Discussion on Ukraine situation 2022

[drron]

Unless, of course, someone wants to sabotage the plant to cause considerable "collateral" damage to infrastructure. While the reactors may no longer be operating, I expect there is a considerable amount of "nasty" stuff around the plant that needs to remain contained.

Not at all. If they blew up the reactors you would spread the nuclear fuel around but that is not the nasty stuff. U235 has a half life of 700 million years. That is it releases half of it's radioactivity in 700 million years. not rearly dangerous. It is the common isotope in fuel rods. U 233 is also commonly in fuel rods and has a half life of 160000 years.

As fuels are used polonium is also produced and some fuel rods are made with the polonium produced by previoius fuel rod use.. The isotopes produced are Pu 239,240 and 241.
Pu 239 half life 24100 years
Pu 240 6500 years.
Pu 241 is the most dangerous with a half life of 13 years.

Yet plutonium soil levels around Fukishima are the same levels as soils around the rest of Japan which is due to global fallout due to nuclear tests. This is even though reactor 3 at Fukishima was using plutonium enhancement in it's fuel rods.

 

[Jenya]

report by the Russian propaganda channel from the Gostomel airport near Kiev showed the destroyed Mriya. Correspondent said that "Ukrainian shells hit the hangar where the largest transport aircraft in the world was stored."

The Ukrainian side claimed that the Mriya was destroyed by the Russian military and announced plans to collect more than three billion dollars from Russia for replacement of the aircraft.

 

[jrfsp]

report by the Russian propaganda channel from the Gostomel airport near Kiev showed the destroyed Mriya. Correspondent said that "Ukrainian shells hit the hangar where the largest transport aircraft in the world was stored."

The Ukrainian side claimed that the Mriya was destroyed by the Russian military and announced plans to collect more than three billion dollars from Russia for replacement of the aircraft.

View attachment 272751View attachment 272752

Of no strategic military value, pure destruction for the sake of destruction

 

[Scr77]

Airbnb aren’t charging fees for bookings in Ukraine. I just booked for tomorrow night and let the host know it was a donation.

 

[Guvner]

Russian officials heading to Washington in Putin's plane?

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

View flight RSD88 from St. Petersburg to Washington on Flightradar24

www.flightradar24.com

 

[drron]

The Russians are now in control of the Nuclear power station and the fire is out.

ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Putin takes a hit -the International Judo Federation has suspended him as Honorary President.

World judo body suspends Putin as its honorary president

Vladimir Putin has temporarily lost his most senior official position in world sports

abcnews.go.com

A former Oligarch living in the US has put out a $US million reward for the arrest of Putin.

Russian entrepreneur offers $1 million bounty for arrest of Putin - Washington Examiner

One Soviet-born entrepreneur is hoping to turn Russian officers into bounty hunters, offering $1 million for the capture of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The California-based businessman, Alex Konanykhin, offered the bounty to military officers who arrest Putin "as a war criminal," according...

www.washingtonexaminer.com

And not many countries supporting Russia.

 

[tgh]

Russian officials heading to Washington in Putin's plane?

Perhaps a negotiation team but more likely pulling the diplomats out before the chemical warheads arrive….

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Airbnb aren’t charging fees for bookings in Ukraine. I just booked for tomorrow night and let the host know it was a donation.
View attachment 272845

Many like you…..and it made the news

People around the world are booking Airbnbs in Ukraine. They don't plan to check in

Airbnb hosts in Ukraine are getting flooded with bookings from people all over the world who have no intention of ever checking in. It's part of a social media campaign to ensure money gets to Ukrainians by booking, but not staying in, local Airbnbs.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Must...Fly!]

A note from Istanbul.

There are plenty of Russian tourists here still, you can here it in the streets - though I'm sure not nearly as many as usual. Happened to walk by the Russian embassy and there was a small protest occurring outside the front and (obviously) a heavy Police presence but everything seemed calm. Most protesters seemed to be Ukrainian and young - so I presume students.

However the most notable thing is that not a single currency exchange I have walked past (and there are a lot of them in Istanbul) will quote or exchange Rubles for any price, even if you ask. I witnessed last night two young looking gents walk in and try to negotiate but leave disappointed. Maybe there is someone, somewhere, taking them but I doubt it unless it's a black market offer. No one wants to be stuck with Russian wallpaper.

Experiences like the above and closing of shops like IKEA (long a symbol of Russian integration in to Europe) within Russia will do more damage than sanctions to the Kremlin.

 

[VPS]

A question where people are booking the AirBNB in Ukraine. I gather AirBNB don't actually give them the money until after the stay so I assume you're having to book something soon to allow them to get the money straight away

 

[Scr77]

A question where people are booking the AirBNB in Ukraine. I gather AirBNB don't actually give them the money until after the stay so I assume you're having to book something soon to allow them to get the money straight away

Exactly. Book for tonight.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

A question where people are booking the AirBNB in Ukraine. I gather AirBNB don't actually give them the money until after the stay so I assume you're having to book something soon to allow them to get the money straight away

Yes. From the article it sounds like AirBnB give the money 24 hours after check out. So one donating this way should make short stay bookings ending this week/next 2-3 days. (And send the message separately, so the host know to ‘check in’)

 

[Flashback]

Airbnb aren’t charging fees for bookings in Ukraine. I just booked for tomorrow night and let the host know it was a donation.
View attachment 272845

I'd be wary of doing things like this, it's creating a market of fake listings and people cashing in on knowing people are donating in this kind of way. If anything, only do it with a superhost or one with a long list of reviews that are not recent and also message them pre-visit to let them know you're not staying so they can continue to list on another platform and actually make the room available for someone who needs it.

In Poland, I've noted anti Putin sentiment everywhere. In the past 5 days I've seen protests, marches, rallies and lots of graffiti up around the place. cough* PUTIN! is the most common, I've seen some male genitals against it also and then last night in the main square of Wrocław I spotted this one.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Interesting take on the military aspect and impending humanitarian crisis of the situation

Why Putin will regret launching this war | CNN

In a discussion with National Security Analyst Peter Bergen, retired US Army Major General Mike Repass explains what he sees happening next as the war in Ukraine grinds on.

edition.cnn.com

 

[drron]

Interesting take on the military aspect and impending humanitarian crisis of the situation

Why Putin will regret launching this war | CNN

In a discussion with National Security Analyst Peter Bergen, retired US Army Major General Mike Repass explains what he sees happening next as the war in Ukraine grinds on.

edition.cnn.com

Though another US contractor for the Pentagon had an altogether different take on the vast military convoy to the north of Kiev. He felt that the Russian plan is to Attack the capital from the East,South and North. The east and south advances have been slow so the Northern column is waiting until they are in place.

 

[Pushka]

I'd be wary of doing things like this, it's creating a market of fake listings and people cashing in on knowing people are donating in this kind of way. If anything, only do it with a superhost or one with a long list of reviews that are not recent and also message them pre-visit to let them know you're not staying so they can continue to list on another platform and actually make the room available for someone who needs it.

In Poland, I've noted anti Putin sentiment everywhere. In the past 5 days I've seen protests, marches, rallies and lots of graffiti up around the place. cough* PUTIN! is the most common, I've seen some male genitals against it also and then last night in the main square of Wrocław I spotted this one.
View attachment 273025

There are lots of new listings so need to find someone who has lots of reviews spanning the years. I think it's a great idea but do the research first.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Though another US contractor for the Pentagon had an altogether different take on the vast military convoy to the north of Kiev. He felt that the Russian plan is to Attack the capital from the East,South and North. The east and south advances have been slow so the Northern column is waiting until they are in place.

Its a possibility, but its a long time for the North front to be waiting. The North front was there on around day 4. Almost like sitting ducks if someone chose to do something by way of counter attack.

I think this alternate (ie to wait for the South and East fronts to reach Kyiv) might have sprouted up since the initial attack on Kyiv got repelled. Like a Plan B.

 

[burmans]

Exactly. Book for tonight.

While I appreciate the sentiment I’ve heard people with genuine needs are having trouble finding accomodation in Ukraine. My cousin is a journalist with a major Australian network and is in Ukraine reporting. There are 7 of them sharing a room, she’s sharing the queen bed with a cameraman and their security person, the other 4 are on the floor!

 

[Must...Fly!]

I think the air bnb thing is a noble idea but there are other ways of giving support too

 

[RAM]

Yes they are obligated to. They are NATO members and an attack on one is deemed an attack on all.

In the 1950s, France looked at the US history of isolationism since the 19th century and decided that they could not rely on the US acting if Russia did roll its tanks across the plains - so France developed its own separate nuclear deterence force which includes (to this day) neutron bombs = bulk of energy from detonation produces radiation not heat/concussion wave (the ultimate 'business-friendly' weapon - kills all life but leaves structures relatively unscathed other than within a small distance). The French point-of-view is/was they did not want to see vast areas of their country left uninhabitable for centuries if the US finally acted once Soviet forces had already raced through Germany.

For example a main battle tank 250m from a typical neutron weapon air-burst detonation can still be functional unlike its occupants.

France (as many Australians learnt last year) has a large proportion of its nuclear weapons based on French-built nuclear submarines.

Although not stated as clearly, the UK also operates its own nuclear deterence coughnal complete with its nuclear submarine fleet.

More recently, President Obama repeatedly declared 'a line in the sand' during the Syrian war - yet each time it was crossed, nothing happened. More recently Biden left no doubt in Putin's mind about what the US would do by stating that no 'American boots will be put at risk'.

Obligation is one thing, action is another.

The US gave the final signal/'OK' to Putin when they announced they were completely closing the US Embassy in Kviv (not even a Marine security detachment left to safeguard the Embassy), most European countries quickly followed. One notable exception was the Polish Embassy which remained fully operational until the last few days, along with the Brazilian Embassy.