The start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Part 1)

velvetcanyon20 said:There’s a lot of strange, almost nonsensical logic behind this latest move from Russia.
In my view, Putin has essentially lost the war and left Russia permanently crippled. If anyone was still clinging to the fantasy that this would be some sort of bloodless, low-casualty version of Crimea 2.0...
well, I think those illusions have officially evaporated.

We’re looking at a much tougher, more uncertain year ahead, and let’s be honest—these sanctions are going to hit everyone's wallet.

As for that whole situation involving the Turks... they were already buying oil under the table from ISIS, so you can bet the trade and barter will continue. Grain will keep flowing out, dollars will keep flowing in... they’ll find a way to strike a deal behind closed doors...
The only real shift we might see is a change in how goods move. Prices could spike if everything has to go through "official" channels, because instead of direct deals with the Russians, everything will end up being routed through China.

Nah, won't happen. The paperwork will just get swapped mid-air with a commission, obviously.

It sounds absolutely insane, I know, but honestly? It might actually be a win-win if Putin and the Russians were brought into NATO... They’d probably end up living much better lives than they are right now.

wiredseal7 said:So where exactly do the Poles and Czechs end up in a group with them? 😵
And they still would've had to play Russia as the host—right there in Moscow...

It’s pretty obvious there's pressure on FIFA to just suspend Russia—these teams aren't about to hand over their World Cup spots without a fight. FIFA will probably just move everything to a neutral site instead, let whoever wants to play, play.

Even the Swedes were getting threatened by the Russians yesterday

Romania and Lithuania have officially slammed the door on Russian planes entering their airspace

While Klitschko keeps talking nonsense, Zelenskyy is actually getting things done.
In this latest clip, he’s sending a message right from the front of this building:

http://www.abload.de/img/3tk3b.jpg

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_with_Chimaeras

It's that building with all those weird decorations—kind of an iconic landmark in Kyiv, located maybe a mile or so from Maidan.

It's a pretty solid way to shut down the idiots claiming he's already skipped town.

hollowdriver13 said:They’re probably just doing a great job hiding their hardware so the Russians don't wipe everything out with airstrikes. That was basically the whole Russian narrative on day one—that they’d just annihilate the air force and air defenses in UA instantly. But then we saw yesterday that Ukrainians are definitely flying, and their air defense is busy swatting down Russian helicopters and drones.
Going toe-to-toe in an open field against the Russian Army would be straight-up suicide. Any major power would pay a massive price for a fight like that because that's exactly how they crush you with sheer numbers and superior tech.

Just like how our guys in the South used to set up bunkers and hide equipment everywhere, I’d bet my life that Ukraine was dug in at least 10 times deeper back when dealing with the Soviets.

In this context, static infrastructure left over from the USSR isn't worth much; those blueprints and locations are likely sitting right there in Moscow. At best, they could set up scale models of them for an exhibition.

restlessmason54 said:It makes perfect sense that nothing is being closed; I mean, Erdogan is a total fox, much like how Vučić operates.
The guy basically manages to sit in five different chairs at the exact same time.

There isn't really much going to happen if Turkey decides to block the Bosphorus to Russian ships. Especially the warships. Now, if we were talking about commercial vessels, that would be a different story entirely.

p.s.
Something just crossed my mind while I was sitting here: does international law actually permit piracy by parties involved in a conflict? Think about it—Ukraine could theoretically arm up some inconspicuous merchant ship to intercept Russian cargo vessels in international waters and sink them. It’s the kind of thing the Swabians used back in World War II.

Hannah Williams8 said:If Russia manages to grab the southern border of Ukraine—meaning if they take Mariupol—and links up with Transnistria, then Moldova is absolutely screwed.
Wouldn't it be smart for them to ask for some EU troops on the ground before it's too late?

The smartest move would actually be to declare neutrality and rush an amendment into their constitution stating they will never join NATO.😁

What kind of nonsense is this "EU troops" idea?🙏

Christian Torres3 said:Looks like classic Baryaktar work to me.

I wonder if Biden sent anything else over yet?

Richard Wilson4 said:Yeah, I see this as a pessimistic scenario too, but there's definitely something to it...

Really hope I'm wrong though.

It all boils down to how fast Kyiv falls.

If Kyiv holds, then everything we've discussed stands.

If Kyiv falls, then it looks like this:

Keith Morgan10 said:Look, I’m not saying I’m on Russia's side, no matter how much that might sound like I am, but man, this whole wave of Ukrainian propaganda is just exhausting to watch and listen to.
It makes you feel like there's some massive, hidden agenda at play beyond just having NATO bases in the region.

I mean, was the US fighting that aggressively for support back in the 90s?

Does everyone really have to start every single thought with "I'm not a fan of Russia, but..."?
🤦

Amanda Hughes37 said:I don't quite get it—I haven't seen a single Ukrainian tank (aside from that one with the car attached), no planes, just people walking through the streets, the President giving addresses from the sidewalk... a stray bomb lands here and there, maybe a few people have actually left the country, though some are still heading out. It all feels strangely surreal...

There's more to it.

First off, once the bullets start flying, even the high commands of the warring nations struggle to figure out who is doing what to whom.
Furthermore, wartime information is censored, distorted, and—let's be honest—completely fabricated just to keep the opposition misled.

The end result is this absolute informational chaos where getting a clear picture of what is actually happening is nearly impossible.

As for civilians hanging around tanks? Honestly, people back home should know by now that you need a brutal education in war and pure hell to trigger survival mode and seek out shelters. Just because a declaration of war was made doesn't mean everyone instantly snaps into gear.
When things kicked off here, people clung to their normal routines, at least initially, while military operations were ramping up all around them.

That’s the difference between us and somewhere like the Middle East, where war is often the baseline and peace is just a brief intermission. People there act accordingly because, unfortunately, they've already been through the school of hard knocks when it comes to surviving combat.

gentleharbor3 said:So, did Zelenskyy personally and intentionally spread the fake news about Turkey closing the straits?
That clown is starting to look like he’s actively fueling the potential for a massive war in Europe on behalf of someone else.

Has the man simply become too immersed in his own cinematic role?

Ashley Ramirez4 said:Is Erdogan changing his tune?

Some news outlets are already reporting that he’s trying to broker a ceasefire.

So, what’s actually the real difference between what Putin is pulling in Ukraine and the mess the US made back in Syria and Iraq?

Benjamin Taylor6 said:There isn't really much going to happen if Turkey decides to block the Bosphorus to Russian ships. Especially the warships. Now, if we were talking about commercial vessels, that would be a different story entirely.

p.s.
Something just crossed my mind while I was sitting here: does international law actually permit piracy by parties involved in a conflict? Think about it—Ukraine could theoretically arm up some inconspicuous merchant ship to intercept Russian cargo vessels in international waters and sink them. It’s the kind of thing the Swabians used back in World War II.

That’s their fastest shot at the Mediterranean and everything else. For trade? It would be a total disaster.

Paul Patel95 said:So Zelenskyy is on Twitter claiming Erdogan is gonna shut down the Black Sea access for Russian ships?

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/stat...64078897774598

If that’s actually true, then the Sultan is quite the legend.

Even if he is still a dictator.

neonheron9 said:Not sure how long this has been floating around, but apparently, it shows a Russian soldier captured over in Columbus.

https://twitter.com/SobiNewsCom/stat...09024895578112

Being a prisoner of war right at the start of a conflict isn't exactly easy. For the Russians, the issue is there aren't really any defined front lines—they just drive along until they run into the Ukrainians. It’s a bit of a messy situation.

Richard Wilson4 said:Okay, this is total nonsense.

Western media is full of it. First, they were saying Kyiv had already fallen, and now suddenly Russia is out of weapons...

Yeah, sure, the Russians are struggling because they can't get weapons from—and I kid you not—Canada.
Give me a damn break.
#GoTeam

It’s pretty obvious to everyone—the longer Ukrainians hold the line against the Russians, the harder it'll be for them down the road.