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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
'Could Russia's Sudden Ukraine Retreat Mean A Tactical Nuclear Weapons Strike Is Coming?
2022-09-12
[Zero] How the Situation in Ukraine Could Get Far More Dangerous

After days of a withering Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Russian defense ministry announced that it was withdrawing its forces from two areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. In a video statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quipped, "The Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back." Ukrainians celebrated, and rightly so. While Russian spokesmen said that Russian forces were "repositioning" ahead of a new offensive, reporters on the ground cast doubt on such pronouncements both because they mirror Russian statements as it abandoned its drive toward Kyiv and also because Russian forces left in such great haste that they left numerous arms and equipment behind.

Western officials are understandably happy. "This [Ukrainian progress] shows the bravery, skills, and determination of Ukrainian forces, and it shows that our support is making a difference every day on the battlefield," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a September 9 press conference. Reflecting on his recent trip to Ukraine, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken observed at the same press conference, "Even as President Putin threw as much as he could against Ukraine earlier this summer, Ukraine absorbed the blow and now is pushing back."

While it is right to celebrate the Russian rout, the war may be entering a far more dangerous phase.
Posted by:Besoeker

#17  
Posted by: Sninetch Oppressor of the Apes2239   2022-09-12 17:36  

#16  Or maybe using a "staged" surprise meet up during the Queen's funereal?

Why would Putin waste his time meeting with crooked, senile, feeble Biden? If he's looking to make a deal he'd do better talking with PM Truss and leave it to her to pass a message to Biden's handlers.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2022-09-12 17:20  

#15  Ukraine should have giant fans, the kind they would use to cool of Godzilla and set them up to blow and nuclear clouds to the East.
Posted by: ruprecht   2022-09-12 17:14  

#14  
Posted by: Skidmark   2022-09-12 17:10  

#13  East to West

A Strange Radioactive Cloud Likely Came From Russia

How a 2017 radioactive plume may be tied to Russia and nixed neutrino research
Posted by: Skidmark   2022-09-12 17:08  

#12  Totally agree with #7-8. But, which way does wind blow? I think it mostly blows East.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike   2022-09-12 16:01  

#11  Would Putin use nukes on what he considers his own territory?

He would to create a Chernobyl type 'no-mans-land' border along the NATO line.
Posted by: Skidmark   2022-09-12 15:05  

#10  IMO a 'tactical' nuke will only be used if the Ukrainians decide to counter-invade Russia and head north for Moscow (like RE Lee's Gettysburg Campaign).
Posted by: magpie   2022-09-12 14:18  

#9  I seriously hope Putin isn't that stupid but again, if he tries to use them, say 7-10 and 50% of them fail, Russia is going to look WAY worse than just using nukes alone.

I suspect he won't risk it. They really are the last /credible/ threat he's got. If he tries and they show a high failure rate, NOTHING keeps China from nibbling off parts.
Posted by: Silentbrick   2022-09-12 09:37  

#8  states'
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-09-12 08:26  

#7  I think it's time to admit the UN is of no use in this situation and that calls its original purpose into question.

It's now a collection of directorates, councils, agencies and "rapporteurs" that nibble at the edges of strong western stats' sovreignty and otherwise sit on their hands.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-09-12 08:25  

#6  ...what is too far-fetched to be labeled a Conspiracy theory anymore?

Not much, unfortunately. In this case I think Occam's razor is the best approach. Russia's military is a spent force. It is in dire need of refit, reorganization and replenishment.

Putie-pie shot his wad trying to capture Kiev and lost a good chunk of his professional and "well-trained", "well-equipped" (at least by Russian standards) troops. The rest were ground down in the south and after 200 days of fighting are done. All he has left is unexperienced and unmotivated Pvt. Conscriptavich that take huge losses, but few gains. Russia is still throwing them at the Ukrainians in the south and they are still dying and not gaining much.

Russia's military needs a good 3-6 months before it can try another large scale offensive. By that time it will be winter/spring.
Posted by: DarthVader   2022-09-12 08:07  

#5  Imagine the discussions at the Pentagone if the situation called for the US to nuke Toronto.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-09-12 07:31  

#4  Would Putin use nukes on what he considers his own territory? Is he that stupid and desperate to get a twitch from his withered manhood?
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2022-09-12 07:26  

#3  We didn't use nukes upon the Chinese intervention in Korea.

If he does, expect every country around him to scramble to get their own.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2022-09-12 07:21  

#2  Like the FAC said in Apocalypse Now just before the napalm strike: "Tell all your people to get back and get their heads down, this is gonna be a big one."
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-09-12 06:57  

#1  

What a deal between Putin and the DC Swamp/Elitists? To appear to be halting any further advances until the Mid-terms are over.
So Biden/LSD's can say "I Did That".

Or maybe using a "staged" surprise meet up during the Queen's funereal?

Given everything the US Voters have seen the last few years from DC, what is too far-fetched to be labeled a Conspiracy theory anymore?
Posted by: NN2N1   2022-09-12 06:08  

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