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[brewer bob]

A large POW exchange happened today. 144 Ukrainian soldiers (notably, 44 are from the Azov regiment) for 144 Russian. Many of those are seriously wounded and war is over for them.

Has there yet been any news on how they've been treated while being captive? Haven't been following news so much today.

If we're only talking about 12 people, I would think they could "mysteriously relocate" prior to the agreement beginning.
But it sucks those people have to move.

I'm quite sure that at least most of these extradition requests will be refused, but who knows how things'll play out in the future. The trilateral memorandum was so vague that it could mean that nothing will change or that Turkey will interpret it the way they want.

This part particularly raised questions:

Finland and Sweden confirm that the PKK is a proscribed terrorist organisation. Finland and Sweden commit to prevent activities of the PKK and all other terrorist organisations and their extensions, as well as activities by individuals in affiliated and inspired groups or networks linked to these terrorist organisations. Türkiye, Finland and Sweden have agreed to step up cooperation to prevent the activities of these terrorist groups. Finland and Sweden reject the goals of these terrorist organisations.

So, YPG apparently is considered an "extension of PKK", which could mean then that people who have volunteered to fight among their ranks against ISIS could be counted as terrorists. Same could be applied to political groups who organize solidarity events or what-ever for Syrian Kurds. Would this mean that if (or rather, when) Turkey bombs Kurds the next time and people mobilize to protest against it, they too will be labeled as "individuals linked to terrorist organisations"?

(Though, I think the biggest concession made was that Turkey was written as Türkiye, not Turkey, in the memorandum.)

[Strongpoint]

Has there yet been any news on how they've been treated while being captive? Haven't been following news so much today.

Not yet, I expect some interviews with them in the coming days. On the first photos and videos they don't look too bad (other than that many of them are amputees but those are combat injuries.)

[Strongpoint]

Russian Ministry of Defense announced that "as a gesture of good will," Russian military forces had "completed their mission on the Zmiinyi (Snake) Island" and have withdrawn the garrison stationed there.

Russians are like the antagonist of "It" - Monsters AND clowns

[Starver]

Did anyone say what the mission even was?

(Either "there are Nazi snakes" or "protecting the snakes from Nazis", I imagine the general flavour...)

[hector13]

It’s a strategic island it’s just essentially indefensible. I think Ukraine were making it very difficult for the Russians to get anti-air stuff there after their flagship “sank in a storm” so they gave up.

It’s apparently step 1 of a thousand before Unraine can get grain out of its ports.

[Starver]

That part was obvious enough, I just wondered what the official Kremlin line might have been, as sanctioned by the bunker somewhere deep under Moscow where they can safely ignore any reality they don't like the look of.

[King Zultan]

Did anyone say what the mission even was?

(Either "there are Nazi snakes" or "protecting the snakes from Nazis", I imagine the general flavour...)

I wonder how you'd figure out which snakes are nazis and which ones were not.

[Strongpoint]

I wondered what a petty crime Russia will do out of anger for losing the Snake Island.

Few missiles in Odesa residential area in early morning, 18 people reported murdered (and rising). Yet another clear terrorist attack aimed to kill random civilians. One needs to be naive to assume that those are accidents\misses. They always choose a perfect time to maximize civilian casualties. Early morning for residental buildings, midday for the shopping mall, amidst evacuation for Kramatorsk railway station

[hector13]

Did anyone say what the mission even was?

(Either "there are Nazi snakes" or "protecting the snakes from Nazis", I imagine the general flavour...)

I wonder how you'd figure out which snakes are nazis and which ones were not.

Battlestar Ricklactica just so happens to be my favourite Rick and Morty episode.

[brewer bob]

One needs to be naive to assume that those are accidents\misses.

Yeah, it should be clear by now that Russia is entirely capable of murdering civilians on purpose. I'm not buying for one second that these were accidents or misses.

[heydude6]

I imagine only the most vile of Putinists trying to find a justification for Russia to do this.

[Strongpoint]

Uzbekistan is pushing military equipment into Karakalpkstan amid already deadly protests against proposed Constitutional amendments to remove autonomous status from Karakalpkstan region.

__________

As I expected... Destabilization of Central Asia begins. One of the main factors of that is an obvious weakness of Russian Army that was a stabilizing factor in the region.

[Loud Whispers]

To be fair central Asia has always been a cup perched perilously on the edge of a table

[King Zultan]

Seems like nowhere is very stable right now.

[Il Palazzo]

To be fair central Asia has always been a cup perched perilously on the edge of a table

Russia is currently in the ~I'm a neko uWu phase.