Head of Ukraine’s national foreign intelligence service – “We have studied…the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy. We are aware of Russia’s long-term plans…at least until 2030.”
you’ll see one or two new videos a week of Ukrainian men being kidnapped off of the streets and stuffed into a van
When it’s the police, we just call it “detained”, even though it’s the same thing. Saying “kidnapping” and “brutal measures” is a little saucy when this is exactly how the police where I live operate, too. We don’t have conscription or a war on right now, but we have in the past, and we might in the future.
the political benefit of holding onto that land for just a little longer is worth more than the lives of real human beings. you are a soldier and you are expendable
That’s pretty much the job description of a soldier. For example, this describes the recent American wars. They had lower tolerance for casualties, but that’s just because it was an optional war rather than an existential one.
It was less that OP pointed out this stuff, and more that their “friend in Kiev” apparently phones them up about this and doesn’t mention anything about the Russians who are perpetuating all this and could leave at any time.
When it’s the police, we just call it “detained”, even though it’s the same thing. Saying “kidnapping” and “brutal measures” is a little saucy when this is exactly how the police where I live operate, too. We don’t have conscription or a war on right now, but we have in the past, and we might in the future.
That’s pretty much the job description of a soldier. For example, this describes the recent American wars. They had lower tolerance for casualties, but that’s just because it was an optional war rather than an existential one.
It was less that OP pointed out this stuff, and more that their “friend in Kiev” apparently phones them up about this and doesn’t mention anything about the Russians who are perpetuating all this and could leave at any time.