War Games: Russia Takes Ukraine, China Takes Taiwan. US Response?

[TheVat]

3 hours ago, Sensei said:

 

An attack on a physics institute or nuclear reactor could lead to radioactive contamination of all of Eastern Europe..

"Russian forces have fired rockets at a physics institute in Kharkiv, which contains nuclear material and a reactor, Ukraine's national security service has claimed."

"The Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology houses a nuclear research facility called Neutron Source, in the active zone of which 37 nuclear fuel cells are said to be loaded."

 

 

It gets worse...

 

https://thehill.com/policy/international/597482-ukraine-says-russian-forces-disconnected-chernobyl-plant-from-power-grid

I still can't tell if this is all a deliberate attempt to intimidate (as in Herman Kahn's "play crazy" which @iNow mentioned last week) or if it's a lot of raw recruits in the invasion force with poor supervision, firing artillery and rockets wildly.  Maybe some of both?

[StringJunky]

7 hours ago, TheVat said:

It gets worse...

 

https://thehill.com/policy/international/597482-ukraine-says-russian-forces-disconnected-chernobyl-plant-from-power-grid

I still can't tell if this is all a deliberate attempt to intimidate (as in Herman Kahn's "play crazy" which @iNow mentioned last week) or if it's a lot of raw recruits in the invasion force with poor supervision, firing artillery and rockets wildly.  Maybe some of both?

I don't think the Russian admin GAF. They've shelled a maternity hospital as well.

       Dead bodies are placed into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022 as people cannot bury their dead because of the heavy shelling by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

          

[TheVat]

Have to admit, there is something kinda nihilistic about it.  Makes me think of that (possibly apocryphal) American major in Vietnam who was quoted as saying "We had to destroy the village to save it."

Great teeshirt, btw.  

[Sensei]

China's version of the "Ukraine event":

(if you sleep too long at the other end of the pond)

 

[Genady]

Russian officials' false statements in chronological order leading to the war:

Oh, How They Lied. The Many Times Russia Denied Ukraine Invasion Plans (polygraph.info) 

[dimreepr]

Putin isn't going to be forced by anyone, but when faced with a dead end; he might be willing to negotiate... 

[geordief]

1 hour ago, dimreepr said:

Putin isn't going to be forced by anyone, but when faced with a dead end; he might be willing to negotiate... 

Reading that the denazification demand (regime change) may have been dropped.

Also saw somewhere that Ukraine may be using hydrology around Kijv to protect the city.

[MigL]

Reports of a lot of Russians fleeing the oppressive Putin regime.
Finland is receiving quite a few.

If he is still around in 10 years time, will V Putin then be able to say
"We are invading  NAZI Finland to protect our Russian speaking brothers from oppression."

[StringJunky]

Quote

Facebook temporarily allows posts on Ukraine war calling for violence against invading Russians or Putin's death

March 10 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (FB.O) will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion, according to internal emails seen by Reuters on Thursday, in a temporary change to its hate speech policy.

The social media company is also temporarily allowing some posts that call for death to Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in countries including Russia, Ukraine and Poland, according to internal emails to its content moderators.

"As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as 'death to the Russian invaders.' We still won't allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

The calls for the leaders' deaths will be allowed unless they contain other targets or have two indicators of credibility, such as the location or method, one email said, in a recent change to the company's rules on violence and incitement.

The temporary policy changes on calls for violence to Russian soldiers apply to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, according to one email.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exclusive-facebook-instagram-temporarily-allow-calls-violence-against-russians-2022-03-10/

 

[iNow]

An interesting move. 

[Dropship]

I sense that the majority of Russian soldiers hearts are not really in the war.

Sure, Putin's told them "We have to occupy Ukraine now before it joins NATO" but many soldiers are probably thinking "Why"?

Putin is displaying a touch of paranoia and I think his troops realise that.

[iNow]

2 hours ago, Dropship said:

Sure, Putin's told them "We have to occupy Ukraine now before it joins NATO" but many soldiers are probably thinking "Why"?

That’s not what they’re being told. They’re being told that their Russian cousins in Ukraine are being slaughtered and must be protected… that they are there to save them. The dissonance then comes when Russian troops arrive and realize they’re the ones doing the slaughtering and see their missiles being directed at maternity wards and their ordinance are killing children. 

[Moontanman]

I have a prophecy to make, "someone" is going to use a weapon of mass destruction before this is over with. I'm betting he will use a tactical nuke when cornered and dare the west to do something about it. Someone's cheese has slid off his cracker and can't grok the present or the future due to his desire to go back to the good old days. 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Moontanman

[Dropship]

5 hours ago, iNow said:

That’s not what they’re being told. They’re being told that their Russian cousins in Ukraine are being slaughtered and must be protected… that they are there to save them. The dissonance then comes when Russian troops arrive and realize they’re the ones doing the slaughtering and see their missiles being directed at maternity wards and their ordinance are killing children. 

Sadly there's always acciudental collateral civilian casualties in any war.

 

[beecee]

Truck with two Russian saboteurs in Ukrainian uniforms stopped...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-2623659/Vidoe-Truck-Russian-saboteurs-stopped-Ukranian-troops.html

https://www.ibtimes.sg/ukraine-war-video-captures-moment-2-russian-saboteurs-are-gunned-down-after-stealing-ukrainian-63014

[iNow]

2 hours ago, Dropship said:

Sadly there's always acciudental collateral civilian casualties in any war.

 

In this one, the civilian casualties appear intentional. 

[StringJunky]

39 minutes ago, iNow said:

In this one, the civilian casualties appear intentional. 

This video of a Russian captured soldier confirms those orders. He seems to be under no emotional  duress when he speaks.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/ukraine/video-2635029/Video-Captured-Russian-soldier-says-ordered-shoot-civilians.html

Edited March 12, 2022 by StringJunky

[iNow]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

This video of a Russian captured soldier confirms those orders

And we need not rely on the word of a captured soldier alone. The evidence of what sites Russia has been targeting speaks rather plainly for itself. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/show/russian-shelling-of-civilian-targets-causes-day-of-carnage-across-ukraine

Quote

Russian bombing on Wednesday struck a maternity hospital, sending patients and new and expectant mothers fleeing. The attack came as Russia increased strikes against civilian targets and as evacuations from Ukraine became more desperate. 
<…>
The city was supposed to be under a cease-fire, so residents could flee safely. Instead, the bombardment resumed. 
<…>
The International Criminal Court's prosecutor has fast-tracked an investigation against Russia focused on attacks on civilian targets, as seen today in Kharkiv.

 <…>
The WHO says Russia has now destroyed 18 medical facilities across the country.

 

[StringJunky]

22 minutes ago, iNow said:

And we need not rely on the word of a captured soldier alone. The evidence of what sites Russia has been targeting speaks rather plainly for itself. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/show/russian-shelling-of-civilian-targets-causes-day-of-carnage-across-ukraine

 

I know, I'm following many sources very frequently. Putin's current suspected false flag ruse is to shell from Ukraine into Belarus to try and get Lukushenko to attack from there in retaliation. Apparently, he's presently strongly resisting overtures from Putin to join in.

Also,  it seems, from Reuters, the US and Europe are working flat out to get high spec arms to Ukraine. It seems they are very impressed with how Ukraine is making use of what they have and are being given, and want to assist militarily as far as possible without being directly involved. Quite frankly, we are already at war with Russia, but we just haven't said the words. Russia is hoping to intercept these arms and give them to the Donbass militia. Also, Syrian volunteers are going to join in for Russia shortly.

Edited March 12, 2022 by StringJunky

[iNow]

11 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Quite frankly, we are already at war with Russia, but we just haven't said the words.

Financially, yes. In just 2 weeks, approx 2 decades of Russian economic gains have been erased, but so far the fighting is all being done by Ukrainians. They need help, but as backup remains still slow to arrive from the west I’m hesitant to say we outside Ukraine are also already at war. 

[StringJunky]

14 minutes ago, iNow said:

Financially, yes. In just 2 weeks, approx 2 decades of Russian economic gains have been erased, but so far the fighting is all being done by Ukrainians. They need help, but as backup remains still slow to arrive from the west I’m hesitant to say we outside Ukraine are also already at war. 

I meant in principle. Apparently, some English soldiers, four I think, have gone AWOL to go there.

As an analogy this situation is like you and I playing chess, but I've got Gary Kasporov secretly texting me moves. It's Gary that's really playing you. I'm his proxy.

Edited March 12, 2022 by StringJunky

[iNow]

I certainly take your point, but principles neither stop nor deliver bullets. They don’t stop my flat from being demolished nor help my kids evade falling rubble when it’s struck from a plane above or a tank below… and while I’d gladly play chess with you, would prefer my texts arrive from Beth Harmon of Queens Gambit. 

[StringJunky]

43 minutes ago, iNow said:

I certainly take your point, but principles neither stop nor deliver bullets. They don’t stop my flat from being demolished nor help my kids evade falling rubble when it’s struck from a plane above or a tank below… and while I’d gladly play chess with you, would prefer my texts arrive from Beth Harmon of Queens Gambit. 

You'll be interested to know that:

Quote

Kasparov served as a consultant for the 2020 Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit. He gave an extended interview to Slate describing his contributions.[215] - Wiki

On topic:

Quote

In 2022, Kasparov spoke out against the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces on Twitter, stating "The only way this really ends is the fall of Putin's regime by collapse of Russian economy and defeat in Ukraine."[164] He also believed that "pressure must be kept up" in terms of sanctions and condemnations against Russia's actions.[165] - Wiki

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by StringJunky

[J.C.MacSwell]

3 hours ago, iNow said:

Financially, yes. In just 2 weeks, approx 2 decades of Russian economic gains have been erased, but so far the fighting is all being done by Ukrainians. They need help, but as backup remains still slow to arrive from the west I’m hesitant to say we outside Ukraine are also already at war. 

...and in supply of lethal weapons, yes. Arguably not totally, but then not totally financially either.

Edited March 12, 2022 by J.C.MacSwell

[iNow]

6 hours ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

...and in supply of lethal weapons, yes. Arguably not totally, but then not totally financially either.

Sounds like you’re suggesting their stockpiles are already depleted? That sounds unlikely to me, but I also haven’t tracked that metric myself.