patrick.net

Patrick says

I've really been enjoying using cash everywhere. Clerks are often surprised.

Imagine trying to use one of these around town...

Russians will definitely be negatively impacted by the sanctions.

The Europeans will definitely be negatively impacted by Russia's counter sanctions. I think they will cut the flow of natural gas tomorrow.

In America we won't have to worry about the electricity going out. Europeans are going to have to deal with that.

I guess in the UK they dealt with store shelves being empty recently. There will be panic buying throughout the EU because there are going to be shortages.

I was hoping for a short war with minimal loss of life. We are what 36 days into the conflict. The Syrian conflict lasted about 10 years.

Eric Holder says

Latest news: Russia relaxes auto manufacturing standards to allowing cars w/o airbags, w/o cat converters, w/o ABS/ESC and adhering to emission regulations less strict than Euro-1.

We need that here too.

Booger says

Eric Holder says

Latest news: Russia relaxes auto manufacturing standards to allowing cars w/o airbags, w/o cat converters, w/o ABS/ESC and adhering to emission regulations less strict than Euro-1.

We need that here too.

I dunno, man: there are plenty of classic car in my neighborhood and when I drive behind one of them on weekends I catch myself not missing the stench of unburned gasoline and the rest of the shit they emit. As for ABS/ESC and airbags - yes, couldn't care less.

PS. Apparently, every car manufactured in Russia was also required to have a Glonass chip in it (Glonass is a "Russian GPS" which currently doesn't work, because they failed to maintain a proper satellite constellation for it). This requirement has been dropped too.

Germany mulls nationalization of Gazprom, Rosneft units – Handelsblatt
By:Reuters
Updated: Mar 31, 2022, 11:20 PDT•1min read

BERLIN (Reuters) – The German economy ministry is considering expropriation of Gazprom and Rosneft units in the country amid concerns about security of energy supply, business daily Handelsblatt reported on Thursday, citing government sources.

The discussions between top ministry officials and Chancellor Olaf Scholz aim to prevent massive power cuts if either of these companies, which are systemically important for Germany, gets into difficulties, the newspaper reported.



Both companies are irreplaceable on the German energy market with Gazprom Germania operating large gas storage facilities and Rosneft Deutschland being a key player in the petrol, diesel and kerosene refinery markets, Handelsblatt reported.

At the same time, the companies risk a “technical bankruptcy” as banks and business partners have been distancing themselves from companies with Russian owners since Western sanctions against Russia came into force, Handelsblatt said.

Gazprom Germania, Rosneft Deutschland and the German economy ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.

(Reporting by Zuzanna Szymanska; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Misc says

The Syrian conflict lasted about 10 years.

Thanks to the same fuck, btw. And to Obama/Biden/Kerry who invited him there.

richwicks says

still1bear says

Comparing USSR to modern Russia: Russia is smaller and weaker, it is more dependent on the West.

For what? Financial fraud and endless wars? What does the West produce today? Electronics are made in China and those are toys nobody needs a newer, better, television. In fact, the TV you have right now can last forever. You now what is going to fail on it? A capacitor and when it does, you're going to throw it away. It will be a $1.00 part that is EASY to find, because the enclosure will be bulging out. Easy fix if you can't get a new teeeveee.

The USSR needed GRAIN back in the day. What do they need from the United States today?

India is a good trading partner with them, they are getting along PRETTY well with China. Russia has MASSIVE amounts of resources beyond just energy. Ukraine still produces a lot of food though, THAT might create a problem, a...

Just one small example: American oil service companies (Schlumberger, Halliburton et al.) are major suppliers of important equipment and services for Russia's oil industry. Without them Russia will miss a lot of oil production. You will see it within the next year.

I understand, you hate neocons but this hate should not cloud your thinking. Try to stay closer to reality.

If you want to learn more about this war and Mr. Putin listen to this guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Shvets?source=patrick.net

He went to a KGB school together with Putin and later worked as the KGB resident in Washington DC. Find somebody to translate it from Russian, you will learn a lot.
This is his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb2oej0JtxlnywlqoSiHHVQ?source=patrick.net

New cars in Russia rose by an average of 40% in March against the backdrop of devaluation and suspension of deliveries. The most significant rise in prices - up to 60% - affected premium cars, the supply of which to the Russian Federation is limited not only due to problems with logistics, but also the sanctions of the United States, the EU and Japan. So far, the dealers' warehouses have not been empty, but due to high prices and a drop in real incomes of the population, demand has already fallen - the traffic of car dealerships is minimal. Some dealers are talking about a 60% drop in sales in March and expect it to get worse.

https://www-kommersant-ru.translate.goog/doc/5293055?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp&source=patrick.net

Air India stops selling tickets for flights to Russia
Indian airline Air India has stopped selling tickets from Delhi to Moscow and back

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20220406/indiya-1782003022.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp&source=patrick.net

You know guys been thinking about it. We were constantly bombarded with "covid gonna kill everyone" shit and that's really all we talked about, because we knew it was all bullshit. Well, they swapped Ukraine in, overnight got rid of masks... and now we talking about Russia/Ukraine all day long.

Fuck it, I don't want to even pay attention to this shit anymore. I got my own fucking problems to deal with, and a move to plan. Just telling you guys, this is weird shit how they 1984 style move us from one crisis to next. It's like America has become a controlled environment.

FortWayneAsNancyPelosiHaircut says

You know guys been thinking about it. We were constantly bombarded with "covid gonna kill everyone" shit and that's really all we talked about, because we knew it was all bullshit. Well, they swapped Ukraine in, overnight got rid of masks... and now we talking about Russia/Ukraine all day long.

Fuck it, I don't want to even pay attention to this shit anymore. I got my own fucking problems to deal with, and a move to plan. Just telling you guys, this is weird shit how they 1984 style move us from one crisis to next. It's like America has become a controlled environment.

You want the whole America to be talking about your problems instead? For that you need at a very minimum have a Kardashian ass and put out a sex tape. =))

FortWayneAsNancyPelosiHaircut says

Well, they swapped Ukraine in, overnight got rid of masks... and now we talking about Russia/Ukraine all day long.

It's called the Overton Window. I actually regard the Ukraine war as basically yet another distraction. I wonder what fuckery our government is up to during times like these?

richwicks says

FortWayneAsNancyPelosiHaircut says

Well, they swapped Ukraine in, overnight got rid of masks... and now we talking about Russia/Ukraine all day long.

It's called the Overton Window. I actually regard the Ukraine war as basically yet another distraction. I wonder what fuckery our government is up to during times like these?

Obviously, our government has hired Pooty-poot to distract us from FortWhine's problems, duh.

RWSGFY says

Obviously, our government has hired Pooty-poot to distract us from FortWhine's problems, duh.

I'm pointing out that they don't care about sars-cov2-19 and never did. The fact that it's entirely off the radar is demonstration of that. The whole "pandemic" was bullshit.

Within in a week of that war starting up, it was entirely off the radar. Masking ended in Santa Clara county finally, all the talk about mandates for vaccinations ended, the censorship on people trying to discuss it rationally eased up tremendously.

In time I'll know what the US is trying to accomplish with Ukraine. Partially it's a money laundering operation, the US wants to isolate Russia since they view them as a military competitor, and the US wants to sell LNG to Europe but I doubt that's the complete picture.

I always thought that the pandemic was a cover for some economic problem, it was used to bailout banks. It started 3 months after there were repo failures in September of 2019. It WAS used to bailout the banking system. The criminals in our financial system just need something to blame a coming economic collapse on. It was the "pandemic" before, but now they are going to blame it on Russia I suspect. I bet they are breathing a sigh of relief, because nobody believed the pandemic hysteria - or less people were.

I really don't believe the Ukraine hysteria to be honest. Yes, there's a conflict, but I suspect a lot of it is exaggerated. Could be wrong, I'll find out in 12 months.

FortWayneAsNancyPelosiHaircut says

Fuck it, I don't want to even pay attention to this shit anymore. I got my own fucking problems to deal with, and a move to plan. Just telling you guys, this is weird shit how they 1984 style move us from one crisis to next. It's like America has become a controlled environment.

It's a constant Fear and Outrage Nikelodeon playing every instrument to focus people to supporting Corporate Socialism/Neoliberalism/NWO policies.

Literally every Vaccine Icon/Mask Up Nag on Twitter has replaced it with Ukraine Flags.

EBGuy says

Patrick says

I've really been enjoying using cash everywhere. Clerks are often surprised.

Imagine trying to use one of these around town...

Well F me - those are authentic and real. Those are actually US coins. Hunh.

London (CNN Business)Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt because it offered bondholders payments in rubles, not dollars, credit ratings agency S&P has said.
Russia attempted to pay in rubles for two dollar-denominated bonds that matured on April 4, S&P said in a note on Friday. The agency said this amounted to a "selective default" because investors are unlikely to be able to convert the rubles into "dollars equivalent to the originally due amounts."
According to S&P, a selective default is declared when an entity has defaulted on a specific obligation but not its entire debt.

Moscow has a grace period of 30 days from April 4 to make the payments of capital and interest, but S&P said it does not expect it will convert them into dollars given Western sanctions that undermine its "willingness and technical abilities to honor the terms and conditions" of its obligations.

A full foreign currency default would be Russia's first in more than a century, when Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin repudiated bonds issued by the Tsarist government.

Russia cannot access roughly $315 billion of its foreign currency reserves as a result of Western sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine. Until last week, the United States allowed Russia to use some of its frozen assets to pay back certain investors in dollars. But the US Treasury has since blocked the country from accessing its reserves at American banks, part of its effort to ramp up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and further diminish his war chest.

Indian steel company Tata Steel has ended its cooperation with Russia, the company says in a statement.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Flash43191300/status/1516792135047122947?source=patrick.net

Former Novatek top manager Sergey Protosenya, his wife and daughter were found dead in Spain, TASS reports with reference to the Telecinco TV channel.

The bodies of three people were found on Tuesday in a house in the village of Lloret de Mar (province of Girona), but the police did not name either the names or the nationality of the deceased. But, according to the channel, we are talking about Protosen and his family.

According to the channel, Protosenya owned a fortune of 400 million euros and lived in France. The family came to Spain for the Easter holidays.

The police are considering a version according to which Protosenya could have killed his wife and daughter, and then committed suicide.

On April 18, under similar circumstances, the former vice-president of Gazprombank Vladislav Avaev, his daughter and wife were found dead in Moscow. The bodies were found in an apartment on Universitetsky Prospekt - they were discovered by a relative who could not get through to the Avaevs for several days. According to investigators' preliminary version, Avaev shot his wife and 13-year-old daughter with a pistol and then committed suicide. The police made this conclusion because the weapon was in Avaev's hands. The door was locked from the inside, no traces of other persons being in the house during the shooting were found. The GSU TFR qualified the incident under Part 2 of Art. 105 of the Criminal Code - the murder of two or more persons.

On February 25, 61-year-old Alexander Tyulyakov, deputy general director of the Gazprom Unified Settlement Center for corporate security, was found dead in a cottage near St. Petersburg. Previously, he served as Deputy General Director for Corporate Security and Human Resources at Gazprom Transgaz St. Petersburg, which was involved in the export and transportation of fuel to several Russian regions. Police determined that the man committed suicide. There was a note next to his body.

In January, in the same village, the 60-year-old top manager of Gazprom, Leonid Sh., who also previously worked at Gazprom Transgaz, committed suicide and left a suicide note.

richwicks says

I always thought that the pandemic was a cover for some economic problem,

I assumed shutting down the country was to tank the economy and get Trump out of office.

SunnyvaleCA says

richwicks says

I always thought that the pandemic was a cover for some economic problem,

I assumed shutting down the country was to tank the economy and get Trump out of office.

This.

Bill fucking Maher said it before the whole thing started.

Google translated from Russian sources:

* Closed: online store naukabooks.ru, stores "Akademkniga", scientific electronic database libnauka.ru.
* NOVATEK (Russia's second largest gas producer) announced that it will not publish financial statements and hold a teleconference with investors based on the results of the first quarter of 2022.
* In March, the volume of microloans issued in Russia fell by about 22%.
* Decrease in prices for apartments of mass demand in Moscow in March ranged from 3% to 9% depending on the district. The people are leaving Moscow.
* Sales of smartphones in Russia in March fell by 20% compared to March last year.
* In the first half of April, the average daily volume of oil refining into gasoline and diesel fuel in Russia decreased by 6%. And this is before the oil embargo.
* An automobile plant in Kaluga (Peugeot, Citroen, Opel) was stopped. And due to the shutdown of AvtoVAZ, electricity consumption in the Samara region decreased by 3.4% year-on-year.
* The production of Buk, Kub and Tunguska air defense systems was stopped at the Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant - there are no imported parts. Employees have been sent on leave. The production of tanks at Uralvagonzavod was stopped a long time ago.

News of the political blockade of Russia
* Turkey has closed airspace for Russian aircraft flying to Syria.
* Air carriers from Russia will not be able to launch new flights to the US.
* The Pope has canceled a meeting with Patriarch Kirill.
* The parliaments of Lithuania and Latvia declared May 9 "the day of memory of the heroes of Ukraine." And Kazakhstan canceled the parade that day.
* Russia was stripped of its permanent observer status in the Organization of American States.
* The UNESCO session was supposed to be held in Kazan - it will be held outside of Russia.
* Russia will close the Consulate General of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in St. Petersburg.
* In 2019, the share of foreigners in the Russian concert market was, according to MTS ticket services, 20%. And in March of this year, it was less than 1%. A total of 15 concerts throughout Russia, three of which have already been cancelled.

(google translate from Russian source)

SYDNEY (Reuters) -A Fiji court ruled on Tuesday that the United States can seize a Russian-owned superyacht, 21 days after it arrived and was impounded by police, as the United States and its allies press Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. authorities assert that the luxury vessel, the Amadea, is ultimately owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, who has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.
The U.S. Justice Department’s Taskforce KleptoCapture has focused on seizing yachts and other luxury assets to put the finances of Russian oligarchs under strain in a bid to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.
Fiji’s High Court granted the order to seize the Amadea, Fiji’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said in a statement.
The order was made after the DPP applied to register a U.S. warrant to seize the yacht, it said.

The fucking thing is YUUUGE, prolly bigger than the cruiser "there is no proof it really sunk" Moskva.

RWSGFY says

The fucking thing is YUUUGE, prolly bigger than the cruiser "there is no proof it really sunk" Moskva.

Yeah, even small shipping containers are 28' long or so. That thing is damn near a football field long. Just rent a ship that fucking big. Why own it? You've got the money as an oligarch. Even if it was your primary residence, it makes no sense. Shitty marina I might add. I'm sure that's so peaceful with all the cargo containers getting loaded daily. True luxury.

Liberators being pushed back near Kharkiv:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-19/china-in-talks-with-russia-to-buy-oil-for-strategic-reserves

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/20/china-quietly-increases-purchases-of-low-priced-russian-oil.html

Moscow — Russia has eased safety standards for cars produced on its territory, such as dropping the requirement for airbags, after Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine caused a shortage of electronic components and car parts. In a decree signed on May 12, the Russian government announced a list of reduced requirements to certify some types of new vehicles produced in the country.

It includes the production of cars without Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) sensors, airbags or Emergency Locking Retractors (ELR) for seatbelts. The decree is in effect until February 1, 2023.

Seatbelts? WE DON"T NEED NO STINKING SEATBELTS!!!

Production of Russia's Soviet-era car brand the Moskvich could resume using a Chinese platform in partnership with truckmaker Kamaz, two sources told Reuters on Thursday, with the model to be built at Renault's former Moscow factory.

The sources told Reuters that Kamaz was in talks with its partner, Chinese carmaker JAC, about using its design, engineering and production platform to produce the brand. Kamaz and Moskvich declined to comment.

The Moskvich is set to make a surprise comeback in Russia as Moscow takes over assets belonging to Renault, after the French carmaker said it was selling its majority stake in Avtovaz to a Russian science institute.

Russian business daily Vedomosti, which first reported the news on Thursday, cited a source as saying that production would begin no later than the fourth quarter of this year.

Will it have seatbelts?

NO MORE HITLER CARS IN RUSSIA!

The Kaluga region, south of Moscow, once known for its 'economic miracle' after attracting major foreign carmakers, is threatened by Western sanctions amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Had he known, Dmitri Petrov would not have undertaken the imposing project of adding a second floor to the charming brick house that he and his wife have been building for three decades. The result is convincing, though and construction is well under way. The garden looks like a small English park, with its neat pond, its impeccable lawn and the very Russian-style vegetable garden, which is awaiting summer to yield juicy vegetables.

But he is facing two issues. Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, on February 24, inflation is rising and the price of building materials has almost doubled. According to Mr. Petrov, 50, it's not the right time for grandiose projects, but rather one of uncertainty, in the Kaluga region, south of Moscow, where sanctions are being felt.

More on this topic French carmaker Renault sells Russian assets to Moscow

Mr. Petrov is a Volkswagen employee, a forklift operator. Tomorrow will mark his third month of temporary lay-off. His pay, which he usually considers "very good," was reduced by one third. Not only is he now paying attention to the price of building materials, but also to that of basic necessities like milk, which he loves. Had he known the tough situation awaiting Russia amid sanctions that he finds "unjust," Mr. Petrov would have waited a bit more for his house extension project.

HE"S NOW PROTECTED FROM JOOISH NAZIS MARCHING INTO KALUGA AND DEMOLISHING HIS HOUSE SO HE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL!!! AND THE RUBBLE IS SO HIGH HIS 1/3 PAY CUT IS ACTUALLY A RAISE!!!

Russian Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev said that the sanctions have led to serious problems with logistics in Russia.

“Those sanctions that were imposed today on the Russian Federation practically broke all the logistics in our country. And we are forced to look for new logistics corridors,” he told reporters during a visit to the Astrakhan region.

https://meduza-io.translate.goog/news/2022/05/21/ministr-transporta-zayavil-chto-sanktsii-prakticheski-polomali-vsyu-logistiku-v-rossii?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

May 22, 23:49 / Business

Russia is running out of reagents for medical tests

Anna Kiseleva Margarita Sobol

An increase in the delivery time of equipment, reagents and consumables is confirmed by 63.1% of employees of public and private clinical and biological laboratories, showed a survey conducted at the request of Vedomosti by the Aktion medicine company, which is part of the Aktion group. The study involved 130 respondents: heads (53.8%) and doctors of laboratories (21.5%), as well as biologists, technologists, laboratory assistants (10.8%), nurses (6.2%), chief doctors and specialists on public procurement of medical organizations (5.4 and 2.3%, respectively). 49.2% of respondents noted interruptions in supplies, and in 20% they stopped altogether. Another 18.5% of respondents had to switch to new manufacturers and distributors, 16.2% had problems with paying for supplies. And only 5.4% of respondents said that nothing has changed in their work.

On May 20, a patient of the seventh branch of the Moscow Polyclinic No. 121 could not get a referral from a doctor for a complete blood count. The doctor explained his refusal by the lack of reagents in the laboratory, she told Vedomosti. Other visitors to medical institutions also face a similar problem. For example, a doctor at a polyclinic in Krasnoznamensk, near Moscow, for the same reason, warned that referrals for even a simple blood test would not be issued, a resident of the city said. Due to difficulties with consumables, veterinary clinics performed biochemical tests only in emergency cases in April, says Yan Muzalevsky, chief physician of the Alisa network of Moscow veterinary clinics.

https://www-vedomosti-ru.translate.goog/business/articles/2022/05/22/923109-zakanchivayutsya-reagenti?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Lets not give (some of) ourselves a false hope - Russian economy is uniquely resistant against sanctions. Everything boils down to (1) how bad will it go for them in Ukraine, and (2) how much lowering of their life quality will Russian population tolerate.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Why-Russias-Economy-Hasnt-Collapsed-Under-The-Weight-Of-Sanctions.html

Until now, a majority of analysis has focused on Russia’s military failures, Zelensky's impressive leadership, and the surprisingly unified response of the international community. What has been relatively overlooked is the resilience of Russia’s economy when it comes to surviving sanctions. In a globalized world that is already suffering from supply chain problems, an energy shortage, and an economic slowdown, it is remarkable that sanctions have failed to bring Russia’s economy to its knees.

Firstly, and most importantly, it is Russia’s unique position as a net exporter of both energy and key foodstuffs that has allowed it to stay afloat. If similar sanctions had been placed on a net importer like China, for example, you could eventually expect deindustrialization, famine, and mass unrest. It would be a disaster. Russia, on the other hand, is uniquely positioned to survive this economic assault. It is also able to run a massive trade surplus because of its energy exports and because oil and gas prices are at multi-year highs.

While Russia is surviving, the long-term outlook for the Russian economy is dire. The extreme measures that have been put in place to counter sanctions are not long-term solutions, and if the illusion of stability in the ruble eventually collapses, the economy will too. The country also has to deal with its inability to access the technology and goods necessary to maintain key industries. Other realities such as ‘brain drain’, caused by international isolation, and the eventual reduction in demand for its oil and gas exports will only further diminish its economic strength. Russia has survived sanctions better than almost any other country could, but the struggle is far from over for Moscow.

Bd6r says

Lets not give (some of) ourselves a false hope - Russian economy is uniquely resistant against sanctions. Everything boils down to (1) how bad will it go for them in Ukraine, and (2) how much lowering of their life quality will Russian population tolerate.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Why-Russias-Economy-Hasnt-Collapsed-Under-The-Weight-Of-Sanctions.html

Until now, a majority of analysis has focused on Russia’s military failures, Zelensky's impressive leadership, and the surprisingly unified response of the international community. What has been relatively overlooked is the resilience of Russia’s economy when it comes to surviving sanctions. In a globalized world that is already suffering from supply chain problems, an energy shortage, and an economic slowdown, it is remarkable that ...

If Russians are OK with exchanging their (formerly) growing standard of living for occupation of the glorious metropolis of Popasna (or what's left of it) - more power to them.

There's a lot of strange stories and shit isn't adding up on both sides.

Are they trying to create a cauldron or what in the Donbas? If they are, speed it up. If they aren't, what's their problem?

I don't believe the Ukies themselves are fighting very hard. My guess is that they're in static positions due to low morale and shitty training, and it's mostly "Contractors" with perhaps a handful of trained AFU specials are doing hit and runs against the Russians. The Javelins are really going to Ace Tomato Company's Security Subdivision, "Alphabet Soup LLC"

AmericanKulak says

they trying to create a cauldron or what in the Donbas? If they are, speed it up. If they aren't, what's their problem?

I'll write up my thoughts in a while
AmericanKulak says

don't believe the Ukies themselves are fighting very hard.

Depends on unit but on average they are fighting hard. Proof - Russians have been ejected from swaths of territories and have scaled back their appetites considerably.

A more interesting question is why Putin attacked at exactly right moment when it was starting to be clear that covid!!! panic was manufactured and shutdowns/vaccines had killed more than covid itself. War drowned out covid in media

AmericanKulak says

There's a lot of strange stories and shit isn't adding up on both sides.

Are they trying to create a cauldron or what in the Donbas? If they are, speed it up. If they aren't, what's their problem?

More like "cauldronchik", encircling a brigade or two. And their problem is their teeth being kicked into their throats at every step towards that lofty achievement, causing "minor corrections" to the plan.

Bd6r says

Depends on unit but on average they are fighting hard. Proof - Russians have been ejected from swaths of territories and have scaled back their appetites considerably.

Yep, Russian military was sent it without air cover, stupidly generals didn't think Ukraine would fight back. They did, blew up a lot of Russian tanks, and Russia had to pull back into territories they can provide air cover in and line support.

Bd6r says

A more interesting question is why Putin attacked at exactly right moment when it was starting to be clear that covid!!! panic was manufactured and shutdowns/vaccines had killed more than covid itself. War drowned out covid in media

This is just an opinion, but I think it's pure coincidence. Covid wasn't ending, Biden was still wearing a mask and media was still telling people to mask up. I remember that day when the war begun, suddenly Biden showed up without a mask and everyone noticed. Our faggot media had to pivot suddenly to worry about war and not covid. Because their covid plans of great reset have been thrown into chaos by a war. A war they did push Russia and Ukraine into. World is fucked up man.