### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5211 "2022-04-29T16:57:53Z")
[Yesterday’s Institute for the Study of War campaign assessment](https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-28) commented on reports that Valery Gerasimov, the highest-ranking officer of the Russian Armed Forces, is “in theater” and personally commanding operations.
> [@](#):
>
> Ukrainian news outlet Defense Express reported on April 27 that Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov will take personal command of the Russian offensive in the Izyum direction. Citing unspecified Ukrainian military sources, Defense Express stated that Gerasimov is already in-theater and will command the offensive “at the operational and tactical level” and claimed the Russian military failed to create a single command structure under Southern Military District Commander Alexander Dvornikov. ISW cannot independently confirm this report. However, ISW previously assessed that Dvornikov’s appointment as overall commander in Ukraine would not solve Russia’s command and control challenges and likely strain his span of control. If confirmed, the appointment of Russia’s senior general officer to command tactical operations indicates both the importance of the Izyum drive to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the breakdown in the Russian military’s normal chain of command.
[ ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Valery_Gerasimov_official_photo_version_2017-07-11.jpg/640px-Valery_Gerasimov_official_photo_version_2017-07-11.jpg)
From today, this would be interesting, if true:
>
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5212 "2022-04-29T17:09:33Z")
> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Sure, but what I mean is, it would be much better from a PR standpoint to have “Weapons-Gift Act” rather than “Lend-Lease”, I suppose.
Not if the PR is aimed at Americans. Taxes and government expenditures trump everything. Calling it a loan is the only way to get it past the budget hounds.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5213 "2022-04-29T17:12:06Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#):
>
> [https://twitter.com/Mij\_Europe/status/1520020783967444993](https://twitter.com/Mij_Europe/status/1520020783967444993)
Excellent! We know how well that tactic worked for Hitler.
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### Author:  [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5214 "2022-04-29T17:23:35Z")
Especially the part where he ordered Steiner to counterattack 🤣
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5215 "2022-04-29T17:46:04Z")
Excellent, usually spooks like ex-KGB don’t make good commanders; it’s not like Putin ever drove tanks or fired arty.
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5216 "2022-04-29T17:48:22Z")
> [@DesertDog](#):
>
> Howcome the title got edited?
> [@I propose adding the date to breaking news thread titles {2022-04-28}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-propose-adding-the-date-to-breaking-news-thread-titles-2022-04-28/963636):
>
> Breaking news threads are often bumped weeks or months after the event with an update. But it can be disconcerting to see something like “active shooter in \_\_\_\_” only to realize after clicking through that it happened last year and someone is posting about the result of the trial. So how about adding a date to the title of breaking news threads, like I did as an example on this thread? I know we as posters will constantly forget, so we’d probably be somewhat dependent on mods to edit the titles…
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5217 "2022-04-29T17:49:07Z")
>
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5218 "2022-04-29T17:50:53Z")
Technically this could be considered the second invasion. Remember in 2014 the world stood by and let Putin annex Crimea.
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5219 "2022-04-29T17:55:05Z")
Can the U.N. intervene, even if for a purely humanitarian op, if certain parties in the Security Council veto intervention?
I don’t know the run rules for authorizing an intervention like that article describes.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5220 "2022-04-29T18:22:12Z")
>
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5221 "2022-04-29T19:16:28Z")
> Reports coming in about a shootout between Russian forces in Kiselivka, in the Kherson region.
>
> 50 Buryats started shooting against 50 Chechens after the Chechens stole goods that the Buryats had looted from Ukrainian homes.
>
> Killed & injured on both sides before FSB intervened.
>
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### Author:  [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5222 "2022-04-29T19:28:26Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> 50 Buryats started shooting against 50 Chechens after the Chechens stole goods that the Buryats had looted from Ukrainian homes.
>
> Killed & injured on both sides before FSB intervened.
Small victory? Too bad it doesn’t happen more often. That would help the war effort.
I see now on the the end of that tweet that 2 Russian helicopters collided because of a drunk pilot. Can’t see it on a news source yet.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5223 "2022-04-29T19:58:18Z")
Hoping for a massive missile strike on Red Square on 5/9 as the procession of vehicles goes down the Square…
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/5224 "2022-04-29T20:43:29Z")
I’m more hoping that some of the people in the parade remember the assassination of Anwar Sadat during similar circumstances.
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