re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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doubleb

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Meanwhile the NORKs are sending troops to help Russia and the Iranians are sending lots of long range drones to attack Ukraine, but some of Putin's cheerleaders just say rah-rah Russia!

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We are still technically the most evil nation on the planet until 1/20 as evidenced by the fact that we just approved land mines to be used.

You sick Ukraine LARPers absolotely disgust me.

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we just approved land mines to be used.

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Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country has become one of the most mine-littered nations on the planet. Eleven of Ukraine’s 27 regions are strewn with mines, according to Human Rights Watch. All told, about 30% of Ukraine’s territory is infested with land mines, an area roughly equivalent to the state of Florida.

The range of hidden weapons lurking underfoot includes powerful anti-vehicle mines that can blow up a tank or a large bus, smaller anti-personnel mines designed to kill or maim anyone who triggers it, as well as improvised booby traps and unexploded munitions.  

Nearly 1,000 civilians in Ukraine have been killed by mines since the war began, according to aid groups. And most of those civilian casualties were caused by anti-vehicle mines planted in areas where Ukrainians were trying to return to and revive their farms. 

Worldwide, land mines killed approximately 1,600 people, the vast majority of them civilians, in 2022. They infest roughly 50 countries, endangering local populations for decades after conflicts end.  

“The land mines impact every aspect of our life as a country,” Anastasia Radina, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, said in an interview with NBC News.

“It is a huge issue for farmers,” she added, “and it’s also impacting civilians, literally kids going to the park or to the forest, they can actually encounter landmines in many territories of Ukraine.”

Russian forces in Ukraine have deployed a deadly new type of anti-personnel mine, known as the POM-3, which is designed to detonate when someone walks nearby, using seismic sensors. The Russian innovation makes the weapon more difficult to locate and disarm, and more challenging to remove once combat has ended.

The POM-3, about the size of a soft-drink can, is usually launched by a rocket before it parachutes to the ground, where it sticks a small probe in the dirt. When the seismic probe detects a person walking nearby, it fires an explosive that detonates in midair, spewing metal fragments.

Mines planted by Russian forces have hampered attempts by Ukrainian troops to liberate captured territory, killing soldiers, slowing ground offensives and wrecking armored vehicles. Ukraine’s military has had to mount elaborate and time-consuming efforts to clear mines and carve out assault lanes for its armored units.

Ukrainian troops have also employed mines to roll back Russian forces. Last year, Ukrainian troops repeatedly used rocket-fired anti-personnel mines while attacking Russian forces occupying the city of Izium, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. 

Ukraine’s government told Human Rights Watch it could not comment on the types of weapons it is using until the war is over and its sovereignty restored.

To date, 164 nations have signed a 1997 international accord, the Mine Ban Treaty, which bars the use of anti-personnel mines. Ukraine signed the agreement but Russia, the United States, China and roughly two dozen other nations have not.

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The Times writes that the United States may have authorized the strikes by British Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia.

In particular, the publication notes the change in the rhetoric of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. As recently as September 2024, he ruled out granting permission, but recently he has "begun to cast aside caution" about the use of Storm Shadow.

Probably, the wording has changed precisely because of the lifting of restrictions by the United States. The fact is that the missile's navigation system is largely American.

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Monitoring channels and OSINTers suspect that Russia may be planning to test a new missile at Ukraine.

The Russians are probably preparing to launch their RS-26 "Rubizh" ballistic missile, testing it in combat conditions.

Possible technical data cited by various outlets from open sources:

- Range: 6,000 km
- Deviation from the target: 150 ?
- Weight of the warhead: 1.2 tons (about the same as in three Iskander-Ms)
The missile has an explosive, non-nuclear warhead.

It is claimed that the launch can take place from a test site in Astrakhan region.

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The average Russian family’s weekly spend of food and essential items has once again increased.

Last week was a 28.2% increase over the same week last year.

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"The closure of the embassy is due to aerial alerts, including the increased threat of a combined drone and missile attack, as has occurred recently. We continue to monitor the situation, cooperating with Ukrainian partners," sources at the US embassy told Suspilno"

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The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has closed for today and is warning Americans about the possibility of a significant Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital.

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Spain's embassy in Kyiv announced that it will also be closed today due to possible security threats - EFE

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Greece and Italy also announced the temporary closure of their embassies in Kyiv

This came after the US embassy announced the closure. The Americans forecast a "powerful air attack ” on the Ukrainian capital today.

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After the Russian attack on November 17, the situation with electricity supply in Odesa is one of the most difficult in Ukraine: the city has been in blackout for three days, and the blackout schedules are not in effect.

"During the day, residents received electricity for about 3-5 hours - some at night, some in the afternoon. Another problem is the lack of communication. Problems with mobile communication began immediately after the massive attack. Many Odesa residents said that due to the lack of communication they did not receive any notification of the ballistic missile attack that took place yesterday." - a resident of the city.

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Gallup, the famous analytics firm known for its public opinion polls, recently released a study titled "Half of Ukrainians Want Quick, Negotiated End to War." The data might sound controversial, with many citing the headline without delving deeper into the survey.

According to the latest survey, conducted in August and October 2024, an average of 52% of Ukrainians now favor a swift, negotiated resolution to the war. This a notable increase from 2023, when only 27% expressed this sentiment, reflecting a 25% increase in just one year

At first glance, it might seem as though Ukrainians are giving up. However, the phrase "negotiated end to the war" is ambiguous: many, including myself, want peace and negotiations, but without capitulation. This nuance becomes clearer in the follow-up question of the poll

[Of those who supported a negotiated end to the war, only 52% agreed that Ukraine should make territorial concessions as part of a peace deal. This suggests that the actual number of Ukrainians willing to negotiate and cede territory is closer to 27% of the total respondents.

The poll also suggests that Ukrainians who favor a negotiated peace tend to prefer a larger role for the EU and the U.K. over the U.S. in the process. This shift is not surprising, considering the growing tensions and distrust between Kyiv and Washington over the past year.

The bottom line is that no one wants this war in Ukraine - it was not Ukraine that launched the invasion. Everyone, including myself, is seeking peace and an end to the war. The problem, however, is that Moscow-driven negotiations are more about capitulation than negotiation

This fact is often misrepresented in the media, and the narrative suggests that Putin is seeking peace while Zelensky is pushing for war. In reality, the situation is exactly the opposite. Zelensky is seeking a just peace, while Putin is pushing for war and capitulation

As this poll shows, when you ask specifically whether people support negotiations or negotiations with territorial concessions, the responses differ significantly. If the question were framed around agreeing to capitulation, the "yes" numbers would likely be even lower.

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Lavrov commented on the Ukrainian strike with ATACMS missiles and thanked Scholz

“The strikes on the Bryansk region with ATACMS missiles are a signal that the West wants escalation,” Lavrov said.

At the same time, the Russian foreign minister noted that “there has been no official confirmation on the US decision to strike deep into the Russian Federation yet, and the information comes from the media.”

Lavrov also thanked Scholz for the fact that Germany does not transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine and prohibits strikes on Russia, calling it a “responsible position.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that for many reasons he considers the possible transfer of Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv a mistake and that he still does not intend to supply them

“I decided a very long time ago that the delivery of cruise missiles would, in my view, be a mistake - and for many reasons, in particular because, in light of their capability and effectiveness to strike far deep into the territory, there would be no other option but to control the choice of targets. In turn, this would mean involvement [in the conflict], which I do not consider correct,” Scholz was quoted as saying by the German government's press service.

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I’m sure you’ll be the first to volunteer for military if Zelensky drags us into this war… right?

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Ukraine received IN Writing assurances ftom all the nuclear powers that they would respect Ukrainian sovereignty and go to the UN if their sovereignty was violated.

Shame on them for trusting the US to help them.

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I’m sure you’ll be the first to volunteer for military if Zelensky drags us into this war… right?


This is a really dumb argument. If the US needs me to defend itself of course I would do the best I could.

But you can back Ukraine and not advocate direct US involvement. And I have already stated that we shouldn’t send troops.

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