# Russia invades Ukraine {2022-02-24} (Part 1)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Tags:** ukraine-invasion, breaking-news
**Created:** [February 24, 2022, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037 "2022-02-24T08:30:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 112
### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2221 "2022-03-13T18:48:42Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> They will eat propaganda instead of food.
“These long lines you’re suffering through are America’s fault! You must bear them for the good of the mother country!”
Worked for the Soviets for decades.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2222 "2022-03-13T18:52:45Z")
Thing is, they’re not the Soviets anymore. The Soviet Union replaced a backwards country where many were recently serfs. The Russians now have had 30 years of growing freedoms and McDonalds. They’re not going to submit to Soviet era bullshit so easily.
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### Author:  [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2223 "2022-03-13T19:16:30Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#):
>
> This one seemed a little fishy to me at the time,
Yes, I said so in my next post.
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### Author:  [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2224 "2022-03-13T19:18:44Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#):
>
> By any reasonable definition, isn’t advancing analogous to winning?
It depends what you mean by ‘advance’. They have moved from place to place, done a lot of bombardment, and captured a couple of small towns, but they haven’t achieved _any_ of their objectives.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2225 "2022-03-13T19:21:03Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#):
>
> By any reasonable definition, isn’t advancing analogous to winning?
From the article I posted previously on Russian military logistics:
> [@](#):
>
> NATO planners should develop plans focusing on exploiting Russian logistic challenges rather than trying to address the disparity in combat power. This involves drawing the Russian army deep into NATO territory and stretching Russian supply lines to the maximum while targeting logistics and transportation infrastructure such as trucks, railroad bridges, and pipelines. Committing to a decisive battle at the frontier would play directly into Russian hands, allowing a shorter supply to compensate for their logistic shortfalls.
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### Author:  [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2226 "2022-03-13T19:46:13Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#):
>
> Has he resigned? This one seemed a little fishy to me at the time, and I cannot find any legitimate reporting on this, since breathless Daily Mail reports and ALL CAPS tweets don’t count. Is any of that true? I still don’t know, a week later.
>
> I mean, I generally appreciate your posts and links in this thread - you’ve pointed me to several interesting articles and analyses. So, thanks for that! But let’s not pretend you haven’t been posting your fair share of speculation (or “intuition,” if you will) as well.
I tried to get to the bottom of this … but the belarus government webpage is 80% crap and 20% really-really funny.
when was the last time your own gov. website had a section of **“famous people about the president”** :
[ ](https://i.postimg.cc/d0CF2CLb/image.png)
a real classic - innit?
[\*\* MORE HERE \*\*](https://president.gov.by/en/president)
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### Author:  [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2227 "2022-03-13T19:54:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> The Ukrainian air force had to stop most operations during the Donbas civil war because Soviet/Russian equipment was shooting too many of them down. Say what you will about Russian stuff but their AA assets work.
except when they don’t work, like in this war…
The fact that Ukr. on day 17 of the invasion still has 75-80% of its airforce functioning (and posts daily “best-of-Bayraktar” videos) seems to support my assessment.
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### Author:  [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2228 "2022-03-13T19:59:56Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> The Ukrainian air force had to stop most operations during the Donbas civil war because Soviet/Russian equipment was shooting too many of them down. Say what you will about Russian stuff but their AA assets work.
They **used** to work. But clearly something changed, as evidenced by the fact that the Russia STILL does not have control of Ukrainian airspace.
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### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2229 "2022-03-13T20:10:25Z")
Hm …
> **[Russia has asked China for military help in Ukraine, US officials say](https://www.ft.com/content/30850470-8c8c-4b53-aa39-01497064a7b7)**
>
> White House fears move is sign of ever closer ties between Beijing and Moscow
> Russia has asked China for military equipment to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to US officials, sparking concern in the White House that Beijing may undermine western efforts to help Ukrainian forces defend their country.
> Another person familiar with the situation said the US was preparing to warn its allies, amid some indications that China may be preparing to help Russia. Other US officials have said there were signs that Russia was running out of some kinds of weaponry as the war in Ukraine extends into its third week.
Jake Sullivan is due to talk with China’s top foreign policy official tomorrow.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2230 "2022-03-13T20:25:50Z")
Now this, this is how you get one step closer to WWIII.
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### Author:  [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2231 "2022-03-13T21:02:02Z")
I sure hope China doesn’t decide to help. I wonder if the average rural Chinese person is as brainwashed as the average rural Russian.
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### Author:  [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2232 "2022-03-13T21:04:57Z")
from the Guardian live page:
> In response to reports that **Russia** is seeking military equipment and other support from **China** , the Chinese embassy in the US said the priority right now is to ensure the tense situation does not escalate or get out of control, according to Reuters.
Don’t think China wants to get involved and their main concern is world security.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2233 "2022-03-13T21:09:48Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#):
>
> Now this, this is how you get one step closer to WWIII.
Not exactly a baby step, either. Eeep.
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### Author:  [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2234 "2022-03-13T21:10:48Z")
hopefully neither are as deeply brainwashed as the average rural American
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### Author:  [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2235 "2022-03-13T21:17:28Z")
I’m in daily (almost) contact with very well educated people in China.
They are way, way, more brainwashed than the average semi-literate Trumpet. The level of hubris and paranoia is staggering.
Over the last ten years the availability of accurate information about domestic and international politics to the Chinese people has plummeted. And the ability of propagandists to manage the message is beyond the wildest dreams of anyone in the “West”
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2236 "2022-03-13T21:17:33Z")
Today’s assessment from the Institute for the Study of War:
> [@](#):
>
> **March 13, 4:00 pm EST**
>
> **Russian forces again conducted few ground offensives on March 13, only securing new terrain in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.** The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces predominantly took measures to restore combat readiness and regrouped combat units as of noon local time on March 13.[1] Russian forces continue to assemble reinforcements and attempt to improve logistical support in both the Kyiv and southern operational directions. Russian forces may intend to resume larger-scale attacks on both axes of advance in the coming week, but will likely take longer to (or may never) cohere the combat power necessary to complete the encirclement of Kyiv.
>
> **Key Takeaways**
>
> - **Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations northwest of Kyiv for the third day in a row.**
> - **Russian forces did not conduct attacks toward northeastern Kyiv and prioritized reinforcing their lines of communication and logistics routes.**
> - **Russian and proxy forces successfully captured several towns north of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast on March 13, the only offensive ground actions of the day.**
> - **Ukrainian protests in occupied Kherson are likely expanding.**
> - **Russia is diluting its international deployments in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh to reinforce operations in Ukraine and pulling additional forces from Russia’s far east.**
> - **Ukrainian intelligence reported Russia will deploy preexisting pro-Assad Syrian units to Ukraine, in addition to previously announced plans to recruit new Syrian and Libyan mercenaries. These forces are unlikely to enable Russia to favorably change the balance of forces around Kyiv in the next week but may provide a longer-term pool of low-quality replacements.**
> - **Russian ballistic missiles killed 35 Ukrainians at the Yavoriv military training center near Poland in a likely effort to interdict Western aid deliveries to Ukraine—following up on the Kremlin’s March 12 announcement it will treat international aid shipments as military targets.**
> **[Institute for the Study of War](https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-13)**
>
> Russian forces again conducted few ground offensives on March 13, only securing new terrain in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces predominantly took measures to restore combat readiness and regrouped
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2237 "2022-03-13T21:54:09Z")
BBC:
> [@](#):
>
> Asked about media reports that Russia was asking China for military help, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington says Beijing is focused on keeping the war in Ukraine from “getting out of control”.
>
> Reuters quoted embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu as saying that “the situation in Ukraine is indeed disconcerting”.
>
> “The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation escalating or even getting out of control,” he said.
>
> Earlier on Sunday, the Financial Times and a number of other media outlets reported that US officials believe Russia has requested Chinese military supplies to help with the war effort, as well as economic support.
>
> When asked about the reports, the spokesperson said that he “never heard of that”.
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### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2238 "2022-03-13T21:56:59Z")
I think Russia may use chemical weapons in the near future, and I’m very worried that (and/or other escalation) could bring the US and the rest of Europe into the war.
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### Author:  [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2239 "2022-03-13T21:57:42Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#):
>
> They are way, way, more brainwashed than the average semi-literate Trumpet. The level of hubris and paranoia is staggering.
Now that’s scary.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2240 "2022-03-13T22:02:25Z")
US admits the presence of 25 US bio-labs in Ukraine.
>
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