Author Archives: RomanInUkraine

What’s happening inside Russia?

Source (with pictures): https://twitter.com/Killa_ru/status/1502075252989382664

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What’s happening in Russia/Moscow rn. A pretty random thread:

I can’t say much about people’s feelings because now you can get up to 15 years in jail for criticizing this ‘special operation’, calling it a war (yes, you can’t), ‘spreading fakes’, supporting sanctions or calling for protests. Have to blink twice.

Can’t really protest because everyone gets instantly detained, even random people. See what happened on Bolotnaya Square, protests after Nemtsov was killed, or what happened in Belarus. These governments are good at shutting down protests. Anti-riot police is everywhere now.
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Marquis de Custine on Russian mentiality, 1830s

What does surprise me is that among all the voices testifying to the glory of this single man, not one rises above the chorus to speak for humanity against the miracles of autocracy. You can say of the Russians, both great and small, that they are intoxicated with slavery. ~ Marquis De Custine, 1830s

Ukrainian Foreign Legion Off to a Rough Start

The most troubling turn of events came just after breakfast. The volunteers lined up and were told that it was time to sign a contract: this stipulated that their pay would be 7,000 hryvnia a month ($230 at the time) and that they would have to remain in the Ukrainian foreign legion for the duration of the war. The contract put them under the same obligations as all Ukrainian men: under martial law, declared by Zelensky on February 24th, no man aged between 18 and 60 is allowed to leave the country. “If you’ve got any commitments at home, you’re going to lose them,” Priday told me. People might lose their jobs or even their houses, if they fall behind on rent or mortgage payments: “7,000 hyrvnia a month is not sustainable”.

Two other sources confirmed to 1843 magazine that the contract binds volunteers to serve for an indefinite length of time. (By way of comparison, the French Foreign Legion requires people to sign up for five years in the first instance.) None of the volunteers 1843 magazine spoke to had been told about the terms of contract before they made the crossing into Ukraine. A source in the Ukrainian ministry of defence also told 1843 magazine that the contract was for an unlimited period. He said that, in practice, those who no longer wished to fight could apply for a discharge and were unlikely to be refused. Between 20 and 30 volunteers have already been allowed to leave after signing on. The ministry of defence spokesman denied that the contract requires volunteers to sign on indefinitely but refused to share a copy.

The terms of the contract are clearly giving some people pause. A number of would-be volunteers in Lviv in western Ukraine, interviewed by 1843 magazine, said they would like to help the war effort but are wary of signing the document. They are now looking for other ways to offer assistance.

https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/03/11/fighters-with-ukraines-foreign-legion-are-being-asked-to-sign-indefinite-contracts-some-have-refused

Black Humor

I think many of us following closely have seen enough pictures of mangled remains that we’ve become a bit desensitized.

I saw one post of particularly gruesome remains with a lady’s comment:

“I’ve seen so many of these, that I’m starting to think they’re already in this condition when they arrive.”