Pyrian on 9/3/2022 at 16:35
What if Ukraine invades Russian-occupied Ukraine? Not just the currently fought over areas, but Donbas? Or Crimea? Will Putin decide that's an invasion, and let fly?
faetal on 9/3/2022 at 16:38
Even if Putin himself is insane enough to press the button, can he even do that unilaterally?
If not, I'd say there's a good chance he'll get Theon Greyjoy'd by his own generals.
lowenz on 9/3/2022 at 17:43
Quote Posted by Starker
I very much doubt nuclear weapons would be used as part of regular warfare. If the US invaded Russia or something, that would be another story.
They're for us in Western Europe, not for Ukraine or over there in baltic Repubblics.
lowenz on 9/3/2022 at 17:45
Quote Posted by faetal
Even if Putin himself is insane enough to press the button, can he even do that unilaterally?
Button=100 warheads (or more per missile so 200/300), not 1
Starker on 9/3/2022 at 18:01
There's no need for nuclear weapons to destroy everything. Regular bombings can be every bit as devastating, and we have come a long way since 1945, so there are actually conventional bombs that rival nuclear weapons by now.
Nicker on 9/3/2022 at 18:52
I don't think that the oligarchs who Putin shills for want to sail their mega yachts around a smoldering cinder, fighting mutant pirates. They won't let him nuke.
They might not have to stop him though. He's shut down the power for the Chernobyl nuclear plant and put the quarantine and spent fuel storage at risk. And shelling active nuclear plants as well...
rachel on 9/3/2022 at 23:18
I just mentioned it because it's a risk, however distant. The EU and the US are walking on eggshells trying to help but not look like belligerents for this reason... Like everyone, I hope cooler heads will prevail.
faetal on 9/3/2022 at 23:45
Quote Posted by lowenz
Button=100 warheads (or more per missile so 200/300), not 1
That's not relevant to my question.
lowenz on 9/3/2022 at 23:48
Quote Posted by faetal
That's not relevant to my question.
Just a reminder that the possible strike is a swarm strike.
Quote Posted by Starker
There's no need for nuclear weapons to destroy everything. Regular bombings can be every bit as devastating, and we have come a long way since 1945, so there are actually conventional bombs that rival nuclear weapons by now.
For tactical purpose. You can't rival a 50 Mtons hydrogen bomb, it's just like an asteroid.
demagogue on 10/3/2022 at 00:46
Quote Posted by Starker
I very much doubt nuclear weapons would be used as part of regular warfare. If the US invaded Russia or something, that would be another story.
Yes, my post bringing it up was only in the context of the US "mopping up" Russia. He's only insinuated using it if the West intervenes.
I was also thinking it might not even be intentional, I mean premeditated, but could occur by an escalation that nobody wants but is hard to avert, the kind of thing there's potential for when you have nuclear powers going at it. (It's why India-Pakistan tensions always seem so fraught, even if it's over what seems like relatively small issues.)
BTW, I'm already starting to see articles that the exit here if Putin does go off the rails is either civilian uprising-- hard to see now, there are polls saying the war is more popular in Russia than people would hope; I guess we've already seen evidence of that here. But give it a good number of years of asymmetric warfare and public opinion may turn against it like the US for Iraq and Afghanistan -- Or the military deposes him or the like.
Both of those options sound chaotic & terrible though. Yes, here's hoping for cooler heads.
