Putin's War Part 2.

S&P downgrade indicates Russia headed for historic default
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-economy-foreign-debt-572b9a32691739fb6322fba4c301d9f1

S&P downgrade indicates Russia headed for historic default

By FRANK BAJAK
yesterday

BOSTON (AP) — The credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has downgraded its assessment of Russia’s ability to repay foreign debt, signaling rising prospects that Moscow will soon default on external loans for the first time in more than a century.

S&P Global Ratings issued the downgrade to “selective default” late Friday after Russia arranged to make foreign bond payments in rubles on Monday when they were due in dollars. It said it didn’t expect Russia to be able to convert the rubles into dollars within the 30-day grace period allowed.

S&P said in a statement that its decision was based partly on its opinion that sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine “are likely to be further increased in the coming weeks, hampering Russia’s willingness and technical abilities to honor the terms and conditions of its obligations to foreign debtholders.”

[...]

I guess that will put pressure on Putin to end the war?

Sorry if I got it shut down.

I should just ignore him.

Hopefully, "it" will not start here again.

You're the one I should be apologising to. Sorry

No problem.

S&P downgrade indicates Russia headed for historic default

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-economy-foreign-debt-572b9a32691739fb6322fba4c301d9f1

S&P downgrade indicates Russia headed for historic default

By FRANK BAJAK
yesterday

BOSTON (AP) — The credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has downgraded its assessment of Russia’s ability to repay foreign debt, signaling rising prospects that Moscow will soon default on external loans for the first time in more than a century.

S&P Global Ratings issued the downgrade to “selective default” late Friday after Russia arranged to make foreign bond payments in rubles on Monday when they were due in dollars. It said it didn’t expect Russia to be able to convert the rubles into dollars within the 30-day grace period allowed.

S&P said in a statement that its decision was based partly on its opinion that sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine “are likely to be further increased in the coming weeks, hampering Russia’s willingness and technical abilities to honor the terms and conditions of its obligations to foreign debtholders.”

[...]

They love to troll. And they get my goat, too. I am surprised I didn't get a hide earlier today. I am trying to go on and sin no more. I will thumb them down but I am sick of the ad hominem, including my own.

What to know about Russia's new top commander in Ukraine


Seven weeks into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has appointed a new top commander, Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, in a major reshuffle. He assumes oversight of the campaign amid mounting civilian deaths, widespread destruction and slow advances, with Russian forces mired in logistical problems and military blunders, according to Western officials and analysts.

Before his appointment, there had not been a single military leader for all Russian forces. This lack of cohesion could change under Dvornikov, a senior figure whose appointment a senior U.S. official confirmed to The Washington Post on Saturday.

The general had been commanding Russia’s southern military district, a key post he gained after serving as the first leader of the Russian air war campaign in Syria. Russia is accused of committing war crimes in both conflicts.

Dvornikov has extensive experience in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, where Moscow says it will focus its war efforts after failing to seize Kyiv and suburbs surrounding the capital. There is much that remains unknown about the Russian military leader — but his experience in eastern Ukraine and his time in Syria are key elements of his background.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-to-know-about-russias-new-top-commander-in-ukraine/ar-AAW4gdh

And the US military, which has been training the Ukraine Armed forces since 2014, KICKED his ass but good in Syria.

If he can't move money or get loans, it will affect his ability to market in the world - selling or buying.

Against the backdrop of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, pro-Russian rallies have again taken place in several German cities today - here in Germany, unlike in Russia, people are allowed to express their opinions and also to demonstrate.

These demonstrators waved Russian and Soviet flags and chanted "Russia".

The largest demonstrations with several hundred participants were in Frankfurt/Main and Hanover.

There were also the largest of the many pro-Ukrainian (counter-) demonstrations.

In Frankfurt, an alliance of democratic parties and also Russian civil society organisations called for the action "We will not leave Frankfurt to the warmongers" to show solidarity with Ukraine and to call for an end to the Russian war of aggression.
Pro-Ukrainian demonstrators lay down on the ground to commemorate the war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population. To this end, they shouted "Butscha".
Posters in English read, among other things: "Stop Russia", "No gas from Russia" and "Stop the genocide".

In the centre of Hanover, about 3500 people gathered for a counter-demonstration, Ukrainian flags were flying, "Stop War", "Stop Genocide" and "You are all accomplices" were written on the posters.

Walter: were they "ossies", or socialiats, neo nazis?

Russia Germans and some Russians living here.

We here forget how many different 'factions' there really are, and how many issues really do intersect - even between polar opposite political cant.

Thank you for being on the scene and a reliable witness.

I wouldn't say that in London.

On the closed thread
Now, Russia has made a "massive strategic blunder" as Finland and Sweden look poised to join Nato as early as the summer, according to officials.

Putin's war may have saved party animal Boris Johnson's job. Haven't heard any talk of a no-confidence vote.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/apr/10/russia-ukraine-war-latest-zelenskiy-pushes-for-oil-embargo-to-curb-russias-sense-of-impunity-uk-pledges-to-send-more-arms-live?page=with:block-625357f88f081f653cd8d0f2

More from the Institute for the Study of War assessment which notes that Russia is reportedly offering cash bonuses to incentivise forces withdrawn from northeastern Ukraine to reenter combat operations.

Radio Svoboda published images of a document on April 10 that it reported was issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense on April 2 offering specific bonuses for Russian troops in Ukraine. The document specifies large payments including 300,000 rubles for destroying a fixed-wing aircraft, 200,000 for destroying a helicopter, and 50,000 for armored vehicles and artillery.

Radio Svoboda stated the payments are intended to coerce units withdrawn from the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions to reenter combat. We have previously reported several instances of Russian soldiers refusing orders to return to Ukraine after being pulled back.

It also says that Russian forces are “implementing increasingly draconian measures to conscript previously ineligible personnel”.

The Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported on April 10 that Russian forces are now conscripting previously ineligible categories of people, including those with childhood disabilities and workers in protected industries. The GUR reported that DNR/LNR authorities are enabling traffic inspectors to issue on-the-spot conscription notices and are establishing checkpoints on key highways. DNR and Russian military police are additionally reportedly destroying documents granting exemptions — such as medical records or work certificates — to forcibly conscript people.

13h ago
19:08

Russian forces have made territorial gains in Mariupol in the past 24 hours and have bisected the besieged port city from its centre to the coast on Sunday, the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War has said in its latest assessment of the conflict.

The move has isolated the remaining Ukrainian defenders in two main locations: the main port of Mariupol in the southwest and the Azovstal steel plant in the east, it said.

Other key points from the assessment were:

Russian forces again made little to no progress in frontal assaults in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts but continue to cohere further reinforcements.
Maxar Technologies satellite imagery captured hundreds of Russian vehicles in Kharkiv Oblast redeploying to support Russian operations near Izyum.
Ukrainian counterattacks may threaten Kherson city in the coming days or weeks.

#Russian forces made territorial gains in #Mariupol in the past 24 hours and continued to reinforce operations along the Izyum-Slovyansk axis but did not make other territorial gains.

Read the latest report from @TheStudyofWar and @criticalthreats: https://t.co/iVe6XDbLkl pic.twitter.com/2VIG0qrWTD
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 10, 2022

The port of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has been contested for weeks, is said to be under Russian control. Armed forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic have taken control, the Russian agencies Ria and Interfax wrote on Monday, citing the Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilin. The information cannot be independently verified.

Ukraine, meanwhile, accused Russia of seizing a ship at the port of Mariupol. Eighteen sailors and the captain's wife were captured, Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights commissioner, wrote on Telegram on Monday. Russian troops had previously fired on the Liberian-flagged ship.