# Russia invades Ukraine {2022-02-24} (Part 2) **URL:** \ **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:** 58
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1144 "2022-12-16T13:17:29Z")
11 posts were merged into an existing topic: [Russian Use of Nuclear Weapons and Response rgd Ukraine](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-use-of-nuclear-weapons-and-response-rgd-ukraine/972339/240) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1146 "2022-12-16T07:05:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > in the next couple months I’m not sure that a campaign in the dead of winter is really the best bet. I guess you won’t have to worry about mud from the spring thaw, at least. ---
**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:** [December 16, 2022, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1147 "2022-12-16T07:24:09Z")
There could be a window of opportunity after the ground freezes, and before the spring mud season starts. > [@](#): > > But in general, commanders on both sides are watching and waiting for the winter freeze to open a new window for offensive operations. “Using the moment, when the ground is firmer, I am convinced that we will resume our counteroffensives and the campaign on liberating our land,” [Ukrainian Defense Minister] Reznikov said on Sunday. > > … > > The deep freeze expected in mid-January will make roads and even waterways passable; a golden opportunity for the mechanized units hoping to once again drive deep behind Russian lines and precipitate another military collapse. > **[Frozen ground and nowhere to hide. Why Russia faces brutal winter war](https://www.newsweek.com/frozen-ground-nowhere-hide-ukraine-why-russia-faces-brutal-winter-war-1767016)** > > Ukrainian forces will be looking to continue their counteroffensives against Russian troops struggling with harsh weather and logistical strains. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1157 "2022-12-16T13:14:58Z")
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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1158 "2022-12-16T13:19:59Z")
I moved the massive hijack to where it belongs. You all know better. Avoid such hijacks in the Breaking News thread in the Future. 11 posts were merged into an existing topic: [Russian Use of Nuclear Weapons and Response rgd Ukraine](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-use-of-nuclear-weapons-and-response-rgd-ukraine/972339/240) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1159 "2022-12-16T13:25:45Z")
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**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:** [December 16, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1160 "2022-12-16T14:00:47Z")
Not sure where else to put this. In October David Letterman traveled to Kyiv to interview Zelensky, and Netflix started streaming it on Monday. Anyone who’s been following the war might find it to be of interest. Here’s the trailer: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xJrWFn5lwU8/maxresdefault.jpg "My Next Guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Official Clip | Netflix") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJrWFn5lwU8) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1161 "2022-12-16T14:19:13Z")
Russia has hammered Kharkiv. Lots of power infrastructure wiped out. > **[Ukraine war latest: Kharkiv without power after latest Russian strikes - BBC...](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-63998267)** > > The whole of Kharkiv has no electricity after fresh wave of missiles hits energy infrastructure. Also Ukraine says Russia is planning massive ground attack. > **[Ukraine war: Kyiv says Russia planning major ground offensive in new year](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63995244)** > > President Zelensky and senior officials warn that Kyiv and its allies must guard against complacency. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2022, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1162 "2022-12-17T00:18:30Z")
Russia is certainly relentless. Ukraine urgently needs updated MiGs before the next big attack on Kiev. Several former Soviet countries have offered to provide them. I think the US has blocked every proposal. The planes should be quietly transferred without public acknowledgment. Much like the mysterious oil storage attacks inside Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1163 "2022-12-17T13:40:03Z")
Winter has, historically, been Russia’s most loyal and powerful ally. If even Winter is turning against them, that’s bad news for Russia. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1164 "2022-12-17T13:49:33Z")
A “new Russian offensive” towards Kyiv sounds absolutely ludicrous. 300,000 unwilling recruits, with old and poorly maintained equipment, in the winter, with the Russian logistics system that has been a total failure beyond their own borders so far, is a recipe for a gruesome meatgrinder. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1165 "2022-12-17T15:41:04Z")
Seems like a statement from Putin that basically says “I’m willing to trade 5 russian lives for every Ukraine life. How about you negotiate?” With a bonus to the west asking how long they’ll continue to supply billions of dollars to sustain Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1166 "2022-12-17T16:47:21Z")
So far pretty much every one of Putin’s decisions has been catastrophically dumb. If this is his thinking, it’s probably just more of the same. A poor and corrupt kleptocracy has no chance in an offensive war against a large and motivated populace, no matter how many bodies they throw at it. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1167 "2022-12-17T16:53:27Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > Seems like a statement from Putin that basically says “I’m willing to trade 5 russian lives for every Ukraine life. How about you negotiate?” With a bonus to the west asking how long they’ll continue to supply billions of dollars to sustain Ukraine. We’re sitting here wondering when Russia will run out of men, and they’re sitting there, wondering when NATO will run out of money. Their big problem is, it’s a lot easier to make money than to make men. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1168 "2022-12-17T17:17:57Z")
I think the plan might be to feed Belorussians into the meat grinder for a while. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1169 "2022-12-17T17:55:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Winter has, historically, been Russia’s most loyal and powerful ally. If even Winter is turning against them, that’s bad news for Russia. Winter is always and only an ally of the side that is better prepared for its conditions. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1170 "2022-12-17T18:04:44Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I think the plan might be to feed Belorussians into the meat grinder for a while. Heh, and what’s going to motivate the Belorussians to do it? What’s in it for them? I think that’s going to be a hard sell. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1171 "2022-12-17T18:31:00Z")
That’s a problem for Lukashenko. Obviously he would order them to do so because he’s Putin’s bitch. Whether or not his men follow the orders or decide that it’s time that Lukashenko face the same fate that Caesescu and other faced before him is different question. That’s likely to depend on how many Russian troops are there to keep the Belarussian forces in order. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1172 "2022-12-17T18:40:07Z")
It would be quite a sight to see Belarussian troops battling Russian troops over who has to attack the Ukrainians. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972/1173 "2022-12-17T18:41:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So far pretty much every one of Putin’s decisions has been catastrophically dumb. > [@Horatius](#): > > We’re sitting here wondering when Russia will run out of men, and they’re sitting there, wondering when NATO will run out of money. Putin: I can keep this up all day. The west: So can we. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972.md?page=57) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-2022-02-24-part-2/973972.md?page=59)