Russia - threadbanned users in OP

They're not declaring war for the same reason the US hasn't in all their adventures since ww2.

If you're officially at war that places certain trade and logistical limits on all third parties, although it might be in Russia's interest to do so now with the sanctions.

The Iran deal is pretty important. Given that Putin is holding the west hostage with his nuclear weapons do you really think it is a good idea to allow Iran to get nuclear weapons too? A nuclear armed Iran will put the entire Middle East on eggshells permanently. Israel, the US, UAE and Saudi all know this so its why a deal with Iran to allow weapons inspectors into the country to ensure they are not making nuclear weapons is so important. The US wouldnt be in this situation had Trump not ripped up the previous Iran deal in the first place, Biden is just repairing the damage Trump did with the Iranians.

Pretty sure there are words to describe folk who tar 140m+ people with the same brush. So you've come across some rude Russians. You've been unfortunate. The rudest tourists I ever met were Americans. I don't think Americans are rude as a whole. Just as with the USA, there are Russians from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds and their culture, mannerisms etc are completely different.

Nope, not at all. Multiple sources corroborate this.

Not necessarily fishy. Jailing her would more than likely thrown fuel on the fire in terms of inviting demonstrations.

When Navalny was jailed on trumped up charges, people went out on to the streets and not just in Moscow, Putin didn't expect that to happen and Navalny was released. A short time later Navalny's brother found himself on a wanted list.

When the commotion caused by her protest dies down, there will be repercussions. It may not be her who suffers them but somebody close to her will answer for it.

Putin is a scumbag. He's one person. It does not therefore mean that all Russians are scumbags. This isn't an argument you'll win, and labelling an entire nation of people "rude and uncultured" is the height of ignorance. Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, Tatu....

Is he Scandinavian?

Eurovision?

This is true .

I'm not sure the fog of war is in our favour in terms of awareness of what Ukrainian forces are and are nor doing. There was a report days ago that Ukrainian forces had taken out an entire Russian battle group near Mariupol, which would be 700-800 men. There have been numerous reports of them counter attacking and retaking towns and cities, especially Karkhiv, several times, if memory serves.

I saw something a few days ago that purported to be a US intelligence assesment that Ukraine still had most of it's aircraft available:

"Ukraine still has a “significant majority” of its military aircraft available nine days after Russian forces started their invasion of the country, a US defense official said on Friday." https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-still-has-significant-majority-its-military-aircraft-us-official-2022-03-04/

They don't appear to have been using their Neptune anti-ship missiles, either, so connecting the dot's, I'd say they are possibly keeping a good bit of their powder dry and making good use of small mobile groups to act on US surveilance data to harras and erode Russian forces in hit and runs, rather than wasteful full on engagements.

That not all Russians are bad people.

But most will go mad if jibes are thrown their way.

True. The most obnoxious and worst behaved tourists I have ever encountered were a bunch of Irish lads on a skiing holiday. Animals that should have been put down. Unfortunately the Carabinieri released them so they could fly back on the same plane after putting a massive dent in the enjoyment of a family holiday for everyone staying in the same building.

I'll never forget the sight of the old Italian woman with the stooped bent back, dressed in black, wiping the blood from the walls and floor of the corridor in her building.

Now we both know that's a fabrication now , don't we.

In 1981, Israel attacked a nuclear reactor in Iraq. One of the aircraft involved in staging the attack used a transponder code for an Aer Lingus flight.