[Politics] Russia invades Ukraine (24/02/2022)

[raymondo]

It's proving hard to find a stable org chart with living occupants... so I'm back to the usual agenda:

Ukraine launches 'co-ordinated strikes' against glide bomb Russian airbase - military source

Russia has been deploying glide bombs against Ukrainian positions since early 2023, with the weapon said to be "vital" in its seizure of Avdiivka.

news.sky.com

 

[Eric the meek]

He's right.

 

[raymondo]

It was extremely important that Estonia joined the EU and NATO soon after they got their freedom. Estonians are very proud and patriotic and I think a lot of people in the UK only think of them of them as a former part of USSR. However, they were an independent country up until WW2 when first of all they were invaded by Hitler's army then later by Stalin's red army which then occupied until 1991.
There is a fairly significant amount of people with Russian heritage in the population as in all the Baltic states.
This means there has always been a difficult balancing act here. However, since the Ukraine invasion the government has really stepped up in a number of areas that perhaps should have been done years ago. No matter, at least they are getting on with it now.
For instance,
Deadlines have been set for all schools to only teach in Estonian language.
Visa's and new residencies for Russians was stopped.
No Russian registered vehicles are allowed here now. They either had to be registered in Estonia or returned to Russia.
Full disconnection from the Russian grid will be complete soon
Defence spending has increased significantly.

Has their been much kick back from local Russian speakers about setting deadlines for all schools to only teach in Estonian?

 

[papachris]

Has their been much kick back from local Russian speakers about setting deadlines for all schools to only teach in Estonian?

In very Russian areas like Lasnamäe and Narva there has been some but mainly complaining that they need longer to do it. In those areas probably a lot of the teachers don't speak Estonian.

Foreign citizens teaching languages in schools now required to learn Estonian

The ongoing transition to education in the Estonian language only can mean teachers of foreign languages in high schools may lose their jobs, due to insufficient knowledge of the Estonian language, ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reported Monday.

news.err.ee

 

[raymondo]

In very Russian areas like Lasnamäe and Narva there has been some but mainly complaining that they need longer to do it. In those areas probably a lot of the teachers don't speak Estonian.

Foreign citizens teaching languages in schools now required to learn Estonian

The ongoing transition to education in the Estonian language only can mean teachers of foreign languages in high schools may lose their jobs, due to insufficient knowledge of the Estonian language, ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reported Monday.

news.err.ee

That sounds calm at least.

In Ukraine, if I understood correctly, there was kick back when their government decided to make Ukrainian the primary language, including dropping Russian from dual language road signs in certain regions.
Of course, Russia was certainly involved in stoking their kick back.

 

[Eric the meek]

It's been a busy time in the Kremlin:






But Ukraine have been even busier bagging a decent haul with their ATACMS missiles:

 

[fly high]

But Ukraine have been even busier bagging a decent haul with their ATACMS missiles:

An excellent return on attack

 

[raymondo]

It's been a busy time in the Kremlin:






But Ukraine have been even busier bagging a decent haul with their ATACMS missiles:

If that's 5 hits with 5 ATACMS , that's pretty impressive.
Interesting 'organisational changes '...
I wonder what will happen to them . Trial, internment...get them permanently out of the way I guess.
Some interesting replies there: coup-purging etc

 

[Eric the meek]

If that's 5 hits with 5 ATACMS , that's pretty impressive.
Interesting 'organisational changes '...
I wonder what will happen to them . Trial, internment...get them permanently out of the way I guess.
Some interesting replies there: coup-purging etc

In my travels I stumbled across something about a group of 4 including Patrushev, who were unhappy that their people were being fired.

As usual, I've forgotten where I saw it. If I remember or find it again, I'll post it. I feel that Patrushev (who famously got the dressing down from Putin in that ridiculous meeting in which all the attendees were sat several metres away from Putin), is a name to watch.

 

[raymondo]

In my travels I stumbled across something about a group of 4 including Patrushev, who were unhappy that their people were being fired.

As usual, I've forgotten where I saw it. If I remember or find it again, I'll post it. I feel that Patrushev (who famously got the dressing down from Putin in that ridiculous meeting in which all the attendees were sat several metres away from Putin), is a name to watch.

Aahh...thank you, I've been wondering why Patrushev's name was so more familiar than the others. Yes, I remember the video of that 'meeting'!

 

[Eric the meek]

Aahh...thank you, I've been wondering why Patrushev's name was so more familiar than the others. Yes, I remember the video of that 'meeting'!

He was once mooted as a possible successor to Putin.

Now it would seem, he is out of favour and Shoigu has got his job on the security council !

 

[raymondo]

He was once mooted as a possible successor to Putin.

Now it would seem, he is out of favour and Shoigu has got his job on the security council !

It's "blink and you miss it" with Kremlin news at the moment.

 

[Sirnormangall]

It's been a busy time in the Kremlin:






But Ukraine have been even busier bagging a decent haul with their ATACMS missiles:

I’m struggling to believe any of that - bribery and corruption in the Kremlin?! Actually, having thought about it, perhaps that’s one of the few honest statements to have been made by the Kremlin.

 

[Eric the meek]

I’m struggling to believe any of that - bribery and corruption in the Kremlin?! Actually, having thought about it, perhaps that’s one of the few honest statements to have been made by the Kremlin.

The geopoliticist expert Peter Zeitan has estimated that the former defence minister Shoigu personally benefited from a third of the defence budget.

Has he been arrested? No. Shoigu was rewarded with a role on the security council. His replacement, Belousov, is behind the arrests now being announced.

 

[raymondo]

The geopoliticist expert Peter Zeitan has estimated that the former defence minister Shoigu personally benefited from a third of the defence budget.

Has he been arrested? No. Shoigu was rewarded with a role on the security council. His replacement, Belousov, is behind the arrests now being announced.

A third...wow, if only it was three quarters then Ukraine might have already won.

 

[peterward]

 

[raymondo]

The first video is very interesting showing the attempted,(and failed) defence.

I'm assuming part of the tactics (apart from destroying anything Russian that's possible...) is to pave a safer way for F16s...

 

[fly high]

The first video is very interesting showing the attempted,(and failed) defence.

I'm assuming part of the tactics (apart from destroying anything Russian that's possible...) is to pave a safer way for F16s...

A thing of beauty.

 

[Binney on acid]

Interesting item in the BBC news website re Russia removing border markers on the Narva river border with Estonia. Somewhat more surreptitious than a full scale invasion. See below :-

The European Union has denounced Russia's removal of buoys marking the border with Estonia on the Narva River.

A total of 24 out of 50 buoys placed to mark sailing routes were removed in the early hours of Thursday, Estonian officials said.

Tensions over the border have risen since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said "such actions are unacceptable".

"This border incident is part of a broader pattern of provocative behaviour and hybrid actions by Russia, including on its maritime and land borders in the Baltic Sea region," he said in a statement.

Moscow has taken issue with the placement of the floating markers, used to prevent boats from straying into foreign waters, and disputed the planned locations of about half the 250 buoys, Estonia's border guard service said.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said she was trying to clarify the situation with Russia.

She said it appeared to be part of a "broader pattern" of action by Moscow to use "tools related to the border to create fear and anxiety".

Estonia's foreign ministry said it had summoned Russia's chargé d'affaires and said it was treating the move as a "provocative border incident".

In a statement, it said it had demanded the "immediate return" of the buoys.

It comes after the Russian defence ministry briefly published a proposal to revise its maritime border in the Baltic Sea this week.

The proposal was deleted after creating concern among Nato members, including Estonia.

Moscow is yet to comment.

 

[raymondo]

Interesting item in the BBC news website re Russia removing border markers on the Narva river border with Estonia. Somewhat more surreptitious than a full scale invasion. See below :-

The European Union has denounced Russia's removal of buoys marking the border with Estonia on the Narva River.

A total of 24 out of 50 buoys placed to mark sailing routes were removed in the early hours of Thursday, Estonian officials said.

Tensions over the border have risen since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said "such actions are unacceptable".

"This border incident is part of a broader pattern of provocative behaviour and hybrid actions by Russia, including on its maritime and land borders in the Baltic Sea region," he said in a statement.

Moscow has taken issue with the placement of the floating markers, used to prevent boats from straying into foreign waters, and disputed the planned locations of about half the 250 buoys, Estonia's border guard service said.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said she was trying to clarify the situation with Russia.

She said it appeared to be part of a "broader pattern" of action by Moscow to use "tools related to the border to create fear and anxiety".

Estonia's foreign ministry said it had summoned Russia's chargé d'affaires and said it was treating the move as a "provocative border incident".

In a statement, it said it had demanded the "immediate return" of the buoys.

It comes after the Russian defence ministry briefly published a proposal to revise its maritime border in the Baltic Sea this week.

The proposal was deleted after creating concern among Nato members, including Estonia.

Moscow is yet to comment.

Estonia should just replace them with anchored sea mines