Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #2

[Yesiamapirate]

A few thoughts for USAnians:

A nuclear attack would most likely target one of these 6 US cities — but an expert says none of them are prepared.

I admit, I've got an urge to get to Costco today and stock up on stuff
Get more cash out of my ATM

What’s really blowing my mind is about 2 years ago today I was in Costco stocking up. People thought I was crazy. Pandemic?
So now I am seriously considering a trip to Costco today. Nuclear war?
I am almost 60 and have never panic bought, stocked up, hoarded, had a pantry. Finding myself doing it twice in two years is really causing me stress.

 

[PommyMommy]

UPDATED: 12:56 EST, 27 February 2022
Ukraine war: Belarus poised to declare war as special forces are 'loaded onto planes in' | Daily Mail Online
The Ukrainian state security service has officially reported that a rocket attack on Zhytomyr Airport - located some 93 miles west of Kiev - was launched from the territory of Belarus.

[...]

Ukrainian intelligence has reportedly learned from within Belarus that ‘special ops’ troops have been spotted loading up planes for a major attack.

Videos have circulated of the explosion at Zhytomyr Airport, with reports of shockwaves nearby.

A widening of the conflict to potentially include Russian ally Belarus could signal Vladimir Putin’s growing fury and frustration as the Russian campaign appears to get bogged down in fierce fighting around Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second biggest city. It could also run the risk of sucking in other states including NATO allies, triggering a pan-European conflict.

In a bizarre rant on Sunday, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko warned that the war in Ukraine will ‘become a meat grinder’.

[...]

 

[Fika]

“
Sweden will send military aid to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons, helmets and body armour, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Sunday.

"Sweden is now proposing direct support for Ukraine's armed forces. It includes 135,000 field rations, 5,000 helmets, 5,000 body shields and 5,000 anti-tank weapons" Andersson told a news conference.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.us...itary-aid-to-ukraine-pm-andersson?context=amp

 

[Herat]

What’s really blowing my mind is about 2 years ago today I was in Costco stocking up. People thought I was crazy. Pandemic?
So now I am seriously considering a trip to Costco today. Nuclear war?
I am almost 60 and have never panic bought, stocked up, hoarded, had a pantry. Finding myself doing it twice in two years is really causing me stress.

During the lockdown phase of COVID, I went to Costco. The shelves were so devoid of stock Costco had completely filled the three levels of their racks with large empty boxes. It wasn't fooling anyone. There was a run on most everything, except canned corn was not selling well, oddly enough.

Anyway, they have packs of UHT treated milk in milk boxes meant for kids to take to school. They don't need to be refrigerated and have about a 3 month outdate. I always have a pack or two in the garage.

 

[tedtink]

Former Secretary of State Condoleesa Rice:

Condoleezza Rice: Putin ‘seems erratic,’ ‘descending into something’ never personally seen before

"He was always calculating and cold. But this is different. He seems erratic. There is an ever-deepening, delusional rendering of history, it was always a kind of victimology about what had happened to them, but now it goes back to blaming Lenin for the foundation of Kyiv … in Ukraine," Rice said on "Fox News Sunday."

Rice has met with Putin at least a half a dozen times across her career and said he is "descending into something I haven’t personally seen before."

Putin's paranoia and anxiety could have lead to psychosis IMO

Time for some meds or an injection I think.
Let's hope he hasn't tipped over into some kind of psychotic messiah complex like Hitler supposedly did,

 

[Sundog]

What’s really blowing my mind is about 2 years ago today I was in Costco stocking up. People thought I was crazy. Pandemic?
So now I am seriously considering a trip to Costco today. Nuclear war?
I am almost 60 and have never panic bought, stocked up, hoarded, had a pantry. Finding myself doing it twice in two years is really causing me stress.

I think it might be useful to have some cash on hand in case some of the major banks get hit with a cyber attack. Because of supply chain issues, I've already stocked up a bit on food, about two weeks' worth, and try to make sure we have medications that are needed for at least a month. Pet food, too. And water, just in case cyber attacks impact infrastructure.

 

[whitelilac]

Global Support
Photographs
Global support for Ukraine continues – in pictures

 

[whitelilac]

Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor and former world heavyweight boxing champion, has described the Ukraine capital as “encircled” and said a civilian evacuation would not be possible “because all ways are blocked”.

“We are at the border of a humanitarian catastrophe,” he told Associated Press on Sunday as a curfew continued in the city which he said allowed authorities to hunt “saboteurs” on the streets. “Right now, we have electricity, right now we have water and heating in our houses. But the infrastructure is destroyed to deliver the food and medication.”

“That’s why the message for everyone is: support Ukraine together ... We are strong,” he said. “Every Ukrainian is proud to be independent, proud to be Ukrainian, and we are proud to have our own country.”

Russia-Ukraine latest: Putin orders nuclear deterrence forces on high alert; Zelenskiy says Ukrainian and Russian delegations to meet

 

[mickey2942]

These countries, like Poland, will need humanitarian aid, big time.

I found it interesting that the United States is not planning on accepting any refugees. And stated that Europe would be the destination for these refugees. I wonder why?

 

[Herat]

British Petroleum is abandoning it's 20% stock in Rosneft ( Russian petroleum megacorp)

This is from The Telegraph UK, which is behind a paywall so I can't post the entire article:

BP abandons stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft

" FTSE 100 oil giant will offload its 20pc stake in Rosneft, previously valued at $14bn (£10bn), and abandon its seat on the board following pressure from the UK Government.

Rosneft is run by Igor Sechin, a close friend and ally of Vladimir Putin."

 

[Turkeytrot]

I found it interesting that the United States is not planning on accepting any refugees. And stated that Europe would be the destination for these refugees. I wonder why?

I'm not sure, I saw this a couple days ago
US is ‘ready to accept Ukrainian refugees’ fleeing invasion

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia-Ukraine latest: Putin orders nuclear deterrence forces on high alert; Zelenskiy says Ukrainian and Russian delegations to meet | The Guardian

2h ago 11:24 Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelinskiy has been talking about the prospect of talks with Russian officials planned to take place close to the border with Belarus, Reuters reports. It has the following lines so far:

• Zelinskiy said talks with Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko were “very substantive”.
• He said he doesn’t want troops to move from Belarus to Ukraine and Lukashenko assured him of this.
• Zelinskiy said we all need to act pragmatically to achieve our goal and he said Ukraine’s goal was territorial integrity.

2h ago 11:28 The German railway, Deutsche Bahn, has said that refugees with a Ukraine passport or identity card will be able to travel free on long-distance trains from Poland to Germany.

2h ago 11:34 Rallies in support of Ukraine have been under way in Cyprus, home to more than 40,000 Russian citizens.

In Nicosia’s freedom square, in the heart of the divided Cypriot capital, demonstrators gathered this afternoon demanding an end to the war.

2h ago 11:40 Protests have been continuing too in Russia, reports the Associated Press news agency, with the number of people arrested reaching 1,474 on Sunday across 45 cities, according to a count by the OVD-Info rights group, which is tracking arrests.

“It is a crime both against Ukraine and Russia,” said Olga Mikheeva, who protested in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. “I think it is killing both Ukraine and Russia. I am outraged, I haven’t slept for three nights, and I think we must now declare very loudly that we don’t want to be killed and don’t want Ukraine to be killed.”

1h ago 11:51 Security experts have been considering Vladimir’s move to place Russia’s nuclear forces in a “special regime of combat duty”.

In televised comments the Russian president said: “Western countries aren’t only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country”.

The White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed Putin is engaging in a pattern he used before launching the invasion, “which is to manufacture threats that don’t exist in order to justify further aggression.”

 

[Herat]

I found it interesting that the United States is not planning on accepting any refugees. And stated that Europe would be the destination for these refugees. I wonder why?

I can think of lots of reasons why they don't want to do it right now.

Certainly, the position can change in the future.

I think it's best right now that the US act as a NATO partner, not it's boss

 

[Turkeytrot]

The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) Tweeted:
️Another explosion was heard in Kyiv at around 8:13 p.m. https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1497998961000517636?s=20&t=_jQTF9jAvEXICN5colmU8g

(Tweet below, just 10 minutes prior to tweet above)

The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) Tweeted:
️️️Air raid alert in Kyiv.

People must urgently go to the nearest shelter. https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1497996321516568579?s=20&t=s4Umz8dVSCE1j3sbIFroLA

 

[Amonet]

I am highly nerveous

I can not imagine any negotiations done with Putin. With his latest move, i hear him saying, you give me Ukraine, i stop blackmailing with nuclear weapons. But this would mean to sacrifice Ukraine and this can not happen. And if he does not get what he want, he is like the guy who can not stand being left, so goes crazy and doesn’t mind killing all around. Like if i can't have her, no one shall have her, who cares about the world.

I think i am also highly frustrated, sorry

That's a great way of describing the situation.

And that's another concern of the diplomatic options, Russia has to be given an option to come in from the cold. This seems to be a most stupid move to invade Ukraine when Russia and Europe seem to have been trying to build links. None of this is fair on the Russian people either. All for one man's megalomania

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia-Ukraine latest: Putin orders nuclear deterrence forces on high alert; Zelenskiy says Ukrainian and Russian delegations to meet | The Guardian

1h ago 12:02 Turkey’s foreign ministry has signalled that it intends to block Russian warships from passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits that lead to the Black Sea, a shift in Turkey’s formerly neutral position where officials underlined alliances with both Russia and Ukraine.

1h ago 12:05 Reuters is quoting Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying he will use every opportunity to secure peace, ahead of talks planned between Russian and Ukrainian representatives close to the Belarus border.

“I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try so that later not a single citizen of Ukraine has any doubt that I, as President, tried to stop the war, when there was even a small, but still a chance,” Zelenskiy said.

40m ago 12:43 As British business face pressure to untangle themselves from Russian links after the invasion of Ukraine, one of Britain’s biggest companies, BP, said on Sunday it had decided to exit its 19.75 % stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft. It is a significant move that could cost the company up to $25bn, according to figures in its own statement.

38m ago 12:46
The European Union has announced it will ban Russian-state backed television channels RT and Sputnik in an unprecedented move against the Kremlin media machine.

30m ago 12:54 Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor and former world heavyweight boxing champion, has described the Ukraine capital as “encircled” and said a civilian evacuation would not be possible “because all ways are blocked”.

“We are at the border of a humanitarian catastrophe,” he told Associated Press on Sunday as a curfew continued in the city which he said allowed authorities to hunt “saboteurs” on the streets. “Right now, we have electricity, right now we have water and heating in our houses. But the infrastructure is destroyed to deliver the food and medication.”

 

[Herat]

These countries, like Poland, will need humanitarian aid, big time.

I just counted up what I might spend on upcoming birthdays and Easter and gave a generous donation to UNHCR. There is no reason for me to celebrate these events by buying "stuff" when there are millions of people's lives at risk right now. They are an established reputable charity specializing in refugee care.

UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency

 

[Angleterre]

It all started with Bush and Angela Merkel, trying to get Ukraine into the NATO....then the Crimea was taken. Why is Putin so scared...maybe because he has a non integer agenda? Nobody in his/her right mind would try take the Russian Federation or throw a nuclear bomb on it.....
https://www.cnbc.com/2008/04/02/bush-presses-nato-on-ukraine-georgia-afghanistan.html

I think Ukraine should decide that for them selves.

I have another question:
If and I do say a big IF, the proposition of Ukraine joining NATO really is the reason behind Putins attack on Keiv, then why is he so disgruntled by the proposition? I get that he doesn’t want NATO just outside the demarcation lines of his borders but why does it concern him so much? Alternatively, if Ukraine were invited and chose to join NATO ( just for example and not pontificating as to wether or not Keiv meet the criteria for NATO admission), then why can’t there be a ‘buffer zone’ between Russias borders and NATO, wether that be by using Belarus as the zone or an alternative? I don’t understand Putins thought process about him being provoked by the West with regards to Ukraine potentially being a NATO member and having NATO troops on his borders because it’s not as if we are going there to intentionally cause an act of war . What am I not understanding here ? Why has he taken and is continuing to take such drastic action, bringing it to a destructive war between mother Russia and Ukraine and causing a humanitarian crisis? Not to mention such horrific loss of lives and liberties and damage. Just why ?

 

[CSIDreamer]

A few thoughts for USAnians:

A nuclear attack would most likely target one of these 6 US cities — but an expert says none of them are prepared.

I admit, I've got an urge to get to Costco today and stock up on stuff
Get more cash out of my ATM

I've been hoarding cash.

I'm also worried about Alaska.

But, anyway.

 

[tedtink]

"Conversations that appear to be between Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and one of his top aides, suggest the pair knew their men would be involved in Moscow's assault from at least early February - when the Kremlin was telling Liz Truss in Moscow Russia had no plans to invade."

Bloodthirsty Chechen fighters were lined up to storm Ukraine weeks before Russian invasion