Any ideas?  Novaya Gazeta is unfortunately forced to the new laws.  Social media is incredibly restricted.  Anyone talking with friends/family in Russia?

Mistakenly was posting someone in Ukraine.

Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War

Many Ukrainians are encountering a confounding and frustrating backlash from family members in Russia who have bought into the official Kremlin messaging.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-families.htm

I read that many people are going to websites for Russian restaurants/hotels/etc. and leaving "reviews" for the businesses, except the reviews are news about the war.

yahooyahoo said:

I read that many people are going to websites for Russian restaurants/hotels/etc. and leaving "reviews" for the businesses, except the reviews are news about the war.

This is really a great and clever idea - here's one report on it:

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-restaurant-reviews-hijacked-to-share-news-from-ukraine-with-russian-citizens/

Dropping information  leaflets over cities has been  a method used to reach civilians in wars past.

That's an awesome idea.  I think the Putin would love it if US planes flew into Russian airspace and dropped some leaflets about how the Russians are lying. 

mtierney said:

Dropping information  leaflets over cities has been  a method used to reach civilians in wars past.

sounds like a great idea… sounds like something trumpenstein would say.

Booking.com and airbnb could put a message on their sites that say - we'll resume business when the bombing stops.  But I'm sure they'd be blocked pretty quick.

Jaytee said:

mtierney said:

Dropping information  leaflets over cities has been  a method used to reach civilians in wars past.

sounds like a great idea… sounds like something trumpenstein would say.

c'mon, give him some credit. he'd put Chinese flags on the planes to fool ol' Vlad.

Speaking of flying around Russian airspace, when we hear reports that 95% of the army is now inside Ukraine, are they speaking of the entire Russian army? My imagination ran away with itself and I started thinking maybe Putin is home alone.

Morganna said:

Speaking of flying around Russian airspace, when we hear reports that 95% of the army is now inside Ukraine, are they speaking of the entire Russian army? My imagination ran away with itself and I started thinking maybe Putin is home alone.

I think it means 95% of the Russian troops amassed at the border (195,000 troops.) You have a wonderful imagination. 

What was the percentage amassed at the border?  I thought that total was something like 75% of their total ready force.

jamie said:

What was the percentage amassed at the border?  I thought that total was something like 75% of their total ready force.

Size of the active Russian military is 900,000 - 1,000,000 troops with about 2,000,000 in reserve.

The amount of Russian troops amassed on the Ukranian border prior to the invasion was about 150,000 - 200,000.

Morganna said:

Speaking of flying around Russian airspace, when we hear reports that 95% of the army is now inside Ukraine, are they speaking of the entire Russian army? My imagination ran away with itself and I started thinking maybe Putin is home alone.

I believe it refers to the percentage of the military that had been positioned for the invasion, not of the entire Russian military.

Eg, per this in the WaPo, Russia turns to Syrian fighters as ‘nearly 100 percent’ of Moscow’s prestaged forces are in Ukraine, U.S. official says

ETA -- remembered Morganna had posed the question, but hadn't seen that others already replied.

PVW said:

I believe it refers to the percentage of the military that had been positioned for the invasion, not of the entire Russian military.

Eg, per this in the WaPo, Russia turns to Syrian fighters as ‘nearly 100 percent’ of Moscow’s prestaged forces are in Ukraine, U.S. official says

ETA -- remembered Morganna had posed the question, but hadn't seen that others already replied.

So if he still has most of the troops in Russia and has only used about 15% of his total, why would he turn to Syrian fighters. I'm basing that number on the above estimates that his troops number about 1,000,000 and about 150,000 were sent to Ukraine.

yahooyahoo said:

Size of the active Russian military is 900,000 - 1,000,000 troops with about 2,000,000 in reserve.

The amount of Russian troops amassed on the Ukranian border prior to the invasion was about 150,000 - 200,000.

from what I have seen, most of the Russian soldiers captured are from the reserves. Ordinary people who were called up. They were told they were going on training missions 

Jaytee said:

from what I have seen, most of the Russian soldiers captured are from the reserves. Ordinary people who were called up. They were told they were going on training missions 

So with all of that military might, why is he asking the Syrians to jump in?

Morganna said:

So with all of that military might, why is he asking the Syrians to jump in?

maybe he’s realizing his reservists are not as seasoned and ruthless as the Syrians. Assad owes him a favor.

Jaytee said:

maybe he’s realizing his reservists are not as seasoned and ruthless as the Syrians. Assad owes him a favor.

The thought of Assad's methods added to Putin's would provoke me to scream No Fly Zone Now!

Morganna said:

Jaytee said:

from what I have seen, most of the Russian soldiers captured are from the reserves. Ordinary people who were called up. They were told they were going on training missions 

So with all of that military might, why is he asking the Syrians to jump in?

Putin is hoping their experience in urban combat can help take Kyiv. 

Apparently they are good at finding nazis.  I guess.

cramer said:

Putin is hoping their experience in urban combat can help take Kyiv. 

Saw that in a recent discussion, but when the idea was posed, the response from Gen. Barry McCaffrey was "that's just stupid", It actually cracked up Mika and Joe this morning; I needed a laugh.

Not being a military strategist I can't weigh in but  it was also mentioned that it would make Putin look weak. My thought was, if they did help bring about a victory, Putin would then have a possible problem asking the Syrians to please leave. And would Assad want a little piece of the action.

All that aside, one of my three complaints was answered today. We finally halted the purchase of oil. 

The other two are in limbo. One is that we have not clarified when we will take some of the refugees as Poland is quickly filling up. Two, what is the hold up with the plan to lend Poland jets while they supply the jets or migs that Ukranians can handle. That seems like it is now on hold.

Correction, I see Poland is going to send the MIG-29 jets to Ramstein.

So refugees next? I offered a space to an artist I am in touch with on FB if visas become available. Also asked a friend if a way around could be an exchange student program that my friend has hosted.

Assad’s fighters from Syria will kill the civilian Ukrainians that the Russian troops won’t. 

Morganna said:

Saw that in a recent discussion, but when the idea was posed, the response from Gen. Barry McCaffrey was "that's just stupid", It actually cracked up Mika and Joe this morning; I needed a laugh.

Not being a military strategist I can't weigh in but  it was also mentioned that it would make Putin look weak. My thought was, if they did help bring about a victory, Putin would then have a possible problem asking the Syrians to please leave. And would Assad want a little piece of the action.

All that aside, one of my three complaints was answered today. We finally halted the purchase of oil. 

The other two are in limbo. One is that we have not clarified when we will take some of the refugees as Poland is quickly filling up. Two, what is the hold up with the plan to lend Poland jets while they supply the jets or migs that Ukranians can handle. That seems like it is now on hold.

Correction, I see Poland is going to send the MIG-29 jets to Ramstein.

So refugees next? I offered a space to an artist I am in touch with on FB if visas become available. Also asked a friend if a way around could be an exchange student program that my friend has hosted.

While I often find questions around foreign policy vexing, one consistently clear and obvious thing to do IMO is always to take in refugees. I suspect that's something most people on this board (Trumpists excepted), including terp and Paul, can agree with.

PVW said:

While I often find questions around foreign policy vexing, one consistently clear and obvious thing to do IMO is always to take in refugees. I suspect that's something most people on this board (Trumpists excepted), including terp and Paul, can agree with.

Yes, I remember many of us attempting to help Syrian refugees. Best I could offer at the time was furniture. 

I was hoping for some solid plans in Congress on a refugee offer. I was told that visas are almost impossible to get even for those with relatives here. 

Also frustrated that apparently the announcement of Poland sending MIGs through Ramenstein, Germany was premature according to the US. Didn't cover the fact that it is a US / NATO airfield which shifts the responsibility of sending MIGS to us.  I'd call it hairsplitting but I realize the we are talking about an aggressive move against Russia so I'll exercise a rare moment of patience.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-reject-polands-plan-give-ukraine-soviet-era-fighter-jets-rcna19396

WASHINGTON — Ukraine wants warplanes. Its allies have plenty. But getting fighter jets to Ukraine is much more complicated than it might seem.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration rejected a proposal from Poland that would have made its old Russian-made MiG fighters available to a U.S. base in Germany for potential handover to Ukraine, because it would be a “high risk” step that could ratchet up tensions with Russia, the Defense Department said.

The difficulties are legal, logistical and political. Top leaders of NATO — the alliance of 30 countries that includes the U.S. and Germany — want to help Ukraine but have resisted actions that could drag it directly into Moscow’s war against its neighbor.

Officials so far have deemed Ukraine's appeals for additional fighter jets, as well as requests to impose a no-fly zone, as moves that would risk direct conflict with Russia.

Brent Renaud was shot by Russian forces while filming his documentary. 

Morganna said:

Yes, I remember many of us attempting to help Syrian refugees. Best I could offer at the time was furniture. 

I was hoping for some solid plans in Congress on a refugee offer. I was told that visas are almost impossible to get even for those with relatives here. 

Also frustrated that apparently the announcement of Poland sending MIGs through Ramenstein, Germany was premature according to the US. Didn't cover the fact that it is a US / NATO airfield which shifts the responsibility of sending MIGS to us.  I'd call it hairsplitting but I realize the we are talking about an aggressive move against Russia so I'll exercise a rare moment of patience.

U.S. will accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing war, Biden says (WaPo)

BRUSSELS — President Biden on Thursday announced plans for the United States to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, as well as others fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“Many Ukrainian refugees will wish to stay in Europe, closer to their homes, but we’ll also welcome 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States with a focus on reuniting families,” Biden said.

Administration officials said they are still working out the details of how the Ukrainians will be admitted, but their goal is to welcome up to 100,000. They would be brought into the United States through a variety of legal pathways, including the conventional U.S. refugee program as well as more agile mechanisms such as “humanitarian parole,” which the Biden administration used for tens of thousands of Afghans last year during Operation Allies Welcome, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.