Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The winds would take the bulk of the radiation over Russia right?

Yes.
In any case, we can breath a sigh of relief now, I think.

[NOVA Green]

Meanwhile in the Russian allied state of Venezuela Pro-Ukrainian demonstrations break out.

(I'll skip the excerpt since apparently some posters don't like to read long posts that do limited text % from sites behind the Paywall---- certainly down under has been a critique of sharing news since it get's in the way of his memes.)   


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/03/russia-ukraine-war-putin-news/#link-DFEGCWYGXVHKZEQXJ4TDYBXUVA

[Astatine]

All of Zaporizhzhia's remaining reactors have been shut down.

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

All of Zaporizhzhia's remaining reactors have been shut down.

Does this mean blackouts for southern Ukraine?

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Guys, how can we somehow get the Mongols into this war? They're literally the only people who know how to deal with the Russians properly.

[NOVA Green]

All of Zaporizhzhia's remaining reactors have been shut down.

Does this mean blackouts for southern Ukraine?

That's the burning or rolling question.

Sorry, couldn't resist some dark humor.   

[Storebought]

Speculation: even beyond destroying vital infrastructure, Russia deliberately targeting Europe's largest nuclear power plant is meant to stoke German anti-nuclear sentiment.

[7,052,770]

Speculation: even beyond destroying vital infrastructure, Russia deliberately targeting Europe's largest nuclear power plant is meant to stoke German anti-nuclear sentiment.

I would think a super anti-nuclear person would be enraged at Russia for doing this, not mad at Ukraine for having nuclear power plants, right? If Russia did this for that reason, it would have to be counterproductive.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1499587064760786945

[DaleCooper]

https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1499587064760786945

The Republican media types have done a pretty good job of co-opting "populist" rhetoric but their true colors often slip through. It's no surprise to me that what crossed the line here for Fox News was a shady Russian billionaire getting his assets frozen.

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

I was talking to a Russian guy I use to be friends with on Instagram and he kept insisting that the invasion was somehow Russia defending itself. How can any Russian still believe that in the face of unified opposition and Ukrainian's literally hurling themselves in front of Russia's death armada.

[Storebought]

Speculation: even beyond destroying vital infrastructure, Russia deliberately targeting Europe's largest nuclear power plant is meant to stoke German anti-nuclear sentiment.

I would think a super anti-nuclear person would be enraged at Russia for doing this, not mad at Ukraine for having nuclear power plants, right? If Russia did this for that reason, it would have to be counterproductive.

It's more about increasing the risk of operating nuclear power plants in general, increasing their visibility within a negative context, and diminishing the acceptance of Germans to leaving their own nuclear power plants operational.

Die Zeit Online (the conservative/populist news site) has 16,000 comments on their liveblog since the start of the Russian attacks. Last time I checked that number two days ago it was ~5000 comments. German nuclear anxiety has been successfully provoked.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Speculation: even beyond destroying vital infrastructure, Russia deliberately targeting Europe's largest nuclear power plant is meant to stoke German anti-nuclear sentiment.

I would think a super anti-nuclear person would be enraged at Russia for doing this, not mad at Ukraine for having nuclear power plants, right? If Russia did this for that reason, it would have to be counterproductive.

It's more about increasing the risk of operating nuclear power plants in general, increasing their visibility within a negative context, and diminishing the acceptance of Germans to leaving their own nuclear power plants operational.

Die Zeit Online (the conservative/populist news site) has 16,000 comments on their liveblog since the start of the Russian attacks. Last time I checked that number two days ago it was ~5000 comments. German nuclear anxiety has been successfully provoked.

plz link

[NOVA Green]

Lindsey Graham calls for Assassination of Putin

WTF... Don't even know where to start on this.

Apparently he doesn't understand the concept of WWW III and what calling for killing leaders of other countries actually means?

"Lindsey Graham Calls for Russians to Assassinate Putin

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Thursday night that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be assassinated by his own people, suggesting it would be the only way to end the crisis precipitated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mr. Graham first made the assertion during an appearance on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News. He then repeated the comment on Twitter, referencing both the betrayer of Julius Caesar and the architect of an unsuccessful 1944 plot to kill Adolf Hitler.

"Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?" he asked. "The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country - and the world - a great service."

In a subsequent tweet he added: "The only people who can fix this are the Russian people. Easy to say, hard to do. Unless you want to live in darkness for the rest of your life, be isolated from the rest of the world in abject poverty, and live in darkness you need to step up to the plate."

Mr. Graham served more than three decades as a lawyer in the U.S. Air Force, on active duty and then in the reserves. He is seen as an influential voice within the Republican Party on military and foreign-policy issues."

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-03-03/card/lindsey-graham-calls-for-putin-to-be-assassinated-rhc631IXIWaRKxyv4HPu

Mr. Graham is apparently not aware that if this is all the time we got, why not jump into the mosh pit while Chaos UK: 4 Minute Warning is blaring from the speaker set.

[Storebought]

Zeit Online Liveblog (in German). I could go back to count the comments before the strike was rumoured a day ago since I only checked it last two days ago.

The are (at writing) 300 comments about the strikes themselves: Ukraine reports fire at nuclear power plant after Russian attack (in German).

The point of the attack is to sow anxiety in general, and it is.

[AndyHogan14]

Lindsey Graham calls for Assassination of Putin

WTF... Don't even know where to start on this.

Apparently he doesn't understand the concept of WWW III and what calling for killing leaders of other countries actually means?

Well, one of the absolute best outcomes of this conflict would be the death of Putin, so Graham is not wrong here. In many ways, our sanctions are meant to influence the Russian elite to take him out.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Zeit Online Liveblof[/ur] (in German).

The are (at writing) 300 comments about the strikes themselves Ukraine reports Russian attack on nuclear plant (in German).

The point of the attack is to sow anxiety in general, and it is.

Thanks.
Honestly, this should have not surprised me. The Russians are a master at the dark arts of the media. Leave it to the Russians to use a nuclear power plant  to reshape the conversation somewhat in their favor, even as Ukraine is winning the information war in Europe as a whole.

[Storebought]

Zeit Online Liveblof[/ur] (in German).

The are (at writing) 300 comments about the strikes themselves Ukraine reports Russian attack on nuclear plant (in German).

The point of the attack is to sow anxiety in general, and it is.

Thanks.
Honestly, this should have not surprised me. The Russians are a master at the dark arts of the media. Leave it to the Russians to use a nuclear power plant  to reshape the conversation somewhat in their favor, even as Ukraine is winning the information war in Europe as a whole.

I've corrected the formatting of my original post.

[sting in the rafters]

Lindsey Graham calls for Assassination of Putin

WTF... Don't even know where to start on this.

Apparently he doesn't understand the concept of WWW III and what calling for killing leaders of other countries actually means?

Well, one of the absolute best outcomes of this conflict would be the death of Putin, so Graham is not wrong here. In many ways, our sanctions are meant to influence the Russian elite to take him out.

A sitting US Senator directly calling for Putin's assassination only plays into the hands of Kremlin propaganda. It also undermines the Biden administration's official line that they're not trying to oust the current regime. If any Russkies decide to take one for the team, it's not gonna be because Lindsey Graham convinced them to. It needs to happen organically.

[Storebought]

At least the fighting has stopped and the fire has been put out.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

At least the fighting has stopped and the fire has been put out.

A victory for Russia on all fronts. The plants have shut down, Germany has been spooked, and people are only getting more scared of what Russia could accomplish.

[NOVA Green]

I guess Canada is strictly enforcing Russian "No Fly Zones" over their country.

Doubt these two dudes flying in from Geneva on a Private Jet were "on the list", but pretty sure the Canadian Border Patrol coppers who took the guys in are likely now getting free shots and beers "on the house" by the locals for doing their part for Ukraine.

"Two Russian nationals flew into Canada and were stopped, officials said.

Two Russian nationals flying in a private jet that had taken off from Geneva landed in northern Canada this week and were prevented from traveling farther, according to Canadian officials.

Canada had announced on Sunday that it would ban Russian aircraft from entering Canadian airspace in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States and the European Union have put similar policies in place.

The plane, which can seat about 20 people, landed at the Yellowknife Airport in the Northwest Territories on Tuesday night, according to Robert Collinson, a ministerial special adviser to the local government there. Mr. Collinson said the Russian citizens were let off the plane and were now dealing with officials at the Canada Border Services Agency.

Patrick Mahaffy, a spokesman for the agency, declined to answer specific questions about the flight, citing national privacy laws.

The Canadian transport minister, Omar Alghabra, wrote on Twitter that the plane “has been held” at the airport and that “We will continue to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine.”

"

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/03/world/russia-ukraine/two-russian-nationals-flew-into-canada-and-were-stopped-officials-said

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Besides Zaporizhzhia, what else happened in the conflict today?

Some Russian 2 star general was killed.

[NOVA Green]

For anybody still tripping on the Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant story...

"U.N. Atomic Agency Says Fire at Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant Didn't Affect Essential Equipment

Ukrainian officials said Russian shelling caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, prompting concern from the international community about a nuclear disaster and renewed fears about Moscow’s tactics as it continues its advance in the country.

In Kyiv, officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency that the fire that broke out at the facility didn’t affect essential equipment, the agency said, lessening initial concerns that the shelling damaged a reactor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video posted on social media that Russia’s actions show that “Europe needs to wake up.”

....

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm wrote on Twitter that she had spoken with Ukraine’s energy minister, adding that the plant’s reactors are “being safely shut down.” She added, “We have seen no elevated radiation readings near the facility.”

...."


https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-03-04/card/u-n-atomic-agency-says-fire-at-ukrainian-nuclear-power-plant-didn-t-affect-essential-equipment-fJKvwcfe7wgcWoPIe4w2

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

I've been thinking of this quote (which I've also seen attributed to people other than Bradley) for days:



jao