Russians using WMDs?
Couple of articles alleging Russian misconduct on a potentially troubling level floating around.
In one, the Ukrainians claim that Russia has wired up the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) with explosives.
According to Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov, … there is currently “a certain threat” to the plant. He noted that by destroying the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, the Russians also restrained the regular water access to the plant’s coolers.
“The worst thing is that Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was additionally mined during this time. It was the cooler that was mined. If they disable it by blowing it up, there is a high probability that there will be significant problems,” Budanov added.
At an extreme, this is just what the region needs, another Chernobyl. Well, we have the nuclear part of NBC covered. Moving right along,
Russian forces in eastern Ukraine fired a banned suffocating chemical gas at Ukrainian troops, but it ended up being blown back towards them by the wind, a Ukrainian military official said.
Russians fired a “chemical aerosol munition with suffocating effect on one of the positions,” Valeriy Shershen, a spokesperson for the Joint Press Center of the Tavria Defense Force, said, according to Ukrinform’s translation.
Shershen did not identify the gas, nor say if any Ukrainian or Russian troops were affected.
But he did say the incident happened near Marinka, a city in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Well, that’s chemical… pretty grim, huh? There are a couple of things that make this a little easier to take on a Monday – the source for both Yahoo articles are Ukraine state organs – not like they would stoop to propaganda during wartime? The second one has a finale any old NBC guy will appreciate:
Basic rule of deploying gas: First, check wind direction
Ooops…. according to Ukraine the “banned chemical” (unspecified further) blew back over the Russian positions.
Could be real, could be dual-purpose to show the Russians are simultaneously world renegades and buffoons. Not going to lose sleep over it.
I wonder of the “gas” was CS or whatever the Russia equivalent is? Also if there were casualties you think the Ukraine would trot one out there on the net for everyone to see. I remain a little skeptical.
Possibly phosgene/chlorine, but I’m betting riot control agents (i.e., CS) because, as wussy and thin-skinned as things have gotten today, it’s more “inhumane” to use tear gas on people than to shoot them.
Dubya had no comment.
Oh boy, more doomsday propaganda from the MIC. Send more money and weapons to the Ukraine before we all die! Can anyone point to any propaganda like this that came true? Bueller? Bueller?
“At an extreme, … another Chernobyl”
NO. Completely different design. Chernobyl was a graphite moderated reactor. Graphite is just Carbon, which burns rather well. Zapawhosit is a water moderated reactor. Water does not burn. \Zpop… could conceivably have a meltdown IF it is still running, but it will not burn, and will cause nowhere near as much damage.
“Basic rule of deploying gas: First, check wind direction”
Which is why the various armies learned to use artillery to deliver gas far enough from their own forces and in low enough concentrations that shifting winds would not blow the gas back into friendly lines.
Also, it is useful to note that the US made extensive use of a “suffocating chemical gas” in Vietnam and in the US, where it still occasionally uses it— CS.
We also had CN-DM for many years. Basically tear gas with a mild mind altering capability. Caused both the inability to see with the feeling that the walls were closing in on ya. Could make one see pink elephants through the tears and such.
CN, CS, I always got them confused, never really knew the difference; didn’t much matter. They both caused “discomfort”. In addition to the occasional grenade, we once used a big bunch of whatever it was to attempt to render a large base camp unusable. Very comfortable week or so, living in the NVA barracks, complete with homemade chairs & desk and exploring the surrounding area, sorting through all the stuff they left behind. Evidently the NVA issued gas masks to their troops, too; we found a bunch of them, plus clothing, etc.
Concentrated HC smoke isn’t exactly frankincense ….
Boris Badenov weeps….
I used to go to the gas chamber every month. The bay fit an entire Bradley fighting vehicle.
Just paint cans with good old sinus cleansing CS gas.
Good times were had by all.
CS gas is pretty safe. It’s good to know you can fight after exposure.
But if you are exposed to VX, Mustard, BZ, Phosgene, Arsine, Sarin, Tabun or Chlorine you’re kinda screwed.
I did get exposed to Sarin in combat at Kamisiyah Iraq. The VA says I’m okey-dokey. Although I am suspicious of why the X-ray machine was labeled “Etch-A-Sketch.”
Given the integrity of those on both sides of this conflict, just how does anyone tell who’s truthful and who’s full of shit?
It’s easy no one is truthful in this conflict including our government and our media…it’s mostly all bullshit in that regard. There is indeed a war, there is indeed misery, and there is indeed a pack of liars involved…but the liars exist across the board so every report is suspect and no one has clean hands…the Russians might well be the biggest villain in all of this, but forgetting that Ukraine was considered a corrupt pile of a shit for over a decade which is why we were investigating their government for that time is to have a very revisionist take on all of it.
And it’s not just a matter of truthfullness. Lots of misinformation is spread by people with good intentions–it’s just bad information. Like the game of “telephone”. Heck, there is still misinformation about WWII in circulation. And my favourite, the fable about the blind men and the elephant also should make us careful about what we believe.
You’ll excuse me for not trusting the Russians or the Ukrainians in all of this…it’s interesting that a nation we were investigating as corrupt for over a dozen years was suddenly freed from that corruption simply by having Russia invade them…it’s a helluva makeover backed by zero evidence….
But we do love our proxy wars so we will never miss an opportunity to play kingmaker.
That’s my take. No telling how much of any of this information reaching us is true or not.
“The first casualty of war is truth.”
.
And, as Churchill said,
“In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.”
There is no benefit to russia in blowing up the dam. In fact the ukraine military already admitted targeting the dam outflow tunnels with rockets prior to it’s destruction but failed to cause significant damage. The misinformation machine is alive and working.
At this point between US, Russia and Ukraine, I don’t believe any of them (especially our own “deerly beeloved” US Gooberment) and don’t care who does what to whom and for how much.
It’s all a shite show and kickback grift.
The only thing I’m looking for is that opening of the can of “sunshine” over Mordor-On-the-Potomac, to glass over the open sewer system.
(I will miss the Smithsonian, but, can’t have everything)