Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #5

[nhmemorymaker]

A 459-Foot Mystery in a Tuscan Port: Is It a Russian’s Superyacht?

In Marina di Carrara, a small Italian town on the Tuscan coast, one of the world’s biggest, newest and most expensive superyachts — called the Scheherazade — is under scrutiny by the Italian police.

In the rarefied world of the biggest superyachts (only 14 that are at least 140 meters, or 459 feet long), the Scheherazade is alone in that no likely owner has been publicly identified. That has spurred speculation that it could be a Middle Eastern billionaire or a superconnected Russian — even Mr. Putin.

The mystery about the ship’s owner arose because — even for the hyper-confidential world of superyachting — there is an unusual degree of secrecy surrounding this vessel. Not only do contractors and crew members sign nondisclosure agreements, as on many superyachts, but the ship also has a cover to hide its name plate. And when it first arrived at the port, workers erected a tall metallic barrier on the pier to partly obscure the yacht from onlookers. Some locals remarked that they had never seen anything like it for other boats.

This article is behind a paywall for some...
same article in yahoo.news 15 hours ago.....

A 459-Foot Mystery in a Tuscan Port: Is It a Russian's Superyacht?

 

[Legally Bland]

Apologies if already posted.
_________

@KyivIndependent·27m️

Armed Forces: Russia captures 400 Ukrainians in Kherson.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces report that in an attempt to crush Ukrainian resistance, Russian National Guard units have entered Kherson and illegally detained over 400 Ukrainian citizens.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1501544471103692800

 

[sunshineray]

MAR 8, 2022
Why Establishing a No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine Would Be Very Dangerous and Costly (msn.com)
[...]

Since Feb. 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded with the U.S. and its allies for a no-fly zone. On Sunday he reported that the city of Vinnytsia was attacked by eight missiles from Russian troops. “We repeat every day: ‘Close the sky over Ukraine!’” the Ukrainian leader said. “Close it for all Russian missiles, Russian combat aircraft, for all these terrorists. Make a humanitarian air zone—without rockets, without air bombs.”

[...]

... A no-fly zone would put U.S. and other NATO pilots in a position of shooting down Russian planes and helicopters, and likely firing on ground forces. Experts warn such action risks escalating the conflict dramatically—into cataclysmic nuclear war, at worst. The Pentagon has repeatedly dismissed calls for establishing a no-fly zone, citing President Joe Biden’s insistence that no combat forces will be sent to Ukraine.

[...]

The U.S. and its allies have been bolstering Ukraine’s military firepower to aid in the fight against Russia. A senior U.S. official reported to CNN that U.S. and NATO member-states deployed 17,000 anti-tank missiles and 2,000 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine. ...

However, many military analysts fear that Ukraine’s tough resistance will eventually crumble under the might of Russia’s much larger military—which is among the most formidable in the world. Russia has been doubling down on military modernization since 2008. The latest data from the 2022 Military Balance Report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, reports that Moscow has more than 900,000 troops, while Kyiv has 196,000 active military personnel. IISS indicates that the Russia air force has some 1,172 combat-capable aircraft, while Ukraine has just 172.

... Leaders in Ukraine have pleaded for the U.S. or allies to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine to protect civilians from Russian airstrikes.

[...]

What would it take to establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine?

Top of the line American fighter jets, such as the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Lightning II, and F-15 Eagle, would need to be sent into the warzone all day and night, along with aerial refueling planes. Ground crews would have to be stationed nearby. Electronic attack aircraft would presumably be sent in as well to disrupt and jam Russian radars to avoid detection and targeting.

Benard also says that no-fly zones only work if the militaries of the U.S. and NATO allies are willing to aggressively enforce them. “This means NATO would need to be ready to shoot down Russian planes that violate the no-fly zone,” he said.

That’s a prospect that NATO and the Soviet Union spent decades trying to avoid. While Russia may have a smaller military than its communist predecessor, it still controls the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.

Additionally, suppressing Russian air power would require massive numbers of planes and SAM missiles. While the U.S. Air Force is the largest in the world, with more than 2,200 fighters, bombers, and attack aircraft, European air forces are considerably smaller. The U.K.’s Royal Air Force has 234 combat-capable aircraft, while the air force of Poland, a NATO member that borders Ukraine, has 94.

[...]

I get all that but when does all that change being the proper thing? When Ukraine's nuclear power plants go into an irreversible meltdown? Cause then there goes the neighborhood, including the NATO countries and the EU countries and even the Russian neighbors.

What are the priorities? Fix and stop an ongoing-in-your-face nuclear emergency or sit by and watch it happen because you're afraid of the egomaniac saying I have my finger on the nukes?

When is enough enough? Do these idiot occupiers realize what's at stake? Have all the leaders in charge there left and now the conscripts are running things? Sure sounds like it.

 

[Bit of hope]

So Poland and NATO tiptoe and say the planes are coming from the US not NATO.

NATO can NOT establish a no fly zone over Ukraine with out violating its charter. Ukraine is not a NATO country. NATO is not the world policing agency.

If Ukraine receives planes they need to come from NATO alliance not the U.S. and the US shouldn't have to replace with our fighter jets, let NATO bear the cost.

For the US to give the planes to Russia is an act of war. Clear violation of NATO and .....

Will require Congress to approve before we can enter a war with Russia. US Presidents do NOT have the authority to declare or enter war without congressional approval.

This could/may have been a secret/under the table plan, until Poland announced via Twitter to the entire world. Not what I would expect from a friend and partner.

All Moo...

I don't know....this are media outlets from a diversity of news stations....maybe it's semantics...bad wording, lost in translation, etc I think everything that's going on is under the umbrella of Nato. US is not going to give the planes to Russia, I think you mean Poland, if they are...also still lingering. NATO is not going to provoke a war with Russia, that why they (Nato allies) are tiptoeing, searching for a way to help Ukraine without provoking WWIII.

 

[Elley Mae]

This article is behind a paywall for some...
same article in yahoo.news 15 hours ago.....

A 459-Foot Mystery in a Tuscan Port: Is It a Russian's Superyacht?

The name of the yacht is Scheherazade

Definition of Scheherazade
: the fictional wife of a sultan and the narrator of the tales in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments

Definition of SCHEHERAZADE

….

Not sure it’s a russian yacht. Jmo

 

[Niner]

The Russian embassy in Latvia has a new neighbor across the street

A stylized 'death's head' Putin – only slightly less attractive than the real thing – was unfurled to welcome visitors to the acclaimed Pauls Stradiņš Museum of Medical History.

'Death's head' Putin gazes into the inferno – and the Russian embassy

labs darbs
@Niner

View attachment 335962

I'll have to go by there & take a picture!

 

[Kiranerys]

That’s amazing! Wish we had the sunshine for solar (some houses have panels but it’s not that prevalent round here, don’t know if that’s weather related though).

Bring on summer! We all need it so badly, not least in Ukraine where, right now, it’s well below freezing at night.




This mindset is how I understand it, too. Russia can’t stand the fact Ukraine has flourished since they split up 30 years ago. Jealous and vengeful.

We live in a housing association property and they have literally just put up scaffolding ready to install solar panels this week. I'm not sure how well they will work yet but it's a start!.
There's no way we could afford an electric car (or any new car tbf) and we need 2 because my husband works about 20 miles away and one of our sons is autistic PDA and walking is a huge demand for him so we would never get anywhere

 

[CSIDreamer]

I don't know....this are media outlets from a diversity of news stations....maybe it's semantics...bad wording, lost in translation, etc I think everything that's going on is under the umbrella of Nato. US is not going to give the planes to Russia, I think you mean Poland, if they are...also still lingering. NATO is not going to provoke a war with Russia, that why they (Nato allies) are tiptoeing, searching for a way to help Ukraine without provoking WWIII.

It would provoke WW3 no matter what.

 

[Bit of hope]

Alot, imo. When countries join NATO it commits to the fees to participate in return for protection. Many are not living up to the agreement but expect protection from NATO. So.....the US is picking up the bill, paying 18% of the cost of NATO.

The fees are equitable to each countrys GNP. Basically if I make $1.00, I pay 2 cents to NATO. Some pay less than a half percentage. Germany is a good example. A very profitable country. Reaps the benefits of a US state of tbe air airfield and hospital and states they might can pay 2% by 2030.

Yes, Poland's comments do affect NATO and especially their most lucrative partner the US.

Moo....yea I'm really upset over the plane issue

Maybe this is not about money, but about a joined effort to try to help a country and her civilians from destruction, without making it worse?....a WWIII

 

[sunshineray]

Where are the hot rods coming from? The plant has been closed 20 years.

No on the NATO question.

It's still in the process of being decommissioned. There were multiple reactors to deal with. As far as #4, It's not a short process, 20 years is a drop in the bucket. It's radioactivity can generate death for 20,000 years. It still needs cooling at this stage and the power to do that and the connections to outside monitors, have been severed. 48 hours of diesel fuel emergency power.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Important info regarding Chernobyl

#Ukraine has informed IAEA of power loss at #Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, @rafaelmgrossi says development violates key safety pillar on ensuring uninterrupted power supply; in this case IAEA sees no critical impact on safety.

IAEA says heat load of spent fuel storage pool and volume of cooling water at #Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant sufficient for effective heat removal without need for electrical supply. IAEA update from March 3: Update 8 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine | IAEA

https://twitter.com/iaeaorg/status/1501545852715905029?t=Pkh9emXKqaa3Bc3r6Y9vFA&s=19

 

[dotr]

March 9 2022
Ukraine invasion live updates: Radiation fears as Chernobyl ‘cut from grid’, while Russia insists war ‘going to plan’ | The Independent
''PM says Putin ‘singling out’ UK for ‘leading’ global sanctions
Vladimir Putin has “singled out” the UK as the global leader on sanctions imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, Boris Johnson has claimed.

The PM sparked jeers and laughter from the Labour benches at PMQs when he claimed Moscow was particularly angry at Britain because his government was “in the lead” on retaliatory measures, reports Adam Forrest.

It comes amid increasing pressure on Mr Johnson to take more action to crack down on the influence on Russia-linked oligarchs and so-called “dirty money” in the UK.''

''Kyiv orchestra plays Ukraine national anthem as Russian troops advance
As Russian troops today continued to advance on Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv, an orchestra assembled to play the country’s national anthem in an act of defiance.

The Kyiv-Classic Symphony Orchestra also played an excerpt from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, on which the EU’s anthem is based - a nod to the Ukraine government’s desire to move closer to Europe and away from Russia’s grip.

Dozens of people gathered to watch on the central Maidan Square, some waving Ukrainian flags. They applauded when the national anthem was finished and a woman cried out “To Ukraine!”
''The impromptu concert on Wednesday was held at Independence Square, where thousands of Ukrainian protesters set up a tent city in 2013 and 2014 to oppose then-president Viktor Yanukovich’s shock decision to suspend talks with the EU and revive ties with Moscow.''

''BREAKING: UK considering donation of anti-air missiles to Ukraine
Britain is considering donating Starstreak high velocity anti-air missiles to Ukraine to help the country defend its skies, Ben Wallace has announced.

Updating MPs, the defence secretary also said the latest UK military intelligence showed that Moscow had only been successful in one of its main military objectives since the invasion began 14 days ago, reports our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn.

“We believe that this system will remain within the definition of defensive weapons but will allow the Ukrainian force to better defend their skies,” Mr Wallace said earlier today.''

 

[CSIDreamer]

Am I the only one getting really frustrated with the amount of misinformation and downright propaganda being tossed around? I know it's been bad for years but this is a whole new level.

The Red Cross issue - the OMG the Red Cross won't allow their symbol to be used "however". And the whole world had to learn where and how it can be used (and why).

UN misinformation - the OMG they won't say war, everyone lost their mind, and it wasn't true.

This Poland jet thing.

We're now gonna learn about spent nuclear rods.

Oh well. Knowledge is power. Yes?

JMO

 

[escape2sc]

The US could just buy the MiGs from Poland then sell them to Ukraine and sell Poland F16s for the same price the US bought the MiGs for. The entire transaction could be kept top secret as a matter of National security and we would never know. Whats to stop Poland and the US from using a private security company to complete entire transaction ?

Poland and the Pentagon could have shut down all the chatter about the jets for Ukraine the minute the jets deal was first reported but they didn’t. Russia isn’t the only country that uses the media for propaganda.

The US has a long history of selling military jets to other countries and allowing the jets for Ukraine deal to happen is no different than supplying Ukraine with missiles and drones. Putin already thinks NATO has committed acts of war through the sanctions and supplying Ukraine with ammunition and equipment.

IMO NATO did a poor job of anticipating and preparing for Russia’s destructive and slaughterous actions in Ukraine. NATO is being reactive rather than proactive. NATO should have had plans for different levels of escalation in place to help Ukraine defend itself before the invasion.


——————
From Pakistan to Poland -- Thailand to Oman -- Bahrain to Singapore -- two dozen countries have bought F-16s from the United States



U.S. sells used F-16s to foreign countries, Hill AFB gets planes ready


Dec 15 (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it was ready to move forward with the sale of F-35 fighter jets and drones to the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi told Washington it would suspend talks on the $23-billion deal that also includes munitions.



U.S. says it is ready to move forward with fighter jet sale to UAE


Besides Finland and Switzerland, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Norway, the UK, and the Netherlands also operate one or more F-35 variants or are awaiting delivery of the aircraft. The latter five countries are among the founders of the F-35 program.Feb 4, 2022



Why the F-35 is at the top of the shopping list for militaries in Europe

 

[PommyMommy]

NEXTA on Twitter
️Yum! Brands (brands KFC, Pizza Hut) suspends 70 KFC restaurants in #Russia

NEXTA on Twitter
️ In #Severodonetsk as a result of the occupants' shelling, 10 people were killed and 9 wounded
The head of the #Luhansk regional military administration, Serhiy Gaidai, spoke about the situation in the region and stressed that shelling continued.

NEXTA on Twitter - Video
Evacuation continues in #Irpen

NEXTA on Twitter
The remains of the #Russian SU-27 shot down over #Kyiv. The pilot ejected, but the parachute did not open.

NEXTA on Twitter
#Uzbekistan Airways will temporarily increase the number of flights from St. Petersburg and #Moscow due to "increased demand"

NEXTA on Twitter
️Here is a list of airlines that continue to cooperate with #Putin's regime

NEXTA on Twitter
"Ukrenergo" reports that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is de-energized due to the actions of the #Russian military "The hostilities continue, making it impossible to repair work and restore power supply. The town of #Slavutich is also de-energized."

NEXTA on Twitter
#Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that a backup diesel generator has been switched on at the #Chernobyl NPP which will provide power to plant within 48 hours.
After that, we should expect a possible shutdown of cooling system which would threaten a radiation leak.

 

[Bit of hope]

Important info regarding Chernobyl

#Ukraine has informed IAEA of power loss at #Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, @rafaelmgrossi says development violates key safety pillar on ensuring uninterrupted power supply; in this case IAEA sees no critical impact on safety.

IAEA says heat load of spent fuel storage pool and volume of cooling water at #Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant sufficient for effective heat removal without need for electrical supply. IAEA update from March 3: Update 8 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine | IAEA

https://twitter.com/iaeaorg/status/1501545852715905029?t=Pkh9emXKqaa3Bc3r6Y9vFA&s=19

Had to read it three times...so everything is under control?

 

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/09/ukraine-news-russia-war-ceasefire-broken-humanitarian-corridors-kyiv-russian-invasion-live-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelenskiy-latest-updates']Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow promises humanitarian corridors; US to send Patriot missiles to Poland – live | World news | The Guardian[/URL]
5m ago 14:02

Civilians have been unable to evacuate from the Ukrainian town of Izyum because of Russian shelling in the eastern Kharkiv region, regional governor Oleh Synehubov said.

An evacuation of civilians was scheduled to take place today from Izyum to Lozova as one of the six “humanitarian corridors” today, but Synehubov said buses were still waiting at the entrance to the town.

He added that negotiations with the Russians were under way with the support of the Red Cross.

1h ago 12:59

More than 400,000 people are being “held hostage” in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol by Russian forces who are blocking humanitarian aid and evacuation, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Conditions in the port of Mariupol have been described as “apocalyptic”, where hundreds of thousands of residents have been sheltering from brutal Russian shelling and missile attacks for more than a week without water, power or heating. Phone signals are also down.

2h ago 12:06

More than 400 Ukrainians who protested against the occupation of Kherson by Russian forces have been detained by Russia’s national guard, Ukraine’s military high command said.

In a statement, the Ukrainian military high command said hundreds have been arrested for protesting in the now Russian-occupied Kherson.

Due to the furious resistance of the residents of Kherson, the occupiers are attempting to introduce an administrative-police regime.

 

[Simply Southern]

RSBM

All true, except you can guarantee that NATO doesn't want it's eastern flank (Ukraine) to be Russian territory any more than Russia wants it's Western flank (Ukraine) to be NATO/waveringly neutral territory.

Then other NATO partners need to give the planes and leave us out of it. They all need to step to their games, Russia is on there border.

I want to commend the small Baltic countries, they have stepped up and then some!!!!
Moo...

 

[Angleterre]

Yeah, we traded F series fighter jets in top condition for old Russian planes.

Why the US??? Why not give/trade to NATO?

I don't want the US to make the decision for these planes.

This is a NATO decision, we are there because of NATO. Why is NATO and Polland putting this on the US? Why can't other NATO countries swap a few planes, as well?

All my opinion only...

If I recall correctly and tell me if I’m wrong but don’t the US want to get their hands on one so that they can disassemble and get valuable information from it ?

 

[scandinavian girl]

Is this the same as the mystery yatch?

"We were told her owner is based in the Middle East. In a 2022 article in the New York Times, her owner was rumored to be Russian."

SCHEHERAZADE Yacht • Lurssen • 2020 • Value $700M • Unknown Billionaire Owner