Very funny and - ouch - with a grain of truth to each. I’m glad the US wasn’t included in the parody.

While we’re at it, here’s a nice extended metaphor sent by a friend this morning;

“The Ukraine & Russia crisis In simple terms for those that have no idea what is going on.

-Ukraine used to be in an abusive relationship with Russia, feeding him, letting him use her car & giving him whatever he asked for until she built up the confidence to call it quits back in 1991.

-Since then Ukraine has been working on herself, becoming a strong independent woman with help from friends like France, America, Poland, etc. offering her support, loaning her money, & helping her find her way.

-Ukraine has been enjoying being single for 30 years & looking forward to continuing to grow & create new friendships.

-Now Russia being the toxic Ex that he is, wants her back, and doesn’t want her meeting new people or creating any new relationships.

-A couple of weeks ago Russia started sitting in front of Ukraine’s house & when her friends ask him what was he doing there, he said “Oh nothing, just getting a little bit of exercise in, that’s all.”

-After her friends told her that Russia was potentially getting ready to do something bad to her, he said “They’re lying, they just want you to be scared of me & that’s not what it is”

-Yesterday Russia broke into Ukraine’s house, beating her up & “taking advantage” of her while on Livestream & double-dog daring any of her friends to do something about it unless they want the smoke.

- The friends decided to take away Russia's ATM card in hopes that this would persuade him to leave her alone, but since he had been planning this attack for years, he is prepared for all forms of retaliation.“

That's quite droll.

very good summary of Ukrainian history

Well, now: THIS makes everything all right:

Roman Abramovich hands over 'stewardship and care' of Chelsea to club's charity foundation

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/02/26/roman-abramovich-hands-stewardship-care-chelsea-clubs-charity/?WT.mc_id=e_DM1548043&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_Brk_New&utmsource=email&utm_medium=Edi_Brk_New20220226&utm_campaign=DM1548043

It seems ridiculous that the Russian troops are stuck because of lack of fuel. I never imagined that the mighty Russian Armed forces did not have made the mandatory calculation if logistics, essential in any military exercise.

These things I imagined never happened in Stalin's era.

Quote from Splinter

Former Miss Ukraine, Anastasia Lenna has now joined up with the Ukrainian army and she intends to kill Russians who invade.

Go baby GO!!!!!!

Quote from Splinter

Is Putin out of his mind? He's now put his nuclear deterrent on high alert.

Who knows where this will end!!!!

Pressure from another angle:

“Sports Alert: FIFA suspends all Russian national and club teams from international soccer competitions amid Ukraine invasion“

[Washington Post, 28 February 2022]

While this isn’t of the same magnitude as the SWIFT and Swiss assets freeze, it doesn’t make the Russian people happy with their leader.

Quote from daniel

Who knows where this will end!!!!

I suspect it'll end with Putin being given the boot.

Before or after the paranoid dictator fires off nuclear weapons?

The Telegraph, 1 March 2022:

What are vacuum bombs and how do they work?

Ukraine's ambassador to the US said Russia used banned vacuum bombs, also known as thermobaric weapons, in Ukraine.  Oksana Markarova appealed to members of US Congress for more help as her country resists a "brutal war".

"They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by the Geneva convention," she said. "The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.”

There has been no official confirmation that thermobaric weapons have been used in the conflict in Ukraine.

CNN reported that one of its teams had spotted a Russian thermobaric multiple rocket launcher near the Ukrainian border early on Saturday afternoon.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she had seen reports but did not have confirmation that Russia had used such weapons.

"If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime," she told a press briefing, noting that there are international organizations that would assess that and President Joe Biden's administration "would look to be a part of that conversation."

The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

How do vacuums bombs work?

A vacuum bomb sucks in oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive.

Thermobaric weapons are the modern equivalents of flame-throwers and napalm dispensers.

Fired as missiles, on impact with a target the rockets spread a fuel-air cloud that detonates a fraction of a second later.

The resultant supersonic blast destroys buildings with a devastating pressure wave that can crush human bodies even if they are not in the immediate vicinity of the strike.

Body armour and hard cover, such as trenches, are useless as the air explodes once ignited, breaking bones, causing internal haemorrhaging, and rupturing eardrums, bowels, and other internal organs.

The weapons are said to be the most deadly munitions on the modern battlefield, save for nuclear forces.

Russia’s Tos-1 Buratino is a variant of the self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system. Moscow has used the weapon, including earlier variants, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq, and Syria.

The vehicles have been tracked by western forces for weeks operating near the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine. Western officials say the weapons have now crossed the border.

The TOS-1 creates a blast twice as powerful as most conventional bomb blasts, and victims close to the blast radius are instantly crushed to death.

How dangerous are they?

Vacuum bombs are capable of vaporising human bodies near the ignition point. Those close by are likely to suffer burst eardrums and crushed inner ear organs, severe concussions, ruptured lungs and internal organs, and possibly blindness, according to the CIA.

Where else have they been used?

Thermobaric explosives were developed by the US for use in Vietnam. The Soviets then quickly began to develop their own in response, reportedly using them against the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and China in the Sino-Soviet border conflict.

They were instrumental for the US in its efforts to eliminate al-Qaida in the mountains in Afghanistan.

Can't say I'm surprised. Looks as if they've been using cluster bombs in residential areas which I believe is also a no no.

Very good questions. In my opinion, there is never a justification for this kind of warfare.

Update from last Saturday’s news about Abromovich, in today’s Washington Post:

The Telegraph adds this:

The Russian-Israeli billionaire has also pledged to donate any net proceeds from the club's sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.