Russia invades Ukraine

[tommy2215]

Interestingly Sergei Lavrov was on RT earlier today and did an interview in English! He accused the West of manipulating the media and not allowing it to be independent (his ridiculousness knows no ends). Lavrov doesn't hate all Western media outlets however; he actually praised America's Fox News for their "alternative points of view"!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/18/sergei-lavrov-praises-fox-news-coverage-ukraine

 

[takno]

On a sombre note, I have the distinct feeling that the Russian tactics are, ultimately, working. Mariupol is likely to fall in the next few hours, which means that the tactic of bombarding a city for two/three weeks and then invading is effective. While some observers think that Mariupol has been intentionally left to suffer in this way for PR purposes, it seems clear now that Russia has the firepower to lay waste to Kharkiv, Odesa and other cities in the same way.

On the flip side, Ukraine won't surrender. We might be facing only the beginning of an humanitarian disaster.

I'm not convinced. Mariupol is relatively small and started off sandwiched between two Russian strongholds- the fact that it's only now looking like falling is almost unbelievable.

In order to indulge in the same tactics elsewhere they'd need to get a lot closer than they currently seem able to, and they'd be risking an increasingly limited stock of hardware by pushing it far outside their areas of control

 

[AlterEgo]

"Asia kicking off" which bit of Asia is that in particular ? We know the USA and China aren't best of buddies, but how imminent is it that they (or anyone else in Asia) will "kick off" ?

Taiwan and the South China Sea will likely be big on the agenda over the next 10-20 years. America has a significant investment in managing balance of power interests by curtailing or at least trying to limit China’s expansion in the region. Unfortunately, Japan (a heavily declining second level power) and South Korea will be unable to hold great influence and Australia and New Zealand are in the pocket of the Chinese anyway.

Even if they do, (assuming they wanted to) are they necessarily going to do it at the same time as Russia ? Now Europe is beginning to learn responsibility for its own defence more widely (something that the UK and France have always had responsibility for anyway).

Europe has never in the industrial era, had “responsibility” for its own defence and has required the intervention of Great Powers to sort out its two major conflicts. An independently militarily capable European continent that acts as a single whole is a far flung fantasy.

As for your sob stories about the confinement of Russia, it has had ample access to the economies and societies of the West for the past thirty years, something it is beginning to notice now that that access is being restricted.

Russia is just going to pivot eastwards. This is a shame because Russia is a fundamentally European country. That’s not to say the west hasn’t done great damage to it so far. It has, and the sanctions are justified - but, for example, India (pop. 1bn) is now importing 400% more oil from Russia than it was before the invasion. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the USA propping nuclear-armed Pakistan next door up for decades. The West’s foreign policy is going to have to change very radically over the next decade.

Not everyone in the world does what the West wants and not everyone respects what we consider our moral superiority either. International relations is dirty business and morality has no business in it.

I think we should be very watchful of how Russia behaves if it becomes a suckling of the Chinese. It may well become more docile, or it may become emboldened. Time will tell I guess!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Mar 2022 ==

He is turning into Vladimir Hitler, with events like that tyrant's rallies, and much of the audience "encouraged" to attend (as reported on today's news).

Hitler but with Wrestlemania vibes. The level of cringe at that rally was absolutely intolerable.

 

[yorksrob]

Taiwan and the South China Sea will likely be big on the agenda over the next 10-20 years. America has a significant investment in managing balance of power interests by curtailing or at least trying to limit China’s expansion in the region. Unfortunately, Japan (a heavily declining second level power) and South Korea will be unable to hold great influence and Australia and New Zealand are in the pocket of the Chinese anyway.

Europe has never in the industrial era, had “responsibility” for its own defence and has required the intervention of Great Powers to sort out its two major conflicts. An independently militarily capable European continent that acts as a single whole is a far flung fantasy.


Russia is just going to pivot eastwards. This is a shame because Russia is a fundamentally European country. That’s not to say the west hasn’t done great damage to it so far. It has, and the sanctions are justified - but, for example, India (pop. 1bn) is now importing 400% more oil from Russia than it was before the invasion. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the USA propping nuclear-armed Pakistan 41094391 door up for decades. The West’s foreign policy is going to have to change very radically over the next decade.

Not everyone in the world does what the West wants and not everyone respects what we consider our moral superiority either. International relations is dirty business and morality has no business in it.

I think we should be very watchful of how Russia behaves if it becomes a suckling of the Chinese. It may well become more docile, or it may become emboldened. Time will tell I guess!

An interesting point of view. If a weakened Russia does pivot to the East, why would that be such a tragedy ? So long as it has no influence over the rest of Europe, even the better. I don't see where this "shame" comes from your side.

True, China is a problem. But what are the likelihood of them influencing the day to day lives of Australians and New Zealanders going forward ? The Australians have long since woken up and smelt the coffee.

A strong Russia that can invade countries at will, will never be in our interest.

 

[AlterEgo]

An interesting point of view. If a weakened Russia does pivot to the East, why would that be such a tragedy ?

Russia's a European country and a cradle of European-inspired culture. It has produced countless masterpieces in art, literature, music, theatre, philosophy, rhetoric. Watching it turn away is not universally positive. The government is abhorrent but the people and the culture are not irredeemable.

So long as it has no influence over the rest of Europe, even the better.

Pipe dream that it'll never influence Europe, even more so if your argument is to punish Russia more and more and argue its only influence has ever been, and can ever be, malign. It's very fashionable to hate Russia and everything that goes with it at the moment.

Your wish is for Russia to just...go away, which is not going to happen, and thinking it's good news that Russia now has little choice but to pal up with an even bigger, cleverer bully in China and it have no consequences in Europe is incredibly naive.

True, China is a problem. But what are the likelihood of them influencing the day to day lives of Australians and New Zealanders going forward ? The Australians have long since woken up and smelt the coffee.

I'm talking about Australia and New Zealand's willingness and ability to counter China militarily. Because China will expand militarily, significantly, into the IndoPacific and that affects Australia and New Zealand.

A strong Russia that can invade countries at will, will never be in our interest.

China’s going to do it anyway and we are fairly relaxed about it because they’ll do it to somewhere Britain doesn’t consider a place worth fighting and dying. The US does care though, and it's going to be one hell of a war if it gets out of control.

Taiwan will be like Ukraine. There will be almost irresistible pressure for the West to get involved.

 

[yorksrob]

Russia's a European country and a cradle of European-inspired culture. It has produced countless masterpieces in art, literature, music, theatre, philosophy, rhetoric. Watching it turn away is not universally positive. The government is abhorrent but the people and the culture are not irredeemable.

If Russia and it's population genuinely doesn't believe in a Europe of nation states, perhaps, for all it's cultural plus points, it would feel happier pivoting towards the East.

Pipe dream that it'll never influence Europe, even more so if your argument is to punish Russia more and more and argue its only influence has ever been, and can ever be, malign. It's very fashionable to hate Russia and everything that goes with it at the moment.

Your wish is for Russia to just...go away, which is not going to happen, and thinking it's good news that Russia now has little choice but to pal up with an even bigger, cleverer bully in China and it have no consequences in Europe is incredibly naive.

A charge of naivete coming from someone who thinks that sanctions against a few wealthy individuals will affect Russia's ability to wage war more than hitting their economy hard.

I don't want Russia to go away. I just want it to learn to live within its borders (goodness knows, they're generous enough). If it can't do that voluntarily, it will be an enemy that must be contained.

I'm talking about Australia and New Zealand's willingness and ability to counter China militarily. Because China will expand militarily, significantly, into the IndoPacific and that affects Australia and New Zealand.


China’s going to do it anyway and we are fairly relaxed about it because they’ll do it to somewhere Britain doesn’t consider a place worth fighting and dying. The US does care though, and it's going to be one hell of a war if it gets out of control.

Taiwan will be like Ukraine. There will be almost irresistible pressure for the West to get involved.

We're already committed so supporting our allies in Australia and New Zealand. If anything, this current war demonstrates that China will not find it easy to usurp the world order and invade Taiwan.

It's still a matter of "if", rather than "when". Xi Xing Ping won't last forever and there's no guarantee that future Chinese leaders will follow a belligarent course. If they do, we'll cross that bridge when it comes to it.

 

[DarloRich]

Very nice to see middlesbrough football club will dontate all of their proceeds from the fa cup clash against oligarch fc this weekend to Ukraine relief funds.

Top trolling from Mr Gibson!

 

[Drogba11CFC]

Shame there was none of that "charity" when he was trying to force Derby County out of business.

 

[AlterEgo]

If Russia and it's population genuinely doesn't believe in a Europe of nation states, perhaps, for all it's cultural plus points, it would feel happier pivoting towards the East.

But they have felt like this for 100+ years, why do you think it’s going to change now?

A charge of naivete coming from someone who thinks that sanctions against a few wealthy individuals will affect Russia's ability to wage war more than hitting their economy hard.

It’s much more naive to think that destroying Russia’s economy is a better idea. Russia is not a democracy and the ordinary person cannot bring power to bear on Putin. Watching poor people panic buying sugar only tells me they’ll resent the West further. And no, Russia will not just go away and stop bothering you.

I don't want Russia to go away. I just want it to learn to live within its borders (goodness knows, they're generous enough). If it can't do that voluntarily, it will be an enemy that must be contained.

So you think that doing the same thing that’s contributed to this conflict will result in better outcomes in the future.

We're already committed so supporting our allies in Australia and New Zealand.

Only if they’re attacked. Which they won’t be. But they will suffer from instability in the IndoPacific with the disruption in shipping and political stability.

If anything, this current war demonstrates that China will not find it easy to usurp the world order and invade Taiwan.

It's still a matter of "if", rather than "when". Xi Xing Ping won't last forever and there's no guarantee that future Chinese leaders will follow a belligarent course. If they do, we'll cross that bridge when it comes to it.

We aren’t going to fight and die in the IndoPacific and neither are the Aussies or the New Zealanders.

It’s fanciful to suggest China will just stop expanding its influence of its own accord and their fixation on Taiwan will only resolve itself with regime change and eventual usurpation, probably by force.

What do you think the “world order” is these days? I’m interested to see what people who use the term think by it and whether it has a different meaning to “what America approves of”. How do you think, for example, Africa will react to a potential Chinese invasion?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Mar 2022 ==

Very nice to see middlesbrough football club will dontate all of their proceeds from the fa cup clash against oligarch fc this weekend to Ukraine relief funds.

Top trolling from Mr Gibson!

Half still goes to Chelsea though, as per the competition rules? Are they also making a donation?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Mar 2022 ==

Shame there was none of that "charity" when he was trying to force Derby County out of business.

Another Chelsea fan winning hearts and minds by comparing the club’s owner’s mate’s illegal war in Ukraine to… *spins the wheel* a legal dispute with Derby County.

 

[DarloRich]

Half still goes to Chelsea though, as per the competition rules? Are they also making a donation?

I think that was the point. Links to comments earlier in the week

 

[yorksrob]

But they have felt like this for 100+ years, why do you think it’s going to change now?


It’s much more naive to think that destroying Russia’s economy is a better idea. Russia is not a democracy and the ordinary person cannot bring power to bear on Putin. Watching poor people panic buying sugar only tells me they’ll resent the West further. And no, Russia will not just go away and stop bothering you.


So you think that doing the same thing that’s contributed to this conflict will result in better outcomes in the future.


Only if they’re attacked. Which they won’t be. But they will suffer from instability in the IndoPacific with the disruption in shipping and political stability.


We aren’t going to fight and die in the IndoPacific and neither are the Aussies or the New Zealanders.

It’s fanciful to suggest China will just stop expanding its influence of its own accord and their fixation on Taiwan will only resolve itself with regime change and eventual usurpation, probably by force.

What do you think the “world order” is these days? I’m interested to see what people who use the term think by it and whether it has a different meaning to “what America approves of”. How do you think, for example, Africa will react to a potential Chinese invasion?

It's Russia's choice how it views the world. It's the West's choice how it accepts and engages with Russia. Why should we interact with a belligerent power with little to offer but instability and trouble.

As I have said before, the sanctions are a sign of the West's incredible restraint in not entering a war with an enemy power that has invaded a friendly country. Yet to you, even this restraint is too much, you would prefer the West to only undertake only completely ineffectual actions for fear of offending the Russian man in the street. I'm afraid that wars are fought with economies. Russia chose this war and Russia must live with the economic consequences.

And as for this repeated sob-story about how the nasty, mean West has been mean isolating Russia, the economic interdependencies built up over the last thirty years show this narrative up for the tripe that it is.

Ultimately China isn't completely free to do as it wishes either. There can be few things that would see Xi Xing Ping booted out at the next party conference, but I imagine that getting the PRC embroiled in the war in Europe would be one of them, and embroiled they will be if they provide support to the Russian war effort.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Russia is just going to pivot eastwards. This is a shame because Russia is a fundamentally European country. That’s not to say the west hasn’t done great damage to it so far. It has, and the sanctions are justified - but, for example, India (pop. 1bn) is now importing 400% more oil from Russia than it was before the invasion. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the USA propping nuclear-armed Pakistan next door up for decades. The West’s foreign policy is going to have to change very radically over the next decade.

The Polish perspective is that Russia is fundamentally an Asian country with an Asian mentality. To that extent, isolating Russia and pushing it into the East is seen by people here as where it belongs. While I agree that *part* of Russia has a strong European culture, it's very much in the minority and not representative of the country as a whole.

About India - I think there's a very real possibility that we'll see a Indo-Russian axis in years to come. The Indian mentality (constantly wronged by absolutely everyone) fits nicely with the Russian view of the world. China will exploit Russia in the near future, but I think that there's a very real possibility that Russia (a fading power) will link up with India in order to counter Chinese interests in the medium term. And if you ask me, an Indo-Russian axis represents a major, major danger to the world, more so than China.

 

[yorksrob]

India is an interesting case.

India hasn't applied sanctions to Russia, but we shouldn't perceive this to be an act of hostility.

India has a long standing friendly relationship stretching back to the cold war and the Soviet Union. It would perhaps be unrealistic to expect them to abandon this alltogether.

Also, India has a big population and some very extreme needs, and Europe must seem a very long way away to them. If they turn to Russia for resources it's perhaps understandable.

 

[brad465]

Somehow I don't think Russian state TV will be parading the latest Russian Space adventure:

Russia denies cosmonauts board space station in Ukrainian colours

The decision to ditch standard Russian uniforms was interpreted as a show of solidarity for Ukraine.

www.bbc.co.uk

Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing Ukrainian colours, in what appears to be a statement opposing the invasion.
The three men were the first new arrivals since Russia attacked its eastern neighbour last month.
They were warmly welcomed on board, hugging and greeting their fellow American, Russian and German crew.
The ISS is a joint project between Russia, America, Canada, Japan and several European countries.
It is led by a US-Russian partnership that has continued for two decades despite fluctuating tensions between the two world powers.
Russian cosmonauts Denis Matveyev, Oleg Artemyev and Sergey Korsakov docked at the ISS after a three-hour flight which blasted off from a Russian-owned facility in Kazakhstan.
"Congratulations on the successful docking," a voice from Russia's mission control said moments later.
A few hours later, two sets of hatches were opened and the three smiling men floated into the space station one by one wearing bright yellow space suits with blue accents.
The standard-issue Russian uniform is plain blue, and at least one of the men was seen wearing this before take-off.
The moment was live-streamed by both Nasa, the American space agency, and the Russian agency Roscosmos.

"It became our turn to pick a colour," Mr Artemyev said when he was asked about the suits in a live-streamed press conference.
"We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it," he joked. "That's why we had to wear yellow."
Since the invasion of Ukraine, people around the world have used the colours of its national flag to show solidarity and support.
The three Russians will begin a science mission on the ISS that is set to last just over six months.
They will replace three current crew members who are scheduled to fly back to Earth on 30 March.

 

[Cowley]

Somehow I don't think Russian state TV will be parading the latest Russian Space adventure:

Russia denies cosmonauts board space station in Ukrainian colours

The decision to ditch standard Russian uniforms was interpreted as a show of solidarity for Ukraine.

www.bbc.co.uk

We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it,

I love this bit.

 

[brad465]

Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower, in his spring conference speech Johnson essentially compared the Ukraine's resistance to Brexit:

https://twitter.com/AlexTaylorNews/status/1505166049838260225

Words fail me that this loathsome man actually just compared the Ukrainian people's current quest for freedom to the UK voting for Brexit Just when you thought he couldn't sink to new depths

Video attached

 

[yorksrob]

Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower, in his spring conference speech Johnson essentially compared the Ukraine's resistance to Brexit:

https://twitter.com/AlexTaylorNews/status/1505166049838260225

Video attached

It's a very cloth eared comparison, between what was essentially a technical disagreement between democracies and a murderous war.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower, in his spring conference speech Johnson essentially compared the Ukraine's resistance to Brexit:

https://twitter.com/AlexTaylorNews/status/1505166049838260225

Video attached

Errr... have you actually watched the full speech (available here) or have you just naively believed a tweet that takes a couple of seconds of it completely out of context? If you take the trouble to watch it you'll realise that Boris was not in any way comparing the suffering of Ukraine with Brexit (if he had been doing that, it would've arguably been offensive, but he wasn't). He was making a wider point that people across the World will always choose freedom if given the choice, and using a couple of different examples to demonstrate that point.

I'm afraid this looks to me like the usual left-wing thing of gratuitously looking for ways to get offended by things that their political opponents say. No story here. Time to move on.

(Ironically, in taking offence at something taken out of context, you also completely passed over the one thing that is arguably offensive [*]: The Tweet you linked to describing a political opponent as 'this loathsome man'. Personally I have standards in debate that tend to mean I prefer not to dehumanize political opponents by describing them in that kind of way. Maybe your standards differ?)

[*] In a debating, domestic political context of course. I'm not sure anything within the UK is even 0.1% as offensive as what Putin is doing in Ukraine.

 

[brad465]

Errr... have you actually watched the full speech (available here) or have you just naively believed a tweet that takes a couple of seconds of it completely out of context? If you take the trouble to watch it you'll realise that Boris was not in any way comparing the suffering of Ukraine with Brexit (if he had been doing that, it would've arguably been offensive, but he wasn't). He was making a wider point that people across the World will always choose freedom if given the choice, and using a couple of different examples to demonstrate that point.

I'm afraid this looks to me like the usual left-wing thing of gratuitously looking for ways to get offended by things that their political opponents say. No story here. Time to move on.

(Ironically, in taking offence at something taken out of context, you also completely passed over the one thing that is arguably offensive [*]: The Tweet you linked to describing a political opponent as 'this loathsome man'. Personally I have standards in debate that tend to mean I prefer not to dehumanize political opponents by describing them in that kind of way. Maybe your standards differ?)

[*] In a debating, domestic political context of course. I'm not sure anything within the UK is even 0.1% as offensive as what Putin is doing in Ukraine.

Can you tell this to Lionel Barber as well, the much respected editor of the Financial Times for 15 years (and interviewed Putin a few years back as it happens)?

https://twitter.com/lionelbarber/status/1505177840324681735

Boris Johnson comparing Brexit - where the people had a choice to vote - to Ukraine fighting against an armed Russian invader is not only lazy, ignorant but also obscene. Yet again he panders to a minority domestic audience

Maybe yes I chose the wrong tweet with that video on, but there are plenty of more respectable figures who are either saying the same thing about what Johnson said, or if it turns out Johnson isn't in the wrong as is being portrayed, have been misinterpreting what he said.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Can you tell this to Lionel Barber as well, the much respected editor of the Financial Times for 15 years (and interviewed Putin a few years back as it happens)?

https://twitter.com/lionelbarber/status/1505177840324681735

Maybe yes I chose the wrong tweet with that video on, but there are plenty of more respectable figures who are either saying the same thing about what Johnson said, or if it turns out Johnson isn't in the wrong as is being portrayed, have been misinterpreting what he said.

Saying 'person X agrees with me' isn't really a substitute for a reasoned argument or for checking what the wider context is. In political debates you can almost always find people on the same side as yourself - that really doesn't mean a lot though.

 

[brad465]

Saying 'person X agrees with me' isn't really a substitute for a reasoned argument or for checking what the wider context is. In political debates you can almost always find people on the same side as yourself - that really doesn't mean a lot though.

Okay, you win. Now I think it's best we don't go any further down this particular road.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Okay, you win. Now I think it's best we don't go any further down this particular road.

That's very gracious, thanks! And yes, I agree, this is a bit of a distraction from the real issue of what's going on in Ukraine, and how best to help the Ukrainians.

 

[yorksrob]

I see that Poland has called for a total blockade of trade between the EU and Russia. We're not a part of the EU, however I would whole heartedly agree with the UK taking this position alongside the EU.

China bleating about the sanctions shows that they must be doing some good as well.

 

[dakta]

China bleating about the sanctions shows that they must be doing some good as well

I find their comments a bit distasteful, describing them as outrageous and having an unfair impact on innocent civillians in Russia - well simples - if you want mcdonalds in russia tell your besty to stop killing civillians in Ukraine then? it might shock one to know but the whole ukraine invasion special not-war war operation is having just a bit of a trifle impact on their lives too

On a brighter note, survival stats for russian generals has taken another dent.

Fifth Russian general killed as ‘planes and helicopters shot down’, Ukraine claims

Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev reportedly died when Ukraine’s forces hit an airfield near Kherson

www.independent.co.uk

 

[yorksrob]

I find their comments a bit distasteful, describing them as outrageous and having an unfair impact on innocent civillians in Russia - well simples - if you want mcdonalds in russia tell your besty to stop killing civillians in Ukraine then? it might shock one to know but the whole ukraine invasion special not-war war operation is having just a bit of a trifle impact on their lives too

On a brighter note, survival stats for russian generals has taken another dent.

Fifth Russian general killed as ‘planes and helicopters shot down’, Ukraine claims

Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev reportedly died when Ukraine’s forces hit an airfield near Kherson

www.independent.co.uk

Quite !

 

[DynamicSpirit]

On a separate note, the Telegraph are reporting that Russia's cruise missile attack on the Yavoriv base near Lviv earlier this week may have been triggered by the detection of UK phone numbers there (link):

Now, the Telegraph has learned that around 12 to 14 phone numbers starting with +44 were visible to surveillance equipment in the area in the hours before the missile strike.
Security sources said mercenaries paid by the Wagner Group, a secretive military company with links to the Kremlin, were suspected of operating on the ground at the time.

It has raised fears that the hired guns were able to use their own scanning equipment to intercept the numbers and pass them to Russian intelligence, which linked the details to former British military personnel and immediately ordered an attack.

Mobile phone numbers can become visible to snooping technology when the device pings a nearby phone mast to connect to the network so a user can make calls or send texts.

Russia is thought to have access to a vast trove of phone numbers linked to elite British units, compiled through secretive surveillance operations near military bases in the UK.

The article also suggests that the volunteers could easily have been infiltrated by Russian agents posing as volunteers, and mentions that one suspect "who was seen running from the camp around 30 minutes before the attack, with a laptop and kit".

 

[yorksrob]

On a separate note, the Telegraph are reporting that Russia's cruise missile attack on the Yavoriv base near Lviv earlier this week may have been triggered by the detection of UK phone numbers there (link):



The article also suggests that the volunteers could easily have been infiltrated by Russian agents posing as volunteers, and mentions that one suspect "who was seen running from the camp around 30 minutes before the attack, with a laptop and kit".

Hopefully this agent was discovered and dealt with.

It just goes to show how important it is to destroy the enemies economy so that it can't pay mercenaries.

 

[brad465]

According to the Kyiv Independent, thousands of Mariopul residents are being forcibly relocated to other parts of Russia. If true that's another action to tick off the list of repeating history.

 

[AlterEgo]

On a separate note, the Telegraph are reporting that Russia's cruise missile attack on the Yavoriv base near Lviv earlier this week may have been triggered by the detection of UK phone numbers there (link):

The article also suggests that the volunteers could easily have been infiltrated by Russian agents posing as volunteers, and mentions that one suspect "who was seen running from the camp around 30 minutes before the attack, with a laptop and kit".

Could be true, but to me this sounds like a placed British intelligence story trying to put off former soldiers from going to Ukraine. Unsourced as per usual, in the Telegraph.

 

[yorksrob]

Could be true, but to me this sounds like a placed British intelligence story trying to put off former soldiers from going to Ukraine. Unsourced as per usual, in the Telegraph.

Presumably any former soldiers wanting to join the Ukrainian forces would just not take their mobile phones.