### Author:  [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4364 "2022-04-11T02:03:31Z")
Personally, I generally think we should de-couple any relief of sanctions from a cease fire. The conditions for a cease fire should come between Ukraine and Russia, and I think the relief from sanctions should be part of a wider, more permanent peace.
Whether Putin is fertilizer or not at that point, I would prefer that sanctions would only be lifted after Ukraine received more concrete security guarantees than it has had in the past. Up to and including membership in NATO, if they so desire.
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### Author:  [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4365 "2022-04-11T05:01:01Z")
Alexander Rzhavsky, a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician, was killed by Russian troops during their rampage through Bucha.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4366 "2022-04-11T08:32:24Z")
Russia claims it destroyed the anti-missile system donated by Slovakia. They say otherwise.
It was just donated a few days ago. Seems unlikely Russia would have the exact target location unless a collaborator provided the gps coordinates.
Hope no one falls for the trick of posting a photo. The geotagging would provide the targeting.
>
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4367 "2022-04-11T09:08:57Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Boris Johnson is promising a lot. I hope he can deliver.
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> Enough with the political jabs in a Breaking news thread.
Darn it. _Such_ a low-hanging fruit.
But the fact that Johnson was willing to go to Kyiv at all must be an encouraging sign for Zelenskyy. It’s also a public statement that Kyiv remains free enough that foreign leaders can come and go there, as indeed they have been.
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> **another top Russian general has died in battle in [Ukraine](https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine).**
>
> **Colonel Alexander Bespalov**
(from a Guardian blog)
Ah - one of those Colonel Generals.
Don’t ever change, Grauniad.
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#):
>
> Alexander Rzhavsky, a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician, was killed by Russian troops during their rampage through Bucha.
I didn’t know they even had face-eating leopards in Russia.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4368 "2022-04-11T09:13:52Z")
In Russian they’re face-eating bears.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4369 "2022-04-11T12:33:12Z")
Damn. 😢
They’ve fought until nearly the last man and woman.
Guardian Blog
> [@](#):
>
> In a statement on Facebook, the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said:
>
> > Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out.
>
> After defending the port for 47 days and doing “everything possible and impossible” to retain control of the city, the marines said it had been “pushed back” and “surrounded” by the Russian army, adding:
>
> > It’s death for some of us, and captivity for the rest.
>
> Russian forces have said fighting has recently centred around Mariupol’s Azovstal iron and steel works and in the port.
>
> The marines said that is where “the enemy gradually pushed us back” and “surrounded us with fire, and is now trying to destroy us”.
>
> > The mountain of wounded makes up almost half of the brigade. Those whose limbs are not torn off return to battle.
> >
> > The infantry was all killed and the shooting battles are now conducted by artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners, radio operators, drivers and cooks. Even the orchestra.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4370 "2022-04-11T12:37:38Z")
Sanctions should be tied to full nuclear disarmament.
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### Author:  [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4371 "2022-04-11T13:30:50Z")
And the provision of free flying unicorns to every man, woman and child in the world…
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4372 "2022-04-11T14:08:11Z")
> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> Colonel General
This is a thing in the Russian Federation armed forces.
> **[Colonel general | Russia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_general#Russia)**
>
> The rank of colonel general (Russian: генерал-полковник, romanized: general-polkovnik) was first established in the Red Army on 7 May 1940, as a replacement for the previously existing Komandarm 2nd rank (kommandarm vtorovo ranga, "army commander of the second rank"). During World War II, about 199 officers were promoted to colonel general. Before 1943, Soviet colonel generals wore four stars on their collar patches (petlitsy). Since 1943, they have worn three stars on their shoulder straps, m Un...
But that’s not what the Guardian actually meant.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4373 "2022-04-11T14:11:12Z")
I’m concerned the Russians won’t take prisoners in Mariupol. Ukraine forces have defended the port for 47 days. The Russian forces have to be very frustrated.
This could be really bad when the Ukrainians can’t resist any longer.
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4374 "2022-04-11T14:17:22Z")
> [@gnoitall](#):
>
> This is a thing in the Russian Federation armed forces.
Huh. I stand corrected.
But yes, this is the Guardian’s usual sloppiness. They can do some damn good reporting but they do tend to screw up around the fringes.
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4375 "2022-04-11T14:38:15Z")
> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> But yes, this is the Guardian’s usual sloppiness. They can do some damn good reporting but they do tend to screw up around the fringes.
If they are anything like US news, the headlines and titles are often composed by the least experienced staff.
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### Author:  [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4376 "2022-04-11T14:39:12Z")
Over the weekend I checked [archive.org](http://archive.org) to see what had been uploaded recently,---------- and came across wall of videos with titles like “Drugged Up Ukrainian Soldier Admits Shooting Civilians While On Drugs” and “Ukrainian Nazis Now Also Torture Children”.
(Clumsy attempts at misinformation, but still, where’s that “slap to the forehead” emoticon when you really need it.)
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4377 "2022-04-11T15:31:00Z")
Evil cackling Russian karting racer [makes Nazi salute](https://twitter.com/FreelFreel/status/1513266489410867204) on podium and gets his contract terminated.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4378 "2022-04-11T15:39:25Z")
[CNN: Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt, says S&P](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/11/investing/russia-default-sp/index.html)
> [@](#):
>
> A full foreign currency default would be Russia’s first in more than a century, when Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin repudiated bonds issued by the Tsarist government.
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4379 "2022-04-11T15:42:56Z")
I suspect that it will be a default with an asterisk under the circumstances (insofar as they had the money but could not access it for non-financial reasons) and thus the longer-term consequences will not be as severe, assuming things settle down reasonably soon. But it’s still going to leave a mark in the short term.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4380 "2022-04-11T15:43:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> Sanctions should be tied to full nuclear disarmament.
And I want a pony. The only way Russia ever disarms is if all their nukes have been fired at us.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4381 "2022-04-11T16:23:40Z")
>
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### Author:  [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4382 "2022-04-11T16:26:32Z")
Can someone explain to an idiot (me) what this means?
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/4383 "2022-04-11T16:28:40Z")
It means almost 30% of the Russian invasion force has been rendered combat ineffective.
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