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Ukraine Invasion Day 272: so much disinformation as winter approaches [1]
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Date: 2022-11-21
Yuriy Ignat, the spokesman of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that NASAMS air defense systems shoot down 100% of cruise missiles, but the problem is that we don't have enough of such complexes.
Proximity fused SPAAG:s, with moders sensor packages and networked situational awareness will probably end the free reign of drones operating close to the fighting forces. And it will happen sooner than most drone peeps will realize as the tech has been ready for a long time.
https://t.co/rWFf2K0uCF
⚡️ WAR IN UKRAINE, NOV 20 No update today as @Rebel44CZ is archiving his massive Twitter content. But at least we got 1 more 🇷🇺 tank - now at 1500! 🙂 VISUALLY CONFIRMED RATIOS: 3.5x to date ➡ 2.3x last 30 days ➡ 3.5x counteroffensive ➡ 📈
https://t.co/CLH7SPpnsZ pic.twitter.com/0G22USekfI
I can assure you of one thing… The two men arrested & sent to jail in this video are going to be the only ones that survive that mobilization. The rest are just dead men walking.
https://t.co/TwijhKYqfq
Since the war started, nominal wages in #Ukraine have managed modest growth; but real wages dropped 11% Jan-Oct & the decline has now accelerated to 18%; 13% of hired employees have lost their job since the war started & job losses are increasing, @voxeu
https://t.co/WDoCKAoFpv
⚡️The Scottish company Great Scot has created a unique tartan using the colors of the Scottish and Ukrainian flags as a symbol of solidarity between Scotland and the people of Ukraine - Daily Record. pic.twitter.com/fVTNwLFNGs
“It’s a very dangerous mission,” said Oleksiy Serediuk, the battalion commander. “They need to land where there is a swarm of Russians. They need to go around them and plant mines.”
To exploit weaknesses on the Russian side, the Bratstvo fighters have been conducting secret raids and other special operations for months, as part of the Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian occupying forces. On this night, their mission was to slip onto the eastern bank and lay mines on a road used by Russian soldiers and attack a mortar position.
From the beginning of a conflict defined by heavy aerial and artillery bombardment and grinding trench warfare, the Bratstvo battalion has undertaken some of the conflict’s most difficult missions, conducting forward spotting and sabotage along the front lines, including in the early battles around the cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv. Now, in the battle for Ukraine’s south, they’ve learned to use boats and infiltrate the Russian-controlled side of the Dnipro River.
“We go on foot,” Mr. Serediuk said. “If we are conducting an ambush, we can go up to 35 kilometers and spend several days on task.”
[...]
Volunteers were best suited for the job, since they were most ready to accept the risk, said Mr. Serediuk, who stayed back, drinking coffee through the night, waiting for news.
His volunteers were united in wanting to recapture all Ukrainian territory, including the annexed Crimean peninsula, he said, and taking the fight all the way to Russia, too. “We all dream about going to Chechnya, and the Kremlin, and as far as the Ural Mountains,” he said. As for President Vladimir V. Putin, he said: “Kill him in his bunker. My small unit can do that.”
Their small sabotage attacks were not enough to liberate the occupied areas on their own, he said. “That will be land forces.” But he said he came to realize the value of their work when he saw the damage a Russian sabotage unit did behind Ukrainian lines near the town of Bakhmut in August.
www.nytimes.com/...
x The Bratstvo battalion has undertaken some of the conflict’s most difficult missions, conducting forward spotting and sabotage along the front lines. The group gave access to The New York Times to report on two recent riverine operations.
https://t.co/YicJyvlmtY — New York Times World (@nytimesworld) November 22, 2022
x Were the russians in Makiivka executed?
No. And I will explain all the facts in this thread 🧵:
Yesterday the @nytimes published an article about the dead russians in Makiivka... and didn't bother to ask a single military expert, officer, weapons expert, or Ukrainian.
1/n — Thomas C. Theiner (@noclador) November 21, 2022
Instead they went to an Assistant Adjunct Professor for Epidemiology at UC Berkeley, who is quoted: “It looks like most of them were shot in the head,” Dr. Rohini Haar, medical adviser at Physicians for Human Rights, said in an interview.
Wrong. And a military expert would have told the NY Times that this is nonsense.
First: here are the videos of the before and after of the incident. Video 2 in the linked tweet is before and Video 3 is after.
3/n
There is a Ukrainian machine gunner on the ground (red circle). I added his line of fire in yellow.
We can also spot a toy car and a tree trunk. Those are important later.
There are two additional Ukrainian soldiers in this video, but they
4/n Here is a screenshot from Video 2.There is a Ukrainian machine gunner on the ground (red circle). I added his line of fire in yellow.We can also spot a toy car and a tree trunk. Those are important later.There are two additional Ukrainian soldiers in this video, but they
will move before the next video so I did not mark them. Here is a video taken by a Ukrainian soldier that participated in the events.
Now let's analyze this video.
5/n
And again we see the toy car.
6/n Here is the machine gunner from earlier. He uses a PKM machine gun. The machine gun is level with the heads of the dead russians later. His job is to keep the surrendering russians in check.And again we see the toy car.
And this Ukrainian soldier doesn't have his rifle up. He is not expecting any resistance.
7/n The toy car, a children's swing and to the right another Ukrainian soldier (which the NY Times forgot to count).And this Ukrainian soldier doesn't have his rifle up. He is not expecting any resistance.
So we have five Ukrainian soldiers, with one filming, three having their
8/n Two more Ukrainian troops. One with his foot on the aforementioned trunk, the other to the side behind the machine gunner. Both with their rifles pointing down. They too aren't ready for any shootout.So we have five Ukrainian soldiers, with one filming, three having their
If we add those four Ukrainian soldiers to the overhead shot we see that only one had a clear shot of the russian (green circle) that came out last and attacked the Ukrainians. And that the filming soldier (blue circle)
9/n rifles down, and only the machine gunner ready to fire.If we add those four Ukrainian soldiers to the overhead shot we see that only one had a clear shot of the russian (green circle) that came out last and attacked the Ukrainians. And that the filming soldier (blue circle)
This is the approximate view of the machine gunner and his line of fire in yellow. Also note the wall section, the position of the 10th russian soldiers, & the hands of the first russian soldiers.
10/n was the attackers target (he is the injured soldier at the end of his video).This is the approximate view of the machine gunner and his line of fire in yellow. Also note the wall section, the position of the 10th russian soldiers, & the hands of the first russian soldiers.
11/n If we add the position of the Ukrainian troops and their lines of fire over a screenshot of the aftermath video, you can see that two Ukrainian troops and the machine gunner had the russians on the ground in their line of fire. Only one Ukrainian soldier had a clear shot of
12/n attacking russian. Once this russian attacks, the soldier filming drops to the ground injured and the soldier, who had his foot on the trunk moves forward to engage. And you can hear the machine gun starting to fire - but more of that later.
Bullet holes have appeared on the wall behind the dead russians. How did these get there if the russians were "shot in the head"??
13/n After the shooting.Bullet holes have appeared on the wall behind the dead russians. How did these get there if the russians were "shot in the head"??
14/n And if the russians were shot where they lay, how come that the 10th did move behind the wall?
15/n "shot in the head", but the helmets didn't move? I can show you videos from the war in Syria and the Armenia-Azerbaijan war: a headshot with a Kalashnikov at that range and the helmet flies off with half the skull and most of the brain.
Well, the first russian soldier's left hand got hit by one of the machine guns' 7.62×54mm bullets...
The destructive power and rate of fire of the PKM machine gun alone was enough
16/n These russian were hit by the much more powerful bullets of the PKM machine gun. How powerful?Well, the first russian soldier's left hand got hit by one of the machine guns' 7.62×54mm bullets...The destructive power and rate of fire of the PKM machine gun alone was enough
to kill all these russians. It was not an execution, it was not a war crime.
It was a team of 5 Ukrainian troops, four of which weren't doing their job but fooling around, who tried to take 11 russian prisoner. One russian decided to rather die than surrender, and the only Ukrainian soldier ready to fire did as is expected in such a situation. The soldier filming goes down = the machine gunner fires to neutralize any threat. That's it.
If the NY Times had asked a military or weapons expert instead of epidemiologists and lawyers, they wouldn't have provided the russian propaganda with this gift.
If you still have doubts: here is a PKM machine gun being fired, and after that I added three times the audio from the last second of the Ukrainian soldier's video.
You be the judge what we hear in that last second.
19/end
• • •
x This week, despite continuing Russian terror bombing in #Ukraine and an important G20 meeting in Indonesia, the possible demise of Twitter has been dominant in the feeds of many social media users. What would it mean for the war in Ukraine if Twitter dies? 1/23 pic.twitter.com/igLLlLea6W — Mick Ryan, AM (@WarintheFuture) November 21, 2022
2/ It is an important question, given the centrality of strategic influence and information warfare to the conflict in . Twitter is the communication tool of choice during crises, and has featured in several previous conflicts. The Sun will still rise if Twitter fails, but it could have serious implications for the Ukraine war It is an important question, given the centrality of strategic influence and information warfare to the conflict in #Ukraine . Twitter is the communication tool of choice during crises, and has featured in several previous conflicts.
3/ But the Ukraine war has seen a Cambrian explosion in the use of social media – especially Twitter – to share images & stories from inside Ukraine, to disseminate situation reports, to build crowdfunding efforts, track war crimes, and for strategic influence activities.
4/ War has always been a complex balance of physical, intellectual and moral forces. Influencing the thinking and actions of enemy commanders, political leaders and elements of friendly and enemy populations is as old as war. Propaganda in the Ancient World: Shaping Attitudes Throughout History - Seven Ages War has always been a complex balance of physical, intellectual and moral forces. Influencing the thinking and actions of enemy commanders, political leaders and elements of friendly and enemy populations is as old as war. sevenages.org/history/propag…
5/ However, the advent of social media has provided the means to influence leaders and the inhabitants of their nations in more sophisticated, and more pervasive, ways than ever before.
6/ The Ukrainian Government have implemented a continuously evolving program to influence western governments and solicit aid since the invasion in February. Twitter has tens of millions of users in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
7/ These are two important targets for official Ukrainian influence operations. They are also massive providers of military and financial aid, which Ukraine would wish to have continue uninterrupted.
8/ Twitter has been an essential source for Ukrainians, as well as foreign journalists & citizens, to gain information about the war from Ukraine's government. The Ukrainian Digital Minister Fedorov has noted how Twitter is part of Ukraine’s war effort. Twitter is part of our war effort - Ukraine minister Twitter has been an essential source for Ukrainians, as well as foreign journalists & citizens, to gain information about the war from Ukraine's government. The Ukrainian Digital Minister Fedorov has noted how Twitter is part of Ukraine’s war effort.
9/ Other government leaders in Europe, such as Estonian Prime Minister @kajakallas and NATO Secretary General , have developed large followings and use their Twitter handles to share information and influence western support for Ukraine. Other government leaders in Europe, such as Estonian Prime Ministerand NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg , have developed large followings and use their Twitter handles to share information and influence western support for Ukraine.
10/ Official use of social media has been accompanied by a rise of social media citizen reporters. Thousands of online commentators – some credentialed & experienced, some not at all – have gained influence among populations in Russia, Ukraine and in many western nations.
11/ Of course, a range of other online mechanisms have been used by these commentators, particularly telegram, but Twitter has stood out for its simplicity of use and wide access by those in, and beyond, the Ukraine warzone.
12/ Analysts have developed sophisticated mapping products to track progress in the war. Others have shared images and videos, all of which exert some level of influence on those who view them. Analysts have developed sophisticated mapping products to track progress in the war. Others have shared images and videos, all of which exert some level of influence on those who view them.
13/ Open-source satellite data is also playing a role in Ukraine operations and is being shared on Twitter in daily or weekly updates about the conflict as well as reporting damage of long-range strikes such as that on the Kerch Bridge.
14/ Some commentators on Twitter have become adept at using the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Fire Information and Resource Management System, to assess the level of artillery fire in Ukraine. Some commentators on Twitter have become adept at using the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Fire Information and Resource Management System, to assess the level of artillery fire in Ukraine.
15/ A unique class of Twitter users has also emerged during the war in Ukraine. A large number of pro-Ukraine online activists, operating under the #NAFO hashtag, use Shiba Inu dog memes to challenge and crowd out Kremlin talking points on social media. The shit-posting, Twitter-trolling, dog-deploying social media army taking on Putin one meme at a time A unique class of Twitter users has also emerged during the war in Ukraine. A large number of pro-Ukraine online activists, operating under thehashtag, use Shiba Inu dog memes to challenge and crowd out Kremlin talking points on social media.
16/ The fellas deluge Twitter with memes criticizing President Putin, and have widely mocked the Russia war effort. Their activities have given rise to the term ‘bonking vatniks’ and has played a key role in combating Russian disinformation. Ukraine's info warriors battling Russian trolls – DW – 09/17/2022T The fellas deluge Twitter with memes criticizing President Putin, and have widely mocked the Russia war effort. Their activities have given rise to the term ‘bonking vatniks’ and has played a key role in combating Russian disinformation.
17/ Of course, over reliance on information found on Twitter has its risks.
18/ Information is more difficult to verify and is open to exploitation for misinformation. As one journalist has written, "we’re still working out just what ‘truth is the first casualty’ means in the social media age.” crikey.com.au/2022/03/07/war… Trending in the trenches: Social media is giving birth to a new kind of war journalism Information is more difficult to verify and is open to exploitation for misinformation. As one journalist has written, "we’re still working out just what ‘truth is the first casualty’ means in the social media age.”
19/ Ultimately however, the sun will still rise, even if Twitter fails. There are many other blogs & social media that will fill the gap caused by the ongoing shenanigans in San Francisco. Few of these offer the ease of access and use of Twitter, but humans are very adaptive.
20/ We will find new ways, and use other existing means, to communicate, to network, to share information and influence each other. Given the demand for the functions provided by Twitter, some alternate version is certain to arise.
21/ The war in Ukraine will continue regardless of Twitter’s fate. We may be a little poorer when it comes to information about the conflict, but one less social media feed – regardless of its following - will not have a significant impact on the current trajectory of the war.
22/ The Russian military, having begun this war, will continue their vicious attack on Ukraine. And the Ukrainians, as they have done from the beginning, will adapt and persevere with the defence of their nation. End. The Sun will still rise if Twitter fails, but it could have serious implications for the Ukraine warS The Russian military, having begun this war, will continue their vicious attack on Ukraine. And the Ukrainians, as they have done from the beginning, will adapt and persevere with the defence of their nation. End.
23/ Thank you to the following, whose images were used in this thread: @TheStudyofWar @War_Mapper @HN_Schlottman @crikey_news @DefenceU @latimes @kajakallas @jensstoltenberg #NAFO @abcnews Thank you to the following, whose images were used in this thread:
• • •
[END]
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