The first time Russia tried to annex Ukrainian territories. THREAD
In 2022, we have often heard about Snake Island. There is another island that has been occupied since 2014 and which Russia tried to occupy in 2003. Its name is Tuzla.
As always, we need to look at the background of the situation. Geography and history of the island matter.
The island is situated between Crimea and Krasnodar Krai (Russia). /1
Tuzla Island was formed when the spit that continued the Taman peninsula (Russia) suffered from massive erosion during a major storm in 1925. The island is 6 km long and 600 m wide. /2
Many have been writing about "ordinary Russians" and that the #visaban is bad. So far, I have not seen a survey where less than 70% would NOT support the war. For example, a Russian volunteer in AFU states that 90% of his surrounding supports the invasion. /2
If we use a very simplistic calculation, the majority of the people that will come to Europe are those who support the war. A week ago, I saw a Russian man dressed in Soviet and Russian symbolics in Warsaw airport. I am afraid he is one of that 70-90 % that support the war. /3
PART 2 of the Interview with a Russian volunteer with a call sign "Maestro" who fights in an artillery unit in AFU. He came from Siberia to join the AFU. Video published on Solonin Mark Solonin Youtube channel.
Text is also available here: wartranslated.com/part-2-intervi…
(I): So there are a lot of questions, but let's move on to not ours. What can you say about them? You've been fighting there for more than a month. Do they have their anger too, or are they forced to fight there? /1
(M): I mean, the closest contact battle we had was somewhere about 500 700 meters. It was like an exception. There was a tank, and the infantry fought it off. So I did not have direct contact so that I could touch it, touch it with my hands, feel and be a part of it. /2
Interview with a Russian volunteer with a call sign "Maestro" who fights in an artillery unit in AFU. He came from Siberia to join the AFU. Video published on Solonin Mark Solonin Youtube channel.
Text is also available at @wartranslated:wartranslated.com/interview-with…
My translation:
(Interviewer): I'm not asking which route you took to get to Ukraine. But can you tell us about your motivation? Have you thought that before February, or was it a quick decision?
(Maestro): I wasn't going anywhere after 2014. /1
I understood that Russia was going in the wrong direction, but it was a sluggish story. After February 24, I woke up and looked at the news and realized that there were two sides, white and black, and I could not be in neutral status. So I would have to choose a side. /2
Amazing interview with AFU Lieutenant Colonel Pavel Rozlach for Censor.net. Many details about battles in the south and the east and military life in general. Translation provided by me and @Anastasiya1451A
(Rozlach): The news of the full-scale offensive caught me at the Shirokiy Lan training range in the Mykolaiv region. We were transferred there from the Yavoriv training range because the command understood there could be an offensive. /1
That is why we were in the south of the country. On the night of February 24, I returned to the unit from Chernihiv - my wife had surgery. I was passing through Brovary when a rocket hit the SDF command building. So I immediately believed that it was severe. /2