Russia Watch Thread

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raklian
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Not sure if the fighter jet is Ukrainian or Russian but it looks like it was damaged by anti-aircraft armaments and was trying to release unarmed missiles before crashing somewhere. (At least, that's what many people are saying in the comments).


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To know is essentially the same as not knowing. The only thing that occurs is the rearrangement of atoms in your brain.
Xyls
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This war is going to be super unpopular in Russia. If Russia doesn't achieve goals quickly then political instability will likely overwhelm Russia within 2 months imo, if the Ukrainians can prevent the fall of Kyiv for 2 months then Putin will lose the war and could see the collapse of his government.
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Russian conscripts being sent unprepared to Ukraine, says Russian human rights group
Source: Washington Post
BELGOROD, Russia — Russian conscripts are being forced into signing contracts and taken to serve in Ukraine amid a large-scale attack, human rights group the Committee of the Soldier’s Mothers told The Washington Post in an interview on Friday.

“Issue number one right now, eight out of 10 calls that we get are about the same question: ‘Is my child alive? Where is he?’" said Andrey Kurochkin, the organization’s deputy head.

Russia has mandatory one-year-long military service for all men under the age of 27. According to Russian regulations, conscripts can be sent to a combat zone no earlier than four months into their training. The Committee says it received a barrage of calls saying some conscripts barely served two months and are unprepared for the battlefield.

Kurochkin explains that, according to their mothers, some of the conscripts thought they were heading toward the Ukrainian border for drills, which is how Russia explained its massive buildup for weeks. “Then they are being told: now you are contractors,” he said. “And everyone’s phones are being taken away, while moms are crying and in panic.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/20 ... OJVMZ2ELMM
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Russian stock market closed for 4th day, Sberbank has lost 99.9% of its value.

https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/stock-market
The Bank of Russia kept stock trading at the Moscow Exchange suspended on Thursday, but said a limited range of operations will be available and that it would make a statement about future operations on Friday. Authorities suspended trading for a 4th straight day to keep Russian assets from sustaining sharp losses amid a series of harsh Western sanctions imposed against Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the MSCI and FTSE Russell will cut Russian equities from widely-tracked indexes. Russian stocks listed abroad already suffered dramatic falls, with Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, losing 99.9% of its value since the start of the year at the London Exchange after the bank pulled out of the European market. Meanwhile, the central bank has introduced a series of measures to stabilize its plummeting currency, including a more than double policy rate hike to 20% and a ban on a range of financial transactions that could negatively impact the ruble.
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A War the Kremlin Tried to Disguise Becomes a Hard Reality for Russians
SOCHI, Russia — On Feb. 23, Razil Malikov, a tank driver in the Russian army, called his family and said he would be home soon; his unit’s military drills in Crimea were just about wrapping up.

The next morning, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Malikov hasn’t been heard from since. On Monday, Ukraine published a video of a captured soldier in his unit, apologizing for taking part in the invasion.

“He had no idea they could send him to Ukraine,” Malikov’s brother, Rashid Allaberganov, said in a phone interview from the south-central Russian region of Bashkortostan. “Everyone is in a state of shock.”

The reality of war is dawning across Russia.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/war-kremlin- ... 08008.html
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Russia says it's blocking Facebook in alarming new censorship push
Source: The Verge

Russia’s communications agency Roskomnadzor announced Friday that it is blocking access to Facebook in Russia. It cited 26 cases of “discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook” since October 2020, in addition to the more-recent restrictions Facebook has placed on Russian state media outlets.

In response, Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg tweeted in response to the move, saying “Soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information, deprived of their everyday ways of connecting with family and friends and silenced from speaking out. We will continue to do everything we can to restore our services so they remain available to people to safely and securely express themselves and organize for action.”

The block comes after increasing domestic protests over the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Russians have taken to the streets in massive numbers to protest the ongoing invasion, provoking thousands of arrests. The regime has denied any plans to institute martial law, but has issued ongoing threats to outlets that publish information critical of the ongoing war effort, including Wikipedia.

-snip-

Many tech platforms have already begun restricting services in Russia. Google-owned YouTube has blocked Russian news channels RT and Sputnik in Europe, for example, while Facebook has blocked RT and Sputnik in the EU and stopped recommending Russian state media globally. Apple has also halted product sales in the country.
-snip-

Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/4/22960 ... or-ukraine
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20,000 West Coast port workers refuse to handle Russian cargo
Source: Seattle Times
As the Russia invasion of Ukraine shows no sign of letting up, longshore workers on Thursday said they would refuse to load or unload any Russian vessel or handle any incoming or outgoing Russian cargo.

The announcement by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union covers some 20,000 workers at all 29 U.S. West Coast ports.

“With this action in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we send a strong message that we unequivocally condemn the Russian invasion,” said ILWU International President Willie Adams.
Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/2 ... ian-cargo/
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Workers refuse to unload Russian oil from ship
Source: BBC
Workers are refusing to unload Russian oil from a German-flagged ship which is moored at a major British oil refinery.

The Seacod vessel is at a terminal on the River Mersey, from where oil is usually pumped to Stanlow Oil Refinery.

The UK government has banned ships with "any Russian connection" from entering its ports due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

However, the Unite union said cargo was not included in the ban and has called for ministers "to close this loophole".
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-60631735
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To know is essentially the same as not knowing. The only thing that occurs is the rearrangement of atoms in your brain.
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Supporting the Ukrainian People
by Daniel Alegre
March 4, 2022

https://activisionblizzard.com/newsroom ... ian-people

Entire Announcement:
(Activision Blizzard) Team.

Throughout the past week, we have watched the news from Ukraine and the worsening humanitarian crisis that is unfolding. Our company’s commitment is to help those impacted by this terrifying violence and to provide assistance in every way possible.

Today, we are announcing that Activision Blizzard will be suspending new sales of and in our games in Russia while this conflict continues. We will continue to look at ways to support the Ukrainian people. I want to reassure you that the safety of our employees is our leadership team’s top priority. We are doing everything possible to assist employees, and their families, who are being directly affected by this tragedy. If you or a colleague needs support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your manager or local HR leaders. I’d also like to remind you that our Employee Assistance Program is available to those who need emotional support during this difficult time.

I also want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work of our teams to support the Ukrainian people. The company is matching employee donations 2:1 to organizations providing immediate relief in the region. Together we have raised over $300,000 in this effort. Next week we plan to add additional charities to choose from for consideration and also will raise the company matching limit from $1,000 to $10,000.

I’d also like to applaud the tremendous contributions from our colleagues in Poland, where people have volunteered their time to assist Ukrainian refugees and others in need. We continue to work with them to find ways we can further assist this effort. We stand with the Ukrainian people and will provide updates on any new actions we take as this crisis continues to unfold.
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Russian banks consider China UnionPay cards after sanctions
Source: AP

LONDON (AP) — Leading Russian banks are looking into issuing cards that operate on a Chinese payment system after Visa and Mastercard said they would cut their services in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

Sberbank and Tinkoff Bank said Sunday that they are considering the possibility of payment cards powered by China’s UnionPay system. Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, said it would announce the launch date later.

Sberbank and Tinkoff told users that they will be able to use Visa and Mastercard for transactions within Russia but they will stop working for payments outside of the country after Wednesday.

The Russian central bank warned Sunday that all cards using the Visa or Mastercard systems will stop working for both purchases on foreign websites and transactions abroad.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukrai ... 578da70da1
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U.S. Again Tells Citizens to Leave Russia by Car as Airlines Halt Flights
Source: Newsweek
The U.S. government is urging all citizens to leave the country by car as tensions over the invasion of Ukraine continue to escalate.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Russia issued the Level 4 alert on Saturday, citing "the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by Russian government security officials [and] the Embassy's limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia" is possible. The official website noted that commercial flight options for Americans leaving the country are limited and suggested that they consider "overland routes by car and bus."

"If you wish to depart Russia, you should make arrangements on your own as soon as possible," the embassy's statement read. "If you plan to stay in Russia, understand the U.S. Embassy has severe limitations on its ability to assist U.S. citizens, and conditions, including transportation options may change suddenly. U.S. citizens who are able to depart Russia for another country and are in need of emergency assistance upon arrival may contact a U.S. embassy or consulate in that country."

Extra caution was advised for Americans living near the Russian border with Ukraine or those planning to travel near that area, due to the "dangerous and unpredictable" circumstances.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/u- ... ar-AAUEIc9
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Russia's credit rating slashed to second worst level of junk
Russia is considered more likely to default on its debts than Iraq, Ecuador or Ethiopia after Moody’s slashed the country’s credit rating to the second-lowest rung.

The ratings agency suggested that Moscow is on the brink of defaulting on its sovereign debt after cutting Russia’s rating deeper into “junk” territory.

It reduced Russia’s creditworthiness by four rungs from a “B3” grade to “Ca”. It is the second-lowest grade at Moody’s, and only collapsed economies Venezuela and Lebanon have a sovereign debt rating below “Ca”.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/20 ... evel-junk/
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Biden is expected to ban Russian oil imports into the United States.
Source: New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Biden is expected on Tuesday morning to ban the importation of Russian oil into the United States, a senior administration official said, making the move after pressure from lawmakers in both parties to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Mr. Biden is scheduled to make the announcement at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday from the White House.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/08 ... ted-states
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Shell won't buy any more Russian oil or gas
Source: CNN
Shell (RDSA) said Tuesday it was breaking completely with Russia's giant energy industry, halting all purchases of Russian crude oil immediately and shutting its service stations in the country.

The UK-based company, which last week announced it was dumping its investments in Russia, said its decision to abandon all trade in Russian fossils fuels was "aligned with new government guidance."

Russia's vast energy exports have so far been carved out of the unprecedented sanctions imposed by the West in response to President Vladimir Putin's decision to order his troops to invade Ukraine.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/08/energy/s ... index.html
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