Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[John Dule]

Once again Russia has escalated the war they illegally started, and done so by inflicting massive damage on civilians.  But when Ukraine defends himself, a bunch of idiots will say that Ukraine is the warmongering country keeping the war going.  And when Putin once again saber-rattles with nuclear weapons, they'll say it's America and Ukraine's fault for not surrendering (a.k.a. "accepting Putin's peace terms").

Well, when you're going for the high road deploying suicide bombers isn't probably the brightest idea to court public opinion.

The Ukrainians don't need to court public opinion because every thinking person is already on their side.

[Person Man]

morale is very high:

https://twitter.com/PaulJawin/status/1579490936132104192?s=20&t=j1W3ovYrIRle...

n00bs

[Person Man]

Once again Russia has escalated the war they illegally started, and done so by inflicting massive damage on civilians.  But when Ukraine defends himself, a bunch of idiots will say that Ukraine is the warmongering country keeping the war going.  And when Putin once again saber-rattles with nuclear weapons, they'll say it's America and Ukraine's fault for not surrendering (a.k.a. "accepting Putin's peace terms").

Well, when you're going for the high road deploying suicide bombers isn't probably the brightest idea to court public opinion.

Ukraine attacks means of logistical transport,
Woodbury supports attacks on playgrounds.  Time for Woodbury to go.

Let's not ban him. Obviously there are enough people this phucked that they can't be ignored. We do so at our own peril. The world we live in is very sick.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I don't agree with SirWoodbury's takes on this, but I'm giving him sympathy recommends anyway. Y'all can get very mindless about him. That is all.

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

Yall don't have Woodbury on mute? Wildin

[DaleCooper]

Yall don't have Woodbury on mute? Wildin

I know, I have no sympathy for anyone who still engages with all his leading questions. The people that are owning SirWoodbury with facts and logic, or whatever it is they think they're doing, are a million times more obnoxious than SirWoodbury himself could ever hope to be.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Yall don't have Woodbury on mute? Wildin

Of active users I think I have only Hades and bilaps on ignore.

Woodsbury is probably just some stupid kid who thinks that fascism is edgy or something.

[Torie]

India, which has walked a middle path between Russia and Ukraine urging a negotiated end to the war, said it was “deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians.” India’s foreign ministry called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” and offered help to “support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation.”

China called for a de-escalation of the fighting in Ukraine, repeating its position that the sovereignty of all countries should be respected without criticizing Russia for invading its neighbor.


Guys, if you are serious, as opposed to just wasting bandwidth, you know what to do. Cut way back on your oil purchases from Putin to defund the terrorist organization.

This does not compute.  I you read the statements from India and PRC both are saying
a) We are not taking sides in this
b) We want the fighting to stop ASAP

So an active way to action this view would be
a) Stop buying Russian oil which funds the Russian war machine like you suggested
AND
b) Demand the collective West stop military and economic aid to Ukraine which drives the Ukraine war machine

If it were to do one it would have to do the other or else it would not be "We are not taking sides"

It sees both are taking the passive version
a) Asking for peace talks to start without preconditions ASAP
b) Continue doing what is in the best interests for the two powers which is to continue to buy Russian energy on the cheap.  And at the same time continue economic transactions with Ukraine.

Of course it computes. If the twin enablers keep buying Russian oil because the price is right, their yipping about ending the conflict and concern about destroying infrastructure and civilians is just wasting bandwidth, and they are not serious. And the idea of a ceasefire so that Russia can consolidate and digest and try to make something of their ragtag array of conscripts and convicts as a precursor to their next course of predation on Ukraine is nutter. That is just playing into the hands of the war criminal.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Yall don't have Woodbury on mute? Wildin

I know, I have no sympathy for anyone who still engages with all his leading questions. The people that are owning SirWoodbury with facts and logic, or whatever it is they think they're doing, are a million times more obnoxious than SirWoodbury himself could ever hope to be.

This is in general how I feel about discourse in these kinds of threads and it frustrates me to no end that so many hot-button-issue threads get derailed by one or two obnoxious trolls posting provocative, edgy, stupid crap.  It's not the stupid crap itself that derails the thread, it's the six dozen white knights who are all chomping at the bit to be the one who dunks on Fuzzy the hardest, or finally makes OSR see the light, or receives an apology and mea culpa from SirWoodbury, or whatever.  It's just never gonna happen!  But we get pages and pages of people responding to the trolls, which diverts the thread into a rabbit hole of whatever hill the troll chose to die on.

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1579486349824258049?s=20&t=F70e5ZG...

I'd really like to see a current poll. I guess 99% in Ukraine is unfavorable of Russia now, and at least 85% favorable of the US. Mission accomplished, Vlad!

[America Needs R'hllor]

I don't agree with SirWoodbury's takes on this, but I'm giving him sympathy recommends anyway. Y'all can get very mindless about him. That is all.

Chamberlain says what

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I don't agree with SirWoodbury's takes on this, but I'm giving him sympathy recommends anyway. Y'all can get very mindless about him. That is all.

Chamberlain says what

I see you are evoking the rather black-and-white view of Chamberlain vs Churchill that was in vogue in the decades after World War II but fails to do the former man justice. Thanks for enlivening my afternoon. Shalom.

[Alben Barkley]

I don't agree with SirWoodbury's takes on this, but I'm giving him sympathy recommends anyway. Y'all can get very mindless about him. That is all.

He shouldn't even be here. He never fulfilled his pledge to leave the forum for a year when Ossoff/Warnock won.

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/CinC_AFU/status/1579528020049956864?s=20&t=1L5lY1bDPC4cW...

https://twitter.com/CinC_AFU/status/1579528320932524032?s=20&t=1L5lY1bDPC4cW...

[Storr]

The end of a good thread about the a journalist's visit to Lyman: https://twitter.com/calebmlarson/status/1579533141777448962?s=20&t=1L5lY1bDP...

[Storr]

Note to the anti-war lefties:

https://twitter.com/KofmanMichael/status/1579572600967417857?s=20&t=dx0OSQWk...

[ProudModerate2]

The end of a good thread about the a journalist's visit to Lyman: https://twitter.com/calebmlarson/status/1579533141777448962?s=20&t=1L5lY1bDP...

The second image above, regarding his visit back to his abandoned home and the pet cat he left behind ...
It really makes one think, that these are ordinary people like you and me.
Their whole lives turned upside-down because of some crazy f**k in Moscow.
He went from loving his cat and community, to wearing a military uniform to shoot others who are killing and destroying his nation.
Awful.

[ProudModerate2]

Sorry if this was already posted, but I found this YouTube video, which is a WSJ analysis of the the Crimea bridge explosion.

The video highlights a boat or some other floating vehicle on the water, underneath the bridge, when the explosion went off. They say that this "boat" may have been the method used to damage the bridge, and was not the truck driving on the bridge. Thus damage assessment may indicate the explosion occurred from underneath the bridge.

If interested, here is the video ...

[Ashley Biden's Diary]

What exactly prevents Ukraine from launching retaliatory attacks on Russian cities? Are they afraid to do so because of Russia's nukes, do they simply not have the weapons, or do they not have the military infrastructure to utilize such weapons if they were given them?

[OSR stands with Israel]

Yall don't have Woodbury on mute? Wildin

I know, I have no sympathy for anyone who still engages with all his leading questions. The people that are owning SirWoodbury with facts and logic, or whatever it is they think they're doing, are a million times more obnoxious than SirWoodbury himself could ever hope to be.

This is in general how I feel about discourse in these kinds of threads and it frustrates me to no end that so many hot-button-issue threads get derailed by one or two obnoxious trolls posting provocative, edgy, stupid crap.  It's not the stupid crap itself that derails the thread, it's the six dozen white knights who are all chomping at the bit to be the one who dunks on Fuzzy the hardest, or finally makes OSR see the light, or receives an apology and mea culpa from SirWoodbury, or whatever.  It's just never gonna happen!  But we get pages and pages of people responding to the trolls, which diverts the thread into a rabbit hole of whatever hill the troll chose to die on.

I am 100% pro Ukraine so why did you bring me up in this thread

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

What exactly prevents Ukraine from launching retaliatory attacks on Russian cities? Are they afraid to do so because of Russia's nukes, do they simply not have the weapons, or do they not have the military infrastructure to utilize such weapons if they were given them?

The weapons they have are limited, it'd be bad PR and there are more effective uses for these weapons than turning off the lights for a few hours in Kyiv or Moscow.

[Omega21]

What exactly prevents Ukraine from launching retaliatory attacks on Russian cities? Are they afraid to do so because of Russia's nukes, do they simply not have the weapons, or do they not have the military infrastructure to utilize such weapons if they were given them?

The weapons they have are limited, it'd be bad PR and there are more effective uses for these weapons than turning off the lights for a few hours in Kyiv or Moscow.

Plus, it could be used by Putin to rally the population.

Currently, he is still afraid (rightfully) to fully mobilize and wage an official war, as this could wake up the politically demobilized masses, that his regime depends on.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

What exactly prevents Ukraine from launching retaliatory attacks on Russian cities? Are they afraid to do so because of Russia's nukes, do they simply not have the weapons, or do they not have the military infrastructure to utilize such weapons if they were given them?

The weapons they have are limited, it'd be bad PR and there are more effective uses for these weapons than turning off the lights for a few hours in Kyiv or Moscow.

Plus, it could be used by Putin to rally the population.

Currently, he is still afraid (rightfully) to fully mobilize and wage an official war, as this could wake up the politically demobilized masses, that his regime depends on.

This was true earlier, but I doubt it is still a significant part of the Ukranian military's calculations. The "partial mobilisation" is open-ended enough to allow Russia to mobilise any number their logistical/training/equipment situations can handle; the open-ended expansion of Russian territory already allows the deployment of conscripts to the front.

Maybe the anger would improve Russian morale on the frontline and possibly lead to more donations, but the wartime economy arrived months ago and full mobilisation has been declared in all but name.

[Hindsight was 2020]

https://mobile.twitter.com/MBielieskov/status/1579512943355789314
Ukraine is getting closer to Svatove

[Middle-aged Europe]

What exactly prevents Ukraine from launching retaliatory attacks on Russian cities? Are they afraid to do so because of Russia's nukes, do they simply not have the weapons, or do they not have the military infrastructure to utilize such weapons if they were given them?

The weapons they have are limited, it'd be bad PR and there are more effective uses for these weapons than turning off the lights for a few hours in Kyiv or Moscow.

At a few occassions Ukraine has carried out attacks on Russian territory, but these were limited to military targets just beyond the border - most notably the Millerovo air base and a fuel depot in Belgorod. The purpose of these attacks were to limit Russia's ability to wage war in Ukraine.

A pure retaliatory strike against civilian population centers would be something new entirely and as you have already pointed out, would mean for Ukraine to give up the moral high ground.