Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1501220756361035778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7...

Let's hope this at least accelerates the end of Putin, as he has no viable exit path. He will have ruined Russia's economy for years and sacrificed thousands of Russian soldiers for practically nothing. Anyone in Russia with at least a little sense for reality must conclude that there's just no path forward with this guy.

[Splash]

oh ffs

https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1501292668013404163

[It’s so Joever]

The reports of Vasylivka and Polohy getting captured by the Russians appear to be true.
Russian troops have also reached Snihurivka.
The Southern front is collapsing at an alarming rate.

"Alarming rate" = 10 days after the Russians expected the entire country to collapse

The unrealistic Russian expectations at the start don’t change the overall picture.

[President Johnson]

IAEA has some concerns over Chernobyl.

https://twitter.com/iaeaorg/status/1501273358599479299

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/EamonJavers/status/1501230944002670593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7...

If the Chinese were actually surprised by the western response to Russia's invasion, they must not understand 20th Century European history very well.

Every single European country was negatively impacted by WWII (even the USAAC accidentally bombed Switzerland a few times) and no one, not even Victor Orban, wants to allow a similar scenario to 1930s Europe where giving into an aggressor nation's demands, threats, and military actions only emboldens that nation into making ever more demands, threats, and military actions culminating in a continental-wide conflict.

[WMS]

oh ffs

https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1501292668013404163

There’s the wind-up. Let’s see what the Russian pitch will be.

[Storr]

oh ffs

https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1501292668013404163

What are the concealed "traces" of a "military biological program"? Did they find some test tubes, bunsen burners, petri dishes, and a microbiology textbook in someone's basement?

[compucomp]

oh ffs

https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1501292668013404163

Guess who they borrowed that line from, that's right, the Americans! Where did those Iraqi WMD's end up anyway? Those trailers from those grainy satellite photos that were supposed to be bioweapons labs? The supposed Saddam deal to buy uranium from Africa that turned out to be a fabrication?

[Splash]

https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/1501299320590458880

[ugabug]

https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1501220756361035778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7...

Let's hope this at least accelerates the end of Putin, as he has no viable exit path. He will have ruined Russia's economy for years and sacrificed thousands of Russian soldiers for practically nothing. Anyone in Russia with at least a little sense for reality must conclude that there's just no path forward with this guy.

Also for that matter how badly this has ruined not only his prestige and reputation but that of the Russian military as well. From the badass, bare shirt horse riding, genius chess master who was constantly catching the west flat footed to the man who's to scared to be near anyone and who's dumb enough to turn the entire western world against him. Then the Russian military which was suppose to roll over Ukraine in days but is now being stopped by doors and elevators.

[President Johnson]

oh ffs

https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1501292668013404163

Guess who they borrowed that line from, that's right, the Americans! Where did those Iraqi WMD's end up anyway? Those trailers from those grainy satellite photos that were supposed to be bioweapons labs? The supposed Saddam deal to buy uranium from Africa that turned out to be a fabrication?

Without intention to downplay or whitewash Iraq, Putin's war is morally much more bankrupt than Iraq was.

[Logical]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irakli_Okruashvili
A former Georgian minister of defence is in Ukraine with a dozen men and has engaged in combat already.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1501293013879844865

[pppolitics]

Big if true:
https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1501268895939837954?s=20&t=1pWaBeP...

This should be common sense.

Imagine your neighbor's house is on fire.

You should try to help put out the fire before it spreads to your house.

[Splash]

https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/1501299320590458880

lol, Pepsi was waiting to see what Coke did.

https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/1501303123788378116

[Storr]

I see morale in the Russian army is pretty high:

https://twitter.com/dmvsnkrs/status/1501303440751824904?s=20&t=AODHArI6XlzPo...

[pppolitics]

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1501272319192412162
https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1501275597871501320
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1501303176460443648

[President Johnson]

The next one:

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1501299309907611653

[pppolitics]

In a statement, Poland's foreign ministry said: "The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the president and the government, are ready to deploy - immediately and free of charge - all their MIG-29 jets to the Rammstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the government of the United States of America.

"At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities.

"Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes.

"The Polish government also requests other NATO Allies - owners of MIG-29 jets - to act in the same vein."

However, State Department Undersecretary Victoria Nuland said: "To my knowledge, it wasn't pre-consulted with us that they planned to give these planes to us."

Speaking at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she added: "I look forward when this hearing is over to getting back to my desk and seeing how we will respond to this proposal of theirs to give the planes to us."

Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke, former director general of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told Sky News: "The main thing as far as NATO is concerned is to get some aircraft into Ukraine that they can use.

https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-war-poland-offers-all-of-its-mig-29-fighter-jets-to-us-in-plan-to-provide-aircraft-to-ukrainians-12561039?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

[GeorgiaModerate]

oh ffs

https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1501292668013404163

Guess who they borrowed that line from, that's right, the Americans! Where did those Iraqi WMD's end up anyway? Those trailers from those grainy satellite photos that were supposed to be bioweapons labs? The supposed Saddam deal to buy uranium from Africa that turned out to be a fabrication?

You take whataboutism to a new level.

[urutzizu]

China's MFA backs Russia's allegations of US Biological weapons in Ukraine:
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202203/t20220309_10649938.html

Shenzhen TV: Recently, US biological labs in Ukraine have drawn much attention. The US Embassy in Ukraine has reportedly removed information related to such labs in haste. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: Lately US biological labs in Ukraine have indeed attracted much attention. According to reports, a large quantity of dangerous viruses are stored in these facilities. Russia has found during its military operations that the US uses these facilities to conduct bio-military plans.

According to data released by the US, it has 26 labs and other related facilities in Ukraine, over which the US Department of Defense has absolute control. All dangerous pathogens in Ukraine must be stored in these labs and all research activities are led by the US side. Without US approval, no information shall be released to the public.

Under current circumstances, for the sake of the health and safety of people in Ukraine, neighboring regions and beyond, we call on relevant sides to ensure the safety of these labs. The US, in particular, as the party that knows the labs the best, should disclose specific information as soon as possible, including which viruses are stored and what research has been conducted.

I would also like to stress that, the biological military activities of the US in Ukraine are merely the tip of the iceberg. Using such pretexts as cooperating to reduce biological safety risks and strengthening global public health, the US has 336 biological labs in 30 countries under its control. 336, you heard me right. It also conducted many biological military activities in the Fort Detrick base at home.

What is the true intention of the US? What has it done specifically? The international community has long-held doubts. However, the US has kept stonewalling, even dismissing the international community’s doubts as spreading disinformation. Besides, the US has been standing alone in obstructing the establishment of a Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) verification mechanism and refusing verification of its biological facilities at home and abroad for the past two decades. This has led to deeper concern of the international community. Once again we urge the US to give a full account of its biological military activities at home and abroad and subject itself to multilateral verification.

Very amusing considering Borrell's comments that only China not only can, but must be the mediator between Russia and Ukraine "So it has to be China. There is no alternative".

[Frodo]

I genuinely don't know if Ukraine will even exist in a month. The Russians will not accept anything less than their current demands.
 

I am not sure Russia has the manpower to roll over the entire country and deal with the inevitable insurgency. I think their best case scenario at this point is to set up an "East Ukraine" with a puppet leader and commit enough forces to deal with the insurgency there than attempt to take the west. To be honest, I am not even sure that Russia *could* take Western Ukraine at all at this point.

I suspect when people think of the Russian military, some are still envisioning the Red Army that prevented the Wehrmacht from capturing Moscow, destroyed von Paulus' 6th and 4th Panzer armies at Stalingrad, lifted the siege of Leningrad, destroyed the German ability to conduct massive blitzkrieg campaigns upon the conclusion of the battle of Kursk, steadily forced the Wehrmacht to relinquish all the territory it gained from Operation Barbarossa and Fall Blau (and more), and eventually destroyed Hitler's Nazi regime at Berlin.  

It should be clear by now that the Russian army today is the (unworthy) successor to its heroic forebearers from the Great Patriotic War.    

[ugabug]

Seems like they expect the Russians to stall for a bit. Not all that surprising considering the logistical problems the Russians been having.

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-08-22/h_130058ab82420ac3a5b1b22effcce5f7

NATO official says Russia not expected "make any gains in the next few days" in Ukraine
From CNN staff

Despite using all of the forces it had concentrated in and around Ukraine, Russia is still making very little progress, with NATO’s current intelligence assessment suggesting Moscow is unlikely to make much progress in the foreseeable future, a NATO military official told CNN.

"We see very little change,” the official said, citing the alliance’s latest intelligence assessment. “For the first time, we don’t expect them to make any gains in the next few days.”

They are putting in everything they have and are still making very little progress,” the official explained. “No one thought they would face these simple problems. After two weeks, they still haven’t been able to solve their logistics issues.”
The official conceded Russia had been able to make some marginal gains, especially in the South, but said the expectation was Moscow should be moving much faster at this stage.

“With all their armor they should be moving much faster,” the official said.

The official also said the shift in strategy to more direct targeting of key urban centers, which led to heavier bombardment of some cities, also had produced “no big effect.”

[Storr]

Seems like they expect the Russians to stall for a bit. Not all that surprising considering the logistical problems the Russians been having.

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-08-22/h_130058ab82420ac3a5b1b22effcce5f7

NATO official says Russia not expected "make any gains in the next few days" in Ukraine
From CNN staff

Despite using all of the forces it had concentrated in and around Ukraine, Russia is still making very little progress, with NATO’s current intelligence assessment suggesting Moscow is unlikely to make much progress in the foreseeable future, a NATO military official told CNN.

"We see very little change,” the official said, citing the alliance’s latest intelligence assessment. “For the first time, we don’t expect them to make any gains in the next few days.”

They are putting in everything they have and are still making very little progress,” the official explained. “No one thought they would face these simple problems. After two weeks, they still haven’t been able to solve their logistics issues.”
The official conceded Russia had been able to make some marginal gains, especially in the South, but said the expectation was Moscow should be moving much faster at this stage.

“With all their armor they should be moving much faster,” the official said.

The official also said the shift in strategy to more direct targeting of key urban centers, which led to heavier bombardment of some cities, also had produced “no big effect.”

Relatedly:
https://twitter.com/NotWoofers/status/1501311876285833218?s=20&t=1-ZYREUnxyB...

[Storr]

Always a good sign of your economy's health:

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1501311464057057285?s=20&t=K8JUVd6MMvuExskxgy...

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Always a good sign of your economy's health:

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1501311464057057285?s=20&t=K8JUVd6MMvuExskxgy...

Meanwhile, their stock market will be closed an 8th straight business day tomorrow.