Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Iphie]

Someone earlier posted that China could potentially be using Iran as a proxy to effectively sell equipment to Russia without looking like they were doing so.

But I have to figure… China selling technology to Iran who then does their own upcharging because they know Russia has no other choice can’t be cheap for Russia.

Right, but that would still be known relatively quickly due to the drone design. I mean most countries have their own design.

[Poopymonster]

As a government employe he might have a "special operation transfer" to the front. The worst thing is that I only say it as a half-joke, and not as a pure joke.

He's the superhero they deserve, not the superhero the need.

[Corvus]

Russia has admitted to the terrorist strike the other day, but as usual they lie, saying they eliminated a meeting between Ukrainian officials and foreign weapon suppliers. Yeah, that 3 year old down syndrome girl and the other 2 kids were involved in weapons supplies.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...orce-officials

[Iphie]

Russia has admitted to the terrorist strike the other day, but as usual they lie, saying they eliminated a meeting between Ukrainian officials and foreign weapon suppliers. Yeah, that 3 year old down syndrome girl and the other 2 kids were involved in weapons supplies.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...orce-officials

Even if we assume they aimed for a more "legitimate" target, hitting foreign officials selling weapons doesn't exactly seem the thing to do as they, technically, aren't party to the war, are civilians and shouldn't be targeted.
So this reason doesn't actually make it any better.

BTW, wasn't there supposed to be a special meeting of the Duma yesterday? Anything come from that? I know Roscosmos got new leadership and that NASA and Roscosmos announced a new agreement on integrated crews on their respective spaceflights.

[Kallisto]

Even if we assume they aimed for a more "legitimate" target, hitting foreign officials selling weapons doesn't exactly seem the thing to do as they, technically, aren't party to the war, are civilians and shouldn't be targeted.
So this reason doesn't actually make it any better.

BTW, wasn't there supposed to be a special meeting of the Duma yesterday? Anything come from that? I know Roscosmos got new leadership and that NASA and Roscosmos announced a new agreement on integrated crews on their respective spaceflights.

Everything that came out of Russia yesterday seemed to be about that with the old leader being transfered to donbas for some official position.

[Corvus]

Even if we assume they aimed for a more "legitimate" target, hitting foreign officials selling weapons doesn't exactly seem the thing to do as they, technically, aren't party to the war, are civilians and shouldn't be targeted.
So this reason doesn't actually make it any better.

BTW, wasn't there supposed to be a special meeting of the Duma yesterday? Anything come from that? I know Roscosmos got new leadership and that NASA and Roscosmos announced a new agreement on integrated crews on their respective spaceflights.

It seems it was aimed at internal matters, instituting 100 new laws that further crack down on the populace and instituting a new youth movement that might as well be the Putlerjugend.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...oup-Russia-ont

[Iphie]

Everything that came out of Russia yesterday seemed to be about that with the old leader being transfered to donbas for some official position.

Kinda sounds they "promoted" him away.

It seems it was aimed at internal matters, instituting 100 new laws that further crack down on the populace and instituting a new youth movement that might as well be the Putlerjugend.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...oup-Russia-ont

The pioneers? Didn't the Soviets have those as well? But I bet Gherkin, Jerky...whatever his name is, that FSB guy who started this whole mess in 2014, isn't very happy about no formal declarations of war.

[Vladier]

The pioneers? Didn't the Soviets have those as well? But I bet Gherkin, Jerky...whatever his name is, that FSB guy who started this whole mess in 2014, isn't very happy about no formal declarations of war.

I don't think pioneers ever went away, really. They were essentially boy/girlscouts, and were in fact created after the Russian Imperial scout movement, although after the fall of USSR they were no longer supported on government level, and political and religious propaganda in schools is constitutionally banned (as if this has ever stopped anyone), leaving only their teaching survival skills and general good behaviour and formed and financed by schools themselves.

Now, this new organization is supposedly voluntary, but there is an expression in Russia and, I imagine, other post-Soviet states, of something being "voluntarily-compulsory", meaning supposedly voluntary, actually compulsory, but you're supposed to act as if you volunteered, except everybody knows that you didn't.

[Twdft]

Now, this new organization is supposedly voluntary, but there is an expression in Russia and, I imagine, other post-Soviet states, of something being "voluntarily-compulsory", meaning supposedly voluntary, actually compulsory, but you're supposed to act as if you volunteered, except everybody knows that you didn't.

As a little sidenote for people born in more free countries how "voluntarily-compulsory" worked: the state controls who is allowed to get higher education and who gets which job. You might choose not to participate in "voluntary" organisations, but you'll never get into university and you'll never get the job you actually want.

[Shrouded]

In slighty more bizarre news in this already very bizarre year, Russia is drawing up plans to build their own game engine, in case Epic & Unity pull out of the country.

Kommersant sources say potential for this kind of state response germinated in a behind-closed-doors meeting between presidential administration officials and reps from the Russian video game industry in May. With Epic blocking in-game commerce in Russia and Unity “pausing relationships” with entities connected to the Russian government following the invasion of Ukraine, some fear local studios may at some point lose access to vital development tools entirely.

[XDurionX]

In slighty more bizarre news in this already very bizarre year, Russia is drawing up plans to build their own game engine, in case Epic & Unity pull out of the country.

MoskvaEngine supports resolutions up to SVGA and requires an ibm compatible 486 processor and 8mb ram. And a gas heated stove.

[Dontrike]

In slighty more bizarre news in this already very bizarre year, Russia is drawing up plans to build their own game engine, in case Epic & Unity pull out of the country.

Considering the quality of most Russian made games I don't think any game company has anything to worry about there if they'll be like Postal 3 or various MMOs.

[Vladier]

In slighty more bizarre news in this already very bizarre year, Russia is drawing up plans to build their own game engine, in case Epic & Unity pull out of the country.

You know, I sometimes wonder if this whole ordeal is just an insanely stupid and stupidly insane plan to produce domestique analogues rather than rely on easily accessible foreign products.

Especially after finding out that the whole "Russian world" thing started just as a benign marketing strategy involving convincing the Russian diaspora abroad to buy Russian exported goods in order to give the newly-capitalist Russia a niche on the world market, concocted by former followers of a somewhat cultish Soviet "methodological movement".

[Mihalik]

Kinda sounds they "promoted" him away.

Sure, the way Stalin promoted Zhukov to Siberia after WW2.

[Kallisto]

Sure, the way Stalin promoted Zhukov to Siberia after WW2.

Odessa. Siberia would have been too obvious.

[Belize]

Russia has admitted to the terrorist strike the other day, but as usual they lie, saying they eliminated a meeting between Ukrainian officials and foreign weapon suppliers. Yeah, that 3 year old down syndrome girl and the other 2 kids were involved in weapons supplies.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...orce-officials

Not much different than when ISIL takes credit for a car bomb is it?

[Iphie]

Odessa. Siberia would have been too obvious.

Siberia, Odesa, what's the difference? But yeah, like Zhukov.

[Logwyn]

Sure, the way Stalin promoted Zhukov to Siberia after WW2.

I think you mean the Odessa Military District.

[Forogil]

Siberia, Odesa, what's the difference? But yeah, like Zhukov.

I'm sure you knew, but considering the current situation it's important to remember that Odessa is in Ukraine - and not occupied; whereas Siberia is in Russia.

Basically the entire Odessa Military District from Russia and USSR is now part of southern Ukraine (occupied and otherwise) and Moldovia.

[Iphie]

I'm sure you knew, but considering the current situation it's important to remember that Odessa is in Ukraine - and not occupied; whereas Siberia is in Russia.

Basically the entire Odessa Military District from Russia and USSR is now part of southern Ukraine (occupied and otherwise) and Moldovia.

I knew, yes, at the time it was one country of course...but of course Odesa was a lot more agreeable than Siberia.