Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[BlueSwan]

I'm sorry but Kadyrov and Putin need to die ASAP. High time for the CIA to show what it can do. I'm pretty sure that using nuclear weapons is not beyond those monsters.

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Just gonna ask, what has that manic Zhirinovsky been up to?

[The Free North]

I'm sorry but Kadyrov and Putin need to die ASAP. High time for the CIA to show what it can do. I'm pretty sure that using nuclear weapons is not beyond those monsters.

The Russian high command will kill Putin before he ever touches a nuke. Look at his address today. The generals couldn't stop cringing. One man might be crazy, but there is no ideology to hold the others down with him.

[NOVA Green]

Looks like Traders are expecting a major drop off in the value of the Russian Ruble quite possibly falling 50% against the dollar once foreign exchange markets reopen here shortly:

"Traders say they expect the dollar value of the Russian ruble to drop sharply when foreign-exchange markets open late Sunday after the U.S. and allies said they will cut some Russian banks off the Swift financial network and take actions to prevent Russia’s central bank from deploying its reserves.

Several banks on Sunday quoted that it would require between 100 rubles and 150 rubles to buy $1, a sharp rise from its close of about 84 rubles to a dollar on Friday, according to investors who trade in Russian markets.

“I think it’s gonna be a bloodbath,” said Paul McNamara, an emerging-market fund manager at GAM. “It’s very hard to see who is going to come in tomorrow and buy Russian assets.”

Investors fear that anything connected to Russia may get frozen by the sanctions or could become difficult to sell, deterring any bargain hunters who would otherwise scoop up assets if the price fell low enough.

The Russian website of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank, which has a major presence in the country, quoted 150 rubles to buy one U.S. dollar around 6 p.m. local time in Moscow."


https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-02-26/card/traders-gird-for-violent-fall-in-russian-markets-ixu3FdekQ4efRAjnCkJ2

[It’s so Joever]

Russian leadership today is an existential threat to the World, we must not stop at keeping the most dangerous regime on Earth at bay.

[Omega21]

If even Kadyrov, a Putin loyalist to put all Putin loyalists to shame, is calling for a change in strategy, I would be surprised to see it not happen.

 
That's my fear as well.

Russians will either change tactics to what they're actually trained to do & simply overwhelm the Ukrainians, or lose tens of thousands while making relatively modest gains.

The problem is, this didn't start out as an all out war, with many people simply staying home & Russian tanks being blocked by people simply standing in the street, which would never happen in a "by all means necessary" situation.

So, if the tune suddenly changes, many won't have the chance to flee before everything is unleashed upon them.

Again, best we can do is hope for the best & that Putin has some semblance of mercy for Ukrainians.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I'm sorry but Kadyrov and Putin need to die ASAP. High time for the CIA to show what it can do. I'm pretty sure that using nuclear weapons is not beyond those monsters.

Ah yes, a situation with a potentially very unstable Russia and an unstable Chechnya, with intelligence services probably itching for revenge against us by engaging in a game of tit-for-tat, is in the West's interests...how?
I mean, I guess it's in the interest of China, which will have a better bargaining hand against whoever sits in the Kremlin...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The Russian and American nuclear preparedness scales run in the opposite direction: the higher the number, the more serious in the Russian system, not the other way around.

[emailking]

Russia raised there equivalence of DEFCON level to 2 first, which then US immediately raised their DEFCON level to 2.

I'm saying there's no reporting of that, at least not that I can find.

[Astatine]

Just gonna ask, what has that manic Zhirinovsky been up to?

He was vaccinated against Covid 8 times and has been in hospital in serious condition since two weeks ago - probably Covid - and not much was released about his state ever since. Might have bitten the dust by now.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

The Russian and American nuclear preparedness scales run in the opposite direction: the higher the number, the more serious in the Russian system, not the other way around.

That a relief, in the US DEFCON 2 is ‘ready to drop the bombs’.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

If even Kadyrov, a Putin loyalist to put all Putin loyalists to shame, is calling for a change in strategy, I would be surprised to see it not happen.

 
That's my fear as well.

Russians will either change tactics to what they're actually trained to do & simply overwhelm the Ukrainians, or lose tens of thousands while making relatively modest gains.

The problem is, this didn't start out as an all out war, with many people simply staying home & Russian tanks being blocked by people simply standing in the street, which would never happen in a "by all means necessary" situation.

So, if the tune suddenly changes, many won't have the chance to flee before everything is unleashed upon them.

Again, best we can do is hope for the best & that Putin has some semblance of mercy for Ukrainians.

It would quite likely be in the interests of all parties if we had an instant, total cease-fire and then diplomatic negotiation.
Unfortunately, that looks unlikely at this stage.
There also exists the unfortunate possibility that the sanctions placed on Russia will make the Russian leadership more inclined, not less, to escalate, because they think they have less to lose and/or they might have to gain more bargaining chips.

[NOVA Green]

More reporting from Kharkiv today this time from The Guardian newspaper.

Possibly one of the more detailed reports out there of events today... again am only doing limited quoting for copywrite reasons, but note they have a free website (although you can donate if you want).

"Kharkiv governor claims Russian troops repelled from city

Oleh Synyehubov says Ukrainian soldiers are now ‘cleaning up’ the eastern city

Ukrainian forces have repelled a Russian attempt to seize Kharkiv, the city’s governor has claimed, after fierce fighting and street battles with advancing Russian troops.

Kharkiv’s governor, Oleh Synyehubov, said Ukrainian soldiers were “cleaning up” the eastern city. He said Russian soldiers were surrendering in groups of five to 10 and throwing their equipment in the middle of the road.

“Control over Kharkiv is completely ours,” Synyehubov posted on Facebook. “A complete cleansing of the city from the enemy is happening. The Russian enemy is absolutely demoralised.”

Earlier on Sunday, the governor said Russian light military vehicles had broken “into the city”, including in central areas. They arrived in the northern suburbs at 8am, he said. He urged all civilians to stay inside, adding: “Citizens of Kharkiv, don’t leave shelter, don’t use transport.”

Videos on social media showed images of Russian troops moving through residential areas and past Soviet-era apartment blocks. Soldiers on foot used armoured vehicles as cover. Their vehicles were marked with Z, the symbol of Russia’s four-day invasion.

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Other footage suggested the Ukrainian military had inflicted losses. There were images of a destroyed Russian column and a skirmish in the south-east of the city. A group of Russian soldiers took refuge in an empty school, number 88, witnesses said, close to Traktornyi Zavod subway station.

...."




https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/27/kharkiv-fighting-russia-ukraine-invasion

[Blue3]

Putin fires top general

https://twitter.com/BillNeelyReport/status/1497989705903788036

[It’s so Joever]

Biden and NATO forces should go to Lviv or even better Uzhhorod and demand Putin withdraw immediately or risk war. There is more than enough justification, and I genuinely think MAD paranoia has really gotten blown out of proportion.

[emailking]

Russia raised there equivalence of DEFCON level to 2 first, which then US immediately raised their DEFCON level to 2.

I'm saying there's no reporting of that, at least not that I can find.

I found reporting from AP. (Russia nuclear risk levels are the opposite of America)

But for the US raising the defcon level, there's nothing on that. Just that website that puts up what they think the defcon level is.

[Omega21]

Putin fires top general

https://twitter.com/BillNeelyReport/status/1497989705903788036

Remember Rubio's tweet?

Maybe they received orders to change tactics & he wasn't supportive.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Putin fires top general

https://twitter.com/BillNeelyReport/status/1497989705903788036

Remember Rubio's tweet?

Maybe they received orders to change tactics & he wasn't supportive.

Rubio is ranking member of the US Senate Committee on Intelligence. It's not surprising he might have some nuggets of exceptional truth about this all (though his takes can only be as good as the intelligence he is seeing).

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Good

https://mobile.twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1498010244605263878

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1497975134069706752
Translation:

Georgian: A ship from Russia? We're not refueling you.
Russian: Who is talking to us?
Georgian: A Senior Mate from Georgia. We will not refuel your ship. Russian warship go f[inks] yourself.
Russian: Please drop the politics. We're almost out of fuel.
Georgian: Well if you're almost out of fuel then take out the paddles and start rowing.
Other Georgian: Go f[inks] yourselves.
Georgian: Glory to the heroes, Glory to Ukraine!

[The Free North]

https://twitter.com/b_nishanov/status/1498008314218745861

[NOVA Green]

Fed-Ex and UPS are suspending shipments to Russia:

"51 min ago

UPS, FedEx Halt Shipments Into Russia

By Paul Ziobro

FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. have suspended shipments into Russia amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S.-based shipping giants had earlier cut off shipments to and from Ukraine and were preparing contingency plans for their Russian operations. Now, both have temporarily stopped delivering shipments bound for Russia.

UPS said that packages en route to Russia and Ukraine will be returned free of charge to the sender if possible.

"Our focus is on the safety of our people, providing continued service and minimizing disruption to our customers," UPS said in a service alert on its website. "UPS continues to closely monitor the situation and will re-establish service as soon as it is practical and safe to do so."

FedEx issued a similar service alert on its website. “We are closely monitoring the situation and have contingency plans in place,” FedEx said.

FEDEX CORP.FDX(U.S.: NYSE)
$220.72 USD
4.80
2.22%
▲
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC. CL BUPS(U.S.: NYSE)
$209.95 USD
2.76
1.33%
▲
1 hour ago

"

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-02-26/card/ups-fedex-halt-shipments-into-russia-gMS7VIk7WuZXVnVxh8Ju

FedEx and UPS now halting all business in Russia after initially suspending deliveries.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/27/world/russia-ukraine-war/after-suspending-ukraine-deliveries-ups-and-fedex-halt-business-in-russia

[It’s so Joever]

https://twitter.com/b_nishanov/status/1498008314218745861

Intervention NOW

[jaichind]

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/stopped-assaulted-at-ukraine-border-say-some-indian-students-2793334

"Stopped, Assaulted At Ukraine Border, Say Some Indian Students"

Indian students are on live NDTV TV saying Ukrainian border guards are torturing (their words) Indian students trying to escape to Poland.

[Hnv1]

https://twitter.com/b_nishanov/status/1498008314218745861

How can it be that the Russians were pushed back and are still 30km from the city (per US) and they some encircled it including from the south west now?

Who’s lying and why