# Russia invades Ukraine {2022-02-24} (Part 2)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Tags:** ukraine-invasion, breaking-news\
**Created:** [October 29, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972 "2022-10-29T17:49:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 202

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4113 "2023-05-22T10:58:42Z")

</div>

Some reports on Twitter that Ukraine has attacked Belgorod Oblast in Russia. I’m sure better information will be out shortly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4114 "2023-05-22T12:05:33Z")

</div>

It looks like the anti-Putin Freedom of Russia Legion:

> <https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1660600938120335361>

> <https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1660601786921623553>

> **[Freedom of Russia Legion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Russia_Legion)**
>
> The Freedom of Russia Legion (Russian: Легион «Свобода России», romanized: Legion "Svoboda Rossii"; Ukrainian: Легіон «Свобода Росії», romanized: Lehion "Svoboda Rosiyi"), also translated as the Freedom for Russia Legion, or the Liberty of Russia Legion is a legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, formed in March 2022 to fight for Ukraine against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war. It consists of defectors of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as other R According t...

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4115 "2023-05-22T12:20:50Z")

</div>

Includes tanks:

> <https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1660567364763635712>

> <https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1660574630606675971>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4116 "2023-05-22T14:14:46Z")

</div>

Russians fighting Russians inside Russia? That should shake up Moscow.

I hope Ukraine isn’t behind this escalation.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4117 "2023-05-22T15:02:37Z")

</div>

Russian spin from Belgorod Bob/Admiral Ackbarov:

> <https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1660633748180803586>

[![](https://i.imgur.com/GnPJ9IM.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/GnPJ9IM.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4118 "2023-05-22T15:06:55Z")

</div>

Two Freedom of Russia Legion soldiers:

> <https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1660660799227015168>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4119 "2023-05-22T15:10:45Z")

</div>

“and he will soon turn into maple syrup”

What?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4120 "2023-05-22T15:15:41Z")

</div>

Maybe they will try to hold ground in Russia this time?

> <https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1660665054071599104>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4121 "2023-05-22T15:19:15Z")

</div>

Maybe honey is better translation:

> <https://twitter.com/The_Real_ITDUDE/status/1660662740417904644>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4122 "2023-05-22T15:24:13Z")

</div>

I now have this weird image of Putin running around and around a tree and turning into maple syrup, like the tigers turning into butter in the [Little Babaji/Little Black Sambo story](https://www.drttmk.com/books/story-little-babaji).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4123 "2023-05-22T15:26:41Z")

</div>

Defensible position:

> <https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1660662431826300929>

Russian ultranationalist Igor Girkin:

> <https://twitter.com/DefMon3/status/1660666336576503809>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4124 "2023-05-22T15:32:15Z")

</div>

> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#):
>
> Russian spin from Belgorod Bob/Admiral Ackbarov:

It’s a trap 😄.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4125 "2023-05-22T16:55:27Z")

</div>

> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Russians fighting Russians inside Russia? That should shake up Moscow.
> 
> I hope Ukraine isn’t behind this escalation.

1. Of course Ukraine is behind this.

2. How is it escalation for Ukraine to launch a border raid on a couple Russian villages when 1/6 of their territory is occupied by the Russian army?

3. Ukrainians are positively gleefully echoing Russian language from 2014 in response to this. This is from a semi-official government source: " #Ukraine is watching the events in the #Belgorod region of #Russia with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it. As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens."

> <https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1660630391068164096?s=20>

In the early days of the so-called DNR/LNR “separatist uprisings” Russia responded to claims that uniformed Russian soldiers were participating by saying that you could buy Russian uniforms at any military surplus store.

Also, many Ukrainians on Twitter are taking pains point out the correct spelling of the region is Bilhorod, not Belgorod, and that it was part of independent Ukraine in 1918 before the Bolsheviks invaded.

Anyways, clearly poking the bear in the eye is a boost to Ukrainian morale.

> <https://twitter.com/Teoyaomiquu/status/1660676936547409921>

> <https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1660663430489989128>

> <https://twitter.com/maria_drutska/status/1660648002950684673>

> <https://twitter.com/mrsorokaa/status/1660664238581460994>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4126 "2023-05-22T17:06:14Z")

</div>

those tweets are really comedy gold …  
.

just a thought: a welcome (by chance or design?) distraction before a UKR offensive …

the russians will have to spread themselves ever-so-thinner and now have to defend russian territory …

THIS CANNOT BE GOOD for Mr.P.

The good thing is - that the Russians cannot go hog-wild there with the “rebels” with full-on-air-support, I assume they are still subject to Ukr. AA-Defense, right?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4127 "2023-05-22T17:30:18Z")

</div>

It’s good to have a president who was a comedian.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4128 "2023-05-22T18:28:24Z")

</div>

I expect fighting in some of these locations will be in the news this summer. The strategic locations are the most interesting part of the BBC article.

I remember we’ve already discussed dragons teeth in this thread. They require a deep foundation to hinder tanks. Otherwise they can be pushed over. The minefields near these defenses will be a obstacle that Ukrainian combat engineers will have to clear.

It will help if more Russian troops are tied up defending border towns.  
Link [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65615184](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65615184)

> [@](#):
>
> By examining hundreds of satellite images, the BBC has identified some key points in the significant build-up of trenches and other fortifications in southern Ukraine since October.
> 
> These four locations offer an insight into what Russia expects from the counter-offensive, and what defences Ukrainian forces might encounter.

Key locations

1. Crimea West Coast  
2 The small city of Tokmak lies on a key route in the south-east of the country that Ukrainian forces may want to use to cut off Crimea from other Russian-held territories.  
3 The E105 is strategically important, connecting Russian-held Melitopol in the south with the northern city of Kharkiv, held by Ukraine. Along the same road is Zaporizhzhia, which could be the target of a Ukrainian counter-offensive.  
4 Located near the small village of Rivnopil about 34 miles (55km) north of Mariupol, each circular trench has a mound of soil in the middle, possibly either to protect artillery or to keep guns stable.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4129 "2023-05-22T18:35:31Z")

</div>

Happily, Power has been restored at the Russian-occupied [Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/4/infographic-ukraines-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant) after Ukraine and Russia blamed one another for the latest blackout.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mogle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mogle/32/12021_2.png) [@Mogle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogle)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4130 "2023-05-22T18:39:26Z")

</div>

Some other good news, the promised CV90’s (which turned out to be the C variant) are on their way.

> <https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1660704965180940289>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 22, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4131 "2023-05-22T18:54:57Z")

</div>

Do panels fold out with a kitchen galley, tv and latrine? 😀

I didn’t know about this delivery from Sweden. More Armored Combat vehicles will certainly help Ukraine.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/4132 "2023-05-22T18:55:36Z")

</div>

A Russian deputy minister died over the weekend after he criticized the invasion.

> **[Russian Deputy Minister Dies Suddenly After Slamming ‘Fascist Invasion’ of...](https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-deputy-minister-pyotr-kucherenko-dies-after-slamming-fascist-invasion-of-ukraine)**
>
> The Russian government offered its “deepest condolences” to his loved ones.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972.md?page=201)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972.md?page=203)