Russian forces have started military drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to what Moscow deems threats from western officials about increased involvement in the conflict.
Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month in a move Russian officials said was a warning to the west not to escalate tensions further.
The Kremlin has particularly been angered by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who floated the possibility of sending European troops to fight Russia in Ukraine, and by remarks from the UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, who said Ukraine had the right to use weapons supplied by London to target sites in Russia.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Russian forces have started military drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to what Moscow deems threats from western officials about increased involvement in the conflict.
Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month in a move Russian officials said was a warning to the west not to escalate tensions further.
Putin frequently evoked Moscow’s nuclear arsenal in the early days of its invasion of Ukraine, repeatedly pledging to use all means necessary to defend Russia.
In a recent speech to mark the Soviet Union’s victory in the second world war, he said the country’s nuclear weapons were “always at combat readiness”.
Also on Tuesday, a Russian general fired last year after complaining about problems his troops faced in Ukraine was arrested on bribery charges.
Popov’s arrest came amid the largest reshuffle in the defence ministry and the army since the war in Ukraine began over two years ago, raising expectations of possible further purges.
The original article contains 523 words, the summary contains 160 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Davy Crockett, is that you?
Well, looks like Russia will nuke themselves once the drones find them.
If only nukes worked that way
They do… just very inefficiently
Don’t be playin’, MFer. Have you seen the memes these days? Have you seen the declining birthrates? There’s waaaay too many of us ready for MAD.
Aways a bell weather for when Russia is not optimistic about the battlefront
GenX’ers be dusting off those duck & cover drills.
Nuclear Armageddon? It’s whatever.
Putin really wants to see Moscow turned to glass, I guess.
“Do not escalate tensions further”, said he, while escalating tensions further
Putin removed his longtime ally Shoigu from his role as defence minister earlier this month. Two other senior defence officials have also been arrested on corruption charges.
The removal of top military figures seems to also serve as a way to mitigate any push-back when he does order a nuclear strike. I can’t imagine having to countermand my boss on my first day on the job.
The world will soon need a new Vasily Arkhipov
Actually using those nukes would be a great way to piss off most of the world, and virtually guarantee that the CIA/military would make it a priority to remove Putin from power by any means necessary.
If some dumbass on Lemmy (me) can figure that out, so can Putin’s advisors. He’s bluffing. It’s well past time to call him on it.
Piss off the west. I’m sure the major countries that support Russia today would continue to do so. And getting removed from power is something Putin’s been paranoid about forever, hence the doppelgangers and such. I’m sure he has very thoroughly thought out plans to disappear on his own accord if needed.
That being said, using nukes just seem very counter productive to Russia and I would hope even a deranged Putin, or at least other oligarchs, realize that.
