanks and is losing ground in Kherson.

It is slowly capturing territory in the Donbas while burning through men and materiel a prodigious but still has to hold onto it in the face of growing Ukrainian insurgencies.

Not to mention the recent Russian losses of a ship, three gas rigs, a refinery and the import restrictions to Kaliningrad.

"Not to mention the recent Russian losses of a ship, three gas rigs, a refinery and the import restrictions to Kaliningrad."

The attack on the rigs was likely a diversion whilst they attampted a second attack on Snake Island, and the attack on the refinery was a suicide drone.
The attack on snake island was unsuccessful. I'm not 100% sure the rescue tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh was sunk or not, but it was definitely badly damaged.
A US RQ-4 global hawk drone was also used.

The blockade in Kaliningrad is to try and goad Russia into doing something stupid to justify bringing NATO into the conflict I think.

I'm becoming increasingly concerned this will end up in nuclear war.
I get my info from a range of different sources fyi.

I'm not sure the west wants Ukraine to win, but to draw Russia into a larger war against NATO.

If you actually want a really good understanding on the background of how things have gotten to this point watch this.

Ukraine war | An unmitigated disaster | John Mearsheimer
http://youtu.be/FRDt2NWmlV4

AC,

One of the main objectives of the US is to bleed Russia's army dry. And the constant losses of men and equipment are doing just that. All this while the US with its drones and satellites is providing a constant stream of information on the Russian military and supplies.

Already Russia has lost about 1/3 of its modern tanks, IFVs, MLRSs and self-propelled howitzers along with about the same killed or wounded experienced troops. As this happens Ukraine is supplied with more and more sophisticated weapons.

Snake Island is becoming a killing ground for Russian ships and personnel. The harpoon missile range extends well beyond the island and the new rocket systems can easily hit anywhere on the island. The Russian soldiers have lost their air cover and have nowhere to hide or escape.

With the Russian army 100% engaged in Ukraine, Putin can only respond with vague threats to Lithuania as any military action against NATO countries would be swatted.

"One of the main objectives of the US is to bleed Russia's army dry."

Obviously they are making some headway, but they aren't doing a particularly great job.

Day of Disaster for Ukraine in Donbass, UK Military Think Tank Confirms US Unable to Re-Arm Ukraine
http://youtu.be/ZqXC22fRCBE

Do they care about hurting Russians, or using Ukrainians as cannon fodder?

"All this while the US with its drones and satellites is providing a constant stream of information on the Russian military and supplies."

Ukraine had 650,000 troops while Russia sent in a force of 200000.
Who's winning? Do you Russians being pushed back.

All of Ukraines trained troops are mostly already destroyed and they are down to untrained territorial units.
It's now a slaughter, given Russia outguns them in artillery at a rate above 10 to 1.

Snake Island is becoming a killing ground for Russian ships and personnel.
No its not, it's a barren little outpost, and Ukraine pays dearly every time they try to take it.
http://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-forces-take-heavy-losses-in-failed-assault-on-snake-island-eight-manned-aircraft-downed
Last week, Russia got the pox and bombed Dnipro and killed 50 high ranking Generals and officers.
http://www.republicworld.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-crisis/russia-kills-dozens-of-ukrainian-generals-and-officers-with-missile-attack-near-dnipro-articleshow.html

"The harpoon missile range extends well beyond the island and the new rocket systems can easily hit anywhere on the island. The Russian soldiers have lost their air cover and have nowhere to hide or escape."

Russia's got 3 layers of air defense, and their best is unmatched by any other army in the world.
They've just deployed and tested S-400 in Crimea, though snake Island is some distance away from Crimea but their ships stationed near have air defense.
They will repair and rebuild the radar and air defenses on Snake Island.

I said at the time I didn't think a Harpoon missile sank the Moskva.
- And I was probably right about it.
http://youtu.be/xwJgovyA_3U

"With the Russian army 100% engaged in Ukraine, Putin can only respond with vague threats to Lithuania as any military action against NATO countries would be swatted."

Actually the EU is already in damage control over that.
Lithuania relies on Russia for power, and they can just turn it off if they choose.
- Seems there's a little blame game going on at the moment.

http://www.politico.eu/article/europe-official-scramble-de-escalate-tension-kaliningrad-russia-lithuania/

Watch that Alexander Mercuro video I posted in my last comment.
It's quite long but lots of info.
The US doesn't have the industrial power to build and match what Russia is already using.
- And they have no chance of matching Chinas industrial power.

Did you know Albanese got the OK to buy US weapons a couple of days ago.
America will turn our country into Ukraine, if our politicians are dumb enough to go down that path.
http://youtu.be/391k4TYmkME

Aidan Aslin EXECUTION Going Head, UK Remains Silent
http://youtu.be/QbpwDQ6B99c

I will say though that I don't like this issue becoming political.
- Though I understand why, they want to stop all foreigners from joining against Ukraine and they're making it political to try to force UK to recognise DPR and LPR.
I think they should probably be imprisoned and not executed, but a lot of Russians and citizens in LPR and DPR are angry and have paid a huge price, so there's not much sympathy going around at the moment.

Aiden Aslin also fought for the Kurds as a mercenary of sorts before he went to Ukraine.
- But hes said he's deeply sorry for what he's done, and even offered to help rebuild the damage and that if he'd known how Ukrainian army acted that he wished he'd fought for the DPR and LPR instead.
Beyond that, he's probably worth more alive than dead, but the UK wants to stay silent on the matter, and is helping to force DPR to make a point with his execution.

They may have captured a lot more foreigners from the Azot chemical factory in Severodonetsk in the last day or 2 as well.

AC,

I think with 1/3rd of Russia's armoured vehicles destroyed and nearly and about 80 000 men killed or wounded I think the Ukrainians are doing a pretty good job. The Russians are having to pull out 50yr old tanks in reserve and equipment from as far away as Vladivostok and are scrapping up men from the occupied Donbas regions.

As for Russia's economy in numbers*
17.1% annual inflation in May
8-9% retail trade set to fall this year
83.5% of car sales fall in May 2022
7.8% official forecast for fall in Russian GDP in 2022
30% unofficial forecast of GDP collapse by IIF
*Official sources: Akort; economy ministry; AEB; Rosstat

On top of that Russia's ability to build aircraft or helicopters is close to zero and their commercial transport both in the air and on the ground is in serious trouble.

As for snake island, their resupply has been stopped, their air defence has been wiped out and the new US rocket systems can land large munitions within 1m from 70km away. The term sitting ducks come to mind.

Lithuania does not take power from Russia but does supply power to Kaliningrad.

Britain does not negotiate with hostage-takers but does retaliate. It would be a serious error to execute the British hostages

"I think with 1/3rd of Russia's armoured vehicles destroyed and nearly and about 80 000 men killed or wounded I think the Ukrainians are doing a pretty good job. The Russians are having to pull out 50yr old tanks in reserve and equipment from as far away as Vladivostok and are scrapping up men from the occupied Donbas regions."

Yes Russians are taking significant losses, but nowhere near the amount Ukraine's taking.
I think the LPR and DPR have actually taken heavy losses and their ranks have needed to be reinforced.

Lithuania: Power
http://www.reuters.com/world/europe/lithuania-were-ready-if-russia-cuts-us-out-common-power-grid-over-kaliningrad-2022-06-22/

"As for snake island, their resupply has been stopped, their air defence has been wiped out and the new US rocket systems can land large munitions within 1m from 70km away. The term sitting ducks come to mind."
Russia will find them and destroy them, the west hasn't actually given too much, and there's a problem with Ukrainian troops being able to use them, they're sending trained soldiers to Germany and France for 6 weeks to be trained how to use them.
In the meantime Ukraine had been sending less well-trained territorial units and foreign fighters to the front as cannon fodder for no other reason except to slow Russian advances and inflict Russia losses;
Ukraine is trying to make strategic withdrawls from Lysychansk now, they're somewhat surrounded and there is street to street fighting, there's been a lot of friendly fire incidents in the last day or so, they're more or less cut off and taking heavy losses trying to withdraw.

The Ukrainian maps- liveuamap.com are somewhat delayed in info.
This is from yesterday.
http://youtu.be/-NV2WV_tgTM

"Britain does not negotiate with hostage-takers but does retaliate.
It would be a serious error to execute the British hostages"
Yes, probably, I think UK is planning to go in later when Russian forces are further weakened.
http://inews.co.uk/news/british-troops-must-prepare-fight-europe-once-again-new-army-chief-1694500
US is trying to use food and Ukrainian ports as a pretext to get in there as well.
- As I said earlier I think there's a very serious possibility of nuclear war at some point.
Both sides are committed to winning.

People of Severodonesk have been liberated from the Nazis
They are welcoming the Russian / Chechen forces as heroes.
It's no wonder Ukraine fought so hard not to lose these cities.
The truth of western lies has been exposed.
- Not that our lying media will report it.

I'm starting to think that supposed Russian mall attack in Kremenchuk was potentially a false flag by Ukrainian forces and a distraction for Western citizens news consumption.

Lysychansk is now surrounded from 3 sides.
The window for a controlled withdrawal is more or less closed now.
Thousands will have to surrender or die.

Ukrainians forces in the Donbass will have to fall back to Kramatorsk, and cede a large amount of territory.

AC,

Now you are just lying. The Russians have destroyed just about every building and the residents have all fled. Leaving behind a pile of Rubble.

Nowhere, have the fascist Russians been accepted with anything other than scorn and hatred.

Hey shadowminister,
I told you already western news highlights what it wants you to know;
- And suppresses what it doesn't want you to know.
It's basically all BS.

Defections
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1540422482040983554
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1540791086901104640
Military hardware captured
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1541484129530875908
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1541060533062967297
Liberating the Donbass
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1540629656419926016
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1540683390386638848
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1541083675370070019
Welcoming the Peoples Militia of the LPR / Chechens
& Flying the Victory Flag
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1540720496676769792
Very Low Morale
http://twitter.com/Levi_godman/status/1541039372564369409
Toys for the Children of Luhansk
http://twitter.com/unrepentanteast/status/1541040658701586435

Click to 54mins and see for yourself.
http://youtu.be/_WftJSYAg_8

A lot of regular people can't comprehend that the media lies to them.
You can't even comprehend that they'd lie to you in a time of war to sway public opinion and sell the war.
You live in a world where you think the western media is honest.

Putin launched 60 missiles into Ukraine yesterday.
Not once has he targeted a shopping mall.
The media wants you to think that Putin lost the plot and acted out.
When have you once seen him lose composure and act out?
He simply acts and responds to actions the west takes or conditions on the ground.

It's Ukraine thats lost a heap of territory and needs to bolster the spirit of it's fighters.
It's the west that needs to concoct a war crimes narrative because they're under the pump and don't know what else to do.
Putin is going to turn the gas to Europe off in 11 days, European economies are going to be destroyed.
They need the people like us to think the hardship we're expected to endure is for a genuinely good purpose.
It's the West that does covert underhanded stuff - undermines existing countries and overthrows them.
It seems to me that others just cant seem to comprehend that we're the baddies.
The US overthrew the country, after 8 years of trying Putin had to act to prevent a planned invasion and slaughter upon the Russian-speaking people of eastern Ukraine from Ukrainian NAZI's that they put in power in 2014.

You will all stay forever clueless believing the crap they spoonfed you until you open your eyes.

Let me tell you, the West gets away with what it does because it counts on you believing their TV narratives,
They count on people being too dumb to look into things and know otherwise.
I'm not buying that mall attack, it would've been more effective to take out the bridge at Kremenchuk and cut the west off from the east, but they know that you're too dumb to even go and look at a map.

GO LOOK

- But you wont.

AC,

If the British POW was executed, the UK could do far worse, not by putting feet on the ground but by giving the Ukrainians far more powerful weapons such as tanks and tomahawk cruise missiles and extended range 300km rockets that could sink ships docked at Sevastopol?

As for your links, they are clearly phony.

This look phoney to you?

http://twitter.com/mdfzeh/status/1540989680807714817
Here's your dead Ukrainian NAZI conscripts being overrun.

This was the situation 24hrs ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIfymv0tSAE&t=1360s

I saw a release from Ukrainian minister a few days ago, saying they deliberately don't update the info strait away.
(Obviously they need to find some way to distract and spin the situation, or draw your attention elsewhere.)
Which is why a shopping mall got attacked yesterday...
When Russia has launched 130 missiles in 3 days
(Weren't they running out months ago?)
liveuamap.com is about a day behind events on the ground.
Ukraianian forces are being routed.

Actually I got that mall attack wrong.
It's likely Russia did bomb it deliberately, but as a military target.

Look here
http://www.google.com/maps/@49.0719885,33.4260551,823m/data=!3m1!1e3
There's a few thing to note.
Firstly, you'll see the shopping mall in the lower part of the map.
You'll also see a industrial area to the middle and upper part of the map.- i.e. behind the shopping mall.
1/ take note of the amount of cars usually in the car park from this image.

Watch this video,
http://youtu.be/ss2-e-t9x04
- You'll see the missile looks like it came from the direction of Belarus, but Russian bombers are stationed there.

Now watch this video.
http://youtu.be/7b489xF9wDE
2/ Notice the lack of cars in the car lot, indicating there wasn't many people there.
It may not have even been in use as a mall, it may have been used to store weapons from the large industrial area behind the mall.
3/ Notice the huge amount of flames, indicating that something incendiary was located within the mall.

4/ Read this article and note what Zelensky said of it:
Zelenskyy says Russia bombed a shopping mall because seeing Ukrainians try to live a normal life made it ‘angry’
http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-hit-ukraine-mall-angry-people-trying-live-normally-zelenskyy-2022-6

Zelenskyy said in a Tuesday Telegram post that Russia was sabotaging "people's attempts to live a normal life, which make the occupiers so angry."
He said the mall had been "no threat to the Russian army" and had "no strategic value."
He also called the missile strikes "one of the most daring terrorist attacks in European history."

Where have you heard that line before?
"They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."
- George Bush, - after the 911 attacks.
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.htm

It's a US fed narrative.
There probably were some people there but not many, there's no cars.
Why would seeing Ukrainians live a normal life make Putin angry?
They are manipulating people to think Putin's a crazed madman
- when in truth it was probably a military target storing weapons
(note the huge amount of flames)