Ukraine

[andrewmcleod]

I wonder how they'll frame the fact that they ordered their soldiers to dig trenches in heavily-contaminated radioactive ground at Chernobyl, then ordered them to leave, whereupon they went on to a variety of subsequent destinations, including Belarus and Russia, now with radiation poisoning and obvious contamination of everything. This is Grade A mass stupidity, on a level normally outgrown by puberty.

While an entertaining story, I believe it is in fact not true (and that you would struggle to get *acute* radiation sickness even if you purposefully went out digging holes in the Red Forest).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1509446702939447299

 

[Speleofish]

While an entertaining story, I believe it is in fact not true (and that you would struggle to get *acute* radiation sickness even if you purposefully went out digging holes in the Red Forest).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1509446702939447299

Interesting. Prof Corkhill knows more about this than most, so she's probably right.

 

[braveduck]

One story that does both puzzles and concerns me . In the first week a Russian warship challenged an island garrison to surrender .They famously told the Russians to "go forth and multiply" . Allegedly the island was shelled and all killed . Since then I have read somewhere that they all survived were taken prisoner ,now set free and have been awarded medals ! So what do we make of that ?

 

[andrewmcleod]

I think that's all been known for some time. They initially thought the soldiers had been killed (and this is what the Ukrainians announced), but it wasn't long afterwards when they announced that they might have been captured and survived, instead. The Ukrainians and the Russians have, I believe, engaged in regular prisoner swaps.

The Ukrainian announcements are usually the most optimistic possible interpretation of the truth - I don't think anyone really believes their casualty figures/announcements of how many tanks they have destroyed etc. to be entirely accurate but this is nothing new in warfare. Conversely, the Russian announcements bear only the most vaguest resemblance to the truth, and that's only if looked at in a good light.

 

[Cosmo Smallpiece]

Presumed dead. There was reports by CNN of a bombardment lasting most of the morning. Since then there's been released satellite images of Snake Island. It seems to have not been flattened as expected and the Russian bombardment seems to have not been as devastating as first feared. Either the Russian barrage was over-estimated or their aiming was off. Possibly the later, as they're claiming to be avoiding the targeting of hospitals and civilians throughout Ukraine, yet failing badly at that.

 

[ZombieCake]

I'm waiting for the Ukrainian version of Gardener's world on BBC2. Particularly their advice on fertiliser and sunflower seed planting.
One problem Russian citizens have is that Putin has a rather effective (but not in a good way) internal propaganda and brain washing machine and a rather thuggish approach to those that say 'hang on a minute'. Once that machine erodes, probably when the oligarchs really can't play with their nice toys anymore, the body bags pile up, and the truth leaks out, there's a better chance of the house of cards collapsing.

 

[Speleofish]

Read 'Putin's People' and try to stay optimistic about a rational solution to the Ukrainian War....
I'm not saying there won't be an internal putsch to get rid of him but he seems to have sufficient control of the media to make it extraordinarily difficult.