Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

[nanomage]

...

What's the point of launching nukes at Ukraine, besides "Putin is definitely crazy, so he can do anything" ?

If this ceasefire is broken and Ukrainians somehow muster their forces and fight hard enough to threaten Donetsk and Lugansk again, I can totally see him doing it. That or launching a full-scale invasion, with massive air support and tens of thousands troops. He'll just not allow himself to lose this war, it's too much intervowen with his internal politics and standing I think, crazyness doesn't need to come into it.

[Guardian G.I.]

...

What's the point of launching nukes at Ukraine, besides "Putin is definitely crazy, so he can do anything" ?

If this ceasefire is broken and Ukrainians somehow muster their forces and fight hard enough to threaten Donetsk and Lugansk again, I can totally see him doing it. That or launching a full-scale invasion, with massive air support and tens of thousands troops. He'll just not allow himself to lose this war, it's too much intervowen with his internal politics and standing I think, crazyness doesn't need to come into it.

Using nuclear weaponry against Ukraine would be too excessive and incredibly difficult to justify. An ordinary air campaign against Ukrainian forces would do the same nicely, but Putin doesn't have the balls to do it, or else he would have done it back in May or June.
According to Russian national defence doctrine, nuclear weapons are only to be used in situations when the very existence of Russia is threatened (e.g. as a response to NATO invasion of Russia).

[nanomage]

...

What's the point of launching nukes at Ukraine, besides "Putin is definitely crazy, so he can do anything" ?

If this ceasefire is broken and Ukrainians somehow muster their forces and fight hard enough to threaten Donetsk and Lugansk again, I can totally see him doing it. That or launching a full-scale invasion, with massive air support and tens of thousands troops. He'll just not allow himself to lose this war, it's too much intervowen with his internal politics and standing I think, crazyness doesn't need to come into it.

Using nuclear weaponry against Ukraine would be too excessive and incredibly difficult to justify. An ordinary air campaign against Ukrainian forces would do the same nicely, but Putin doesn't have the balls to do it, or else he would have done it back in May or June.
According to Russian national defence doctrine, nuclear weapons are only to be used in situations when the very existence of Russia is threatened (e.g. as a response to NATO invasion of Russia).

but he will of cource deny using nukes, or aviation or troops for that matter. They will be claimed to be DNR/LNR, taken over from Ukraine, or "humanitarian cargo escorts" as a last resort. And come on whatever's written in Russian military doctrine doesn't have any binding power over the actions of Russian president. Insufficient balls is perhaps the only thing to stop him now that NATO said they won't protect ukraine but how can you be sure you assess the hardness of his balls properly?

[martinuzz]

but how can you be sure you assess the hardness of his balls properly?

Well, you could set him on fire, and see how many kicks in the balls a Scotsman can give him before breaking his ankle

[Sheb]

Come on, why would he send nukes? It wouldn't help him achieve anything. Full on invasion would achieve his goal much better. Since he started sending large numbers of soldiers a couple weeks ago, the rebels already are making large progress.

[nanomage]

Come on, why would he send nukes? It wouldn't help him achieve anything. Full on invasion would achieve his goal much better. Since he started sending large numbers of soldiers a couple weeks ago, the rebels already are making large progress.

well hope you're right and I'm just overreacting. All of it looks kinda bigger here from closer distance maybe.

[martinuzz]

Come on, why would he send nukes? It wouldn't help him achieve anything. Full on invasion would achieve his goal much better. Since he started sending large numbers of soldiers a couple weeks ago, the rebels already are making large progress.

Also, don't need nukes. Just a bunker buster and some heavy explosives on the Tsjernobyl reactor, good chance of re-igniting a meltdown there.

[Sheb]

No.

[10ebbor10]

No.

Indeed

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Come on, why would he send nukes? It wouldn't help him achieve anything. Full on invasion would achieve his goal much better. Since he started sending large numbers of soldiers a couple weeks ago, the rebels already are making large progress.

Also, don't need nukes. Just a bunker buster and some heavy explosives on the Tsjernobyl reactor, good chance of re-igniting a meltdown there.

You see... Ukrainians winds usually go to Russia . Bombing nuclear powerstations  is too crazy  even for Putin.
Of cause there will be no meltdown, just big hole that will leak radioactive materials


As for why Putin can use tactical nukes? Simple answer: They are effective.
Russia has a lot of them, their military doctrine allows that, tactical nukes give very little fallout and Russian stockpiles have many of those that are nearing their expiry time. I am not talking about large nukes, I am talking about that small ones, that can be packed in a single artillery shell.

[notquitethere]

Scottish independence and how it could affect the Scottish computer games industry.

I think we're blessed to have companies like Rockstar North in Scotland. Given our well-established pedigree in the gaming industry we should do everything in our power to grow this industry as it becomes more and more lucrative.

I'd contest the 'stable jobs' claim in the article, as job instability is endemic in the video games (partly to do with the stop-start nature of production). Rolling six month contracts and zero hour contracts are the norm (especially in test departments). Not to mention the culture of crunch, with continued progress in employment based somewhat on your willingness to work ridiculous hours. I wonder if an independent Scotland would be better for labourers in the industry.

[Sergarr]

Come on, why would he send nukes? It wouldn't help him achieve anything. Full on invasion would achieve his goal much better. Since he started sending large numbers of soldiers a couple weeks ago, the rebels already are making large progress.

Also, don't need nukes. Just a bunker buster and some heavy explosives on the Tsjernobyl reactor, good chance of re-igniting a meltdown there.

You see... Ukrainians winds usually go to Russia . Bombing nuclear powerstations  is too crazy  even for Putin.
Of cause there will be no meltdown, just big hole that will leak radioactive materials


As for why Putin can use tactical nukes? Simple answer: They are effective.
Russia has a lot of them, their military doctrine allows that, tactical nukes give very little fallout and Russian stockpiles have many of those that are nearing their expiry time. I am not talking about large nukes, I am talking about that small ones, that can be packed in a single artillery shell.

Why use tactical nukes when you have thermobaric weapons (russian language warning), with power equal to nuclear weapons but without any fallout?

[10ebbor10]

Why use such heavy weaponry at all. No-one has a target that size they want to destroy.

[Helgoland]

According to Russian national defence doctrine, nuclear weapons are only to be used in situations when the very existence of Russia is threatened (e.g. as a response to NATO invasion of Russia).

So salami tactics would work for invading Russia? Interesting...

[Sergarr]

According to Russian national defence doctrine, nuclear weapons are only to be used in situations when the very existence of Russia is threatened (e.g. as a response to NATO invasion of Russia).

So salami tactics would work for invading Russia? Interesting...

Tactics like that are the reason why we have large conventional army.