Russia-Ukraine War - News and Developments

[jhungary]

I mean like Vietnamese, or Afghans who fought under US army.. but were nor residents of the US.. what would have been their faith if caught in that war by the opposing side..???

It really depends on the circumstance.

Let me make this clear for you.

There are 6 requirements for you to met to be call a Mercenary. You need to meet ALL 6 to be identify as Mercenary That was laid out in Article 47 Geneva Convention Protocol I

2. A mercenary is any person who:

(a) is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;

(b) does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities;

(c) is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party;

(d) is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict;

(e) is not a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict; and

(f) has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.

So it meant A person who is specifically recruited (1) to take part in a conflict (2) and is motivated by personal/private gain or material compensation that would be more than what is pay to any state actor (3) and is neither a citizen nor resident of any party in this conflict (4) or represent any armed force in each belligerent state (5) and is not send by any state party as an official member of its armed force (6) Then and only then, can that person be a mercenary.

Let's break down what is a Mercenary and what isn't

1. So if you are not specifically recruit to fight in a conflict (as in being tricked) then you are not a mercenary
2. So if you are not taking part in the hostilities (as in tourist/foreign national that trap in a warzone) then you are not a mercenary
3. So if you are not motivated by personal gain or are promise to paid more than the state actor (As in member of a NGO for example) , then you are not a mercenary
4. So if you are a citizen or resident of a party of that conflict, even if you are motivated by personal gain and paid more than State Actor (US PMC in Iraq for example) You are not a mercenary, this is due to inherit right of self defence, as a citizen/resident of belligerent party have the right to defend yourself in a war your country involved in.
5. So if you are a organised member of the Armed Force of the belligerent party (Foreigner in war sponsored by state armed force) then you are not a mercenary
6. So if you are send by a state that is not a party in the conflict but was an official member of that party armed force in a warzone for official duty (UN Observer or Foreign Embassy military escort), then you are not a mercenary

So if US, Vietnam, or Afghanistan is one of the party of the conflict, then D will not met, and they are not Mercenary. If US is a belligerent party but not Vietnam and Afghanistan, and those Vietnmanese and Afghani fought UNDER US (as an interpreter as an example) then E will not met and they are not mercenary, If none of those are party to a conflict, then depends on whether or not they are in a conflict zone for official business on behalf of their respective country. If they are, then F will not met and they are not Mercenary. If They are not in a conflict zone for official business, then depends on whether and they are specifically recruited for conflict, then depends on if they were paid more than any State Actor, if they do, then they are Mercenary, and if they didn't then they aren't.

 

[Hassan Al-Somal]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535744655303794688

 

[925boy]

The important thing to remember is they were forced by political decisions as sanctions.. not really willing to loose the Russian Market volunterally..

those corporations gladly followed US govt instructions to leave- where was their challenge to US govt to not kick them out of Russia???

"EVery choice has an implied rejection" - By not challenging the US and Western sanctions plan on Russia, those corporations became part of the economic war against Russia, so NO, they are not innocent, lets not be naive.

 

[PakFactor]

Ukraine’s own Defense Ministry recently said that the amount of weaponry they received was enough to stop any European Army except the Russian Federation.

Russian Forces made some serious miscalculations in the first phases of the conflict but right now their Artillery is making minced meat out the Ukrainian.

Western Trolls here try to portray Russians as a third world military power but right now Russians are crushing Ukrainians in Donbass. Odessa is next.

Russians haven’t fought a grueling war in decades against a professional army last action was in WWII. Now the Russians are learning what they’ll be up against and adopting and I’m sure after this conflict there will be a revamping of Russian Armed Forces, and China will contribute and itself learn from this conflict.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535738395107987461

Germany don't want see Leopard 2 blown up in Donbas. Bad for Germany's reputation.

 

[PakFactor]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535545706844405761

Dear lord some one needs to tell this mongrel to shut the **** up.

 

[Hassan Al-Somal]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535722880872419331

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535783486472491008

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535654931847430144

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535722880872419331

Hobby quadcopters are dangerous. You can't hear it. It's so quiet.

 

[sammuel]

"You Ukrainians are obsessed with stealing, so you think everyone is like you."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded to a Ukrainian reporter's question about the stolen Ukrainian grain

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535164737813725185

Yeh , Right.

 

[Hassan Al-Somal]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535773919361216515

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535800500213280768

 

[Hassan Al-Somal]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535745178744545280

 

[Apollon]

You're comparing your country to Russia now? if Russia wanted, they could send your country to the stone ages. Don't get carried away with your fantasies.

You mean russia would try to pull us down on their low level? 70% of russians have no acess to a functional toilet.

USA and its vassals fighting Russia to the last Ukranian.

No, USA and EU know history the moment Ukraine is lost to Putler, next will be baltics and poland, then Germany. Its plain and simple, dictators do their thing as long they are allowed to do it. Hitler was same.

 

[khansaheeb]

US intelligence told to keep quiet over role in Ukraine military triumphs

CIA veterans advise successors against ‘unwise’ intelligence boasts that could trigger escalation from Russia

www.theguardian.com

US intelligence told to keep quiet over role in Ukraine military triumphs​

This article is more than 1 month old
CIA veterans advise successors against ‘unwise’ intelligence boasts that could trigger escalation from Russia

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Officials were quotes as saying that US intelligence had helped Ukraine hit the Moskva with anti-ship missiles last month. Photograph: Max Delany/AFP/Getty Images

Julian Borger in Washington
Sat 7 May 2022 01.10 EDT


Former US intelligence officers are advising their successors currently in office to shut up and stop boasting about their role in Ukraine’s military successes.
Two stories surfaced in as many days in the American press this week, citing unnamed officials as saying that US intelligence was instrumental in the targeting of Russian generals on the battlefield and in the sinking of the Moskva flagship cruiser on the Black Sea.

The initial report in the New York Times on Wednesday about the generals was partially denied by the White House, which said that while the US shares intelligence with Ukrainian forces, it was not specifically shared with the intent to kill Russian general officers.


US shared location of cruiser Moskva with Ukraine prior to sinking
Read more
Advertisement

The next day, NBC, the New York Times and the Washington Post all quoted officials as saying that US intelligence had helped Ukraine hit the Moskva with anti-ship missiles last month, making it the biggest Russian ship to be sunk since the second world war.
As a general rule, espionage is carried out in secret, though western intelligence agencies have turned that rule on its head over the past few months by going public with what they knew about Russian preparations for invasion, and then with daily reports on the battlefield and from behind Russian lines.
The new disclosures are different however, as they concern what the US espionage agencies themselves have been doing, rather than commenting on the state of the war.
In both cases, the US was claiming a hand in historic humiliations for Moscow and for Vladimir Putin, triggering warnings of unintended consequences.
Paul Pillar, a former senior CIA official, said: “My personal view is it’s unwise. I am surprised at the extent of official confirmation of the role of US intelligence in the sinking of the Moskva, and even more so the killing of the generals.
“The big concern is that this sort of public confirmation of this extensive US role in the setbacks dealt to the Russians may provoke Putin into escalation in a way that he might not otherwise feel it necessary to escalate.”
John Sipher, who served for 28 years in the CIA’s clandestine service, some of that time in Moscow, thought the decision to disclose details of intelligence sharing was misguided, but for different reasons.
Advertisement

“I just think it’s disrespectful to the Ukrainians,” Sipher said. “It’s taking away from the people who are actually on the ground, who are taking advantage of the intelligence, who are collecting their own intelligence, who are fighting day and night.”
However, he did not think that it significantly raised the risk of escalation between Russia and Nato.
“Putin understands how the game is played. He gets intelligence to try to kill Americans if the situation is reversed, as he did in Afghanistan and other places. The Russians have spent years attacking us with cyber warfare and disinformation,” Sipher said.
“So I don’t think them being upset that America is sharing intelligence is a game-changer.”
European officials made clear their own intelligence agencies would not be following the US lead.
“It’s stupid,” one official said. “I don’t think it is a carefully coordinated leak.”
An official from another European country cast doubt on the centrality of US intelligence to the Ukrainian targeting of Russian generals, saying the main factor was the predictability of Russian officers as they followed rigid Soviet-era doctrine. The breakdown in their secure communications equipment and the top-down hierarchy of the Russian army meant the top officers had to travel to the frontlines to be sure their orders were carried out and Ukrainian snipers were waiting for them.
In the case of the Moskva, US officials were at pains to emphasise that Ukraine made its own targeting decisions, and drew information from multiple sources.
“We are not the only sole source of intelligence and information to the Ukrainians. They get intelligence from other nations as well and have a pretty robust intelligence collection capability,” John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, said.
“They’ve been fighting this war against Russia for eight years. It’s not like they are completely blind to the way Russia organises itself and the way Russia conducts itself on the battlefield.”

• This article was amended on 9/5/22 to correct an error in a quote

​

… we have a small favour to ask. Tens of millions have placed their trust in the Guardian’s fearless journalism since we started publishing 200 years ago, turning to us in moments of crisis, uncertainty, solidarity and hope. More than 1.5 million supporters, from 180 countries, now power us financially – keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent.
Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting, always free from commercial or political influence. Reporting like this is vital for democracy, for fairness and to demand better from the powerful.
And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read. We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the global events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to pay for it.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our journalism and sustains our future. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you.

 

[Hassan Al-Somal]

Ukraine Slams Biden's Comments on Zelensky Not Heeding Warnings—'Absurd'​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1535794680218193920

 

[The SC]

It really depends on the circumstance.

Let me make this clear for you.

There are 6 requirements for you to met to be call a Mercenary. You need to meet ALL 6 to be identify as Mercenary That was laid out in Article 47 Geneva Convention Protocol I

2. A mercenary is any person who:

(a) is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;

(b) does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities;

(c) is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party;

(d) is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict;

(e) is not a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict; and

(f) has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.

So it meant A person who is specifically recruited (1) to take part in a conflict (2) and is motivated by personal/private gain or material compensation that would be more than what is pay to any state actor (3) and is neither a citizen nor resident of any party in this conflict (4) or represent any armed force in each belligerent state (5) and is not send by any state party as an official member of its armed force (6) Then and only then, can that person be a mercenary.

Let's break down what is a Mercenary and what isn't

1. So if you are not specifically recruit to fight in a conflict (as in being tricked) then you are not a mercenary
2. So if you are not taking part in the hostilities (as in tourist/foreign national that trap in a warzone) then you are not a mercenary
3. So if you are not motivated by personal gain or are promise to paid more than the state actor (As in member of a NGO for example) , then you are not a mercenary
4. So if you are a citizen or resident of a party of that conflict, even if you are motivated by personal gain and paid more than State Actor (US PMC in Iraq for example) You are not a mercenary, this is due to inherit right of self defence, as a citizen/resident of belligerent party have the right to defend yourself in a war your country involved in.
5. So if you are a organised member of the Armed Force of the belligerent party (Foreigner in war sponsored by state armed force) then you are not a mercenary
6. So if you are send by a state that is not a party in the conflict but was an official member of that party armed force in a warzone for official duty (UN Observer or Foreign Embassy military escort), then you are not a mercenary

So if US, Vietnam, or Afghanistan is one of the party of the conflict, then D will not met, and they are not Mercenary. If US is a belligerent party but not Vietnam and Afghanistan, and those Vietnmanese and Afghani fought UNDER US (as an interpreter as an example) then E will not met and they are not mercenary, If none of those are party to a conflict, then depends on whether or not they are in a conflict zone for official business on behalf of their respective country. If they are, then F will not met and they are not Mercenary. If They are not in a conflict zone for official business, then depends on whether and they are specifically recruited for conflict, then depends on if they were paid more than any State Actor, if they do, then they are Mercenary, and if they didn't then they aren't.

I guess most countries of the world..including Russia know about this article 47 of the Geneva Convention Protocol I.. So if the Russians or DPR call these guys Mercenaries they must know what they are talking about..

The problem is that Ukraine Has created a foreign legion army.. but do they get the citizenship like the French foreign legion automatically?.. I know it is already pretty complicated to get the Ukrainian citizenship in the first place..

The other .. and most important problem is what if these guys have committed proven war crimes?

Russians haven’t fought a grueling war in decades against a professional army last action was in WWII. Now the Russians are learning what they’ll be up against and adopting and I’m sure after this conflict there will be a revamping of Russian Armed Forces, and China will contribute and itself learn from this conflict.

Well..the whole world is learning from this conflict..there are too many new war tactics and doctrines to take note of.. mostly by developing countries..