Ukraine Missiles Blow Up Russia's Floating 'Command Center': Video

newsweek.com ^ | Mar 13, 2024 at 6:50 AM EDT | Ellie Cook

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

Ukraine destroyed a Russian tanker that Moscow used for surveillance and for deploying first-person-view (FPV) drones in southern Ukraine, according to Kyiv's military.

Ukraine's air force conducted a "successful strike" on the Russian-flagged Mechanik Pogodin on Tuesday, Kyiv's navy said in a statement.

Ukraine said Russia's military was using the vessel as a command center, with the ship serving to launch FPV drones and to carry electronic warfare (EW) equipment. Kyiv said the use of the vessel for surveillance and control made the tanker a legitimate military target.

A brief video posted by Ukraine's armed forces appeared to show the moment of the strike on the tanker. The clip shows a large explosion on one end of the ship, and a dark cloud of smoke billowing up from the vessel. Pieces of debris can be seen crashing into the water surrounding the ship. Newsweek could not independently verify the footage.

"Thanks to the pilots for the successful combat work against the enemy control point!" Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Air Force, said in a statement. Mechanik Pogodin tanker A screenshot from a video posted by the Ukrainian military. Ukraine's Air Force conducted a "successful strike" on the Russian-flagged Mechanik Pogodin on Tuesday, Kyiv's navy said in a statement. Ukrainian Navy/ The vessel had been docked in Kherson, in southern Ukraine, before moving to the Kinburn Spit after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, the navy said. Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

[BroJoeK]

rxh4n1: "No, it’s not breaking the formal written rules yet, but it sure violates the spirit of this site with it’s propagandizing, it’s the same as blog pimping, a practice not formally banned but disliked by most here."

I've only posted here since 2004, and yours is the first time I've seen the word "blog pimping", can only guess what it refers to.

Regardless, I'm certain that your word "propagandizing" is 100% subjective, meaning you just don't like that particular point of view, not that there's anything necessarily untrue in any of it.
And, because you're not a true conservative, you believe like our Democrats and Russians themselves that the proper response to opinions we don't like is to shut them down, right?

The curious part to me is that while there are a good many here who complain about alleged pro-Ukraine propaganda, and who also repeat pro-Russian talking points, nobody yet that I've seen has dared to link directly to pro-Russian propaganda sites.

Or maybe I just missed that?

[House Atreides]

I’ve only posted here since 2004, and yours is the first time I’ve seen the word “blog pimping”, can only guess what it refers to.
*****************************************************

LOL - Maybe you’ve been posting more than reading. Ever notice any earlier posts by ‘humblegunner’?

[BroJoeK]

Worldtraveler once upon a time: "The point of my identifying and documenting content creators by their own publicly available information seems to annoy you greatly."

Not that, but many pro-Russian's like yourself are working to shut-down UMCRevMom@aol.com, and get her threads deleted or get her reprimanded for trying to spread the good word about Ukraine on Free Republic.

I personally cannot see where any of you guys are honorably motivated, none of it makes sense to me, but I certainly have no problems with you posting factual information.

If you ever do figure out factually what's driving our pro-Russians, that would be interesting to learn.

[anton]

Bro, it is apparent that Zalensky is a manipulative propagandist, and that absent our help, he hated us. Putin is a brutal thug and the populations on both sides are innocents.

If you want the US to right every wrong, you are a Globalist.

Brutal and dishonest governments have been killing each others soldiers and citizens for all of recorded time and you are not about to change that - only tilt the board the direction you think it should tilt.

[House Atreides]

“ spread the good word about Ukraine on Free Republic”
*************************************************

So now it’s Rev Mom spreading the “good word” (aka gospel) about Ukraine”. I missed that biblical admonition about the Ukraine gospel somehow. Maybe it’s in “The Book of Mom” somewhere.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

Another damned lie: "...many pro-Russian's like yourself."

Tally up a third lie to BroJoeK on a single thread.

[BroJoeK]

Russkiy Mirovich: "Discuss.
In depth.
Many words, many pictures
'🇫🇷 Macron promised to do everything to return Crimea to Ukraine, “because there can be no lasting peace without the sovereignty of Ukraine and a return to internationally recognized borders, including Crimea,” the French president said in an interview with Newsweek' "

Nothing for me add, that says it all. Vive la France!

In my now long life I've never loved the French as much as I do now -- it's like the old-old days, when Ben Franklin and John Adams persuaded the old French King Louis to support the American revolutionaries at what turned out to be the cost of his kingdom, his crown and even his head.

It's why Americans said in 1917, "Lafayette, we are here!".

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- " So, can you cite even one seriously pro-Ukraine post you've made on Free Republic? That would be helpful in correcting my mistake."

Trying to reverse the game? I think the Ukraine-Russia between these two non-NATO nations is a bloody mess, two thugs, both corrupt, fighting it out. It will end when and as it ends. You post a "pro-Putin" comment of mine, if you can find one. You won't of course. Nor will you even take the time to do so.

There is at the minimum a third position, neither pro-Zelensky nor pro-Putin, but very much concerned with the massive debt being incurred by these United States.

[BroJoeK]

"LOL - Maybe you’ve been posting more than reading. Ever notice any earlier posts by ‘humblegunner’?"

You're probably right about me posting too much, I plead guilty... 😉
As for "humblegunner", seems like I've seen that name mentioned before as an example of bad behavior, though I don't remember reading any of (presumably) his posts.

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

“So now it’s Rev Mom spreading the “good word” (aka gospel) about Ukraine”.”

Wrong.

Confusion here: “good word” is not aka gospel.

[BroJoeK]

anton: "Bro, it is apparent that Zalensky is a manipulative propagandist..."

Meaning what, exactly, that he advocates & cheer-leads for his own country?
And this differs from every other leader in the world in what way, exactly?

anton: "and that absent our help, he hated us. "

Oh, really? Are you certain of that?
And where, exactly, did you find evidence of alleged hatred?

anton: "Putin is a brutal thug and the populations on both sides are innocents."

Of course, but Putin is the aggressor, the invader, while Ukraine is the defender -- how is that not clear and obvious to you?
Can you at least acknowledge the difference between right and wrong here?

anton: "If you want the US to right every wrong, you are a Globalist."

Of course, the US cannot and should not try to right every wrong, but we certainly can and must always recognize the difference between right and wrong.
That's not the dreaded but undefined word "Globalist", that's simply putting America's interests in peace and prosperity first.

The world as we know it was established in 1945, and it hugely benefits the USA.
It will begin to end in Ukraine if we and our allies refuse to help defend it there.

anton: "Brutal and dishonest governments have been killing each others soldiers and citizens for all of recorded time and you are not about to change that - only tilt the board the direction you think it should tilt."

Sorry, but no, because brutal and dishonest aggressors like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and Vladimir Putin can only ever operate in power vacuums, where they perceive weaknesses in their neighbors -- weaknesses in neighbors' militaries or, more important, in their wills to resist.
In 2000 Vlad the Invader saw weakness in Chechnya.
In 2008 he saw weakness in Georgia.
In 2014 he saw weakness in Ukraine.
In 2022 he thought he still saw weakness in Ukraine.

In each case of perceived weakness, Putin responded with aggression.
So, you can be certain that Vlad's aggressions will continue until they are stopped, and the question then is where, exactly?

The lessons of history say that the sooner we stop evil dictators, the quicker and easier it will be.
World War II is what happens when we let these lunatics go too crazy for too long.

[House Atreides]

“ Confusion here: “good word” is not aka gospel.”
**********************************************

Old English gōdspel, from gōd ‘good’ + spel ‘news, a story’ (see spell2), translating ecclesiastical Latin bona annuntiatio or bonus nuntius, used to gloss ecclesiastical Latin evangelium, from Greek euangelion ‘good news’ (see evangel); after the vowel was shortened in Old English, the first syllable was mistaken for god ‘God’.

Carry on with your spreading of the gospel of Ukraine according to the esteemed Rev Mom.

[JonPreston]

Please, add your Neocon touch to this discussion

🇺🇦 Meanwhile in Ukraine

War amputees are dressed up in Tuxedos for a meet & photoshop opportunity with Ukrainian Pornstar Josephine Jackson - real name Yulia Senyuk.

Just when you thought the Ukraine War PR effort couldn’t get any stranger….. pic.twitter.com/L8TgJNozjl— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) March 17, 2024

[BroJoeK]

House Atreides: "So now it’s Rev Mom spreading the “good word” (aka gospel) about Ukraine”.
I missed that biblical admonition about the Ukraine gospel somehow.
Maybe it’s in “The Book of Mom” somewhere."

Ha! I wondered who my words might trigger, so House Atreides took the bait... 😄

Actually, the word "gospel" means "good news" but if you want to read "gospel" into my term "good word" that's your choice.

As for your "Ukraine Gospel" or "Book of Mom", I can only ask you: why are you babbling nonsense here?

What exactly is your problem with Ukraine and what attracts you to Vlad the Invader?

[BroJoeK]

Worldtraveler once upon a time: "Tally up a third lie to BroJoeK on a single thread."

So help me with this -- can you cite an example of a pro-Ukraine and/or anti-Russian post you have made on Free Republic?

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "Worldtraveler once upon a time: 'Tally up a third lie to BroJoeK on a single thread.' So help me with this -- can you cite an example of a pro-Ukraine and/or anti-Russian post you have made on Free Republic?"

Second attempt, you silly little man.

You made the assertions. You prove your point.

At this point, serial liar, it is not up to me to "help" you with much of anything.

You made the assertions. You prove your point.

[BroJoeK]

Worldtraveler once upon a time: "There is at the minimum a third position, neither pro-Zelensky nor pro-Putin, but very much concerned with the massive debt being incurred by these United States."

OK, so I get it, you are arguing for "neutrality" or, in effect, a form of isolationism, as opposed to the dreaded word "globalists", who are accused of wanting to rule the world by intervening everywhere at every time there's any kind of problem, real or imagined, right?

Of course, I understand your argument, and anyone will agree with you if we are talking about some minor border dispute in, say, Africa or South America.
There is simply no good reason to put Americans in harm's way for sake of an issue others can and should be dealing with.

But Russia is the world's largest country and under the rule of Vlad the Invader, its most aggressive, and there is no power on earth outside the US and our allies capable of dealing with Vlad and his Axis of Evil Dictators (China, Iran, NoKo, etc.).
If we don't help stop him, he will run wild in the name of "Russkiy Mir" until he has reconquered all & more of the old Tsarist & Soviet Empires.

I'm saying there's no such thing as "neutral", that if we stand by, hands-off, and let Vlad the Invader take "whatever the h*ll he wants", then there will be no end to it and we will not like the world that results.

The world by Democracy Index, shades of blue & yellow = more democratic, others more authoritarian:

As for Ukraine's contribution to our "massive debt", US total military spending, including Ukraine is still less than it was during the War on Terror, relative to GDP, only half of what it was during Pres. Reagan's Cold War build-up, only 1/3 of what it was during Vietnam, 1/4 of Korean war defense spending, and less than 10% of WWII military spending, all relative to GDPs at the time.

US defense spending is not now, and never since WWII was, the cause of our on-going "massive debt".

Worldtraveler once upon a time: "I think the Ukraine-Russia between these two non-NATO nations is a bloody mess, two thugs, both corrupt, fighting it out.
It will end when and as it ends."

I don't agree that both are equally corrupt, or that there is anything "thuggish" about the constitutionally elected President of Ukraine, because the evidence says otherwise.

And where it will end is absolutely with Russian victory unless the Western Allies step in with enough aid to Ukrainians fighting for their lives and existence as a sovereign country.

That's why to advocate for US "neutrality" is to advocate, in effect, for Russian victory.
And Russian victory in Ukraine means the end of the world as we've known it since 1945, and especially since 1991.
And we will not like what replaces it.

Worldtraveler once upon a time: "You post a "pro-Putin" comment of mine, if you can find one.
You won't of course.
Nor will you even take the time to do so."

Since Vlad the Invader is certain to win in Ukraine without support for Ukraine from Western Allies, any anti-Ukraine aid comments are effectively pro-Putin.

That is a fact and you just can't hide from it.

This is my argument in a nutshell:

[bimboeruption]

>First, I suppose we can look at exactly who is “infiltrating” whom...

Pro-Russia propaganda repeaters on this thread:

Worldtraveler once upon a time since 11/17/2021
Vlad0 since 11/4/2020
wgmalabama since 11/25/12
rxh4n1 since 3/18/2008
PGR88 since 8/8/2007
FlyingEagle since 3/30/2002
McGruff since 6/16/1999
bimboeruption since 10/1/1998

Pro-Ukrainian truth-tellers on this thread:

Widget Jr since 9/9/2017
MeganC since 3/4/2009
Petrosius since 7/2/2005
BroJoeK since 6/16/2004
blitz128 since 12/2/2000
UMCRevMom@aol.com since 12/3/2000
dennisw since 12/17/1999
GBA since 4/12/1998<

Funny, how you didn’t include frequent posters and longtime FReepers, aMorePerfectUnion, kiryandil and Allegra in your list of “Pro-Russia propaganda repeaters on this thread”. (This name is used by zeepers for FReepers who love America and don’t give a rat’s behind about Ukraine or Russia.)

But of course, if you had, your calculations would show that the “Pro-American propaganda repeaters” began posting much earlier than “Anti-American propaganda repeaters”.

How disingenuous of you, but typical of a zeeper.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I note MarcusMucinex appears to be missing too?

[bimboeruption]

>I note MarcusMucinex appears to be missing too?<

Another newbie zeeper left off BroJoek’s anti-American list.

How could that be? Surely BroJoek knows of him. They’re both on FR frequently, if not daily.