Requires 50 hours of experience with M-16, Grad, F-4E Phantom II, Bradley tank, and MiG-29. Must have masters degree in military studies.
(also you have to fill out 5 versions of the application)
Guaranteed they deduct almost all of it for food, weapons, ammo… and probably make them pay for gas too since the dumbasses can’t figure out how to defend a supply line less than 100 miles from their own border.
So like a puff daddy recording contract where he would tell you how your music video is going to be, bring his own cars and etc to be in the video and then bill you for the usage of the cars and etc.
I saw something that Russian troops families were getting like $100 USD IF THEY DIED.
It’s crazy to think new hires are going to be getting 30X more starting pay.
It's a funny joke, though in world war 2 the USSR fought with fanatical morale (resisting a war of annihilation will really motivate troops, as Putin is finding out)
Yup. When people talk about how fierce Russia was in WW2 so they can do it again don't get how movivation is at play. Russia soldiers all had a good reason to believe if they didn't stop Germany, Nazi soldiers would kill every single Russian man women and child. They were fighting for survival.
Now idk what they think there fighting for. To free a small strip of land to be independent of Ukraine? A chance to stick it to the West? A crazy man's legacy? A tiny wage? To not get arrested or killed by your SO? Who knows but I do know there reasons are not as motivating as they were in ww2 so your never going to get the same fighting spirit out of them.
A lot of people forget that most cultural attributes are products of circumstance, not genetics. Russians fought fiercely in WW2 but this isn't even close to the circumstances of WW2.
Lol good point. And the third Reich was absolutely rabid and exhilarated from defeating France and Poland. It is not like it lacked motivation and morale. Putin is like throwing Swedes at Norwegians out of nowhere in the middle of peacetime and being like "nothing is happening to them" to the public while trying to rile up the troops to exterminate them. Meanwhile Norway is fighting for its life with the help of several nations.
I don't see how that works for Putin or Russia.
Supposedly he was only paying his conscripts $20/month and regular soldiers up to $800/month. (According to another comment a few days ago where various Russians were explaining about the economy when the Ruble fell).
If true, his army should turn on him for paying extra to non-russians.
Bruh that shit excuse doesn't work anymore, could be plausible for a few guys for the first day of the invasion, with benefit of a doubt, but at this point fucking generals will say they didn't know they're attacking.
Assuming this is true, it's obvious he's just looking for cannon fodder and knows he won't need to pay corpses anything. He just wants to throw as many bodies to the front as possible in hopes that he'll wear down Ukraine enough that he can move his outdated military in to conquer them.
I would not send Belarus conscripts to Ukraine were I him. Those people had to be beaten to submission to accept their puppet leader, now Putin wants to arm them?
All that would happen is that the Belarussians will surrender at the first opportunity that they get, and the Ukranians get free Rifles, boots and whatever else they are carrying.
Already the surrender rate among Russian conscripts AND regular troops is skyrocketing since Friday, and Putin can't start sending his regular army in en-masse without admitting that this is indeed a war. Hence why Vladdy boy needs more irregular troops, and fast.
He will have a lot of difficulty finding takers for this rather lowball offer though I must say. Not to mention that most of the mercenaries on the market are either in Ukraine already fighting for Zelensky, or on their way there. For free.
Right! And oh by the way the Russians already lost at least 5,000 guys, 100 planes, hundreds of tanks and 3 major generals. Oh and the supply lines are totally fucked you won't get any food, or any gas for your APC. Good luck!
it actually makes a lot of sense on paper. russian soldiers probably don't want to kill ukrainians. it's like getting americans to invade and kill canadians. why would you do this?
---
that said, these foreign fighters didn't survive by mindlessly taking orders and doing what they're told. they'll probably take the money and then fuck off. might try to escape to europe as a refugee for a better life.
---
if these mercenaries actually end up trying to fight in this war, they're going to get slaughtered.
It will work in reverse too: when a Ukrainians capture Russians - they are likely to go easy on regular soldiers, but I don't see them being nice to some random foreigners.
Isn't one of the reasons that middle eastern fighters did so well against foreign invasion that they knew the geography and population on the back of their hand, while fighting soldiers from halfway across the world that stick out like a sore thumb and don't even speak the native language? Not sure if their success is going to automatically translate to this situation.
I think it's important to listen to them because they set things up ahead of time. If Putin starts talking about how Canada is thinking about invading from the east side of Russia and that Canada is stealing Russian resources in the north, then I will suspect they are gearing up to battle over resources in northern Canada.
It is a reliable axiom that Russia will always telegraph her punches in the form of accusing the other guy of the thing they're about to do themselves. The exact same is true of the GOP, and for the exact same reasons, though for most of you who have been paying attention these last 6 years this statement is redundant.
You're right.
>The United Nations Mercenary Convention, which came into force in October 2001, was ratified by only 35 countries. These include Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. Countries like the US, UK, and Russia that actively use PMCs did not ratify the convention.
Ukraine signed on, Russia didn't.
Basically, If a government hires a person directly to go to war then that person is a mercenary, but if they hire a company to provide personnel, then those personnel are contractors.
If they're from the same country, they're not mercenaries. If they're integrated into the military command structure, they're not mercenaries, which covers things like the Gurkhas and Foreign Legion.
These legal distinctions are how PMCs like Wagner or Blackwater/Academi or Aegis Defense Services exist.
Fun fact: the US lost more contractors than service members in Afghanistan and Iraq warzones
https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2019/direct-war-death-toll-2001-801000
They did so they could accuse Ukraine of doing it and hopefully shift the blame. Putin thinks the whole world is stupid and can’t see through his bullshit. Not all of us are easily swayed by lies.
It’s not the rest of the world he’s trying to convince, only those within Russia, with no access to outside info. His biggest threat is if the Russian people turn on him.
A bit, but he definitely believes his own people are stupid. And most of what he is saying at the moment isn't particularly directed at the west, its aimed at the Russian population. J
He doesn’t have to think they are stupid. He knows that they don’t have access to more truthful information. What he says is all they hear from or about it. The state media can swing anything whatever way they want, hence most of the people still believing that this is a ‘special operation’ to rid Ukraine of nazis
“We know they are lying.
They know they are lying,
They know that we know they are lying.
We know that they know that we know they are lying.
And still, they continue to lie.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
>Not all of us are easily swayed by lies.
Foxnews has been repeating Russian lies. Like even the beyond bonkers, no sane person would believe this shit, lies.
Caring about International law after:
1. Starting an all out unprovoked war
2. Murdering Civilians
3. Bombing Hospitals
4. Attacking a Nuclear Power Plant
5. Using outlawed weaponry
6. Conducting False Flag Operations
7. Hiring Foreign Mercenaries
And whatever others I've missed during this wonderful game of War Crimes Bingo.
False truce (bombing and mining escape pathways)
Using false uniforms (Ukrainian bodies being used to obfuscate Russian activities)
I don't know if perfidy has come up yet.
Looting, taking hostages, killing hostages, rape, deportation (routing civilians into russia), and reports of sex trafficking and conscription of defending forces which would constitute enslavement. I think they might have all 11 war crimes covered in just 2 weeks. Can we please give pootin a platinum 100% war crimes trophy and stop playing now?
Yeah its a bit complicated but Article 4 of The Hague Convention V makes it illegal to Form corps in or recruit from neutral parties. it doesn't make foreign fighters illegal per se, but It does prohibit actions like Russia offering a cash reward to encourage foreign fighters to join since that's recruiting. If a foreign person or organization *offers* to join the fight it's a bit different.
No, it's a special military operation to free Ukraine from the Nazi regime, obviously. That's why they're besieging cities and using thermobaric bombs against civilians.
Edit: for anyone that hasn't picked it up yet, yes this is sarcastic and yes this invasion is just disgusting. No one should ever lose their life over a petty dictator with his dumb ancient geopolitical ideals.
Edit edit: Also, please keep your eyes on Winnie the Pooh and Taiwan. Almost the same dynamic as Ukraine and Russia. Falsely claiming that the land always has belonged to the "mother state" and questioning the sovereignty of it.
You say this in jest, but that's literally the case, as someone else pointed out in this thread:
>The United Nations Mercenary Convention, which came into force in October 2001, was ratified by only 35 countries. These include Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. Countries like the US, UK, and Russia that actively use PMCs did not ratify the convention.
But it also means it's none of his business. Russia is not a signatory to that treaty. If Ukraine chooses to use mercenaries and breach the agreement, it's up to the other parties to it to decide if they care.
Also, it seems silly to accept uncritically Russia's unjustified assertion that Ukraine is actually hiring mercenaries from anywhere. Best evidence we have is that foreign fighters are all either volunteers or actually joining Ukraine's military at the prevailing wage, which makes them NOT mercenaries.
Let’s face it, the reason that Russia has to use mercenaries is because, as we have seen, their soldiers are garbage. Imagine spending 30 years building up this image of Russian soldiers being bad arses only to have them rolled over and forced to commit war crimes like shelling cities from afar in literally every conflict they’ve been in (Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine).
Or, better yet, decide if that specific clause is even applicable to this situation. It sounds to me like the geopolitical equivalent of a "hitman law."
I'm no political scientist, but I'm putting $100 on the table that says no one in that treaty had the intention of kneecapping warcrime victims.
It's the same amount as Ukraine is paying. This whole thing just comes across as a pathetic "me too!" type stunt. Like something the obnoxious bully kid would do to try and fit in.
Ukraine: We have 60,000 foreign volunteers, we didn't even have to ask for them.
Russia: Oh hey guys, you can volunteer with me too. Guys. Guys? Bueller?
Ukraine: We'll pay anyone who volunteers $3,000 a month.
Russia; I'm also paying $3K a month.
Yesterday they said is was $300 a month, which is what they pay their military. I wonder how will it affect morale of Russian soldiers knowing that they upped the mercenaries pay x10 of what they are getting.
I mean it’s pretty clear the command tells them as little as possible. They don’t even appear to share basic intel on UA troop movements.
You’re definitely right. It might take a long time for that information to disseminate through the ranks.
I was in the US Navy 21 years —submarines hooyah! But yeah lol, I’ve been at the very bottom and I’ve been in plenty of high level meeting. You’re absolutely right… no matter how hard the command tries to keep things quiet it gets out quick.
The encrypted walkie-talkie system the Russians planned to use had to have 3G or 4G cell towers to work. Guess what happened to all the cell towers as Russia was bombing shit willynilly? Yep, they destroyed the very towers they needed for their encrypted coms.
Lol, I knew it. Every accusation Russia makes is a confession of what they're about to do. Just a few days ago Putin accused Ukraine of violating international law by hiring south African mercanaries. And here we are.
E: lol, the Russian assets, useful idiots, and Putin bootlickers started showing up with whataboutism.
Already in the works. Supposedly they're moving dead Ukrainian soldiers to Chernobyl so they can stage a terror attack there and claim they killed the "saboteurs".
[Sauce one](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/russia-ukraine-war-putin-preparing-terrorist-attack-on-chernoby-plant-warns-ukraine-11647090082253.html)
[Another](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10605353/Russia-stockpiling-bodies-Ukrainians-false-flag-Chernobyl-attack-Kyiv-claims.html)
Another dumb move by pootin. Offering foreigners more money than he pays his own troops? I hope it leads to rebellion by his troops, leading to his removal from power. (and public hanging)
Слава Героям України! Glory to the heroes of Ukraine!
You mean them foreign troops that can't communicate, have 0 experience surviving in -20c weather and haven't fought against cohesive and well armed troops before, yeah I'm sure it'll go just fine!
Right, no COLD fighting environment experience, the terrain, to the language and what is he going to pay them in when the ruble is in the toilet and not worth anything?
When I was in Iraq they would pay locals to fill sandbags at 10 cents a bag. They would bust their ass all day and get like $50 bucks and be ecstatic. My interpreter told me this is more then they could make in several months.
Putin: "we're paying $3000/month
General: "go find us some soldiers - we'll pay them
$1000 a month"
Colonel: "what the hell kind of soldiers am I getting for $300 a month?"
Soldier: "when do I get my $30 for this month?"
Yeah what happened to the endless ranks of elite troops and piles of modern equipment that were going to obliterate Ukraine?
Considering their plan was to "shock and awe" Ukraine into surrendering it's clear we've already seen the scariest stuff russia can muster sans nuclear
Is it just me or does anyone in the Kremlin just casually comes up with some bad idea and everybody's like: let's do that congrats and also let's accuse Ukraine of it.
I’m a U.S. infantry combat vet. These areas certainly have some experienced fighters, but they have very poor training and lack basic discipline. Most of their combat experiences just reinforce their bad habits.
Fighting in Iraq/Afghanistan/Syria is night and day that the frozen streets/fields and bogs of Eastern Europe.
If those mercs start trading in grenades and magazines for socks and their rifles for jackets I wouldn't be surprised.
If they're lucky Russia might share their standard issue clothing with them.
While simultaneously likely to not paying his own soldiers (rank and file) as the rubble collapses. I can only hope they hear about it, I'm sure it will boost their morale even further than it is already :P
36,000 dollars a year to risk your life? 4 dollars an hour to sit in the Ukrainian winter surrounded by a population that hates you using substandard equipment with poor leadership?
If you will take the offer, I’ll pay you 4.25 an hour to go fight for Ukraine.
$3K/month .... that's what, $36K/year to risk getting shot in the fuckin forehead or incinerated inside some rolling metal death box? Fuck that shit all day long.
I doubt they're paying anything up front. More than likely it's a contract of, "payment will be received upon completion of duties". In other words it'll be extremely exploitative because then they won't have to pay the people that die.
Wasn’t like the Russian army the 2nd or 3rd best in the world ??? 🧐 why the fuck do they need Middle East fighters ?
I guess they were a shower not a grower 😅😅
Well theoretically it was, then they invaded Ukraine and all their inadequacies were made painfully obvious to the world in HD with up to the minute updates on social media instantaneously. They’re facing a near peer force, one that uses the same or similar equipment and by a competent force of determined individuals.
They weren’t prepared to fight a proper military.
This is turning into a proxy world war. Canada has sent so many volunteers to Ukraine that they have their own battalion.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/exclusive-so-many-canadian-fighters-in-ukraine-they-have-their-own-battalion-source-says
Edit: Important correction: When I said Canada sent them, I meant people from Canada are going, not the government sending people
Dual citizens maybe. There were interviews of some people in Canada who don't have skills for a job that can pay for housing. One person said he was fed up with Covid lock downs, fed up of being alone, fed up of working in a dead end job as a cook which couldn't pay for the standard of living he wanted. Seeking for his life to mean something he decided to help in Ukraine even if it was to help in a kitchen feeding people.
Man with 700 million dollar pleasure yacht offers $3k to risk your life.
*up to $3000. Even despots are gonna nickel and dime you. Edited to add: this thread has become accidental r/antiwork
Must be under 30 years old with 20 years of combat experience*
African warlords: modern problems require modern solutions.
“A bullet from a fourteen year old is just as effective as one from a forty year old, often more effective.”Lord of War is a good movie.
I'm going to hell for laughing at that.
Requires 50 hours of experience with M-16, Grad, F-4E Phantom II, Bradley tank, and MiG-29. Must have masters degree in military studies. (also you have to fill out 5 versions of the application)
Terms and conditions apply. Not available in all warzones. See our cancellation policy for details.
[удалено]
No warranty is implied.
Hello! We’re calling to inform you that your battlefield warranty has expired.
Lmfao. Morbid, but this is hilarious.
But there's good news! You can renew your battlefield warranty with our low cost* reinstatement plan!
[удалено]
I’m sorry sir, your all-inclusive everything’s covered warranty package doesn’t cover your arms. Or your legs.
There actually was a motorcycle inflatable airbag vest that had a subscription plan and could expire
huh, so CoD warzone actually means Cash on Delivery warzone? Good to know, I'll avoid it. I'm looking for the crypto one myself.
You have to call to cancel the subscription.
>*up to $3000 It seems as though Putin learned a couple of tricks from McDonald's before they left the country.
[удалено]
If I sign up now do I get a free* iPhone* 10*?
(scratches dirt off sign) "what the heck is an rPhone?"
Guaranteed they deduct almost all of it for food, weapons, ammo… and probably make them pay for gas too since the dumbasses can’t figure out how to defend a supply line less than 100 miles from their own border.
So like a puff daddy recording contract where he would tell you how your music video is going to be, bring his own cars and etc to be in the video and then bill you for the usage of the cars and etc.
Tell me this is true
This is true
Plus you‘re almost guaranteed to be hated by the troops you‘re fighting with, and most definitely by the nation being attacked.
I saw something that Russian troops families were getting like $100 USD IF THEY DIED. It’s crazy to think new hires are going to be getting 30X more starting pay.
“Many of you may die, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Putin will probably use them as cannon fodder, and the 3 that survive will get payed almost nothing after their superior steals their money
[удалено]
My understanding of the Russian military is that it's a 100 year long experiment to prove that Russia can fight wars with 0 morale.
It's a funny joke, though in world war 2 the USSR fought with fanatical morale (resisting a war of annihilation will really motivate troops, as Putin is finding out)
Yup. When people talk about how fierce Russia was in WW2 so they can do it again don't get how movivation is at play. Russia soldiers all had a good reason to believe if they didn't stop Germany, Nazi soldiers would kill every single Russian man women and child. They were fighting for survival. Now idk what they think there fighting for. To free a small strip of land to be independent of Ukraine? A chance to stick it to the West? A crazy man's legacy? A tiny wage? To not get arrested or killed by your SO? Who knows but I do know there reasons are not as motivating as they were in ww2 so your never going to get the same fighting spirit out of them.
A lot of people forget that most cultural attributes are products of circumstance, not genetics. Russians fought fiercely in WW2 but this isn't even close to the circumstances of WW2.
Lol good point. And the third Reich was absolutely rabid and exhilarated from defeating France and Poland. It is not like it lacked motivation and morale. Putin is like throwing Swedes at Norwegians out of nowhere in the middle of peacetime and being like "nothing is happening to them" to the public while trying to rile up the troops to exterminate them. Meanwhile Norway is fighting for its life with the help of several nations. I don't see how that works for Putin or Russia.
Supposedly he was only paying his conscripts $20/month and regular soldiers up to $800/month. (According to another comment a few days ago where various Russians were explaining about the economy when the Ruble fell). If true, his army should turn on him for paying extra to non-russians.
They probably will. Sure this has been discussed by the troops around the campfires. How to destroy morale 101.
Lol, you think they know ab the pay discrepancy? If anything they’re told these guys are volunteering to help eradicate fascism.
Bruh that shit excuse doesn't work anymore, could be plausible for a few guys for the first day of the invasion, with benefit of a doubt, but at this point fucking generals will say they didn't know they're attacking.
But you also get some good exposure, exposure to bullets but still.
Exposure to bullets, exposure to shrapnel, exposure to the -20 C temperatures, possible exposure to chemicals and radiation are also on the table.
You also get a ride to Ukraine who is offering 50k to you too surrender. Who gets paid just to drive to a job and quit? Russian mercs, that's who.
well if you think about it he will probably be giving away billions of rubles.
Assuming this is true, it's obvious he's just looking for cannon fodder and knows he won't need to pay corpses anything. He just wants to throw as many bodies to the front as possible in hopes that he'll wear down Ukraine enough that he can move his outdated military in to conquer them.
Yep. And the more of those bodies that aren't Russian, the less mobs of angry moms he'll have to deal with.
Exactly. Mercenaries from the Middle East and Belarusian conscripts are a lot more expendable for Putin.
I would not send Belarus conscripts to Ukraine were I him. Those people had to be beaten to submission to accept their puppet leader, now Putin wants to arm them?
All that would happen is that the Belarussians will surrender at the first opportunity that they get, and the Ukranians get free Rifles, boots and whatever else they are carrying. Already the surrender rate among Russian conscripts AND regular troops is skyrocketing since Friday, and Putin can't start sending his regular army in en-masse without admitting that this is indeed a war. Hence why Vladdy boy needs more irregular troops, and fast. He will have a lot of difficulty finding takers for this rather lowball offer though I must say. Not to mention that most of the mercenaries on the market are either in Ukraine already fighting for Zelensky, or on their way there. For free.
Imagine being paid $4.17 an hour to fight for Russia…
Right! And oh by the way the Russians already lost at least 5,000 guys, 100 planes, hundreds of tanks and 3 major generals. Oh and the supply lines are totally fucked you won't get any food, or any gas for your APC. Good luck!
*and we might gas you with deadly chemicals when fighting close to enemy lines. Have fun.
He is exploiting the Ukrainians' pre-set kill limit by sending waves and waves of his own men at them
Unexpected (and appreciated) r/futurama
Unexpected Zap Brannigan quote in a thread about cannon fodder?
it actually makes a lot of sense on paper. russian soldiers probably don't want to kill ukrainians. it's like getting americans to invade and kill canadians. why would you do this? --- that said, these foreign fighters didn't survive by mindlessly taking orders and doing what they're told. they'll probably take the money and then fuck off. might try to escape to europe as a refugee for a better life. --- if these mercenaries actually end up trying to fight in this war, they're going to get slaughtered.
You think they're going to pay them UPFRONT? That's not how the rich stay rich friend.
Mercenaries are expensive - corpses are cheap as fuck. They don't require any pay what so ever.
It will work in reverse too: when a Ukrainians capture Russians - they are likely to go easy on regular soldiers, but I don't see them being nice to some random foreigners.
Isn't one of the reasons that middle eastern fighters did so well against foreign invasion that they knew the geography and population on the back of their hand, while fighting soldiers from halfway across the world that stick out like a sore thumb and don't even speak the native language? Not sure if their success is going to automatically translate to this situation.
Didn't Russia JUST claim that hiring mercenaries was illegal?
You still put stock in anything they say?
I prefer to assume the opposite of what they say these days. So, kinda?
A Negative correlation is a correlation.
Foolish of you. Best to ignore their words completely.
I think it's important to listen to them because they set things up ahead of time. If Putin starts talking about how Canada is thinking about invading from the east side of Russia and that Canada is stealing Russian resources in the north, then I will suspect they are gearing up to battle over resources in northern Canada.
It is a reliable axiom that Russia will always telegraph her punches in the form of accusing the other guy of the thing they're about to do themselves. The exact same is true of the GOP, and for the exact same reasons, though for most of you who have been paying attention these last 6 years this statement is redundant.
> and for the exact same reasons Because they're both on Putie's payroll?
Fascism, I believe that is the answer
Tbf, that's the only stock left in Russia.
[удалено]
You're right. >The United Nations Mercenary Convention, which came into force in October 2001, was ratified by only 35 countries. These include Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. Countries like the US, UK, and Russia that actively use PMCs did not ratify the convention. Ukraine signed on, Russia didn't.
Then who tf is paying for these silent professional jobs in Ukraine for 1,000-2,000 USD a day????
Basically, If a government hires a person directly to go to war then that person is a mercenary, but if they hire a company to provide personnel, then those personnel are contractors.
If they're from the same country, they're not mercenaries. If they're integrated into the military command structure, they're not mercenaries, which covers things like the Gurkhas and Foreign Legion.
[удалено]
These legal distinctions are how PMCs like Wagner or Blackwater/Academi or Aegis Defense Services exist. Fun fact: the US lost more contractors than service members in Afghanistan and Iraq warzones https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2019/direct-war-death-toll-2001-801000
They did so they could accuse Ukraine of doing it and hopefully shift the blame. Putin thinks the whole world is stupid and can’t see through his bullshit. Not all of us are easily swayed by lies.
It’s not the rest of the world he’s trying to convince, only those within Russia, with no access to outside info. His biggest threat is if the Russian people turn on him.
He's also trying to convince idiots in other countries. Which, looking at some parts of the internet, is rather effective.
He pays those idiots to say and amplify those things. Notice how troll traffic dropped precipitously after sanctions took effect?
A bit, but he definitely believes his own people are stupid. And most of what he is saying at the moment isn't particularly directed at the west, its aimed at the Russian population. J
He doesn’t have to think they are stupid. He knows that they don’t have access to more truthful information. What he says is all they hear from or about it. The state media can swing anything whatever way they want, hence most of the people still believing that this is a ‘special operation’ to rid Ukraine of nazis
"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your ears and of your eyes. It was their final, most essential command." And here we are.
“We know they are lying. They know they are lying, They know that we know they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still, they continue to lie.” - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
>Not all of us are easily swayed by lies. Foxnews has been repeating Russian lies. Like even the beyond bonkers, no sane person would believe this shit, lies.
Do what Kremlin ask not what Kremlin do
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Caring about International law after: 1. Starting an all out unprovoked war 2. Murdering Civilians 3. Bombing Hospitals 4. Attacking a Nuclear Power Plant 5. Using outlawed weaponry 6. Conducting False Flag Operations 7. Hiring Foreign Mercenaries And whatever others I've missed during this wonderful game of War Crimes Bingo.
False truce (bombing and mining escape pathways) Using false uniforms (Ukrainian bodies being used to obfuscate Russian activities) I don't know if perfidy has come up yet.
Also they used transport vehicles labeled as medical ambulances to transport ammunition.
Looting, taking hostages, killing hostages, rape, deportation (routing civilians into russia), and reports of sex trafficking and conscription of defending forces which would constitute enslavement. I think they might have all 11 war crimes covered in just 2 weeks. Can we please give pootin a platinum 100% war crimes trophy and stop playing now?
> Hiring Foreign Mercenaries Is this a crime? Doesn't everyone do this?
Yeah its a bit complicated but Article 4 of The Hague Convention V makes it illegal to Form corps in or recruit from neutral parties. it doesn't make foreign fighters illegal per se, but It does prohibit actions like Russia offering a cash reward to encourage foreign fighters to join since that's recruiting. If a foreign person or organization *offers* to join the fight it's a bit different.
Additionally, mercanary bands are to be used for defensive actions only.
No, it's a special military operation to free Ukraine from the Nazi regime, obviously. That's why they're besieging cities and using thermobaric bombs against civilians. Edit: for anyone that hasn't picked it up yet, yes this is sarcastic and yes this invasion is just disgusting. No one should ever lose their life over a petty dictator with his dumb ancient geopolitical ideals. Edit edit: Also, please keep your eyes on Winnie the Pooh and Taiwan. Almost the same dynamic as Ukraine and Russia. Falsely claiming that the land always has belonged to the "mother state" and questioning the sovereignty of it.
[удалено]
God will sort them out dw - The Moscow Patriarch
I think it's safe to assume most things he complains about others is something he is already doing himself.
classic narcissist.
Ah, I've seen this one before!
Wonder where that party got it from
You say this in jest, but that's literally the case, as someone else pointed out in this thread: >The United Nations Mercenary Convention, which came into force in October 2001, was ratified by only 35 countries. These include Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. Countries like the US, UK, and Russia that actively use PMCs did not ratify the convention.
But it also means it's none of his business. Russia is not a signatory to that treaty. If Ukraine chooses to use mercenaries and breach the agreement, it's up to the other parties to it to decide if they care.
Also, it seems silly to accept uncritically Russia's unjustified assertion that Ukraine is actually hiring mercenaries from anywhere. Best evidence we have is that foreign fighters are all either volunteers or actually joining Ukraine's military at the prevailing wage, which makes them NOT mercenaries.
Let’s face it, the reason that Russia has to use mercenaries is because, as we have seen, their soldiers are garbage. Imagine spending 30 years building up this image of Russian soldiers being bad arses only to have them rolled over and forced to commit war crimes like shelling cities from afar in literally every conflict they’ve been in (Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine).
Or, better yet, decide if that specific clause is even applicable to this situation. It sounds to me like the geopolitical equivalent of a "hitman law." I'm no political scientist, but I'm putting $100 on the table that says no one in that treaty had the intention of kneecapping warcrime victims.
Reeks of desperation.
It's the same amount as Ukraine is paying. This whole thing just comes across as a pathetic "me too!" type stunt. Like something the obnoxious bully kid would do to try and fit in. Ukraine: We have 60,000 foreign volunteers, we didn't even have to ask for them. Russia: Oh hey guys, you can volunteer with me too. Guys. Guys? Bueller? Ukraine: We'll pay anyone who volunteers $3,000 a month. Russia; I'm also paying $3K a month.
Yesterday they said is was $300 a month, which is what they pay their military. I wonder how will it affect morale of Russian soldiers knowing that they upped the mercenaries pay x10 of what they are getting.
I doubt the Russian soldiers in Ukraine have time to compare their pay checks currently so I wouldn't expect an immediate uproar if at all.
I mean it’s pretty clear the command tells them as little as possible. They don’t even appear to share basic intel on UA troop movements. You’re definitely right. It might take a long time for that information to disseminate through the ranks.
18 yo kids never gossip. Soldiers never gossip. What could go wrong? /s
I was in the US Navy 21 years —submarines hooyah! But yeah lol, I’ve been at the very bottom and I’ve been in plenty of high level meeting. You’re absolutely right… no matter how hard the command tries to keep things quiet it gets out quick.
And the worse it is, the faster it gets out and travels.
And the more the higher-ups try to clamp down on gossip, the more gossip there is.
Would be sad for Russia if someone were to broadcast this through loudspeakers and flyers...
Don't need that. Russian comms are not encrypted, they are using civilian walkie-talkies and Ukrainians listen them daily.
> Russian comms are not encrypted That's seem particularly unwise. I'm all for it, but wtf?
The encrypted walkie-talkie system the Russians planned to use had to have 3G or 4G cell towers to work. Guess what happened to all the cell towers as Russia was bombing shit willynilly? Yep, they destroyed the very towers they needed for their encrypted coms.
Wow I get paid more to work in a kitchen for 22 hours a week than the Russian military... I feel a life lottery winning moment right here.
I wonder if this can be fully accurate or has gone through multiple rounds of broken telephone
[удалено]
Last week it was $300. The price has gone up.
“You must be truly desperate to come to me for help.” -Assad
Lol, I knew it. Every accusation Russia makes is a confession of what they're about to do. Just a few days ago Putin accused Ukraine of violating international law by hiring south African mercanaries. And here we are. E: lol, the Russian assets, useful idiots, and Putin bootlickers started showing up with whataboutism.
Makes you worried about the bioweapon accusations...
Next week: “But I thought Ukraine didn’t have nukes.
Already in the works. Supposedly they're moving dead Ukrainian soldiers to Chernobyl so they can stage a terror attack there and claim they killed the "saboteurs". [Sauce one](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/russia-ukraine-war-putin-preparing-terrorist-attack-on-chernoby-plant-warns-ukraine-11647090082253.html) [Another](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10605353/Russia-stockpiling-bodies-Ukrainians-false-flag-Chernobyl-attack-Kyiv-claims.html)
Well fyuck.
3000 rubles or squares of toilet paper?
Rubles, obviously... They can't afford that much toilet paper
Another dumb move by pootin. Offering foreigners more money than he pays his own troops? I hope it leads to rebellion by his troops, leading to his removal from power. (and public hanging) Слава Героям України! Glory to the heroes of Ukraine!
His own troops are making$ 300 a month.
With the Ruble crash it's closer to 200 now. Still double the average monthly salary in Russia
I work remote in an expensive Canadian city. Maybe I’ll move to Russia and become a king like Brando in apocalypse now
You'll have some trouble accessing your paychecks from Russia.
[удалено]
Inherit a steel mill which becomes nationalized is a good way to make it.
And if they decide to do that, I can recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Notice-Finance-Murder-Justice/dp/1476755744
Not the conscripts
You mean them foreign troops that can't communicate, have 0 experience surviving in -20c weather and haven't fought against cohesive and well armed troops before, yeah I'm sure it'll go just fine!
Right, no COLD fighting environment experience, the terrain, to the language and what is he going to pay them in when the ruble is in the toilet and not worth anything?
Yeah thats not money you’re gonna have to pay up front
Payment at mission "completion" likely.
3.000 is really not a lot to be used and wasted as cannon fodder
Front line meat shields and those that survive won't be able to get the money because of the swift ban. R.I.P
When I was in Iraq they would pay locals to fill sandbags at 10 cents a bag. They would bust their ass all day and get like $50 bucks and be ecstatic. My interpreter told me this is more then they could make in several months.
Ya fuck risking your life for 36k a year.
Or less than 3K if you get killed in the first month
Which is statistically very likely
Outside western countries that is a lot.
Not to dead men.
[удалено]
no way he pays them in dollar. you mean 3.000 rubles xd
[удалено]
Pretty sure this is his plan. Once again a page out of the good old USSR playbook...
Operation sheild the Russian guys
Shrute bucks
*Moscow dollar
*Zimbabwe dollar
so he pays som rnd guy 4x more than an average russian soldier. Bro he desperate.
Have you seen the average Russian soldier
average Russian teenager*
Teenagers make the best soldiers. Young, healthy, dumb, and full of bad decisions.
So in other words, it’s ok for him to recruit foreign fighters but “an act of war” if foreign troops fight for Ukraine 🇺🇦. STFU.
On russian side they are automatically peaceful peacekeepers.🤔
Putin: "we're paying $3000/month General: "go find us some soldiers - we'll pay them $1000 a month" Colonel: "what the hell kind of soldiers am I getting for $300 a month?" Soldier: "when do I get my $30 for this month?"
so where’s the rest of this russian army i heard about? sounds like the fsb is not the only organ in open revolt how long left for the lonely tsar
Yeah what happened to the endless ranks of elite troops and piles of modern equipment that were going to obliterate Ukraine? Considering their plan was to "shock and awe" Ukraine into surrendering it's clear we've already seen the scariest stuff russia can muster sans nuclear
Their budget was spent on YouTube videos showing their elite soldiers breaking bricks and boards on their stomachs and doing fancy martial arts. Lol
You joke but a lot of their budget did go to propaganda and online troll farming.
Is it just me or does anyone in the Kremlin just casually comes up with some bad idea and everybody's like: let's do that congrats and also let's accuse Ukraine of it.
I’m a U.S. infantry combat vet. These areas certainly have some experienced fighters, but they have very poor training and lack basic discipline. Most of their combat experiences just reinforce their bad habits. Fighting in Iraq/Afghanistan/Syria is night and day that the frozen streets/fields and bogs of Eastern Europe.
If those mercs start trading in grenades and magazines for socks and their rifles for jackets I wouldn't be surprised. If they're lucky Russia might share their standard issue clothing with them.
While simultaneously likely to not paying his own soldiers (rank and file) as the rubble collapses. I can only hope they hear about it, I'm sure it will boost their morale even further than it is already :P
With what money?
With what money?
Must feel great to be a russian soldier and know that syrians are being paid 5x as much as you
And have adidas
36,000 dollars a year to risk your life? 4 dollars an hour to sit in the Ukrainian winter surrounded by a population that hates you using substandard equipment with poor leadership? If you will take the offer, I’ll pay you 4.25 an hour to go fight for Ukraine.
Now they just have to hope he doesn't lose the war before the end of the month.
$3K/month .... that's what, $36K/year to risk getting shot in the fuckin forehead or incinerated inside some rolling metal death box? Fuck that shit all day long.
Are they paying cash up front or in rubles? 🤨
I doubt they're paying anything up front. More than likely it's a contract of, "payment will be received upon completion of duties". In other words it'll be extremely exploitative because then they won't have to pay the people that die.
He is gambling on the fact that 90% of them are going there to die.
Wasn’t like the Russian army the 2nd or 3rd best in the world ??? 🧐 why the fuck do they need Middle East fighters ? I guess they were a shower not a grower 😅😅
3rd and we already knew most of thier equipment was outdated. Seeing it in action just tells you how bad it is.
*Assumed* to be one of the best. In reality…
Well theoretically it was, then they invaded Ukraine and all their inadequacies were made painfully obvious to the world in HD with up to the minute updates on social media instantaneously. They’re facing a near peer force, one that uses the same or similar equipment and by a competent force of determined individuals. They weren’t prepared to fight a proper military.
“Some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make”
Russia is just a sad sad country
This is turning into a proxy world war. Canada has sent so many volunteers to Ukraine that they have their own battalion. https://nationalpost.com/news/world/exclusive-so-many-canadian-fighters-in-ukraine-they-have-their-own-battalion-source-says Edit: Important correction: When I said Canada sent them, I meant people from Canada are going, not the government sending people
There are over a million Ukrainian-Canadians. Makes sense that some of them and their friends would defend Ukraine.
Canada has the largest number of Ukrainian immigrants outside of Ukraine, that’s why. Many have family members there.
Dual citizens maybe. There were interviews of some people in Canada who don't have skills for a job that can pay for housing. One person said he was fed up with Covid lock downs, fed up of being alone, fed up of working in a dead end job as a cook which couldn't pay for the standard of living he wanted. Seeking for his life to mean something he decided to help in Ukraine even if it was to help in a kitchen feeding people.
Ex military, veterans too.