Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 1001 posts

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#51

Post by inglor_cz »

causi wrote: post #28
hwers wrote: post #21

I can't really tell what's going on here. Is the EU and America supposed to be helping out but it's all promises without real counter attacks? Is this just the calm before the storm as russia places their troops in the right spots while everyone looks on? Anyone who's smarter than me who could enlighten me?

EU and US will use every diplomatic and financial weapon against Russia, but they've long since decided Ukraine and the Ukrainian people aren't worth actual war over. That call was made in 2014 and stopping Russia then would've been easier than it would be now.

Not even every financial weapon. EU isn't united on kicking Russia out of SWIFT.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#52

Post by stickfigure »

BitwiseFool wrote: post #16
stickfigure wrote: post #6

Is there any strategic significance to this? I thought it was closed?

It is actually deviously brilliant. No one wants to shell the area because it would release all the dust and radionuclides that were buried during the cleanup. It is a perfect staging area because the downside to attacking it is so high. No allied forces in Europe want to deal with the fallout - literally. This is so genius I'm genuinely in awe. This is right out of Sun Tzu: “The art of war teaches us to rely not on…

If that is true, then every explosion contaminates the vehicles and personnel staged in the immediate vicinity. Doesn't sound so brilliant to me.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#53

Post by dathinab »

Sebb767 wrote: post #15
shiado wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Theoretically the whole area could be turned into a dirty bomb with a few strategic strikes and it would be carried down a river destroying vast areas of Ukraine for millennia.

If Russia really wanted to create nuclear fallout problems, they have weapons that do so far more targeted and effectively.

But they can't "easily" blame such Weapon usage on the EU (saying they accidentally caused it) or "Ukraine" terrorists.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#54

Post by netsharc »

TameAntelope wrote: post #39
hwers wrote: post #21

I can't really tell what's going on here. Is the EU and America supposed to be helping out but it's all promises without real counter attacks? Is this just the calm before the storm as russia places their troops in the right spots while everyone looks on? Anyone who's smarter than me who could enlighten me?

Ukraine isn't part of NATO, I think it's a big reason why troop deployment hasn't happened.

Even if they were, what's easier, to honour such an agreement with an expensive (materially and in terms of human lives) and dangerous (would cause the conflict so spread) deployment or to say "Sorry, you're going to have to tough it out yourself.".

The USA and UK already abandoned the Afghani people, feels like the once mighty US military really doesn't want to be in a shooting war against Russia. As someone living in Europe, I would also be wary of how it would escalate if NATO got involved.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#55

Post by dekhn »

hwers wrote: post #21

I can't really tell what's going on here. Is the EU and America supposed to be helping out but it's all promises without real counter attacks? Is this just the calm before the storm as russia places their troops in the right spots while everyone looks on? Anyone who's smarter than me who could enlighten me?

NATO/US is preparing to handle the refugee flood into countries invading Ukraine. They are not keeping russia from taking ukraine or holding it, by using military force. It looks like the takeover of Ukraine will be done by tomorrow.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#56

Post by cure »

inglor_cz wrote: post #51
causi wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EU and US will use every diplomatic and financial weapon against Russia, but they've long since decided Ukraine and the Ukrainian people aren't worth actual war over. That call was made in 2014 and stopping Russia then would've been easier than it would be now.

Not even every financial weapon. EU isn't united on kicking Russia out of SWIFT.

That was yesterday. Today, the situation is evolving quickly.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#57

Post by protomyth »

Sebb767 wrote: post #15
shiado wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Theoretically the whole area could be turned into a dirty bomb with a few strategic strikes and it would be carried down a river destroying vast areas of Ukraine for millennia.

If Russia really wanted to create nuclear fallout problems, they have weapons that do so far more targeted and effectively.

I assume its to make sure no one in the Ukraine makes a dirty bomb, not the other way around. Revenge is a powerful motivator and Chernobyl has the raw materials to make for a horrific revenge.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#58

Post by BurningFrog »

jl6 wrote: post #27

I guess this indicates that Russia intends to completely subdue Ukraine and back it into a corner. In such a scenario, a desperate Ukraine government could wield the plant as leverage by threatening some catastrophe. By removing it from their hands, Ukraine is denied this weapon of last resort. And Russia gains another weapon of last resort, should anyone think of putting them in the same position.

I fail to imagine how the reactor could practically be used as a weapon.

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#59

Post by agilob »

throwoutway wrote: post #2

It is worth remembering that the Chernobyl sarcophagus was paid for by the EU. Not sure if that makes it EU property though

EU also paid to build a city in what used to be Palestine, and before anyone moved in Israel demolished it all. No one even talked about it for more than a day

> 319 Palestinian owned structures were demolished or seized, and 447 people (including 222 children) were displaced. Of the structures targeted in the six-month reporting period, 62 structures were funded by the EU or EU Member States with a value of nearly EUR 391,406.

https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/20200528_final_si...

Re: Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

#60

Post by ajuc »

inglor_cz wrote: post #51
causi wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EU and US will use every diplomatic and financial weapon against Russia, but they've long since decided Ukraine and the Ukrainian people aren't worth actual war over. That call was made in 2014 and stopping Russia then would've been easier than it would be now.

Not even every financial weapon. EU isn't united on kicking Russia out of SWIFT.

Basically Germany and Italy don't want it. Cause of big financial investment in Russian businesses.

Germany especially should really do some soul-searching. They are enabling Putin for the last few decades.

Post reply on HN