He is also the commander that is nicknamed the Butcher of Mariupol, who was responsible ordering countless attacks on civilians including the theatre and who was responsible for the Avozstal POWs who have since been tortured and killed. He may also be directly responsible for several hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians who were kidnapped. Yes he is that guy.
He is a genocidal war criminal of the highest order and needs to be tried and executed at the Hague.
*At this time still not confirmed if he's the correct guy and seems social media has run with it without confirmation, we would likely know soon enough if true.
The Hague doesn’t do executions, but point taken and I agree.
People are going off the ear lobes and mole with the one internet photo to state it may not be him, but the angles are very different (think the Flames 2004 goal), also the one picture with him next to Shoigu
But if we look at this picture which is on Russian sites but harder to find, he does have 2 growths on his cheek not just the one.
We will know soon enough, it's very apparent based on the video and his reaction to the camera there is more to just a lieutenant colonel being capture and being oddly camera shy. The problem is trying to be internet sleuths with 200kb grainy images can only yield expected results...like reddit getting the wrong identify of the boston marathon bomber for example.
Unless he got hair transplants mid-war, I don't think it's him. This is him in mid-July (from here):
That's the one picture that makes him look the most different but it also makes him look different then the photo I posted (different nose and ears could be argued). Bad grainy handful of pictures in odd angles isn't going to identify or not identify him, one thing is for sure he is quite the doppelganger if not him.
It's also reported that he was apparently fired / dismissed very recently and part of Putin's recent purge. He very likely could have been wearing his actual current rank at the moment of capture.
Well Russia's #1 priority for the last century has been projecting the image of strength. Doesn't matter what the reality of things are under the surface, the image is all that matters. And it seems they were very good at that, a year ago they were considered one of the largest military powers on the planet. Now that they've had to finally fight a formidable and resilient foe, that image has crumbled completely and everyone gets to see all the duct tape and crazy glue holding things together behind the pretty façade. That will be Putin's legacy, he showed the world just how pathetic the Russian military really is
Indeed. But they still have the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet. With a narcissist madman in charge of it.
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Shot down in Flames!
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Indeed. But they still have the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet. With a narcissist madman in charge of it.
Well much like their military, we assume they have the largest nuclear arsenal because that's what they want everyone to believe. Given that the oligarchs had stripped the regular forces down to the bone to line their pockets, I'd wager the amount of functional nuclear weapons in Russia to be a fraction of what they say. Problem is though even that fraction is enough to destroy western civilization
Well much like their military, we assume they have the largest nuclear arsenal because that's what they want everyone to believe. Given that the oligarchs had stripped the regular forces down to the bone to line their pockets, I'd wager the amount of functional nuclear weapons in Russia to be a fraction of what they say. Problem is though even that fraction is enough to destroy western civilization
Up until this year, the Russia let US nuclear inspectors visit and view their gear. And Russians were allowed to view the US arsenals.
The sheer number of nuclear weapons they have is verified. Can they be launched? That is another question. Their nuclear capabilities might be a paper tiger just like their conventional military.
There was some talk about Putin resorting to tactical nukes if the war will not go in his favor.
That seems really unlikely.
There's just nothing to be gained from it, and everything to lose.
It's questionable whether people would even follow that order, and giving the order would be all the excuse and reason anyone would need to start a coup.
Last edited by Itse; 09-09-2022 at 10:15 AM.
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That's the one picture that makes him look the most different but it also makes him look different then the photo I posted (different nose and ears could be argued). Bad grainy handful of pictures in odd angles isn't going to identify or not identify him, one thing is for sure he is quite the doppelganger if not him.
It's also reported that he was apparently fired / dismissed very recently and part of Putin's recent purge. He very likely could have been wearing his actual current rank at the moment of capture.
It's not just a picture though; there's also video from the same meeting that pretty clearly shows him (you can see the left side of his face around 0:35).
And while I don't read Cyrillic, you can see his name badge in the larger picture and looks like it says Сычевой, which is Sychevoy in Cyrillic.
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It's not just a picture though; there's also video from the same meeting that pretty clearly shows him (you can see the left side of his face around 0:35).
And while I don't read Cyrillic, you can see his name badge in the larger picture and looks like it says Сычевой, which is Sychevoy in Cyrillic.
I can confirm his badge does read Sychevoy in Cyrillic.
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Council adopts full suspension of visa facilitation with Russia
Quote:
Today the Council adopted a decision that fully suspends the visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia. Consequently, the general rules of the visa code will apply to Russian citizens.
This will result in an increase in the visa application fee from €35 to €80, the need to present additional documentary evidence, increased visa processing times and more restrictive rules for the issuance of multiple-entry visas.
My favorite quote that seems to be lost on those arguing against this ban:
Quote:
A visa facilitation agreement allows privileged access to the EU for citizens of trusted partners with whom we share common values. With its unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression, including its indiscriminate attacks against civilians, Russia has broken this trust and trampled on the fundamental values of our international community.
Aka, visa agreements are contingent on relations between countries/regions. Russia has done everything within their power to completely destroy those relations. It was only a matter of time before visas become a topic of discussion and anything that facilitates a visa for the EU becomes more difficult.
Quote:
The full suspension affects all categories of travellers coming to the EU for a short stay. The Commission is expected to present additional guidelines to ensure this suspension does not negatively impact certain people travelling to the EU for essential purposes, such as journalists, dissidents and civil society representatives.
