The Soviet army was deliberately officer-heavy because it was designed for mass mobilisation. If the order for general mobilisation was given, new units would be formed and superfluous officers would be reassigned to them. However the capacity for mass mobilisation no longer exists.
https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1525162219679256577
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From the Guardian liveblog:
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra has released a powerful video filmed in the ruins of Irpin and Bucha.
The band’s lead singer Oleh Psyuk said:
I once dedicated this song to my mother, and when the war broke out, the song took on a lot of new meanings.
Although there is not a word about the war in the song, many people began to associate the song with mother Ukraine.
Moreover, society began to call it the anthem of our war!
But if Stefania is now the anthem of our war, I would like it to become the anthem of our victory.
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… and Finland formally announces application
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Thread:
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I’m hoping that the tr0lls and Useful Idiots don’t rush in with the narrative leap that this somehow indicates that Ukraine is ruled by fascists like the Buffalo murderer, but of course they will.
Also, seeing that Azov logo I’m not sure whether its leaders didn’t see this ABC Afterschool Special when they were kids and are unaware of the symbolism or did see it and embraced it.
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The Azov unit is a problem. My pessimism thinks that’s why they didn’t get a lot of help in the steel factory in Mariopol, but it also probably has to do with the logistics/tactics… They were tolerated as they were fighting the separatist forces in the East before the war, and now they are needed during the war.
After the war they need to be dissolved and de-radicalized, what ever that looks like.
(Not that this mean Ukraine is run by Nazis. I bet the US military has MORE white nationalists in it, they just don’t have a specific unit of them.)
They are already pointing this out on the garbage river. More or less “If this symbol is so bad, why are will funding and sending weapons to Ukraine who is funding Asov?”
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Turkey is often acting like a bit of a liability in that, and in the current situation. Aside from acting a bit like they’re out the door on NATO. They were getting pretty buddy, buddy with Russia and even Assad around Syria for the sake of their escalating attacks on the Kurds.
And as goes Ukraine. They’ve been a pretty big stumbling block on sanctioning Russia. And even as they sell weapons to Ukraine have been interfering with military aid.
Just as they’re becoming a bit of a stumbling block to Finland and Sweden joining.
Under Erdogan they may not be a reliable partner for much longer, and it may not be a choice on keeping Turkey in.
Less so now. Erdogan has purged a lot of the Kemalist leadership in Turkey who’ve largely kept the place stable and democratic. And the military there a reliable partner irregardess of the political winds.
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Following up on this story about the pontoon bridge debacle, apparently it made it into Russia and even pro-invasion bloggers are there criticising their military leaders for incompetence.
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Thread saying that the neo-Nazis were kicked out long ago but the former leaders still tell credulous journalists that they are connected to Azov.
The explanation of the emblems boils down to “these aren’t Nazi symbols, they’re Slavic Ukrainian nationalist symbols”.
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Azov Battalion are still fascist ultra-nationalists, of course. She’s really stretching to claim they aren’t. Again, that’s not supporting the Russian narrative that fascists have any real political power in Ukraine.
We can recognise their role in defending Mariupol against the Russian fascist invaders without hiding what they are.
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Doesn’t the emblem have a typical Nazi sonnerad in it though?
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Yes, although that emblem is no longer used.
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It’s good to hear that at least. They should get rid of wolfsangel too.
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The explanation for their continued use of this symbol is also unconvincing.
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So if there really had been a coup, we’d have heard by now, right?
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I think intelligence reports about a coup might been a psyop intended to make Putin more paranoid.
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Kalush Orchestra to auction off Eurovision statuette to raise funds for Ukrainian army
Kalush Orchestra , the band that won Eurovision for Ukraine last night, will auction off the statuette and donate the proceeds to a charity fund that helps the Ukrainian army and Ukraine.
“Many people are already donating from abroad, and perhaps many more would like to donate. And this, in our opinion, will be the thing that motivates them. We think it will be beneficial for Ukraine,” band leader Oleh Psiuk [said]
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Great picture downthread
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