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The General Russia Thread

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This thread is about Russia and any events, political or otherwise, that are or might be worth discussing.

Any news, links or posts pertaining to the situation involving Russia, Crimea and Ukraine must be put in the 'Crisis in Ukraine' thread.

Group of deputies wants Gorbachev investigated over Soviet break-up.

Above in the Guardian version.

Putin's war against Russia's last independent TV channel.

No discussion regarding nuclear war. As nuclear weapons are not being used by either side, nuclear war is off-topic.

Edited by MacronNotes on Feb 27th 2022 at 11:26:10 AM

Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#13751: Jul 24th 2022 at 11:38:37 AM

The robot uprising apparently starts with a robot who doesn't want to play chess anymore.

AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#13752: Jul 24th 2022 at 11:58:07 AM

[up]I'm sorry Ivan, but I am afraid I can't let you do that.

And a link shared by Anton (AKA the Tank Archives owner).

Unnatural Numbers. Part Two

A story on how sociologists made Russians love Putin and the war in Ukraine

Since the beginning of aggression against Ukraine, the whole world has been occupied with the question of whether the vast majority of Russians really support this unjust war. The Project’s investigation proves with concrete examples that most polls published in Russia simply cannot be trusted. Since taking office, Vladimir Putin has been so worried about his approval ratings that the Kremlin has taken full control of the opinion pollsters, and the latter have learned how to get the right answers from citizens.

Inter arma enim silent leges
Smeagol17 (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#13753: Jul 24th 2022 at 12:24:13 PM

Yeah, it is the old concept of Russian liberals. “The polls (also elections) are wrong.” Maybe they are right, but it is not like reality has contradicted the polls in a significant way yet.

Edited by Smeagol17 on Jul 24th 2022 at 11:27:51 AM

Risa123 Since: Dec, 2021 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#13754: Jul 25th 2022 at 1:53:27 AM

[up] "old concept of Russian liberals" ?

Smeagol17 (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#13755: Jul 25th 2022 at 1:57:06 AM

Ok, not so old. 15 years, more or less.

Risa123 Since: Dec, 2021 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#13756: Jul 25th 2022 at 2:03:24 AM

[up] I was actually asking what concept, but i know that now. Stupid me.

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#13757: Jul 25th 2022 at 2:16:48 PM

It wouldn't be surprising if a majority of the Russian public supported the war out of general patriotism, at least until it begins to affect them personally.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
eagleoftheninth Shop all day, greed is free from a dreamed portrait, imperfect Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Shop all day, greed is free
#13758: Jul 26th 2022 at 9:14:39 AM

AP: Russia to drop out of International Space Station after 2024.

    Article 
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost, the country’s new space chief said Tuesday amid high tensions between Moscow and the West over the fighting in Ukraine.

Yuri Borisov, appointed this month to lead the state space agency, Roscosmos, said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin that Russia will fulfill its obligations to its partners before it leaves.

“The decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made,” Borisov said, adding: “I think that by that time we will start forming a Russian orbiting station.”

Borisov’s statement reaffirmed previous declarations by Russian space officials about Moscow’s intention to leave the space station after 2024 when the current international arrangements for its operation end.

NASA and other international partners hope to keep the space station running until 2030, while the Russians have been reluctant to make commitments beyond 2024.

NASA had no immediate comment.

The space station is jointly run by the space agencies of Russia, the U.S., Europe, Japan and Canada. The first piece was put in orbit in 1998, and the outpost has been continuously inhabited for nearly 22 years. It is used to conduct scientific research in zero gravity and test out equipment for future space journeys.

NASA had no immediate comment.

The space station is jointly run by the space agencies of Russia, the U.S., Europe, Japan and Canada. The first piece was put in orbit in 1998, and the outpost has been continuously inhabited for nearly 22 years. It is used to conduct scientific research in zero gravity and test out equipment for future space journeys.

It typically has a crew of seven, who spend months at a time aboard the station as it orbits about 250 miles from Earth. Three Russians, three Americans and one Italian are now on board.

The complex, which is about as long as a football field, consists of two main sections, one run by Russia, the other by the U.S. and the other countries. It was not immediately clear what will have to be done to the Russian side of the complex to continue safely operating the space station once Moscow pulls out.

The Russian announcement is certain to stir speculation that it is part of Moscow’s maneuvering to win relief from Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.

Borisov’s predecessor, Dmitry Rogozin, said last month that Moscow could take part in negotiations about a possible extension of the station’s operations only if the U.S. lifts its sanctions against Russian space industries.

With Elon Musk’s Space "X" company now flying NASA astronauts to and from the space station, the Russian Space Agency lost a major source of income. For years, NASA had been paying tens of millions of dollars per seat for rides to and from the station aboard Russian rockets.

Despite the tensions over Ukraine, NASA and Roscosmos struck a deal earlier this month for astronauts to continue riding Russian rockets and for Russian cosmonauts to catch lifts to the space station with Space "X" beginning this fall. But the flights will involve no exchange of money.

The agreement ensures that the space station will always have at least one American and one Russian on board to keep both sides of the outpost running smoothly, according to NASA and Russian officials.

Moscow and Washington cooperated in space even at the height of the Cold War, when Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft docked in orbit in 1975 in the first crewed international space mission, helping improve U.S.-Soviet relations.

NASA has been working with U.S. companies on establishing their own private space stations to eventually replace the International Space Station. NASA hopes that these commercial space stations will be up and running by the end of the decade.

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Risa123 Since: Dec, 2021 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#13760: Jul 27th 2022 at 7:27:15 AM

Amount of gas going trought Nordstream reduced to 20%. [1] note: posted in ukraine thread as well.

Edited by Risa123 on Jul 27th 2022 at 4:27:35 PM

M1gamiTensei The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps from Punished “Brainwashed” M1gami Since: Oct, 2017 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
eagleoftheninth Shop all day, greed is free from a dreamed portrait, imperfect Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Shop all day, greed is free
#13763: Jul 29th 2022 at 4:46:27 PM

"This is Russia" *literally the Ukrainian SSR emblem*

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.
M1gamiTensei The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps from Punished “Brainwashed” M1gami Since: Oct, 2017 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Scrappy of the Trope Pantheon, God of Thumps
#13764: Jul 29th 2022 at 5:03:04 PM

Either someone didnt get the memo or someone snuck in something good for us.

Also, them ending with, "Winter is coming" makes it more of a threat which is funny. Also, another thing thats a kind of messed up is when the video says beautiful women, it shows little girls.

Edited by M1gamiTensei on Jul 29th 2022 at 5:05:23 AM

Pantheon server for all who click here. Lost too much money and time, this coaster ain’t stopping.
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#13765: Jul 29th 2022 at 6:05:01 PM

Yeah, showing two little girls running through a field with the line "beautiful women" is... certainly a choice. :|

Edited by DrunkenNordmann on Jul 29th 2022 at 3:05:27 PM

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#13767: Jul 29th 2022 at 7:12:07 PM

[up][up][up] They stole "Winter is coming" from Game of Thrones, too.

StyxD Lights Out! from rimward of west (Emeritus Troper) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Lights Out!
#13768: Jul 30th 2022 at 3:49:08 AM

[up][up][up] The traditional values choice.

Russia: all the right-wing populist talking points... and ballet.

The state of TV Tropes.
eagleoftheninth Shop all day, greed is free from a dreamed portrait, imperfect Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Shop all day, greed is free
#13769: Jul 30th 2022 at 4:55:12 AM

Holod: A 53-year-old science teacher on Shikotan Island, in the Kuriles, was denounced to the police by his colleagues and students for going on a tirade against Putin after learning that his family's village near Chernihiv was shelled by the Zs. He was dismissed from the school after 30 years of employment and fined for several counts of "discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation".

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.
eagleoftheninth Shop all day, greed is free from a dreamed portrait, imperfect Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Shop all day, greed is free
#13770: Jul 31st 2022 at 8:23:39 PM

*insert shock therapy pun here*

New York Times: Anatoly Chubais, who resigned as a top Kremlin adviser shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was hospitalized on Sunday in a western European country in critical condition with the symptoms of a rare neurological disorder.

    Article 
Mr. Chubais had suddenly grown numb in his hands and legs, his wife, Avodtya Smirnova, told the Russian journalist (AHEM) Ksenia Sobchak.

Mr. Chubais, 67, told Ms. Sobchak himself that he had been diagnosed with the rare Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the body’s immune system attacks its nerves.

According to Ms. Sobchak’s news channel, specialists in “chemical protection suits” examined the room in which he suddenly became ill.

Mr. Chubais had been a prominent fixture in Russian politics and an ally of President Vladimir V. Putin’s since the 1990s. He oversaw privatization during Russia’s transition to a market economy, became the chief executive of Russia’s state power monopoly, and took the reins of Rosnano, a state technology company.

More recently, he served as Mr. Putin’s international climate envoy. He left that post — and Russia entirely — in March without stating a reason, though it was widely believed to have stemmed from his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. He is one of the highest-level Russian officials to have resigned from Putin’s government since February.

Mr. Chubais’s current location has not been disclosed.

It is unclear what happened to Mr. Chubais, although news of his sudden illness drew attention to a series of episodes in which Kremlin opponents have been poisoned.

The opposition politician Aleksei A. Navalny was poisoned in 2020 with the chemical agent Novichok. In 2015, the opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza also suffered symptoms consistent with poisoning.

Alexander V. Litvinenko, a former agent in the F.S.B., the successor agency to the K.G.B., died of radioactive polonium 210 poisoning in London in 2006.

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.
jdeo1997 BLADE Pathfinders from Orion–Cygnus Arm Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Florien The They who said it from statistically, slightly right behind you. Since: Aug, 2019
Ayasugi Since: Oct, 2010
#13773: Jul 31st 2022 at 9:55:43 PM

Just proof that dissidence is a mental disorder.

Ominae Since: Jul, 2010
#13774: Jul 31st 2022 at 10:00:43 PM

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/waldff/found_him_our_new_friend_first_name_vitaly_lives/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Seems like vigilant OSIN Ters are hunting down Russian soldiers in Ukraine who committed war crimes against Ukrainian PO Ws and civilians. Turns out that they found another one.

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#13775: Aug 3rd 2022 at 1:28:55 PM

A series of articles on the probably state of the Russian economy.

1. Who’s Embargoing Whom?:

"On the other hand, Western attempts to restrict Russian exports have been a bust. Russian oil is still finding its way to world markets, and if anything, the country appears to be flush with cash.

But while Russia is having no problem selling stuff, it’s having a lot of trouble buying stuff. Sanctions on Russia’s exports have, as I said, been a bust, but sanctions on its imports — refusal to sell Russia essential goods — have been more successful than, as far as I know, anyone expected. Even nations that aren’t part of the coalition imposing sanctions, including China, have sharply cut their exports to Russia...

...But wait, that’s not the end of the story, because there’s another de facto embargo underway. Early in the war, supporters of Ukraine pleaded with European nations — Germany in particular — to stop buying Russian natural gas; they didn’t. But now Russia is, in effect, sanctioning its own gas exports. It’s not an explicitly announced policy, but Russia has been reducing deliveries to European markets, pretty clearly in an attempt to damage the European economy and increase political pressure for Europe to stop supporting Ukraine."

Krugman concludes that Russia's attempts to embargo Europe are, so far, a lot less effective than the embargoes going the other way.

2. Business Retreats and Sanctions Are Crippling the Russian Economy:

"As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters into its fifth month, a common narrative has emerged that the unity of the world in standing up to Russia has somehow devolved into a “war of economic attrition which is taking its toll on the west”, given the supposed “resilience” and even “prosperity” of the Russian economy. This is simply untrue – and a reflection of widely held but factually incorrect misunderstandings over how the Russian economy is actually holding up amidst the exodus of over 1,000 global companies and international sanctions.

That these misunderstandings persist is not surprising. Since the invasion, the Kremlin’s economic releases have become increasingly cherry-picked, selectively tossing out unfavorable metrics while releasing only those that are more favorable. These Putin-selected statistics are then carelessly trumpeted across media and used by reams of well-meaning but careless experts in building out forecasts which are excessively, unrealistically favorable to the Kremlin.

Our team of experts, using private Russian language and unconventional data sources including high frequency consumer data, cross-channel checks, releases from Russia’s international trade partners, and data mining of complex shipping data, have released one of the first comprehensive economic analyses measuring Russian current economic activity five months into the invasion, and assessing Russia’s economic outlook.

From our analysis, it becomes clear: business retreats and sanctions are catastrophically crippling the Russian economy."

3. Export controls against Russia are working—with the help of China:

"The situation is complex and dynamic, but the evidence suggests that export restrictions and sanctions are biting Russia's economy and military. Russia's imports have fallen significantly, not only from countries in the sanctioning coalition but, surprisingly, also from countries that have refused to adopt the sanctions, most notably China."

But there are two sides to the issue:

4. Putin, Facing Sanction Threats, Has Been Saving for This Day:

"Since paying the price for annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has tried to make its economy sanctions-proof, hoarding currency to insulate the country."

My own impression is that if Ukraine can hold on through the winter and into next year, the window for Russia achieving any sort of discernible "victory" will have closed. It might happen sooner than that.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.

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