OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

SamIAm2

@lousubcap - I am just curious about the safety of any shipments of grain given the Russian Navy submarine force's capability to travel from Rostov on Don to the Ageana and Mediterranean Seas.

lousubcap

The Russians are the key to this plan working out.  Given the vulnerability of any grain carrier and the restricted nature of the channel they would be easy targets.  Should a rogue (or with tacit approval from on high) submarine decide to sink a cargo ship, the "what next" move in retaliation would be quite difficult to predict.
Any submarine traveling from the Black Sea south will conduct a surface transit of the Bosphorus Strat although it could be done submerged but the risk of grounding or collision with a surface ship would be extremely likely.  FWIW

lousubcap

An interesting take on a recent SCOTUS judge and his remarks overseas

""I had the honor this term of writing I think the only supreme court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law. One of these was Boris Johnson, but he paid the price." That laugh-inducing line was delivered by Samuel Alito who used a speech in Rome to drop some political zingers on those who dared to criticize the Court's overturning of Roe. Wait? Jokes aimed at world leaders? In your face taunting from a Supreme Court justice on foreign soil? Aren't SCOTUS judges supposed to be above politics? Hah. If you still believe that, you haven't been paying attention. There's a reason that confidence in U.S. Supreme Court is at a historic low. Dahlia Lithwick in Slate: What We Lose as John Roberts Is Sidelined on the Court. "It speaks volumes about this political moment, and also about the nature and current posture of the Supreme Court, that two of the people who still regarded their participation on a multi-person court as a project in relationship-building and compromise and the long-term banking of trust and goodwill to achieve tolerable outcomes for everyone, are now wholly sidelined. Breyer has retired and Roberts is left conducting an orchestra that has chosen to play its own discordant symphonies." Compromise. Deal-making. Working together. Not humiliating the Court by gloating abroad. Sorry folks, that courtship has sailed."

The Cen-Tex Smoker

 Should a rogue (or with tacit approval from on high) submarine decide to sink a cargo ship, the "what next" move in retaliation would be quite difficult to predict.

It's been a while but we have seen this movie before. Although it ended well, the middle part was a b!tch. 

lousubcap

Those slick, sleek, steely eyed killers of the deep do make for no news media coverage.  Therein is the difficulty in assessing the bad actor.  Did the cargo carrier hit a previously uncleared mine...Likely the hole in the hull at the bottom of the Black Sea would answer the question, but who's gonna look now??  
Submerged and undetected-a great way to ply the oceans.  

The Cen-Tex Smoker

lousubcap said:

Those slick, sleek, steely eyed killers of the deep do make for no news media coverage.  Therein is the difficulty in assessing the bad actor.  Did the cargo carrier hit a previously uncleared mine...Likely the hole in the hull at the bottom of the Black Sea would answer the question, but who's gonna look now??  
Submerged and undetected-a great way to ply the oceans.  

certainly leaves a little wiggle room on "whodunnit". At least for a while. I guess we could call that Plausible Deniability (until you get caught). They will blame it on a Ukrainian mine for sure

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The first grain ship to leave the Ukrainian port of Odesa under a U.N.-brokered deal to ensure safe passage through the Black Sea departed this morning. The ship, the Razoni, was led by a government vessel through a maze of mines that had been laid by Ukrainian forces to forestall any attempt by Moscow to launch an assault on Odesa. A rescue ship followed and Russia’s Navy, which controls the Black Sea, granted safe passage. The Razoni, which has been stuck in port since Feb. 18, was carrying 26,000 metric tons of corn, the U.N. said. There are 16 more ships waiting to leave Odesa in the coming days, according to Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kurbakov. The New York Timesreports. 

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has praised the departure of the first grain shipment from Odesa. “We welcome the departure of the first vessel from Ukraine's Black Sea ports since Russia's full-scale invasion on Feb 24,” the embassy said in a tweet. “The world will be watching for continued implementation of this agreement to feed people around the world with millions of tons of trapped Ukrainian grain.” U.S. Ambassador Bridget A. Brink called the development “progress.” Olga Voitovych, Vasco Cotovio and Jo Shelley report for CNN.

The southern region of Mykolaiv came under intense shelling last night, with Russian forces hitting several civilian buildings including a hospital trauma center, Ukrainian officials have said. “Tonight, Russian terrorists cynically fired at a number of civilian objects in Mykolaiv. Among them is our modern, brand-new trauma center,” Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said. Olga Voitovych reports for CNN.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced mandatory evacuation from the Donetsk region. In his nightly address on Saturday Zelenskyy called on the remaining residents to leave the region urgently in what he called a “government decision.” The government has created a coordination center to help evacuate the residents of Donetsk to safer parts of Ukraine, Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, told reporters earlier on Saturday. The evacuation will be carried out by trains and by buses, and those who refuse to evacuate will have to sign “a certain form of refusal from mandatory evacuation" stating they understand and are aware of all the consequences of staying in the combat zones and bear personal responsibility for their lives, Vereshchuk added. Mariya Knight reports for CNN. "

Botch

They nailed al Zawahiri!  Supposedly zero civilian deaths.  Tonight is a good night.  

lousubcap

Since Cheeto drives the R's, a read today from The Atlantic-
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/08/trump-america-first-speech-analysis-gop/671004/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=atlantic-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20220801&utm_term=The Atlantic Daily
And the beat goes on!

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update: (slim so far)

"The U.S. will send another $550 million in arms to Ukraine to help its war efforts against Russia, increasing its total investment in the conflict to more than $8 billion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that he was authorizing a drawdown of arms and equipment from the Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine’s self-defense. The arms transfer will include ammunition for the HIMARS rocket launchers that have been used to destroy Russian command posts and ammunition depots as well as for 155-millimeter howitzers already in use by Ukrainian troops. Peter Baker reports for the New York Times. 

RUSSIA, UKRAINE - OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

The first grain shipment to leave Ukraine’s Black Sea ports since the Russian invasion began, is expected to reach a Turkish port later today. A second ship, the Riva Wing, which has been laden with 50,000 tons of feed grain, is also preparing to leave the port in Odesa under an international agreement to allow the safe passage of such cargo. Matina Stevis-Gridneff reports for the New York Times. 

lousubcap

Here's a good read regrding US. China and Pelosi-

"NYT’s Tom Friedman lays out an impassioned case against the trip: “Why Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan Is Utterly Reckless.” His big argument, backed up with what seems like a significant scoop, is that JOE BIDEN has successfully restrained China from aiding Russia in its war with Ukraine, and Pelosi’s trip risks triggering confrontations with both countries:

“To help create the greatest possibility of Ukraine reversing Putin’s invasion, Biden and his national security adviser JAKE SULLIVANheld a series of very tough meetings with China’s leadership, imploring Beijing not to enter the Ukraine conflict by providing military assistance to Russia. …

“Biden, according to a senior U.S. official, personally told President XI JINPING that if China entered the war in Ukraine on Russia’s side, Beijing would be risking access to its two most important export markets — the United States and the European Union. (China is one of the best countries in the world at manufacturing drones, which are precisely what Putin’s troops need most right now.)

“By all indications, U.S. officials tell me, China has responded by not providing military aid to Putin — at a time when the U.S. and NATO have been giving Ukraine intelligence support and a significant number of advanced weapons that have done serious damage to the military of Russia, China’s ostensible ally.

“Given all of that, why in the world would the speaker of the House choose to visit Taiwan and deliberately provoke China now, becoming the most senior U.S. official to visit Taiwan since NEWT GINGRICH in 1997, when China was far weaker economically and militarily? The timing could not be worse.”"

JohnInCarolina

Food for thought:

https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/p/the-cross-and-the-flag-christian

lousubcap

Makes a solid case in that article above (^^^^) about the agenda being pushed.  Couple that with the dumbing down and it's not a pretty picture.    

JohnInCarolina

lousubcap said:

Makes a solid case in that article above (^^^^) about the agenda being pushed.  Couple that with the dumbing down and it's not a pretty picture.    

It’s not.  But maybe there’s some hope in this Kansas abortion vote.  People are starting to pay attention.

lousubcap

Some Russia-Ukraine updates:

"The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned that Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine is “completely out of control.” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the Zaporizhzhia complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident. “Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated” at the plant, he said, “what is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.” Edith M. Lederer report for AP. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to China “to join the united world” and oppose Russia amid the war in Ukraine. The President discussed China when answering questions from students during a virtual address to the Australian National University. Zelensky admitted Beijing’s “neutrality is better” than if China would join Russia, believing “the nation, the people of China will do the prudent choice.” He went on to say it is “important that China wouldn’t help Russia.” Gabby Gretener reports for CNN. 

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said Russia’s eastern offensive was aimed at forcing Ukraine to divert troops from the Zaporizhzhia region.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region, said three civilians were killed in Bakhmut, Maryinka and Shevchenko and five wounded in the past 24 hours.
The governors of Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk reported that their regions had been shelled overnight, causing damage to civilian infrastructure and houses.
Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin said Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged prisoners and the bodies of those killed in the conflict 27 times since the war began on February 24.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for direct talks with China’s President Xi Jinping, urging Beijing to use its political and economic influence on Russia to help end the war in his country.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Moscow wants to negotiate a solution to the conflict, adding, “a first success is the grain deal, perhaps that can be slowly expanded to a ceasefire”.
Ukraine dismissed Schroeder’s comments, saying any dialogue would be contingent on a Russian ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A new satellite that Russia is preparing to launch on Iran’s behalf next week, will be used to assist its own war effort in Ukraine, according to Western security officials. The satellite, which was scheduled to launch on Aug. 9,  will give Tehran unprecedented capabilities to spy on military targets across the Middle East, including near-continuous monitoring of sensitive facilities in Israel and the Persian Gulf. However, Russia has told Tehran that it plans to use the satellite for several months, or longer, to enhance its surveillance of military targets in that conflict. Joby Warrick and Ellen Nakashima report for the Washington Post. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, plan to meet today in the southern Russian Black Sea town of Sochi.The meeting will be their second face-to-face conversation in less than three weeks, with Erdogan emerging as an important mediator between Ukraine and Russia. However, despite Turkey’s refusal to join Western sanctions against Russia, a decision which had irked its N.A.T.O. allies, stark differences remain between the two leaders. Neil MacFarquhar reports for the New York Times. 

Three more ships with grain have left Ukrainian ports and are headed to Turkey for inspection, Turkey’s defense ministry has said. The three ships that left Ukrainian ports are the Turkish-flagged Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tons of corn, which left the Chornomorsk port bound for Karasu, Turkey. The Panama-flagged Navi Star left Odesa’s port for Ireland with 33,000 tons of corn. The Maltese-flagged Rojen left Chornomorsk for the U.K. carrying over 13,000 tons of corn, according to the U.N.. The U.N. said the joint coordination center overseeing the deal had authorized the three ships as the operation expands, and also inspected a ship headed for Ukraine. Zeynep Bilginsoy reports for AP. "

Enjoy the weekend.

JohnInCarolina

@lousubcap

http://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom/status/1555587125776732162?s=20&t=ty5trthYAgoONDq-zM-iPg

lousubcap

Thanks as I just saw that in his Peacefield email.  Thanks for the follow-up.  

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/AtomicAnalyst/status/1555694422263828490?s=20&t=Dt80B85uH7aQrQsRIrqWBA

The whole thread is worth a read.

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"RUSSIA, UKRAINE – FIGHTING

Ukraine and Russia traded blame over attacks on a nuclear power plant. Ukrainian officials accused the Russian army of firing rockets that landed on the grounds of a nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya on Aug. 6. Russia has controlled the region where the plant is located since March, and Ukraine accused the Russians of striking the plant in order to disrupt the flow of electricity to the rest of the country. In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that an attack on the nuclear facility posed an enormous risk to the entire continent. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times. 

Zelenskyy criticized Russian efforts to hold referendums in the occupied territory of Luhansk. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said that so-called “pseudo-referendums” would represent a significant obstacle to a negotiated cessation of hostilities in the future. The Washington Post reports.

fishlessman

days have gone by without any ukraine news............

lousubcap

Playing Ketchup...(Pulp Fiction)

Tuesday's Russia-Ukraine update:
"An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the past six months during the assault on Ukraine. Colin Kahl, the U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, provided the figures in a briefing with reporters yesterday. Ukrainian forces are advancing in the direction of Izyum, a key city in the country’s northeast, according to presidential adviser Alexsey Arestovych. He said the forces are “moving very successfully” towards the city, which is considered a gateway to the Donbas region, the majority of which is controlled by Russian forces. Jennifer Hassan and Sean Fanning summarize key developments for the Washington Post. 

The U.S. will send an additional $1 billion in aid to Ukraine, including new rockets, the Pentagon announced yesterday. The shipment brings the total U.S. military assistance for Ukraine since February to more than $9 billion. The new supplies will include rockets for the HIMARS launchers that have proved critical in Ukraine’s fighting. Most of the munitions will resupply weapons that have already been shipped to the country. The shipment comes as the conditions in eastern Ukraine have “essentially stabilized” and the focus of combat with Russian forces has shifted to the south, according to Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy. John Ismay reports for the New York Times. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of the long-term repercussions for global security if Russia’s assault on Ukraine is not stopped. Speaking in South Africa, Blinken warned that failure to stand up to Russia would give a green light to similar acts of aggression around the world. “If we allow a big country to bully a smaller one, to simply invade it and take its territory, then it’s going to be open season, not just in Europe but around the world,” he said yesterday. Edward Wong reports for the New York Times. 

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A series of explosions rocked a Russian airbase in Crimea yesterday. Kyiv did not publicly claim responsibility for the blast, which killed at least one person, though a senior Ukrainian military official with knowledge of the situation told the New York Times that Ukrainian forces carried out the attack, as their offensive into the country’s occupied south continues. The official also confirmed that the attack involved partisan resistance forces loyal to the government in Kyiv. Michael Schwirtz reports for the New York Times.

Ukrainian officials called on the U.N. to inspect a nuclear plant in Russian-occupied territory. The nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia had been struck by shellfire, damaging a storage facility for nuclear fuel. Calls for the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the facility have increased over concerns about  the risks of an accident. According to Ukrainian regional officials, Russian forces stationed artillery and other weapons at the complex and last month began shelling the nearby city of Nikopol from positions at the facility. Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Maria Varenikova report for the New York Times. "

fishlessman

lousubcap said:

Playing Ketchup...(Pulp Fiction)

Tuesday's Russia-Ukraine update:
"An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the past six months during the assault on Ukraine. Colin Kahl, the U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, provided the figures in a briefing with reporters yesterday. Ukrainian forces are advancing in the direction of Izyum, a key city in the country’s northeast, according to presidential adviser Alexsey Arestovych. He said the forces are “moving very successfully” towards the city, which is considered a gateway to the Donbas region, the majority of which is controlled by Russian forces. Jennifer Hassan and Sean Fanning summarize key developments for the Washington Post. 

The U.S. will send an additional $1 billion in aid to Ukraine, including new rockets, the Pentagon announced yesterday. The shipment brings the total U.S. military assistance for Ukraine since February to more than $9 billion. The new supplies will include rockets for the HIMARS launchers that have proved critical in Ukraine’s fighting. Most of the munitions will resupply weapons that have already been shipped to the country. The shipment comes as the conditions in eastern Ukraine have “essentially stabilized” and the focus of combat with Russian forces has shifted to the south, according to Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy. John Ismay reports for the New York Times. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of the long-term repercussions for global security if Russia’s assault on Ukraine is not stopped. Speaking in South Africa, Blinken warned that failure to stand up to Russia would give a green light to similar acts of aggression around the world. “If we allow a big country to bully a smaller one, to simply invade it and take its territory, then it’s going to be open season, not just in Europe but around the world,” he said yesterday. Edward Wong reports for the New York Times. 

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A series of explosions rocked a Russian airbase in Crimea yesterday. Kyiv did not publicly claim responsibility for the blast, which killed at least one person, though a senior Ukrainian military official with knowledge of the situation told the New York Times that Ukrainian forces carried out the attack, as their offensive into the country’s occupied south continues. The official also confirmed that the attack involved partisan resistance forces loyal to the government in Kyiv. Michael Schwirtz reports for the New York Times.

Ukrainian officials called on the U.N. to inspect a nuclear plant in Russian-occupied territory. The nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia had been struck by shellfire, damaging a storage facility for nuclear fuel. Calls for the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the facility have increased over concerns about  the risks of an accident. According to Ukrainian regional officials, Russian forces stationed artillery and other weapons at the complex and last month began shelling the nearby city of Nikopol from positions at the facility. Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Maria Varenikova report for the New York Times. "

Thanks. Frank, you are my only source I really trust

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Satellite imagery showed that the Ukrainian strike on a Russian airbase in Crimea did far more damage than initially reported. The Russian Defense Ministry had claimed that no aircraft had been destroyed in the strike, yet new satellite photos show at least eight destroyed jets. The Ukrainian military has not claimed responsibility for the strike and a senior Ukrainian official told the New York Times that the blasts were an attack carried out with the help of partisans. Richard Pérez-Peña and Christiaan Triebert report for the New York Times. 

A Russian military attack killed 13 Ukrainian civilians in a district near a nuclear plant. The attack represents further intensification of fighting in the region surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Storage facilities at the plant itself had been damaged by shelling earlier this month. According to the military administrator of the region, Russian forces fired 80 rockets on residential neighborhoods in this latest attack, striking apartment blocks, administrative buildings, and infrastructure, and leaving 1,000 people without gas. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times. 

lousubcap

China-Russia relationship read:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-new-vassal?utm_medium=newsletters&utm_source=twofa&utm_campaign=China’s New Vassal&utm_content=20220812&utm_term=FA This Week - 112017

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Renewed shelling of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, prompted renewed calls for a cease-fire. “Russia and Ukraine traded accusations of responsibility for shelling on Thursday at an enormous Russian-occupied nuclear power complex” in southern Ukraine. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres “expressed growing concern for the complex’s security and repeated calls for international experts to visit the facility.” From Shashank Bengali for The New York Times. The Washington Post reports International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafeal Grossi “pleaded with Russia and Ukraine to demilitarize the area and allow international inspectors onto the site.” The BBC reports how the Zaporizhzhia crisis unfolded. 

Seven civilians were killed and six wounded in a Russian missile attack on the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s east. The assaults damaged shops, private houses, high-rise buildings, and infrastructure. “A British intelligence report this week said that Moscow’s advance toward Bakhmut had been the most successful element of its wider drive in Donetsk Province, but that, overall, Russia’s forces had progressed only about two miles there in the past month.”  Matthew Mpoke Bigg for the New York Times.

Defense ministers from Western countries pledged $1.5 billion in military aid for Ukraine. “The money will pay for weapons, ammunition and training of Ukrainian forces, and the nations promised that more assistance is on the way.” The Washington Post reports.

lousubcap

More on the Russia-Ukraine nuclear power plant fight here:

"Nuclear dangers are rising in southern Ukraine. Top diplomats from the United Nations, France, and the U.S. State Department are urgently calling for a demilitarized zone around southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been illegally occupied by Russian forces since early March. 

The Zaporizhzhia plant is Europe's largest nuclear facility, but Russian forces staged there have been firing on Ukrainian troops for several weeks. On Thursday, representatives from the two nations (Vladimir Rogov and Yevgeniy Balitsky for the Russian side, and Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom on behalf of Kyiv) each accused the other of firing on the nuclear plant, potentially triggering a catastrophe for the entire region. Reuters published a sort of explainer on the plant that you can find here.   

"I am calling for all military activities in the immediate vicinity of the plant to cease immediately and not to target its facilities or surroundings," said UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres in a statement Thursday. "Any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia or any other nuclear facilities in Ukraine," he said, "could lead to catastrophic consequences not only for the immediate vicinity, but for the region and beyond. This is wholly unacceptable."

"I urge the withdrawal of any military personnel and equipment from the plant and the avoidance of any further deployment of forces or equipment to the site," Guterres said. "The facility must not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, urgent agreement is needed at a technical level on a safe perimeter of demilitarization to ensure the safety of the area." 

"Fighting near a nuclear plant is dangerous and irresponsible," a State Department spokesperson said Thursday, according to Reuters, and added, "We continue to call on Russia to cease all military operations at or near Ukrainian nuclear facilities and return full control to Ukraine, and support Ukrainian calls for a demilitarized zone around the nuclear power plant."

Paris agrees: "Russia control of Ukrainian nuclear facilities is a danger to the Ukrainian people, the region and the international community," said France's Foreign Ministry in its own statement Thursday. "Russia must hand back to Ukraine the full control of Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant and of all nuclear facilities to Ukraine," said French Amb. Nathalie Broadhurst at the UN Security Council on Thursday. She joined Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael MarianoGrossi, in his call for IAEA officials to have "safe and unhindered access to all nuclear facilities in Ukraine," as Broadhurst put it.

"An [IAEA] mission would allow us to carry out needed technical activities and provide a stabilizing influence," said MarianoGrossi on Thursday. "Military actions jeopardizing nuclear safety and security must stop immediately," he cautioned. 

The view from Kyiv: Russia is conducting "nuclear blackmail," said Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy in his nightly address Thursday. Only a full withdrawal of Russian forces from the facility will "guarantee nuclear safety for all of Europe," he said. "

littlerascal56

That is a huge nuclear plant.  Not sure if Russia understands what really happens when the core looses cooling and a meltdown (China syndrome) occurs.  This will not just affect the Ukraine region, but also Russia and much of Europe.  For many, many, many years to come. Some crazy $hit.

HeavyG

littlerascal56 said:

That is a huge nuclear plant.  Not sure if Russia understands what really happens when the core looses cooling and a meltdown (China syndrome) occurs.  This will not just affect the Ukraine region, but also Russia and much of Europe.  For many, many, many years to come. Some crazy $hit.

I'm pretty sure that Russia has an excellent understanding of the potential outcomes of a failing nuclear power plant - e.g. Chernobyl.