A bomb kills the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces and his assistant in Moscow

[u/Hefty-Relationship-8]

https://apnews.com/article/russia-explosion-head-of-nuclear-defense-forces-killed-9656bce946a9f552454df9debe5fbd18

[u/Delicious-Ganache606]

Headlines focus on nuclear defense but he's also the main chemical weapons guy. Ukraine just charged him for ordering use of chemical weapons against civilians like a day prior the bombing. I guess their justice system works fast.

[u/PossibilityMuch4438 → u/Delicious-Ganache606]

Just to further add to your bit about chemical weapons as well as nuclear... I'm ex British army and we name it CBRN (Chemical, biological, radiologica and nuclear). It's pretty standard for militaries to have these units, and every soldier gets trained in how to survive the best you can in these situations. But yeah, as you can see the specialisation is especially nasty stuff.

[u/BullSitting → u/PossibilityMuch4438]

My info is 50 years old, but, in response to "every soldier gets trained in how to survive the best you can in these situations"...

In the RAN, when an NBCD (Nuclear Biological Chemical Defence) event occurred, the ship adopted a "citadel" which sealed off the essential internal areas, and raised the internal air pressure 2 psi*, so any leak went from inside to out. Anyone outside the citadel when an NBCD event occurred wasn't allowed back in, to prevent contamination. Those people then did any necessary external duties until they died.

*Edit: 2 inches of mercury, not 2 psi.

[u/AML86 → u/BullSitting]

I wonder if ships have CBRN gear (MOPP suit) lockers spread out now.

My experience is purely Army, and we had three states: no gear, mask bag (drop holster style), or full MOPP suit in rucksack. If we had no gear with a CBRN call, most of our vehicles can do the same as this "citadel" system, but we would be relying on logistics for any dismounted safety.

Of course Navy doesn't have the speediest logistics, so I would hope there's ready access to a suit to last long enough to use a lifeboat or something if the ship is contaminated.

[u/Maximum_Overdrive → u/AML86]

I still remember being fairly new on my first ship.  We were going thru the straight of hormuz when our CBR alarm went off unexpectedly sending us into general quarters.  We jumped into action and when I made it to my general quarters station, the person with the key for the locker had not been relieved from his watch yet.

Thinking we were in an actual CBR situation, and our masks and other gear were still in the locker, I remember quite vividly watching as a chief pulled an axe off the wall and started breaking down the locker door.  Being fairly new to my first ship, I'll never forget the feelings I had in that moment.

Turns out someone was painting close to the sensors and did not properly secure the alarm, so the whole alarm and general quarters was false, but we didn't know that until we were sitting in our gas masks with the ship buttoned up tight.

[u/JoshuaZ1 → u/Maximum_Overdrive]

I have a friend who is retired from the US navy who called situations like that the best drills one can have.

[u/Maximum_Overdrive → u/JoshuaZ1]

Yeah.  I can honestly say even with the key snafu, that was probably the quickest we ever secured the ship.

[u/oxpoleon → u/Maximum_Overdrive]

You know that dude with the axe has a story to tell now, too.

[u/tyrannynotcool → u/oxpoleon]

That story was told here, but not by that dude.

[u/RNG_randomizer → u/tyrannynotcool]

That dude had his story get communismed

[u/GoofyMonkey → u/Maximum_Overdrive]

Good test of the system at least. A false alarm is always better than a real one. (Unless you're a locker door)

[u/clintj1975 → u/Maximum_Overdrive]

Damn. Only fun I ever got to have was watching my number 1 hose team nail a training team member with the fire hose. This was after weeks of harping about "take your actions unless a training team member stops you", mind you.

"Test agent, elevate and sweep!"

"Warregagrrrbbllll!"

[u/devilterr2 → u/AML86]

So I'm in the Navy and deal with this quite a lot since I'm an engineer.

Once or maybe twice a year we conduct a citadel test, and a prewet test.

Citadel test is where you shut certain ventilation hatches, open certain ones and over pressurise the ship. Fresh air is drawn into AFU's (Air Filtration Units), and these AFU's have charcoal filters, UV lights and other things to decontaminate the air. During this the ship is over pressurised to 2Bar air pressure to force air out.

We have cleanse station lockers on board in which is where you decontaminate yourself and clothes where you enter or leave the ship from.

For a prewet test, this is where we spray HPSW (High Pressure Salt Water) from certain nozzles on the upper deck. We turn on the Pre wet hopefully before and after a chemical attack or a nuclear event, and turn our stabilisers on to a force roll to shake the ship. This is to hopefully clean as much shit as possible from the upper deck.

We keep our gas masks onboard whenever we sail, but I'm unsure about a full chemical rig, we may keep them onboard somewhere. We get a week's training every 4-5 years about CBRN stuff, and do some refresher stuff onboard every now and then

[u/AML86 → u/devilterr2]

Ok thanks! This is a much more robust system than the old one, then. Having the ability to do decontamination changes that part about being trapped outside. Army vehicles are too small for any kind of airlock procedure, so it's a lot simpler, at least as we were taught in the field over 10 years ago.

[u/DietCherrySoda → u/devilterr2]

Did you really mean 2 bar or did you mean 2 psi??

[u/BodaciousBadongadonk → u/DietCherrySoda]

how to summon some sort of buoyant floaty feline

psipsipsi

[u/BullSitting → u/DietCherrySoda]

2 inches of mercury. My bad. 30 inches = 1 atm.

[u/rocketwikkit → u/devilterr2]

2 bar of overpressure for the entire ship seems unlikely. That's car tire pressure. It's equivalent to swimming 67 feet under water.

[u/Germanofthebored → u/devilterr2]

Seriously, 2 bar pressurization? That's 2 atmospheres (give or take). I am surprised that that doesn't blow out some windows and doors (I guess doors on a ship would open outwards to block water from coming in)

[u/fellawhite → u/AML86]

Air Force taught suits, boots, mask, and gloves. 4 levels, add the next item at each level.

[u/AML86 → u/fellawhite]

Yep that's probably the same procedure as the Army, although I know they've changed masks and probably other parts since I got out. The difference I was interested in was how to handle the storage. Air Force is probably the same logistics on the ground. Maybe at most some of the cargo planes might keep suits onboard?

[u/_-Oxym0ron-_ → u/BullSitting]

Those people then did any necessary external duties until they died.

Wow that's dark, but understandable. What does RAN stand for?

[u/ksobby → u/_-Oxym0ron-_]

Navies (especially at sea) are filled with ridiculously dark but practical tasks.

[u/InsanityRoach → u/ksobby]

Curious, do you have other examples?

[u/InsanityRoach → u/[deleted]]

Damn, but yeah makes sense.

[u/SowingSalt → u/InsanityRoach]

Not in the navy: some naval veterans I've seen playing "sea power: naval combat in the missile age" saying that escort ships job is to be a "missile sponge" for the principle surface combatant, so the escort gets hit, and the PSC is not. They say it's a shit job, but they know it has to be done.

[u/Level9TraumaCenter → u/InsanityRoach]

Not the person you're asking, but pretty much all shipboard firefighting. If people have to die to save the ship (and therefore all the other people), then it happens. Read up on the USS Forrestal fire.

[u/Maktube → u/Level9TraumaCenter]

That's definitely brutal, but feels a little different, to me, at least, because that's just self-preservation. If you don't put the fire out everyone dies, so either you maybe die fighting the fire or you definitely die because you didn't fight the fire.

Although really, maybe the hammering hard drives thing is the same, just in the long term rather than in the immediate term.

[u/ksobby → u/InsanityRoach]

Look up ammunition emergency procedures, submarine breaches, the reactor engineering compartment problem procedures, etc.

[u/Ludwigofthepotatoppl → u/_-Oxym0ron-_]

Royal Australian Navy i think

[u/garg → u/_-Oxym0ron-_]

Royal Australian Navy

[u/Kyrasuum → u/_-Oxym0ron-_]

I think every military has those dark tasks. For the US army, they have a procedure for finding out if the air is safe to breathe in the absence of testing equipment. The lowest ranked member in the group is ordered to take their mask off first.

[u/Signal-Dust-6360 → u/BullSitting]

Ships are now built with a cleansing station which is a small compartment upon entry where all gear gets removed and a shower is provided to cleanse any harmful agents prior to getting into the ship. The training is carried out with a tear gas that is lit to ensure your gas mask has the correct seal.

Fun fact: This was also used in ships activities such as save the queen when the contents of a beer was poured into your gas mask and thus had to drink there way to air 😀 RIP lizzie

[u/__Osiris__ → u/BullSitting]

is RAN the Royal Australian Navy?

[u/Active-Worker-3845 → u/BullSitting]

At the end WWII, my father's ship, the USS Pennsylvania, was hit by torpedoes. As part of the damage control unit, my father closed hatches to save the ship. 20 men died. It was one of the few stories my father told me.

[u/HighImQuestions → u/PossibilityMuch4438]

Can still hear “gas, gas, gas!”

[u/Fit_Organization7129 → u/Delicious-Ganache606]

You can also say: He's an officer in the Russian military, and therefor a legitimate target for Ukraine. Wherever he is. Whatever his job. He could be a clerk in the local base kitchen. Wouldn't matter.

[u/aragathor → u/Fit_Organization7129]

That's why the Canadian Warfare Checklist, also known as the Geneva Conventions, has a large and detailed document, differentiating between civilian non-combatants and military personnel.

And any Russian actively serving in uniform is a valid target, even when at home watching TV.

[u/GrookeyGrassMonkey → u/aragathor]

that's why I disrobe before watching the telly

[u/onkey11 → u/aragathor]

What were the incidents that led to the Canadians being the ones labelled as using the Geneva conventions as a check list?

[u/aragathor → u/onkey11]

Oh, it's not that the Canadians were using it as a checklist, it's more of a checklist for others to see what Canadians would do.

During WW1 Canadians developed a very brutal reputation that involved killing POWs and using very underhanded deception to to ambush others (like disguising grenades as food).

[u/Caffdy → u/aragathor]

That wasn't very cash money of you

[u/SwordfishOk504 → u/Caffdy]

No, but it was very Loonie.

[u/tomispev → u/aragathor]

Ah yes, the Geneva Suggestions.

[u/sailirish7 → u/tomispev]

It's never a war crime the first time

[u/SandyTaintSweat → u/sailirish7]

First war crime's free. That's how they get you hooked.

[u/nem0skal → u/tomispev]

Crime and No Punishment, Russian army field manual

[u/ToxicBTCMaximalist → u/Delicious-Ganache606]

Love to see bad things happen to bad people.

[u/Unique_Brilliant2243 → u/Delicious-Ganache606]

Baller move tbh.

The swiftness of the execution shows some solid planning.

[u/suupeep → u/Delicious-Ganache606]

God's will

[u/Goldsash]

I kept saying to people that one of these days, one of those scooters is going to kill someone.

[u/ForeverLitt → u/Goldsash]

This is why people should wear their helmets

[u/Yeeaaaarrrgh → u/ForeverLitt]

Yes but helmets in no way prevent smoking accidents. Which clearly this was.

[u/LovecraftsDeath → u/Yeeaaaarrrgh]

Turbo cancer is no joke.

[u/Zebradots → u/ForeverLitt]

and why you should always leave a note!

[u/LinguoBuxo → u/ForeverLitt]

Even with a helmet, I still suspect that the last thing that went through his head was his Gluteus Maximus.

[u/rustyb42]

Blown up with his wee mate via a scooter bomb. In Moscow, Ukraine special forces claiming responsibility

The two dickheads were sanctioned for use of chemical weapons in Ukraine

[u/two_tents → u/rustyb42]

Good riddance. Pretty impressive what damage 300 grammes of TNT can do.

[u/gnowbot → u/two_tents]

So they finally killed Old Vesputin

[u/bitch_whip_bill → u/gnowbot]

Va va vesputin

[u/obeytheturtles → u/two_tents]

Careful, reddit will ban you for "callous indifference" these days.

[u/[deleted] → u/obeytheturtles]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/Any_Adeptness7903 → u/[deleted]]

I’d try and refute the report, something similar happened to me and I got the ban lifted

[u/[deleted] → u/Any_Adeptness7903]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/Mizunomafia → u/two_tents]

Probably RDX wouldn't you think?

[u/Electronic_Law_6350 → u/rustyb42]

Blown up with his wee mate via a scooter bomb

This needs to be a flair. Its hilarious. I nearly spat out my drink reading that

[u/gnowbot → u/Electronic_Law_6350]

Operation Vespa Vanquish

[u/DHonestOne → u/rustyb42]

...how is that possible? Isn't that somewhat shocking? How could the special forces have killed such an important person in fucking Moscow?

[u/Thagyr → u/DHonestOne]

Unless they live in a bunker their whole life during this war there's always going to be eyes on their comings and goings. Once they have that it's just a matter of timing and opportunity.

[u/kerbaal → u/Thagyr]

Reminds me of a thing I like to say to people occasionally about computer security. You want to protect yourself from being the low hanging fruit.

If somebody with actual interest and resources has a reason to personally target you, there is precious little you can do to protect yourself that isn't completely unreasonable and incompatible with living a normal life.

[u/Buy_Constant → u/DHonestOne]

russians have killed people through Europe, cut cables in the sea, destroyed ammo depot (in Bulgaria), poisoned people. It is not very hard to do and Moscow is a very very big city that is very easy to get lost in. The important thing is how often such events occur, which is pretty often. Though, russia is much more obsessed with security, than western countries are and russian special services (such as fsb) follow people pretty closely

[u/Evakotius → u/DHonestOne]

Oh come on.

The shooting in their biggest concern hall which happened recently, the dudes were murdering people for an hour or more, dozens of killed, the hall was set into the fire and then they sit in their cars and just drove away.

That is russia.

[u/dandanua → u/Evakotius]

Right next to a police department, which were sitting quiet like mices.

[u/chasteeny → u/dandanua]

And the craziest thing is the US WARNED THEM ABOUT IT BEFOREHAND

[u/Bombadilo_drives → u/dandanua]

Well, that part isn't exclusively Russian... cough Texas cough

[u/RedFoxCommissar → u/Bombadilo_drives]

We need to hold a contest between Texas and Russia for talking mad shit and then pussing out.

[u/amisslife → u/dandanua]

With a brief look, there are 3 police stations within 2 kms of the concert hall. And it still took them over an hour to arrive...

[u/Vreas → u/Evakotius]

150+ killed hundreds injured

[u/DHonestOne → u/Evakotius]

Oh yeah, lol, forgot about that.

[u/ZonalMithras → u/Evakotius]

Safety is not a russian concern

[u/kathtumbong → u/Evakotius]

Thought I had a stroke

[u/DHonestOne → u/[deleted]]

They're referring to the ISIS terrorist attack from earlier this year on the Moscow city hall concert.

[u/MaltySines → u/DHonestOne]

That was this year?! Feels longer ago

[u/winky9827 → u/MaltySines]

Maybe you’re thinking of the Chechen theater attack from like 20 years ago

[u/Appropriate-Year-505 → u/winky9827]

That was the one with gas where most of the civilians died, right?

[u/winky9827 → u/Appropriate-Year-505]

Indeed.

The crisis was resolved when Russian security services released sleeping gas into the building, and subsequently stormed it, killing all 40 hostage takers. 132 hostages died, largely due to the effects of the gas.

[u/bearatrooper → u/winky9827]

Typical Spetsnaz results. 10 terrorists, 50 hostages, 75 casualties, mission accomplished.

[u/Dikkelul27 → u/[deleted]]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocus_City_Hall_attack

happened in march

[u/Navy_Pheonix → u/Dikkelul27]

This feels like years ago at this point. Am I crazy or has there been another Russian theatre shooting where they killed hostages with gas?

[u/Cynixxx → u/Navy_Pheonix]

I guess you think about this one from 2002

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis

[u/Navy_Pheonix → u/Cynixxx]

Yep. That's the one.

[u/the_poope → u/Navy_Pheonix]

Was back in 2002 when Putin was fighting the Chechens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis

[u/Ok-Entertainer-8612 → u/DHonestOne]

It’s not that hard for a state actor. You send a couple of trained agents into the country that speak Russian with the correct accent. They look and behave like normal Russians, you can’t tell they are from Ukraine. They blend into the population. But they are equipped by the state with money, tools and weapons. Nobody will notice them, because it’s impossible to keep an eye on everyone in a city filled with over 11 million people and while you’re at it you can also add a ton of tourists as well on top of it.

These agents will receive intelligence about the whereabouts of the target and seek him out. They start to watch him, observe his routine, all while appearing as if they are random people. Then one day they prepare a scooter with a bomb at some hideout, place that scooter at a specific location where they know the target will be located because of some routine they have observed and then they detonate the bomb from a distance when they made sure the target is close to the bomb by watching the scene from afar. Nowadays it’s not weird for a scooter to be placed in the middle of some sidewalk. These things are basically everywhere and have become ubiquitous. They are the perfect delivery system for a bomb actually, because they don’t attract attention. People have just accepted that they stand around wherever you go.

All of this is difficult for the average guy to do on his own, but it’s easy if you are a coordinated state actor with a lot of resources (intel, money, weapons, collaboration, fake identities that seem legit etc.). They got the men, they got the bombs, they got the money, they got the fake identities that are probably impossible to tell apart from real ones because they are issued by some real government body. How would you detect these guys if not by pure chance? Moscow if filled with random ass people that walk around everywhere. Are you gonna check and watch a million different people at the same time without any justification? You can’t. These people can come and go and you won’t be the wiser.

This is not the first hit and won’t be the last. But they are getting harder, because the targets are not completely stupid and know they could be seeked out like that. If enough hits happen, the targets will go to greater lengths to not just walk around in public.

[u/Itchy-Guess-258 → u/DHonestOne]

SBU improves their skills

[u/No_Regular_Klutzy]

Igor was the commander of Russian chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

Oof

This comes just a day after Ukraine charged Igor of using chemical weapons on Ukrainian soldiers.

I love that Ukraine now uses deterrence to stop the Russians from doing stupid shit. It started with pilots and rocket launcher commanders, but they are getting more emboldened.

[u/ForeverLitt → u/No_Regular_Klutzy]

"Hah what they going to do, am all the way in Moscow"

-That guy probably.

[u/Cpt_Soban → u/ForeverLitt]

Mobile phone in pocket suddenly explodes

[u/Niko2065 → u/Cpt_Soban]

Ukrainian intelligence got inspired by the hezbollah pagers and said "okay....that was awesome, let me try!"

[u/Cpt_Soban → u/Niko2065]

Bottle of Vodka made out of clear plastic explosives detonates

[u/addandsubtract → u/Cpt_Soban]

A round of Molotov Cocktails for everyone!

[u/RedditSettler → u/Cpt_Soban]

Hey thats genius! Russians wouldnt be able to notice the difference even if they drink it!

[u/Shadowlance23 → u/Niko2065]

The phone rings and when they pick up it rick rolls them then explodes.

[u/Distinct-Location → u/ForeverLitt]

“I am invincible!””

[u/TheCamoDude → u/Distinct-Location]

"I am-"

title screen

[u/AerondightWielder → u/TheCamoDude]

YOU DIED

[u/MetallnMyBlood → u/Distinct-Location]

"You sit on it but you don't take it with you"

[u/yourmansconnect → u/MetallnMyBlood]

Chair

[u/Berly653 → u/No_Regular_Klutzy]

It also seems like great potential psychological warfare

Ukraine just lay charges against you despite having zero chance of extraditing you from Russia? You best be scared of getting blown up 

[u/sentence-interruptio → u/No_Regular_Klutzy]

Russia: "Ukrainians, you guys look like us. I declare you Russian."

Ukraine: "Russians, you look like us. Easy for our spies to blend in."

[u/Necessary_Apple_5567 → u/No_Regular_Klutzy]

He wasn't in charge of nuclear. This force in charge of chemical weapons and flamethrower system like TOS-1/2. This military branch has confusing name. It has radiological in the name because this force is responsible for protection measures in zones affected by nuclear.

[u/slime_stuffer → u/Necessary_Apple_5567]

It’s about the chemical weapons he is accused of using in Ukraine, not that he’s in charge of nuclear defense. He’s accused of committing war crimes.

[u/light_trick → u/Necessary_Apple_5567]

Man announcing this to the Ukranian Armed Forces, and hearing it, must've felt great.

[u/Crete_Lover_419 → u/No_Regular_Klutzy]

if I were Ukraine, I would everytime do a public accusation first, and a scooter bomb 1-2 days later. Consistently.

[u/Thumperfootbig → u/Crete_Lover_419]

You can never use a pattern. They adapt.

[u/lesser_panjandrum → u/Thumperfootbig]

Let them adapt. Convict them in absentia, watch them shit themselves in fear every time they see a scooter for the next few days, then end them with a kamikaze pigeon.

[u/Hardcorish → u/lesser_panjandrum]

Trump reading this: I should appoint Michael Bay to head our military

[u/ionised → u/lesser_panjandrum]

kamikaze pigeon

Shh! Don't leak such high-level warfare tactics out on the internet.

[u/EntropyGoAway]

Merry Christmas assholes

[u/Great-Try-8508 → u/EntropyGoAway]

Yippe Ki yay

[u/alpacafox → u/Great-Try-8508]

Yippee Kay Yay Matryoshka fucker!

[u/Fantastic_Mind_1386 → u/Great-Try-8508]

"Come out to Moscow, we'll get together, have a few laughs"

[u/GypsyV3nom → u/EntropyGoAway]

Santa left an extra special gift for one very naughty boy

[u/G_dsPee → u/EntropyGoAway]

Ya filthy animals

[u/nozendk]

I guess that the scooter was intercepted but the debris fell on him?

[u/zdzislav_kozibroda → u/nozendk]

Generallo bravely intercepted the explosives with his own body.

[u/TiddiesAnonymous → u/nozendk]

One of the guards spun it around and hit himself in the ankle, triggering the real explosion

[u/Zpik3 → u/nozendk]

Scooter was intercepted and neutralized.. Unfortunately his friend was smoking near a batterypack.

[u/_Easy_Effect_]

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

A bomb that kills the head of Russias nuclear defense forces agency…

[u/YourLocalHellspawn]

Considering this happened in the middle of Moscow, I'm expecting to hear news about an FSB agent falling out a window in the next few days.

You know, for completely unrelated reasons.

[u/thebigeverybody → u/YourLocalHellspawn]

If Ukraine really wanted to send a message, they'd kill these guys and then throw them in through a window.

[u/Sad-Attempt6263 → u/YourLocalHellspawn]

all the windows were frozen shut today so a mini scooter was used instead 

[u/Deluxe78]

Igor you’ll never believe the deal I got on a pager on temu … oh get me one too!!

[u/Markus_zockt → u/Deluxe78]

Close. It was actually an e-scooter.

[u/Lupus76 → u/Markus_zockt]

This is the first time an e-scooter was not completely lame.

[u/DePraelen → u/Markus_zockt]

It could have been a similar principle - pager attack modified the batteries, replacing part of them with a bomb, with the battery itself also exploding.

I imagine that an e-vehicle might make for a way to do it on a larger scale, as the batteries are obviously much bigger.

[u/HugoZHackenbush2]

Putin will go ballistic..

[u/reasonably_insane → u/HugoZHackenbush2]

Ooof, that pun is devastating

[u/MissionImpossible314 → u/reasonably_insane]

I thought it was the bomb.

[u/mighty_Ingvar → u/HugoZHackenbush2]

Somehow, that made me imagine him turning into a rocket like a transformer

[u/alex2003super → u/mighty_Ingvar]

He really should

[u/two_tents → u/HugoZHackenbush2]

Being a despot these days isn't all it's cracked up to be.

[u/NOVA-peddling-1138]

Russia could easily stop this. Just stop invasion of #Ukraine 🇺🇦 and the war would stop instantly

[u/HumbleConsolePeasant]

Cue Putin threatening the West with nukes for the umpteenth time.

[u/VRichardsen → u/HumbleConsolePeasant]

He actually did yesterday, before the hit.

[u/HumbleConsolePeasant → u/VRichardsen]

It’s just an everyday thing now isn’t it? I’m just so sick and tired of it at this point.

[u/VRichardsen → u/HumbleConsolePeasant]

Putin's center of gravity is not his military, it is his ability to influence the west. For him to prevail in Ukraine, he needs to isolate Ukraine from the US so he can have favorable odds on the battlefield.

Nuclear saber rattling is his way of causing the West to self-deter, so it makes sense he keeps playing that card.

[u/bubster15 → u/VRichardsen]

Except that he’s cried wolf so many times that now we have very good reason to assume he’s bluffing whenever he opens his mouth, and we’ve developed a very high tolerance for ignoring his threats.

There is a cost to saber rattling, and it’s political credibility. If nobody believes anything you say, they no longer care what you have to say. Decisions no longer have to be carefully measured based on how Russia will react, because we already know how they will react, the same as usual.

I think these threats have become more about their domestic audience. They want their citizens to believe everything is under control and Russia still holds all the cards.

[u/spencemode]

Ukrainian special forces are scary good at their job

[u/NH787 → u/spencemode]

Ukrainian hitmen are my favourite kind of hitmen

[u/hahalol412]

Rest in pieces

[u/Naive-Marzipan4527]

This seems… important?

[u/deliveryboyy → u/Naive-Marzipan4527]

Probably a very marginal effect on the russian war machine as a whole, but an important thing nonetheless. Spreads fear among the brass and creates incentives to betray the regime. People like this are unlikely to go into open revolt, but buying a guarantee from Ukraine you're not going to be next for the low low price of a little sabotage? You bet.

Also justice.

[u/hoorahforsnakes → u/deliveryboyy]

I think the most important factor here is that it happened in moscow.  Until now, the russian top brass have probably felt pretty safe knowing they are nowhere near the front. If ukraine are able to succesfully execute targeted strikes on specific individuals within the capital, that makes things feel a lot scarier for them

[u/deliveryboyy → u/hoorahforsnakes]

There's been a few hits over the years in the moscow area, but no one this high up.

[u/hoorahforsnakes → u/deliveryboyy]

Also i imagine at least a few of those were done by putin, the classic dangerous russian windows, but this has been claimed by ukraine special forces shortly after they officially condemned him for using chemical weapons. It makes them look very efficient rather than opportunistic 

[u/AML86 → u/deliveryboyy]

What about the attempt on Dugin? That was in Moscow. Technically it was a failure, but they got his daughter. That would seem close enough.

[u/OldMcFart → u/deliveryboyy]

Could be a signal that ”we can get to you”. I wonder if the Ukrainians would if they could off Putin?

[u/onesole → u/OldMcFart]

Absolutely, no hesitation, and the good thing Putin knows that and will live with that for the rest of his miserable life.

[u/segagamer → u/OldMcFart]

Maybe they just should?

[u/OldMcFart → u/segagamer]

I think they would if they could. What’s Russia going to do? Invade?

[u/cybercuzco → u/deliveryboyy]

People in dictatorships fall in line and retain power for two reasons. They agree with the dictator or they fear death or worse at his hands. If you have an equal fear of death from following or not following the dictator this often frees a lot of followers in positions of power to act as they might not have before. Like the southern rebels in Syria. They were allied with him because they feared his wrath. When that fear went away they rose up again

[u/-Gramsci- → u/Naive-Marzipan4527]

It’s asymmetric warfare occurring inside Moscow itself. Successfully taking out a very high level target.

If it’s a one and done? Not that significant.

If it’s repeatable???

Very, very, significant.

[u/harijsme → u/Naive-Marzipan4527]

its not unimportant.

[u/1corn → u/harijsme]

Read that comment and reply in the voice of the Disco Elysium inner monologue narrator

[u/Xgentis]

He had a tendency to be all over the place, you could say he spread himself to thin. 

[u/Electronic-Truck-500]

Awwwww, consequences.

[u/RequirementOk4178]

Joe rogan is going to be pissed

[u/AML86 → u/RequirementOk4178]

They launched an intercontinental ballistic e-scooter! It's the first time anyone's done that! There's no way that's legal! Putin has to respond! I'm scared, man! Was it an American e-scooter?! Did Biden authorize this?!

[u/BlassAsterMaster → u/AML86]

Wait wait wait, you can't just come to conclusions like that. We need to ask joe rogan for what he thinks first.

[u/bubster15 → u/RequirementOk4178]

How dare Ukraine attack a valid military target during a war of self defense.

[u/LittleStar854 → u/RequirementOk4178]

Somebody better check on Jake Sullivan too

[u/Available_Leather_10 → u/LittleStar854]

And Tucker.

[u/ekso69 → u/Available_Leather_10]

And Tulsi

[u/MyBallsSmellFruity → u/Available_Leather_10]

I hope they “accidentally” take out Tucker next time he goes to Moscow to choke on Putin’s cock.  

[u/Eatpineapplenow → u/RequirementOk4178]

he is such a cunt

[u/Fessir]

Nelson haha GIF

I'm normally a pretty compassionate person, but it's limited when it comes to high ranking military officials from a nation with a bad habit of slaughtering its neighbors.

[u/iRedFive]

It killed the rest of him too.

[u/UltraCarnivore]

-Ukraine has assassinated our Chemical Weapons Top Officer!

-You can't use Chemical Weapons!

-Don't change the topic!

[u/Remarkable_Doubt6665]

Splendid!

[u/SerenaKillJoy]

For those who don’t know

Ukraine to NY Times: “tell Putin it was me”

[u/Mean_Star_6618]

" The enemy cannot push a button.. if you disable his hand." - Zimm, Starship Troopers

[u/Vargius]

The e-scooter of consequences strikes again.

[u/italian_stalion17]

Another nuclear warning coming up, my bet is Putin will gaslight Ukraine this time

[u/Spare_Audience_6301]

Excellent work, 47. Money has been wired to your account.

[u/Mr_BigglesworthIII]

Gosh how horrible, anyways what’s for breakfast

[u/254_easy]

Who’s riding a scooter in Moscow, in December?

[u/lowercasejames → u/254_easy]

He wasn’t riding it. It was parked outside the apartment. There’s video if you’re so inclined.

Also, obligatory:

In Russia, scooter rides you!

[u/k_ironheart]

I dunno why, but "and his assistant" is kinda funny.

[u/richer2003]

Is that the find out phase of fuck around?

It’s not like Russia was required to invade Ukraine…

[u/Glavurdan]

Oh boy this is huge

[u/Nandy-bear]

Now this is what we need more of. Targeted attacks, make every general, every scientist, everyone with either half a bit of power to make a decision or half a brain to direct a project quake in fear of every parcel they see, every car they hear backfire, every person walking up the street. Make them fear their own streets.

[u/Mr_Hassel]

Glory to Ukraine 

[u/CookinCheap]

Ok but what about the rest of him

[u/Literotamus]

Ukraine is proving what they can do with the right firepower. Give them what they need to end the war on their own terms. They will not lose with the right equipment.

[u/Secure_Ticket8057]

It wasn't an assassination, it was a Special Scooter Detonation