this post was submitted on 26 Nov 2024
233 points (98.7% liked)

World News

39142 readers
2621 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
all 27 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] x00z@lemmy.world 11 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

"Go leak this info to some western press, comrade" - Putin

[–] Siegfried@lemmy.world 7 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Good thing is that we are gonna find out the truth in a year or so if this dude is still alive

[–] majestictechie@lemmy.fosshost.com 18 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (2 children)

I get they blurred his face, but I don't see what that second image really offers anyone other than a way for Russia to narrow down the search of the leak. If I was that guy I'd be pissed at any picture being leaked

[–] OfficerBribe@lemm.ee 12 points 21 hours ago

Pretty sure there have not been many deserters holding such niche position. His identity already should be known.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 8 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

His story is pretty unique and he's already on their hunted list. The pic makes absolutely no difference

[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Well damn, so much for the unmaintained nukes theory

[–] Docus@lemmy.world 37 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Not convinced by this story. The guy allegedly worked in security on the base, so probably does not know anything about maintenance needed to keep the warheads operational. I also doubt western security services would let this guy speak to the BBC.

[–] Wooki@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

You think there's a guy?

[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com -4 points 20 hours ago

The guy allegedly worked in security on the base,

Nothing to keep security over if the nukes aren't functional/maintained.

[–] Saleh 24 points 1 day ago (5 children)

I find this theory so absurd, i am quite sure it comes out of some psyops organization. The main thing that resembled some of Russias former glory as SU was their nuclear arsenal. And believing they would let all of it go unmaintained to the point that no relevant amount of nukes would remain working is just nonsensical. Hanging on to that arsenal must have been one of Russias top strategic priorities.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 9 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Is it?

The oligarchs has stripped the military of everything they could, replacing armor with paper crap and the such.

Now take nukes, which are notoriously finicky and require a boatload of maintenance to remain explodable, if that is a word... If ever used, it's the end of the world, and it won't matter anymore.

So here you got weaponry you can quite easily siphon millions out of and basically no one will find out, or no one will be left to care.

Do you really think they did their best on those?

[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

We’re also talking about a military that had an endemic of soldiers getting sick and going blind because they simply would not stop drinking the rocket fuel. Their flagship carrier is basically a littoral ship because that’s all it can do without catching fire. I assume they still have some silos with missiles that could launch and make for a decent dirty bomb but primed and functional warheads…unlikely

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 16 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

It's really not, brain drain, collapse of the ussr, cost to maintain, etc. all of this is why many in the west believe that the stockpile is in ruin. The kursk sunk because they didnt maintain basic torpedoes, what makes you think they have the knowledge/money to do that with nukes. Russia has clearly shown it's a paper tiger.

[–] Saleh 0 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

With which knowledge did they build their nuclear arsenal?

Do you think all the scientists and soldiers just evaporated in 1990?

[–] illi@lemm.ee 9 points 22 hours ago

Even if the nukes are unusable and Russia is bluffing... I'd not be too keen to call the bluff. You just have to assume they are not.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

When you, a corrupt general, get your annual $10 millions to take care of 50 nuclear warheads, that will never ever be used, what will you do?

[–] KinglyWeevil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

The care of the warheads is typically done by some central organization, rather than every individual missile base. Its really specialized work, and it doesn't make sense to have teams capable of performing it at every base.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago

It was just a metaphor for corruption, you are right but the corruption could take place in the centralised organisation, everything is centralised in russia.

[–] CM400@lemmy.world 1 points 23 hours ago

psyops

I guess we’ll find out if/when he dies mysteriously.

[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm sure that officer knows the maintenance situation everywhere in Russia since Soviet times.

[–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 8 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (2 children)

Because only 1500 of the 1700 nukes working would make such a big difference.

[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com 4 points 20 hours ago

Because only 1500 of the 1700 nukes working would make such a big difference.

Or 10 of the 1700... Doesn't matter how many, you have to think of it as xxx amount of the top populated cities. The top 10 populated cities will automatically decimate the population of many countries.

I think it's pretty safe to say that they likely don't have ALL their warheads in functional order... but even if it's just 2% of them... it's enough to fuck over several countries for a long time.

[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

There is difference between working and working according to specs. Nukes are very sensitive maintenance heavy and expensive to upkeep. Optimal yeld is easily lost and if exact timing is off, no boom. Wet fissile fasts don't level cities.

But true, even single nuke is a tragedy, even if it ends up being a non-functional dirty bomb.

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 1 points 23 hours ago

Russia has thousands of nukes in its arsenal, and this is one person in one base.

Even the US doesn't have all its nukes well maintained, which is why they've been overhauling them for years.

Personally I never subscribed to the "Russia has 0 nukes ready to go" theory because that's just downright idiotic. Bare minimum you keep one well maintained so at the very least you can target whoever targeted you and try to hit their capital with a MIRV.

Since no country really has a problem with taking what it wants from the people, it stands to reason that Russia would just squeeze its population a little tighter to keep as many nukes operational as possible.

However, with that said I also don't doubt a large percentage of it's nuclear arsenal is basically useless.

And anyone who knows anything about nukes can tell you it doesn't matter if they have 10 or 1000, they could still kick off the nuclear apocalypse

[–] Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

Rubbish. The security people wouldn't have clearance to know much about what they are guarding, let alone the rest of the countries capabilities. He would know they were put on alert. That's about it. His statement about maintaining it every minute reeks of trying to make his information more valuable so he is better taken care of by whoever he escaped to. Noone would build a weapon that requires that much maintenance. And if they were doing that much maintenance they might be spit polishing the exterior for all he would know. I call BS

[–] Illecors@lemmy.cafe -3 points 23 hours ago

It's a nice, even heartwarming story. It does feel a bit like that tv presenter protesting at the beginning, though.