# Russia invades Ukraine {2022-02-24} (Part 1) **URL:** \ **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:** 139
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2761 "2022-03-19T16:07:10Z")
nm ninja’d by WE? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2762 "2022-03-19T16:20:50Z")
Comparative ranks: NATO equivalent / Russian Federation / United States OF-7 / Lieutenant general / Brigadier General OF-6 / Major general / Colonel So, in US Army terms, only one general has perished. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2763 "2022-03-19T16:24:06Z")
That’s not really accurate. O-6 and OF-6 are pay grades and don’t indicate if they’re Generals. You would have to look at what a Russian Major General typically commands to see if it compares to Colonel or Brigadier. But at this point, would it be better in another thread? [Wiki at least does say](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_general#Russia) their Major General is equivalent to a British [brigadier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadier_(United_Kingdom)) or an American [brigadier general](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadier_general_(United_States)).[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_general#cite_note-3) ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2764 "2022-03-19T16:29:30Z")
Okay, five dead Russian generals it is then. 😍 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2765 "2022-03-19T16:38:45Z")
Anyone know how long the new cosmonauts will be on the space station? Their reception when they return could be dangerous. Will the space capsule immediately fall into the Russian’s territory? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2766 "2022-03-19T16:41:30Z")
I believe they land in Kazakhstan. In fact, their families were probably there for the launch. I wonder if they plan on returning to Russia. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2767 "2022-03-19T17:30:07Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Their reception when they return could be dangerous. Will the space capsule immediately fall into the Russian’s territory? The issue is not where the space capsule will land but whence it will depart. ROSKOSMOS is based in Moscow and is responsible for managing transport service to the ISS, and I might be mistaken, but I think the station does not have a bunch of Soyuz capsules attached to it: there are a lot of cosmonauts in the image and nowhere near the required capacity up there to get them all back to earth. Unless SpaceX or Blue Horizons or Virgin Galactic or the ESA can help them, they are stuck in orbit until Russia decides to send a ride or they starve to death. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2768 "2022-03-19T17:48:39Z")
The Russians would NEVER give Elon the satisfaction of ~~riding in on~~ launching his ~~white steed~~ Dragon capsule to the rescue of their brave Cosmonauts. Although after the blue/yellow suits thing… ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2769 "2022-03-19T18:43:50Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I think the station does not have a bunch of Soyuz capsules attached to it: there are a lot of cosmonauts in the image and nowhere near the required capacity up there to get them all back to earth. ISS always has a ride home for everyone on board. Standard procedure is that the capsule you go up on is docked for the duration of your stay, and you ride back on it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2770 "2022-03-19T18:55:44Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > ROSKOSMOS is based in Moscow Kind of like NASA is based in Houston. The spacecraft launch and land elsewhere. In Roskosmos’ case, in a different country closer to the equator. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2771 "2022-03-19T19:26:47Z")
ignorance fought ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2772 "2022-03-19T19:52:18Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Comparative ranks: > > NATO equivalent / Russian Federation / United States > > OF-7 / Lieutenant general / Brigadier General > OF-6 / Major general / Colonel This doesn’t really make sense. A Russian Major General has the same general level of responsibility as a brigadier general. Typically one in combat arms would command a brigade. Russia does have just colonels, who are equivalent to our colonels. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2773 "2022-03-19T20:14:28Z")
Russian unit sizes may not be comparable, though: > [@](#): > > In the Soviet army the battalion was smaller than its U.S. counterpart. A typical rifle battalion of a rifle division consisted of 370 officers and men organized into three 78-man rifle companies and machine-gun, artillery, mortar, and service units. That persisted through the collapse of the Soviet Union and a series of organizational restructuring plans implemented in the early 21st century. The Soviet command hierarchy, which focused on operations at the division level, was replaced with a brigade-based structure that emphasized flexibility and rapid reaction. The battalions that made up those brigades continued to be smaller than their NATO counterparts. > **[Battalion | Military Unit Structure & Organization](https://www.britannica.com/topic/battalion)** > > Battalion, a tactical military organization composed basically of a headquarters and two or more companies, batteries, or similar organizations and usually commanded by a field-grade officer. The term has been used in nearly every Western army for... ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2774 "2022-03-19T21:01:04Z")
This is going to be so ugly, for so long. > ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2775 "2022-03-19T21:13:52Z")
I’ve seen a lot of that, too, over the past week, on Reddit in general, not just from Ukrainians. The view is, the conscripts could have been tricked into the initial attack, and even beyond that, could not be blamed more than the average soldier for taking orders to fight for a bad cause. But now with the emphasis on indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, the view seems to be shifting toward they _have_ to know the atrocities they’re being told to commit and so even if they are not participating are to blame for them. I don’t quite buy that myself, because they don’t have the choice between fighting, simply going home, or overthrowing their government: they have a choice between fighting or being jailed or executed (unless they can arrange a surrender without getting themselves killed in the process.) The same goes for the average Russian, who also doesn’t have the power to singlehandedly stop the war. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2776 "2022-03-19T21:27:30Z")
That said, at this point if the average Ukrainian is a bit irrational in their anger it’s not a mystery why they feel that way. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2777 "2022-03-19T21:32:48Z")
A bit of an update: Russia has used hypersonic missiles in combat now. [cite](https://www.space.com/russia-uses-hypersonic-missile-ukraine-war) [cite](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/19/us/politics/russia-hypersonic-missile-attack-claim.html) I’m starting to see claims that Mariupol has fallen. Not confirmed. It has been under constant bombardment and bodies are being left in the streets because it’s too dangerous to recover them. The same sources claiming the city has fallen also are saying the civilians surviving are being rounded up and taken to Russia. This is not getting any better. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2778 "2022-03-19T21:43:11Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I’m starting to see claims that Mariupol has fallen. Not confirmed. Mariupol has definitely not fallen. Fighting is ongoing. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2779 "2022-03-19T21:44:22Z")
That is… sort of a relief. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/2780 "2022-03-19T21:52:33Z")
Latest campaign assessment from the Institute for the Study of War: > **[Institute for the Study of War](https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-19)** > > Ukrainian forces have defeated the initial Russian campaign of this war. That campaign aimed to conduct airborne and mechanized operations to seize Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and other major Ukrainian cities to force a change of government in Ukraine.... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037.md?page=138) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037.md?page=140)