by Deuce I think this event is significant enough to a large portion of the planet's inhabitants to separate it from more general topics/threads, and have its own thread. If the majority collectively disagree, then feel free to remove it.
As well, tragically, I don't see this event ending anytime soon (though I certainly hope I'm wrong about that).
If this topic/thread remains - as I feel it should - then those with the ability to do so can decide whether to move some existing posts on this subject which are scattered around other topics/threads to here.
by Deuce I believe all sanctioned international tennis tournaments scheduled to be played in Russia should be cancelled (or moved out of Russia) immediately.
Here are some pro-active actions from the sporting world related to the invasion:
by Deuce Reports are saying that some Russian soldiers are wearing Ukranian uniforms in the streets, so as to deceive the Ukrainian military and population.
An old trick, and one which further solidifies that all of this is inhumane.
by meganfernandez
Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:16 am
I believe all sanctioned international tennis tournaments scheduled to be played in Russia should be cancelled (or moved out of Russia) immediately.
Here are some pro-active actions from the sporting world related to the invasion:
by ponchi101 Just as a reminder.
No topic will be removed from TAT2.0 UNLESS it violates our policies about pornography and hate speech. If a topic were to be of no interest to our members, it will simply become inactive in its due time.
This separate topic is as welcome as any other.
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Will there be other repercussions to this invasion? By that I mean this. Although I am firmly in the camp that, overall, life has been getting better for all of mankind in the last centuries (the Steven Pinker hypothesis, for lack of a better description), that does not mean that reversals are not possible. Pinker's hypothesis is measured in centuries or, at a minimum, decades. But in much shorter intervals, regressions can be glaring and devastating. I am a citizen from such a place, where our standard of living has become clearly lower than what we had in the 1990's (just an example). Overall, other countries in S. America can be said to be going the same way (Argentina is one example).
Is the concept of "Democracy" in danger, and if so, will a Russian success in annexing Ukraine to its physical borders spell further such moves? China over Taiwan (Hong Kong is already lost)? Turkey also annexing adjacent territories (I am not aware of any such claims but Erdogan is another dictator)?
by ponchi101 Countries that have sided with Russia in this invasion (my count):
Iran
Venezuela
Cuba
Nicaragua
The last three are obviously in my backyard. They are the ones that always brag about national sovereignty and country self-determination.
Sometimes my passport is such an embarrassment...
by MJ2004 You may need change this thread title to Russian Invasion of Former Soviet Bloc Countries.
I don't mean to sound facetious. The situation is completely tragic. But when in history has a successfully invading leader stopped themselves at one victory?
by ponchi101
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:26 pm
You may need change this thread title to Russian Invasion of Former Soviet Bloc Countries.
I don't mean to sound facetious. The situation is completely tragic. But when in history has a successfully invading leader stopped themselves at one victory?
That was my point in my 2014 piece, after he invaded Crimea and nothing stopped him.
Some countries will fold in meekly. I would say Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will gladly come back to some sort of "Federation". But countries like Georgia and the Baltic States should start considering scenarios in 5-6 years.
Another thing about these lunatics: they do believe they are immortal. So, he believes he has all the time in the world.
by MJ2004 What happens with the countries that are now EU or NATO members? That's the big question.
by ti-amieStop whitewashing GOP's Putin worship
A burning bromance
Eric Boehlert
Feb 25
American politicians cheerleading a dictator as he sends tanks into a neighboring country and bombs a sovereign nation ought to be a huge news story. The fact that portions of a major U.S. political party, and its aligned media outlets, sanction Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine represents a stunning turning point for the Republican Party and how this country traditionally deals with foreign crises.
Assigning its loyalty and admiration to the Kremlin instead of the West Wing, key parts of the GOP, led by Trump who called Putin’s move “genius,” is embracing a truly radical worldview. But that’s not how the treasonous behavior is being portrayed by the press, which for days has matter-of-factly described the GOP as being “divided” over the prospect of a tyrannical Russian leader — his adversaries regularly end up dead — launching an invasion.
Ho-hum language abounds. There’s been a “split,” the New York Times reports, suggesting that Republicans who turn a blind eye to Putin’s invasion are merely “America First” “isolationists.” The party is facing “foreign policy factionalism,” Politico insisted. It’s sending “mixed messages,” NBC News announced, which went on to describe the GOP’s pro-Putin wing as “a newer brand of America Firsters,” “Republican doves,” and “the libertarian right” which has an “anti-interventionist strain.” None of that accurately describes this unprecedented trend in American politics of endorsing murderous autocrats.
More pedestrian presentation from NBC:
The fissures point to a growing divide in the Republican Party, between traditional foreign policy hawks who have advocated for a more confrontational U.S. posture to the Russian strongman and a Trump-aligned “MAGA” faction that has expressed some sympathy for Putin's tactics or described them as effective.
The Washington Post on Wednesday suggested it was a “novel phenomenon” that a portion of a U.S. political party was siding with the Kremlin over the White House. Novel? The Post article didn’t quote one Democrat or one expert on the rise of authoritarianism to put the GOP’s shocking behavior in context.
The Beltway press treats this as if it were nothing more than an inter-party squabble over taxes or immigration policy, not portions of the party tacitly supporting the largest land invasion in Europe since World War II, a possibly brutal blitzkrieg that could leave thousands of civilians dead. And spearheaded, ironically, by the former Soviet Union, which for decades served as the epicenter of right wing suspicion and hostility; the proverbial Evil Empire.
Today’s kind words for Putin would be like in 1990 after Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded Kuwait, if the Democratic Party had been “divided” over whether the deadly incursion was a good thing or a bad thing, and the D.C. press shrugging and treating it as normal political posturing. In truth, if a single elected Democratic official had even breathed a sentence of support for Hussein back then it would have been a huge story and created a maelstrom of media trouble for the party. Yet Republicans singing Putin’s praise in 2022 is treated as no big deal.
It’s the latest example of the media constantly normalizing reckless conservative behavior. “Trump’s own giddy rush to side with a foreign leader who is proving to be an enemy of the United States and the West is shocking even by Trump’s self-serving standards,” CNN’s Stephen Collison wrote. It’s “shocking” if you haven’t covered politics for the last six years.
The Putin appeasement coverage also lacks key context — what does this mean that one of American’s two major political parties supports a tyrant who invades his neighbor without cause? A U.S. party that politely regurgitates Kremlin talking points and embraces institutional appeasement for Putin, who in the previous decade stridently defended a Syrian regime that killed tens of thousands of its people in a civil war.
It’s not a minor faction either. Thanks to Trump’s worshipful embrace of Putin for years, 62 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents insist Putin is “a stronger leader” than Biden, according to a recent poll.
The GOP’s Putin bromance actually began under President Barack Obama, when Republicans and the right-wing media marveled at Putin’s political prowess. (Matt Drudge: “Putin is the leader of the free world.”) Why the sudden Republican attraction? Putin (a “macho man”) was defying the U.S. with regards to Syria and when Russia invaded Crimea.
Today it’s not just about oppositional politics — it’s not the GOP conveniently and temporarily embracing Putin because he’s squaring off against another Democratic president. Instead, it’s genuine admiration of an undemocratic strongman imposing his will, which is exactly why Republicans slavishly supported Trump for four years. This is another glimpse into the growing, and unapologetic, undemocratic movement within the GOP — and the press portrays it as normal.
That’s why Trump’s former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who is rumored to have presidential ambitions, told Fox News that Putin is “a very talented statesman” with “lots of gifts.” “He knows how to use power. We should respect that.” It’s why Republican Senate candidate in Missouri, Eric Greitens, warned about “bloodthirsty Washington elites" and their "warmongering” against Russia.
And it’s why Tucker Carlson tells his millions of Fox News viewers each night that Biden is the one who needlessly provoked Russia, and that Ukraine is not a country worth saving.
by ponchi101 Third world disease:
I was in Uzbekistan (2006) when my driver, a local Uzbek, spoke glowingly of Hugo Chavez when I mentioned my nationality. I proceeded to explain the reality of what that man was (as always, mentioning the caveat that I opposed him). He thought about it and said "He is a strong man. That is good".
I have found that reasoning in several parts of the world, one of them my backyard in S. America. It is a mental disease, the believe that "the strong man" will take care of you.
That is what the GOP is going through. The addiction to the Strong Man, without realizing that:
1. He is not strong, he is just brave because he is out of range.
2. Sooner or later, the strong man comes for you. Usually right after you are not needed.
In short: just cowards. Hoping for "the strong man" to do what they can't, which is usually eliminating "them".
by ponchi101 This keeps getting more and more dangerous.
Russia openly states that if Finland or Sweden join NATO, they will face military action.
This man (Vlad) is totally off the rocker. That is the kind of statement that simply reads "regardless of what you do, you are next". Gary Kasparov has a few things to say. Including kicking Russia out of SWIFT.
by ponchi101 The poll I started is anonymous. Your name will not be shown in your vote.
by Deuce The Haas Formula 1 team car before and after the invasion.
The before photo shows the car with Russian flag colours and Russian sponsor Uralkali. The Uralkali company has been linked to Putin via Dmitri Mazepin, who, through his sponsorship of Haas, got his son Nikita to be one of the 2 drivers at Haas.
Dmitri is a billionaire, and is reportedly a close associate of Putin's, and perhaps also a personal friend.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Haas took the Russian colours and Uralkali sponsorship off of their cars.
(Personally, I hope that Mazepin is dropped as an F1 driver, because he has a reputation for dangerous driving, and he's by far the most thoughtless and dangerous driver currently on the grid.)
by MJ2004 FT has of course wall to wall coverage with a tremendous amount of in-depth analysis. I'll just post this article here.
Alternate title: A cornered rat
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s resentful leader, takes the world to war
Pent-up anger with the west and a fixation on Ukraine make him more aggressive and unpredictable than ever
Growing up in a communal apartment in Leningrad, a young Vladimir Putin liked to chase rats across the stairwell with sticks. One day, he spotted a particularly huge rat and drove it into a corner. Suddenly, it threw itself at him, trying to leap onto Putin’s head in its bid to escape.
The incident taught Russia’s president a lesson he carried for decades. “Everyone should keep this in mind. You should never drive anyone into a corner,” he said.
On Thursday, Putin ordered his army to attack Ukraine from the north, south and east in what could be the largest military operation in Europe since the end of the second world war.
Despite months of western warnings about his plans for a brazen assault, Putin framed the invasion as a defensive operation — even going so far as to cite the relevant UN charter article — and claimed that Russia had “been left no chance to act otherwise”.
His war in Ukraine marks the culmination of a slide into a paranoid autocracy that earns comparison with Russia’s most brutal rulers.
Already a distant figure before the pandemic, the lengths the former KGB officer takes to avoid coronavirus have limited his human contact. Western visitors are forced to sit around a comically huge table. Allies toast champagne from opposite ends of a massive carpet. Even Putin’s closest advisers are rarely allowed to come within 10 feet without weeks of quarantine and testing.
People who have known him for decades say this has deepened a pent-up resentment of the west and a fixation on Russia’s shared history with Ukraine — making him more aggressive and unpredictable than ever.
“He’s even more isolated than Stalin,” says Gleb Pavlovsky, a former adviser. “In the last years of his life, Stalin didn’t come to the Kremlin and lived in his dacha, but the politburo came to see him and they talked and drank. Putin doesn’t have that. He’s as isolated as he can be. And in that situation rational issues become irrational.”
A romanticised ideal of serving his country drew Putin, 69, to join KGB counter-intelligence in the late 1970s. Before long, however, he was confronted with the Soviet Union’s long, dreary slide into collapse. Deployed to Dresden in East Germany, he watched helplessly as communist regimes in eastern Europe fell while nationalist movements at home pushed Mikhail Gorbachev to open up the country.
One night shortly after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Putin emerged from KGB headquarters to face an angry mob, then asked a nearby Soviet unit for support. The answer haunted him for years. “‘We can do nothing without an order from Moscow. And Moscow is silent’,” he recalled. “I had the feeling the country was no more. It was clear the Union was sick with a deathly, incurable disease called the paralysis of power.”
Back in Russia, Putin left the KGB and quickly rose up the ranks as a trusted aide to Russia’s two most important democratic leaders — St Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak and Boris Yeltsin, its first president.
Once Yeltsin unexpectedly named Putin his successor on New Year’s Eve in 1999, Putin strove to restore the power Russia had lost. At home, he launched a brutal campaign to subdue separatists in Chechnya, brought the media to heel and defanged the country’s oligarchs. But abroad, he initially sought to ally with the US, asking Bill Clinton if Russia could ever join Nato and offering his support for George W Bush’s war on terror after the 9/11 attacks.
“He basically wanted to be like a vice-chairman of the board,” says Samuel Charap, a political scientist at the Rand Corporation. “You don’t have to . . . change your fisheries code to match what Brussels tell you — you get a seat at the big boys’ table.”
Putin’s entreaties fell on deaf ears, leaving him embittered at what he saw as the west’s refusal to take him seriously, according to a former senior Russian official. “It’s their fault. They should have supported us and integrated us into the world, but they worked against us.”
Key turning points came in 2003 and 2004. Putin jailed Mikhail Khodorkovsky, then Russia’s richest man, while growing increasingly resentful of the US for the Iraq war, Nato’s expansion into eastern Europe and its support for “colour revolutions” in former Soviet states. The Orange Revolution in Ukraine, where protests overturned a Moscow-backed candidate’s fraudulent election victory, was a particularly sore point.
“The fear of losing the post-Soviet space to Nato expansion became tied up with the fear of losing his own power,” says Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center.
Gradually, a revanchist side began to emerge. Former aides to Mikheil Saakashvili, the leader of the “colour revolution” in Georgia, suspected something was wrong when Putin complained about Tbilisi’s “museum of Russian occupation” at a meeting in 2007 and reminded him of fellow Georgians like Stalin and Beria who had sat at the heights of Soviet power.
Saakashvili joked: “Why don’t you open a museum of Georgian occupation in the Kremlin?” His aides gasped in horror at Putin’s stony reaction.
Putin’s resentment of the US and Nato came to the fore when Ukraine and Georgia applied to join the alliance in 2008. He warned Bush that Ukraine was “not even a real state”, according to a Russian account. Though Nato offered only a vague assurance the countries would eventually join the alliance, it was enough to prompt the then prime minister to launch a devastating five-day war against Georgia and send troops to occupy two breakaway border regions.
But the muted western reaction, followed by a US attempt to reset ties with Russia, meant Putin’s use of force “was not addressed decisively enough”, says Kadri Liik, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “And that created a situation where things got worse and worse and worse.”
Fears of western encroachment and domestic uprising became intertwined in Putin’s mind. In December 2011 he accused the US of “giving the signal” for protests preceding his return to the presidency, then described the 2014 revolution in Ukraine as an “armed coup”, prompting him to seize the Crimean peninsula.
This severely damaged Russia’s global standing but Putin’s approval ratings at home soared above 80 per cent. With little meaningful opposition, his appetite for adventurism grew — culminating in a 2015 military intervention that turned the tide of the Syrian civil war.
“Putin’s used to being lucky. That’s very dangerous for a gambler, because he starts believing fate is on his side,” Pavlovsky says. “When you play Russian roulette, you feel that God is on your side until the shot rings out.”
As Putin’s circle became more limited, the picture of the world he received became more distorted. He and his confidants would increasingly spout bizarre conspiracy theories that the west was bent on destroying Russia through everything from gay marriage to anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny.
“You eventually end up in a trap, because your inner circle tries to only tell you good news and what fits your views. Imagine Putin discussing the war in Ukraine with his generals — they’ll rapturously cry, ‘Yes, we can!’ Nobody will resist,” Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik analysis firm, says.
Western countries found negotiating with an overconfident, isolated Putin impossible. Talks over the Donbas conflict, brokered by France and Germany, stalled.
Ukraine then elected a new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who took a bolder stance against Putin: the former comedian demanded Nato admit Kyiv and had Putin’s closest ally there arrested.
“Russia’s political regime is this mafia-type state where letting insults drop means the leader loses his authority,” says Nikolai Petrov, a fellow at Chatham House. “There’s no way you can wipe that clean.”
As the peace process deteriorated, Putin’s resentments of Ukraine and Nato spilled into the open. Last summer, he published 5,000 words casting aspersion on Ukraine’s right to exist in its current form and claiming the US was using it to threaten Moscow.
Then, as Russia began massing troops on the border, Putin told diplomats to maintain “a certain tension” with the west. His demands that Nato pledge never to admit Ukraine and roll back the alliance’s eastern expansion would have rewritten the post-cold war security order.
The west mounted last-minute diplomatic efforts. But when France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz met Putin around the huge Kremlin table, they were subjected to historical rants by a man who struck them as almost totally at odds with the outside world, according to aides.
Their missions were doomed to fail. A day after agreeing to a Macron-brokered summit with the US, Putin recognised the Donbas separatists’ independence in a rambling tirade in which he threatened to hold Ukraine responsible for any “ensuing bloodshed”. It was a clear attempt to prepare Russia’s population for war against the “brotherly nation” of Ukraine — whose very existence in its current form, he claimed, was an existential threat.
“At some point he didn’t think he had been driven into a corner so much as that he could get out of the corner. What did he have to be afraid of?” Stanovaya says. “He realised an aggressive, frightening Russia is an effective way to make the world start taking you seriously.”
Now that one I did know. Some disturbing ownerships in soccer for sure.
by ponchi101
JazzNU wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 7:45 pm
I'm shocked by this one if no one else is.
Equally shocked, but even more so by Kazakhstan's reply. Especially the bluntness about Kazakhstan being Russia's #1 target.
About Chelsea: so, go bankrupt. You sold yourself to Russia, there are consequences.
Next: How about the Brooklyn Nets?
I've called him an asshole many times over the years including last month so it would be disingenuous to pretend I like him, but this is very noble and I hope he's able to help his country and remain safe while doing it.
Equally shocked, but even more so by Kazakhstan's reply. Especially the bluntness about Kazakhstan being Russia's #1 target.
About Chelsea: so, go bankrupt. You sold yourself to Russia, there are consequences. Next: How about the Brooklyn Nets?
If I'm understanding this, you're saying how about the Brooklyn Nets because of ownership? If so, there's nothing to sell. Tsai owns the Nets, he's one of the Alibaba billionaires. The Russian billionaire sold his remaining stake in the team a few years ago to Tsai, after previously selling a minority stake to him a few years prior.
If I'm understanding this, you're saying how about the Brooklyn Nets because of ownership? If so, there's nothing to sell. Tsai owns the Nets, he's one of the Alibaba billionaires. The Russian billionaire sold his remaining stake in the team a few years ago to Tsai, after previously selling a minority stake to him a few years prior.
I stand corrected, and thanks for updating me.
by Jeff from TX
JazzNU wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 7:45 pm
I'm shocked by this one if no one else is.
Maybe he remembers stories of 1956
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by MJ2004 A deliberate ploy by Russia to be able to point to deaths of innocent of Russian soldiers in the early days in the hands of Nazi Ukraine?
by skatingfan This documentary from the CBC's Fifth Estate looks at how Putin came to power in Russia.
by ponchi101
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 2:57 am
A deliberate ploy by Russia to be able to point to deaths of innocent of Russian soldiers in the early days in the hands of Nazi Ukraine?
Spot on.
With them now being kicked out of SWIFT, things change. Now the economic sanctions may work. May.
by Deuce At this point, I'm the lone optimistic one in the poll above. I do think that Russia will retreat - but not only due to the economic sanctions. I think a greater motivation for their retreat will be the realization that 90% of the world is strongly condemning the invasion - along with seemingly the large majority of the Russian population itself.
You can't win when the odds are stacked against you to that degree - and I think even the Russian government are capable of realizing this.
by JazzNU He's a NBC/MSNBC Foreign Correspondent
by texasniteowl
Deuce wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 4:16 am
At this point, I'm the lone optimistic one in the poll above.
I think part of the problem in the poll was the wording. Since the statement was "The economic sanctions will work" I had to vote No. Because I don't think Putin cared about the initial sanctions. But I didn't necessarily agree that "No. Russia will annex Ukraine completely." Not to mention the situation changes with more sanctions.
by ponchi101 Putin has ordered "his" Nuclear Forces to be on high alert.
Now this is getting scary. The man is unhinged and losing a grip on reality. Nuclear weapons against Ukraine? Because they have what?
by JazzNU
by ponchi101 I am totally surprised, in a pleasant way, by the response of some geopolitical actors. This by Turkey is another good move, but that it comes from another dictator is even more surprising.
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:05 pm
I am totally surprised, in a pleasant way, by the response of some geopolitical actors. This by Turkey is another good move, but that it comes from another dictator is even more surprising.
History kicks in for these people. Russia's tried to take Constantinople so many times, he doesn't need it any closer.
by mmmm8 My dad just got off the phone with my uncle. He is in his early 70s and is not very mobile due to health issues, so basically watches TV all day. Generally, he is a fairly sensible, skeptical guy. The propaganda in Russia for the people who do watch state TV (a minority but a significant one) is STRONG. My uncle is convinced that the fact that Kiev is being bombed and people are hiding in shelters and the metro is staged and that Ukraine are the aggressors. Oof.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
P1
by ti-amie P2
Rob Person
@RTPerson3
Prof. of International Relations
@WestPoint_USMA, specialist on Russian and post-Soviet politics. Eurasian foodie. Views/борщ recipe are my own, not DoD policy.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by JazzNU
by ponchi101 About BP. I would say that the sole possible buyers for their Rosneft stock would be CNPC (China) or some Saudi outfit. Both at a HUGE discount, as they know no western oil giant will even come close to that deal.
by JazzNU
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 12:36 am
About BP. I would say that the sole possible buyers for their Rosneft stock would be CNPC (China) or some Saudi outfit. Both at a HUGE discount, as they know no western oil giant will even come close to that deal.
That price will be toast tomorrow for sure. Watching movement on the markets in the next 24 hours ought to be something. A lot of selling and shorting I'd assume. I'm seeing the ruble is already down 40% in the Forex markets, and that it dropped 20% in the first minute of trading.
by Jeff from TX
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:49 pm
My dad just got off the phone with my uncle. He is in his early 70s and is not very mobile due to health issues, so basically watches TV all day. Generally, he is a fairly sensible, skeptical guy. The propaganda in Russia for the people who do watch state TV (a minority but a significant one) is STRONG. My uncle is convinced that the fact that Kiev is being bombed and people are hiding in shelters and the metro is staged and that Ukraine are the aggressors. Oof.
*Sigh* It (propaganda) works everywhere to some degree. Of course, a country with 40+ million people and an vastly outnumbered, outfitted army would attack a much larger, superior force far better equipped. What where they going to try to do, take Moscow?
by Fastbackss Third night this week couldn't sleep, so spent it watching "daytime" coverage from Ukraine.
Bank interest rate already has doubled.
Sounds like the "meeting" is underway on the Belarusian border, however the aggressor did not send folks truly capable of enacting change.
Also they referenced a meeting of the UN - the only country who "supported" the invasion was the aggressor themselves. China abstained from voting. I wish they had gone through all who abstained.
by Suliso Putin should be careful in his conflict with EU and NATO. Even without counting USA the size of EU/NATO economy is 9x that of Russia. As we all know in the long term size, resources and technological sophistication matter the most.
Germany just provided extra 100 billion euros to upgrade their armed forces. It would have been unthinkable 2 weeks ago.
by the Moz This conflict has jostled Germany out of its post-war role as pacifist bystander on the world stage. Amen, it was time.
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:49 pm
My dad just got off the phone with my uncle. He is in his early 70s and is not very mobile due to health issues, so basically watches TV all day. Generally, he is a fairly sensible, skeptical guy. The propaganda in Russia for the people who do watch state TV (a minority but a significant one) is STRONG. My uncle is convinced that the fact that Kiev is being bombed and people are hiding in shelters and the metro is staged and that Ukraine are the aggressors. Oof.
*Sigh* It (propaganda) works everywhere to some degree. Of course, a country with 40+ million people and an vastly outnumbered, outfitted army would attack a much larger, superior force far better equipped. What where they going to try to do, take Moscow?
The idea is that they were attacking those areas that declared themselves "independent" and Russia is coming in to save them from Ukrainian occupiers.
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:49 pm
My dad just got off the phone with my uncle. He is in his early 70s and is not very mobile due to health issues, so basically watches TV all day. Generally, he is a fairly sensible, skeptical guy. The propaganda in Russia for the people who do watch state TV (a minority but a significant one) is STRONG. My uncle is convinced that the fact that Kiev is being bombed and people are hiding in shelters and the metro is staged and that Ukraine are the aggressors. Oof.
*Sigh* It (propaganda) works everywhere to some degree. Of course, a country with 40+ million people and an vastly outnumbered, outfitted army would attack a much larger, superior force far better equipped. What where they going to try to do, take Moscow?
The idea is that they were attacking those areas that declared themselves "independent" and Russia is coming in to save them from Ukrainian occupiers.
Has anyone ever staged that kind of operation? It defies logic. I'm sorry for your uncle, though.
by ponchi101
the Moz wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 12:54 pm
This conflict has jostled Germany out of its post-war role as pacifist bystander on the world stage. Amen, it was time.
I understand that the world would have been weary of an "armed-to-the-teeth" Germany, but that phase is gone. As you say, the time has come for them to also recover, at least, a modicum of military power, for deterrence purposes.
The next country to do that has to be Japan. They are also in a tough part of the world: China is a behemoth, and N. Korea is simply run by a lunatic. When China goes for Taiwan, Japan will have too much on the table to remain neutral. And they better be able to project some power regionally.
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I am surprised that Switzerland has also abandoned their famed neutrality to join the world in blocking Russia from the international bank system. That might work (I am sure they have billions parked in Geneva/Zurich).
by JazzNU
Fastbackss wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:37 am
Also they referenced a meeting of the UN - the only country who "supported" the invasion was the aggressor themselves. China abstained from voting. I wish they had gone through all who abstained.
Wasn't sure if you were asking or if you were saying you wished the news had gone into more depth about why each country took their particular stance. If you were asking which countries, the abstentions were China, UAE, and India
by JazzNU
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by mmmm8 Seeing a lot of private accounts and some videos of Russian soldiers who were told they were being taken to training and are instead taken to the front lines, given a pep talk about how they are going to get greeted as liberators (sounds familiar) and then being sent off with little strategy.
by JazzNU
by ti-amie
by JTContinental
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 7:58 pm
Seeing a lot of private accounts and some videos of Russian soldiers who were told they were being taken to training and are instead taken to the front lines, given a pep talk about how they are going to get greeted as liberators (sounds familiar) and then being sent off with little strategy.
I've been hearing about this, too, many of them without their families being informed as to their whereabouts
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 The good thing about all these moves (ok, one of the good things) is that Russia now CANNOT stop the flow of gas to Europe, as it is basically now their only source of income.
Again, I am truly surprised by the world's response.
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 12:40 am
The good thing about all these moves (ok, one of the good things) is that Russia now CANNOT stop the flow of gas to Europe, as it is basically now their only source of income.
Again, I am truly surprised by the world's response.
My fear is that this ****er is going to turn this into, "See what that NATO did to us?" The "good" news is that those most quickly affected by these financial manipulations are already not listening to him.
by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 12:40 am
The good thing about all these moves (ok, one of the good things) is that Russia now CANNOT stop the flow of gas to Europe, as it is basically now their only source of income.
Again, I am truly surprised by the world's response.
I'm a bit surprised too, but in retrospect there are two aspects were Putin miscalculated:
- he probably believed himself that at least Eastern Ukraine will great his soldiers as liberators and it will be more like Crimea in 2014
- he thought he could challenge the most fundamental aspects of Western led world order and they would respond tepidly with some small sanctions.
Seems like particularly on the second point the answer is loud and clear.
by Suliso
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 1:09 am
My fear is that this ****er is going to turn this into, "See what that NATO did to us?" The "good" news is that those most quickly affected by these financial manipulations are already not listening to him.
I think it's very likely he'll do exactly that only how much will it help?
by ti-amie
olexander scherba@olex_scherbaFollow26 years in diplomatic service. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Austria (2014-2021). Author of “Undiplomatic Thoughts” (2021). Currently NAK Naftogaz.
The second poster has been verified as legit as well.
I'm posting Twitter bios because there is so much excrement floating around it pays to be extra careful.
by ti-amie
by MJ2004 Zelensky wrote on Twitter: “what is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating . . .”
Of course. But, coupled with the request he made yesterday for a no-fly zone... He does realize that in 1942 the threat of nuclear armageddon didn't yet exist?
by JazzNU
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:49 pm
Zelensky wrote on Twitter: “what is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating . . .”
Of course. But, coupled with the request he made yesterday for a no-fly zone... He does realize that in 1942 the threat of nuclear armageddon didn't yet exist?
I'm really not sure that connection has been made.
I know we are days into this, but I have yet to figure out how many, including Zelensky, are aware that a no-fly zone is created when it is defended. The manner in which people, including elected officials in multiple countries, keep asking for it, they seem to think it's just a matter of declaring it. But any no-fly zone needs to be enforced, cross into it, and get shot done. World War III commences.
by ti-amie
by mmmm8
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:49 pm
Zelensky wrote on Twitter: “what is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating . . .”
Of course. But, coupled with the request he made yesterday for a no-fly zone... He does realize that in 1942 the threat of nuclear armageddon didn't yet exist?
I'm not following. The Never Again reference is to the Holocaust. It's a Holocaust memorial park next to the TV tower that was bombed with 5 pedestrians killed. Babiy Yar was a site where the Nazis shot 33 thousand Jews in 2 days (and some hundreds of Christians, Romani, etc.).
by MJ2004 I may have misinterpreted. I took the context as criticizing the west for not actively intervening. The world has not stayed silent. What other steps can be taken to intervene without actively engaging militarily?
by mmmm8
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 02, 2022 6:06 pm
I may have misinterpreted. I took the context as criticizing the west for not actively intervening. The world has not stayed silent. What other steps can be taken to intervene without actively engaging militarily?
Ah... well, I don't think it's irrational or unwarranted for him to ask for military support.
(I don't know whether it should be given, but I think it's reasonable to request it).
by ti-amie
by JazzNU
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 02, 2022 6:06 pm
I may have misinterpreted. I took the context as criticizing the west for not actively intervening. The world has not stayed silent. What other steps can be taken to intervene without actively engaging militarily?
I'm interpreting much of the criticism similarly. The world has stayed anything but silent, and has aided in every way that they can without causing World War III. I've found many of the claims about the lack of support from the West quite startling.
by ti-amieRussian Billionaire Roman Abramovich to Sell Chelsea Football Club
"I do believe this is in the best interest of the club," the Russian oligarch said Wednesday as he faces landing on a sanctions list in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
March 2, 2022 12:23pm
by Etan Vlessing
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has confirmed he will sell England’s Chelsea Football Club in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners,” Abramovich said on the Chelsea FC website on Wednesday.
The Russian owner of Chelsea has been the subject of widespread speculation that he will be slapped with sanctions by the British government for his close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Chelsea as part of the British Premier League has also joined a chorus of pro sport teams that are shedding ties to Russia.
Earlier, rival Manchester United announced it has cancelled a £40 million ($53 million) sponsorship deal with the Russian airline Aeroflot. And a third premier league team, Everton F.C., on its website said it had suspended all commercial sponsorship ties to the Russian companies USM, Megafon and Yota.
“Everyone at Everton remains shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine. This tragic situation must end as soon as possible, and any further loss of life must be avoided,” Everton F.C. said in a statement.
Elsewhere, UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, said the Champions League final, the biggest match in European club soccer, will not be played in St. Petersburg, Russia after Russia was stripped of hosting duties.
Abramovich said the sale of Chelsea “will not be fast-tracked,” and that he will not ask for the repayment of loans owed to him by the team. In addition, the proceeds of club sale will go to a charitable foundation set up by Chelsea F.C.
“The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery,” Abramovich said in his statement.
ti-amie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 02, 2022 8:32 pmRussian Billionaire Roman Abramovich to Sell Chelsea Football Club
"I do believe this is in the best interest of the club," the Russian oligarch said Wednesday as he faces landing on a sanctions list in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
March 2, 2022 12:23pm
by Etan Vlessing
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has confirmed he will sell England’s Chelsea Football Club in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners,” Abramovich said on the Chelsea FC website on Wednesday.
The Russian owner of Chelsea has been the subject of widespread speculation that he will be slapped with sanctions by the British government for his close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Chelsea as part of the British Premier League has also joined a chorus of pro sport teams that are shedding ties to Russia.
Earlier, rival Manchester United announced it has cancelled a £40 million ($53 million) sponsorship deal with the Russian airline Aeroflot. And a third premier league team, Everton F.C., on its website said it had suspended all commercial sponsorship ties to the Russian companies USM, Megafon and Yota.
“Everyone at Everton remains shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine. This tragic situation must end as soon as possible, and any further loss of life must be avoided,” Everton F.C. said in a statement.
Elsewhere, UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, said the Champions League final, the biggest match in European club soccer, will not be played in St. Petersburg, Russia after Russia was stripped of hosting duties.
Abramovich said the sale of Chelsea “will not be fast-tracked,” and that he will not ask for the repayment of loans owed to him by the team. In addition, the proceeds of club sale will go to a charitable foundation set up by Chelsea F.C.
“The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery,” Abramovich said in his statement.
Again, I am astounded. This is as decent a move as this man can do, and an underlying tone of "Vlad, F.Y." Especially the part about donating to Ukrainian charities.
by JazzNU
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 03, 2022 12:32 am
Again, I am astounded. This is as decent a move as this man can do, and an underlying tone of "Vlad, F.Y." Especially the part about donating to Ukrainian charities.
I'm not astounded by this one. It's the net proceeds, not the proceeds of the sale that he says will go to charity. Think it's likely a strategic play to offload a valuable asset and write off debt with sanctions looming. It's a good PR move, but I'll remain skeptical.
This is a Daily Mail article, so grain of salt always, but still, good background if you're not already familiar with Abramovich's dealings.
by ponchi101 Two news that I am reading.
1. Russian soldiers were not told they were going to Ukraine, and their families are in the dark. Sick to the max, until you read
2. It seems that Russia's plan is to siege Ukrainian cities and starve them until they surrender.
Is this (expletive) (Vlad) frigging out of his mind? Is he medieval? How on earth do you justify that?
by the Moz Not long until Putin can hang the curtain(s)...
by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 03, 2022 4:28 pm
Two news that I am reading.
1. Russian soldiers were not told they were going to Ukraine, and their families are in the dark. Sick to the max, until you read
2. It seems that Russia's plan is to siege Ukrainian cities and starve them until they surrender.
Is this (expletive) (Vlad) frigging out of his mind? Is he medieval? How on earth do you justify that?
Yes, he's out of this mind. And how do the rest of us - particularly Ukraine, but all countries who can influence world order and peace - deal with a madman? Can't rationalize with him. Shouldn't compromise on Ukraine's independence. Can't trigger a nuclear war. Thank god the US has a level-headed leader right now. But I still feel like we should do more. We're not exactly standing by, but we're likely going to watch thousands of people die whom we could have protected. In my gut, it just feels wrong. Should we just be arming Ukraine as much as possible or do they need more fighters, more expertise? They're doing an admirable job of resisting so far, but that's partly because Russia did a terrible job planning this attack. I don't think they're going to be able to defeat Russia militarily if Russia really wants to win.
by MJ2004Western brands flee Russia in unravelling of ‘capitalistic diplomacy’
Disney, Nike, Volkswagen and others curtail business while rouble’s plunge hits shoppers
In late 1990, a former British cabinet minister reflecting on the end of the Cold War picked an image of consumer goods companies’ inroads into the former Soviet Union to illustrate the transformations seen in what he called the “annus mirabilis”.
There had been longer queues outside the new McDonald’s in Moscow’s Pushkin Square than at Lenin’s tomb, Denis Healey marvelled in the Financial Times.
Russians’ embrace of western fast food, soft drinks and jeans brands soon came to symbolise the triumph of “capitalistic diplomacy”, Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld observed this week, noting that the US Department of State had encouraged American companies to open in Moscow.
“Political scientists used to argue that no two countries with a McDonald’s would fight each other,” he recalled. Even after Yugoslavia’s bloody break-up contradicted that theory and tensions built between the west and Vladimir Putin’s regime, brands such as McDonald’s, Pepsi and Levi Strauss remained committed to Russia.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed that, prompting an exodus of western companies from Russia that is as sudden as their entry more than three decades ago.
ExxonMobil, BP and Shell are hurrying to offload Russian investments; Apple, Google and Facebook have curtailed their services in the country; Walt Disney and Live Nation have scrapped film launches and rock tours; and clothing brands such as H&M and Nike have followed carmakers including Volkswagen, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz in suspending deliveries or operations.
For Vladislav Zubok, a professor of Russian history at the London School of Economics, the corporate retreat marks the end of the era whose beginnings he witnessed while passing Moscow’s first McDonald’s on his way to work each day.
“It was a new smell, a new sensation — fast service, everything was clean. Moscow was incredibly colourless [under the Soviet system] and you suddenly had a small island of light, colour and efficiency in the midst of the collapsing Soviet economy,” he recalled.
The withdrawal of Western companies “will be calamitous”, he predicted, although he said the “cultural decline” that will follow will not be as great as the cultural changes that foreign companies brought 30 years ago.
This week Russian consumers were showing both their continued appetite for western brands and their recognition that these may soon be out of reach. “People have been still buying, and buying like it’s going to end tomorrow,” a Moscow-based sales assistant at re:Store, Apple’s official distributor, said on Monday before the US tech group’s announcement that it would stop supplies to Russia.
The distributor’s decision to close its stores and website came after drastic price increases that accompanied the rouble’s collapse coincided with consumers’ fears of a shortage of Apple’s devices, which a fifth of Muscovites use, according to Beeline Analytics.
“I’ve been saving and saving for a MacBook,” Larisa, a 30-year-old paediatrician, said on Wednesday. “I guess now I won’t have it. And we will all switch electronics to Xiaomi [and] we’ll all be driving Ladas,” she added, referring to the Chinese electronics company and the Russian carmaker.
Xiaomi is Russia’s second-largest supplier of smartphones after South Korea’s Samsung, according to GS Group. Samsung’s app store stopped working in Russia on Wednesday, according to media reports, and with South Korea joining the US, EU and UK in imposing sanctions on Russia, Xiaomi looks poised to claim more of the market.
The west’s largest logistics groups have slammed the brakes on international deliveries to Russia, contributing to western companies’ decisions to suspend local operations.
Germany’s DHL and Swiss freight broker Kuehne + Nagel on Wednesday followed UPS, FedEx and DPD in halting all shipments into Russia apart from foods and medicines.
Even then, the container shipping line Maersk warned on Wednesday that perishable goods could arrive damaged because of lengthy customs checks to identify sanctioned shipments.
As imports of products from clothing to Harley-Davidson motorcycles dry up, Russians also fear that extreme foreign exchange swings will make western brands that are still available unaffordable.
Alcohol imports stopped for several days after the euro rose to 90 roubles, a critical level for wine importers, according to Maxim Kashirin, the head of Simple Group, one of the country’s largest alcohol distributors. Since then, the company has raised prices by 15 per cent and warned they could go higher.
“I’d be worried about the shortage of food items, and even if not, then about food getting extremely expensive,” said Olga, a PR specialist from Moscow. “My dog eats Belgian dog food and I have not been able to buy it for days.”
Russia is not one of the largest markets for most western brands. It represents just under 2 per cent of global sales for Nestlé, for example, whose sales of Nescafé began in the country in 1992. But for some companies, Russia was seen as a promising source of emerging market growth.
Western sanctions have killed such hopes. Their full financial impact remains unclear, but a weaker rouble and interest rates at 20 per cent will “give a big margin squeeze” in an already volatile market, said Bruno Monteyne, analyst at Bernstein.
Advisers say several multinationals are also concerned about setting precedents through their actions in Russia that may concern governments or consumers elsewhere.
Nathan Freitas, founder of the Guardian Project, a software group that supports activists and others in high-risk situations, suggested Apple did the right thing by halting iPhone sales but not disabling Russian iPhones’ access to the App Store as the Ukrainian government had requested.
“This is a new kind of war, when soldiers are posting TikToks from the battlefront and Google Maps is being used to identify where the tanks are. But you don’t want these things that were designed to serve people to be turned into weapons” by governments, he said. “I don’t think Apple needs to be a leader here. They should just take cautious, transparent steps.”
Joshua Brockwell, a director at Azzad Asset Management who is behind a shareholder resolution calling for transparency in Apple’s foreign operations, warned that asking the tech giant to target iPhone owners could precipitate the “splinternet” phenomenon of web content being siloed by country.
Blocking access to the App Store “would, in effect, be punishing the average citizen for actions taken by [their] government”, he added. “If you applied that standard to many other countries and governments around the world you could have complete chaos.”
Other companies were weighing the reputational risks of continuing to operate in Putin’s Russia against the danger of setting a precedent that could compel them to halt sales in China’s far larger market if Beijing were to invade Taiwan.
“If this were China, it would of course be very different,” said one senior adviser to VW, which pulled sales from Russia last week.
Russians are now asking which western companies will be next to leave, with several naming Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and McDonald’s among those they would miss most. The three companies did not comment when asked what their plans were for the Russian market, however.
Niklas Schaffmeister, managing partner at the brand and strategy consultancy GlobeOne in Cologne, noted the “CEO activism” trend in which executives have become more vocal on contentious issues, but said that food and consumer goods brands may be concerned that pulling out would “punish the Russian people” more than the country’s authorities.
Some industry members said such mass-market brands had far more local employees and consumers counting on them than companies that had suspended operations.
However, Yale’s Sonnenfeld said the reticence of some of the brands that were most representative of Russia’s opening to the west in the 1990s was “an incredible change in the pattern”. Consumer brands have typically led other industries in speaking out after human rights abuses in Xinjiang or racial equity protests, he noted.
“I’m astounded . . . I don’t know what they’re thinking,” Sonnenfeld said. “All I know is there’s turmoil within boards.”
There are other risks: some high-profile brands have faced furore over their responses to Russia’s invasion.
Ikea chief executive Jesper Brodin faced a backlash on social media after initially emphasising the need to “embrace togetherness and collaboration” in the region. He soon updated his LinkedIn post to add: “We don’t have all the answers and we are working around the clock to assess how we together can best continue to support and help those in need.”
Even for those multinationals that conclude they should stay in Russia, there may be flashbacks to the experience of the brands that were first into the market 30 years ago.
A shell-shocked economy and plunging currency in the early 1990s prompted the FT to write of the post-Soviet country’s most famous western entrant: “McDonald’s is going to make a mountain of rather useless roubles.”
by ti-amie Fascinating thread in language we can all understand from economist
Anders Åslund
@anders_aslund
Economist & author. Russia, Ukraine & Eastern Europe. Read my latest book: "Russia's Crony Capitalism" https://amzn.to/2WgLENO
Essentially, the West took down Russian finances in one day. The situation is likely to become worse than in 1998 because now there is no positive end. All Russia's capital markets appear to be wiped out & they are unlikely to return with anything less than profound reforms.
The Moscow stock markets have closed & Russian stocks are no longer traded in New York, presumably all 31 soon gone in London. The three big foreign banks in Moscow are likely to withdraw: Raiffeisen, Societe General & Unicredit: No profitable business in sight.
After Russia has fallen out of the international payments system, it is very cumbersome to sell to Russia. It is likely to be blacklisted by FATF soon. Why even try to sell there? You don't know whether you will be paid. Lots of companies stop selling to Russia.
Under these circumstances, it is pretty impossible to invest in Russia. Smaller existing investments are likely to withdraw, while BP and Shell are already withdrawing. Total might be the last to remain, but the US might impose blocking sanctions on Novatek.
Western companies have all reasons to stay away from Russia. First, they face sanctions risks, as sanctions often change suddenly. Second, they are facing credit & financial risks w/o insurance in sight. Third, they run reputational risks being involved in crime.
What will happen to the Russian economy?
1. The ruble is likely to continue collapsing. In 1998 - 75%, in 2014 -50% - at least 50% now.
2. Inflation will swing up with the collapsing ruble, perhaps to 50%, at least 20%.
3. In 2015, GDP fell by 2.5%, in 1998 by 5%, more now.
Nobody can claim that Western sanctions don't matter any longer. The critical factor is the US dollar. When enough of national financial system is excluded from the $, the national economy is toast regardless of reserves, interest rates & institutions.
Yes, the Russian economic collapse is already worse than in 1998. Then the Russian stock market fell by 94% altogether. In the last two weeks it has already fallen by 98% in London...
• • •
via @threadreaderapp
by ti-amie
Why he threaded the two posts is beyond me but here we are.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by JazzNU
ti-amie wrote: ↑Thu Mar 03, 2022 6:57 pm
Why he threaded the two posts is beyond me but here we are.
The threading going on has been ridiculous. I've skipped posting now over a dozen things I've seen in the last week because of them having little relation to one another either than somehow related to this war in a broader sense.
by ti-amie
by JazzNU Still not buying their gas, but good for them, quite a shock.
by JazzNU
by JazzNU
by ti-amie And now I think a nuclear reactor has been hit?
by JazzNU
ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 1:49 am
And now I think a nuclear reactor has been hit?
by JazzNU Beware or hyperbole where the nuclear reactor is concerned. There's a lot of it. Here is a helpful mini-thread.
Mark Nelson's Twitter bio (which I've verified as accurate, this is the field he works in) - All energy all the time. Saving nuclear plants: Radiant Energy Fund. Energy & strategy: Radiant Energy Group. Prev: @envprogress @cambridge_eng
by Deuce Is there anything more typically American than this?
I don't know whether to laugh, to applaud, or to cry...
by ponchi101 It seems, to this political paranoid, that Vlad is almost daring the west to get involved in the conflict.
"I will murder these people. Come stop me".
by Suliso There will be so many consequences from this war. On the less important, but more personal side the company I work for will be impacted seriously because we used to work a lot with partners from both countries and for some things alternatives are difficult to find. Maybe in China, but it will take some time to organize.
A bit more importantly there will be a serious crunch in availability of space flights for satellite launches. With Russia and Ukraine out pretty much the only company with any meaningful extra capacity is Elon Musk's Spacex. ULA is very expensive plus all launches are booked till 2025. Ariane has no big rockets right now and all other providers have very small rockets or can launch 2-3 per year max. Not counting Chinese which Western companies can't use anyway.
by mmmm8
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:23 am
There will be so many consequences from this war. On the less important, but more personal side the company I work for will be impacted seriously because we used to work a lot with partners from both countries and for some things alternatives are difficult to find. Maybe in China, but it will take some time to organize.
I think China is going to be the one winner in all of this. Besides the impact of sanctions turning global companies towards them, the Russian market is going to be a lot more attractive to them since they offer cheap things and there is no better alternative.
For example, Russian car manufacturing is pretty much halted because of all the global companies that have production in Russia pulling out + Russian manufacturers won't have access to parts (lots of them use parts from European companies) + no demand for pricier vehicles due to the economic crisis. Great opening for China to overtake that market.
by Suliso
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 1:44 pm
For example, Russian car manufacturing is pretty much halted because of all the global companies that have production in Russia pulling out + Russian manufacturers won't have access to parts (lots of them use parts from European companies) + no demand for pricier vehicles due to the economic crisis. Great opening for China to overtake that market.
Or for everyone to go back to driving Ladas...
But generally you're right, most often it will be Chinese companies benefiting. Maybe a bit also elsewhere in Eastern Europe, but the scale is not the same.
We'd happily collaborate with Middle Eastern or South American chemical companies, but they simply don't exist beyond some basic generic manufacturing.
by meganfernandez
Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 3:24 am
Is there anything more typically American than this?
I don't know whether to laugh, to applaud, or to cry...
it's almost like an Onion headline. But hey, this works.
by mmmm8
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 2:21 pm
Or for everyone to go back to driving Ladas...
But generally you're right, most often it will be Chinese companies benefiting. Maybe a bit also elsewhere in Eastern Europe, but the scale is not the same.
We'd happily collaborate with Middle Eastern or South American chemical companies, but they simply don't exist beyond some basic generic manufacturing.
Lada and its parent plant are now owned by Renault. They've already suspended some operations.
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 2:21 pm
Or for everyone to go back to driving Ladas...
But generally you're right, most often it will be Chinese companies benefiting. Maybe a bit also elsewhere in Eastern Europe, but the scale is not the same.
We'd happily collaborate with Middle Eastern or South American chemical companies, but they simply don't exist beyond some basic generic manufacturing.
Lada and its parent plant are now owned by Renault. They've already suspended some operations.
Yugo's, then?
by JazzNU Do keep this in mind and the way the other refugees were treated in recent years when they were fleeing war in their countries. This is in addition to the disturbing racism that has been shown at the Ukrainian borders.
by Suliso This is very different. Those are our neighbors in deep trouble. Syrians or Eritreans are not.
by MJ2004
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:47 pm
This is very different. Those are our neighbors in deep trouble. Syrians or Eritreans are not.
I agree. Racism was a factor, yes. But Poland, as just one example who is right next door, shares many similarities with Ukraine in terms of culture, food, language, etc.
by JazzNU
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:47 pm
This is very different. Those are our neighbors in deep trouble. Syrians or Eritreans are not.
No, it is not very different. You just don't want to see it.
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:47 pm
This is very different. Those are our neighbors in deep trouble. Syrians or Eritreans are not.
I agree. Racism was a factor, yes. But Poland, as just one example who is right next door, shares many similarities with Ukraine in terms of culture, food, language, etc.
Please next list what similarities they share with the Spain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands and Greece.
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:47 pm
This is very different. Those are our neighbors in deep trouble. Syrians or Eritreans are not.
I agree. Racism was a factor, yes. But Poland, as just one example who is right next door, shares many similarities with Ukraine in terms of culture, food, language, etc.
Please next list what similarities they share with the Spain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands and Greece.
They are all European. I don't think it's contradictory to say that while of course racism is a factor, there is also a greater sense of unity and shared sense of responsibility within European countries, and with Ukraine's bid to join the EU that reinforces the bond.
There is also a fear of Putin moving against other countries that wasn't a factor with Syrian refugees.
They are all European. I don't think it's contradictory to say that while of course racism is a factor, there is also a greater sense of unity and shared sense of responsibility within European countries, and with Ukraine's bid to join the EU that reinforces the bond.
There is also a fear of Putin moving against other countries that wasn't a factor with Syrian refugees.
Honestly, I'm surprised by you downplaying this so much.
by JazzNU
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:58 pm
They are all European. I don't think it's contradictory to say that while of course racism is a factor, there is also a greater sense of unity and shared sense of responsibility within European countries, and with Ukraine's bid to join the EU that reinforces the bond.
There is also a fear of Putin moving against other countries that wasn't a factor with Syrian refugees.
MJ2004 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:58 pm
They are all European. I don't think it's contradictory to say that while of course racism is a factor, there is also a greater sense of unity and shared sense of responsibility within European countries, and with Ukraine's bid to join the EU that reinforces the bond.
There is also a fear of Putin moving against other countries that wasn't a factor with Syrian refugees.
Ahh, yes. "European"
To be clear, my thumbs up was just for the post and the sentiment. The actual content is nauseating. I had seen something like this but with fewer videos. They are all blatant, but for whatever reason the last one was just especially nauseating. We as a species have made so very very very little progress.
To be clear, my thumbs up was just for the post and the sentiment. The actual content is nauseating. I had seen something like this but with fewer videos. They are all blatant, but for whatever reason the last one was just especially nauseating. We as a species have made so very very very little progress.
Kevin
We as a species have made TREMENDOUS progress. One hundred years ago, the subject would not have even been discussed because it was a defacto truth that some people were inferior to others. One hundred years ago, no women would be in this forum (if cyber space had existed) daring to even contradict the opinions of us men because, most likely, their husbands would have not allowed it. 100 years ago, the simplest concept of RACISM as a social phenomenon that is clearly negative and sick was simply not even thinkable.
Yes, you can see it as nauseating. But 100 years ago, the subject would not have even been debated in a little, obscure cyber saloon because there would have been no disagreement on any of the opinions posted.
I know it infuriates you (and others, of course). But I would say that as sickening as it is, historically progress has been made. Sure, it is very sad that there is still so much road left ahead, but we are not at the first step.
To be clear, my thumbs up was just for the post and the sentiment. The actual content is nauseating. I had seen something like this but with fewer videos. They are all blatant, but for whatever reason the last one was just especially nauseating. We as a species have made so very very very little progress.
Kevin
We as a species have made TREMENDOUS progress. One hundred years ago, the subject would not have even been discussed because it was a defacto truth that some people were inferior to others. One hundred years ago, no women would be in this forum (if cyber space had existed) daring to even contradict the opinions of us men because, most likely, their husbands would have not allowed it. 100 years ago, the simplest concept of RACISM as a social phenomenon that is clearly negative and sick was simply not even thinkable.
Yes, you can see it as nauseating. But 100 years ago, the subject would not have even been debated in a little, obscure cyber saloon because there would have been no disagreement on any of the opinions posted.
I know it infuriates you (and others, of course). But I would say that as sickening as it is, historically progress has been made. Sure, it is very sad that there is still so much road left ahead, but we are not at the first step.
So I'm going to have to push back here a little on this one.
You are correct in what you wrote. And I would counter that given that we might just blow ourselves into oblivion, and given that so many women are still victims of physical, psychological, and emotional violence, and given that so many people are still victims of violent racism, and given that violence against LGBTQ (which didn't make your list) folks is on the rise worldwide, and given that antisemitism and xenophobia are on the rise worldwide, and that Islamophobia is rampant worldwide, we have not made tremendous progress. And actually, I think that that viewpoint can only come from someone who hasn't been a victim of any of these things. Would a trans person from Syria whose family wants to kill them so they flee to Turkey, only to have the crap beaten out of them there, and then be threatened by the police, think that tremendous progress has been made. I doubt it. Would a woman who gets stalked by her ex, and then reports it to the police, who don't take her seriously, and say (expletive) about her after she leaves the station, and then gets beaten up by that ex, say that tremendous progress has been made? I doubt it. Would the millions of people worldwide that suffer from malnutrition, and die from diseases caused by parasites, say that tremendous progress has been made? I doubt it.
Just so you know, it wasn't easy for me to write this. You have created this space for us, and have been an amazingly fair moderator. I don't want to offend you. But I personally would feel super privileged to say that we have made good, let alone tremendous, progress. We have made progress, but by couching that in positive terms, for me, it feels like it puts a good spin on everything, and that's just not the experience for so many people in the world.
Perhaps fundamentally we agree on a lot, but just not the conclusion.
With respect.
Kevin
by ponchi101 Indeed.
My point is this. I know that things look very bleak at times. I know that all your examples are factual. But I also have my personal crusade that we no longer live in the 18th century.
We are not in disagreement. You talk about the "many": the many women that suffer under oppression, the many LGBTQ people that are routinely beaten up, or to death. But in a short historical span, we have reached "many", when in the past it was "all"; all women were oppressed, all LGBTQ people were sentenced to cruel punishments, to the point of death (Alan Turing in the UK as recently as the 1950's).
We are living in very trying times; two years of this pandemic, now this vicious, ridiculous but potentially catastrophic war. It is so easy to say we are animals, we are filth, we deserve our imminent extinction. I say no. Yes, we have problems, but hopefully, at this moment (and I mean 2022), we are in a trough from which we will come out.
I know it sounds ridiculous that it is ME SAYING THAT THINGS ARE BETTER THAN IN THE PAST. Feel free to laugh because I know some people are about to call the doctors and ask for the cold water hose and the 10-feet long sleeves jacket. I deserve that. But think about this: here you are, in a forum where plenty of members are open about their sexuality (just an example) and nobody cares about that. It says a little.
Last. You don't have to sign with respect. You have never been anything but.
And. Don't be so sure that I have not been subject to some sorts of discrimination. I am the citizen of a dictatorship, and I went to college in Florida, being latin-american. One or two state troopers were not as elegant as one would like
by JazzNU Yes, it's shocking that you are being positive about progress @ponchi.
We can relate Kevin's point to this conflict very easily. At this very moment, black and brown people who have been living in Ukraine are having consistent, verified trouble crossing the border because of racist treatment where Ukrainian guards are physically pulling them from trains and putting them to the back of the line to cross the border. I highly doubt those people are feeling like there's been substantial progress and we're at a different place in 2022 than the stories they've heard from 50-75 years ago.
Yes, we've most definitely made progress. I'm not sure why the 18th century and 100 years were picked as a reference points, but certainly a lot since those times. But the progress is nowhere near where it should be, it isn't the same worldwide, and definitely nowhere near as much progress as is claimed, especially by those who rarely actually experience discrimination of this kind.
And while I don't think it's bad to reference progress made during a difficult time, it needs to be done carefully. There needs to be real acknowledgement of racism and discrimination that is occurring in real time and not add qualifiers to it. There seems to be a need by way too many, too often, to diminish or dismiss racism and discrimination. Not well it's bad that's happening to those people, BUT...No, it's just awful. Full stop. And we need to do better. Full stop.
Note: for the record, I don't think you did this @ponchi, I'm speaking generally.
by JazzNU
dmforever wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 12:55 am
Just so you know, it wasn't easy for me to write this. You have created this space for us, and have been an amazingly fair moderator. I don't want to offend you. But I personally would feel super privileged to say that we have made good, let alone tremendous, progress. We have made progress, but by couching that in positive terms, for me, it feels like it puts a good spin on everything, and that's just not the experience for so many people in the world.
Perhaps fundamentally we agree on a lot, but just not the conclusion.
With respect.
Kevin
It's difficult every time to put yourself out there and write something like this. I'm glad and grateful you did.
by JazzNU
by dmforever
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 2:28 am
Indeed.
My point is this. I know that things look very bleak at times. I know that all your examples are factual. But I also have my personal crusade that we no longer live in the 18th century.
We are not in disagreement. You talk about the "many": the many women that suffer under oppression, the many LGBTQ people that are routinely beaten up, or to death. But in a short historical span, we have reached "many", when in the past it was "all"; all women were oppressed, all LGBTQ people were sentenced to cruel punishments, to the point of death (Alan Turing in the UK as recently as the 1950's).
We are living in very trying times; two years of this pandemic, now this vicious, ridiculous but potentially catastrophic war. It is so easy to say we are animals, we are filth, we deserve our imminent extinction. I say no. Yes, we have problems, but hopefully, at this moment (and I mean 2022), we are in a trough from which we will come out.
I know it sounds ridiculous that it is ME SAYING THAT THINGS ARE BETTER THAN IN THE PAST. Feel free to laugh because I know some people are about to call the doctors and ask for the cold water hose and the 10-feet long sleeves jacket. I deserve that. But think about this: here you are, in a forum where plenty of members are open about their sexuality (just an example) and nobody cares about that. It says a little.
Last. You don't have to sign with respect. You have never been anything but.
And. Don't be so sure that I have not been subject to some sorts of discrimination. I am the citizen of a dictatorship, and I went to college in Florida, being latin-american. One or two state troopers were not as elegant as one would like
OK just to follow up...
First, I hope I didn't say or imply that you hadn't been discriminated against. Just knowing that you are Latino/Latinx (I"m not sure what word you would most like me to use) and you have spent time in the US is enough for me to assume that you have been. I tried to make my statement of privilege only about myself.
I have a different perspective than you about people here not caring about people's sexual orientation. But I do agree that it's much more open than 100 years ago.
We do not live in the 18th Century. There, I said it. But for me, saying that we have progressed is obvious. Yes, we have progressed. But as Jazz has said, it's not nearly enough. To me it feels like some this argument is used to mitigate what happens so often to so many people. For me, the analogy is like going to a march for cancer and telling people that treatments have gotten so much better and people live so much longer, both of which are true. But it's not the point. That might not be your point, but it often reads that way.
One of the reasons I said that as well kind of refutes that we aren't living in the 18th century (or even AD) is the news reports about how Ukrainian refugees are different from African and Middle Eastern refugees. Those comments seem very very tribal to me. (And by tribal, I don't mean it that way the west sometimes uses it to talk about people to other them. I mean it in the way that described societies everywhere millennia ago.) Essentially they are saying that they have greater empathy for people who look like them. And in this case, their amount of empathy means that some people live and some people die. And it is based on skin color and eye color. It's very old and uncivilized in the true sense of the word. Maybe precivilized would be a better word. To me, that sentiment seems like the same sentiment people had when homosapiens were a younger species. That's what I meant by not having progressed.
And I'm happy that I've been perceived as being respectful, but I"m still going to write things like that when I disagree with people here about such heavy, heavy topics because tone is very hard to read and it feels important for me.
Thanks again for engaging and the space to do that. And sorry if I have belabored the point. I will let you have the last word and not post anymore about this.
Kevin
by Suliso I could write so much about this, but only couple points:
- first of all when I wrote that this is different I hadn't seen those twitter comments so definitely not endorsing that! What I meant instead is that they are our neighbors and the war they are fleeing is as real as it could get. Also at least in the Latvian twitter the prevailing opinion is that it should be women and children fleeing and men staying to fight and that's mostly what we are seeing. Very different from previous refugee crises.
- It's maybe a bit tone deaf to talk about tremendous progress right now and in this context, but it doesn't really change the fact that ponchi is right. We have made a lot of progress AND there is still a lot of racisms and sexism left. Also I'll be the first to admit that in Eastern Europe racism is more embedded than in the Western part. Albeit in non life threatening situations as a visitor who doesn't speak a local language you probably would not notice.
- Certainly a lot more sympathy for Ukrainian refugees because they are like us, but there was a considerable amount for Syrians in the early stages as well. Otherwise one million of them wouldn't have ended up in Germany.
- And last it's easy for all of you to pontificate sitting safely on the other side of the planet. It's different if you're actually there like mick or even have family living close to the Russian border (me).
by MJ2004 I haven't been watching any television network coverage. I really only consume the news from the FT/BBC/The Guardian. As such, I haven't seen the type of horrible coverage that Jazz posted to - in fact, I deliberately insulate myself from it because my head would explode. I admit that my tone in yesterday's posts may have sounded uncomfortably close to that coverage, and it certainly was not intentional. If anyone took it that way, I apologize.
by ponchi101 I have a second poll to ask.
The question was posed in another forum I am in, where most members are car enthusiasts and are mostly located in England. Together with the denial to remain in SWIFT, stopping imports of Russian O&G would carry significant power. It is not, however, without costs for the west.
Being in O&G myself, I would benefit greatly from such a move, so to say my opinion is biased is an understatement. As on many occasions, let me re-calibrate my ideas with the collective wisdom of TAT2.0.
by ponchi101 BTW.
A horrific fact. There are 1 million displaced Ukrainians, just in 7 days of war. For comparison, there were 2.4 million displacements from the Balkans, in 10 years of war.
Both horrific figures, but it shows how fast this is developing.
by Suliso There will be at least 4-5 million if Putin does conquer the entire country...
by ti-amie Londongrad explained
by ti-amie Thread by Robert Saunders
@redhistorian
Author of "Yes to Europe! The 1975 Referendum & Seventies Britain". "A jaw-dislocating page turner"(Andrew Marr). Co-director
@MileEndInst
, Reader
@QMHistory
Oxfordgladstonediaries.blogspot.co.uk
As carnage rains down on Ukraine, the consequences for British politics are trivial by comparison. But they are worth considering nonetheless, not least because they are more subject to our control. There are optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. [THREAD]
1. In the optimistic scenario, the UK begins to roll back some of the more destructive tendencies of its politics. It finally tackles London's role as a laundromat for dirty money, overhauling legal & regulatory systems that protect stolen wealth & shield its owners from scrutiny
2. In this scenario, UK politics ends its heroin-addiction on donations from the super-rich. It shuts down the Advisory Boards, unincorporated associations & cash-for-access networks through which the tendrils of plutocracy force their way into democratic politics & choke it off.
3. It begins to address the absurd mismatch between the scale of Britain's global ambitions & the resources it's willing to commit to them. And it starts to pursue a grown-up, post-Brexit relationship with the EU, rather than pretending that the EU ceased to exist in January 2020
4. In this pathway, the UK rebuilds the defences against the political model Putin represents. It rejects the lure of authoritarian "strong men", upholds independent media, fortifies the state against corruption & recognises the danger when leaders lie to the public with impunity
5. Perhaps most optimistically, govt recognises the costs that sanctions will impose at home, as food & fuel prices rise. It acknowledges that the burden cannot fall on the poorest; that if the UK is to present a united front abroad, it needs to rebalance burden-sharing at home.
6. That's the optimistic scenario. But the forces against which it's pushing are deeply embedded. It's no accident that London became the oligarchic playground of choice. For years, those close to power actively promoted that model to the world.
7. Rewiring the legal and regulatory architecture of oligarchy would be a long and complex task: not the sort of thing at which British politics excels. More likely: govt will give itself powers to sanction specific individuals, while leaving the fundamental problems unaddressed.
8. So the pessimistic scenario is that current events simply exacerbate the problems of UK politics. Instead of reforming the law, we'll enhance the ability of govt to override it. We'll have more chest-thumping about global leadership, while ignoring the resource gap beneath it.
9. There's already a serious danger that economic pressure on the Russian state, and on the foreign assets of its elite, morphs into a kulturkampf on ordinary Russians living abroad. We've seen appalling statements from some MPs to this effect.
12. Unless there is a serious and sustained attempt at sharing the domestic costs of sanctions, legitimate concern about energy prices may accelerate the backlash against Net Zero - a force that's been building on the Right for some time.
13. The war on Ukraine is raising hard political questions across the world: from defence spending in Germany, to nuclear policy in Japan, to the Trump legacy in the US. In Britain, we badly need an end to illusions. The danger is that we choose instead to retreat into them. ENDS
by ponchi101 Two thoroughly depressive posts. Incredible, yet totally believable.
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 4:20 pm
BTW.
A horrific fact. There are 1 million displaced Ukrainians, just in 7 days of war. For comparison, there were 2.4 million displacements from the Balkans, in 10 years of war.
Both horrific figures, but it shows how fast this is developing.
My speculation is that this is good, I'm surprised more have not left yet (but I guess this also accounts for most men having to stay.
What the quick exodus means more Ukrainians have the means to leave the country than those in some other places; NGOs and other countries have mobilized quickly to facilitate their escape; and the internet have made it simpler to understand the urgency of what's happening, find information about how and where to go, and make leaving a loved one behind (like a husband/father) easier because of the ability to continue to maintain contact; finally, globalization has meant that there are more likely to be connections abroad to go to or to support them. For example, my company and many other multinationals, are actively trying to get employees and their families out, paying for their housing and expenses and even planning to add them to the host country's payroll and benefit plans, where feasible.
This does highlight their added privilege (besides being mostly white) coming from a European country with high education levels.
by meganfernandez Had this been posted, Stakhovsky returning to Ukraine to join the military? It’s jarring to see him in fatigues. Such a somber interview.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
by mmmm8 I think we posted when he said he was going, but not this interview.
I was just reading that nearly 80,000 Ukrainians from abroad, mostly men, returned to Ukraine in the last 5 days.
Edit: other estimates say 100,000
by ponchi101 I read even one article saying AMERICAN soldiers are going in. Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan.
This war is becoming truly unusual.
by Deuce
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 10:37 pm
Had this been posted, Stakhovsky returning to Ukraine to join the military? It’s jarring to see him in fatigues. Such a somber interview.
^ That's about as raw and real as it gets.
- gulp -
by skatingfan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 1:22 am
I read even one article saying AMERICAN soldiers are going in. Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan.
This war is becoming truly unusual.
That's actual the norm - thousands of Americans enlisted with the British during the early years of both the 1st & 2nd Worlds Wars.
Canadian solider going to Ukraine.
by mmmm8 I can understand Stakhovsky leaving his wife and children to fight for his - and their - country but even he said he understands why his wife sees this as a betrayal. I don't understand people going to fight for another country and leaving families behind. If this Canadian dies, his wife and one-year-old won't even get life insurance - he voluntarily joined a war. But then I don't think I'll ever understand the military mindset.
by ponchi101 I found this in a separate forum. I don't know if all the facts are true, but if so, there is a point here.
---0---
Why Putin want's Ukraine?
For those who ask: “Why does Ukraine matter? “
It is the second largest country by area in Europe and has a population of over 40 million - more than Poland.
Ukraine ranks:
1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores;
2nd place in Europe and 10th place in the world in terms of titanium ore reserves;
2nd place in the world in terms of explored reserves of manganese ores (2.3 billion tons, or 12% of the world's reserves);
2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons);
2nd place in Europe in terms of mercury ore reserves;
3rd place in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves (22 trillion cubic meters)
4th in the world by the total value of natural resources;
7th place in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)
Ukraine is an important agricultural country:
1st in Europe in terms of arable land area;
3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world's volume);
1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil;
2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley exports;
3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world;
4th largest producer of potatoes in the world;
5th largest rye producer in the world;
5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons);
8th place in the world in wheat exports.
9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs;
16th place in the world in cheese exports.
Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.
Ukraine is an important industrialized country:
1st in Europe in ammonia production;
Europe's 2nd’s and the world’s 4th largest natural gas pipeline system;
3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in terms of installed capacity of nuclear power plants;
3rd place in Europe and 11th in the world in terms of rail network length (21,700 km);
3rd place in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of locators and locating equipment;
3rd largest iron exporter in the world
4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world;
4th world's largest manufacturer of rocket launchers;
4th place in the world in clay exports
8th place in the world in exports of ores and concentrators;
9th place in the world in exports of defence industry products;
10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons).
by Suliso I don't know if all of it is true (or even that important) either, but what I do know that they are very important exporter of certain agricultural products (sunflower oil, buckwheat, wheat etc) and some particular industrial products (neon for lasers, for example). Before this war Ukraine served as a cheap industrial country much closer to EU and far less likely steal your trade secrets than China.
Neon in particular comes from Russian steal industry where vast amounts of liquid air is rectified. As a byproduct of that process liq neon (0.0018% of ordinary air) is produced. This is then shipped to Ukraine (Odessa in particular) for a rather complex purification to 99.999% purity as required for electronics industry. The biggest (only?) alternative is in China.
by mmmm8 I think the shipping capacity is important too. Russia already has access to Crimean ports (and did before taking over Crimea via a previous agreement), but Odessa is another big port city (especially historically, so can be built up further again).
But I think the anti-NATO motivation is still the driver. Based on the Putin "demands," the plan isn't to annex but to create another Belarus.
by ponchi101 Oh, I don't think that he invaded Ukraine for its resources. It is both Anti-NATO and his desire to revive the USSR. I wrote about it before: he sees himself as the person to bring Russia back to its old glory. The problem is that his concept of GLORY is rooted in 19th century Empire-Building mentality.
by ponchi101 Some news going around that a Russian commando got trapped inside an elevator when they were trying to reach the rooftop of a building to get into sniper position, but the manager of the building cut the power when they were inside.
I can't say if it is a real story, but an internet search gives multiple hits.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie This is a serious question. Is NEXTA a trustworthy news source?
by skatingfan
ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:53 pm
This is a serious question. Is NEXTA a trustworthy news source?
It's labelled an extremist organization by the Belarusian government so that would seem to be a vote in it's favour.
ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:53 pm
This is a serious question. Is NEXTA a trustworthy news source?
I've been using it (the Russian/Ukrainian version on Telegram). It's ok. It's an aggregator of sorts but they don't always credit the original source. But I haven't seen anything questionable there that hasn't been reported by other sources.
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:11 pm
Some news going around that a Russian commando got trapped inside an elevator when they were trying to reach the rooftop of a building to get into sniper position, but the manager of the building cut the power when they were inside.
I can't say if it is a real story, but an internet search gives multiple hits.
I saw a security camera photo, although of course you can't tell if they're moving in it!
by meganfernandez Craig Shapiro Tennis Poscast interviewed Stako last night for his podcast. It’s up.
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:47 pm
This is very different. Those are our neighbors in deep trouble. Syrians or Eritreans are not.
No, it is not very different. You just don't want to see it.
Looking at all the #StandWithRussia type posts... although I obviously can't support them saying it's ok what Russia is doing... a lot of the examples of the hypocrisy they use, such as the example above, I can't disagree with. But two wrongs of course don't make a right. But we can't turn a blind eye to the wrongs "we" did either.
Although I at least haven't seen too much bad from Canada fortunately, although I'm sure we're not 100% perfect either.
by ponchi101 The "Perfect Purity" test is never a good one. I talk about that when I am in Argentina and they start talking about the "Evil USA", the empire that is satanic to the core. The moment I start talking about their treatment and historical behavior towards their native populations (the Argentinean's) things go bad, as they then have selective amnesia. Or, as you say, hypocrisy.
No, you can't turn a blind eye to the wrongs you have done, as can't any country. But if we are to judge everybody for what they did a century ago, two centuries ago, or through history, then nobody escapes the label of "evil". History is too long. We would certainly be calling Germany evil (1930-1945), the Japanese evil (ditto, plus their history in the region in their relationship with China and Korea), Belgium (Belgium Congo), the Spaniards (all of south America) and on and on.
Hypocrisy is a tool in the political box. It is used everywhere. But slowly, it is used a bit less in some places. And in your countries, the important thing is that some people get to call it out. Not outside people, people from within. A small step towards progress.
by ti-amie
Is San Marino one of those tax shelter/money washing places and they haven't been nice to his boys?
Is San Marino one of those tax shelter/money washing places and they haven't been nice to his boys?
Yes. San Marino is part of that large axis of small tax havens: San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, The Cayman Islands, London, Panama, on and on. Who knows what they did to fall under the wrath of Vlad.
by ptmcmahon Well there ya go, was just saying Canada hadn't been pointed out yet ..
by ti-amie What is up with t his "Z" symbol? I don't want to post pics here but men's gymnastics is in an uproar because the third place finisher in a weekend competition had one plastered on his kit.
by mmmm8
ti-amie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 07, 2022 10:32 pm
What is up with t his "Z" symbol? I don't want to post pics here but men's gymnastics is in an uproar because the third place finisher in a weekend competition had one plastered on his kit.
I don't know the origin but t's emerged as the symbol that you support the war.
by ptmcmahon Duplicate post
by ptmcmahon
ti-amie wrote: ↑Mon Mar 07, 2022 10:32 pm
What is up with t his "Z" symbol? I don't want to post pics here but men's gymnastics is in an uproar because the third place finisher in a weekend competition had one plastered on his kit.
Russian military vehicles have the Z painted on them. Supposedly these are painted on the vehicles headed to Ukraine - to maybe mean ""Za pobedy" (Russian for victory) or "Zaped" (which means West.) Or so google tells me at least.
by ptmcmahon Probably for the best they say nothing at all... no matter what they say may go wrong for them either way.
by ponchi101
ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Thu Mar 10, 2022 5:57 am
Probably for the best they say nothing at all... no matter what they say may go wrong for them either way.
Exactly. Talk about a "No Win" situation. Side with Russia, and the world scorns you. Side with Ukraine, and you are a traitor to the eyes of a verified lunatic. Better just shut up.
(Have not read the link).
by ti-amie This is more about "Londongrad" and I thought about putting it in the "World News" thread but then I thought that if it wasn't for the invasion none of this would be coming out.
by ti-amie One more link.
by ti-amie
by ti-amieTory peer attended Cop26 summit for Russia, UN list shows
Former energy minister Greg Barker went to climate talks as part of Russian Federation party
Jasper Jolly
@jjpjolly
Wed 9 Mar 2022 19.25 GMT
A Conservative peer attended Cop26 in Glasgow as part of Russia’s group of participants at the UN climate summit, the Guardian can reveal.
Greg Barker, a former energy minister when David Cameron was prime minister, attended the talks as part of the party of the Russian Federation, according to a list published by the UN.
Lord Barker resigned on Monday as chair of the Russian mining company En+ Group. The company is part-owned by the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018. En+ confirmed that Barker attended with a pass from Russia’s allocation.
His resignation followed intense scrutiny of his relationship with the company, including by senior Tory party colleagues, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Share instruments in En+, which is incorporated in Russia, were suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange on Thursday.
The presence of Barker on the list emerged in analysis of lobbying at the summit by three non-government organisations – Global Witness, Corporate Accountability and Corporate Europe Observatory.
Barker was ennobled in 2015 by Cameron, after serving for four years as minister of state for climate change. Barker had served as Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle. However, he is not thought to have attended the House of Lords since 2019.
A source familiar with the matter said Barker did not participate in, or attend, any official Russian government functions, meetings or receive any briefings at the climate summit.
Anneliese Dodds, the Labour party chair, said: “The Conservatives have serious questions to answer about why it seems one of their peers was allowed to attend Cop26 as part of Russia’s party.”
Dodds added that “urgent action” was required from the Conservatives to remove people from the political party who have links to Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Barker had been heavily criticised by Conservative party colleagues and other political parties for his prior involvement with En+. The former Tory minister David Davis said: “As a matter of law, people like him should be disqualified from holding office in those companies.”
Murray Worthy, a gas campaign leader at Global Witness, said: “Lord Barker has serious questions to answer as to why he was registered to the world’s most important climate talks as part of the official Russian delegation.
“As do the Conservative party, whose government was entrusted to host Cop26 and made a huge fanfare about its importance in reaching the necessary climate action to stop the heating of our planet.”
While Barker will step down as chair of the listed company, En+ said on Monday that it was considering carving out a large part of the aluminium business, which included the international business of Rusal, a part-owned subsidiary.
The new company would be owned by management and non-Russian investors, and potentially led by Barker, according to a report by Bloomberg News that was referenced by EN+ in its stock market statement.
En+, which mainly produces aluminium but also makes significant profits from coal and other commodities, escaped direct sanctions by the US in 2019 through a deal with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) in which Deripaska’s stake was reduced to below 45%, and his voting rights were reduced to 35%.
Barker received £6m in pay and bonuses in part as a reward for orchestrating the deal.
Deripaska has sought to have the sanctions removed, and has consistently argued that he should not have been designated. A spokesperson for Deripaska said the US sanctions relied on “baseless accusations” and “false claims”.
Deripaska has in recent days expressed opposition to war in Ukraine. According to Reuters, Deripaska said: “We need peace as soon as possible. The whole world will be different after these events and Russia will be different.”
A source close to Barker said: “The heartbreaking situation in Ukraine and the terrible consequences that flow from it are bad enough without now trying to play politics with the climate agenda.
“Lord Barker has a long history of climate activism, and while he stands by his decision to leave En+, he remains very proud of the progress he was able to achieve in helping one of the world’s largest producers of low-carbon aluminium and hydropower lead the way into the low-carbon economy. Pretending that all Russians are bad is, frankly, appalling.”
by mmmm8 Not so breaking, has been going on for 4-5 days.
by ponchi101 And not surprising in any way.
by Jeff from TX
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 11, 2022 1:34 am
And not surprising in any way.
Unfortunately
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 I said it before. Even if Vlad keeps Ukraine, the price may prove to be too much.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 That would amount to a declaration of "Totalitarian States" Vs "Free World Democracies". It would draw a very clear line in geopolitics.
by dryrunguy This morning's NY Times e-newsletter published an interesting profile on Zelensky. I know some of this about him, but I didn't know much of this (e.g., steps he took shortly after taking office).
Good morning. We look at how Volodymyr Zelensky became an unlikely global hero.
A comedian who listens National heroes sometimes have humble political origins.
Abraham Lincoln was arguably the country’s least-qualified president — a former one-term member of Congress — at the time that he took office. Winston Churchill looked like a washed-up politician when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. And Volodymyr Zelensky did not seem like an international symbol of courage when Russia began threatening to invade Ukraine in recent months.
In today’s newsletter, I want to give you a brief profile of Zelensky, one that goes beyond the one or two sentences many people have heard about him in recent weeks. I’ll also link to some of the best profiles of him and podcasts about him, for anybody who wants more.
Below, you’ll also find the latest news from the war.
Benny Hill humor By now, the basics of Zelensky’s background are well known: Before becoming Ukraine’s president, he had been a comedic actor whose best-known role was as a teacher who rose to Ukraine’s presidency thanks to a viral video.
That show, “Servant of the People,” was a cross between “The West Wing” and Monty Python. Zelensky himself has credited Benny Hill, the crude British comedian, as an influence. (You can watch a short excerpt from the show, with English voice overs.)
“As a film actor and sitcom star, Zelensky thrived in the role of the Everyman, often playing the average guy who wins over the beautiful woman seemingly beyond his reach,” Franklin Foer has written in The Atlantic.
Zelensky grew up in a fading and polluted industrial city, the son of an engineer and computer-science professor. He is Jewish, in a country with a brutal history of antisemitism, and his first language was Russian, as is the case for many Ukrainians.
He ran for president in 2019, with a charmingly populist campaign that evoked his character on “Servant of the People.” It helped that the billionaire owner of the network that broadcast the show promoted Zelensky’s candidacy, including with a documentary that aired on the eve of the election, comparing him to Ronald Reagan.
Elsewhere in Europe, many officials initially viewed Zelensky as unserious, as The New Yorker’s Joshua Yaffa has reported. “The impression was terrible,” one European diplomat said, referring to one early meeting.
The impression today is very different, of course. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Zelensky has become a Churchillian figure, the personal embodiment of his country’s refusal to yield to a murderous authoritarian.
Seeing through Putin That image does have a lot in common with the optimistic and patriotic vision of Ukraine that Zelensky has presented since he began running for office.
His two central campaign promises were to crack down on corruption and to end the military conflict with Russia in the country’s eastern provinces. After taking office, he stripped members of Parliament of their legal immunity. He shrunk his own motorcade to two cars, without sirens. He told government officials to remove presidential portraits from their offices and replace them with pictures of their children, to remind them of the stakes of their work.
He also earnestly took to the job of president, acknowledging how little he knew. “He’s a very intent listener,” John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told Foer.
One early question that many Ukrainians had was what approach Zelensky would take to Russia. Some even worried that he might be too accommodating to Vladimir Putin, Anton Troianovski, The Times’s Moscow bureau chief, has noted. Zelensky not only grew up speaking Russian, but had become a star in Russia, thanks to his television shows.
“Zelensky came in as a candidate who promised to make a deal with Russia to end the war,” Anton said. Over time, though, Zelensky came to believe that Putin was not negotiating in good faith and wanted to dominate Ukraine. That belief pushed Zelensky closer to the West, angering Putin.
“In retrospect, now that we see what Putin really wants, total control over Ukraine, it is hard to see what Zelensky could’ve done,” Anton said.
Personal bravery Since Russia invaded, Zelensky has remained in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, rallying the country through videotaped speeches. (Yesterday, Zelensky’s government posted photos of him visiting wounded soldiers at a hospital and awarding them medals.) He has done so even though Russian troops and spies are likely trying to kill him.
Anne Applebaum, a journalist and Ukraine expert, recently said on NPR that she thought Zelensky might never flee the country. “He’s an actor, and he understands that he has a role to play, and he will play the role,” Applebaum said. He knows that he represents his country, she added, and even if he wishes he had never run for president, he understands that he now symbolizes something larger than himself.
“Once you enter the role, you play it to the end,” she said. “You have a larger responsibility to the citizens and to your country’s image in the world.”
by ti-amie After the article about President Zelensky it's almost sacrilege to put this there but...
by ponchi101 In older times, Tucker could not walk to his front yard. Basically, treason incarnate.
by ti-amie I'm still amazed this was allowed to happen but then again Londongrad needs representation too no?
/s
Lord Speaker urges tougher vetting amid concerns over Evgeny Lebedev
Lord McFall’s comment follows calls for parliamentary pass of Russia-born peer to be revoked
Peter Walker Political correspondent
@peterwalker99
Tue 15 Mar 2022 17.13 GMT
The Speaker of the House of Lords has urged ministers to toughen up the vetting and appointment system for new peers after concerns about the suitability of recent nominees such as the Evening Standard proprietor, Evgeny Lebedev.
While the Speaker, Lord McFall, has no powers to limit peers’ access to parliament, his strongly-worded comment came in response to a request from the SNP for the Russia-born peer’s parliamentary pass to be revoked.
Ministers have defended his appointment by his close friend Boris Johnson in 2020 after the Sunday Times reported that security services originally had concerns about Lebedev, whose father was a KGB agent, as far back as 2013.
In a letter to McFall, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said the reported concerns of security services meant Lebedev’s pass should be rescinded.
McFall does not have this power. But in a statement in response to the letter, he called for ministers to consider stronger powers for the House of Lords appointments commission (Holac), which vets candidates. Johnson is understood to have pushed forward the nomination despite Holac’s concerns about Lebedev.
There was, McFall said, “a case for examination of the appointments process, including a more robust vetting system and potentially stronger powers for Holac, ensuring that new appointees are able to make a worthwhile contribution to the important work of the house.
“I would urge the government to look at this, drawing upon the work of those who have already taken extensive evidence on this and proposed sensible reforms. I am always open to engagement with the government on these matters.
“An examination of the appointments system is, however, just one element of what needs to be a bigger package of reform of the House of Lords, including reducing the size of the house and increasing the diversity of its members allowing us to reach out to all parts of the United Kingdom.”
Since his appointment, Lebedev has spoken only once in the Lords. After a report noted this last month, he submitted two parliamentary questions.
Johnson has been accused of brushing off security concerns about Lebedev, which whom he has a close relationship, attending parties at his Italian castle, including when he was foreign secretary.
In his letter to McFall, Blackford said that given the reported security concerns: “Lord Lebedev is clearly not a fit and proper person to act as a legislator nor a lobbyist in this democracy. He should not therefore be in a position to maintain privileged access to the parliamentary estate”.
Asked about Lebedev on Sunday, Michael Gove, the communities secretary, appeared to suggest that reopening the question of the peerage would play into the hands of Vladimir Putin.
“I think one of the things that Vladimir Putin would like us to do, is to have an approach in the UK that said that everyone of Russian ancestry was somehow persona non grata,” he said.
Lebedev has insisted that he is not a security risk, and that he condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While the Lord Speaker has limited powers over peers, those in the role can and do express concerns about the wider running of the upper house.
In 2019 McFall’s predecessor as Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, said the Lords should reduce the number of “passengers” who contributed little to its business. He also wanted to slim down the chamber to a planned ceiling of 600. There are currently about 800 members.
Aviation twitter is always full of interesting information. The threading is sometimes interesting too.
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:45 pm
In older times, Tucker could not walk to his front yard. Basically, treason incarnate.
Ironically and sadly, two Fox News journalists were killed in Ukraine yesterday.
by ponchi101 I always admire these people that go into a war zone to report on it. Guts personified.
I will not joke about them being Fox News "Journalists" due to the gravity of the news.
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 3:04 am
I always admire these people that go into a war zone to report on it. Guts personified.
I will not joke about them being Fox News "Journalists" due to the gravity of the news.
Unfortunately, I think freelance journalists these days - and so many are freelance because they can't get permanent contracts - have to take whatever work will come. These particular journalists, Pierre Zakrzewski and Oleksandra Kuvshynova, were Irish and Ukrainian.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
i do have a problem with "wet behind the ears" reporters breathlessly reporting where people have taken shelter or where Ukrainians weapons caches are located. War is not a video game.
by ti-amie
Judd Legum
@JuddLegum 1h
@KochIndustries statement is a direct rejection of the plea Zelenskyy made today: "All American companies must leave their market immediately because it is flooded with our blood"
by ti-amie
by dryrunguy This is from today's NY Times e-newsletter. WARNING: This is heartbreaking stuff.
::
Good morning. We give you a rare dispatch from Mariupol, a city under siege.
‘Show this to Putin’ Mariupol — in southeastern Ukraine, near the Russian border — has been under siege for more than two weeks. It is the city where Russia last week bombed a maternity hospital and yesterday attacked a theater that hundreds of civilians were using as a shelter. It was unclear how many of those sheltering survived, according to a Ukrainian official.
Since the war began, two of the few working journalists in Mariupol have been Mstyslav Chernov and Evgeniy Maloletka of The Associated Press. My colleagues and I were deeply affected by their dispatch, and we’re turning over the lead section of today’s newsletter to an excerpt from it.
The bodies of the children all lie here, dumped into this narrow trench hastily dug into the frozen earth of Mariupol to the constant drumbeat of shelling.
There’s 18-month-old Kirill, whose shrapnel wound to the head proved too much for his little toddler’s body. There’s 16-year-old Iliya, whose legs were blown up in an explosion during a soccer game at a school field. There’s the girl no older than 6 who wore the pajamas with cartoon unicorns and who was among the first of Mariupol’s children to die from a Russian shell.
They are stacked together with dozens of others in this mass grave on the outskirts of the city. A man covered in a bright blue tarp, weighed down by stones at the crumbling curb. A woman wrapped in a red and gold bedsheet, her legs neatly bound at the ankles with a scrap of white fabric. Workers toss the bodies in as fast as they can, because the less time they spend in the open, the better their own chances of survival.
“Damn them all, those people who started this!” raged Volodymyr Bykovskyi, a worker pulling crinkling black body bags from a truck.
More bodies will come, from streets where they are everywhere and from the hospital basement where the corpses of adults and children are laid out, awaiting someone to pick them up. The youngest still has an umbilical stump attached.
Each airstrike and shell that relentlessly pounds Mariupol — about one a minute at times — drives home the curse of a geography that has put the city squarely in the path of Russia’s domination of Ukraine. This southern seaport of 430,000 has become a symbol of the drive by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, to crush a democratic Ukraine — and also of a fierce resistance on the ground. The city is now encircled by Russian soldiers, who are slowly squeezing the life out of it, one blast at a time.
The surrounding roads are mined and the port blocked. Food is running out, and the Russians have stopped humanitarian attempts to bring it in. Electricity is mostly gone and water is sparse, with residents melting snow to drink. People burn scraps of furniture in makeshift grills to warm their hands in the freezing cold.
Some parents have even left their newborns at the hospital, perhaps hoping to give them a chance at life in the one place with decent electricity and water.
Death is everywhere. Local officials have tallied more than 2,500 deaths in the siege, but many bodies can’t be counted because of the endless shelling. They have told families to leave their dead outside in the streets because it’s too dangerous to hold funerals.
Just weeks ago, Mariupol’s future seemed much brighter. If geography drives a city’s destiny, Mariupol was on the path to success, with its thriving iron and steel plants, a deepwater port and high global demand for both.
By Feb. 27, that started to change, as an ambulance raced into a city hospital carrying a small motionless girl, not yet 6. Her brown hair was pulled back off her pale face with a rubber band, and her pajama pants were bloodied by Russian shelling.
Her wounded father came with her, his head bandaged. Her mother stood outside the ambulance, weeping.
As the doctors and nurses huddled around her, one gave her an injection. Another shocked her with a defibrillator. “Show this to Putin,” one doctor said, with expletive-laced fury. “The eyes of this child and crying doctors.”
They couldn’t save her. Doctors covered the tiny body with her pink striped jacket and gently closed her eyes. She now rests in the mass grave.
This agony fits in with Putin’s goals. The siege is a military tactic popularized in medieval times and designed to crush a population through starvation and violence, allowing an attacking force to spare its own soldiers the cost of entering a hostile city. Instead, civilians are the ones left to die. Serhiy Orlov, the deputy mayor of Mariupol, predicts worse is soon to come. Most of the city remains trapped. “People are dying without water and food, and I think in the next several days we will count hundreds and thousands of deaths.”
For more: See more photographs from Mariupol in The A.P.’s full story (which Lori Hinnant, based in Paris, helped write). And read a dispatch from Mykolaiv — another besieged city, on the Black Sea — by my colleague Michael Schwirtz, with photos by Tyler Hicks.
by meganfernandez Came here hoping for an update from Mick. Praying for him and his family...
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 3:04 am
I always admire these people that go into a war zone to report on it. Guts personified.
I will not joke about them being Fox News "Journalists" due to the gravity of the news.
Same. And what they do it so critical. As much as I want to be a real journalist and investigative journalist, I'm not cut out for danger. More like, I'm not cut out to put my family through the stress of it. Personally, I think I could do it. Not sure I could work the contacts properly - that's a special skill. I'm also really seduced by the sexiness of being a spy, but same problem.
I've been reading a book called The Correspondents, about six female reporters in WW2. No way could I have done what they did. They weren't all on the front lines - one was a powerful editor in chief in Germany. It takes an incredible amount of balls, and if you're an editor, political skills. I'm not a politician.
So I write fluff and a little more-meaningful stuff if I can find it.
by ti-amie
by Owendonovan There's very little, if anything, good one can say about the Koch's.
by ti-amie
Owendonovan wrote: ↑Sat Mar 19, 2022 3:20 pm
There's very little, if anything, good one can say about the Koch's.
Old tweets but since a lot of people aren't aware of how bad the Koch's are someone aggregated some threads about them that go back about three years.
I skipped some Tweets but clicking on any one of the links will take you to the entire thread.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Good call, but this is not news. It is no secret that all the main powers, plus N. Korea, have very sophisticated cyberwarfare capabilities. And Russia must have a considerable number of cyber "bombs" planted around the USA and EU cyber-structure.
I would say that this week it would be good to stay away from Wall Street (electronically). The USA and EU have wiped out billions out of the Russian population's pocket, simply by the devaluation of the ruble. I don't think Vlad would mind returning the favor.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 New poll. A truly insane question that no longer sounds that farfetched.
by Suliso @ponchi: I think you'll agree that this invasion has proceeded with a lot more difficulty than you anticipated.
by ponchi101
Suliso wrote: ↑Thu Mar 24, 2022 12:58 pm
@ponchi: I think you'll agree that this invasion has proceeded with a lot more difficulty than you anticipated.
Not only that. I am very surprised, in a positive way, by the response of several international actors. That Switzerland abandoned its historical neutrality was unexpected (to me). Sweden too, and that together with Finland they are openly talking about joining NATO is also well received. I really felt that the west would not give a rodent's ass about Ukraine, and that the Russian army would efficiently march into Kiyv, very much like they took over Crimea.
So, I was right about Vlad trying to take over Ukraine (my piece I wrote in 2014). But after that, I have not called any single shot of this war right. By now, I don't think Russia keeps Ukraine. It seems the sole accomplishment by Putin will be to have solidly unified the West, completely make NATO a total necessity and an organization that will not dissolve any time soon, and pull Russia out from the international community. Heck, it may even make China reconsider any possible actions against Taiwan, even though China would be way better prepared to withstand economic actions.
I will try to refrain from any further geopolitical analysis again. I will stick solely to tennis.
(Wait. I am not good at that either... )
by Suliso I think you'd do better than any of us on South American matters.
Actually I'm surprised too how forcefull the Western reaction has been. In retrospect it makes sense, but only in retrospect...
by mick1303 I did not write anything, because there were no personal news. I'm in a RELATIVE safety. But the news from Kharkiv are chilling. The devastation continues. I personally know dozens of people who's apartments are destroyed and several of my colleagues and friends were wounded.
by dmforever I'm really sorry to hear about your friends in Kharkiv. I honestly can't even imagine what they are going through. I'm glad you are relatively safe, and I hope that you continue to be.
Kevin
by meganfernandez
mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 24, 2022 3:30 pm
I did not write anything, because there were no personal news. I'm in a RELATIVE safety. But the news from Kharkiv are chilling. The devastation continues. I personally know dozens of people who's apartments are destroyed and several of my colleagues and friends were wounded.
Thanks for checking in, Mick. I'm glad you are relatively safe, and I am so sorry for your friends and everything you are all going through. Is there any charity or aid organization you'd prefer people donate to?
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 I can simply echo the feelings expressed by others here. I am glad you are relatively safe, Mick.
If you don't mind the question: what is the mood of the Ukrainian people? I know it must be gloom, but do you feel you will defeat Russia, or at a minimum drive them back out of your country?
by mick1303
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 25, 2022 1:36 am
I can simply echo the feelings expressed by others here. I am glad you are relatively safe, Mick.
If you don't mind the question: what is the mood of the Ukrainian people? I know it must be gloom, but do you feel you will defeat Russia, or at a minimum drive them back out of your country?
Guys, this is not an easy question to answer. There is a wide variety of opinions. There were plenty of people who DID sympathize Russia, because the policy of Ukraine towards own Russian-speaking citizen was oppressive. But what happened is like trying to heal the headache with a hammer. The issue was used by Russia as an excuse for geopolitical purposes. This is not to say that Ukraine wasn't used by West for decades for similar geopolitical purposes. Many now feel betrayed both by Russia and by the West (EU and USA). Russia violated 1994 treaty, but it was not the only guarantor - US/EU were as well. But they behaved similar to France/Britain in 1938 when they betrayed Czechoslovakia. Regarding whether or not Ukraine will repel Russia purely by military means, IDK. But usually defense does not win conventional wars. The Russian population is conditioned by propaganda to believe that they are “saving Ukraine from the Nazis”. So to hope that this war will stop from internal protests in Russia is naive. Critically thinking people are always in minority.
by mmmm8
mick1303 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 25, 2022 5:40 am
So to hope that this war will stop from internal protests in Russia is naive. Critically thinking people are always in minority.
I don't think people protesting think they will stop the war. I think it's out of a feeling of helplessness and shame. They may hope to contribute to someday bringing Putin down or raise awareness nad dispel propaganda to turn some people against the regime, but I don't think anyone protesting is unrealistic about the war. I would say that's why there are not as many people protesting. The benefit doesn't outweigh the risk for most, unless that feeling of individual responsibility and a desire for martyrdom is overwhelming.
Very glad to hear you are in relative safety. I hope you are also able to procure medications and anything else your father might need for his treatment.
by ti-amie
Is there any way to verify if any of this is true?
by ti-amie I hope this is the correct translation.
Is there any way to verify if any of this is true?
The tweet is gone?
The newspaper cover translation above is accurate (Don't think I need to state it, but it's obviously sarcasm)
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by MJ2004 Russia says the “first phase of war is over”, will now focus on Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
For those who were surprised at the scale of the initial invasion, the plan all along seems to have been:
Test the waters to see how far they could get, try to assassinate Zelensky and install puppet government. And if they fail, they will have distracted the Ukrainian army and spread defense resources throughout the country to make it easier to overtake the Donbas region. Which is what they wanted along.
At the cost of up to 15,000 Russian soldiers, but throwing bodies at the problem has never fazed Russia.
by Suliso That's what they say now to save face. Surely we don't think anymore that Putin is playing 4D chess?
It's a very sad state of affairs when people cheer and celebrate others being killed - no matter if it's the good guys or the bad guys.
Human lives are viewed as nothing but points to be gained by eliminating them...
Something went tragically wrong with the blueprint of the human animal.
The newspaper cover translation above is accurate (Don't think I need to state it, but it's obviously sarcasm)
Ah, no, thanks for pointing it out. I am not well versed on Russian humor, so it is good to know that it is sarcasm.
(Stuff like that happens in Venezuela so sarcasm for us is hard to discern).
The newspaper cover translation above is accurate (Don't think I need to state it, but it's obviously sarcasm)
Ah, no, thanks for pointing it out. I am not well versed on Russian humor, so it is good to know that it is sarcasm.
(Stuff like that happens in Venezuela so sarcasm for us is hard to discern).
One issue my Venezuelan SO and I have is that he cannot understand why I use humor or sarcasm at a low moment (for myself or to cheer him up) or in a fight, etc. I don't understand how you could not. I know it's a personality thing in part, but it's also conditioned. Many centuries of adversity as a Russian and a Jewish person make joking about it the only immediate way to ameliorate any situation.
So, you'll see a lot of people and media use humor, irony and sarcasm, especially now that open speech is so restricted.
by ponchi101 We claim to have a sense of humor, but it is different. I used to tell Russian jokes after Chavez was elected, telling people "this is what will happen to us" and they did not find them funny.
Then again, dear ponchi101 has never been the light of any party. So indeed, go ahead and joke about the low points. Nothing more terrible will happen to you.
by mick1303
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 26, 2022 4:43 pm
We claim to have a sense of humor, but it is different. I used to tell Russian jokes after Chavez was elected, telling people "this is what will happen to us" and they did not find them funny.
Then again, dear ponchi101 has never been the light of any party. So indeed, go ahead and joke about the low points. Nothing more terrible will happen to you.
It is a well-known fact that those prisoners of Nazi death camps (Auschwitz, etc.) that were making jokes and were trying to look at their helpless situation with a humor, lived longer. Humor is a powerful defense mechanism.
by ti-amie
P1
by ti-amie P2L
by ponchi101 Because Vlad would NEVER poison anybody...
by mmmm8 Just watched a 1.5 hour interview of Zelensky with 4 Russian independent journalists (that tweet above is referring to information he shared). Very informal, unpretentious, thoughtful, open and honest discussion. I think he's fully worth the hype he's getting.
by meganfernandez
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 1:22 pm
Just watched a 1.5 hour interview of Zelensky with 4 Russian independent journalists (that tweet above is referring to information he shared). Very informal, unpretentious, thoughtful, open and honest discussion. I think he's fully worth the hype he's getting.
I just hope he survives. He is an incredible leader. Wish I could listen to these interviews, but the language barrier...
by ponchi101 Zelensky is proof that a "civilian" can be a good president. Here in the USA, because of the election of Tiny, some people say that we should leave politics to politicians ONLY; that is false.
Unfortunately, I can only think of one more: Vaclav Havel in the Czeck Republic. People that truly only want to serve the country, and do not see this position as privilege, but a responsibility. Douglas Adams had it right in his HITCHHIKER'S trilogy: anybody that wants to be president, should NOT be president.
With Megan. It would be good to be able to hear him speak in the native language.
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 1:22 pm
Just watched a 1.5 hour interview of Zelensky with 4 Russian independent journalists (that tweet above is referring to information he shared). Very informal, unpretentious, thoughtful, open and honest discussion. I think he's fully worth the hype he's getting.
I just hope he survives. He is an incredible leader. Wish I could listen to these interviews, but the language barrier...
If you don't mind reading subtitles, it's published with those in English by a bunch of media sources. This is the one I watched - whenever I looked at the subtitles they were a decent translation, they are by the publisher, not auto-generated
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:46 pm
Zelensky is proof that a "civilian" can be a good president. Here in the USA, because of the election of Tiny, some people say that we should leave politics to politicians ONLY; that is false.
Unfortunately, I can only think of one more: Vaclav Havel in the Czeck Republic. People that truly only want to serve the country, and do not see this position as privilege, but a responsibility. Douglas Adams had it right in his HITCHHIKER'S trilogy: anybody that wants to be president, should NOT be president.
With Megan. It would be good to be able to hear him speak in the native language.
Which for him is primarily Russian (and the interview was in Russian) but, funnily enough, he was forgetting Russian words throughout the interview and had to have the interviewers and his press guy tell him.
by Suliso I agree that Zelensky is a good leader, but it also makes me think how much people are made by events. Would any of you know who Zelensky is if Putin had not attacked or threatened to attack? Sometimes events meet people and people are found lacking the right stuff. Hard to say which other leaders would perform well under the circumstances and which would not.
by ponchi101 Isn't that precisely the point? The best presidents are the ones of countries that do not make the news. I have no idea, for example, of who the president of Switzerland is. Of the Swedish PM, or any Scandinavian politician.
Sure, we know Zelensky now, but it seems that prior to this ordeal, he was doing well. We never heard any problems from Ukraine, other than the buildup for this war. I will take that over having a famous monkey for president, like my curse with Venezuela.
by ti-amie
Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 5:17 pm
I agree that Zelensky is a good leader, but it also makes me think how much people are made by events. Would any of you know who Zelensky is if Putin had not attacked or threatened to attack? Sometimes events meet people and people are found lacking the right stuff. Hard to say which other leaders would perform well under the circumstances and which would not.
I think we here in the States first heard of him when Tiny was trying to shake him down and yet even then if anyone had said he had this kind of steel in his personality I for one, because of Tiny, wouldn't have believed it.
by Suliso I don't think that's always true. One could have a pleasant person, but doing the wrong things. Sometimes not even apparent in the short term. For example, as the result of this war I have changed my views on Angela Merkel. She didn't steel and wasn't stupid, but actually not a good leader. Stagnation came in her time - Germany became more and more dependent on Russian energy, foreign policy was tepid, nuclear power stations were closed down and so on.
by Deuce
Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 5:17 pm
I agree that Zelensky is a good leader, but it also makes me think how much people are made by events. Would any of you know who Zelensky is if Putin had not attacked or threatened to attack? Sometimes events meet people and people are found lacking the right stuff. Hard to say which other leaders would perform well under the circumstances and which would not.
^ I hope we never find out.
by ti-amie
Again who knows if this is true. There's so much stuff floating around. This account has decent folks following it so it may be true.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101
Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 5:47 pm
I don't think that's always true. One could have a pleasant person, but doing the wrong things. Sometimes not even apparent in the short term. For example, as the result of this war I have changed my views on Angela Merkel. She didn't steel and wasn't stupid, but actually not a good leader. Stagnation came in her time - Germany became more and more dependent on Russian energy, foreign policy was tepid, nuclear power stations were closed down and so on.
Of course. I would also be re-calculating my opinion of Merkel were it not for the fact that I already have, and all you say are negative points for her that I already took into account. And we could find examples of other countries from where no news ever come out, yet are terrible places: we have stopped hearing news from Myanmar, but that does not mean it is a pleasant place to be in, or we never hear from Laos, a verifiable dictatorship.
But overall, I will say that that formula works. If your country is not making the news, something good is going on. We hear very little from N.Z., or Costa Rica, or such places.
Zelensky seems to have been doing well, which I would not know, because so little news came out from there. Until January of this year.
by Deuce ... And then there is Yemen - one of the poorest and most dangerous countries to live in right now. In addition to the 7 year long war and unprecedented levels of famine, they must also deal with a huge cholera outbreak and COVID-19 - without the necessary money and health resources.
In Yemen, the largest humanitarian crisis on the planet is happening right now - and it is being largely ignored by the rest of the world...
"In Yemen today, every 75 seconds a child dies because they do not have access to food or water, according to the World Food Program's director in Yemen"
"At the same time, we’re hearing very little about the world’s worst humanitarian crisis unfolding in Yemen, which is now seven years into the Saudi-led war and blockade, backed by arms sales and technical assistance from the United States and its allies, including the United Kingdom.... More than 17 million people in Yemen are in need of food assistance, with high levels of acute malnutrition among children under the age of 5."
This PBS 'full film' is only 10 minutes...
This one is only 7 minutes...
by ti-amie
by Suliso Found on TW with a caption "Russian retreat from Kyiv"
by Suliso Also reading that due to the way Russian tanks store ammo they're uniquely vulnerable to drone or missile attacks from above. Once a charge penetrates from above it's game over as the entire ammo explodes.
by ponchi101 I was in Uzbekistan. We had a series of small trucks made in Russia, and they started catching fire. Short story long: they had the fuel filter ON TOP of the engine block. The Iranian company we were supervising changed the filters and bought some cheap chinese PLASTIC ones, so they melted and dropped the fuel on top of the engine, which would them catch fire.
Yep, never was impressed by Soviet engineering. So I completely believe what you say.
by Suliso The battle for Kyiv is now definitely over with Russians in full retreat. I suspect that as many predicted recently most of the fighting will now move to Donbas and the Black sea coast.
by ponchi101 I voted firmly that Russia would get to Kyiv in just days and take over with very little effort. Needless to say, completely wrong.
Now my question is: does Putin survive this mess, politically, back home and abroad? Abroad he has become a pariah to the west and more specifically, Europe. European nations will bolster their armies and I really don't see how they cannot NOT make plans to switch their energy reliance as early as this year, prior to next winter. He may try to forge an alliance with China, but he has so very little to offer them other than oil and gas, and a ideological support for dictatorships as a functioning way of ruling.
And internally: wars have a cost, literally. How much money was spent on an unsuccessful invasion, and what happens when the soldiers come back home and news spread not via social media but by word of mouth? No soldier will say "I blew it, we blew it", meaning the fighting forces. The blame will get pushed up to the top, and he IS the top in Russia. Does he survive the incoming mess, with all the economic effects that will linger for a while (or for long), and nothing to show for after the invasion?
by the Moz Merkel and many in the West are certainly guilty of enabling Putin over the years.
by ti-amie This seems to be true. It's been around since last night and nothing about it has been challenged.
by ponchi101 So, Russia can invade Ukraine but Ukrainians cannot engage on Russian soil?
It is called war, last time I checked.
---0---
About Merkel. I don't think she was planning on enabling, but did not think it over and was trying to be Chamberlain and appease him. Which she was, and it did not.
by ti-amie
Take a hint from Salt Bae when reading this.
by ponchi101 How does he know claim "victory"?
"Oh, I won the fight!"
"How?"
"I broke his knuckles, repeatedly. With my nose and my face. And he ended it covered in blood. MY BLOOD. I won".
by ti-amie There are horrific pictures being posted online of the massacres that took place in the city of Bucha in Ukraine. We saw the same kinds of pictures from Syria.
No worry. I will not post them here.
by Suliso But everyone can freely find on Twitter... And rightly so as this should not be forgotten!
Besides all the atrocities the other news is that Russians have for now left Northern and Northeastern Ukraine. All the border with Belarus including Chernobyl area again under Ukrainian control. Serious ground fighting ongoing in Kharkiv area and in the far south.
by ponchi101 As I am not in twitter, I will not look these images up.
I am ambivalent on whether to open a topic, WITH A STRONG WARNING, to post such pictures. While we know that the people here at TAT2.0 are intellectually sophisticated and we do not need pictures to understand the gravity of these situation, at the same time we also understand that a historical account of the events can be helpful, and such graphical evidence is unequivocally needed at times to grasp what has happened.
If as little as one person believes such a separate topic can be of help, I will open it, LIMITED TO MEMBERS. Again, a strong warning will be added.
I will also understand if such a topic will not be welcomed, at the time. We come to TAT2.0 to enjoy our time together. We all have enough worries already to come here and find something more to fret about.
by ti-amie As long as there is a warning I don't see a problem Ponch. Some are really bad and are being posted on Twitter often with no warning.
by ptmcmahon I certainly see no need for the pictures themselves and won't be viewing that topic... but just listen to any discussion about what is happening here.
by Deuce How much to show visually is an interesting subject...
On the one hand, of course, many images are extremely disturbing, and will cause distress.
On the other hand, they are real. This is the current reality on certain parts of the planet which we all share. And reality, no matter how horrible or distressing or uncomfortable, is always enlightening and educational.
Will seeing the photos bring anything positive, apart from educating people as to what is truly happening? I suppose it could possibly prompt some people to donate money or materials to the victims...
There is also, of course, in this day and age of manipulation and deceit combined with technology, the unfortunate possibility that some photos and even videos are not real.
All that said, I see no need to post graphic photos of war, etc. on a message board whose main topic is tennis. We know where to find the graphic photos if one so desires. Sometimes we even see them without seeking them out - as occurred yesterday when I suddenly saw on my TV the dead bodies strewn randomly on the streets and sidewalks of Ukraine... and wondered once again why the human animal is so profoundly defective.
by ponchi101 I explained why I would accept such a topic.
The topic is clearly marked and a warning is clearly stated.
I understand that many people will not want to see those pictures. But, if some people do, they will be there.
If you are subscribed to the topic, YOU WILL GET NOTIFICATIONS. If that was by mistake, you can unsubscribe by going to the TOPIC TOOLS menu (the little wrench at the bottom of every topic) and click UNSUBSCRIBE. You will no longer be notified of any new posts.
by ptmcmahon No way to "ignore/block" a topic though is there?
by ponchi101 No. There is no function to ignore a topic/forum other than ignoring it physically (i.e. don't go there).
I know that the GRAPHIC topic is not pleasant but I trust Ti's ability to curate it properly. The images certainly are not suitable for all, but after seeing them I believe this is a needed record. For example, I am not a member of any social media and I do not search for this sort of news so I would not be able to find these images, but what the Russian Army(1) has done is indeed a war crime. I believe that the understanding that this makes their leaders, all the way to the top, war criminals, has got to be expressed at multiple levels, this forum being one of them.
Off Topic
(1) Time to start separating the RUSSIAN ARMY and the RUSSIAN LEADERS from the RUSSIAN PEOPLE. Plenty of Russians have expressed their opposition to this war/invasion.
by ptmcmahon Ok, will see if I can just not accidentally click on it. Don't see it being a problem, but if it is...well I'll just disappear for a bit. I enjoy our off topic discussions and I understand why discussing the war is important... but I'm not coming to this tennis board to view graphic content. That's over the line for me. Seeing the pictures doesn't make me understand what's going on any better, it just is upsetting (for me.)
by mmmm8 I think we can just do with links with a trigger warning, no. If people choose to view, they can. I don't think we need to post the pictures on TAT. I've seen enough of these in the last month and a half to say no one outside of Russia or those who can affect this situation *needs* to see these. (NVM - saw there is a thread)
by ti-amie
by ti-amie P2/L
by ponchi101
ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:41 pm
Ok, will see if I can just not accidentally click on it. Don't see it being a problem, but if it is...well I'll just disappear for a bit. I enjoy our off topic discussions and I understand why discussing the war is important... but I'm not coming to this tennis board to view graphic content. That's over the line for me. Seeing the pictures doesn't make me understand what's going on any better, it just is upsetting (for me.)
mmmm8 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 6:29 pm
I think we can just do with links with a trigger warning, no. If people choose to view, they can. I don't think we need to post the pictures on TAT. I've seen enough of these in the last month and a half to say no one outside of Russia or those who can affect this situation *needs* to see these. (NVM - saw there is a thread)
I will delete the topic, as it seems it is beyond the scope of what we share and what the forum wants.
My apologies if somebody saw images that they found unbecoming.
by ti-amie War is hell. As I said earlier there were similar pictures coming out of Syria and other war zones.
That said it hurt and upset me to even have to look at the pictures long enough to post them but I think they did need to be seen so that when people start talking about massacres and genocide at least we here will have a point of reference. The folks who think this stuff is being made up should be made to see the pictures as well. If we all tell our friends and relatives how awful this invasion is and say there are pictures to prove it maybe some of them will wake up. I don't know. Maybe they'll think they're fakes.
Any way I think Ponchi made the right decision and told him so privately.
by ptmcmahon Although that's a fair point... I don't think anyone here thinks this was made up? And if I was to trying to show pictures like these to someone to convince them this was real... I wouldn't be showing them pictures from a tennis forum.
by ti-amie
ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 10:06 pm
Although that's a fair point... I don't think anyone here thinks this was made up? And if I was to trying to show pictures like these to someone to convince them this was real... I wouldn't be showing them pictures from a tennis forum.
Of course you wouldn't. You'd use the Twitter posts or don't you have an account there? Like they say never assume.
by Deuce
ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:32 pm
No way to "ignore/block" a topic though is there?
Seeing you mention this, I think an 'Ignore Topic' function would be a very useful and practical tool, as this way, one could subscribe to a Forum and be able to get notifications of new posts/new topics created, but also ignore certain particular topics. Quite practical, it would be...
I just searched the phpBB board (where I've found a few useful tools previously)... Unfortunately, I couldn't find this particular 'Ignore Topic' function.
I did find A LOT of people asking for it, though. People have been asking for it for over 10 years... That alone should be a sign that it would be a valuable addition.
Hopefully someone will create it soon.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 It has got to be like, totally awesome, to be born without a soul or scruples. So advantageous.
by Deuce Some before and after photos of buildings, shopping centres, etc. in Ukraine...
Though not graphic, this still helps to provide a sobering perspective on the situation.
The photos are of buildings, cars, etc. - and are obviously tragic, as we know people were killed even if we don't see their dead bodies...
by Suliso If you're interested in the latest on the battle field and who is controlling what I suggest this live map: https://liveuamap.com/
I used them during the height of Syrian conflict and they seem to be fairly reliable.
by ponchi101 BTW.
He has not posted, but Mick has been active in the forum. He logged in yesterday 7th.
Obviously, he has more important matters to tend to. If you want to keep track, go to MEMBERS (bottom) and look him up.
by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote:BTW.
He has not posted, but Mick has been active in the forum. He logged in yesterday 7th.
Obviously, he has more important matters to tend to. If you want to keep track, go to MEMBERS (bottom) and look him up.
Thanks. Nice to hear.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
by mick1303 I'm still OK. Do not post about tennis. You are correct - there is a lot of other things on my mind. My city of Kharkov continues getting destroyed by Russian artillery. Neighbors told that already some windows are shattered in my apartment there. There was a shell getting in our building couple of days ago, two apartments are obliterated completely. Luckily no casualties, the majority of inhabitants are already left.
by meganfernandez
mick1303 wrote:I'm still OK. Do not post about tennis. You are correct - there is a lot of other things on my mind. My city of Kharkov continues getting destroyed by Russian artillery. Neighbors told that already some windows are shattered in my apartment there. There was a shell getting in our building couple of days ago, two apartments are obliterated completely. Luckily no casualties, the majority of inhabitants are already left.
I am so sorry - I wish I could offer something besides condolences and prayers. Did you and your father leave Kharkov?
mick1303 wrote:I'm still OK. Do not post about tennis. You are correct - there is a lot of other things on my mind. My city of Kharkov continues getting destroyed by Russian artillery. Neighbors told that already some windows are shattered in my apartment there. There was a shell getting in our building couple of days ago, two apartments are obliterated completely. Luckily no casualties, the majority of inhabitants are already left.
I am so sorry - I wish I could offer something besides condolences and prayers. Did you and your father leave Kharkov?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, we've moved to the neighboring region. Did not want to go to the Western Ukraine. The prices to rent an apartment skyrocketed there. It is telling that Poland, Slovakia, Romania, etc. are letting our refugees in and putting them in relatively good conditions, but our own countrymen from Western Ukraine frequently behave like rats and taking advantage of our suffering.
Ukrainian government sources so far say it "likely" has happened.
The Azov regiment is that one actual far-right part of the Ukranian armed forces. The other Ukranian news report on this relied on that regiment.
Not saying it didn't happen.
by ti-amie It's why I wait days before I believe any report like this is true.
by Deuce
mick1303 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 11, 2022 10:33 am
Yes, we've moved to the neighboring region. Did not want to go to the Western Ukraine. The prices to rent an apartment skyrocketed there. It is telling that Poland, Slovakia, Romania, etc. are letting our refugees in and putting them in relatively good conditions, but our own countrymen from Western Ukraine frequently behave like rats and taking advantage of our suffering.
I wish I could honestly say that I'm shocked. But I'm not.
It seems that there are always disgusting people who take every opportunity to exploit every selfish advantage possible at the expense of others.
There are no words to describe how disturbing and tragic this behaviour is...
Sigh...
by Deuce How's this for stunning perspective...
Julian Lennon is now just about 20 years older than his father John was when he was killed.
Julian is 59 years old.
John was 40 when he died.
Amazing.
Julian Lennon Performs 'IMAGINE' for Global Citizen's Stand Up For Ukraine...
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by Suliso That's a huge psychological coup by Ukrainians. A ship like that can't be replaced. I bet the Russian navy will stay well off the Ukrainian coast from now on.
by ti-amie
Suliso wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:40 am
That's a huge psychological coup by Ukrainians. A ship like that can't be replaced. I bet the Russian navy will stay well off the Ukrainian coast from now on.
by ti-amie
Tim Mak @timkmak
Already the Russian naval posture in the Black Sea appears to be changing, according to that senior U.S. defense official...
Four or five Russian ships began heading south, away from the Ukrainian coast, after the fire on the Moskva
by ponchi101 I wonder why they think that saying it was a fire that reached its munition depot on board makes them look better than "The Ukrainians sunk the ship".
I mean, what kind of safety system do you have on board a ship that allows it to blow itself up?
by Deuce How are things with you now, Mick?
Any better?
Any worse?
We'd like to know.
Hang in there.
by Suliso
by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 15, 2022 2:35 am
I wonder why they think that saying it was a fire that reached its munition depot on board makes them look better than "The Ukrainians sunk the ship".
I mean, what kind of safety system do you have on board a ship that allows it to blow itself up?
I don't see that either. Incidentally I happened to read a longer TW thread about the history of Soviet/Russian navy. Over the centuries it has been the weakest part of their military. Last successes were during Russian-Turkish wars in the 19th century. Their navy played no meaningful role in WWI and WWII. Was wiped out by Japanese in 1905 at the battle of Tsukushima.
by ti-amie
by mmmm8 So, it's here now, a draft law that can be used to persecute people AND THEIR RELATIVES, as well as organizations/companies, for being "under foreign influence." Before, a legislation was in place in that sense for those with foreign financing but this draft law has a loose/subjective interpretation.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 I was never his fan as a tennis player, but I did like him as a person (petulant tantrums on court not being considered). But spot on from Roddick. Sometimes political commentary is truly inane.
On that sort.
Vova is demanding from the USA to stop sending weapons to Ukraine because it will prolong the war and make it difficult to start peace negotiations. The equivalent of mugging a person and when the police shows up, you tell them to go away so you and that person can talk.
Sometimes you really have to wonder about how low can people go when it comes to insanity.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 No, it doesn't. The price of oil and gas has gone up due to the war, so the already huge resources Russia has already within its border have already become very valuable.
Russia could have easily done a deal with Ukraine to develop that field together. The profits would have been very nice. Instead, they now have a whole mess in their hands.
People have to stop thinking that oil is still a major driver of foreign policy. It wasn't during any of the two gulf wars, it ain't now.
And, for those that think that the USA invaded Iraq because of the oil. DIck Cheney and all the other evil guys there never even blinked when cutting a deal with despots or dictators. It would have been so much easier to make a deal with Saddam than get into that mess. Sure, you can claim they were and are evil, but don't claim they were that stupid. The same goes for Vova now.
by ponchi101 Russia has suspended deliveries of gas to Poland and Bulgaria. Two smaller economies, but a sign for Germany to heed.
Winter is gone so nobody will die of cold. But this a new level of war. And, if anybody is listening (I mean governments) a clear demonstration that Russia sees its O&G industry as a political weapon.
As if anybody (with a brain) thought something else.
by mick1303
Deuce wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 12:17 pm
How are things with you now, Mick?
Any better?
Any worse?
We'd like to know.
Hang in there.
Hi, people. Thnks for asking. On the personal level there is not much changes. I'm able to work remotely for my employer, but not getting 100% of salary, because out of 160 people in our company only 10 are able to work (many projects were closed/suspended). And the company wants to pay everyone at least some money. It is actually commendable on their part (our owners), because during the martial law all the legislation in the job area is suspended and they are not obliged to pay. With the price of the apartment rent and food prices raising, I'm only managing to keep up - spending everything I'm making.
From the reports of remaining neighbors at home it seems that the shelling of our particular district in Kharkov lately is somewhat lowered. There were no close hits in the last couple of weeks. So my apartment building there didn't suffer additional damage.
But switching to broader picture - it is troublesome, as you all know, if you are reading the news. The talks about possible nuclear weapon threat..
Hi, people. Thnks for asking. On the personal level there is not much changes. I'm able to work remotely for my employer, but not getting 100% of salary, because out of 160 people in our company only 10 are able to work (many projects were closed/suspended). And the company wants to pay everyone at least some money. It is actually commendable on their part (our owners), because during the martial law all the legislation in the job area is suspended and they are not obliged to pay. With the price of the apartment rent and food prices raising, I'm only managing to keep up - spending everything I'm making.
From the reports of remaining neighbors at home it seems that the shelling of our particular district in Kharkov lately is somewhat lowered. There were no close hits in the last couple of weeks. So my apartment building there didn't suffer additional damage.
But switching to broader picture - it is troublesome, as you all know, if you are reading the news. The talks about possible nuclear weapon threat..
Thanks for posting, Mick. Good to hear that you are "Ok" (big quotes on that one).
The talk about possible nuclear threat is the talk of madmen. One can't even wonder how Ukraine and/or NATO would respond to that, but I gather than anything short of complete cut of relations with Russia would be pointless.
Let's hope it is just a bluff.
by Suliso Did you read about the Ukrainian artilery attack on Russian army field headquarters at a time of a high command meeting killing at least one general? Either Ukraine or one of the Western allies must be having a mole at the highest levels of Russian military. They seem to know in real time where senior officers are located...
by ponchi101 Or it ends up that NATO hackers are better than what we thought, and NATO has hacked Russian comms.
We always hear about how the Russians, the Chinese or the North Koreans hack western sites. We never hear about Americans hacking Russians, or Europeans hacking the Chinese, or anything like that. And there is no way I am going to believe that the dear little souls at the NSA/CIA/FBI letter soup, or the altar boys at the MI5/MI6/BND/MOSSAD, never get involved in cyber-operations. So maybe they have been playing low for years and have better channels into Russian military activities than we think.
Like the new Q in the James Bond movies. He can do more damage in one morning from his bed, still in his pajamas, before he has his morning tea and bagel, than 007 with his PPK.
by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote:Or it ends up that NATO hackers are better than what we thought, and NATO has hacked Russian comms.
We always hear about how the Russians, the Chinese or the North Koreans hack western sites. We never hear about Americans hacking Russians, or Europeans hacking the Chinese, or anything like that. And there is no way I am going to believe that the dear little souls at the NSA/CIA/FBI letter soup, or the altar boys at the MI5/MI6/BND/MOSSAD, never get involved in cyber-operations. So maybe they have been playing low for years and have better channels into Russian military activities than we think.
Like the new Q in the James Bond movies. He can do more damage in one morning from his bed, still in his pajamas, before he has his morning tea and bagel, than 007 with his PPK.
“Sometimes a trigger has to be pulled. Or not pulled. Hard to know which in your pajamas.”
Love that scene.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
by ti-amie Meanwhile it seems that Western journalists have stopped posting Tweets saying "THERE ARE PEOPLE HOLED UP HERE" putting bulls eyes on such places. That is what happened in Mariupol (sp).
by mmmm8
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun May 01, 2022 4:23 pmOr it ends up that NATO hackers are better than what we thought, and NATO has hacked Russian comms.
We always hear about how the Russians, the Chinese or the North Koreans hack western sites. We never hear about Americans hacking Russians, or Europeans hacking the Chinese, or anything like that. And there is no way I am going to believe that the dear little souls at the NSA/CIA/FBI letter soup, or the altar boys at the MI5/MI6/BND/MOSSAD, never get involved in cyber-operations. So maybe they have been playing low for years and have better channels into Russian military activities than we think.
Like the new Q in the James Bond movies. He can do more damage in one morning from his bed, still in his pajamas, before he has his morning tea and bagel, than 007 with his PPK.
Don't forget the Ukrainian hackers. Don't know so much about state sponsorships there I'm sure many are volunteering their skills.
by ponchi101 Absolutely. By now, I don't think it would be inaccurate to describe Ukraine as something that, at a very minimum, is part of NATO.
Sure, they are not married, but they meet every day at the same café. 6:30, and everybody knows.
by mick1303
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 8:29 pm
Absolutely. By now, I don't think it would be inaccurate to describe Ukraine as something that, at a very minimum, is part of NATO.
Sure, they are not married, but they meet every day at the same café. 6:30, and everybody knows.
I'm not sure this is an accurate analogy. If that lady in question is assaulted by another man, your man, married or not, will go outside and clean his clock. Not just give his lady pepper-spray.
by Suliso
by ti-amie
I dunno but why would any newspaper publish this during a war?
by ponchi101 Because YOU are not at war?
Intelligence provided by the USA:
"Torpedo. Below water line. Keep us posted"
by Suliso What a funny "coincidence" that Forbes posted the article below two days ago. Now it seems confirmed that the same ship (or one of the sister ships) is on fire some 65 nautical miles south of Odessa. The surprising part for me is that including this ship there are only three (!!!) large surface ships left in the Russian Black sea fleet and no way of getting any more. That's not counting landing ships, minesweepers, patrol boats and submarines.
The Russian Frigate ‘Admiral Makarov’ Might Be The Juiciest Target In The Black Sea
After the dramatic sinking of the missile-cruiser Moskva by a Ukrainian missile battery on April 14, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is down to just three major surface combatants. The best and most important of them might be the new missile-frigate Admiral Makarov.
And that makes the 409-foot Admiral Makarov perhaps the most valuable target for Ukrainian missile crews and drone operators. We don’t know exactly how of its best Neptune anti-ship missiles the Ukrainian navy has left or whether Kyiv’s TB-2 drones are hunting for the Russian frigate or her Black Sea sisters.
In any event, it’s apparent Russian fleet commanders appreciate the danger. There’s evidence Admiral Makarov’s skipper has been taking pains to keep her away from the Ukrainian coast.
Distance could help to protect Admiral Makarov. But that same distance precludes the frigate from actually doing her job, protecting the Black Sea Fleet’s other vessels from air- and missile-attack.
Commissioned in 2017, Admiral Makarov is the third, last and most modern vessel in her class. All three of the Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates belong to the Black Sea Fleet. Armed with 24 Buk medium-range surface-to-air missiles and eight Kalibr cruise missiles, all in vertical cells, the frigates can escort other vessels and also attack targets on land.
Admiral Makarov and her sisters are not big ships. Displacing just 4,000 tons of water and accommodating 200 crew, they’re less than half the size of the U.S. Navy’s main surface combatants, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
But the frigates are about as big as Russia can make a non-nuclear surface combatant these days, for reasons that—ironically—have everything to do with the current war. Throughout the Soviet era and for years after the USSR’s collapse, Russia acquired its big marine engines from Ukraine.
After Russia in 2014 invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula—including the port of Sevastopol where Admiral Makarov now is based—Kyiv barred certain exports to Russia, including the marine engines Russia requires for any fast, conventional vessel displacing more than 5,000 tons or so.
Which is to say, after 2014 the Russian navy struggled to build big warships. That made it impossible to replace, like for like, the biggest Soviet-vintage ships such as Moskva, which displaced 12,000 tons.
Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. She was old and hadn’t gotten a lot of major updates through her long service beginning in 1983. But she was stacked with missiles: 16 Vulkan anti-ship missiles, 64 S-300 long-range surface-to-air missiles and 40 Osa missiles for short-range air-defense.
All those missiles couldn’t save Moskva when a Ukrainian battery on land, perhaps near the strategic port of Odessa, put two Neptune missiles in her port side. She burned, then sank while under tow, taking with her potentially scores of her 500 sailors.
Moskva’s sinking, along with the earlier destruction of the Black Sea Fleet landing ship Saratov following an apparent hit by a Ukrainian ballistic missile, spooked fleet commanders. They pulled back the surviving surface ships.
Many, including one Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate—it’s not clear which—were moored in Sevastopol as recently as Thursday. When the warships do sail from Crimea, they tend to stay 100 miles or so from the Ukrainian coast, potentially keeping them beyond the range of Kyiv’s Neptunes.
Keeping at a safe distance meant the frigates apparently were in no position to help when the Ukrainian navy last week mounted a furious drone assault on the Russian garrison on Snake Island. The tiny hunk of rock, 25 miles off the coast of southwestern Ukraine, helped Kyiv assert some control over the western Black Sea—until the Russians captured it on the first full day of the current war on Feb. 24.
Ukrainian TB-2 drones knocked out Russian air-defenses on the island then went hunting deeper at sea. On Monday, a TB-2 struck two Russian Raptor-class patrol boats with laser-guided missiles, heavily damaging if not destroying both of the 55-foot boats as they motored toward Snake Island.
Without the protection of a frigate, the Raptors were sitting ducks. In that sense, sinking Moskva—and scaring off the rest of the Black Sea Fleet’s major combatants—was as good as sinking the frigates, too. It doesn’t matter that Russia still has three powerful warships in the Black Sea if those ships can’t, or won’t, risk approaching the Ukrainian coast.
Still, the Ukrainians undoubtedly would love to get a shot at Admiral Makarov and her sisters. On Thursday there were rumors they’d landed a blow with a Neptune and the frigate was on fire. There was no immediate evidence to back up the rumors.
Admiral Makarov apparently still sails. But not in harm’s way.
by Suliso Maps with the current situation on the major fronts from a guy I follow on TW (has good reputation of accuracy)
First map is of Kharkiv area (NE) where Ukrainians are currently on a counterattack
The second is of Donbas theatre where Russians are concentrating their heaviest attack
Relatively quiet on the Southern front
Also not so much in Odesa direction. Likely neither country has enough army in the area to break through right now.
Overall tactical assessment is that Russia will need to move extra units to Kharkiv front to prevent Ukrainians threatening supply lines to Donbas.
by Deuce There has been some discussion here and elsewhere about Putin's health, with rumours claiming that he's quite ill.
You can add this to the speculation...
But just because a Russian oligarch was recorded saying it does not necessarily mean that it's true, of course - the recording could well be an arranged, deliberate lie...
by Deuce This is a ban of a Russian that I can agree with.
Though the kid has perhaps believed the Russian propaganda (another word for BS), and is ignorant of the reality of the invasion, this still can't go unpunished.
I hope someone educates him about the reality of the situation.
by ponchi101 But dictators are dictators. Erdogan, another humongous POS in world politics, will demand conditions for Sweden and Finland to join NATO. Most likely, extradition of people he sees as terrorists (nothing more than Kurdish freedom fighters) from those countries.
Of course, Turkey was a democracy in the past, but I wonder if it is time for NATO to make that clear. In order to join, you have to be one. It would mean the expulsion of Turkey from the alliance (and they hold the key to the Black Sea, straddling the Bosporus) but one has to wonder who offers more advantaged to the alliance.
This can mean a barrel at $140, and world inflation around the world approaching 10%. Coupled with the energy companies refusing flatly to find other, local sources, this will be the moment that, if renewable and alternative energy sources can't make it ECONOMICALLY, they never will.
From my side: the exploration industry is dead, and I mean really dead. There is not one single exploration project in S. America. Which is not able to sustain itself.
This can mean a barrel at $140, and world inflation around the world approaching 10%. Coupled with the energy companies refusing flatly to find other, local sources, this will be the moment that, if renewable and alternative energy sources can't make it ECONOMICALLY, they never will.
From my side: the exploration industry is dead, and I mean really dead. There is not one single exploration project in S. America. Which is not able to sustain itself.
by Deuce It's interesting - and somewhat alarming - that this topic isn't getting attention anymore, with barely any posts...
The invasion is still ongoing - today is actually day 100... but it's not the top story in the news anymore (thanks to the gun-happy USA).
Like COVID-19 - which is still very much alive, by the way -, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is being pushed aside as people pretend both things are finished.
The dwindling attention given to these two subjects was predictable... but it's still disturbing that people can ignore important things so easily...
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 The problem for the EU and the nearby states is how to ensure that once this man leaves power, either soon and due to the war, or later, due to natural causes, Russia can become a stable state that can live along with its borders.
by Suliso I'm puzzled why Western media still insist Putin is a master strategist and has a great plan how to win. Facts on the ground don't seem corroborate...
by ponchi101
Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Jun 05, 2022 6:31 am
I'm puzzled why Western media still insist Putin is a master strategist and has a great plan how to win. Facts on the ground don't seem corroborate...
Because of everything he has gotten away with in the past:
Invasion of Crimea? Went his way.
Killing political enemies ABROAD? Nothing has happened to him, and has paid no consequences.
Olympic cheating? Russia remains in competition, and the silly punishment of not playing their anthem and competing under a different name is ridiculous, and Putin laughs at it.
Bought a F1 grand prix, and it was doing well.
Got to stage his FIFA World Cup.
Tampered with the US election, got his choice to win, and nothing has been done to him.
This invasion is the actual exception to his pattern. He has been very successful in doing all the criminal things he has felt like, with no consequences and clear victories. So now, it is hard to change the tune and see that here, he is failing.
I think he did not expect this resolve from the West (who did?). That was his mis-calculation. And, although it is clear that this has gone completely off plan, I am reading that Russia now controls 20% of Ukrainian soil. He will bankrupt Russia and leave Ukraine in a terrible condition, but may win. The most pyrrhic, worthless victory in history, but a win.
Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Jun 05, 2022 6:31 am
I'm puzzled why Western media still insist Putin is a master strategist and has a great plan how to win. Facts on the ground don't seem corroborate...
Because of everything he has gotten away with in the past:
Invasion of Crimea? Went his way.
Killing political enemies ABROAD? Nothing has happened to him, and has paid no consequences.
Olympic cheating? Russia remains in competition, and the silly punishment of not playing their anthem and competing under a different name is ridiculous, and Putin laughs at it.
Bought a F1 grand prix, and it was doing well.
Got to stage his FIFA World Cup.
Tampered with the US election, got his choice to win, and nothing has been done to him.
This invasion is the actual exception to his pattern. He has been very successful in doing all the criminal things he has felt like, with no consequences and clear victories. So now, it is hard to change the tune and see that here, he is failing. I think he did not expect this resolve from the West (who did?). That was his mis-calculation. And, although it is clear that this has gone completely off plan, I am reading that Russia now controls 20% of Ukrainian soil. He will bankrupt Russia and leave Ukraine in a terrible condition, but may win. The most pyrrhic, worthless victory in history, but a win.
I highlighted that part because this is the difference and Western/US intelligence has continued to be a step ahead.
by ponchi101 I am as guilty about that as anybody (not that my pedestrian opinion matters one ant's fart in this world). I said that the only limitation for Russia to annex Kyiv would be the speed of its tanks. I thought that within a week, Kyiv would be called "Putingrad". Needless to say, I was completely wrong, but my error was in believing that the EU and NATO as a whole would do their cowardly lion charade. I truly did not believe that Europe would respond that way.
Plus, of course, Ukrainians have shown tremendous bravery. This may be the stuff movies and books and stories will be told for decades to come.
Suliso wrote: ↑Sat May 07, 2022 6:46 pm
Maps with the current situation on the major fronts from a guy I follow on TW (has good reputation of accuracy)
First map is of Kharkiv area (NE) where Ukrainians are currently on a counterattack
The second is of Donbas theatre where Russians are concentrating their heaviest attack
Relatively quiet on the Southern front
Also not so much in Odesa direction. Likely neither country has enough army in the area to break through right now.
Overall tactical assessment is that Russia will need to move extra units to Kharkiv front to prevent Ukrainians threatening supply lines to Donbas.
Suliso,
Do you have any current maps?
by Suliso The guy I'm following on TW for this is not doing it as regularly as he used to, but here is the latest (dated June 11th)
In general Russians are slowly moving forward in Severodonetsk area. Limited Ukrainian counterattack in Kherson area. Otherwise nothing much happens other than attritional warfare with artillery. That's including the situation since there maps were published.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 So, how much longer before the NATO and allies take Russia OUT of SWIFT? Because it is obvious that this war now has crossed any line of "decency".
(And I know it was indecent, uncalled for and immoral from the start, but I just don't have the words).
by Suliso They would have long ago if it wasn't needed to pay for the gas.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 This will be over, eventually. With many lives and places destroyed.
What remains after war are the values of a culture. I hope Ukrainians will be stronger after this atrocity.
by skatingfan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 3:13 am
This will be over, eventually. With many lives and places destroyed.
What remains after war are the values of a culture. I hope Ukrainians will be stronger after this atrocity.
The history of Ukraine is the history of atrocities in Eastern Europe, so I don't know that the current atrocity can strengthen the Ukrainian people. What it has done is strengthen, and unify the country of Ukraine, and that will have a long lasting impact on the situation in that region, and in particular, it will impact the sphere of influence of Russia for decades to come.
by Suliso There has been a major breach of Russian defensive lines in Kharkov area. Rumors of advances as deep as 40 km. Hundreds of war prisoners taken. All that in addition to the ongoing assault in Kherson area. Whoever is directing this in the Ukrainian high command is really good. I'd post some maps, but right now they can't keep up with events on the ground.
by Suliso One could maybe post a map of Kherson area. Also a bit outdated, but things proceed slowly here. Russians moved some of their best troops to defend the city. However, one doesn't need to have any military training to assess that any troops on the northern bank of the wide Dnipro river are in deep trouble. All bridges are destroyed and Ukraine has a full fire control of any temporary crossings (via long range rocket artillery) thus severely hampering supplies.
by ponchi101 Russia is already threatening Europe with cutting down gas supplies, prior to winter. Now is when we will see how committed to the defense of Ukraine Europe is. Last week's protests in Prague were about suspending the sanctions on Russia, because it was costing the Czecks too much.
I read they were clearly orchestrated, but still.
But your post is "good news". In quotes because nothing out of this war will be good news until it is over.
by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 7:56 pm
Russia is already threatening Europe with cutting down gas supplies, prior to winter. Now is when we will see how committed to the defense of Ukraine Europe is. Last week's protests in Prague were about suspending the sanctions on Russia, because it was costing the Czecks too much.
I read they were clearly orchestrated, but still.
But your post is "good news". In quotes because nothing out of this war will be good news until it is over.
Not sure about that either, but remember that as far as weapons are concerned it's 70-80% USA. They won't stop sending them no matter what.
I think Ukraine has a good shot now. Of course strictly 1:1 Russia is a stronger country, but this is a proxy war due to massive Western military help. Winners of long conflicts are usually determined by the following factors - available manpower, size of economy, technological sophistication, morale, commitment of leadership and location of the conflict. Russia has an advantage in manpower and possibly in long term commitment (vs West not vs Ukraine). All other indicators are heavily in Ukrainian favor. NATO and USA could easily outspend Russia and not even notice (GDP ratio ca 22:1).
by Suliso Also I'm continuously amazed how weak the Russian army has turned out to be and how little they can do against modern Western equipment. Not just equipment junk, but also training atrocious.
by ponchi101 I have a friend that was stationed in Russia. USA State Department. She always wondered what were the USA afraid of (other than nukes).
And when I was in Uzbekistan/Kirghizstan, I always felt that Russian manufacturing was shoddy, at best.
by Suliso
This is the Ukrainian breakthrough in Kharkiv front. Kupiansk is the next major short term goal, the one already accomplished is Balaklia.
by Suliso
Probably something none of you here have thought about. Most of the men from those puppet republics (Luhansk and Donetsk) will be killed in action. They have no value for the Russian leadership.
by Suliso
by Suliso I'm following twitter right now on this (by far the most up to date source) and I almost can't believe it. It's like a total collapse in that sector. Russian soldiers fleeing, no defensive line, Ukrainians advancing at highway speeds...
by Suliso Some crazy news like that (semi reliable source)
by ponchi101 What a total disaster for the Russians (Putin).
If they do retreat, can he survive politically? I doubt it.
by Suliso Probably too optimistic, but then agai maybe not given the collapse of an entire front sector and Russians fleeing leaving all heavy equipment behind.
by Suliso Maybe of interest here. One could argue with conclusions, but he's spot on about history. Me and my parents lived through it. We were in a supply category 2 (unoficcially of course). Not as good as in Moscow, but far better than places like Tver. In Moscow one could even buy bananas...
by ponchi101 Soviet humor was always based on reality. It was good.
by Suliso The first map is definitely correct, the second is so current that errors and over optimism might have creeped in. Note that they don't show the exact same area. The second map is of an area directly to the south of Kupiansk (seen in both maps). That's where the most recent (last 2 days) fighting is happening and Russians are in danger again.
by ti-amie Thanks for this Suliso.
by Owendonovan Someone's gonna take Putin out if the truth starts spreading through Russia.
by ponchi101 IF the truth comes out. But that is a big if. He knows how to control the media.
The only way that happens is if soldiers come back and start talking.
by ti-amie Ironically there is a man named Robert Eringer who shows up every now and then on a gossip podcast I listen to and he was talking openly about the possibility of exactly what Owen said.
He's a very interesting man. If you get a chance Google him.
by ponchi101 Let's hope. This assassin has to go.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 I read the transcript and it is basically calling for the annihilation of Ukraine. As the tweet above points out, it calls for the destruction of all critical infrastructure. Something which, of course, Russia can do from within its borders.
But of course, the Chinese met with the Russians today and said they "understand" Russia. Sort of planting the seed for their invasion of Taiwan.
by Suliso I don't think they can. Other than nuclear weapons of course.
by ponchi101
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 1:27 pm
I don't think they can. Other than nuclear weapons of course.
You are more informed about this than I. They don't have the ballistic capacity to hit Kyiv or other cities? Or missiles that can travel a few hundred miles, properly guided?
I truly don't know. Of course, the nuclear option would be a madman's scenario, which at this stage I would not rule out.
Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 1:27 pm
I don't think they can. Other than nuclear weapons of course.
You are more informed about this than I. They don't have the ballistic capacity to hit Kyiv or other cities? Or missiles that can travel a few hundred miles, properly guided?
I truly don't know. Of course, the nuclear option would be a madman's scenario, which at this stage I would not rule out.
Apparently not, or at least not very good ones. Plus Ukrainians shoot down 60-70%. Haven't managed to establish any air superiority either.
by ti-amie The reports of mass grave(s) being found in newly liberated areas where some were tortured are distressing.
by ponchi101 Will these findings be treated as War Crimes? How do you bring the Generals and Putin to face justice?
by skatingfan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 8:23 pm
Will these findings be treated as War Crimes? How do you bring the Generals and Putin to face justice?
Not easily, but the International Criminal Court has triad these types of crimes in absentia before. Assuming that there was convictions it would, in the very least, mean that the convicted would never be able to leave Russia again without risking arrest.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 What does he think he is gaining with all this? I know the cliche that power corrupts, but it seems it also induces lunacy.
I used to say he was very smart. Evil, but smart. This is proving me so wrong; he is sinking an entire nation.
by Suliso Anouncing mobilization is easy. Feeding, arming and training them is not. We'll see...
by MJ2004 They officially said 300,000, but there are reports they are mobilizing up to one million. Staggering.
Of course, what suliso said.
by ponchi101 And with winter approaching, and Russia having secured Oil and Gas purchases from China, let's see how committed Europe will be once the cold starts.
by skatingfan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:30 pm
And with winter approaching, and Russia having secured Oil and Gas purchases from China, let's see how committed Europe will be once the cold starts.
Is Russia about to make the same mistake that the Germans made in WWII, and Napoleon before them, and fight a war in that part of the world in winter?
by ponchi101 I don't know. My point is that, with winter coming, and Europe still very dependent on Russian O&G, we will have to see if the EU will still deliver arms and supplies to Ukraine.
Germany can't build enough coal-powered plants in such short notice.
by ti-amie Didn't Germany nationalize two Rosneft(sp) facilities?
by Suliso They did, but that won't magic an oil in them...
by ti-amie
I hesitate to post any of these because I don't know if they're deep fakes or real.
I hesitate to post any of these because I don't know if they're deep fakes or real.
After a few days, it is clear these are not fake news. The exodus of Russians to bordering countries is a human tidal wave.
How will this affect the economy? Will there be any workers left in Russia, even for basic industries?
by ti-amie I agree Ponchi. It's so hard to tell what is real or propaganda without waiting for a few days.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 How much longer before it can be said outloud: Russia declared a war on Europe. Ukraine was just the entry point.
by ti-amieUkraine live briefing: Ukraine claims control of Lyman after Russians withdraw
By Isabelle Khurshudyan, Ellen Francis, Erin Cunningham, Andrea Salcedo and Robyn Dixon
Updated October 1, 2022 at 3:47 p.m. EDT|Published September 30, 2022 at 11:14 p.m. EDT
The Russian Defense Ministry says its troops withdrew from the eastern Ukrainian city of Lyman “due to the threat of encirclement” — a day after the Kremlin illegally annexed that region. Ukraine’s military suggested it had full control of the city after it announced that Russian troops had been killed or captured.
Ukrainian forces surrounded thousands of Russian troops in the Donetsk region’s city after moving on the transport hub overnight, after the Kremlin hosted an elaborate ceremony and pop concert celebrating its annexation of Ukrainian territory. Russia’s land seizure has drawn a forceful rebuke from Western countries and the United Nations.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Battle for Lyman
Ukrainian troops recaptured villages near Lyman and encircled the city, Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces, told The Washington Post on Saturday. The city sits on the edge of the eastern Donetsk region, one of the four territories now claimed by Russia and where separatists have held territory since 2014.
In a tweet, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said “almost all” of Russian troops in Lyman had been killed or captured, suggesting that the city was under its control. A video recorded in the city shows Ukrainian troops throwing Russian flags from atop a government building, a ceremonial end to Kremlin-backed control of the area.
Ukrainian forces appeared to wave the country’s blue and yellow flag at a sign on the outskirts of Lyman in a video shared by the head of the Ukrainian’s president’s office. The Washington Post could not immediately verify that footage’s location.
by ponchi101 We may be witnessing the "Rise of the thinking soldier". Soldiers that will not fight stupid wars.
I hope.
(Yes, and I know all wars are stupid, but in this case, the Ukrainian soldiers are not fighting the stupid side. They are being heroic).
by Suliso
by Suliso Lyman has definitely been liberated. Let's see now how much further Ukrainians could advance. I'd expect a major push towards Kremenna and Svatove.
by ponchi101 So, it seems clear that Russia can't win this war, ON THE GROUND. Their soldiers do not want to fight, their wart technology is no good, and they can't win from the air.
Plus, the country's economy will be ruined.
What is Putin's end game? I say by now, he is himself in jeopardy. he can't remain ruler of Russia, and escalating this war to the point of large bombings turns Russia into a pariah state for decades. But he is cornered.
Can the West offer him a way out?
by Suliso What really is "killing" Russians in this war is the unbelievably high corruption in their army. I was just reading that 1.5 million winter uniforms which were supposed to be in storage only exist on paper... Hardly the only such case.
by Owendonovan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 02, 2022 3:11 pm
So, it seems clear that Russia can't win this war, ON THE GROUND. Their soldiers do not want to fight, their wart technology is no good, and they can't win from the air.
Plus, the country's economy will be ruined.
What is Putin's end game? I say by now, he is himself in jeopardy. he can't remain ruler of Russia, and escalating this war to the point of large bombings turns Russia into a pariah state for decades. But he is cornered.
Can the West offer him a way out?
Are the people who took care of Nicolae Ceaușescu and his lovely wife, Elena, still around? They might have an out for him.
by ponchi101 I agree that would be swell, but I just don't know if they are available.
by Suliso About 10 years ago unoficial estimate was that 60% of Russian defence budget was stolen outright. I doubt it has improved much.
by ti-amie
Alexander S. Vindman follows this account so I guess this is a legit source.
by ponchi101
Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Oct 02, 2022 7:04 pm
About 10 years ago unoficial estimate was that 60% of Russian defence budget was stolen outright. I doubt it has improved much.
So the circularity is this: Putin ´promotes a kleptocracy where he is the leader of all the stealing, and when he goes to war, he finds out his cronies have stolen all the money to have a proper army to go to war.
It actually has a very nice symmetry to it.
by Suliso Exactly. And the things it's not only generals who steal. It goes all the way down to a lowly lieutenant and anyone at all connected to logistics. One only needs to steal appropriately for one's rank.
by Suliso
by Suliso The map above seems to be outdated already. I'd say Russian forces west of the river are doomed.
by ponchi101 Reports of thousands of Russian troops surrendering and accepting Ukraine's conditions are also easy to find on the web.
Putting aside the issues about war and everything else: this is embarrassing for Russia.
Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Oct 02, 2022 7:04 pm
About 10 years ago unoficial estimate was that 60% of Russian defence budget was stolen outright. I doubt it has improved much.
So the circularity is this: Putin ´promotes a kleptocracy where he is the leader of all the stealing, and when he goes to war, he finds out his cronies have stolen all the money to have a proper army to go to war.
It actually has a very nice symmetry to it.
It does, it always has, and it will happen again.
by Suliso Ukrainians have managed to blow up a bridge connecting Crimea to Russia.
by ponchi101 The cost of this war, in terms of infrastructure, will be huge for Ukraine.
Can the world force Russia for reparations? As it seems they will certainly lose.
by Suliso With all the latest events I'd have to start assuming that Ukrainian special forces and intelligence services are in fact superior to Russian equivalents. Both have the same KGB roots, but Ukrainians have evolved...
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Well, Saudi Arabia is a firm supporter of human rights (especially women) and almost has an identical ideology to the USA, so, of course, the alliance for the past 70 years has been based on mutual moral grounds.
Wait...
(Oh, but that sweet, almost sulphur free, shallow black stuff, so easy to find and pump...)
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Treason? Or would that be too much?
by Owendonovan I'm so sick of that narcissist musk.
by skatingfan
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 7:22 pm
Treason? Or would that be too much?
by ponchi101 I thanked you, Skating, although that is one sad article.
Nobody can forget that Putin IS a product of the USSR. And I have said it here: his sole dream is to revive that entity. Ukraine was needed as a pad to later on "capture" the rest of Eastern Europe.
by Suliso I'd say the deeper reason for this war is that Russia (not just Putin!) has never accepted that Ukraine (and Belarus) is a real country and a real nation. In their minds they are merely rebelious Russians speaking a weirdo dialect.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 What can Ukraine/NATO/The West do if Russia uses a small nuke? What would be the appropriate response?
by ti-amie
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 8:07 pm
What can Ukraine/NATO/The West do if Russia uses a small nuke? What would be the appropriate response?
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
What an unfortunate Twitter handle for someone involved in a serious discussion.
I went looking for this post. It was made on October 23. I don't see any deleted Tweets from his account. I didn't want to delete the Tweet because one of us responded to it.
by ponchi101 Problem is: if we make the "process" of war cheaper, will that lead to more of it? Will we have young kids, trained after an entire generation of video games, waging war from the comfort of home? No longer just a video game, but real time fed battlefield encounters?
And I do have witnesses that I said this would happen, at least 15 years ago. The combination of video abilities and distance (nothing braver than a man out of range) will make it easier to press a button and blow somebody else up.
by Owendonovan Some hacker is going to figure out how to hijack these drones.
by ponchi101 But that only makes it more warfare; you will have the actual war, things shooting and blowing up other things, and the hackers vs the hackers.
by Deuce
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 2:14 pm
Problem is: if we make the "process" of war cheaper, will that lead to more of it?
^ Yes.
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 2:14 pm
Will we have young kids, trained after an entire generation of video games, waging war from the comfort of home?
^ Yes.
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 2:14 pm
No longer just a video game, but real time fed battlefield encounters?
^ Yes.
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 2:14 pm
And I do have witnesses that I said this would happen, at least 15 years ago.
^ I said the same thing.
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 2:14 pm
The combination of video abilities and distance (nothing braver than a man out of range) will make it easier to press a button and blow somebody else up.
^ Yes.
Sigh...
by Suliso Russians are finally abandoning the right bank of Dniepr river including Kherson city. Their military position has been nearly hopeless there for 3-4 months.
by ponchi101 Of course, I was one of the people that thought that by now, Russia would be in Warsaw, negotiating the terms of the annexation. How completely wrong.
But apart from that, this has got to be the most disastrous invasion in all of history. I was also reading that Russia has lost almost half of all its aircrafts, and simply does not have the capacity to replace them as fast as needed (I gather they will be replaced, eventually). An elite squadron was virtually wiped out. Information like this keeps coming in.
I don't know if this news is just biased as they are reported by Western Press, but it seems that Russia simply has an army that was nothing more than a paper tiger.
Which is good, of course, but unexpected. At least to me.
by Suliso A paper tiger, poorly trained and heavily dependent on Western imports too.
In retrospect if Russia were to win they had to do in the first 1-2 months. In a prolonged conflict with the global West they'll be outspent easily. More and more advanced weapons are likely to flow in and Russia can't match the technology. Only things still going for them is quantity of artillery and greater human resources.
by Suliso Also knowing what we know now I wonder which is the real 2nd strongest army in the world (any nuclear weapons aside).
by ponchi101 Why would you doubt China? They have the manpower, the ease to replace them (and the immorality to abuse them), and certainly their technological capabilities must be better than the Russian's.
by Suliso We haven't seen them in action, have we? Clearly they must be better than Russia, but are they actually better than say Japan or France on a neutral ground? It's not that obvious...
China would be vulnerable to a naval blockade and their electronics are still a decade behind the Western alliance. Difference is that they seem to be catching up instead of regressing like Russia did.
by ponchi101 We also haven't seen the French or the Japanese in action in a long time (which is good)
Blockading China through a navy would be tough. That is a very long coast.
by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 8:54 pm
We also haven't seen the French or the Japanese in action in a long time (which is good)
Yes, but we have seen Western military equipment in action often enough. Japanese indeed not, so it's a pure guess.
by Deuce When Russia says they're retreating from somewhere, I'd take it with a big grain of salt. They also said for a long time that "No, no - we're not going to invade Ukraine. Of course not."
Among about a million other lies...
by Suliso Yes, but not this time. Kherson salient will be no more in as little as 48 h.
by Suliso It happened even faster. Ukrainian army already in downtown Kherson and I suspect there are no more Russians left on the right bank of Dniepr. Big victory for Ukraine. Kherson was the most important city conquered by Russians in 2022.
by ti-amie There are so many videos posted on Twitter of the celebrations.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 Holy
But yes, please don't escalate. Even though this has to be answered.
Russia will deny, of course.
by ti-amie
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 8:04 pm
Holy
But yes, please don't escalate. Even though this has to be answered.
Russia will deny, of course.
by skatingfan
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 If I were that gentleman (and I am assuming he is Russian, in Russia), I would not go above a first floor ever again.
by Deuce Uhh... Did everyone miss the news that the authorities are now saying that the missile that landed in Poland was fired from the Ukraine in an attempt to destroy the Russian missiles that were being fired at them?
So it seems like it was simply an accident.
The knee-jerk reaction is to blame Russia for the Poland thing and think that the Russians are trying to start World War 3 - because that's sensational, and Russia is obviously the villain in this...
But there should never be anything more important than the truth in any circumstance.
by ti-amie Let's show some pity for the arms merchants who lost out on their chance to start WWIII.
/s
by ponchi101 But.
Notice how the cooler heads prevailed, and things were properly investigated.
And then reported.
by ti-amie
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 17, 2022 3:05 am
But.
Notice how the cooler heads prevailed, and things were properly investigated.
And then reported.
I did. The system does work if it's allowed to.
by ti-amie
by ti-amie
by mick1303 We are hit with severe cold. At night there will be negative 12 centigrade. It is around 10 F. It would've been ok, if only we didn't have electricity rationing. And my propane boiler has electric circuitry and electric circular pump. Once there is no light, there is no heat. Now they give us 2 hours of electricity and then 4 hours without.Today during those 4 hours the temperature inside dropped to 12 C. Then during the next 2 hours, when I had light, it went up to 18 C again (I have small apartment). But it was when there was -4 C outside.
I recently purchased "charging station" from AliExpress and it helps quite a bit. The capacity is not high - like 4 regular powerbanks. But it has an inverter to AC, and I can feed the circuitry of a boiler and at least have hot water during blackout. If I also turn on the heating, this device will discharge itself in 1 hour, and then I will have to charge it for 5 hours (which I will not have). But if I turn it on for 15-20 minutes before expected time when the power returns, then my "warm time" will be extended for this small time (simultaneously subtracting from "cold time"). And during 2 hours when I have power, I will charge it completely again. Not solving a problem completely, but helping.
by Deuce
mick1303 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 04, 2022 6:59 pm
We are hit with severe cold. At night there will be negative 12 centigrade. It is around 10 F. It would've been ok, if only we didn't have electricity rationing. And my propane boiler has electric circuitry and electric circular pump. Once there is no light, there is no heat. Now they give us 2 hours of electricity and then 4 hours without.Today during those 4 hours the temperature inside dropped to 12 C. Then during the next 2 hours, when I had light, it went up to 18 C again (I have small apartment). But it was when there was -4 C outside.
I recently purchased "charging station" from AliExpress and it helps quite a bit. The capacity is not high - like 4 regular powerbanks. But it has an inverter to AC, and I can feed the circuitry of a boiler and at least have hot water during blackout. If I also turn on the heating, this device will discharge itself in 1 hour, and then I will have to charge it for 5 hours (which I will not have). But if I turn it on for 15-20 minutes before expected time when the power returns, then my "warm time" will be extended for this small time (simultaneously subtracting from "cold time"). And during 2 hours when I have power, I will charge it completely again. Not solving a problem completely, but helping.
^ This is an incredible and obviously undeserved cruel punishment.
Will it get much colder than it is now there this winter, Mick?
Are households allowed to have a generator?
by mick1303 There is plenty of generators working in the local shops and stores. They can keep it just outside. But for an apartment one has to have open balcony or smth like that. Otherwise where does the exhaust go? Also the prices for generators are naturally skyrocketed.
by ti-amie
Konrad Muzyka - Rochan Consulting @konrad_muzyka
To explain these actions as just fixing attempts to tie up Ukrainian forces near the border with Belarus. This could have been achieved at a much smaller cost. We do not know what the future holds, but one cannot exclude an attack on Ukraine from Belarus, or
Konrad Muzyka - Rochan Consulting @konrad_muzyka
a significant Belarusian military involvement in the war. I'd say there is roughly even chance this will happen over the next few months.
by mick1303 Regarding the weather. The lowest I can remember here is -28 (I was 20 years old then). Usually the lowest during the winter is -15 to -18. But there are other factors. Today was windy for example and it "feels like" much-much colder. Also the problem with a winter here that it is long. March is still a winter. Interestingly that in Pittsburgh, PA, which is a whole 10 degrees of latitude to the south from Kharkiv (and Mirgorod) I once experienced -35 (-31 F).
A week ago we had a blackout for 30 hours after another missile attack. That was of course a bit worrisome. But the people who are responsible for infrastructure are doing a heroic job of restoring it.
by ponchi101 I hope you will be able to do well, Mick. It sounds like you are having a very tough time. Keep us posted.
by ti-amie Johan Roux
@RouxJ@mstdn.social
The head of the #EuropeanCommission, #UrsulavonderLeyen, announced that the ninth package of #sanctions against #Russia is ready.
Another 200 Russian citizens and companies will be blacklisted.
Restrictions will be introduced against three Russian banks.
Russia will restrict access to drones.
New export restrictions on dual-use goods, military electronics and technology, and sanctions against the mining sector.
Prohibition on broadcasting of four Russian TV channels.
by ponchi101 Ok, Vennieland I can belief. They could come with lots and lots of money, under the protection of a truly corrupt Govt.
But Argie? They are not that far down the line of troubled countries and are still a democracy, albeit a faulty one. Any Russian getting there will have to deal with a free press.
And...
I will believe that Putin is planning on leaving Russia when he lands in another country. Say whatever you want of him: he is Russian to the core. He is not going anywhere.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 There was never a point about this war, other than the plain aggression and Russia's desire to steal land from Ukraine but, by now, what is the point? Why keep this going on? Russia has been proven unable to beat Ukraine, so why insist?
It is truly sick
by ti-amie
I hope that this footage is real. I always hesitate to post things like this here because anything can be faked.
by ponchi101 He just keeps poking at NATO.
If real, this is close to a last straw. And NATO has to really get together and wonder what to do with this lunatic.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 But which country can stand 5 years of war? Ukraine's economy will collapse too.
by ti-amie
by ponchi101 GLSDB's. What are these things now? You can blow up a tank from 150 Kms away (that's 92 miles) with something launched from a platform?
I had to look them up:
Design and features of GLSDB
The GLSDB offers high-lethality, increased range and high-manoeuvrability. It has the ability to defeat soft and hard skin threats, targets behind the launcher, as well as hard-to-reach targets.
The GLSDB has a length of 154in, diameter of 9.5in and weighs approximately 600lb. It has terrain avoidance, cave breaching and reverse slope engagement capabilities.
The bomb can be launched from hidden or protected rocket-launching sites to avoid detection by the enemy forces, engage targets in 360° and is accurate to strike targets within 1m.
The 285lb small diameter bomb is 71in-long, 7.75in-high and 7.5in-wide, and has a wing span of 63.3in when open and 7.5in when packed. It is fitted with two foldable wings and four tail fins.
End quote.
1m accuracy. That's insane.
Pity the Russian army (actually, don't, but you get my point).
by Deuce Here's a rare nice 'feel good' story...
This pee-wee hockey tournament is known world-wide. It is played in a very large professional arena whose seating capacity is 18,000.
Many of these kids' fathers are currently fighting in Ukraine - defending their country against the Russian invasion. The father of one of the kids on the team was killed while defending recently.
From a different article: "We had to get signatures from both parents for each kid. Some fathers signed consent forms from the battlefield that were sent via courrier."
by Deuce A tremendous atmosphere in the packed arena as the Ukrainian kids (they are only 11-12 years old) played their first game in the storied Quebec City International Pee-Wee hockey tournament...
Before the start of the game, the Ukrainian kids and Boston kids stood together in a circle, arm in arm, for the Ukrainian and U.S. national anthems...
The Quebec crowd - 18,000 of them, which is the same as in several NHL (pro) arenas - treated the Ukrainian team as the home team, getting excited at every scoring chance, and erupting in unison at every Ukrainian goal scored.
The Ukrainian kids dominated the game over their Boston opposition, and the score was only close because of the great work of the Boston goalie.
In the end, the Ukrainian kids won 3-1, as they rode the searing energy of the crowd to score 3 straight goals in the 3rd period after going behind 1-0.
For these Ukrainian kids, playing in this huge professional sized arena, in front of a huge crowd that cheered their every move and made them feel at home, this was a unique experience. They normally play only in small arenas in front of only their parents. They have been displaced from the Ukraine into various European countries because of the Russian invasion, often leaving at least one parent behind - sometimes both - as their fathers are fighting in the invasion. The kids are in Quebec City without their parents.
It's great to have them at this tournament, and the atmosphere in the building today could not have been more wonderful. The Quebec crowd loves these kids - and it's truly heartwarming to see.
The crowd welcoming the Ukrainian kids at the start of the game...
--------------
The Ukrainian kids and Boston kids circling the ice together, thanking the crowd, after the game - 2 Ukrainian kids leading the way carrying the Ukrainian flag...
by Deuce And the team uniform for the Ukrainian kids has a big map of Ukraine on the front of it.
That's making a statement - 'This is OUR country!'
Damned right it is
by Deuce If any of you are wondering what our friend and fellow poster Mick has been experiencing since the Russian invasion, this gives you a glimpse...
by Deuce Today is the 1 year anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine.
I won't say 'happy anniversary'.
I will say 'sad anniversary'... and I hope it ends soon.
by ti-amie ManyRoads :coffeecup:
@ManyRoads@mstdn.social
"Russia sustains up to 30,000 casualties in ongoing Battle of Bakhmut
The Russian Wagner Group appears to have sustained the brunt of the losses in the offensive, amid potential frictions over ammunition supply."
ti-amie wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 6:56 pm
I think there's still an open warrant for Henry Kissinger and that that is why he can't leave the US.
Didn't know that.
The list would be long.
I thought that there was a warrant but apparently there isn't. This article goes into what happened to make Kissinger interesting to international law enforcement.
by Suliso Rumors that the commander of Russian Black sea fleet has been killed earlier today in a Ukrainian missile strike on his headquarters in Sevastopol. Headquarters building has been destroyed for sure (video evidence).
by ponchi101 Do you know what technology the Ukrainians are using? Meaning, who gave them a missile that could do that?
by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 10:05 pm
Do you know what technology the Ukrainians are using? Meaning, who gave them a missile that could do that?
Yes, British Storm Shadow (range ca 250 km) and possibly homemade Neptune (similar range). The latter is a repurposed anti ship missile, the same which sunk cruiser Moskva last year.
by Suliso Might be even better. Latest news are that the strike was timed at the exact time of a higher leadership meeting for the entire Southern front. Several admirals and three/four star generals in attendance. If so great work of military intelligence.
Overall I think it was possible due to recent weakening of Russian air defence in Crimea. Remember those special forces raids on S-400 missile complex and oil platforms.
This general has become very prominent because of the war and the outstanding performance of his branch. He's only 37 years old.
by ponchi101 Thanks for that info. And the article, although I wonder how smart it is to have his photo in it.
(I know, the Russians must have him completely profiled, but not need to spread that sort of data around).
by Suliso
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 2:37 pm
Thanks for that info. And the article, although I wonder how smart it is to have his photo in it.
Oh, it's way too late for that. He's very well known already and all over Internet as a meme. They tried to kill him at least once shortly before the war and failed. Now he must be as well protected as anyone in Ukraine.
by mick1303 If you saw pictures of missile strike on Kharkiv on 23rd - that 5-store building which was hit is where my father lives (lived, because now his apartment is no longer usable). He is alive with small superficial wounds from shattered glass. I would say that he is ok, except he is dying from cancer. 10 ppl were killed in this building this Tuesday.
I'm also unharmed, my building is next to his, it lost 3/4 of windows and even some doors were blown outside by the shock-wave. But somehow our windows and doors survived. At least till today. Utilities are disconnected so far (only central heating was restored quickly), so we had to move to my mother-in-law for the time being.
by Fastbackss Thinking of you and your family Mick
by ti-amie
Words fail me.
by ponchi101 I am sure I speak for all here in TAT2.0, when I say that I hope you and your family will be as well as you can all be, and that this will end soon, with everybody you love safe and sound.
Keep us posted.
And what Ti posted.
by texasniteowl I missed this on si when it was posted a week ago, but an update of sorts re: Sergiy Stakhovsky who continues to serve in Ukraine.
@olex_scherbaFollow26 years in 
But for me, saying that we have progressed is obvious. Yes, we have progressed. But as Jazz has said, it's not nearly enough. To me it feels like some this argument is used to mitigate what happens so often to so many people. For me, the analogy is like going to a march for cancer and telling people that treatments have gotten so much better and people live so much longer, both of which are true. But it's not the point. That might not be your point, but it often reads that way. 
Another 200 Russian citizens and companies will be blacklisted.