# In defence of Russia **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 6, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166 "2022-08-06T00:49:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 52
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1021 "2023-04-13T20:22:36Z")
> [@Cool](#): > > It not so much about Russia, but more of the consequences of actions against Russia. > > a) Most European countries will struggle with getting energy after sanctioning Russia. > b) Many prominent non-European countries distancing themselves on an economic scale from the US. > c) This leading to a possible all out war against China-Russia. Meanwhile, back in reality: a) Europe seems to have weathered the winter energy crisis after sanctioning Russia just fine, Russian propaganda that Europe was a frozen wasteland notwithstanding: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dVRN05viSH4/maxresdefault.jpg ""Europe won't SURVIVE without Russia!"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVRN05viSH4) b) What prominent non-European countries distancing themselves on an economic scale from the US? I guess Russia made the great diplomatic victory of no longer having Mali and Burkina Faso condemning them at the UN anymore, but how has this distanced them economically from the US? c) Ah yes, the West must stop supporting Ukraine because it is clearly leading directly to WWIII! Putin has nukes remember! And China is suddenly involved in this all-out war because - umm, reasons. Yeah, that’s it. Funnily enough here in reality China isn’t doing anything to actually support Russia’s actions in Ukraine, they’ve taken a decidedly neutral stance while taking advantage of cheap Russian oil as a result of the sanctions. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1022 "2023-04-13T23:03:30Z")
Thank you for your input Comrade Cool, join date 20 hours ago. Bumping a 17 year old thread on your first post was a nice touch. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1023 "2023-04-13T23:44:51Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Time for more BS from our resident 11 Ruble poster. [‘Direct ticket to Bakhmut’: Russians fear digital draft](https://us.yahoo.com/news/direct-ticket-bakhmut-russians-fear-165125869.html) From the linked article: > Those who fail to show up at the enlistment office within the 20 days following receipt of the electronic draft notice will not be able to take out loans, register property or work as individual entrepreneurs. > > Under the new legislation a draft notice will be considered received as soon as it is sent out to the Gosuslugi portal, an official online platform for state services. I missed the actual meaning of these two particular sentences until watching [Roman’s video on the topic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVN1HsKPJSI), it’s about 1:00 in. You don’t even have to actually receive the email for you to be consider having received the email. Under the law, the sending of the email counts as successful reception of your draft notice, opening the email is purely optional. Oh yeah, and you’re also stripped of your basic rights 20 days after ‘receiving’ your conscription email if you haven’t appeared at the draft office. The list of things you won’t be able to do is a lot longer than what’s listed in the article. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2023, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1024 "2023-04-14T00:51:54Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > Oh yeah, and you’re also stripped of your basic rights 20 days after ‘receiving’ your conscription email if you haven’t appeared at the draft office. Yoiu mean this craziness might ramp up? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xDPdZwZhRrc/maxresdefault.jpg "Putin's order has Russian men lining up to flee country") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDPdZwZhRrc&t=20) ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1025 "2023-04-17T18:56:21Z")
I found out from [a video by Niki Proshin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMuIhAFmQPo) that after the announced electronic conscription changes, there was a rush of people trying to delete their Gosuslugi accounts (the government app that is going to be used to send the notices) only to be greeted by the message that accounts can no longer be deleted. Funny how they knew ahead of time that people would suddenly want to delete their accounts. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1026 "2023-04-18T12:00:30Z")
That’s actually more competence than the Russian’s have been demonstrating in this conflict. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1027 "2023-04-20T22:55:14Z")
[![](https://i.imgur.com/UOgvaYs.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/UOgvaYs.png) > **[Russia may discard Pyotr Velikii battlecruiser as there is no money for repairs](https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/04/20/7398734/)** > > The Pyotr Velikii (Peter the Great), a heavy nuclear missile carrier and the flagship of the Northern Fleet of Russia, could be withdrawn from the Russian Navy due to the high cost of modernisation. I sent this to the Russian embassy in Canada. I hope it cheers them up. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1028 "2023-04-21T00:16:48Z")
Since the article is from Ukrainian Pravda, I wanted to check the credibility of their source. It’s Russian TASS, which may be incredibly unreliable about many things, but they certainly wouldn’t risk jail time for discrediting the Russian military undermine morale by making up this story publishing this is if wasn’t truth. While there, I noticed a darkly funny juxtaposition of two stories on the side scroll. 16:58 [В Минобороны России назвали причину взрыва в Белгороде (tass.ru)](https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/17575185) > “On April 20, 2023, at about 22:15 Moscow time, during the flight of the Su-34 aircraft of the Aerospace Forces over the city of Belgorod, an abnormal descent of aviation ammunition occurred,” the department said. > > According to the ministry, as a result of the incident, there is damage to residential buildings, but there are no casualties. An investigation is already underway. 17:05 [Губернатор Белгородской области сообщил о двух пострадавших в результате взрыва на улице (tass.ru)](https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/17575193) > BELGOROD, April 20. /TASS/. Two people, according to preliminary data, were injured in an explosion that occurred on Thursday evening in Belgorod. One of the victims was hospitalized, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his [Telegram channel](https://t.me/vvgladkov/2002). > > “According to preliminary data, there are two victims: a woman with a traumatic brain injury in a state of moderate severity was taken to the city hospital No. 2. The second woman with abrasions refused hospitalization, all the necessary medical care was provided on the spot,” Gladkov wrote. > > Gladkov noted that the destruction was revealed in four apartments of an apartment building on Shalandin Street. All residents of damaged apartments are offered temporary accommodation in a hotel. “An examination will be carried out on the house, if the load-bearing wall is damaged, we will resettle the entire entrance. Four cars were also damaged,” Gladkov said. Two entirely unconnected stories; the abnormal descent of aviation ammunition from the Su-34 in Belgorod caused no casualties, so those devious Ukrainian Nazi bandits obviously must have set off a bomb that coincidentally injured two people and destroyed four apartment building in Belgorod seven minutes later, Komrad. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1029 "2023-04-21T02:56:26Z")
> [@](#): > > an abnormal descent of aviation ammunition occurred, That’s almost as good as SpaceX’s description of its rocket blowing up after launch. > [@](#): > > a rapid unscheduled disassembly. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1030 "2023-04-21T13:43:50Z")
I think this is the right thread for this feel-good story: > **[Ukraine war: Russian warplane accidentally bombs own city](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65344370)** > > A dramatic blast which shook residents of Belgorod is being blamed on an accidental air strike. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1031 "2023-04-22T02:52:51Z")
Apparently, Putin thinks the Rape of Ukraine is going so well, [he’s decided to work on preparations for an attack on the United Kingdom](https://www.yahoo.com/news/vladimir-putin-preparing-attack-uk-174610355.html). ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1032 "2023-04-22T03:01:41Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Apparently, Putin thinks the Rape of Ukraine is going so well, [he’s decided to work on preparations for an attack on the United Kingdom](https://www.yahoo.com/news/vladimir-putin-preparing-attack-uk-174610355.html). Dude sounds paranoid as hell, his PhD notwithstanding. Putin isn’t going to attack UK, even in terms of mass sabotage (which, yes - I’m quite certain would provoke a NATO response). Vlad has his hands a little full at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1033 "2023-04-22T04:35:54Z")
Yeah, the one bit of his editorial that I agree with is that > Our world is becoming markedly more dangerous. And Britain is not ready. The UK let its military atrophy since the end of the Cold War, but they are hardly alone in NATO in letting this happen. Besides, the Torys hardly need the threat of potential Russian sabotage to show overt threats in order call for expanding their armed forces. Last May Russian State TV was threatening to [sink Britain with a nuclear tsunami from a 100-megaton nuclear torpedo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4eJvwtQJu4), complete with flashy graphics. Showing the same oblivious disregard for how their threats and actions might affect neutral nations that led Finland and Sweden to rush to join NATO, the graphic makes no note of the fact that it also depicts all of Ireland being disappearing under the radioactive tidal wave. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1034 "2023-04-22T10:52:56Z")
Why would Putin attack the UK? Russia owns half of London. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1035 "2023-04-22T11:55:41Z")
Wealthy Russians have used London to invest their money, but that means it is kept safe from Putin and his cronies. So there is little love for London amongst the political leadership (except half of them are probably also using London). Speaking as a Londoner though I’m not sure I’ve ever met a single Russian here, so it’s all hidden in the property market and other businesses from afar. No doubt if I hung around in Harrods I might encounter some Russian wives or mistresses lavishing themselves with the tacky ostentatious crap they sell there. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1036 "2023-04-23T22:02:43Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Speaking as a Londoner though I’m not sure I’ve ever met a single Russian here I’ve met loads, although the big property owners mostly hang out in circles too exalted for the likes of me. Occasionally I encounter the spoiled offspring though. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1037 "2023-04-23T22:36:52Z")
I’m of the opinion (unpopular) that anyone in my country on a Russian passport - visitor or business - should be given 3 days to pack their bags and go back. Unless they apply for refugee status and declare themselves to be opposed to the invasion of Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1038 "2023-04-24T00:42:09Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’m of the opinion (unpopular) that anyone in my country on a Russian passport - visitor or business - should be given 3 days to pack their bags and go back. There’s a reason it’s an unpopular opinion. You might want to think about why that is. > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Unless they apply for refugee status and declare themselves to be opposed to the invasion of Ukraine. That’s not how applying for refugee status works. On what basis are they going to be seeking asylum, residency and citizenship in their new country? Being opposed to the invasion of Ukraine isn’t grounds for seeking asylum in any country on the planet. They can’t claim to be war refugees because they are fleeing being conscripted and sent to fight in Ukraine, that’s not what being a war refugee is or how it works. Ukrainian civilians who fled their country because it was invaded are war refugees. No country on Earth would recognize those fleeing conscription as being war refugees; that’s not what being a war refugee means. That only leaves seeking political asylum, which again, declaring your opposition to your countries invasion of another country doesn’t qualify you for. To qualify for political asylum, your parent country must have taken concrete, provable action against you personally on the basis of your political beliefs for you to even begin applying for status as a political refugee. Simply declaring your opposition to the war in Ukraine doesn’t cut it. The only Russians who could apply for political asylum on this basis are ironically the ones in jail in Russia, like the father of the girl who drew an anti-war picture for her art class pro-Z artwork assignment. Seeking political asylum and being rejected is going to leave you permanently fucked over; you aren’t going to be able to travel to the country that rejected you - or all of Europe in the case of the EU - and on top of that, the Russian government is now going to really have a beef with you. Which is likely going to lead to you being persecuted, which would qualify you for political asylum if you hadn’t just been rejected, which caused the persecution. Catch 22. I watch a number of Russian English speaking Vtubers openly opposed to the war, some since before the war. Almost all of them left Russia in the last year. There is a reason most of them left for Georgia, Turkey, Turkmenistan or Kazakstan, they are pretty much the only places you can travel to visa free with a Russian passport nowadays. Here’s a video of Roman explaining the bind he’s in now, he left Russia for Georgia a year ago; I’ve linked a number of his videos in this thread with his very anti-war views and his feelings about the government of his home country. It bears watching the whole thing, but it is chaptered, the chapter on asylum is at 10:15. > **[I left Russia 1 YEAR AGO. Now I'm stuck.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYwN-tJ8gHw%2F)** > > SUPPORT THE CHANNEL/DONATE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC19xLluI7dG093Gmw57BhHw/joinI left Russia one year ago, in March of 2022. I was one of the tens ... ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1039 "2023-04-24T00:48:08Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’m of the opinion (unpopular) that anyone in my country on a Russian passport - visitor or business - should be given 3 days to pack their bags and go back. > > Unless they apply for refugee status and declare themselves to be opposed to the invasion of Ukraine. That’s a _great_ way to demonstrate how freedom of speech and thought works in a democracy ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166/1040 "2023-04-24T14:59:18Z")
In other news, it looks like Putin has found a soulmate. [![](https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2013820/rs_600x600-130920114917-600.putindog.cm.92013.jpg?fit=around%7C1080:1080&output-quality=90&crop=1080:1080;center,top) ](https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2013820/rs_600x600-130920114917-600.putindog.cm.92013.jpg?fit=around%7C1080:1080&output-quality=90&crop=1080:1080;center,top) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166.md?page=51) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defence-of-russia/969166.md?page=53)