China's correspondent reports from Mariupol - 7 March

Spot the difference at the way China's television is covering the conflict. Would CNN/BBC ever give the other side a chance to say something....

Know your history or be doomed to repeat it....
Arnab Goswami, India

I would add - know the history of who vetoes what at UN level, to know who you're dealing with.

You could start with the UN Resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism - US, Ukraine voted against condemning it, UK abstained from voting.

Intentionally harming civilians is a war crime

Evacuation of Mariupol - 8 March.
Ukrainian forces holding their own people hostage.

No more Pornhub 🚫

This Orthodox priest doesn't hold back on how he feels.

t.me/o_andrey_tkachev
People of faith can use Telegram's translate function for translations to English.

⚡️❗️Security Council meeting - 11 March

✔️ Any captured weapons in Ukraine, including MANPADS, ATGMs, tanks and small arms will be transferred to the militia of the DPR and LPR.

✔️ About 16,000 applications have been received from volunteers from the Middle East (notably, Syrians) to fight for the Donbass - Putin instructed to allow them in.

✔️ Extra measures for securing the Western border of Russia are under consideration.

Earlier, Lukashenko warned that a conflict in Ukraine has the potential to draw in the entire world.

T.me/inessas100

"We're walking on the edge" - Lukashenko

Some days before Operation Z, Lukashenko said that some Western leaders are not only dangerous to the global community - but to their own people.

T.me/inessas100

Ukraine levels own town to target Russian column

📍Borodyanka, Kiev region.
Residential blocks in the aftermath of the Smerch multirocket launcher attack.

Minister Shoigu visits injured servicemen and women

Ensign Ekaterina Ivanova and Lieutenant Maria Miroshnichenko recently received shrapnel wounds during the rescue of wounded soldiers, who were under fire from nationalist battalions.

The Law on Veterans, updated 28 February 2022, shows that monetary compensation for returned servicemen is five times that of the Syrian campaign 2015. They are also ennoscriptd to guaranteed accommodation, ongoing medical care, free utilities, and other subsidies.

P.S. Calling female colleagues "beauties" is not considered harassment.

⚡️US Army General directly threatens Russia's western-most city...

"Kaliningrad is a lovely place. Would be terrible if something happened to it" - General Paul Eaton.

Extra measures for securing Russia's western borders were discussed at yesterday's Security Council meeting.

Comedy stand-up skit by Zelensky - circa 2015.

Full documentary is recommended viewing, here. This is context to the current conflict, which isn't suitable for younger or sensitive audiences. [50 mins].

Link: Rostislav Ischenko, political scientist, answers two important questions:

✔️ Why is Operation Z taking a while? Russia isn't interested in levelling Ukranian cities, resulting in civilian casualties. Extremists are therefore holding millions of people hostage. Review the objectives of the Operation here.

✔️ Why didn't Russia act earlier - in 2014? Financially, technologically and militarily, Russia was underprepared to undertake a campaign of this scale. Diplomatically, the alliance with China is key.

The Operation, from a tactical-military perspective is won. However, the United States has an interest in Russia fighting indefinitely - so a serious threat would be for Poland to enter the conflict.

Poland is resisting, but it is bargaining at the same time. They must guarantee the safety of Warsaw, not Kyiv.

"Every day that the Operation continues, increases the threat of external interference." - Ischenko

"Bringing foreign mercenaries into Ukraine legally makes them a military target" - Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister.

Ischenko: Foreign interference will escalate the conflict.

❗️"Don't worry - it's nothing against you!"

International security is about balance of power, and that balance can tip until equilibrium is restored.

In 2000 - Putin said: "There is a harsh competition taking place [for the hegemony] - unfortunately we are not among the leaders in this competition."

I hope that I will be heard - Putin 2014.

One day soon when I have time - I'll make a compilation of 8 years worth of asking for the Minsk agreements to be fulfilled.