When it comes to nuclear arms, they’re just not that different from, say, artillery shells or 500 pound bombs: they have to be delivered to be effective. So this poster, reputedly from the British Ministry of Defense, is fascinating:
I’m sure analysts far brighter than I are chewing on these implications, but my mind is flooded regardless. Such things as these come to mind:
- Are we seeing the Russian nuclear strike force degrading with each hour? A nuclear missile sitting in a closet while its delivery system is used to disrupt and kill a few Ukrainians in Kyiv looks an awful lot like a lump of metal. Or does Russia have a vast oversupply of nuclear missile delivery systems?
- Was this a desperation move by officers tasked with the Ukraine mission?
- Or does President Putin know his nuclear force is diminishing?
- Does this say anything new about the Russian Army, or is there nothing left to say that’s new?
- While Putin qualifies as Russia’s super patriot in the minds of many, there are always citizens who are more patriotic than thou. How will they feel about this when the news gets out in Russia?
- Does this make it less likely that Russia will employ their nuclear strike force against Ukraine, or us, or China? Or more likely?
And are we nearing the conclusion of this bloody tragedy?
