# 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:** 192
### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3830 "2022-04-01T21:48:53Z")
> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> Ukraine is denying it was them, which is very confusing.
Would not surprise me one bit if it was a couple of lost Russian helo pilots.
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### Author:  [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3831 "2022-04-01T21:58:54Z")
At any rate, the attack destroyed a facility – not apartment buildings or shopping centers, not lots of Russians killed, put out on the street or otherwise severely inconvenienced. If Ukraine continues to prosecute a war on Russia that is more surgical than Vlad’s scorched-earth campaign, it will be difficult for the Kremlin to gin up support from any fence-sitters or foreign countries.
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### Author:  [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3832 "2022-04-01T23:11:00Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> I’ve heard of “poison pill” but poison _cookies_ ?!?
>
> The bastards!
This is why I never accept cookies. /back to the thread!
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3833 "2022-04-02T00:11:44Z")
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-april-1)**
>
> ISW assesses that the Kremlin has revised its campaign plan in Ukraine after the failure of its initial campaign to capture Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities and its subsequent failure to adjust its operations in late March. ISW previously...
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### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3834 "2022-04-02T00:14:15Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> > [@DigitalC](#):
> >
> > Ukraine is denying it was them, which is very confusing.
>
> Would not surprise me one bit if it was a couple of lost Russian helo pilots.
Yep. I could see it being a complete screw-up by the Russian military who attacked their own oil facilities due to complete and utter incompetence.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3835 "2022-04-02T00:31:28Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#):
>
> Therefore, the attack was done by either:
>
> - the Ukrainians
> - the Russians, as a false flag attack
> - the ghosts of the Russian helicopter pilots that have been shot down, as revenge for being sent to their deaths
Another option: frustrated Russian soldiers trying to impede and sabotage their own military, hoping to derail their own pending deployment and thus save their skins
Not at all the most likely scenario, by a wide margin, but possible.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3836 "2022-04-02T00:44:34Z")
It was actually the second thing I thought of.
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### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3837 "2022-04-02T00:57:33Z")
In any event, I’m worried about Putin’s next move, now that “withdrawing forces” has proven to be a lie as usual – as before the invasion, merely a deception while battle plans are formulated. I fear that renewed attacks may be more vicious than before, in what may be perhaps a last-ditch attempt to achieve some kind of “victory” via scorched-earth. I know the US and the NATO alliance are watching, and I hope they have the courage to respond appropriately, and in the meantime are beefing up weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. I honestly don’t think Putin is congenitally capable of backing out until he is either deposed or dead.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3838 "2022-04-02T01:04:23Z")
At this point, I’m in favor of the US and the EU providing full support to Ukraine. Weapons, supplies, forces, aid, cyber-strikes. All of it. The alternative is waiting for Russia to throw their 135,000 conscripts into the meat grinder in between flattening Ukrainian cities, killing civilians, and committing as many war crimes as possible.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3839 "2022-04-02T01:10:21Z")
It will take up to seven months to train the new conscripts - who are being conscripted as part of regular scheduled annual service, rather than being conscripted specifically for the Ukraine war - before they can be sent to the battlefield.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3840 "2022-04-02T01:19:40Z")
I thought the number was higher than expected, and the suspicion is that the war is responsible.
I say, why wait for the 7 months to be up? Actually, the way Putin’s been running things lately, who’s to say they will actually be trained per normal. It wouldn’t surprise me if they got 2 weeks and a “good luck kid” before they shipped off.
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### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3841 "2022-04-02T01:26:43Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#):
>
> It will take up to seven months to train the new conscripts
I don’t know about that. It seems that the “Training” that Russian soldiers receive consists mainly of following orders to line their tanks up in a row so they can be blown up. Seems rather simple to train men to do this.
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### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3842 "2022-04-02T01:28:09Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#):
>
> 2 weeks and a “good luck kid” before they shipped off.
Heck, you don’t even have to provide them with more than a weeks worth of rations, because they won’t last that long. Think of the money Putin will save!
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3843 "2022-04-02T01:58:52Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#):
>
> Armchair generals in Moscow… I wonder how honest the generals on the ground are when reporting back to them.
If you have a single general, in charge of an army in Ukraine, maybe that might keep Putin worried…best to have multiple generals far away in Moscow.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3844 "2022-04-02T02:01:29Z")
Now the waiting begins. Is Putin going to dramatically escalate with chemical weapons?
Ukraine’s cities are in ruins and it still may not be enough to satisfy Putin.
Ukraine’s military losses haven’t been disclosed. Every liberated city cost soldiers their lives.
What’s significant about May 9?
Guardian blog
> [@](#):
>
> Olexiy Danylov, Ukraine’s secretary of the national security and defence council appeared on TV earlier, according to Victor Kovalenko, a former Ukrainian journalist and soldier. **Danylov said it was too early to celebrate Russia’s apparent retreat,** according to Kovalenko’s translation.
>
> > “I would like everybody to realise that Putin doesn’t abandon an idea to destroy [Ukraine](https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine). Now he is rebuilding his forces to continue strikes. Do not enjoy that someone voluntarily leaves our cities - this is the work of our army. Behind the liberation of every city are the lost lives of our your men and women. That is why saying that “they run”… I would not say that. There is a high price for us for their retreat. They want to reformat very much. They need a victory. They have the sacred date - 9 May. To this date they have a goal to end everything with a victory parade. We have many battles ahead of us, so I don’t recommend anyone relax. The situation is not that joyful, as we all would want.”
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3845 "2022-04-02T02:05:35Z")
It’s come up in the thread before, but where is the tripwire? Chemical weapons?
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3846 "2022-04-02T02:12:18Z")
> [@eschereal](#):
>
> For your reference, Kyiv is at ~50°21’N, which is approximately Regina Saskatchewan or the base of the northern peninsula of the island of Newfoundland. Southern Ukraine extends as far south as 44° (Crimea), which is one reason Russia would like to own it, for the always-ice-free harbors.
Just to help keep things in context for a southerner like @aceplace57, here in Saskatchewan I still have snow in my front yard (south facing, gets lots of sunlight) and lots of snow in my backyard (north-facing, not getting as much sunlight).
April 1, Spring has sprung!
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3847 "2022-04-02T02:19:01Z")
> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> Ukraine is denying it was them, which is very confusing.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWltSYl-mNo)
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3848 "2022-04-02T02:49:16Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Just to help keep things in context for a southerner like @aceplace57, here in Saskatchewan I still have snow in my front yard (south facing, gets lots of sunlight) and lots of snow in my backyard (north-facing, not getting as much sunlight).
>
> April 1, Spring has sprung!
🥶 Everyone without heat in Ukraine is suffering.
Add in rain and mud. It must be miserable for the soldiers.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/3849 "2022-04-02T02:50:48Z")
Definitely! there are so many reasons to feel sorry for Ukrainians caught in this. The cold is one of them.
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