Russian Soldier Acknowledges War Crimes in Ukraine on National TV

War has always been a brutal game, inflicting suffering especially on the defeated side. For example, during the Thirty Years' War, it was common practice that the victorious party was allowed to plunder a conquered city for three days.

Such looting, often accompanied by rape and violence, was considered the victor's right. However, in the modern era, this kind of behavior is unequivocally prohibited under international law.

That is why it was shocking to read that Russian soldier Dugar Zhamnjanov admitted on the Russian television news channel Rossiya 1 that he had mutilated captured Ukrainian soldiers, voluntary fighters and civilians by cutting off the index fingers on both of their hands.

Of course, it has already been widely known that Russian forces have mutilated, tortured, beaten, and executed Ukrainian soldiers and civilians both in Ukraine and elsewhere. But the fact that someone would publicly admit to committing war crimes on television, showing their face and stating their name, reveals that the army, state, and leadership he serves do not take war crimes seriously at all.

For this reason—and many others—it is of utmost importance that Western democracies, which uphold the rule of law, ensure that such a morally bankrupt state—and especially its leadership—never gets to enjoy victory in the war against Ukraine. On the contrary, the war must end with justice prevailing.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Downing of the Azerbaijani Plane Is a War Crime That Must Be Condemned
Can Peace Emerge from Horrific War Crimes?
Ukraine can and will stop Putin

How Hamas Exploited Aid and Lost the Support of Many Palestinians

The UN and other aid organizations have been delivering food to civilians in Gaza. However, according to newly released information that many had previously suspected, the aid has not always reached civilians directly. Instead, the terrorist organization Hamas has often stolen the aid and sold it on the black market in order to raise funds—for example, to pay its fighters’ salaries.

When Israel blocked the aid convoys, this flow of money came to an end, and Hamas now appears to be out of cash. It has reportedly not been able to pay its fighters for several months, let alone provide compensation to the families of those killed in action.

Aid deliveries resumed a few days ago, and this time Israel intends to ensure that the food goes directly to those in need. Time will tell how successful they will be.

All this raises a legitimate question: should Palestinian aid actors—especially the UN—that in practice ended up supporting Hamas, now critically reassess their actions? And what about those in the West who made noise about the temporary suspension of aid that, in effect, had been benefiting terrorists? 

For my part, I simply note that Hamas’s actions do not serve the interests of the vast majority of Palestinians; rather, the organization’s goal seems to be nothing more than exploiting them. It appears that more and more Gazans have come to the same conclusion, as many have turned against the group and even dared to protest openly in hopes of driving it out of Gaza. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Could Mohammed Sinwar’s Death Mark a Turning Point Toward Peace
Why Hamas Is Unwilling to Give Up Its Weapons
In Finland, the Enemy Is Clear – and Now the Truth Is Emerging for the Palestinians Too

Did a Finnish Fighter Jet Rush to Intercept a Russian Sukhoi Yesterday?

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has confirmed at the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers that a Russian military aircraft – apparently a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet – violated Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland to protect an oil tanker sailing under the Gabonese flag, which was en route to the Russian port of Primorsk. The incursion occurred because Estonia attempted to stop this Russian shadow fleet tanker, as it was unflagged, uninsured, and listed under the UK sanctions regime.

According to Margus Tsahkna, the Russian Federation dispatched its fighter jet to monitor the situation, and it breached Estonian airspace for nearly a minute. “We must understand that the situation is extremely serious,” he emphasized.

The Estonian foreign minister stated that the incident is yet another piece of evidence that Russia poses a serious threat beyond Ukraine. Therefore, in his view, NATO must strengthen its deterrence and defense – especially in European member states.

* * *

This event was particularly interesting to me personally, as I happened to hear a loud bang yesterday while I was in a small house in the Finnish countryside – it sounded as if a cannon had been fired right next to me. I don’t know if that sound was connected to the incident over the Gulf of Finland, but I’m fairly certain it was a Finnish fighter jet flying faster than the speed of sound.

That led me to consider the possibility that the Finnish Air Force might have decided to intervene yesterday – although, as far as I know, this hasn’t been reported anywhere – to ensure that the Russian Su-35 pilot didn’t take any reckless actions. Of course, I don’t know if that’s the case, but the incident underlines the need for the countries around the Baltic Sea to intensify their cooperation in order to put an end to the business Russia is conducting through its shadow fleet.

At the same time, Estonia – at the very least – must invest more in its own defense, particularly in its naval and air capabilities, because Finland would not be able to assist its smaller neighbor if it were also under attack. However, in this case, it would – at least in principle – have been possible, and thus the sound I heard may well have been a sign of Finnish-Estonian military cooperation.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Russia’s War Rages On – And the World Keeps Funding It
Sabotage in the Baltic Sea Sparks Calls for New Maritime Borders
Finns - Among the World’s Best

Finns - Among the World’s Best

In Finland, Independence Day is associated with various traditions. One of the most significant has been the reception hosted by the President, where living World War II veterans have traditionally played a central role. This year, however, they were not invited to the main celebration; instead, a separate event was organized earlier this week to honor those who saved Finland's independence.

The heroes who preserved Finland's independence during the turmoil of World War II are still remembered on television, with the screening of the war film The Unknown Soldier. The film is based on a book of the same name, which depicts the experiences of a machine gun company from 1941 to 1944.

As for me, I plan to honor the heroes who safeguarded our independence by reflecting on a few statistics about Finnish fighter pilots. These figures come from Kari Stenman's book, Finland’s Best Fighter Aces and Their Aircraft.

* * *

Among Finnish pilots, the most successful in destroying Soviet aircraft during World War II was Ilmari Juutilainen, whose exceptional skill resulted in the enemy losing a remarkable 94 aircraft. Of these, six were destroyed in a single air battle on June 30, 1944.

He reported the battle as follows: "We were on a patrol mission with eight aircraft. I led the squadron to Tali, where we encountered enemy fighters. Over Viipuri, I fired on an AC from behind, tearing off most of its rudders. It crashed at the edge of Torkkeli Park near Punaisenlähteen Square, leaving behind a mist that looked like a fuel vapor cloud."

"The fight continued toward Säiniö. Near Säiniö, I shot at another AC from behind and above, setting it on fire. It crashed between Säiniö and Karhusuo, still burning on the ground."

"I saw over 50 bombers approaching from the east, accompanied by fighters. I regrouped our planes between Juustila and Tali, where we clashed with the Russians. Over Juustila, I shot down one Yak-9, which crashed in flames. Another Yak-9, its right wing shot off, crashed in the same area."

"At one point, we protected Stukas, but after that, more Russian bombers and fighters appeared. I couldn’t get a result. Then I saw Il-2 planes without cover. I attacked sharply from the side, and one Il-2 crashed in flames into Juustila peninsula."

"At the same time, I was surrounded by La-5s. After a five-minute duel with one of them, I managed to set it on fire at an altitude of 2,000 meters. It crashed in flames 3–4 kilometers north of the Il-2 crash site along the road. My ammunition ran out, so I had to end the battle, though I still had about 10 minutes of fuel. The battle altitude ranged from 5,000 to 50 meters. My aircraft was MT457."

* * *

Juutilainen had also participated ten days earlier on June 20, 1944, the most active day of aerial combat on Finland’s front lines. On that day, Finnish pilots shot down a total of 51 Soviet aircraft in three consecutive air battles—without suffering any losses of their own.

This alone demonstrated the extraordinary skill of Finnish pilots. Further evidence lies in the overall statistics: during the Continuation War, Finnish pilots destroyed approximately 1,100 Soviet aircraft while losing only 53 of their own pilots.

Even among the best, some stood out. None of the top ten Finnish fighter aces, ranked by aerial victories, were killed during the Winter War or the Continuation War. Together, they accounted for 488 Soviet aircraft shot down.

This achievement was remarkable, especially considering that during the Winter War, Finnish fighters were largely outdated models such as the Gloster Gladiator II, Fokker D.XXI, and Fiat G.50. At the start of the Continuation War, the mainstay was the Brewster 239—a model so disliked by American pilots that they nicknamed it the "Flying Coffin." The Finnish Air Force also used a mix of captured Soviet aircraft acquired through German assistance and some Morane-Saulnier 406 fighters, which were gifted by France during the Winter War but were already obsolete before the conflict began.

The situation changed in April 1943 with the arrival of Messerschmitt Bf 109 G fighters. These aircraft allowed Finnish pilots to fully showcase their skills.

One indication of their proficiency is that thereafter, enemy pilots never managed to shoot down any Finnish bombers protected by these fighters. Moreover, unlike their German counterparts, Finnish pilots rarely damaged their Messerschmitts during takeoff, despite the aircraft being known for its challenging handling characteristics.

* * *

The exceptional skill of Finnish fighter pilots can be attributed to various factors. My guess is that it stems from similar genetic or cultural traits that have made Finns, relative to their population, the most dominant motorsport athletes in the world.

After all, this nation of five million has produced three Formula 1 World Champions and eight World Rally Champions. Furthermore, the next World Rally Championship title is highly likely to go to Kalle Rovanperä, a 24-year-old prodigy who took a sabbatical year and is arguably the most talented motorsport athlete of all time.

With these memories and reflections, I wish you—my esteemed readers—a very happy Independence Day as we celebrate 107 years of Finnish sovereignty.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
Independence day of Finland now and 83 years ago

Did the Finnish Prime Minister promise Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine?

The national TV-channel of Finland showed in their main news today Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) speaking to the press, saying, "I was a bit surprised by the strong reaction it got here in certain circles at home. Perhaps this shows that elections are always around the corner. Other parties have taken some liberties, for example, putting words in my mouth that I have never said."

Of course, it is possible that someone has put words in Marin's mouth, and I will not comment on that. However, in this situation, it is important to repeat exactly what she said in Ukraine. Therefore, I will copy the central content of Marin's statement from a newspaper's article where it was published word for word.

Firstly, the Prime Minister said that "we know the schedule for our future fighter jets, how we will get them to Finland, and yes, I think we can also have a discussion about the Hornets, whether it would be possible to transfer them to Ukraine." Additionally, she stated that "Finland is in an interesting position precisely because we have made the decision on a new acquisition, and we have existing equipment and can, of course, evaluate the use of that equipment".

Based on those comments, dear reader, you can draw your own conclusions on how Marin's words are meant to be understood, and how they have been interpreted by the listeners.

In my opinion, with those words, Marin clearly and unambiguously informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people that Finland is in a position to both transfer Hornet fighter jets and is considering doing so - she even emphasized this twice.

And I can't possibly believe that Zelensky, nor his people awaiting aid, could have interpreted our Prime Minister's words in any other way. Nor do I believe that Marin intended them to be interpreted differently than how I have written.

We can only speculate on the reasons for Marin's statement. Perhaps she acted in good faith and genuinely wanted to transfer Finnish fighter planes to a people in dire straits. And perhaps she wanted to initiate a discussion on the matter domestically.

Or perhaps she has become fond of the immense admiration she has received worldwide for repeatedly taking a strong stance in support of Ukraine during the ongoing war. And maybe she thought that her interview in the midst of the war would generate more of the same - who among us hasn't enjoyed those moments in life when we have basked in someone else's expressed admiration.

The third option could be that Sanna Marin acted as the leader of the Social Democratic Party and believed that the strong support of Finns for the Ukrainian people could help her party win the elections in early April, if she promised that Finland would help where larger Western countries have hesitated. And thereby she could even get a second term as the country's most influential politician, that is, as the Prime Minister.

The situation becomes tragically comical by the fact that we don't really have anything to offer Ukraine. The Finnish Hornets will be used up in the Finnish Air Force and therefore wouldn't be of much use in Ukraine's fight against the Russians.

Former commander of the Finnish Defense Forces, General Jarmo Lindberg, tweeted about this, stating that "any retired aircraft has very few years left if everything goes according to plan. In addition, the spare parts inventory is of course being depleted, as there will be no need for parts in the future. Permission must be obtained from the USA for further use, but there is no remaining lifespan."

Unfortunately, I have to admit that while Marin gained great popularity with her internationally noticed appearance and convincing performances during the pandemic, her later period as the destroyer of national wealth and party princess has eroded my perception of her ability as Prime Minister. And this recent fighter jet opening certainly doesn't help - and I say this without any sugarcoating.

The original blogpost in Finnish: Sanasta Sannaa ja sarvesta miestä

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A gift from the free world to Ukraine
Independence day of Finland now and 83 years ago
Finland after the Russian war in Ukraine
 

Is the moral of Russians collapsing

A former leading member of the Wagner group - a Russian mercenary army forming one of the stronges units of the attacker in Ukraine - has asked asylum in Norway. The decision on his request has not been made yet. 

It remains to be seen, what happens next, but one possible interpretation on this case could be loss of morale among the fighters of Wagner. That would not be a miracle taken the huge losses of the Russian army during the last eleven months. 

There are naturally also other possibilities, but it is good to make the optimistic interpretation, but be prepared for the worst. And therefore countries of Europe need to continue their support to Ukraine. That is, anti-aircraft missiles and battle tanks - or whatever the heroes of this war need to beat the enemy. 

That is because it should be understood that the loss of Russians in this war is not only a big win to Ukrainians, but its importance will be even bigger to the whole world by showing that a violent attack against innocent people cannot any more be counted as a way to change the world.  

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Military advice: Ukraine needs modern tanks
Good news from Ukraine
Independence day of Finland now and 83 years ago

Finland and Sweden invited to NATO - but what about Kurdish people

Today was a big day for Finland and Sweden as they were invited to join NATO. It was also an important day for Turkey´s wannabe sultan, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who most probably obtained a promise from President Joe Biden of obtaining F16 fighters from the USA. 

A day was a bit less great for Turkish minorities. That was very clearly pointed out by a member of Swedish  parliament, Kurdish Amineh Kakabaveh, who did not accept the deal by the Swedish Social democratic government, and said to her compatriots that a "vote for the Social Democrats is a vote for Erdogan". 

The reason is that Finland and Sweden agreed on actions against terrorists. And terrorists in Erdogan´s understanding are more or less synonyms for Kurds. 

Already now Finland and Sweden are considering PKK as a terrorist organisation, due to an obvious reason that PKK has been guilty of terrorist attacks. On the other hand, the two Nordic countries do not consider other Kurdish organisations - including Syrian YPG - terroristic organizations, but neither do they support them. 

Therefore, the agreement between the Nordic countries and Turkey - as far as is possible to figure out based on the available public information - will not change the current political practices considering Kurdish people. 

It is also clear that neither Finland nor Sweden will send a single Kurd to Turkey if that would be against their own legislation. That means no one - who is not a terrorist according to Nordic laws - has a fear of being sent to Turkey for a trial. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Why Finland will apply for a membership in NATO
COVID-19 against Finland´s NATO plans
Is President Putin on his way to repeat the destiny of Czar Nicholas II?