Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on, shelling important strategic military targets such as maternity hospitals, apartment buildings, theatres, shopping malls, and schools, at the cost of over 10,000 civilian lives.
Of course Russia has counted its own losses in this tragic conflict, with 315,000 Russian troops killed or seriously injured to date.
Many of these have been in tank divisions, with Russia producing tanks at a rate of up to 100 a month to replace those lost. This is one such ‘Armoured Fighting Vehicle’, the Uralvagonzavod BMPT “Terminator”.
Brilliantly constructed by Flickr’s Константин Тихомиров, these two “Terminator” AFVs are ready to take on a Ukrainian nursing home, kindergarten, or post office, and you can join the effort via the link to Константин’s photostream above.
Albeit your text is brilliantly sarcastic, I would like to not see russia military MOCs featured here. Especially as the builder seems to support russia’s aggressive war (which is also shown by adding the “Z” to his MOCs).
Hello Micha
Thanks for your message, and your feedback is very much appreciated.
We’ve struggled with whether to publish Russian military creations also, but have decided that we will (if they meet our criteria) based on the following;
1. Models depicting Axis-Powers vehicles from the Second World War appear here quite frequently, with many including the Nazi swastika for authenticity. This definitely does not mean that we (or the builder) support the ideology that the symbol represents.
2. We have many Russian readers (some of whom have been rather vocal when we have offered a counter-narrative to the one the hear from Russian media…). Thus if we can use this site to inform readers of things of which they may not be aware (whether they then believe them or not), then we’ll do our best to. In this case we have included a far wider range of third-party links than we would normally, each of which debunks Russia’s claims and gives insight into the atrocities committed. Our hope is that readers who may support Russia’s ‘special military operation’ click on them, and they challenge their thinking.
3. Any opportunity to take the piss out of Putin, we’ll grab.
We hope this helps, it’s not a straight-forward decision and we very much value your feedback. Let us know if you think we’ve got this wrong.
Kind regards
TLCB
Slava Ukraini
Thank you for your detailed answer!
To be clear, I did not mean to imply that you share the Russian war ideology because you link to such a vehicle. That was already clear from your sarcastic (and very welcome) comment.
I just didn’t want the builder (who apparently supports Putin’s war) to get a platform to present his MOCs.
But I see your motives and think your arguments are valid.
I’m here to look at nice cars and vehicles not on MOCs of people who glorify ruzzian military or their war crimes. We should boycot ruzzian MOCers especially ones who glorify their troops and their war crimes. I read the previous comment about the situation but still, giving any support to such individuals is wrong.
Hello Dude
Thanks for your comment.
We don’t think that boycotting Russian builders would be fair or constructive, as an individual citizen’s motives may differ vastly from the under-endowed despot currently rigging another election.
However, we do agree that should a creation glorify war crimes it should not garner attention. We will continue to do our best to get this right and we very much appreciate the thoughts of our readers to help us.
Kind regards
TLCB Team
Oh, my…using CNN as a source…I understand people are propagandized, but it is always better to see it from both sides.
Ok, here are some (a bit more) neutral sources:
1. Russian loses are around 40.000 soldiers, analyzed by Mediazone (operated by BBC):
https://meduza.io/en/news/2023/11/06/journalists-confirm-deaths-of-over-35-000-russian-soldiers-in-ukraine
2. Russians “attacking schools” and why, by Amnesty:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/08/ukraine-ukrainian-fighting-tactics-endanger-civilians/
3. Russia’s “invasion” of Ukraine, what started it and why:
– Illegal US coup on the legal Ukrainian government in 2014, and installing illegal Ukrainian government:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/nov/26/ukraine.usa
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26089450
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-morrison/ukraine-willliam-hague_b_4933177.html
– US and UK insisted Ukraine attack Russian population in eastern Ukraine. Yes, Ukrainians attacked Russians (civilians) there first, all while using cluster bombs:
https://www.cnbc.com/2014/11/09/worst-east-ukraine-shelling-for-month-ceasefire-looks-in-doubt.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/21/world/ukraine-used-cluster-bombs-report-charges.html
Hello Jovan
Thanks for your comment.
We agree that seeing any conflict from both sides is always necessary, as is sourcing information as widely as possible (we’ve both used many of the same sources it appears, and we respect your research).
Unfortunately in the Russian ‘election’ however, there is only one side, and that should alarm us all.
Kind regards
TLCB Team
Sad to see that people are not able to check facts and just read everything that russian propaganda feeds to lazy and uneducated people. CNN is crab with a b turned upside down and your sources too. Same thing – different names. Totally a brainwashed person.
Hi again,
Sure.
My point is, I haven’t even used Russian/Far East/Indian sources, only the Western ones (excluding CNN), and even with just those, there is a wildly different story when you look from different perspectives they offer.
And I haven\t presented my own experience of what I saw and what happened when I lived and worked in Russia and Ukraine during those 2013-2019.
Anyway, I do hope TLCB will continue showing MOC from all over the world, and keep rhetorics at check.
We are here for the LEGO, not politics, or news reports.
After all, we do often see the US made (war) vehicles and (war) aircraft and such on TCLB, and one could argue that those have started and engaged in many unprovoked conflicts all over the world.
Yeah, even my country was attacked by those at one point, and I lost two friends during it (besides many bridges/hospitals/schools etc…yeah!) …and I am still okay with enjoying LEGO (note: LEGO) models of F15s and such, without offering sarcasm and rhetorics, or my own narrative.
Yeah, its hard for me, but I understand.
This was a bit personal story, but again, many people do not have access to both sides of the story. I had, for years, and I love Russia/Ukraine/East Europe, same as I love “West”, each for their own twists.
I know you are doing your best, what you believe in, and I respect that.
Just…if possible, try to not view at it one sided, and so aggressively. There is a whole lot we can not see it on our media (unless we lived and experienced it firsthand).
All the best,
Jovan
Thank you for your intelligent discourse Jovan, which wonderfully advocates for listening to both sides.
We have been very critical of Western policy in the past, and do try to be balanced over time (individual posts may appear less so of course!)
All the best
TLCB Team
I think it’s totally fair to boycott such builders as mr/mrs Dude said – Glorifying War Crimes is inhumane. Still It’s not fair to boycott everyone but on the other hand is it a good thing to post such people’s mocs even with sarcastic comments?
And of course a russian protects his own war criminal comrades. People like mr. Radmilovic are useful for putin even if they don’t bear arms or liberate Ukraine from itself in trenches. And why they useful? Because they like the western “neutral” media – spread missinformation to the people. One difference only – mr. Radmilovic doesn’t get payed for his words.
One thing to add for this nice blog – PLZ DO A BACKGROUND RESEARCH ON AUTHOR. I don’t want to see MOCs from people who support genocide not just in Ukraine but also in all other territories russian goverment wanted to liberate. Or if we speak about background researches from bad people in general. It’s not cool to promote work of people who aren’t people.