Ukraine War Update EXTRA: Russian POW Experiences, Dehumanisation, Flags, & G. Lira
Table of Contents 📖
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"Once you get dehumanization involved, once you get superiors involved, once you get narratives and being fed a whole living in a whole sort of echo chamber and bubble of reality so the Russian reality in its isolationist background etc etc you put all these things together and Russians can do horrible things all humans can do horrible things you give the right ingredients there and people can do horrible things"
Hello Team!
Jonathan discusses a scene in Frankfurt where Russians were displaying flags and war symbols on Victory Day, wondering how much objective information they have about the war in Ukraine. He questions their motivations and beliefs, and if they are genuinely supporting Russia's actions or are influenced by Kremlin propaganda.
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Gonzalo Lira Arrested in Ukraine
- Gonzalo Lira, a dual US-Chilean citizen living in Kharkiv, has been arrested by Ukraine's SBU on charges of producing pro-Russian propaganda
- Lira transitioned from being a "red pill dating coach" to providing propaganda for Russian state media
- He insulted Zelensky, described Ukrainians defending their land as "armed criminals", and revealed locations of American reporters in Ukraine
- Lira blamed Ukraine for being attacked by Russia and defended Putin's motives
- He has a following of over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube and Telegram
Experiences of Russian POWs
Three Russian POWs share their experiences:
- Viktor Mysyagin, a veteran mercenary, wants to return to the war as he feels more comfortable there. He says Russian POWs were treated fairly well by Ukrainians.
- Dmitry Kuznetsov, a former oil worker, signed a 3-month contract after personal issues. He fought to avenge deaths in Odessa but is now disillusioned, not understanding Russia's motives. He is having trouble adjusting after release.
- Vladimir Kuzin, a volunteer, is disillusioned after his unit was nearly wiped out. He questions why his contract was extended and is trying to get out of it. Kuzin is having psychological issues after captivity.
Psychology of How Good People Can Do Bad Things
Jonathan discusses psychological experiments by Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo that sought to understand how normal people can commit atrocities. Factors include:
- Dehumanization of others
- Following orders from authority figures
- Being in an echo chamber/bubble of a certain reality
He argues that given the right circumstances, any group of people are capable of committing horrible acts, as history has shown. However, the Russian military's actions in Ukraine appear to be happening on an institutionalized level, which is inexcusable.
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Kenneth Gregg's Frontline Report
- Frontlines are mostly unchanged except a Ukrainian breakthrough south of Avdiivka
- Major update sites are holding back reports as the fog of war increases before the expected offensive
- Intense infighting continues between Wagner, Chechens and Russian MoD around Bakhmut
- Gregg believes the Kremlin drone attack and fires around Russia are likely the work of an armed resistance movement, not Ukraine, the West, or a Russian false flag
Polls and Comments
Polls of Jonathan's channel members show:
- 65% believe the Kremlin drone attack was a false flag
- 56% think the main Ukrainian counteroffensive thrust will be towards Melitopol and Berdyansk
Commenter Robert Ezegealis provides additional context:
- Ukraine only has one test model of the Bogdana self-propelled gun so far, with parts and production being a challenge
- Greek defense company PruCal has the potential to supply Ukraine with a wide range of munitions
Wrap up
Jonathan thanks viewers for their support and encourages them to like, subscribe, share and support the channel. He signs off until tomorrow.
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