Posted on 05/18/2022 8:35:31 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
By yesterday, it looked like the battle for Mariupol was over in all but name when Zelensky sent word to his own troops to get out if they were able. The steel mill where the fighters, along with thousands of civilians had been holed up has been mostly shelled into rubble. Finally, the wounded were removed on stretchers and a significant number of the remaining troops turned themselves over to the Russian forces. Reportedly, many of them were loaded onto buses to a prison camp in Russian-held territory. But there are still thousands of Russian prisoners of war being held by the Ukrainians. So now there are negotiations underway for a prisoner exchange, but not all of Russia’s leaders are in favor of the plan. (Associated Press)
Ukrainian fighters extracted from the last bastion of resistance in Mariupol were taken to a former penal colony in enemy-controlled territory, and a top military official hoped they could be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war. But a Moscow lawmaker said they should be brought to “justice.”
The Russian parliament planned to take up a resolution Wednesday to prevent the exchange of Azov Regiment fighters, who held out for months inside the Azovstal steelworks plant while Mariupol was under siege, according to Russian news agencies.
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, said negotiations for the fighters’ release were ongoing, as were plans to rescue fighters who are still inside the sprawling steel mill.
There’s no guarantee that this will happen. Vyacheslav Volodin is the speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament. He issued a statement claiming that there are war criminals among the Ukrainian defenders and that they must be “brought to justice.” A Russian prosecutor asked the Supreme Court to designate Ukraine’s Azov Regiment as a “terrorist organization.”
The Russian government appears to be totally unfamiliar with the concept of irony and suffers from a critical lack of self-awareness. The Ukrainian prisoners have been holed up inside a steel plant for months while they were relentlessly shelled by the Russian military. The only war crimes anyone saw involved Russian missiles blowing up schools, hospitals, and apartment buildings. And just as a reminder, the Ukrainians were in their own country, unlike the Russians. Now someone wants to accuse them of these charges?
We have to wonder how all of this is being sold on Russian state media right now. There are literal battle lines in place across eastern Ukraine. Cities have been shelled into ruins. And now there are discussions of a possible prisoner swap. These are all the trappings of an actual war. Is Vladamir Putin still trying to pass this off as a “special operation” or some other nonsense? The Russian death toll is well into the thousands at this point. Surely the families of those troops are aware by now that their loved ones won’t be coming back home.
Meanwhile, the leader of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” said that the steel plant will be completely demolished and Mariupol will be “rebuilt as a tourist attraction.” He also mentioned the possibility of some sort of technology park. Apparently, he thinks that the war is all but over and Russia has already won. Perhaps he’s been watching too much state television. The Russians may have finally sacked Mariupol, but it’s virtually the only turf they have managed to take and hold. (At least for now.) He probably shouldn’t be making too many long-range plans at this point.
The Azovs are out of luck, but the Ukrainian regular troops will almost certainly make it back home, although that typically occurs after the war ends.
“A Russian prosecutor asked the Supreme Court to designate Ukraine’s Azov Regiment as a “terrorist organization.””
Good to hear, they’ll be catching up to the US Congress which did the same.
“The Russians may have finally sacked Mariupol, but it’s virtually the only turf they have managed to take and hold.”
I’m not sure that Zelensky would agree with that, given that he’s one city away from losing access to the Black Sea.
“...and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee, Odessa.”
Terrible article, worst I have read in a while. Jazz shaw, please retire from journalism.
I felt total disgust as I read this author being totally dismissive of Azov war crimes in Mariupol.
There are multiple testimonies from civilians who were actually in Azovstal with the militants, who testified after release that they were held against their will, threatened with being shot if they tried to leave.
Azov also threatened and shot Ukrainian marines who tried to surrender.
But this author portrays Azov as victims.
Also Azov has been well documented of being associated with atrocities against ethnic Russians (ukrainian citizens in the east) for 8 years. Systematic war crimes on Ukrainians — torture, ethnic cleansing, whatever they wanted to do.
The US congress explicitly forbade direct funding of them by law because of this history.
Also the author talks about how Azov are the defenders native to the land and Russians are foreign invaders.
Does he not know that there are plenty of Ukrainian fighters of DNR and LNR? Does he not know that Mariupol residents hate them?
Please watch this video and tell me if it is accurate to describe them as locals who are loved and defending a place they are from. None of the Azov people are actually from the area. Watch this video which shows you how they first set up shop in this area, against strong hostility from the residents, in 2014
https://piped.kavin.rocks/watch?v=bQ5H9S2pv08
There is a reason there is outrage in Russia about the idea of trading or releasing Azov fighters. It’s because they know something the western press refuses to tell people about.
There are hundreds of american troops that have taken similar pics. Big woop, that doesn’t mean they are not entitled to the protections of the geneva convention.
The Geneva convention means they can be held prisoner until the end of hostilities. And tried for war crimes. No one has talked about depriving them of Geneva convention protections.
Thats all a bonus to the Biden bots here supporting more and more US involvement in this war as Biden is using it as a shiny object to deflect attention away from his failed domestic policies.
They’re clearly not the same person.
Calling Azov Nazis is buying into Russian propaganda.
They’re not nazis - https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/defenders-of-mariupol-azov
Referring to the congress language you should mention it was added at the insistence of a far left CA congressman Ro Khanna.
Sometimes 90% of the Republican vote is dismissed as “Deep State” and other times the far-left Democrat thing is gospel!
“ Calling Azov Nazis is buying into Russian propaganda.”
_____________-
You’re a propagandist.
*** Vladislov Davidzon is Tablet’s European culture correspondent and a Russian-American writer, translator, and critic. He is the Chief Editor of The Odessa Review and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and lives in Paris.***
The non biased writer who is a fellow at the Atlantic Council. /S
More about your esteemed author at the Tablet who is a fellow at the Atlantic Council.
Who funds the Atlantic Council?
The Ukrainian oligarch-run Burisma Holdings donated $100,000 per year for three years to the Atlantic Council starting in 2016.
I don’t know what fringe subculture it is that paints the Atlantic Council as a boogieman. Perhaps internalize less Russian propaganda?
It is a fine institution!
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/about/history/
Here is what Ronald Reagan had to say about it in 1988.
https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-annual-meeting-atlantic-council
I hope your comment about the warmongers and Neocons at Atlantic Council was sarcasm.
Also, Ronald Reagan is dead, but the effects of his amnesty for those in the US illegally lives on with its successors.
I am tired of the sanctification of Politicians who have had some real screw ups.
The [Origin, Rise and] Fall of the Azov by Jacob Dreizin
[Best explanation of the genesis, history and the end of the Azovites in Ukraine.]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jm3AqnL2rQ&ab_channel=TheDuran
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