Russia to stage nuclear drills with Ukraine tensions high

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, YURAS KARMANAU and DARLENE SUPERVILLE

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia announced massive nuclear drills while Western leaders grasped Friday for ways to avert a new war in Europe amid soaring East-West tensions, after unusually dire U.S. warnings that Moscow could order an invasion of Ukraine any day.

Immediate worries focused on the volatile front lines of eastern Ukraine, where an upsurge of recent shelling tore through the walls of a kindergarten and basic communication was disrupted. Western officials, focused on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops posted around Ukraine’s borders, fear the long-simmering conflict could provide the spark for a broader war.

The drumbeat of warnings that a larger conflict could start at any moment continued Friday after U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Washington saw no signs of a promised Russian withdrawal — but instead saw more troops moving toward the border with Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. believes Russia could launch an attack “any time” and also said he still had seen no sign of the promised Russian pullback. He will hold a call Friday with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.



Fighter jets of the Russian and Belarusian air forces fly in a joint mission during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills in Belarus, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Russia has deployed troops to its ally Belarus for sweeping joint military drills that run through Sunday, fueling Western concerns that Moscow could use the exercise to attack Ukraine from the north. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-europe-russia-moscow-c2e55b8b2b061b58e2b140d2a6dc1d57

[gab13by13]

1. Are nuclear drills even legal?

or did Trump eliminate another agreement?

[SmittyWerben]

2. Nuclear Drills?

I think Putin may have "jumped the shark" with this declaration. This would have been the most dire threat if this was still the USSR but I think most understand tactical nukes won't happen. This feels like Putin has lost the war of threats to bully the West into abandoning Ukraine for the promise of peace. He is using the threat of nuclear drills to try to back off any allies that Ukraine has, but it won't work, at all.

[TomWilm]

5. The forgotten piece of the puzzle is Belarus ...

In a week a referendum starts in Belarus, an opfficially alliance free and nuclear free country - in the middle of eastern Europe. In a week those freedoms will be made into alliance and nuclear possibilities.

Which will turn the table on this conflict, since it was never about Ukraine.

The West has now screamed for years about the right for any country to freely chose which alliance they will chose.

Belarus will chose a deep integration with Russia, and most probably open for Russian nuclear bases - in the western end close to Kaliningrad.

Nuclear sharing is another key US policy, no easy thing to complain about either, when done by others...

[sarisataka]

6. I have no doubt

That referendum will be overwhelmingly in favor of alliance with Russia. Probably 90+%.

It will simply acknowledge what is fact already.

[moniss]

7. Maybe an aspect

for sure but I still think that Ukraine is the jewel that they want for the many billions of dollars it will bring to Vermin Vlad and his pals.

[L. Coyote]

3. They announced it. Must be trying to push oil price even higher.

The price had started to fall back a bit after hitting above $90, a 50% increase since Putin started this.

[BlueIdaho]

8. Oil prices higher, stock prices lower.

A double whammy for the West’s economies.

[L. Coyote]

10. Immense profits for Putin at the expense of the Russian people, of course.

Immense profits for the Russia also, propping up his otherwise failing state.

[IronLionZion]

4. Practice launches of ICBMs and nuclear capable missiles and aircraft

I was curious what these nuclear drills were so I googled.

[Ghost Dog]

9. "upsurge of recent shelling tore through the walls of a kindergarten"

Poetic writing...