"The 1980's are calling to ask for their foreign policy back."

I don't think the Geneva Convention defines what an "illegal combatant" is though. You're either a combatant, or a civilian. Otherwise, the Wagner Group troops in and around Kiev are illegal combatants. So are the Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine.

About those "superyachts" the oligarchs are trying to use as getaway vessels to places without extradition treaties...
A Ukrainian man was arrested for partially sinking his Russian tycoon boss’ $7.7 million luxury super yacht in Spain in protest over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Taras Ostapchuk, 55, was taken into custody on Saturday in Mallorca after he allegedly opened several valves to intentionally flood the 156-foot-long vessel, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.
The yacht — named Lady Anastasia — is owned by businessman, Alexander Mijeev, who is the CEO of Russian military weapons company, Rosoboronexport.

When officers arrived to arrest Ostapchuk, the crew member allegedly said: “My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people.”

Ostapchuk said he was spurred to sabotage the luxury yacht after seeing news reports of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the local outlet.

Is there a jury in the world that would convict him?

Good read:

Raise your hand if you knew Luxembourg had Heavy Lift.

Respect.

It’s already been pointed out that most of them are drafted.

He’s wrong though. While the person would no longer be a non-combatant they would still be a protected person under Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention.

• 4.1.6 Inhabitants of a non-occupied territory, who on the approach of the enemy spontaneously take up arms to resist the invading forces, without having had time to form themselves into regular armed units, provided they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war.

Gee, that reminds me of someone...

Maybe. But the exact legal definition of "non-occupied territory," and the last clause about open carry and respect for the laws of war, could be up for interpretation.

Yeah, The Russian MTOE is completely fucked. It’s not really possible to compare a Russian Infantry unit to a Western one but here goes.

First of all every lower enlisted is a rifleman. They are the conscripts that do 1 year of service and rotate out.

Their NCOs are just conscripts that signed back up after their year. They have no real training, their only job is to keep the lower enlisted whipped into shape/executing orders.

EVERYONE else is an officer. 1st in command, 2nd in command, medic, commo guy, engineer. Anyone with any kind of role aside from rifleman is an officer. Now, their officer corps isn’t like ours. You basically just have to have graduated high school and go to specialty training (which would be AIT here) and you get to be one of those specialty officers.

Not really. The 4th Geneva Convention deals with Occupied Territories and Protocol I further clarifies guerrillas and resistance groups.

Not to mention if there is ANY doubt as the Article 4 status they must be treated as having it. No summary executions.

Article 5, paragraph 2:

Should any doubt arise as to whether persons, having committed a belligerent act and having fallen into the hands of the enemy, belong to any of the categories enumerated in Article 4, such persons shall enjoy the protection of the present Convention until such time as their status has been determined by a competent tribunal.

Waiting for the Hitler clip with Putin's face and redubbed in Russian.

I see the Russians have changed the narrative yet again and are now claiming they are there to ensure Ukraine doesn't get access to nuclear weapons....

Righties- Antifa are the real fascists.

*Real honest-to-goodness fascists hold a fake anti-fascist conference*

Righties-

There are no WMDs in Iraq Ukraine...

They can't be fascists when they label themselves anti-fascist. That's the rule, right?

I dunno. You say you aren't an idiot.

No nuance and no accountability. If you oppose them, you support fascism.

Oh, holy shit, you saying that is like Data calling Spock stiff, or Weinstein calling Goldstein a degenerate.

Some things are universal.



Also, holy fuck, get those guys some water!