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[Strongpoint]

I think Prigozhin has started his attempt to become Putin's successor and this is why he attacks the most likely candidate - Shoigu.  Russia is entering a very amusing political crisis and my only regret that I can't spectate this marvelous show from a safe distance.

[King Zultan]

If they vote in someone else in whoever it is they pick to replace Putin is probably going to just be Putin 2: Electric boogaloo.

[jipehog]

Zakhar Prilepin, writer and rapper, is not really pro Putin but he is ultra nationalist and pro invasion of Ukraine. He has criticized the army for not being succesful and has criticized Putin telling him that he needs to step down. So yes, he is an asshole, yes I hope they try again, but no, he's not really pro-Putin.

The bomb could again have come from anyone.

Any connection to Prigozhin ?

[jipehog]

Also unpleasant images from Bakhmut struck by white phosphorous
https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1654605507070402560

[hector13]

I was under the impression it wasn’t able to be identified as WP, though regardless, using incendiary ammunition on civilian infrastructure, irrespective of the presence of civilians, is probably a war crime.

[bloop_bleep]

I heard someone say it is magnesium munitions instead, but magnesium burns bright white and white phosphorus burns a more characteristic yellow-orange.
 

[Strongpoint]

As far as I know, usually, when Russians are using incendiaries, it is 122mm Grad 9M22S Rocket which is magnesium + termite

[Starver]

Quite a mental image... But https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite => https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

Given the subject, doesn't really deserve a smiley. Whether an innocent typo or an innocent phonetic confusion (from someone far better at English than I am at anything non-English). Yet there is always the vague possbility that ballistic chemical warfare insects are involved, right?

[Lord Shonus]

using incendiary ammunition on civilian infrastructure, irrespective of the presence of civilians, is probably a war crime.

Legally, no. Incendiaries cannot be used directly on civilians, and they cannot be air-dropped in areas where civilians are likely to be present (a holdover from days when air attack was far less accurate that ground-fired artillery). Using such weapons from ground launchers on strictly military targets, even if those targets are located in buildings built by and for civilians, is not in and of itself a war crime. Russia's committing enough blatant war crimes for this to be irrelevant, however.

[Strongpoint]

Ukraine captured a fair number of both incendiary and cluster munitions... And not being thieves, we do return those to the rightful owners.

[EuchreJack]

If they vote in someone else in whoever it is they pick to replace Putin is probably going to just be Putin 2: Electric boogaloo.

It's more likely if Putin is removed (and most likely it will involve Putin's death) that Russia will implode.  Sure, whomever ends up in charge will probably be awful, but they still need to call off the war on account of needing those troops to take control.

[KittyTac]

Quite a mental image... But https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite => https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

Given the subject, doesn't really deserve a smiley. Whether an innocent typo or an innocent phonetic confusion (from someone far better at English than I am at anything non-English). Yet there is always the vague possbility that ballistic chemical warfare insects are involved, right?

In Russian they not only are spelled the same (термит) but pronounced the same. I assume it's the same in Ukrainian.

And yeah we are fucked, I might have to move before finishing college. A-fucking-wesome.

[jipehog]

As far as I know, usually, when Russians are using incendiaries, it is 122mm Grad 9M22S Rocket which is magnesium + termite

Could be. Though outside of name recognition there is little difference between the two in the field. Otherwise, I think this hellish scene impress the savage nature of war wage upon Ukraine more so when contrasted with things like the Kremlin "assassination" drone

[Starver]

In Russian they not only are spelled the same (термит) but pronounced the same. I assume it's the same in Ukrainian.

Aye, I suspected something as much. Or certainly one of those things that certain non-Anglophones are (perhaps stereotypically) inclined to say[1], whatever their native words/typography might be, and so induce a phonetic 'thinko' rather than a mis-keyed 'typo'. Forgive my mischievousness, but I had actually not long ago been reading about the chemical-shooting ('headcannon'!) termites.

Spoiler: Various feetnete, veering *way* off topic... (click to show/hide)

[1] Th->T, or ->Z(h). Plus "Nuclear Wessels", at least for Chekov (if not Chekhov). For some (esp. germanics) there's "Squirrel". And the whole R/L oriental misdiscrimination. And naturally we 'English' have our own failed shibboleths...  "Van Goch" being awfully wrong in both US and UK forms (vastly different from each other, as well as compared to that of the Nederlanders). Using the wrong type of (non)rhotic-R , where that's a thing. Being entirely bemused by the 18 different 'clicks' in Xosa. Would so easily call our mother a horse in China. And those of us on the celtic fringes might wince at an attempted English version of "Loch" or "Llan-"[2], whilst I'm entirely sure I can't do the full range of Irish pentagraphs their full justice...

[2] It seems some people have been taught/gathered that "Llan" is said like "Clan" ("Klan-Go'Len"? *shudder*). Maybe they'd be better to think "Chlan" (using the Scottish "ch", which also is used similarly in Wales, in its own right) or "Hlan", and at least be thought to have made the effort[3]. I like to think I'm fairly good at saying Llanfair P.G., in full (and spelling it!), as well as Ystradfellte (had to check...). Though they're really not at all my native dialect so I'm probably differently mangling them, or even mixing up my north-walian and south-walian vowels. Using 'valleys' tones for things around RAF Valley (irony!) and vice-versa. Perhaps I should just go and stay in Aberystwyth and sit on that particular fence, only to get caught up in their local "Town and Gown" or "incomer" problems, rather than the industrial/cosmopolitan/country-bumpkin style issues...

[3] And, ironically back sort-of-on-topic, you could also transpose the Ukrainean trailing-"л", apparently (or "ԓ"?)... Not sure that helps anyone, though!

[KittyTac]

Chekov's accent in TOS doesn't really sound very much like a real Russian accent.