# 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:** 58
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1141 "2022-03-04T17:57:41Z")
I dunno. She probably thought Obamacare was unreasonable, unhinged, and irresponsible. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1142 "2022-03-04T18:03:22Z")
I haven’t seen this in SDMB but apparently the Russians captured the reactor and now have the workers working under Russian gun-point. So now, if true, we now have slave labour back in Europe, at a nuclear reactor no less. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1143 "2022-03-04T18:19:11Z")
Were the workers not working prior to the arrival of armed Russian soldiers? What commands have the soldiers been issuing to these workers? “Keep doing what you were doing”? ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1144 "2022-03-04T18:37:01Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > We’ve truly fallen down the rabbit hole, Toto. In response to Lindsey’s “Brutus” comment… > > [Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Twitter: “While we are all praying for peace & for the people of Ukraine, this is irresponsible, dangerous & unhinged. We need leaders with calm minds & steady wisdom. Not blood thirsty warmongering politicians trying to tweet tough by demanding assassinations. Americans don’t want war.” / Twitter](https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1499594566789390352) > > #SMGDH Curious if she’d have this kind of response to someone who called for Biden to be assassinated. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1145 "2022-03-04T18:46:48Z")
UK _Independent_ [live feed](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-ukraine-news-putin-war-b2028568.html): > #### Ukraine still has ‘significant majority’ of military aircraft available, US defence official says > > While Ukraine has suffered military losses in the air, experts are surprised that Russia’s far larger military did not quickly destroy Ukraine’s air force and gain domination over the country’s skies as Vladimir Putin launched his invasion, allowing his country’s ground forces to press ahead unimpeded. > > “The Ukrainians still have a significant majority of their air combat power available to them, both fixed-wing and rotary wing as well as unmanned systems and surface-to-air systems,” a US defence official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters. Also: > Three Russian commanders have been killed after moving towards the frontline in a suspected bid to restore momentum to Vladimir Putin’s flagging invasion of Ukraine, Western sources have claimed. Ukraine [announcement](https://war.ukraine.ua/): > Our military is holding the sky over Ukraine. Another enemy Su-25 jet was destroyed. A total of 34 enemy planes and 37 helicopters were shot down during Russia’s invasion — Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1146 "2022-03-04T18:52:28Z")
> **[Three Russian commanders killed in Ukraine](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/russia-ukraine-invasion-commanders-killed-b2028773.html)** > > Russians switch to long-distance bombardment as tank columns get bogged down north of Kyiv ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1147 "2022-03-04T18:57:23Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > Ukraine still has ‘significant majority’ of military aircraft available, US defence official says The Ukrainian Air Force has, in addition to the combat aircraft mentioned earlier, 47 [Aero L-39 Albatross](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_L-39_Albatros) trainers. The Wikipedia entry on that aircraft says: **Armament** : Up to 284 kg (626 lb) of stores on two external hardpoints. Not a lot, but a couple of 250-pounders can certainly do more than just scratch the target’s paint. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1148 "2022-03-04T19:40:02Z")
The BBC has a news service in Russian and has re-started broadcasting it in shortwave from over the border after having been banned by Putin. They are also making their website available on the deep web with numerous onion links. ---
**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 4, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1149 "2022-03-04T19:58:45Z")
Putin’s timing in this action is highly questionable. Ukraine is one of the regions where the aggressor is subject to the limitations of tie Rasputitsa, which was a major ally of the Soviets at Kursk. If the Russian army cannot gain a significant edge soon, their heavy equipment will be mired in the spring thaw, becoming more of an impediment than an asset. It looks like Vlad was either overly optimistic or is simply doomed to repeat the history from which he seems to have failed to learn. ---
**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 4, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1150 "2022-03-04T20:05:04Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > They are also making their website available on the deep web with numerous onion links. By this do you mean “onion links” in the sense of Tor’s phone app? I’m guessing you don’t mean a link to the satirical site _The Onion_. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1151 "2022-03-04T20:06:38Z")
My assumption was TOR…though The Onion would be really funny if that was the case. 😛 ---
**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 4, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1152 "2022-03-04T20:07:21Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Putin’s timing in this action is highly questionable. Ukraine is one of the regions where the aggressor is subject to the limitations of tie Rasputitsa, which was a major ally of the Soviets at Kursk. If the Russian army cannot gain a significant edge soon, their heavy equipment will be mired in the spring thaw, becoming more of an impediment than an asset. It’s already getting bogged down outside of Kyiv, which is what that armored column is staying on the road instead of going cross-country. Spring thaw came early this year, apparently (climate change working in someone’s favor for a change). Eastern Ukraine is, apparently, less of a bog being drier, as is the Crimean peninsula which might be a factor in more rapid Russian advancement there. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1153 "2022-03-04T20:08:26Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > By this do you mean “onion links” in the sense of Tor’s phone app? Indeed - not really sure exactly what it’s all called. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1154 "2022-03-04T20:13:46Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > It looks like Vlad was either overly optimistic or is simply doomed to repeat the history from which he seems to have failed to learn. Well, clearly, it only applies to those invading Russia, not the other way around. I was going to tag that “sarcasm” but Putin may be arrogant enough to think that way. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1155 "2022-03-04T20:24:28Z")
[https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/tech/russia-blocks-facebook/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/tech/russia-blocks-facebook/index.html) Emphasis mine: > In response, Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg [said](https://twitter.com/nickclegg/status/1499819557870989316?s=21) the company was doing “everything we can to restore our services” but that “millions of ordinary Russians” will soon **“find themselves cut off from reliable information.”** I wonder if he said that with a straight face? ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1156 "2022-03-04T21:07:06Z")
Well, sure. He gets paid enough for the necessary Botox. ---
**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 4, 2022, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1157 "2022-03-04T23:07:55Z")
It looks like a [Kentucky Teachers retirement fund was](https://twitter.com/mkt_sentiment/status/1499585225546170370) so heavily into Sberbank that they have lost 95% of their investment (over $12M lost). ---
**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 4, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1158 "2022-03-04T23:11:19Z")
Note to self: “Do not take investment advice from Mitch McConnell” ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1159 "2022-03-04T23:11:28Z")
Guess who’s going to want a bailout! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037/1160 "2022-03-04T23:16:24Z")
> **[No, Kentucky’s teacher pension fund did not lose $13 million on Russian bank...](https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article259056243.html)** > > The Teachers’ Retirement System of Kentucky says it sold its stock in Russia’s Sberbank last month. > “From March 2017 until the final sale on Feb. 23, 2022, TRS invested $15.6 million with $12.4 million returned, for a loss of $3.2 million,” the agency said. > > However, that loss was offset by about $3 million in dividends paid while TRS owned the stock, TRS added. > > “TRS’s holding was in an over-the-counter, American-exchange portion of Sberbank known as an American depositary receipt. This is a small piece of the overall Sberbank capital structure,” the agency said. > > “TRS’s remaining exposure to holdings in Russia is proportionately negligible in a portfolio of about $26 billion,” the agency said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037.md?page=57) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-1/960037.md?page=59)