Russian Helicopters May Have Fired on Bystanders at Zapad Military Drills

[Z-Man]

Is that what the US pilots use when they drop hellfires on weddings?

That part of the world celebrates weddings by firing profuse amounts of bullets into the air. One person's party is another person's flak box.

[Auxora]

I'm not sure why Russia would allow bystanders to watch the drills, for 2 reasons. For one, the likelihood of something like this happening with live ammo going off all over. And for two, not wanting people and potential spies to view their combat tactics firsthand. Unless this was just the Russian way of discouraging bystanders...

[Manabomb]

Ahhh Russia. This is just a sad reminder our closest rival is just comprised of normal humans, like us.

[Heladys]

I'm not sure why Russia would allow bystanders to watch the drills, for 2 reasons. For one, the likelihood of something like this happening with live ammo going off all over. And for two, not wanting people and potential spies to view their combat tactics firsthand. Unless this was just the Russian way of discouraging bystanders...

They allow it because it feeds into the rhetoric of Putin making russia strong again, appealing to the same nationalistic urges sweeping america. Harping upon how others have taken advatage of you and abused you and a strongman will put you back in a place of respect.

It's not like we haven't seen this before.

[Deleted]

I love the "may" in the title with an accompanying video of the incident.

I suppose the may should be interpreted as may have hit.
not just in their relative vicinity.

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I'm not sure why Russia would allow bystanders to watch the drills, for 2 reasons. For one, the likelihood of something like this happening with live ammo going off all over. And for two, not wanting people and potential spies to view their combat tactics firsthand. Unless this was just the Russian way of discouraging bystanders...

Bystanders does not mean civilians, it means observers.

[Gorsameth]

I'm not sure why Russia would allow bystanders to watch the drills, for 2 reasons. For one, the likelihood of something like this happening with live ammo going off all over. And for two, not wanting people and potential spies to view their combat tactics firsthand. Unless this was just the Russian way of discouraging bystanders...

These exercises are not for actual training. They are for putting on a show of force and showing the world how great they are.
Bystanders is exactly what they want (tho obv they don't want to shoot them).

[Uzkin]

At least no lives were lost, unlike when the US rams their warships at commercial vessels in the far east.