Ukrainian defenders dig in as Russia lines up more firepower

I was very displeased that The Put chose A.V. Dvornikov, dubbed “the butcher of Syria,” to command Russian troops in Ukraine. Under his command it is well documented that chemical weapons and air strikes were used against civilian populations in Syria, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties.

There can be no mistake that The Put and his staff do not want a diplomatic solution in any way shape or form. And that it is their choice for this to be Parade Of The War Criminals.

I believe he is known as the butcher of Aleppo, a more appropriate description than JT used above. This murderer will not hesitate to use banned weapons on civilians as he has done it before. The demented dwarf in the kremlin is determined to exceed Stalin and Hitler combined in reputation as a mass murderer. This whole change reeks of desperation on the demented dwarfs part, anything he can pass off as a victory at any cost.

The Russian advance on Kyiv was probably a diversion intended to tie down a large part of Ukrainian military for the defense of the capital city while the main Russian forces successfully occupied the Russian-speaking eastern provinces. Russia seems to be achieving what it set out to do.

 tapped a decorated general

Will this general be like his predecessors and carry on the Kremlin's policies of butchering civilians and leveling cities similar to the tactics the Russian military has used throughout Ukraine and earlier in Homs, Aleppo, Grozny and elsewhere, Then do whatever they can to coverup their atrocities while blaming the 'other guys'. Will this general have any control of Putin's Wagner Group, his private militia made up of Nazi thugs. How much have Putin's defense industries made selling their weapons to the warmongering Russian/Putin government.

Putin is waging a revenge war on Europe and all that is "the west". He wants the USSR empire back and will fight for it and fight any country that gets in his way. It seems senseless and outrageous to us, but to Russians it makes perfect sense.

NATO cannot officially enter the war, without Russian aggression against one of those countries, and Putin knows this. This could get bad if he decides to, but I'm confident in the NATO alliance.

Any future relationship between Russia and Ukraine... will likely remain tainted and strained for a very long time because of what Putin has done...

Russia appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of its most seasoned military chiefs, to oversee the invasion

let me fix that ;

Russia appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of its most cruelest military chiefs, to oversee the destruction of Ukrainian cities & death of its citizens

Will this general be like his predecessors and carry on the Kremlin's policies of butchering civilians and leveling cities similar to the tactics the Russian military has used throughout Ukraine and earlier in Homs, Aleppo, Grozny and elsewhere,

yes ! His nickname is the butcher of Syria

there seems to be a pattern here with Russian generals being named ‘the butcher of ….’

Russia seems to be achieving what it set out to do.

Sending more war criminals home in bodybags in less than 2 months, than the entire Afghanistan war is "achieving what they want"? Laughable.

The Ukrainians are dug in, defending their land. Russian bodies are going to keep piling up.

It's a war fascist Russia cannot win.

The Russian advance on Kyiv was probably a diversion intended to tie down a large part of Ukrainian military for the defense of the capital city while the main Russian forces successfully occupied the Russian-speaking eastern provinces. Russia seems to be achieving what it set out to do.

”We were just pretending to attack Kyiv” seems likely to enter the English lexicon as slang for a transparently pathetic excuse meant to minimize an obvious defeat.

Skeptical......

Under his command it is well documented that chemical weapons and air strikes were used against civilian populations in Syria, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties.

These were all found to be false by independent investigations. The "white Helmets" were a propaganda organization funded mainly by British intelligence. The white helmets" founder", James Le Mesurier, killed himself in Istanbul rather than face proceedings for financial irregularities related to white helmet funding.

@ Mr. K: No, I'm truly sorry to report.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/03/552412-war-crimes-committed-all-parties-battle-aleppo-un-mandated-inquiry-syria

And

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/IICISyria/Pages/IndependentInternationalCommission.aspx

The battle late last year for control over Syria’s war-ravaged Aleppo was a stage of unrelenting violence, with civilians on both sides falling victim to war crimes committed by all parties, read a report issued today by the United Nations-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

Especially crimes against children.

Beyond contempt.

What is Putins' End Game? I cannot see how Putin will benefit from his childishly ignorant war. No matter what, he will not benefit from this tragedy at all.

Any future relationship between Russia and Ukraine... will likely remain tainted and strained for a very long time because of what Putin has done.

Not only between Russia and Ukraine....also between Russia and almost the rest of the world.

Russia is at its end!

Putin and his mass murdering mob are trying to extinguish a complete nation, but parallel they are destroying their own country.

And they are too stupid to recognize that.

Not sure why you got so many downvotes for stating this as some British military analysts have been saying the very same thing for weeks.

What British military analysts have been saying anything like that? It makes no sense at all for the Russian attack on Kyiv to have been a mere diversion. They devoted most of their forces to the Kyiv offensive and barely threw any into the Donbass during the first month of the war which is the reverse of how they would have deployed their forces if Kyiv was just a diversion and Donbass was the actual target.

Michael MachidaToday  09:05 am JST

What is Putins' End Game? I cannot see how Putin will benefit from his childishly ignorant war. No matter what, he will not benefit from this tragedy at all

Putin is focused on his legacy, which is dangerous. Kiev was the center of the Russian empire long ago.

Beware of men who know their mortality and are seeking a legacy.

You can’t reason or negotiate with a crazy person. They don’t care. The conventional Russian armament, equipment and logistics has now proven to be crap. The true danger is that he will have no qualms using tactical or other nukes (which Russia does have reliable delivery and technology) wthe cornered.

His ego will not allow a defeat and he’s not going to back down.

This is an incredibly dangerous longer this goes on.

Rainyday..

What British military analysts have been saying anything like that?

There are several knowledgable military experts who have said from day one that Russia did not have enough forces to take Kiev. Neither you, I or the experts know Russian plans. What we do know is that The Russian invasion in the west around Kiev has systematically destroyed most of Ukrainian military facilities, supplies, logistics and its ability to move men and materials to the battle in the east. Our media was keen to show destroyed Russian tanks but not so many Ukrainian ones.

Ukrainian defenders dig in as Russia lines up more firepower:

Russia has directed its focus to the East & South of Ukraine. It will be a full-scale offensive, the outcome of which would be decisive.

The nation could be split into two halves, confronting each other for many more years..

There are several knowledgable military experts who have said from day one that Russia did not have enough forces to take Kiev. 

There were lots who said Russia didn't have the forces to take Kyiv, but that is different from them saying the Russians weren't trying to take Kyiv. Pretty sure all of them said Russia was clearly trying to take Kyiv as their main aim, but were criticizing it for having vastly underestimating the troops they would need to accomplish it.

Neither you, I or the experts know Russian plans. 

While we don't literally have a piece of paper with "Secret Russian war plan" written on it, its not hard to infer from what we are actually witnessing the Russian military do what their general plans are and how they are evolving.

What we do know is that The Russian invasion in the west around Kiev has systematically destroyed most of Ukrainian military facilities, supplies, logistics and its ability to move men and materials to the battle in the east. 

Yes we know that the Russians have destroyed a lot of logistical facilities and things like oil/gas storage. Most of these were destroyed by air strikes and not by the ground forces, which for the most part just razed militarily insignificant suburbs, so they could have accomplished that without the need to throw most of their army in there if screwing with Ukrainian logistics had been their actual main objective. And the degree to which this affects the ability of the Ukrainians to move forces from Kyiv to the east is not at all apparent - its probably made it more difficult but not impossible for them to redeploy.

Our media was keen to show destroyed Russian tanks but not so many Ukrainian ones.

Well, there certainly are a lot of destroyed Russian tanks out there to report on. Ukraine didn't have as many tanks (etc) to begin with so it makes sense there would be fewer of them to report.

“What we have learned in the first several weeks of this war is that Ukraine will never be subjected to Russia,” Sullivan said.

Kyiv is historically older than Moscow. If anything, Putin should bow to Zelenskyy.

It time for Ukraine to strike the iron ,while the fire is hot at 50.15,38.131

The complete failure of pattern recognition by the Western media is not a surprise, as the Western media is entirely corrupt. The failure of those who consume Western media to recognize the intrinsic unreliability of their media is also not a surprise

But a Russian state propaganda tool like Strategic Culture which you quote is totally reliable, right?

ESL Mundi - Are you guys in Portugal yet?

where is tough guy who started all this?

Hiding in Moscow, duh.

Questions remain about the ability of Russia's depleted and demoralized forces to conquer much ground after their advance on the capital, Kyiv, was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Sorry - it was political agreement. Russian troops just go away. Ukrainian defenders walked behind with a difference of a couple of days.

Even Kiev propaganda telling nothing about great victory under the Kiev...

Because everybody knew - it was no victory at all

Russia never wanted to take Kyiv.

They wanted to tear up and destabilize and punish before their final objective MO.

Now its going to get worse.

Needless senseless conflict.

Meiyouwenti

The Russian advance on Kyiv was probably a diversion intended to tie down a large part of Ukrainian military for the defense of the capital city.

rainyday

There were lots who said Russia didn't have the forces to take Kyiv, but that is different from them saying the Russians

Nobody in Russian army command was crazy enough to storm 3 million city of Kiev. It took a lot of time, and huge amount of troops and supplies. And It could have been disastrous for population.

The goal was to achieve political agreement - all good guys from Azov and other extreme right-wing organizations should go away from power.

Big advantage of this plan was that exсept Crimea and LDNR (republics of south-east) Ukraine keep the same borders.

But Mr. Zelenskiy said: NO.

Then plan B: Ukraine keep Azov guys at power, but losing some new territory in south-east.

Kiev was political and not military aim.

And It could have been disastrous for population.

yes, we can tell by Russia’s indiscriminate shelling of populous neighbourhoods, that their military cares about Ukraine’s civilian population.

Not to mention hospitals & train stations.

shelling of populous neighbourhoods, that their military cares about Ukraine’s civilian population. Not to mention hospitals & train stations.

The main problem today - Ukrainian troops stay deep inside residential areas.

in schools and hospitals they set up firing positions.

And by trains you always supply your army - main supply line. It is not so many good roads in Ukraine.

The main problem today - Ukrainian troops stay deep inside residential areas. 

in schools and hospitals they set up firing positions.

Ukrainian troops are in their own country, protecting their own people. They have the right to be anywhere in that country that they choose.

The main problem today is the same problem it has been since 24th February; russian orcs invading a sovereign nation and committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

If the russian troops stayed deep inside russian residential areas and stopped bombing the civilians of another country, the problem would be nine parts solved.

The remaining one part would be conducting the war crimes trials, starring Vlad of the Long Table, Butcher of Babies, Leveller of Cities, Evil Incarnate.

Kiev was political and not military aim.

Its amusingly pathetic to see you and other Putin apologists desperately trying to pretend that Russia didn't just lose the battle of Kyiv when it clearly did.

cleoToday  02:48 pm JST

I will agree the real problem is Russia's invasion.

But the reality is this is now a war nothing can change that short of Ukraine surrendering or Russia pulling out, both highly unlikely.

But even western observers have been pointing out Ukraine has been using residential areas and civilian areas like hospitals to launch attacks from and this is not Ok.

You and I can say it is Russia's fault but is I know someone is going to shoot at me and I grab my neighbour's children as a shield, I am as responsible for their death as the one shooting.

Look at the photos above it is a war of propaganda a CBC article pointed out Russia may be winning the military fight but losing the propaganda war. Zelensky looking so pensive, all the photos clearly selected to pull on heart strings now ad dead children from the school or hospital the Ukrainian troops were stationed in or near and you have even better propaganda photos.

Leaving aside the clear responsibility of Russia in all this, is Ukrainian really care about its civilians then it would keep its troops are far way as possible not to make them targets.

Of course no mention that Ukrainian military and far right nationalists are bombing Russian speaking Ukrainian citizens and infrastructure to pieces with lethal indiscriminate missiles supplied by USA, UK and most of the EU.

Ukrainian troops are in their own country, protecting their own people.

1 So, you think - all the people in Ukraine are Ukrainian?

It is not so.

You mixing nationality and citizenship.

South-east of "state Ukraine" - is a old Russian territory with Russian population.

So Russian troops are at home near Donetsk or Mariupol.

2 They not protect civilians, they using them. It's a little bit different.

Leaving aside the clear responsibility of Russia in all this

Sorry, not possible.

Why make a point of ignoring the elephant in the room?

Ukraine has been using residential areas and civilian areas like hospitals to launch attacks from ..... I know someone is going to shoot at me and I grab my neighbour's children as a shield

Make your mind up, is Ukraine bad for attacking, or for being attacked?

The bodies strewn along the streets or thrown into mass graves, hands tied and shot in the head - those are not 'neighbour's children being used as a shield', those are atrocities occurring in russian-held areas, by russian orcs, against unarmed and defenceless civilians.

I am as responsible for their death as the one shooting

The orcs and their leaders, right up to the top, Vlad of the Long Table, are the cowardly scum who carry all the responsibility.

all the photos clearly selected to pull on heart strings now ad dead children from the school or hospital the Ukrainian troops were stationed in or near and you have even better propaganda photos.

Chalk up another fail to the orcs for gifting all those wonderful propaganda photos?

is Ukrainian really care about its civilians then it would keep its troops are far way as possible not to make them targets.

Because when the russian orcs have free rein there are so scrupulous about observing the rules of law, abiding by the Geneva convention and absolutely not, under any circumstances, killing defenceless civilians whether their hands are tied or they are cowering in a theatre basement with their children, right?

Maybe you should stop getting all your info from RT.

Michael Machida.........

What is Putins' End Game?

"independence" ie Russian integration for the pro Russian lands in the east and Crimea. Securing the water supply and security for Crimea. "De-nazification" meaning the removal of extreme Ukrainian nationalists and their ideology from positions of power in the government. And ensuring "Russian security" from Nato expansion are his stated goals. I'm sure the gas field in the east and in the sea near Crimea are also an unstated bonus.

He will eventually achieve the pro Russian lands, gas fields and water security a non Nato Ukraine (at least for the near future) but the Ukrainian nationalists have now moved from the shadows to become national heroes.

We will have to look back in 10 years or so to see if it was worth it on the geopolitical level. For those killed, injured, displaced and bereaved, we already know.

observing the rules of war.

@ rainyday

There's nothing amusing about the whole senseless conflict and unnecessary losses of lives.

Nobody has won any battle in this Ukraine crisis and no commenters are defending Russian military actions.

Merely stating an obvious fact that Putins objective have never bin to take Kyiv.

Russian propagandists are pathetic.

cleoToday  03:19 pm JST

Leaving aside the clear responsibility of Russia in all this

Sorry, not possible.

Why make a point of ignoring the elephant in the room?

Because the elephant is still going to point the gun that you and shoot so at some point you have to use your head!

They're going to shoot and if you stand next to a school or to a bunch of children knowing they're going to shoot at you then you are as responsible as them!

As I keep saying:

"Why be informed why use logic when you can use your feelings as facts"

And that is what you're doing using your feelings your feelings will not stop a bullet from killing a bunch of children.

But pulling away from an area where the children are and setting up someplace else to fight away from them will save their lives.

The graveyards are filled with people who said but I was right.

@Kipling:

"Independence" and Russian integration are two entirely different things. Why is it justifiable for Russia to absorb these territories? That's not independence.

cleoToday  03:19 pm JST

You are driving down the road, suddenly a big truck it coming straight at you in your lane.

Do you play chicken and hope he moves or do you stick to your "I am in the right!" Thinking and keep driving?

Yep he was in the wrong! Unfortunately he didn't stop and your can being smaller was crushed but you forgot you had 4 little children in your car and none survived, but you can claim the high ground because you were in the right!

This is what I see hard headed government, military, and armchair warriors all being brave while putting civilians in the middle to win their propaganda war.

You are right Russia is to blame, now tell that to the dead civilians when Russia fires on ukrainian military positions imbedded in a crowded civilian area, I am sure they are fine with dying because the Ukrainian side is right!

 no commenters are defending Russian military actions.

if you read some of the comments here, you’ll know that this is blatantly false

They're going to shoot and if you stand next to a school or to a bunch of children knowing they're going to shoot at you then you are as responsible as them!

what a load of rubbish.

it is obvious from the atrocities that have occurred recently, that the Russian soldiers have no qualms in shooting unarmed civilians.

NATO and the UN are so weak and impotent in this crisis. They are just running scared of Putrid.

I was very displeased that The Put chose A.V. Dvornikov, dubbed “the butcher of Syria,” to command Russian troops in Ukraine. Under his command it is well documented that chemical weapons and air strikes were used against civilian populations in Syria, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties.

Classic western propaganda.... russian intervention in Syria is what eliminated ISIS..

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/decisive-russian-action-ensures-defeat-of-isis-in-syria-threats-of-terror-looms-large-in-central-asia/articleshow/62614011.cms?from=mdr

You are driving down the road, suddenly a big truck it coming straight at you in your lane. 

Do you play chicken and hope he moves or do you stick to your "I am in the right!" Thinking and keep driving?

Your analogy is way off.

You are sheltering at the side of the road in a broken-down vehicle full of kids, elderly, disabled - people unable to get out of the way quickly.

Not suddenly - you knew he would be coming - a big truck driven by an imbecile is coming straight for you and you know he isn't going to stop. Either you get out of the way and save your own skin - leaving your companions to their 'fate' - or you attempt to shoot the @£$% off the road and hopefully into eternity.

We've seen that the russian orcs rain down death and destruction on civilians regardless of the presence or otherwise of troops. The civilians are not collateral damage, they are targets.

now tell that to the dead civilians when Russia fires on ukrainian military positions imbedded in a crowded civilian area

No, you tell it to the unarmed civilians in russian-held towns and villages who offered no resistance and whose bodies were left out on the blighted streets to rot when the orcs retreated.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61062213

We will have to look back in 10 years or so to see if it was worth it

Hopefully Vlad of the Long Table will be looking back on it from inside a very small, dark room with bars on the very small window. His fellow russians will be still trying to deal with living in a country that is an international pariah with a ruined economy, while the parents whose teenage conscript sons never came home from their 'training exercises' will doubtless have their own take on things, probably not a pretty one.

From the Ukrainian point of view, whether it will have been 'worth it' or not is meaningless; they have had no choice.

South-east of "state Ukraine" - is a old Russian territory with Russian population.

So Russian troops are at home near Donetsk or Mariupol.

If that part of Ukraine has a russian population, why is the russian military trying to reduce their homes, hospitals, infrastructure, to rubble?

Why is the russian military killing russian people?

Why is that russian population choosing to flee to the west of Ukraine and not to mother russia? Why do they have to be forcibly 'evacuated' to russia?

2 They not protect civilians, they using them. It's a little bit different.

And russia is killing those supposedly russian civilians, either quickly with bombs or slowly through starvation and dehydration.