# Russia invades Ukraine -- The regional situation **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** ukraine-invasion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349 "2023-12-30T18:43:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 99
**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:** [October 10, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1963 "2026-10-10T22:05:58Z")
I think Putin may have found a way to get US support against Ukraine. Ukraine better stop the Russian refinery attacks. Otherwise Ukraine will be seen as the obstacle for Trump’s diesel imports and lower US prices. I hate to admit it. Putin pulled a master stroke idea. Trump sees lower diesel prices as the way to garner support for Republicans. > **['Time for Ukraine to get new president,' says Trump after Zelensky condemns...](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqe8r5l7n92jo)** > > Ukraine's leader had said the deal with Russia to release diesel into the US would help Moscow fund the war. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2026, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1964 "2026-10-10T22:09:23Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Ukraine will be seen as the obstacle for Trump’s diesel and lower US prices. No will buy this but Trump and his MAGA cult. Ukraine should keep up the attacks as they are obviously working. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1965 "2026-10-10T22:11:38Z")
What happens when Trump supplies Russia weapons? He will sell out Ukraine in a heartbeat for cheap oil. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2026, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1966 "2026-10-10T22:13:11Z")
Trump’s a nutball. His actions have nothing to do with his words and can’t be predicted. Ukraine should fight their war the best they can without trying to anticipate the moves of a demented clown. And there is no cheap oil anyway. Russia can’t supply their own people with oil, much less the US. The diesel “deal” is about PR and markets and politics, not about actual diesel. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1967 "2026-10-10T22:58:42Z")
The volumes in question are not enough and the US has no pull over Ukraine. This is not going to do anything. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1968 "2026-10-10T23:01:08Z")
Where would the tankers have to drop anchor to load up? How would they be flagged and what navy will safeguard their passage? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1969 "2026-10-11T00:31:20Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Apparently Trump has made a deal with Putin for Russian diesel to be delivered to the US, just in time for the midterms: I thought we had an embargo and sanctions? 🙀 But we just stole… err. seized a bunch of oil… [https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-seizes-3-million-fuel-shipments-cuba-crackdown-continues-2026-10-07/](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-seizes-3-million-fuel-shipments-cuba-crackdown-continues-2026-10-07/) HAVANA, Oct 7 (Reuters) - [The US](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/) said on Wednesday it had seized 90 separate shipments of biodiesel bound for [Cuba](https://www.reuters.com/world/cuba/) worth nearly $3 million, the second time ​in a week US authorities have announced the seizure of “illegal” fuel ‌en route to the island nation. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1970 "2026-10-11T10:55:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I thought we had an embargo and sanctions? 🙀 You also have a traitor in the White House. And the sanctions have been “eased”, for the benefit of Mr. P and Mr. T. > [@DrDeth](#): > > [The US](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/) said on Wednesday it had seized 90 separate shipments of biodiesel bound for [Cuba](https://www.reuters.com/world/cuba/) worth nearly $3 million That is about 33,000US$ per seizure, which at the current diesel prices means way less than 10,000 gallons. That is about the **[volume a tank truck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_truck#Size_and_volume)** transports. I would have thought a medium sized ship carries that much just to navigate around. Do they leave them empty and drifting away? I hope they at least sell the tripulation as slaves, anything else would be leaving money on the table. /s ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1971 "2026-10-11T13:49:48Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I hope they at least sell the tripulation as slaves, anything else would be leaving money on the table. /s Or make them join the U.S. Navy or walk the plank, that’s the tradition in those waters! ---
**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:** [October 11, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1972 "2026-10-11T14:46:14Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Apparently Trump has made a deal with Putin for Russian diesel to be delivered to the US, just in time for the midterms: But doesn’t Canada export more diesel than they use? And wouldn’t it be cheaper to pipe it to the United States than to ship it in ships? ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1973 "2026-10-11T17:01:48Z")
From what I understand, so does the US! So a million barrels a day are still going out and they’ll be replaced by tens of thousands of barrels (note that Trump’s figures are in tons because that sounds bigger) coming in, assuming Russia even has the means to ship it in the first place. It would be comical if Russia loaded up ships in the Black Sea and they were duly sunk by Ukraine. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2026, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1974 "2026-10-11T20:21:45Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > It would be comical if Russia loaded up ships in the Black Sea and they were duly sunk by Ukraine. It sickens me to even ponder the idea, but wouldn’t the obvious route be for Russia to load up said diesel in Vladivostok and send to say, the port of Los Angeles or some other place on the west coast? ---
**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:** [October 12, 2026, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1975 "2026-10-12T00:03:05Z")
I suspect Vladivostok is far from the refineries and I know there is no easy way to move diesel from the west coast to the rest of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1976 "2026-10-12T00:11:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I think Putin may have found a way to get US support against Ukraine. I don’t think anyone will buy this except for MAGA. And the truth is that MAGA are already pro-Russian for the most part. It was weird seeing both my MAGA and extreme leftest acquaintences posting the same Russian propaganda online in the months leading up to the start of the war. > [@aceplace57](#): > > He will sell out Ukraine in a heartbeat for cheap oil. Ha! He’s selling out the United States, so of course he’ll sell out Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1977 "2026-10-12T00:16:49Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I suspect Vladivostok is far from the refineries and I know there is no easy way to move diesel from the west coast to the rest of the US. I don’t think the latter is that much a problem since it’s only a performative amount of diesel anyway. People who would overlook the size would also overlook the location. I don’t know if it would be easier to get the diesel from Vladivostok or not, since it the entire region had fewer refineries before the war but also is farther away from Ukrainian drones that hit the refineries closer to Ukraine. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1978 "2026-10-12T00:27:36Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I don’t think the latter is that much a problem since it’s only a performative amount of diesel anyway. I’m not sure Trump would be okay with only blue states getting an (admittedly minuscule) price cut at the pump. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1979 "2026-10-13T01:29:53Z")
In a rare bit of good news, social media has become a little less infested with pests as Ukrainian strikes against Russia datacenters have knocked Russia’s troll army for a loop: > **[Did Ukraine’s drone strikes on Yandex data centers silence Russian bots?](https://mashable.com/tech/ukraine-strikes-yandex-data-center-bot-traffic-decline)** > > Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says bot activity dropped after his country attacked Russian data centers. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1980 "2026-10-13T03:51:18Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > In a rare bit of good news, social media has become a little less infested with pests as Ukrainian strikes against Russia datacenters have knocked Russia’s troll army for a loop: Yay! that is good news. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1981 "2026-10-13T09:51:12Z")
French, Belgian, and Dutch **[supermarkets have been hacked](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_French_supermarket_refrigerator_hack)**. The attack started in Denmark, where a firm run outdated software. This attacked fridges: > The supermarkets’ refrigeration systems were compromised, causing them to automatically enter defrost “Defrosting (refrigeration)”) mode while fully stocked, some multiple times. Temperatures in some refrigerators climbed up to 50°C (122°F) within six hours. Refrigerated stock was spoiled, and in some locations, fires were sparked by the overheated machinery. > the fridges were internet exposed, and used the username admin with a password that automatically changed to the current date. > It is anticipated that the total damage shall reach millions of euros. Now tell me Russia is not behind those repeated pinprick attacks. It is also about time people stop using admin as username and trivial passwords. It just makes me mad. ---
**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:** [October 13, 2026, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/1982 "2026-10-13T13:01:43Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Now tell me Russia is not behind those repeated pinprick attacks. > It is also about time people stop using admin as username and trivial passwords. It just makes me mad. I’d be willing to take 1 to 100 odds that they are (betting 1.00 to get 1.01). What frustrates me is that Europe, and to an even greater extent the US, don’t ramp up their actions against Russia. We should all be supporting Ukraine, not just for their sake, but for ours. Take the recent bombing mentioned above, where Ukraine took out the servers that run Russian bots on social media. I don’t know how quickly Russia will be able to get those bots back up and running, but something like that has the potential to help the sane folks in the west, Democrats in the US, non AfD in Germany, etc., win more elections. That’s a huge favor that Ukraine has done the world, which should be repaid with even more support for Ukraine, not by more sitting on the sidelines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349.md?page=98) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349.md?page=100)