Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[Storr]

Lol.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1497616981016690692?s=20&t=u2OUaMaAhKfG4...

Yes...Ha Ha Ha...Yes!

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

[jaichind]

The ROC media is talking about, ironically, going through a PRC payment messaging system, for trade with Russia in case SWIFT takes Russia offline.

ROC gets that they are China’s Ukraine right?

But even Ukraine is
a) Passing Russian gas to the EU and collecting transit fees
b) Buying gas from Kazakhstan and paying Russia for transit fees

So why shoule ROC make economic sacrficices when even Ukraine is, if you will, feeding the beast.

[jaichind]

https://twitter.com/Karmabash/status/1497572272298680327

Note the hair style

Just like the US military, they should be checked for vaccination status before being allowed into the anti-Russia militia.

[Sir Mohamed]

Long overdue:

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1497617752982540289

[Frodo]

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

What especially galls me is that the Ukrainian military could have easily stalled the Russians at the bottleneck north of Crimea too.  It wouldn't have taken many troops either.  

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

Do the Russians have more competent commanding officers in the south or is it more of a matter of where Ukraine's defenses are concentrated?

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

What especially galls me is that the Ukrainian military could have easily stalled the Russians at the bottleneck north of Crimea too.  It wouldn't have taken many troops either.  

Not really. Open ground, perfect for airstrikes and artillery bombardment and close to Russian bases. Ukrainian forces have been effective in stopping the Russians in urban areas (like Kherson), but standing and fighting in open countryside would be suicide.

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

Do the Russians have more competent commanding officers in the south or is it more of a matter of where Ukraine's defenses are concentrated?

Not sure. Open terrain probably the biggest factor. Melitopol the only major city between Crimea and the east of the country.

[2016]

Russian Ministry of Defense issue dire warning: According to their Intelligence Ukrainian Nationalists installing artillery units in all the Major Cities in the Ukraine.

Feels like we will see Phase Two starting tonight with heavy ballistic & cruise missile bombardement if this is true!

Some of the Ukrainian People may have a false sense of heroism. We could have Major Casualties among Civilians in the next 72 Hours or so.

[John Dule]

By the time Biden makes up his mind about SWIFT, Russia and China will have a viable alternative up and running. War requires decisive action-- something he is notoriously poor at.

[WMS]

Another tweet roundup:

https://twitter.com/jgoodman751/status/1497552891317526537?s=21

https://twitter.com/mrmojorisin510/status/1497530178674724864?s=21

https://twitter.com/claperdrix/status/1497552109314748420?s=21

https://twitter.com/euromaidanpr/status/1497554911118114816?s=21

https://twitter.com/mars_is_calling/status/1497341454154403847?s=21

https://twitter.com/angry_staffer/status/1497586819994636300?s=21

https://twitter.com/angry_staffer/status/1497580688106741762?s=21

https://twitter.com/lexingtonbobby/status/1497569481945661446?s=21

[It’s so Joever]

Russian Ministry of Defense issue dire warning: According to their Intelligence Ukrainian Nationalists installing artillery units in all the Major Cities in the Ukraine.

Feels like we will see Phase Two starting tonight with heavy ballistic & cruise missile bombardement if this is true!

Some of the Ukrainian People may have a false sense of heroism. We could have Major Casualties among Civilians in the next 72 Hours or so.

I expect Putin to get awful. Will the US and the West just watch…probably.

[DavidB.]

By the time Biden makes up his mind about SWIFT, Russia and China will have a viable alternative up and running. War requires decisive action-- something he is notoriously poor at.

But I thought America was back...

[Omega21]

https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1497594592438497282

Crypto bros going INSANE with the donations, ETH wallet has transactions pending every minute.

It's been about an hour since they opened the donations, the amount is already into the 7 figure range.

You can see all donations live on the blockchain here:

https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/357a3So9CbsNfBBgFYACGvxxS6tMaDoa1P

https://etherscan.io/address/0x165cd37b4c644c2921454429e7f9358d18a45e14

[urutzizu]

https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/swift-deutschland-will-internationales-zahlungssystem-gezielt-einschraenken-a-457cbb5a-95b7-40fd-bf2d-9d91d9f27c4c

Germany supports a "targeted and functional" restriction of the Swift international payment system for Russia. Work is being done "at high pressure" on how Russia's decoupling from Swift can be limited in such a way that "it hits the right people"

Whatever that means?

[jaichind]

https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/swift-deutschland-will-internationales-zahlungssystem-gezielt-einschraenken-a-457cbb5a-95b7-40fd-bf2d-9d91d9f27c4c

Germany supports a "targeted and functional" restriction of the Swift international payment system for Russia. Work is being done "at high pressure" on how Russia's decoupling from Swift can be limited in such a way that "it hits the right people"

Whatever that means?

Putin cannot personally use SWIFT but Russian companies can

[Alcibiades]

https://twitter.com/CITeam_en/status/1497573785414901760

This perfectly encapsulates the chaos and amateurism of the Russian campaign so far.

[2016]

By the time Biden makes up his mind about SWIFT, Russia and China will have a viable alternative up and running. War requires decisive action-- something he is notoriously poor at.

But I thought America was back...

I still feel this Invasion would have never happened under Trump. Remember how Trump threatened Kim of North Korea in 2017. Trump also said he would bomb the hell out of the Kreml if Putin dared to invade Ukraine. I absolutely believe Trump in this!

[Storr]

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

What especially galls me is that the Ukrainian military could have easily stalled the Russians at the bottleneck north of Crimea too.  It wouldn't have taken many troops either.  

Not really. Open ground, perfect for airstrikes and artillery bombardment and close to Russian bases. Ukrainian forces have been effective in stopping the Russians in urban areas (like Kherson), but standing and fighting in open countryside would be suicide.

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

Do the Russians have more competent commanding officers in the south or is it more of a matter of where Ukraine's defenses are concentrated?

Not sure. Open terrain probably the biggest factor. Melitopol the only major city between Crimea and the east of the country.

Yeah, just looking at this topographic map of Ukraine you can see how the area between the Dnieper and Crimea is very flat and open, even by Ukrainian standards:

[Frodo]

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

What especially galls me is that the Ukrainian military could have easily stalled the Russians at the bottleneck north of Crimea too.  It wouldn't have taken many troops either.  

Not really. Open ground, perfect for airstrikes and artillery bombardment and close to Russian bases. Ukrainian forces have been effective in stopping the Russians in urban areas (like Kherson), but standing and fighting in open countryside would be suicide.

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

Do the Russians have more competent commanding officers in the south or is it more of a matter of where Ukraine's defenses are concentrated?

Not sure. Open terrain probably the biggest factor. Melitopol the only major city between Crimea and the east of the country.

Yeah, just looking at this topographic map of Ukraine you can see how the area between the Dnieper and Crimea is very flat and open, even by Ukrainian standards:

Yes, I embarrassed myself.  That's my fault for casually looking at a map without also checking its topography. 

[Omega21]

Ukraine is now receiving a crypto donation every 2 seconds, 1 hour after announcing their wallets.



https://etherscan.io/address/0x165cd37b4c644c2921454429e7f9358d18a45e14

[Sir Mohamed]

https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/swift-deutschland-will-internationales-zahlungssystem-gezielt-einschraenken-a-457cbb5a-95b7-40fd-bf2d-9d91d9f27c4c

Germany supports a "targeted and functional" restriction of the Swift international payment system for Russia. Work is being done "at high pressure" on how Russia's decoupling from Swift can be limited in such a way that "it hits the right people"

Whatever that means?

It's getting close to becoming embarrassment. Just do it. International law should be above profits.

[Storr]

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

What especially galls me is that the Ukrainian military could have easily stalled the Russians at the bottleneck north of Crimea too.  It wouldn't have taken many troops either.  

Not really. Open ground, perfect for airstrikes and artillery bombardment and close to Russian bases. Ukrainian forces have been effective in stopping the Russians in urban areas (like Kherson), but standing and fighting in open countryside would be suicide.

Looks like the Russians have taken Melitopol and are pushing from the southeast to encircle Mariopol and roll up the Donbas front. Ukraine has stalled the Russian advance in the north but my worry is that it won't matter much if they can't stall the push from Crimea.

Do the Russians have more competent commanding officers in the south or is it more of a matter of where Ukraine's defenses are concentrated?

Not sure. Open terrain probably the biggest factor. Melitopol the only major city between Crimea and the east of the country.

Yeah, just looking at this topographic map of Ukraine you can see how the area between the Dnieper and Crimea is very flat and open, even by Ukrainian standards:

Yes, I embarrassed myself.  That's my fault for casually looking at a map without also checking its topography.  

You're absolutely fine. I didn't realize just how flat it was until I just looked up a topo map of Ukraine (wikipedia ftw). I've been using google maps too keep track of all the reports of stuff going on, which doesn't give a great feel for topography.

[Frodo]

There may be no official sanctions on the Russian energy sector as of yet, but tanker owners are imposing an impromptu version regardless:

Tanker Owners Are Turning Their Backs On Russian Oil

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I was thinking if Zelensky dies he'll become one of the most named after people in history for now. Like almost every major city in the West will name a street after him.

And if Ukraine wins this...he probably wins re-election by a wider margin than Putin is "re-elected" by.