Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion

I watched this video last night. Of everything that's been thrown around about this conflict, the oil and gas angle seems to make the most sense.

 
Captured Britons and Moroccan man sentenced to death - Russian news agency


Two Britons and a Moroccan man captured by Russian forces in Ukraine have been sentenced to death, the Russian-owned news agency RIA Novosti is reporting.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and a third man, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, appeared in a court in the Donetsk People's Republic, which is held by pro-Russian rebels.

The court is not internationally recognised.

They are reportedly charged with being mercenaries. But the British men's families say they were in Ukraine's military.

Both British men are serving members of Ukraine’s armed forces and the UK has made clear they are prisoners of war entitled to immunity and should not face prosecution for taking part in hostilities.

On Telegram RIA News said: "The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom."
 
Frosty said:
Captured Britons and Moroccan man sentenced to death - Russian news agency


Two Britons and a Moroccan man captured by Russian forces in Ukraine have been sentenced to death, the Russian-owned news agency RIA Novosti is reporting.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and a third man, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, appeared in a court in the Donetsk People's Republic, which is held by pro-Russian rebels.

The court is not internationally recognised.

They are reportedly charged with being mercenaries. But the British men's families say they were in Ukraine's military.

Both British men are serving members of Ukraine’s armed forces and the UK has made clear they are prisoners of war entitled to immunity and should not face prosecution for taking part in hostilities.

On Telegram RIA News said: "The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom."
Click to expand...
Just read this on one of Ukrainian websites. If they are executed, you can be absolutely sure that the UK will be sending even more weapons. Feck Putin and feck his rushism.
 
Frosty said:
Captured Britons and Moroccan man sentenced to death - Russian news agency


Two Britons and a Moroccan man captured by Russian forces in Ukraine have been sentenced to death, the Russian-owned news agency RIA Novosti is reporting.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and a third man, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, appeared in a court in the Donetsk People's Republic, which is held by pro-Russian rebels.

The court is not internationally recognised.

They are reportedly charged with being mercenaries. But the British men's families say they were in Ukraine's military.

Both British men are serving members of Ukraine’s armed forces and the UK has made clear they are prisoners of war entitled to immunity and should not face prosecution for taking part in hostilities.

On Telegram RIA News said: "The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom."
Click to expand...

So guess Russia wouldn't complain if all captured members of the Wagner Group were to be executed by the Ukrainian authorities.
 
Frosty said:
Captured Britons and Moroccan man sentenced to death - Russian news agency


Two Britons and a Moroccan man captured by Russian forces in Ukraine have been sentenced to death, the Russian-owned news agency RIA Novosti is reporting.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and a third man, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, appeared in a court in the Donetsk People's Republic, which is held by pro-Russian rebels.

The court is not internationally recognised.

They are reportedly charged with being mercenaries. But the British men's families say they were in Ukraine's military.

Both British men are serving members of Ukraine’s armed forces and the UK has made clear they are prisoners of war entitled to immunity and should not face prosecution for taking part in hostilities.

On Telegram RIA News said: "The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom."
Click to expand...
And people openly wonder why Ukraine can’t just find a way of recognising and getting on with the LNR and DNR.
 
From the BBC:

"Russia may have lost 20,000 soldiers, Western official says

The number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine could now be as high as 20,000 - according to the latest assessment by a senior Western official.

Previous estimates, given several weeks ago, were about 15,000. That official estimate has increased to “between 15,000 and 20,000”.

The Western official, who does not want to be named, does not speculate on the numbers of Ukrainians killed. However, he acknowledges Ukrainian forces are “facing morale issues” after more than 100 days of fighting.

But while Ukrainian armed forces are “taking very heavy casualties”, he says the Russian offensive continues “to be deeply troubled on many levels”.

He claims Russian forces are running short of some ammunition – specifically precision weapons such as cruise missiles. But he adds Russia still has large stocks of “dumb bombs”.
 
Traub said:
This would open up EU and NATO issues. I can't see Russia doing this.
Click to expand...
Peter Zeihan believes that Russia is planning to take control of everything east of the Polish gap, as well as Ukraine, Moldova and half of Romania to cover the southern gap, in an attempt to secure defensible borders before their population collapses. They've already threatened Poland, so these threats may be significant.

Of course they thought they'd be done with Ukraine in 3 days so it's hard to say if those plans even matter anymore. If they can't capture Ukraine then it won't matter. But they may be able to wear Ukraine down over months and years.
 
Russia won’t be able to fight shit for another decade or more if sanctions remain in place given the extent of losses they have suffered.
 
GlastonSpur said:
So guess Russia wouldn't complain if all captured members of the Wagner Group were to be executed by the Ukrainian authorities.
Click to expand...

And by the way, I remember that there are not only Russians in the Wagner Group. So you have to wonder how those other nations would feel if some of their citizens working for Wagner are condemned to the same fate as those 2 Brits and the Morrocan man.

calodo2003 said:
Click to expand...


Like salting wounds this much by speaking about Sweden like 3 centuries ago, Vlad? How about we talk about what Japan, Finland and Afghanistan did 117, 80 and 33 years ago respectively?
 
TMDaines said:
We still have people posting daily about great Youtube videos that neatly explain how this is all about oil and gas.
Click to expand...
That is from a decent content creator to be fair. It’s always power/money in the end, and that obviously includes O&G.

Throw in perceived cultural superiority and we’re right back in pre-WWII times. It’s like nobody learned their lessons.
 
Organic Potatoes said:
That is from a decent content creator to be fair. It’s always power/money in the end, and that obviously includes O&G.

Throw in perceived cultural superiority and we’re right back in pre-WWII times. It’s like nobody learned their lessons.
Click to expand...
I’ve seen the video too and, yes, it is well made, but it doesn’t meant it is right. This is all about Russia and Putin’s obsession with controlling what they consider to be their sphere of influence, natural resources or no natural resources.
 
Frosty said:
Captured Britons and Moroccan man sentenced to death - Russian news agency


Two Britons and a Moroccan man captured by Russian forces in Ukraine have been sentenced to death, the Russian-owned news agency RIA Novosti is reporting.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and a third man, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, appeared in a court in the Donetsk People's Republic, which is held by pro-Russian rebels.

The court is not internationally recognised.

They are reportedly charged with being mercenaries. But the British men's families say they were in Ukraine's military.

Both British men are serving members of Ukraine’s armed forces and the UK has made clear they are prisoners of war entitled to immunity and should not face prosecution for taking part in hostilities.

On Telegram RIA News said: "The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom."
Click to expand...
And folks were concerned that a war criminal was given a life sentence.
 
TMDaines said:
I’ve seen the video too and, yes, it is well made, but it doesn’t meant it is right. This is all about Russia and Putin’s obsession with controlling what they consider to be their sphere of influence, natural resources or no natural resources.
Click to expand...
Yeah I have drawn a comparison to the WWII Eastern front in reverse in certain battles, but the more accurate comparison here on a macro scale would be Imperial Japan trying to exert their power over East Asia to spread their supposedly superior culture with disastrous consequences.
 
With the cost of living crisis hitting so many countries, do you lot think our, UK, government will supplying weapons to Ukraine...or will that money be diverted back home?
 
2cents said:
Click to expand...

Does sovereignty mean having an army capable of defending it's borders?

Does that make all of Europe a US colony, in this language?

I'm assuming this language is designed to justify invading more countries.
 
Tibs said:
With the cost of living crisis hitting so many countries, do you lot think our, UK, government will supplying weapons to Ukraine...or will that money be diverted back home?
Click to expand...

We will keep supplying weapons. And Johnson will do so to distract from domestic concerns, but I think any UK Government would be doing the same. And should be doing so.

The costs of allowing Ukraine to collapse without support are too large.

We have plenty of history of involving ourselves in conflicts which were potentially financially ruinous. The Liberal Government in 1914 knew that defending France would ruin the UK's economy, but we did so anyway.
 
Frosty said:
We will keep supplying weapons. And Johnson will do so to distract from domestic concerns, but I think any UK Government would be doing the same. And should be doing so.

The costs of allowing Ukraine to collapse without support are too large.

We have plenty of history of involving ourselves in conflicts which were potentially financially ruinous. The Liberal Government in 1914 knew that defending France would ruin the UK's economy, but we did so anyway.
Click to expand...
I assume they thought it was worth it to counter an increasingly powerful Germany?
 
VorZakone said:
I assume they thought it was worth it to counter an increasingly powerful Germany?
Click to expand...

Essentially yes.

Even Lloyd George, who really didn't want to get entangled, changed his mind over the invasion of Belgium. The thought of a militaristic Germany invading and defeating France, and sitting on the channel, was too much to bear, and any short term economic benefits of pacifism would be well outweighed in the long term.

Which I think is also the rationale behind the actions of the Baltic States and Poland especially at the moment.
 
Frosty said:
We will keep supplying weapons. And Johnson will do so to distract from domestic concerns, but I think any UK Government would be doing the same. And should be doing so.

The costs of allowing Ukraine to collapse without support are too large.

We have plenty of history of involving ourselves in conflicts which were potentially financially ruinous. The Liberal Government in 1914 knew that defending France would ruin the UK's economy, but we did so anyway.
Click to expand...

That decision was made easier by the attack through neutral Belgium.

(Note to self, read to the end of the thread before chiming in )
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.