The Peanut Gallery: Russia Murders Ukrainian Prisoners of War.
February 18, 2024
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Ukrainian officials are investigating two instances of apparent Russian violations of the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war (POWs) in occupied Donetsk Oblast.
Russian soldiers murdered Ukrainian prisoners of war on two separate occasions. They knelt injured captives in the snow, then shot them. Ukraine caught it on camera. Twice.
And these are just the two instances we know about. Every prisoner returned to Ukraine has been malnourished, clearly having undergone a horrifying ordeal. How many still survive? What’s the fate of those who surrender? It’s an uncomfortable question, one which the Kremlin is disturbingly eager to answer.
I don’t see why, though. Killing POWs is phenomenally self-destructive. See, the problem with murdering POWs is that it makes the rest less likely to give up. If a soldier knows surrender means death, then every fight becomes a desperate last stand, one valiant middle finger into the dark. A person is at their most dangerous when they have nothing to lose.
Delays in Western security assistance to Ukraine are likely helping Russia launch opportunistic offensive operations along several sectors of the frontline in order to place pressure on Ukrainian forces along multiple axes.
Moscow scents weakness and is pushing forward on nearly every front, from Krynky (still no RF aviation) to Kupyansk.
Unfortunately, due to MAGA’s drama, we’re unable to give them the ammunition they need. Neither can Europe, apparently. You’d think Biden could just sell a few artillery shells to the EU, then have those same shells ‘donated’ under the aid package they’ve just passed. It seems odd to me that NATO apparently has zero recourse or circumvention in place for just this sort of eventuality. I mean, we were aware this thing could happen, weren’t we? It’s a matter of national security.
I say send the fucking ammo. What’s Congress going to do to stop Biden? Impeach him?
Ukrainian forces will likely be able to establish new defensive lines not far beyond Avdiivka, which will likely prompt the culmination of the Russian offensive in the area.
I think ISW is underestimating Putin’s stupidity. ISW implies Russian forward progress will stop once they hit the new defensive lines; they think Putin will either order a rest, or he’ll tire himself out flailing at Ukraine’s fortifications. This, plus the mud season is beginning early due to the unseasonably warm conditions, meaning much of the country will soon become untraversable. For all intents and purposes, ISW’s forecasting a downbeat in the war.
But ISW forgets Putin just murdered Navalny, someone he’s been terrified of killing for years; that he’s just had his first sniff of success in over a year; and that Ukraine is weak and low on ammo, so he’ll want to exploit this opportunity to its fullest. Putin clearly feels he’s invincible, white girl wasted on a megalomaniacal cocktail, so I think he’ll keep pushing. He might actually get somewhere, especially if Ukraine’s shell hunger is as dire as they make it sound.
Luckily Germany and Ukraine are working on a solution,
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall announced on February 17 that it will open a new ammunition plant in Ukraine with a local Ukrainian joint venture partner. Rheinmetall noted that the plant will produce a “six-digit” number of 155mm caliber shells per year. Rheinmetall already announced that it will establish a repair center in Ukraine for Leopard tanks and other German-provided military equipment.[66]
Fantastic news! Germany is bootstrapping Ukraine’s defense industry through Rheinmetall (kickass name). While the domestic production of 155mm shells is definitely nice, it’s the Ukrainian repair center for Leopard tanks that caught my eye. The technical expertise Ukraine will gain in working that facility will bleed over into countless other fields. Germany is laying the foundations here of a powerful Ukrainian arms industry.
The US is reportedly turning to India and China to engage Russia about Russia’s reported intent to launch an unspecified anti-satellite nuclear weapon into space.
Yeah fuck that. It’s no wonder the United States is reaching out to China and India, as they’re the only nations with any influence over Russia. It's probably the right move to try diplomacy? But we’re not actually going to let Putin hang one of these things above our heads, are we? Like if he even tries, I feel that warrants unilateral action. Frankly it would be irresponsible not to intervene.
Meanwhile House Speaker Mike Johnson continues his two-week vacation.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed another Russian Su-34 aircraft in eastern Ukraine on the morning of February 18.[62] Ukrainian forces reportedly downed two Russian Su-34s and one Su-35 over Donetsk Oblast on February 17.[63]
Do we see a fourth?! Fuck yeah! Two days, four jets, and I imagine that’s confusing the hell out of the Kremlin.
The thing is, though, you don’t need a lot of SAMs to shoot down a jet. Just one. Ambushes compensate for ammunition shortages nicely, and Putin’s current impetuosity encourages him to overextend his aerial assets. Ukraine’s punishing him for that flaw now.
Four jets, two days. And it’s not like the Kremlin can just pull more Su-34s from deep storage. Every loss is a permanent weakening of capability.
Ukrainian Zaporizhia Oblast Head Ivan Fedorov stated that Russian occupation authorities are creating military camps to teach children military skills, and that schools in occupied Zaporizhia Oblast are functioning as propaganda and militarization centers.[65]
Please give Ukraine what they need to bring this war to an end.
‘Q’ for the Community:
Three jets yesterday, one today. Will the Kremlin continue their reckless use of aviation? Or give up the skies?
Join the conversation of on /r/TheNuttySpectacle!