Russia/Ukraine conflict

[SwedishAdvocate]

Your other senator is Mitt Romney though.

My House rep and both of my senators are currently Democrats who would vote for both the border package and Ukraine aid if they get the chance. Bugging them probably won't help much.

Romney also seems to support UKR and he isn't up for re-election. This is his last term as a US senator. It seems the problem here is those that don't publicly support UKR...

From Dec 10 last year:

Romney: We Must Secure Border and Continue Aid for Ukraine and Israel

Senator Romney joined NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker to discuss negotiations on the Senate’s supplemental aid package, which he argued must include both border security and continued aid for Ukraine and Israel.

www.romney.senate.gov

 

[ggr]

Mod: clearly what is happening in congress at the moment affects Ukraine. There are a couple of good points in there. But it's also beginning to sound too much like partisan politics. I don't want to have to clean up. So please pivot back to the actual war. --ggr.

 

[madodel]

Mod: clearly what is happening in congress at the moment affects Ukraine. There are a couple of good points in there. But it's also beginning to sound too much like partisan politics. I don't want to have to clean up. So please pivot back to the actual war. --ggr.

Sadly the US has become extremely divided politically and the recent tanking of a bill that was demanded by one side and then deliberately killed by that same side demonstrates how bad that divide has become. Many outside the US probably can't comprehend why any of this insanity is happening but we are forbidden to discuss it despite its direct relevance to support of Ukraine. But I understand that incessant political arguments would tear the thread apart.

 

[SmokyPeat]

Starlink is reportedly being used by Russians in Ukraine now. This is upsetting. Hopefully SpaceX can find a way to deactivate the Russian terminals.

Russia deploying Starlink in Ukraine—reports

Volunteer troops are using the satellite communications network, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, in four illegally annexed regions of the country.

www.newsweek.com

 

[madodel]

Starlink is reportedly being used by Russians in Ukraine now. This is upsetting. Hopefully SpaceX can find a way to deactivate the Russian terminals.

Russia deploying Starlink in Ukraine—reports

Volunteer troops are using the satellite communications network, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, in four illegally annexed regions of the country.

www.newsweek.com

I thought they were GPS blocked? If this is true then that is not the case or whoever controls the satellites is allowing Russian areas access.

 

[SO16]

I thought they were GPS blocked? If this is true then that is not the case or whoever controls the satellites is allowing Russian areas access.

They probably need them active for Ukrainians fighting in those locations as they are illegally annexed.

 

[SmokyPeat]

There should be an easy way to prevent Russians in occupied territories of Ukraine from utilizing Starlink. I'm sure the US govt would be happy to help with that.

 

[madodel]

Zelensky Removes His Top General, in Major Shake-Up of Ukraine Military

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine removed his top general on Thursday, the ministry of defense said, after weeks of feverish speculation about his fate, enacting the most significant leadership shake-up since Russia invaded Ukraine almost two years ago.

 

[navguy12]

Interesting take in the Guardian on what is being said in the UK about the potential for future armed conflict involving the UK (reiterating what was quoted as said by a previous defence chief a few weeks back).

The official, based in defence intelligence and speaking on condition of anonymity, cited Russia’s continuing attack on Ukraine and the possibility of an expansion of the conflict, while adding that it remained possible China would attempt to take Taiwan by force.

UK closer to large-scale conflict than in many years, intelligence official says

Official cites Ukraine war and China threat and raises concern over turnover of top government ministers

www.theguardian.com

 

[navguy12]

More in today’s Guardian Ukraine news feed about gold being used as payment for drones:

• Leaked documents obtained by hackers are reported to reveal that Russia paid Iran $1.75bn in gold bullion weighing about two tonnes for thousands of the Shahed drones used to attack Ukraine. Based on the quantity ordered in the leaked documents, the deal worked out at $193,ooo each for 6,000 drones, with the balance made up by licensing fees for Russia to build its own, cheaper copies. A hacker group calling itself the Prana Network said it took the files from servers of the drones’ Iranian manufacturer, Sahara Thunder, the Telegraph reported.

Some other highlights (link to all points at bottom of post)

• A major Chinese international bank has cut off some of its Russian clients, reportedly fearing it could be caught up in sanctions over the Ukraine war, according to the Vedomosti business daily of Moscow. Zhejiang Chouzhou Commercial Bank is one of the main banks for Russian exporters. The paper said other banks had tightened compliance checks, hampering currency transfers in and out of China for Russian businesses. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the government was “working” on addressing the problem with the Chinese government.

• Germany is not big enough to make up the difference should the US fail to deliver weapons to Ukraine, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has said ahead of a trip to Washington. “That is, I believe, the real danger we currently face.”

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 715

US Republicans reject bill tying Ukraine aid to border security; Kyiv urges west to speed up deliveries of artillery shells

www.theguardian.com

 

[navguy12]

Asked if the Putin interview was not a justifiable opportunity to counter the “one-sided media” operating in Brussels, as Carlson has characterised it, the foreign affairs spokesperson said Putin was killing people, bombing infrastructure and conducting a disinformation campaign that “is directed against the European Union and is considered as a threat to our societies”.

“And he is trying to kill as many Ukrainians as he can for no reason. There is only one reason for his twisted desire to reinstate the now imperialistic Russian empire where he controls everything in his neighbourhood and imposes his will. But this is not something we are able to tolerate or are willing to tolerate in Europe or the world in the 21st century.”

Tucker Carlson interview with Putin to test EU law regulating tech companies

Law obliges social media platforms to remove illegal content – with fears that interview will give Russian leader propaganda coup

www.theguardian.com

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

• Germany is not big enough to make up the difference should the US fail to deliver weapons to Ukraine, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has said ahead of a trip to Washington. “That is, I believe, the real danger we currently face.”

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 715

US Republicans reject bill tying Ukraine aid to border security; Kyiv urges west to speed up deliveries of artillery shells

www.theguardian.com

?...

Seems like some kind of snippet taken out of context. It's not just Germany. It's the whole of the EU+UK+Norway+Canada+Australia+New Zealand+Japan+South Korea+Taiwan. And even India has allegedly been delivering artillery shells to UKR.

 

[navguy12]

?...

Seems like some kind of snippet taken out of context. It's not just Germany. It's the whole of the EU+UK+Norway+Canada+Australia+New Zealand+Japan+South Korea+Taiwan. And even India has allegedly been delivering artillery shells to UKR.

Agreed.

However, the statement may have been made for domestic (Germany) audience.

The raw feed:

 

[Christine69420]

Starlink is reportedly being used by Russians in Ukraine now. This is upsetting. Hopefully SpaceX can find a way to deactivate the Russian terminals.

Russia deploying Starlink in Ukraine—reports

Volunteer troops are using the satellite communications network, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, in four illegally annexed regions of the country.

www.newsweek.com

According to the recent memoar Starlink terminals are only in Ukraine. SpaceX sold Starshield terminals to the US military. These terminals are deployed where the US military wants them. So deactivating would possibly be a military decision - not a SpaceX one.

 

[Crutonius]

It looks like these are terminals that Russia bought through an intermediary in Dubai. It should just be a matter of leaning on SpaceX to deactivate these specific terminals.

 

[madodel]

A man who sought asylum in the UK, accessed British military intelligence secrets and even met the King is on trial accused of being a “a spy for the GIU”, Russia's military intelligence agency, “notorious for its hostile activities around the world”, says Fiona Hamilton, chief reporter for The Times.

 

[navguy12]

Allegedly:

Musk's Starlink is operational on occupied territory which is shown on their official website. Ukrainian fighters report that their own Starlink speed drops to 0.1 Mb/sec, a thousand times from promised speed. Russians are using their Starlinks without problems which is already felt on the frontline.Media presumes that activated Starlinks are sold to Russia through UAE. As you see on the map, Starlinks are specifically disabled near the Russian border; Musk can also turn them off for Ukraine when he wants to or turn them on for Russia.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1755700982221049899

 

[bhzmark]

SpaceX is prohibited from knowingly dealing with Russians in anyway, including indirectly. If Russians are really using Starlink it is likely without SpaceX knowing about it. And when they do learn of it they should be turning it off to be compliant.

Although since Musk seems to listen to David Sacks’ profoundly ignorant inanities on Ukraine, I suppose anything is possible.

 

[heltok]

Anyone got a good summary? Gave up after Putin started rambling about Russian history, that guy needs to get some real friends...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1755734526678925682

 

[SwedishAdvocate]