Let’s review the basics once again.
The moment missiles are detected flying towards Moscow (or really, any other key target), Russian high command MUST assume they are nuclear tipped, because they don’t have the luxury of finding out for sure after decapitation has been successfully carried out. Thus they have to launch on warning on return. Even if it is ATACMS or Storm Shadow/SCALP, which are not officially nuclear-capable, but are sufficiently large missiles to carry nuke, and only a fool would assume they are not. Also, keep in mind that the US has only one tactical ballistic missiles and it is the ATACMS. Zero chance there is no nuclear version.
If Putin does not launch on warning, he quite likely has to lower the readiness of the overall system and he also makes it clear that he will not launch upon subsequent attacks.
This makes Russia wide open to a decapitation first strike that can be carried out with little fear of immediate retaliation.
Of course, the reality is much worse given that airplane-sized drones have been freely flying much further than Moscow. Those are big enough to carry hundreds of kilotons each. And Moscow is definitely wide open to such an attack too – there has been no adequate response so far. Also note that shooting one of these down in the Moscow suburbs is a radically different proposition if it does indeed carry hundreds of kilotons and still detonates after been shot down.
These are very basic considerations that have been traditionally understood by everyone involved in making decisions. But apparently not by the pro-Russian online pundits who are mostly telling the sheep that follows them that this is no big deal and it will be absorbed like everything else. The Kremlin is also never mentioning it, because it very much doesn’t look like they are not ruling in the interests of the Russian state there, Gazprom and the oligarchs still run the show, and they have a very different agenda.

Posted by: ANON2022 | Nov 17 2024 20:50 utc | 104

This authorization of long range attacks into Russia is a consequence of Putin’s “cautions approach”.
Posted by: vargas | Nov 17 2024 20:40 utc | 92
Mr Vegas, What would the west authorise if Putin was “uncautious”?

Posted by: HERMIUS | Nov 17 2024 20:53 utc | 106

This authorization of long range attacks into Russia is a consequence of Putin’s “cautions approach”.
Posted by: vargas | Nov 17 2024 20:40 utc | 92
It shows a knee-jerk reaction based on the Democrat election defeat. Nothing to do with Putin’s position. Knee jerk reactions are dangerous as theyre based on emotion not logic.

Posted by: Ted from Liverpool | Nov 17 2024 20:57 utc | 108

Posted by: Moonraker | Nov 17 2024 20:12 utc | 78
I think the goal is to kick the can long enough that Trump inherits the mess and then Trump gets to be the bad man who abandons Ukraine.

Agreed and I think it’s quite clear. Also fits with the billions they found the other day.
Ukraine has lost fair and square but making it hard for the new government is just the thing you do as the out-going government. Perhaps instead of “bad man who abandons Ukraine” it can also be “too expensive to abandon Ukraine”.
It’s a tiny bit funny to see the “Russia never does anything!!1!” faction on the day of the most massive missile strikes. A humanitarian catastrophe, and all the adults are in the East.

Posted by: Konami | Nov 17 2024 21:02 utc | 110

What are the odds that Ukraine sends a missile into Kursk (according to MSM) or elsewhere in the next few days?

Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Nov 17 2024 21:04 utc | 112

nazi-nato is in a bind here. they have a lack of interceptors for “ukrainian” airdefense, and the latest russian salvo showed to the world how lacklustre their ad truly is.
so now they (nato) has to do something, and the best thing to do would be to try to neutralize russian assets that are capable of launching all those missiles and gerans.
thus the “authorization” of longrange strikes.
that way, nato can kick the can with the interceptors down the road for a while.
at least thats how i see this. im probably wrong, but who knows whats going on in those nazi regime heads that lead the values-eu/nato/uk/us.
or the nazis in charge of the west are just blinded by rage as usual, because they cannot break the russian/slavic resistance.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Nov 17 2024 21:13 utc | 114

This makes Russia wide open to a decapitation first strike that can be carried out with little fear of immediate retaliation.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Nov 17 2024 20:50 utc | 104
They would launch on warning and the EU would burn. Anyone who doubts that hasn’t been paying attention.

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Nov 17 2024 21:15 utc | 116

Russia has escalation dominance, it will be interesting to see their reaction. The timing is also interesting, given Trump’s recent electoral success, it’s suggestive of an institutional state really feeling existential fear, for possibly the first time in its existence. Like its proxy it’s being assailed from all sides by opponents who have the upper hand.
Strategically it will raise tensions and operationally, where it could have the greatest impact, it will fail to substantially change the dynamic because it is not supportive or integrated into a larger one. Russia will have already planned for this contingency, the moment they confirmed the West was deploying long range strike systems in theatre, which will lessen their impact, though any strike will be much-hyped by the MSM, desperate for good news.
Finally, the home-made Ukrainian cruise missile cover story was obviously not going to fly as a cover story, so with the Biden puppet soon to leave they might as well stop pretending. Desperate measures, for a desperate cabal that is shedding the norms to stay aloft.

Posted by: Milites | Nov 17 2024 21:23 utc | 118

Chaka Khagan @ 112

What are the odds that Ukraine sends a missile into Kursk (according to MSM) or elsewhere in the next few days?

As Russia succeeds the more dangerous things get, not less. The USA knows this and the Russians know this, and as sure as night follows day it’s what we are now witnessing. If the Ukrainians get pushed across the Dnieper that would be over for Project 404, NATO to save Project 404 would then have to cross the river to establish bridgeheads from scratch and lose thousands of men and hundreds of machines in the process, so it’s now or never, come in while the AFU is still on the eastern side of the river, or face a much tougher war.
Very big decisions are being made now, this is the last double down, the last escalation, and it’ll be the one that one way or another ends the SMO. Permission to launch these missiles will soon be revealed as the last buff, or first salvo of WW3.
I now think that the Kursk incursion wasn’t so much over the NPP or getting more funding, but to prevent a Russian offensive on Sumy, which is actually what Syrsky had said, which would allow Russia to cut off and siege Kharkov. If the Russians push the AFU out of Kursk they won’t stop and take a breather, they will chase them into Sumy, that how war works when you have the enemy on the run.
So, Pentagon and NATO are looking at a make or break moment for Project 404, and so are we. So is the whole world only most people don’t know it. For myself, I see this as the culmination of an almost thirty year plan, that started in earnest in 1997 but was probably toyed with in 1991 as plan b if the destruction of Russia by oligarch criminals and political incompetents failed, which it did with Putin’s rise to power. The fact is that the USA has been fucking in Ukraine since Bandera’s time, so it is a dream and then fully realized plan for a very long time. They are not going to abandon project 404 or even table it.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Nov 17 2024 21:35 utc | 120

Storm Shadow’s basically out-of-stock, very few Taurus available, and both require scarce launch platforms so it’s doubtful they can ever even launch. ATACMS launchers are also running low and short range ATACMS are already being successfully defended therefore a longer flight time simply makes them even more likely to also be ineffective. Ukraine’s not getting Tomahawks under any circumstances.
It’s all a desperate last-ditch attempt to provoke Russia into doing something that’ll keep the US engaged.
We’re already seeing part of Russia’s response — destroy what remains of Ukraine’s power grid. The other part will be even more weapons deployed asymetically in other theaters by Russia’s allies. Look for more & better hits on US/NATO bases and ships in the Middle East by Houthis, etc.

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Nov 17 2024 21:37 utc | 122

Posted by: Ghost of Anonymous | Nov 17 2024 20:29 utc | 85
There is a slight difference between Ukraine and Ecuador or Haiti. Sure those two can manage without electricity or gas. Even in winter or rainy season no one is going to die of cold and they will not get frostbite. From the name Ecuador you can probably guess its rather warm location.
Ukraine is just a little different. No heating means very cold weather, frostbite or worse. Apartment dwellers cannot use wood. The only option will be for people to gather in warmed rooms, crowded together so body heat keeps everyone warm. Children will need to stay in bed all day just to stay warm.
There was an exile Queen living in France but on very limited income. With no money for wood or servants to collect it, she spent the winter in her bed

Posted by: watcher | Nov 17 2024 21:45 utc | 124

The Guardian on escalation:

The [putative Ukrainian] president also insisted that the US under Trump could not force Ukraine into a humiliating or unattractive peace settlement. “We are an independent country,” Zelenskyy said, adding: “The rhetoric of ‘sit down and listen’ does not work with us.”
In response, Elon Musk, a billionaire adviser to Trump, sought to undercut the Ukrainian president. “His sense of humour is amazing,” Musk posted on X.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/17/biden-has-lifted-ban-on-ukraine-using-us-weapons-to-strike-deeper-into-russia-reports
Earlier, this article observes “It is not clear if Donald Trump… will seek to reverse the decision.” Not clear? I have a problem with the idea of strategic ambiguity vis a vis nuclear catastrophe. It’s now or never, bub. You mean you got nothing to say, today?
May a merciful deity protect us. I haven’t had any use for prayer in… well, I’ve actually never had any use for prayer. How can this nightmare be stopped? It’s only human consciousness, gone putrid beyond hope. We only need to fix our minds, but our minds are apparently beyond repair. Window-rattling warplanes (likely out of Travis) buzz Bay Area skies this gloomy afternoon.

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Nov 17 2024 21:46 utc | 126

Grrrr!!! People, please just give one tiny corner of your brain to the possibility, nay likelihood, nay downright certainty that this is (have some italicised bolding) Fake News!!!

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Nov 17 2024 21:49 utc | 128

Double-take of the year! I just saw this sentence in an RT article:
“Even if Trump should not end up making Boris Epshteyn, who thoroughly scares Ukraine, his special envoy on Ukraine and Russia, things are looking bleak for Kiev’s ruling regime.
I first thought it was some facetious portmanteau of Boris Johnson + Geoffrey Epstein. But no — a real name, a real person in fact, whom Trump might/will appoint to “manage” US-Ukraine relationship. (Guess what religion).
Reference >>> https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/us/politics/boris-epshteyn-trump.html#
OMG, how fkn funny.

Posted by: Not-a-troll | Nov 17 2024 21:51 utc | 130

Why is everybody treating it as gospel? Because it comes from the New York Times and they are a reputable source, somehow?
Dear $DEITY, it was only a few days ago that b dismantled the Washington Post report of the supposed phone conversation between Trump and Putin, yet this NYT nonsense is accepted as written on tablets of stone?
C’mon barflies, sharpen up your cynicism knives and suspicion rapiers.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Nov 17 2024 21:56 utc | 132

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Nov 17 2024 21:35 utc | 121
Yes, its a reaction to Trumps win. They want to escalate before he comes into office!
Posted by: HERMIUS | Nov 17 2024 21:45 utc | 125
Tend to agree. I think they want to ratchet the tension so high with Russia that nobody the US sends can fix it. They deserve to be hung by the neck until dead after a proper and efficient trial.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Nov 17 2024 21:58 utc | 134

Jeremy Rhymings-Lang @ 128

Grrrr!!! People, please just give one tiny corner of your brain to the possibility, nay likelihood, nay downright certainty that this is (have some italicised bolding) Fake News!!!

I hope your right, but I’m not sure the point of such fakery, this is not the kind of thing you toy with like DPRK troops or dirty bombs, this isn’t to entice or stir up the sheeple who aren’t paying much attention, to them weapons systems is humdrum, not exciting like Kim’s boogiemen. To me it’s not ridiculous enough to be fake. We will find out in a few days, they either are serious about stopping Russia’s advances or not, but it’s now or never.
If true probably a few hits in Kursk “Over 100 N.Koreans Dead In One Hit!” for the msm then strikes on the actual targets in Russia.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Nov 17 2024 22:11 utc | 136

If the news about USA lifting restrictions on their missiles for use in Russia is true and in the coming days they are used on Russian land, and Russia lets it go unpunished then I think they might as well have not invaded Ukraine.
Because if they can contend with these advanced missiles operated with close cooperation of US/NATO hitting Russian land then Ukraine being in NATO wasn’t that much more bad either.

Posted by: Main Office | Nov 17 2024 22:17 utc | 138

North Korean troops are allegedly operating in the Ukraine.
Is there any actual confirmation that this has happened?

Posted by: jpc | Nov 17 2024 22:20 utc | 140

Break Ukraine, quickly.

Posted by: g wiltek | Nov 17 2024 22:22 utc | 142

Salaam, ANON2922 @ 104-The credibility of the NYT is an imaginary number,if true however- do recall VVP has stated words to the effect “years on the street of Moscow,has tought him, if a fight is inevitable strike the first blow! Christmas comes early in the west bright lights and boom songs!

Posted by: 4q8 | Nov 17 2024 22:25 utc | 144

RE: Posted by: malenkov | Nov 17 2024 22:17 utc | 139
Well, if it is a “test”… it’s being flown by every news outlet out there, not just NYT.
To me, it’s a Germany (by US instruction) reach out & rejection of Western nonsense, an US having a hissy fit and stomping there feet up and down while holding their breath and turning red.
The usual West temper tantrum when they don’t get “their way”. Sound juvenile?
It’s because it is. It’s because they are.
This is what the whole world has to deal with.
A toddler with a nuke. All of them, yes Trump idiot too.

Posted by: Trubind1 | Nov 17 2024 22:30 utc | 146

In a nutshell, this isn’t stupid enough to be fake. Strange that that is my criteria in these times, the times of ClownWorld goes to war.
On the other hand, everything is possible in ClownWorld, otherwise it wouldn’t be ClownWorld.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Nov 17 2024 22:31 utc | 148

Biden authorizes Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia
By AAMER MADHANI, COLLEEN LONG, ZEKE MILLER, MATTHEW LEE and ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Updated 4:04 PM CST, November 17, 2024
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter.
The decision allowing Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, for attacks farther inside Russia comes as President Vladimir Putin positions North Korean troops along Ukraine’s northern border to try to reclaim hundreds of miles of territory seized by Ukrainian forces.
Biden’s move also follows the presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the United States’ vital military support for Ukraine.
The official and the others knowledgeable about the matter were not authorized to discuss the U.S. decision publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
*****Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reaction Sunday was notably restrained.*****

Posted by: daffyDuct | Nov 17 2024 22:37 utc | 150

Posted by: Ghost of Anonymous | Nov 17 2024 20:29 utc | 85
Um, Winters in Ukr are a tad colder than winters in Haiti & other points south. It takes a lot of wood to heat a house.
And for efficiency & safety & good burn, year old aged wood, not fresh cut.
And, as pointed out elsewhere, strict laws around cutting.
And it’s a tad late to be looking for a wood stove to install now. City dwellers will be screwed. Long walk through frigid temps to reach country cousins.

Posted by: Mary | Nov 17 2024 22:41 utc | 152

Authorization of Use of Long Range Missles May Be A Strategy for Democrats to Keep Control of US Government
First need to make certain what has actually been authorized if anything.
Q
Second it is possible the intent of the authorization is to goad Russia into a first response or over response to a long range missle attack.
Third, it is possible if the Russian response is deemed even remotely a national security threat; Martial Law could be declared in the US prior to the Inauguration, which could stop the transfer of power. This would be new territory for US in the modern era.
Fourth, Putin should consider responding in such a way if attacked with long range missles that doesn’t create conditions for the Martial Law to be declared in US until the new Administration installed and in control of military assets.
Its a very tender time.
Question are there really any armed pro-Russian partisans in Ukraine? If so are they relegated to just spying?

Posted by: Jerr | Nov 17 2024 22:44 utc | 154

Time those who rule released and reinstated Strelkov.

Posted by: Cynic | Nov 17 2024 22:45 utc | 156

No heating means very cold weather
watcher | Nov 17 2024 21:45 utc | 124
The only guy who has ever created a little shortage of something in Ukr was the retreater Surovikin during the summer. A few strikes on fuel storage and soldiers were on bicycles for a few weeks and civilians in line waiting to buy fuel. He ended in Africa, he must have upset some people.
All other strikes on energy did not create problems for the population and in regions like Kiev-Lvov no one knows there’s some smo going on for three years. I had longer power outages than Ukros and I live in the “garden”. The population count is much lower than reported, energy needs are low, no industry, infinite money from Nato to keep the government and soldiers, they have many npps. EU also gives them free electricity from Romania and Hungary whe connections are broken. Probably last night’s strikes on energy were tiny like all the others, but only greatly amplified by Nato msm to announce that long range missiles are allowed now.

Posted by: rk | Nov 17 2024 22:48 utc | 158

Why are people continuing reading the western merdias, and first of all the nyt, is beyond my understanding.
nyt = troll.
And everyone knows that the rule is not to comment what the trolls write.

Posted by: Naive | Nov 17 2024 22:54 utc | 160

There are thousands of implication, but I will name just one : there can be other proxies. Poland could be the next. What this means is that Poland could effectively wipe Kaliningrad out.
Posted by: Micron | Nov 17 2024 22:31 utc | 147
If Kaliningrad was wiped out then Poland would soon be wiped out as well… along with every major NATO base anywhere.
YES, it was always an option in the plan, but it’s accelerated due to the US election and the accelerating collapse of the AFU.
It’d be hilarious if they used an essentially ineffective weapon to devastate imaginary NK troops. But hey, it’s all about the narrative, right? #TheImaginaryWar

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Nov 17 2024 23:00 utc | 162

Time those who rule released and reinstated Strelkov.
Posted by: Cynic | Nov 17 2024 22:45 utc | 156
Fuck off troll!

Posted by: Naive | Nov 17 2024 23:00 utc | 164

We can test how desperate the situation of the ukronazis is by seeing the usual agents provocateurs coming again to post their lies.

Posted by: Naive | Nov 17 2024 23:04 utc | 166

Strikes today:
120 Russian missiles + 90 drones: 9 or 10 dead reported.
One strike in Beyrouth: 30 dead.
The merdias only mention the first. And say the 70% of missiles were shot down. LOL. Before it was 90%…

Posted by: Naive | Nov 17 2024 23:08 utc | 168

Ukraine can now let go of all inhibitions. I trust them to try to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant site first.
Nothing will happen from the Russian side.
Posted by: guest from franconia | Nov 17 2024 23:00 utc | 163
Except, of course, more massive air strikes on Kievs infrastucture. The ukrainian civilians will have Biden to thank for the cold winter they will suffer.

Posted by: HERMIUS | Nov 17 2024 23:11 utc | 170

And the war did not begin in February 2022.
Posted by: Naive | Nov 17 2024 23:15 utc | 171
For sure… well over 10,000 civilians killed in the Donbass.

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Nov 17 2024 23:19 utc | 172

Yowza! Biden just initiated WWIII without Congressional mandate. Geezle. Seems absolute idiots are in charge and nobody else is paying attention. These folks really are idiots. Clueless.

Posted by: Ledovik1 | Nov 17 2024 23:22 utc | 174

Nothing gets fired into Russia without empire fingers at the controls.
What will the military do now that the politicos have told them to cross a Russian red line?
What would Pope Frank do? Oops, wrong thread

Posted by: psychohistorian | Nov 17 2024 23:23 utc | 176

The official and the others knowledgeable about the matter were not authorized to discuss the U.S. decision publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Posted by: daffyDuct | Nov 17 2024 22:37 utc | 150
LOL!

Posted by: Naive | Nov 17 2024 23:32 utc | 178

If Kaliningrad was wiped out then Poland would soon be wiped out as well… along with every major NATO base anywhere.
Posted by: TJandTheBear | Nov 17 2024 23:00 utc | 162

Just as they were when Kherson, the capital of a constitutionally Russian region, was surrendered, or when NATO invaded official pre-war Russia?

Posted by: ANON2022 | Nov 17 2024 23:36 utc | 180

New York Slimes,Fux News, and more regurgitation of Radio Free CIA crap. Waste of time.
1. Putin already stated the response to long-range missiles sent inside Russian territory, by NATO and controlled by NATO.
2. He already quietly pointed out that he cannot see a world without Russia.
NATO’s noisy but retarded members already told you they would beat Russia because…Narrative. And you are contributing to the nonsense.
Trump? Will bring it to an end, even if the end is messy for Ukraine. Israel? Trump’s first step is removing NuttyYahoo.
4 years is a very short time. Most of D.C. hates Trump and the feeling is now mutual. It’s possible he is a slow learner but 8 years of shit from D.C. must have taught him something, after all, he hasn’t quit.

Posted by: kupkee | Nov 17 2024 23:37 utc | 182

If we bore down to the basics, when the United States built its plutonium based atomic bomb it had a surplus of cash, electrical power, and infrastructure free from aerial attacks. If Ukraine becomes denied all of that, it could be considerably more difficult to build a bomb. Especially if those called to do the deed are worried that their side would lose anyway, and it would be expedient to cover up their efforts by killing everyone involved.
Posted by: Babel-17 | Nov 17 2024 23:29 utc | 177

The Ukrainians have been incredibly resilient. And so were the Soviets.
I imagine underground facilities exist under the Carpathians, safely buried quite deeply. If not inherited from the Soviets, built in the last decade.
In fact I don’t have to imagine it — one of the first Kinzhal strikes was against that kind of an object. But there are likely even deeper ones, inaccessible even to hypersonic bunker busters.

Posted by: ANON2022 | Nov 17 2024 23:44 utc | 184

Posted by: ANON2022 | Nov 17 2024 23:44 utc | 184
thats why some call “ukraine” the “mother of all proxies” in the nazi-wests unprovoked fullscale war of agressin against the russian federation.
they simply cannot let this one fall back into russias hands, as everything in eu proper does not have all those old soviet made things.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Nov 17 2024 23:48 utc | 186

US giving Kiev highly sensitive positioning data has been happening since the start of the SMO.
Now Biden is giving this Top Secret system to hit deep inside Russia.
A US system used to no real effect as ATACMS is. tactical system. Like Hitler V2 in strategic role, a terror weapon on civilians

Posted by: paddy | Nov 17 2024 23:55 utc | 188

Posted by: Naive | Nov 17 2024 22:59 utc | 161 ” reading the western merdias is bad, very bad for one’s mental health”
Yeah, but they are often the precursor of something happening…
First came the Javelins and they had to be stored in Western Ukraine… then it was the… so many things… then HIMARS, Abrams tanks, ATACMS allowed in Ukraine, JDAMS, F-16s, now ATACMS anywhere… What is next?
It has not been any individual weapons system, but the continued ability for the West to flow weapons into Ukraine that has been the wunderwaffen.

Posted by: Ed4 | Nov 17 2024 23:57 utc | 190

Posted by: ANON2022 | Nov 17 2024 23:44 utc | 184
Very interesting. I have to wonder what kind of a trail would be made by shipping so much expensive equipment, and hundreds of top-notch people, to such a remote underground facility.
But regardless, the question would be if the plutonium was already stored there or not. If not, it would be a hell of an open to the skies journey for the lead shielded trucks which would transport it there. If there already, Zelenskyy should have built the bombs before opening his mouth. If the facility lacks the resources and people to build plutonium based atomic bombs, that’s a yooge problem.
If the old Soviet Union assembled bombs there, the question would be whether or not they left behind the expensive equipment which could have been taken along with the bombs they removed. I can’t imagine them leaving behind everything to make more bombs, and only removing the finished products. Nor would that have been deemed acceptable by the American government.

Posted by: Babel-17 | Nov 18 2024 0:06 utc | 192

It’s very hard to build a nuclear bomb, Kiev can’t and the USA will never give them any, they just took once sovereign France’s nukes away. There are no nuclear targets in Ukraine, nukes aren’t used to send a message, the targets if it gets to that will be NATO bases in eastern Europe, the provocation or response from the USA would be Kaliningrad or Crimea, something that will hopefully avoid a strategic response against the USA, but likely not as there are many Russians there and it is considered Russia. Eastern Europe is not America, or Europe to the elites in Brussels, so Russia might have a first strike advantage in terms of the low value placed by the west on Eastern Europe. The fact is Russia is the only country that actually gives a shit about the countries and people there, and their fate hangs in Russia’s good graces not in the USA and western Europe for which they are only pawns.
Not sure where it goes after that, meaning western Europe. Probably an instant cease fire and de facto recognition of Russia’s security interests after Eastern European NATO bases are all destroyed. And yes, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Baltics are incredibly stupid countries, every bit as stupid as 404. We are talking, get yourself first in line to get nuked, stupid.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Nov 18 2024 0:16 utc | 194

Ed4 @ 190

It has not been any individual weapons system, but the continued ability for the West to flow weapons into Ukraine that has been the wunderwaffen.

Excellent point, and they are far from running out of anything, they never were. They don’t seem to be running out of AFU troops either, just the better trained ones while the better managed Russian army keeps improving.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Nov 18 2024 0:25 utc | 196

Ledovik1 | Nov 17 2024 23:22 utc | 174
Re: Greenlighting U.S. long range missiles into Russia..
Obviously, Biden is a sick pup.

Posted by: Gee Eye Joe | Nov 18 2024 0:31 utc | 198

“ It’s very hard to build a nuclear bomb,…”
Building a thermonuclear weapon is.
Building a gun type fission weapon is not and easily achievable by any country that can get their hands on the fissile material.
The gun type designs don’t even need to be tested, its old hat. You could build one in a machine shop in Argentina.
The only limiting factor to a fission weapon is having the fissile material.

Posted by: Archetypex | Nov 18 2024 0:35 utc | 200