Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

The Depression in Russia

"Back in the first half of 2022, Americans living in Russia bought 66% more antidepressants than they did during the same stretch in 2021—we're talking about sales jumping from 3.6 million packs to a whopping 6 million, according to TASS. And where was everyone looking for help? Mostly in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and the Moscow Region.

Now, you might remember that there was a massive spike in antidepressant sales back in the first half of 2020 when the whole world was losing its mind over the COVID-19 pandemic—but even then, that demand didn't hit the levels we're seeing right now, which saw a jump of about 57%.

So, what's actually driving this? Well, psychiatrist and psychotherapist Pavel Beschastnov sat down with Gazeta.r to break it down, and he pointed to two big things: those heavy, gut-wrenching emotions tied to all the political and economic chaos surrounding the military special operation in Ukraine, combined with this gnawing fear that these medications might just vanish from the shelves entirely."

https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Russian Rockets hit The City of Vinnytsia this Morning, striking a residential district in central Ukraine. Civilian casualties have been reported. The area sits more than 466 miles away from the actual front lines.
https://twitter.com/LoupBureau/statu...UwCLG5KMskw0UA
(video)

Vinnytsia—one of the most prosperous and scenic cities in Ukraine—has been targeted by a Russian terrorist air strike this morning. Even being hundreds of miles from the battlefield offers no protection; no Ukrainian is truly safe from this Russian genocidal hatred.
https://twitter.com/maksymeristavi/s..._TDNSBPGlBKbLw
(video)

Vinnytsia has always served as a showcase for what a successful Ukrainian city looks like, defined by competent leadership, solid infrastructure, and reliable public transit. It seems the Russian scum simply couldn't stomach seeing that kind of stability.
https://twitter.com/olex_scherba/sta..._TDNSBPGlBKbLw
(video)

48 victims: search and recovery operations have concluded amidst the rubble of a high-rise apartment building in Chasiv Yar.
https://twitter.com/pravda_eng/statu...UwCLG5KMskw0UA

A hotel sitting right in the heart of Mykolaiv took a direct hit from a Russian rocket this morning. Fortunately, there have been no reports of fatalities so far.
The strikes hit during the dawn hours—there were no sirens to warn anyone because the launch sites are just too close for comfort.
https://twitter.com/sarahrainsford/s...NCU0aqbp-NuYbg

The footage shows Ukrainian emergency responders scrambling to deal with the aftermath of the morning strikes, which damaged both a hotel and a school in Mykolaiv. The Governor of Mykolaiv, Vitaliy Kim, noted that the city was subjected to "massive missile barrages," resulting in damage to two schools, local transit infrastructure, and the hotel.
https://twitter.com/ABC/status/15475..._TDNSBPGlBKbLw

Mykolaiv, surveillance camera footage capturing the moment a school is blown apart.
https://twitter.com/olex_scherba/sta..._TDNSBPGlBKbLw

Twitter commentary:
This is the Russian playbook: terrorizing civilians through random attacks so they can never truly live freely, ensuring the sky remains a constant threat so that Ukraine can never find peace. It is the most cowardly, filthy, and vile strategy imaginable—the hallmark of a humiliated, embittered, twisted, and pathetic sadist.

dustytiger8 said:Does dropping a single tactical nuke on Kyiv actually "solve the problem" locally—targeting the seats of power like the White House, the President, or the Pentagon?

You make a quick speech at the UN Security Council, point a finger to "find someone to blame," and call it an attempt to prevent escalation. You could just shell Kaliningrad or launch some conventional strikes instead...

In my view, Putin is crazy enough to pull the trigger... especially since time is running out...

There isn't any "necessary" symmetry in threat levels regarding a Western nuclear response if Russ uses nukes in Ukraine. Why would Americans even use them? What exactly was attacked!?

It’s a grim situation...

...but let's get a bit more serious for a moment 😵 because if anyone, anywhere in the world, decided to "send" a nuclear candy—call it tactical, call it mini, call it a 505 with a stripe—the first thing that would happen is there wouldn't be anyone left here to write about it (well, except maybe andrea 😁). The world as we know it simply wouldn't exist anymore. To add to the irony, the only people left "alive" would probably be a few Americans and Russians 😵floating peacefully on the International Space Station... so, dear "peoples," "don't worry"—it’s not quite as if humanity 😵
is so incredibly stupid that it would wipe itself and its billions out of existence... ...all we can hope for is that "Uncle Sam" keeps sending as many conventional little candies as possible to "David against Goliath," until "David" finally manages to take down "Goliath" right in the middle of the field.😵

Frank Martin13 said:...but let's get a bit more serious for a moment 😵 because if anyone, anywhere in the world, decided to "send" a nuclear candy—call it tactical, call it mini, call it a 505 with a stripe—the first thing that would happen is there wouldn't be anyone left here to write about it (well, except maybe andrea 😁). The world as we know it simply wouldn't exist anymore. To add to the irony, the only people left "alive" would probably be a few Americans and Russians 😵floating peacefully on the International Space Station... so, dear "peoples," "don't worry"—it’s not quite as if humanity 😵
is so incredibly stupid that it would wipe itself and its billions out of existence... ...all we can hope for is that "Uncle Sam" keeps sending as many conventional little candies as possible to "David against Goliath," until "David" finally manages to take down "Goliath" right in the middle of the field.😵

Alright, now translate that. This isn't exactly the poetry subforum.

I was just sitting here thinking about how much things have changed lately, and I couldn't help but reflect on the sheer scale of everything we're witnessing... It really makes you pause, doesn't it? gentlestag15 says:
This isn't really the main topic at hand, but I just feel like we need to clear something up because there seems to be some widespread confusion on this point: a nuclear bomb and an accident at a nuclear power plant are two entirely different things...
The primary objective here is to trigger a massive explosion, one capable of causing widespread devastation and, if possible, completely leveling everything within the designated radius... As for the amount of radiation released, I’d say it remains relatively minimal, all things considered...
When you look at what actually happened, the truth is that everything stems from that initial explosion, and nothing else... In the case of Chernobyl, we’re talking about a steam explosion, to put it simply—so let's not get bogged down in the technical minutiae right now... Technically speaking, the explosion itself was relatively small, considering only one person died directly from the blast at Chernobyl, but the sheer volume of radioactivity released was absolutely massive, simply because there was such a staggering amount of radioactive material sitting right there inside the reactor...
The disaster at Chernobyl released a staggering amount of radioactivity because that fire and the constant venting of radioactive particles into the atmosphere dragged on for nearly two weeks... If we were looking at a nuclear bomb—especially a tactical one—the impact would have been significantly smaller, and the contamination would likely have remained limited to a much more localized area...
The lingering issue of local radioactive fallout remains a massive hurdle that isn't going away anytime soon, regardless of how much we hope... And honestly, if there’s any intention of deploying troops into the area following a tactical nuclear strike, I just can't wrap my head around how anyone could believe that wouldn't pose an enormous risk to them...

Exactly that...

Timothy Williams5 said:Right, because when Russia drops bombs on Ukraine, they apparently have a steady easterly breeze blowing for a year straight. That’s just how those bombs work.

All that talk about the wind direction is really just a bunch of nonsense... Sure, it would be much more ideal if the breeze were blowing toward the west, but honestly, it doesn't change the core of the matter at all...

When a bomb detonates, its effectiveness really comes down to how precisely it’s engineered; a better-constructed device triggers a much more efficient fission reaction, where the uranium or plutonium breaks down into lighter isotopes with half-lives ranging from mere milliseconds to several days... That’s exactly why, decades later, life in cities like Hiroshima and Nagasaki has returned to a beautiful, peaceful normal...

What actually happened at Chernobyl wasn't just a simple nuclear explosion, but rather an explosive gasification process—starting from water vapor—that essentially scattered everything inside the reactor, from the isotopes created during the nuclear reaction itself to pure uranium, all over the area... Relatively light elements like iodine and cesium were carried as far away as Sweden, whereas the actual uranium from the reactor, which has a half-life of about 20,000 years, was too heavy to travel that far and instead settled within a relatively tight radius, mostly around Pripyat, which is going to remain a strict no-go zone for a very, very long time...

Christian Torres3 said:It’s worth noting how those supposedly "precision" Russian missiles just leveled apartment buildings in Vinnytsia, leaving two civilians dead in their wake.

Russian Rockets hit The City of Vinnytsia this Morning. One of The Three Rockets Fell near a new maternity hospital
Six people injured, two dead—including a young child—according to the head of the National Police. They're still working on the final casualty count.
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/...BhDgNZQcaLnUxg

It feels like Russia's math is basically: "You have more apartment buildings than we have warehouses."

I’ve been debating whether or not to weigh in on this for weeks now... but I suppose I'll just go ahead and say it...

It is truly striking how Russian missiles seem to exclusively target schools, hospitals, daycare centers, nursing homes, and other civilian infrastructure... claiming women, the elderly, and infants in the process... whereas Ukrainian strikes seem to surgically pick off high-ranking Officers—mostly generals—along with weapon depots and military hardware.

Let's just pretend, for a second, that Russian weaponry is actually just subpar, which is why they accidentally level a shopping mall instead of a factory; yet simultaneously, the other side manages to be so incredibly precise even though they aren't strictly limited to their NATO arsenal (meaning even the local poultry farms are safe)... Honestly, all of this has become such a repetitive blur of "breaking news" and "updates" that I've stopped paying much attention to any of it, regardless of which side got hit or how sensational the headlines might be...

The Russians are orchestrating a massacre in Kherson, one that will be carried out by individuals operating under the guise of Ukrainian partisans.
The situation on the ground remains predictably grim as we watch the latest developments unfold. Reports indicate that Russian rockets struck the city of Vinnytsia this morning, with one of the three rockets falling near residential areas, causing significant damage. It’s the same old story of indiscriminate strikes that seem designed more to demoralize the population than to achieve any meaningful tactical advantage on the front lines. The local authorities are working through the chaos, much like how emergency responders in any major American city would scramble when faced with sudden, targeted devastation. There's a certain exhaustion that sets in when you realize these patterns aren't anomalies; they are the standard operating procedure for the Kremlin these days. We see the same disregard for civilian life being broadcasted daily, yet the international community continues its slow, rhythmic dance of condemnation without much shift in momentum. It’s a wearying cycle to observe, watching the predictable escalation and the subsequent, equally predictable, diplomatic platitudes.
I can't access external links or watch YouTube videos directly. If you provide a transcript or a summary of the video's content, I will rewrite it for you using that specific, weary, and detailed persona while ensuring all references are localized to the United States.

July 13th update on the #FSBletters leaked by #WindofChange regarding the FSB's communications directed at @Vlad_Osechkin.
.
I'm not entirely sure who actually managed to infiltrate whom within the FSB, but the narrative seems to be unfolding like this:

There are whispers circulating that a targeted liquidation is being planned in Kherson by Russian forces, specifically aimed at a relative of someone within the local puppet administration. I’m not making any definitive claims here, but my gut tells me this might be an operation directed at Stremousov or perhaps someone within his immediate inner circle.
(Stremousov He’s essentially a Ukrainian traitor, serving as a deputy head within the military-civilian administration in Kherson—a position he only holds because Russia put him there.
The mechanism is quite simple: experts from our General Staff approached the Ukrainian military while posing as "Ukrainian partisans." They offered to organize the liquidation of those Ukrainians who have been cooperating with Russia.

The objective here is straightforward: the Ukrainian side needs to confirm their direct involvement in the upcoming liquidation. As for the tactical goals, the plan involves the assassination of a family member or someone very close to the leadership in Kherson—carried out in the most brutal and demonstrative manner possible.

It’s all following the standard playbook—you have to pick a victim that carries enough emotional weight to pull at the heartstrings. A grandmother, a child, a pregnant woman... someone who triggers an immediate empathetic response. We need to move quickly to secure indisputable evidence that will frame this entire situation as "Ukrainian terrorism."

If someone on the Ukrainian side—even a mid-level officer within the Armed Forces—decides to concede a result before they actually have the full picture, they aren't just making a mistake; they’re effectively becoming an accomplice. Nobody is going to care that the admission was made out of pure ignorance. In the end, the fallout remains the same regardless of whether you knew what you were doing or not.

The full details regarding the killing will only come to light once the Ukrainian side officially accepts responsibility—and by then, Kyiv won't stand a chance at reclaiming any sense of moral high ground.

I’ll lay this out plainly and concisely, breaking the plan down into specific phases:
The so-called "Kersonsky partisans"—who are essentially just undercover Russian assets—are providing the Ukrainian side with a convenient excuse to eliminate anyone they deem a problematic collaborator or a liability within their inner circle.
If the Ukrainian side decides to step up and take responsibility, then we’re looking at a scenario where the Russian side will likely launch a campaign of senseless, brutal slaughter against their own kin—people who still hold significant emotional weight for a former Ukrainian citizen currently serving within the military leadership in Kherson.
This target remains vulnerable, despite the reality that a significant number of those in key leadership positions are actually members of the Russian counterintelligence service. Of course, the specific details aren't being released to the public yet.
The Ukrainian side is issuing a public statement claiming they intend to "punish collaborators and those associated with them, much like what we saw today"—or something to that effect.
A video depicting a brutal murder is being circulated under the guise of local "partisans"—though in reality, we're looking at Russian General Staff operatives masquerading as Ukrainian resistance fighters. The Russian side is already flooding the zone with all the necessary official statements to fuel a textbook disinformation campaign designed to discredit everyone involved. Once this takes hold, the official involvement of Kyiv will be impossible to deny.
The International community is issuing condemnations, though it feels like they’re just using those words as an excuse to dial back their support for Kyiv. Meanwhile, Russia is framing everything through the lens of needing to "respond to an act of international terrorism."
As I’ve pointed out before, everything is essentially lined up for the second offensive, especially when you factor in those tactical blunders that occurred between February 24th and the 27th.

Let me clarify my position on this. As it stands, I’m not getting involved in the war on the side of Ukraine against Russia, but I am categorically opposed to the smuggling of absolutely everything happening within this conflict—that includes our own agency, the FSB, and the allied forces alike. Things have spiraled much further than anyone anticipated, but there might still be a window to stop this slide into nothing more than blatant, transparent terrorism.

I’m convinced they’ve already identified the target for this wave of brutal terrorism; they’ll be desperate to deliver some kind of result by the 15th. An emergency session of the State Duma is almost certainly being called to address the situation. Meanwhile, the 6th and 11th departments of the FSB are working around the clock, quietly orchestrating a very specific event.

Americans also need to realize that any agreement they strike to hunt down the kin of their own traitors is fundamentally unacceptable. If they are already in contact with this group of "partisans," they ought to halt any attempts to shift responsibility and instead take a hard look at all the potential risks involved.

To put it simply, here is why Kherson was targeted: despite the intelligence services working overtime and the fact that Russian civilian administrators have seen some minor wins, they are ultimately weak.

As for the old guard, specifically #Stremousov, he’s basically untouchable at this stage—they need visible examples to motivate others (to get Ukrainians to switch sides), and right now, the examples aren't exactly inspiring.

...

..

(PART OF THE TRANSLATION of the FSB letter from July 7th by Wind of Change)

brightheron64 said:

I was just sitting here thinking about how much things have changed lately, and I couldn't help but reflect on the sheer scale of everything we're witnessing... It really makes you pause, doesn't it? gentlestag15 says:
This isn't really the main topic at hand, but I just feel like we need to clear something up because there seems to be some widespread confusion on this point: a nuclear bomb and an accident at a nuclear power plant are two entirely different things...
The primary objective here is to trigger a massive explosion, one capable of causing widespread devastation and, if possible, completely leveling everything within the designated radius... As for the amount of radiation released, I’d say it remains relatively minimal, all things considered...
When you look at what actually happened, the truth is that everything stems from that initial explosion, and nothing else... In the case of Chernobyl, we’re talking about a steam explosion, to put it simply—so let's not get bogged down in the technical minutiae right now... Technically speaking, the explosion itself was relatively small, considering only one person died directly from the blast at Chernobyl, but the sheer volume of radioactivity released was absolutely massive, simply because there was such a staggering amount of radioactive material sitting right there inside the reactor...
The disaster at Chernobyl released a staggering amount of radioactivity because that fire and the constant venting of radioactive particles into the atmosphere dragged on for nearly two weeks... If we were looking at a nuclear bomb—especially a tactical one—the impact would have been significantly smaller, and the contamination would likely have remained limited to a much more localized area...
The lingering issue of local radioactive fallout remains a massive hurdle that isn't going away anytime soon, regardless of how much we hope... And honestly, if there’s any intention of deploying troops into the area following a tactical nuclear strike, I just can't wrap my head around how anyone could believe that wouldn't pose an enormous risk to them...

Exactly that...

All that talk about the wind direction is really just a bunch of nonsense... Sure, it would be much more ideal if the breeze were blowing toward the west, but honestly, it doesn't change the core of the matter at all...

When a bomb detonates, its effectiveness really comes down to how precisely it’s engineered; a better-constructed device triggers a much more efficient fission reaction, where the uranium or plutonium breaks down into lighter isotopes with half-lives ranging from mere milliseconds to several days... That’s exactly why, decades later, life in cities like Hiroshima and Nagasaki has returned to a beautiful, peaceful normal...

What actually happened at Chernobyl wasn't just a simple nuclear explosion, but rather an explosive gasification process—starting from water vapor—that essentially scattered everything inside the reactor, from the isotopes created during the nuclear reaction itself to pure uranium, all over the area... Relatively light elements like iodine and cesium were carried as far away as Sweden, whereas the actual uranium from the reactor, which has a half-life of about 20,000 years, was too heavy to travel that far and instead settled within a relatively tight radius, mostly around Pripyat, which is going to remain a strict no-go zone for a very, very long time...

I’ve been debating whether or not to weigh in on this for weeks now... but I suppose I'll just go ahead and say it...

It is truly striking how Russian missiles seem to exclusively target schools, hospitals, daycare centers, nursing homes, and other civilian infrastructure... claiming women, the elderly, and infants in the process... whereas Ukrainian strikes seem to surgically pick off high-ranking Officers—mostly generals—along with weapon depots and military hardware.

Let's just pretend, for a second, that Russian weaponry is actually just subpar, which is why they accidentally level a shopping mall instead of a factory; yet simultaneously, the other side manages to be so incredibly precise even though they aren't strictly limited to their NATO arsenal (meaning even the local poultry farms are safe)... Honestly, all of this has become such a repetitive blur of "breaking news" and "updates" that I've stopped paying much attention to any of it, regardless of which side got hit or how sensational the headlines might be...

... so what's the actual point behind all these posts dreaming of a "gentle" nuclear explosion on European soil, coming from people who are—to put it mildly—inclined toward Putin's aggression in Ukraine?
The goal would be to increase the population density at ground zero.
Are you out there pruning fruit trees or something?

And I see you're quite keen on ensuring the isotope-saturated air drifts westward.
Why on earth would you want that? I suppose you imagine it might somehow compress itself and end up inside Uncle Vulva's apartment, lingering there until the isotopes decay and Putin finally falls apart.

brightheron64 said:

I was just sitting here thinking about how much things have changed lately, and I couldn't help but reflect on the sheer scale of everything we're witnessing... It really makes you pause, doesn't it? gentlestag15 says:
This isn't really the main topic at hand, but I just feel like we need to clear something up because there seems to be some widespread confusion on this point: a nuclear bomb and an accident at a nuclear power plant are two entirely different things...
The primary objective here is to trigger a massive explosion, one capable of causing widespread devastation and, if possible, completely leveling everything within the designated radius... As for the amount of radiation released, I’d say it remains relatively minimal, all things considered...
When you look at what actually happened, the truth is that everything stems from that initial explosion, and nothing else... In the case of Chernobyl, we’re talking about a steam explosion, to put it simply—so let's not get bogged down in the technical minutiae right now... Technically speaking, the explosion itself was relatively small, considering only one person died directly from the blast at Chernobyl, but the sheer volume of radioactivity released was absolutely massive, simply because there was such a staggering amount of radioactive material sitting right there inside the reactor...
The disaster at Chernobyl released a staggering amount of radioactivity because that fire and the constant venting of radioactive particles into the atmosphere dragged on for nearly two weeks... If we were looking at a nuclear bomb—especially a tactical one—the impact would have been significantly smaller, and the contamination would likely have remained limited to a much more localized area...
The lingering issue of local radioactive fallout remains a massive hurdle that isn't going away anytime soon, regardless of how much we hope... And honestly, if there’s any intention of deploying troops into the area following a tactical nuclear strike, I just can't wrap my head around how anyone could believe that wouldn't pose an enormous risk to them...

Exactly that...

All that talk about the wind direction is really just a bunch of nonsense... Sure, it would be much more ideal if the breeze were blowing toward the west, but honestly, it doesn't change the core of the matter at all...

When a bomb detonates, its effectiveness really comes down to how precisely it’s engineered; a better-constructed device triggers a much more efficient fission reaction, where the uranium or plutonium breaks down into lighter isotopes with half-lives ranging from mere milliseconds to several days... That’s exactly why, decades later, life in cities like Hiroshima and Nagasaki has returned to a beautiful, peaceful normal...

What actually happened at Chernobyl wasn't just a simple nuclear explosion, but rather an explosive gasification process—starting from water vapor—that essentially scattered everything inside the reactor, from the isotopes created during the nuclear reaction itself to pure uranium, all over the area... Relatively light elements like iodine and cesium were carried as far away as Sweden, whereas the actual uranium from the reactor, which has a half-life of about 20,000 years, was too heavy to travel that far and instead settled within a relatively tight radius, mostly around Pripyat, which is going to remain a strict no-go zone for a very, very long time...

I’ve been debating whether or not to weigh in on this for weeks now... but I suppose I'll just go ahead and say it...

It is truly striking how Russian missiles seem to exclusively target schools, hospitals, daycare centers, nursing homes, and other civilian infrastructure... claiming women, the elderly, and infants in the process... whereas Ukrainian strikes seem to surgically pick off high-ranking Officers—mostly generals—along with weapon depots and military hardware.

Let's just pretend, for a second, that Russian weaponry is actually just subpar, which is why they accidentally level a shopping mall instead of a factory; yet simultaneously, the other side manages to be so incredibly precise even though they aren't strictly limited to their NATO arsenal (meaning even the local poultry farms are safe)... Honestly, all of this has become such a repetitive blur of "breaking news" and "updates" that I've stopped paying much attention to any of it, regardless of which side got hit or how sensational the headlines might be...

Russian missiles undoubtedly hit military targets too; it's just that nobody bothers to report on it. Neither side is going to broadcast their own military losses, so why on earth would they?

Ukrainian missiles surely land on civilian targets in Donetsk as well, and you can read about that quite regularly in the Russian media. It most certainly happens—it would be strange if it didn't, given how close Donetsk is to the front lines.

It is also highly probable that Ukrainian missiles don't strike civilian targets deep within Russia, simply because the Russians wouldn't stay silent about it for even a single second.

So, what’s the deal with the strikes on those apartment buildings in Vinica? Did they seriously lose their minds, or is it just a massive surplus of missiles they need to burn through? Are their rockets actually such garbage that they can't hit anything besides residential blocks? Maybe someone input the wrong coordinates while intoxicated? Does a criminal mind even see any logic in targeting civilians? It feels like they’re hellbent on wiping out every single Ukrainian, just in case those living further from the front lines happen to forget about the struggle.

"Quote:"

nimbleharbor10 said:So, what’s the deal with the strikes on those apartment buildings in Vinica? Did they seriously lose their minds, or is it just a massive surplus of missiles they need to burn through? Are their rockets actually such garbage that they can't hit anything besides residential blocks? Maybe someone input the wrong coordinates while intoxicated? Does a criminal mind even see any logic in targeting civilians? It feels like they’re hellbent on wiping out every single Ukrainian, just in case those living further from the front lines happen to forget about the struggle.

It lacks any real military logic. It’s entirely possible they were downed by air defenses. A Kalibr is an expensive projectile, and targeting a residential building full of civilians just doesn't make sense.

As if there were anything remotely rational about this irrational war?

Is this just some vendetta over the HIMARS?

Timothy Williams5 said:As if there were anything remotely rational about this irrational war?

Is this just some vendetta over the HIMARS?

Aren't there plenty of military or infrastructure targets suitable for payback after losing an expensive precision missile? HIMARS supposedly hits military targets, not civilians, so why would the retaliation target civilians?

analogbear5 said:Alright, now translate that. This isn't exactly the poetry subforum.

...I was simply attempting to "dilute" the constant, repetitive mentions of nuclear bombs by certain individuals on this board...

...but fine—if you truly failed to grasp the "poetry" of my point, I will translate it for you plain and simple.
Essentially; if Russia—or anyone else on this planet—actually launches a nuclear missile, we can all say our final goodbyes to the world as we currently know it... please read that carefully: I am talking about a NUCLEAR missile...

Pure shock and awe... isn't it just breathtaking?

Kevin Murphy7 said:Look, man, if Russia dropped a nuke on Ukraine right now,
which other country would actually be willing to hit Russia back with the same level of force?

None of them.

Political pressure and how nations bend to it in these moments are unpredictable; things would escalate at lightning speed. I wouldn't dare make a definitive prediction, but I can imagine several different scenarios unfolding. We would be looking at an unprecedented event since World War II.

Seventy-seven years ago, we moved past that era because it was a global conflict. Japan had been branded as the ultimate villain on the world stage, the weaponry was entirely new, and the rest of the world hadn't yet formed a settled opinion on using such weapons. Not to mention, back then, the USA was the only nuclear power—and even then, they had a modest arsenal of just a few bombs. No one else could have responded with nuclear weapons, even if they had wanted to.

Jose Clark2 said:"Quote:"

It lacks any real military logic. It’s entirely possible they were downed by air defenses. A Kalibr is an expensive projectile, and targeting a residential building full of civilians just doesn't make sense.

Russia has been targeting civilians since day one of this invasion.

In all their wars, hitting civilian targets has basically been part of the playbook—just like how Mexico targeted civilians during their aggression against America.

The way they fight? There's no logic there at all...

Richard Wilson4 said:Russia has been targeting civilians since day one of this invasion.

In all their wars, hitting civilian targets has basically been part of the playbook—just like how Mexico targeted civilians during their aggression against America.

The way they fight? There's no logic there at all...

If you ask me, it's pure intimidation. It's the "we'll show you just how much pain we can cause for daring to resist; we will destroy your families until you lose the will to fight" approach. Naturally, a soldier who loses his family will likely be more motivated than ever to seek revenge, but most others—those whose families haven't been hit *yet*—will start seriously questioning if they want to keep inviting that scenario. Then there is the matter of civilian pressure on the government, pragmatism, and choosing personal safety over nationalistic ideals. If you terrorize the populace and demonstrate exactly how vulnerable they are, further resistance becomes an incredibly difficult sell to the public.

In short: terrorism.

Video of a mother and her child just minutes before they were killed by a Russian missile strike in Vinica
It’s sickening. Honestly, Putin deserves a rope around his neck, and frankly, anyone backing him should be right there next to him.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/statu...96152677117952

Charles Chase13 said:If you ask me, it's pure intimidation. It's the "we'll show you just how much pain we can cause for daring to resist; we will destroy your families until you lose the will to fight" approach. Naturally, a soldier who loses his family will likely be more motivated than ever to seek revenge, but most others—those whose families haven't been hit *yet*—will start seriously questioning if they want to keep inviting that scenario. Then there is the matter of civilian pressure on the government, pragmatism, and choosing personal safety over nationalistic ideals. If you terrorize the populace and demonstrate exactly how vulnerable they are, further resistance becomes an incredibly difficult sell to the public.

In short: terrorism.

☕Intimidation? Please. This is just a bunch of lunatics attacking a sovereign nation. We need to kick them out of Ukraine and build a Great Wall on the border, not some version of the Berlin Wall...🙂