Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Edge-]

imagine playing wow on your pc and the next day being hidden in a trench or on a patrol, waiting to die anytime.

First off, that's not quite how it works. There is some basic training and all before they send soldier out usually, untrained soldiers are a pretty big liability.

Second off like...yeah, that's what happens when your nation is being invaded by a hostile foreign country and is defending itself.

[YUPPIE]

Russia Says It Has Deployed a New Nuclear Missile

The head of the Russian space agency said on Friday that the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile had been put “on combat duty.”

Russia has put the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles - nicknamed Satan II - on combat duty, the head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos said.

The missiles are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Sarmat missiles would be deployed for combat duty “soon”.

It comes as a Ukrainian drone attacked a town in western Russia, home to one of the country’s biggest nuclear power stations, as Russian air defences intercepted drones heading toward three western regions.

[Cynical Asshole]

Russia Says It Has Deployed a New Nuclear Missile

The head of the Russian space agency said on Friday that the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile had been put “on combat duty.”

Russia has put the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles - nicknamed Satan II - on combat duty, the head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos said.

The missiles are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Sarmat missiles would be deployed for combat duty “soon”.

It comes as a Ukrainian drone attacked a town in western Russia, home to one of the country’s biggest nuclear power stations, as Russian air defences intercepted drones heading toward three western regions.

They have been "deploying" nukes since the war started. Putin needs to bark from time to time, just so people are reminded he has teeth.

He's not gonna do jackshit. Nukes are a thick red line.

[enigma77]

Russia Says It Has Deployed a New Nuclear Missile

The head of the Russian space agency said on Friday that the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile had been put “on combat duty.”

Russia has put the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles - nicknamed Satan II - on combat duty, the head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos said.

The missiles are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Sarmat missiles would be deployed for combat duty “soon”.

It comes as a Ukrainian drone attacked a town in western Russia, home to one of the country’s biggest nuclear power stations, as Russian air defences intercepted drones heading toward three western regions.

He's gonna need a bigger saber to rattle.

[Forogil]

First off, that's not quite how it works. There is some basic training and all before they send soldier out usually, untrained soldiers are a pretty big liability.

However, there have been some indications that Russia partially did that - because the ones that would normally train the new conscripts were already at the front (and the equipment as well). Whereas Ukraine has had some help with training in other countries, but I don't know what percentage.

The description was also a bit unclear; the idea with conscription during peace-time (as seen in many countries; including Ukraine pre-large-scale-invasion) is to have a large reserve force that go about their peaceful normal life, but are ready to be at the front the next day (and already trained).

Conscription apply both to the untrained and the already trained (including the ones that just completed it and are still young, or did it fourty years ago and have forgotten it), and there are indications that some have been paying to avoid it - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66478422

Second off like...yeah, that's what happens when your nation is being invaded by a hostile foreign country and is defending itself.

Yes.

- - - Updated - - -

There are now some signs that Ukraine's counter-offensive is slowly getting somewhere for real (after allegedly destroying a lot of artillery - Oryx has a hard time confirming that), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66686149

[Sunseeker]

For those who aren't aware, ICBMs aren't what you fire at the active warzone where half your army is.

So who gives a flying shit what Putin says is "combat ready"? Only people he can shoot it at will turn Russia in a glass sheet half an hour later.

[Biglog]

On the Sarmat-II, a test launch earlier this year failed. I don't believe they've had a successful test launch since. So it may be on 'combat duty' technically, but in very small numbers and with some questionable reliability if it were ever needed. Putin had a deadline of by the end of 2022 for it which they missed, so this might be a case of something being declared as 'ready' just to keep the higher-ups happy.

Also, speaking of strategic resources it's notable that Russia lost around 4% of it's strategic airlift capability this week in the attack on Pskov airbase. Russia only has about 1/3 of the heavy lift aircraft that the US (alone - not NATO) has, with only 100 Il-76. They lost 4 of them just in that attack. Not a negligible amount for a country at war.

[Relapses]

Only people he can shoot it at will turn Russia in a glass sheet half an hour later.

This isn't exactly a comforting thought.

[Kallisto]

This isn't exactly a comforting thought.

This is the issue I have "Oh they'll get glassed too." doesn't have the answer to "Ok that's well and good. But what is needed is if they have 2k of them, we need something to shoot down those 2k. Not have some kind of satisfaction of dead Russians. No matter the financial cost of keeping them."

[Gabriel]

Russia Says It Has Deployed a New Nuclear Missile

The head of the Russian space agency said on Friday that the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile had been put “on combat duty.”

Russia has put the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles - nicknamed Satan II - on combat duty, the head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos said.

The missiles are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Sarmat missiles would be deployed for combat duty “soon”.

It comes as a Ukrainian drone attacked a town in western Russia, home to one of the country’s biggest nuclear power stations, as Russian air defences intercepted drones heading toward three western regions.

Ohh the one that didn't work? Excellent. I hope they replace all of their missiles with this piece of shit.

- - - Updated - - -

This is the issue I have "Oh they'll get glassed too." doesn't have the answer to "Ok that's well and good. But what is needed is if they have 2k of them, we need something to shoot down those 2k. Not have some kind of satisfaction of dead Russians. No matter the financial cost of keeping them."

Russia doesn't fucking have 2000 nuclear missiles ready to go... When will you people start doing some reading?

[Iphie]

Russia doesn't fucking have 2000 nuclear missiles ready to go... When will you people start doing some reading?

I think Kal was just giving a number, but russia is allowed to have 1500 weapons ready to go by treaty, which we all know how much russia (or more accurately putin) respects.

However those treaties have loopholes where bomber mounted weapons count for only one no matter how many are actually loaded on them and MIRVs count as one so the actual number is higher. Of course russia has been depleting its delivery vehicle stockpiles by shooting missiles at civilians.

This also all hinges on the question of: "do russia's weapons actually still work?", a question we do not want to find the answer to, but one that nevertheless must be asked. (But YUPPIE will scare monger anyway)

[alach]

From the wiki

The exact number of nuclear warheads is a state secret and is therefore a matter of guesswork. As of 2022, the Federation of American Scientists estimates that Russia possesses 5,977 nuclear weapons, while the United States has 5,428; Russia and the U.S. each have about 1,600 active deployed strategic nuclear warheads. Russia's stockpile is growing in size, while the United States' is shrinking.[6] Russia has six nuclear missile fields in Kozelsk, Tatishchevo, Uzhur, Dombarovskiy, Kartalay, and Aleysk; nuclear missile submarines patrolling from three naval bases at Nerpich'ya, Yagel'Naya, and Rybachiy; and nuclear bombers at Ukrainka and Engels air bases.[25]

For the record, I don't think they will use them, or has the ability to either, by they do have alot.
John Oliver did a good episode on the issues of nuclear weapons a few years back. All the issues with the American arsenal I'm sure Russia has 100 fold.

[zealo]

This isn't exactly a comforting thought.

The Kremlin knowing all of Moscow and Saint Petersburg will get turned into a crater if they start lobbing ICBMs at the west also keeps their own fingers off the trigger for that.

[Gabriel]

I think Kal was just giving a number, but russia is allowed to have 1500 weapons ready to go by treaty, which we all know how much russia (or more accurately putin) respects.

However those treaties have loopholes where bomber mounted weapons count for only one no matter how many are actually loaded on them and MIRVs count as one so the actual number is higher. Of course russia has been depleting its delivery vehicle stockpiles by shooting missiles at civilians.

This also all hinges on the question of: "do russia's weapons actually still work?", a question we do not want to find the answer to, but one that nevertheless must be asked. (But YUPPIE will scare monger anyway)

With their budget, Russia can afford to (and I'm rounding up here) have about 400 actually operational nuclear warheads, and that is *snickers* assuming that none *snorts* of the budgeted money is embez... hahahahahahahaha

You get the point I hope.

[Corvus]

I would not be shocked if the builders went 'hey, we are never going to use them and the money is better spent oh dachas and yachts so we can skip making a few properly'

[Cynical Asshole]

The Kremlin knowing all of Moscow and Saint Petersburg will get turned into a crater if they start lobbing ICBMs at the west also keeps their own fingers off the trigger for that.

Damn! It's almost as if doomsday weapons are actually good for world peace when everyone has them and can glass any would-be attacker. So fear of mutually assure distruction keeps everyone peaceful.

Pretty hot take on a website with a strong Leftwing bias.

[Surfd]

It honestly doesn't matter how many warheads Russia "has" if there's a good chance that only 1 out of every 100 delivery systems is likely to function properly and probably a very good chance that 99 out of every 100 warheads they actually have probably hasn't been properly maintained in decades. The odds of them managing to get a working nuke onto a working rocket simultaneously without blowing themselves up are likely so astronomical that I would comfortably bet on them.

[Cynical Asshole]

It honestly doesn't matter how many warheads Russia "has" if there's a good chance that only 1 out of every 100 delivery systems is likely to function properly and probably a very good chance that 99 out of every 100 warheads they actually have probably hasn't been properly maintained in decades. The odds of them managing to get a working nuke onto a working rocket simultaneously without blowing themselves up are likely so astronomical that I would comfortably bet on them.

Also not to mention that most of a nuclear rocket barrage would be intercepted by anti-missile systems before hitting their target.

That's why the US holds the upper hand here, because their nukes are delivered by stealth bombers which can bring the load close before letting it ago, and the anti-missile systems don't have the time to react.

[enigma77]

Also not to mention that most of a nuclear rocket barrage would be intercepted by anti-missile systems before hitting their target.

This is untrue, the vast majority of nukes would hit their targets. It's not easy to intercept ICBMS at all.

https://ww2.aip.org/fyi/2022/physici...are-unreliable

https://www.heritage.org/military-st...issile-defense

https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/missile-defense

[Gabriel]

This is untrue, the vast majority of nukes would hit their targets. It's not easy to intercept ICBMS at all.

https://ww2.aip.org/fyi/2022/physici...are-unreliable

https://www.heritage.org/military-st...issile-defense

https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/missile-defense

None of the things you linked explained why the missile defence is not capable enough, and the threshold for what is effective enough seemed to be "not a single nuclear missile will ever be able to hit continental USA ever".