Russia's War Against Ukraine

[FarAway Sooner]

Interesting stuff, Jason.  I wonder why Russia isn't able to send more goods to China via shipping lanes?  Obviously, trains are cheaper and (usually) faster, but I would think that plenty of shipping companies would be happy to deliver Russian goods to China.

I have no idea if Ukraine has been able to close off the Black Sea to Russian freighters the way that Russia has (largely but not completely) closed off the Black Sea to Ukrainian freighters?  But the Russians could still export through Baltic Sea ports with no fear of Ukrainian intervention.

I also wonder how long before China and Russia will get more (any?) pipeline capacity built between the two countries.  If you want to ship Russian petroleum and LNG to China cheaply, that's really the best way to do it.  Assuming you are able to protect that infrastructure, of course...

[GDS_Starfury]

outside of gas and caviar what is russian sending to china?

[bobarossa]

Russia's problem with shipping is that they have been banned from most of the shipping insurers.  Owners don't want to risk shipping their goods.  Especially through the black sea.  And in the Baltic you never know when one of those gas pipelines will explode as your ship is passing over it.   

[GDS_Starfury]

more likely to see a russian ship drag its anchor across said gas line.

[Gusington]

^That happens probably every day all around the world. My employer has an undersea cable that carries electricity and it has been repeatedly taken out by ship anchors despite the presence of signs, buoys, etc.

[Windigo]

I like the idea that UAF are taking out the rail lines.

[Skoop]

So congress packaged the aid to Ukraine and Israel together and the republicans want the boarder looped in there ?  And this is really what's going to give Putin a win ?  Tbh, I don't see why looping the boarder security in there is necessarily a bad thing so can't that compromise be made ?  Also, how much aid really needs to go to Israel, I mean I'm on their side, but I think they got this against Hamas, moral supports is all maybe.  Also, do the republicans not know how many jobs are gona be created by all the artillery shell production,that's a lot of red state jobs generated from the Ukraine war.

[GDS_Starfury]

Also, how much aid really needs to go to Israel, I mean I'm on their side, but I think they got this against Hamas, moral supports is all maybe.

IIRC there are a number of Israeli defense companies like Raphael that have some of their factories here in the US.

https://www.rafael-usa.com/

another case of foreign aid being spent in the US. 

[JasonPratt]

The road infrastructure for shipping east of the Urals is nightmarishly bad. (Like literally Yeti bad.  ) It's gotta go by rail or not worth bothering. There are.... two or maybe three other rail lines into China? But they were in worse shape than the one that got hit, so the effect of taking that one out is multiplied more than would otherwise be expected.

As for shipping things to China from the Baltic, I shudder to imagine the costs involved. You'd almost be there faster trying to pull a Columbus and sailing westward! This has a bearing on China Sea warplans, though: if China invades Taiwan, their relatively-few shipping lanes go away for the duration, the end, period. And they desperately need their shipping lines importing things for various reasons -- a lot more than they need Taiwan!

(There's a theory that any war against Taiwan will be something of a propaganda sham aimed at softening the coming internal collapse of China in the next ten years, by blaming the West for the consequent fall.)

[Crossroads]

Women, children, and elderly, for most part.

https://twitter.com/simongerman600/status/1733150705005781342

[Windigo]

Ukrainians are good, solid, hardworking folk, for the most part. EU can't handle all of them?... send them across the pond.

[GDS_Starfury]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1732830357928448428

[Crossroads]

Ukrainians are good, solid, hardworking folk, for the most part. EU can't handle all of them?... send them across the pond.

That they are, should have added that. I posted this to show how much Ukraininans have suffered due to Russia's brutal and unprovokoed invasion. Should have said that as well. 

[Windigo]

Damn prophetic...

[GDS_Starfury]

modern art