Archives for 2024

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A few quick housekeeping notes: First, everyone chill the hell out in the comments! And cut each other a lot more slack! I get it that all of what is going on in Ukraine, Gaza, Georgia, and everywhere else has everyone frazzled, but let’s all just dial it back a few notches. Thanks!

Second, Rosie is still doing well as she recovers from her fourth chemo treatment. It’s clearly had an effect on her system, but nowhere near the effect of the first two treatments. Thank all of you again for the thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations!

Third, I only got home a little while ago. It has been a very long day, so I’m just going to cover a few items tonight.

Fourth, simply to clarify, the F-16s that the Ukrainians will be getting are not coming from a boneyard in the US. They’re coming from our NATO allies. The first dozen or so from Holland. The issue here, like it is with so many US weapons systems, is that had the Biden administration began the process when the Ukrainians asked, rather than loudly announcing the Ukrainians didn’t need what they asked for and it wouldn’t be helpful, but just quietly started the training programs and setting up the logistics to provide them, then they’d have been available when the Biden administration eventually changed their mind and announced that we’re sending F-16s or several other weapons systems. Finally, and I’ve said this before, I’m unhappy with the President and his nat-sec team, I think they’re exceedingly risk averse when they shouldn’t be and not risk averse enough when they should be. But they’re still a million times better than the people lined up to replace them if Trump is elected in November. Everyone needs to vote as if this is the last actual meaningful election we’ll ever see. Because it may very well be.

The Russians once again revealed their genocidal intent with their bombardment of Kharkiv today. And, of course, the tweet I want to embed won’t. Neither will this one! Let’s try a reply with the original tweet. Nope, that won’t work either! Not a single fucking tweet will embed! And I’m having this problem with both Safari and Brave and with the VPN on and the VPN off. I’ve already alerted Cole.

Let’s do this the hard way.

Russia blew up Ukraine’s largest printing house today. Seven workers were killed, only two identified because of the heat of the explosion. Kharkiv was attacked three times today during the day and again just as the 23rd gave way to the 24th in Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent has the details:

Russian forces destroyed one of Ukraine’s largest printing presses amid a mass missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on the morning of May 23.

According to regional authorities, Russia used S-300 missiles, fired from inside Russian territory, to strike the factory belonging to Ukraine’s prominent Vivat publishing house.

Russian forces fired around 10 missiles in total at Kharkiv, as well as other settlements in the region including Liubotyn, Derhachi, and Zolochiv.

Seven people were killed in the attack, and over a dozen more injured. One of the civilians killed was placed on an ambulance stretcher, his body still intact. The others, discovered by the firefighters one at a time as they made their way through the smoking ruins, were burnt beyond recognition.

The attack is just the latest in a series of intensified attacks against civilian targets in Kharkiv Oblast amid an ongoing ground offensive in the region.

On May 19, another seven people were killed when Russian forces conducted a “double-tap” strike against a lakeside recreation center north of the city.

Kharkiv is a center of the Ukrainian publishing industry, with repeated attacks seemingly targeting publishing houses condemned as part of Russia’s war against Ukrainian culture.

Eight more communities in Sumy Oblast were attacked by Russia today as well. From The Kyiv Independent:

Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast 108 times in 25 separate attacks throughout the day, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on May 23.

The communities of Bilopillia, Yunakivka, Khotin, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Druzhbivka, Seredyna-Buda, and Esman, were targeted.

Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, drone, rocket, and artillery attacks, while dropping explosives from drones onto three of the communities.

No casualties or injuries were reported.

The town of Velyka Pysarivka, located about 3 kilometers west of the Ukraine-Russia border, experienced the bulk of the attacks reported with 42 explosions recorded in the area.

Given the town’s proximity to Russia, Velyka Pysarivka has become a main target of attack for Russia over recent months. Much of the community’s infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian attacks.

Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months. Amid intensified attacks, Ukrainian authorities ordered increased evacuations from the region.

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on May 14 he expects Russia to launch a new attack in Sumy Oblast once the situation in Kharkiv Oblast stabilized, the New York Times reported.

Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia, with residents in the region’s vulnerable border settlements experience multiple attacks per day.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

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War for Ukraine Day 820: Russia’s Genocidal Intent Expose in Kharkiv BombardmentPost + Comments (33)