I think Rattrap said it best...
Nobody has the intention to invade Ukraine
- Thread starter Nevermore
- Start date
They took Chernobyl. Probably old news at this point, with how fast this is happening...
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www.reuters.com
Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces -Ukrainian official
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been captured by Russian forces, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Thursday.
www.reuters.com
You do know they run the other reactor, right? It does generate power, and has for years.
I'm hearing it was more about capturing a nearby road that leads to Kyiv.
No I did not. I thought the whole area for miles around the facility was a "No humans anywhere near here or they're going to die" zone.
These days there are actually tours of the exclusion zone. It's safe to visit for short periods.
There are four reactors at the Chernobyl power plant. Reactor #4 blew up in 1986. The remaining three reactors continued operation afterwards, but were shut down for good in 1993, 1996 and 2000, in part due to massive international protest.
There are still a surprisingly large number of people working at the plant. From 2010 to 2016, the so-called "New Safe Confinement", a massive steel arch, was built in several parts off-site and slowly slid over the exploded reactor, making it the world's largest man-made moving structure, even though it only had to be moved once.
These days, operations at Chernobyl include dismantling the three reactors that have not blown up, as well as operations within the New Safe Confinement, which is intended to allow safe deconstruction of all stuctures within the arch.
And while yes, there are no permanent civilian residents allowed within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, people still commute to the power plant to work there. Or they did, before Russian troops seized it. Also, it was possible to participate in guided tours of the power plant, which was suppposedly relatively safe as long as you followed the official guided routes and followed all the necessary safety protocols.
Radiation levels outside the plant are still considerably above average background radiation, but they can vary massively depending on the spot you're standing in, and most importantly, radiation isn't a case of "instant kill". How radiation affects you depends on several factors, which include your distance to the source and the duration of your exposure. A certain overall amount of radiation absorbed over a larger time period will most likely affect you less severely than the same amount of radiation absorbed over a shorter period of time, much like eating one banana per day for a hundred days is less likely to cause you any trouble as compared to eating 100 bananas on a single day.
What's particularly worrying about the current situation is that the Russian troops have apparently taken the workers of the plant hostage and are planning to use it as leverage to prevent NATO from interfering in the conflict.
Russian forces seize control of Chernobyl nuclear plant and hold staff hostage: Ukrainian officials | CNN
Russian forces seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine and have taken personnel in the station captive, spokeswoman for the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management Yevgeniya Kuznetsovа told CNN.
edition.cnn.com
So yeah, well done, Putin. For decades, a lot of peoples have worked their asses off to minimize the risk posed by the plant, and now this megalomaniac is throwing all that away for a power trip. Con-grat-u-lations. This is full-on supervillain territory at this point.
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By the way, for those who aren't massively versed in German history, the title I chose for this thread is a deliberate reference to a specific chapter in German history:
On June 15, 1961, Walter Ulbricht, the First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, i.e. the de facto leader of what was then East Germany, held a speech in which he insisted that "nobody has the intention to build a wall". Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961.
On June 15, 1961, Walter Ulbricht, the First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, i.e. the de facto leader of what was then East Germany, held a speech in which he insisted that "nobody has the intention to build a wall". Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961.
I thought they finally shut down the other reactors.
Read my post above.
Yeah, I was behind, but to be fair to me: I haven't really looked up much regarding chernobyl in literally a decade.
The US sanctions are not touching the heart of Russia's economy.
European countries are working hard for carve outs in their own sanctions because sure Russia invaded a European country, but if we stop selling them diamonds & luxury handbags aren't we the true barbarians?
There's no willingness to cut Russia out of SWIFT.
www.politico.eu
But the 5000 helmets Germany promised are en route! (as long as Ukraine comes to pick them up.)
It's like most nations who threatened dire consequences in the event of an invasion didn't expect to have to actually make good on them and still don't really want to carry through.
Taiwan better be looking for a black market nuke.
European countries are working hard for carve outs in their own sanctions because sure Russia invaded a European country, but if we stop selling them diamonds & luxury handbags aren't we the true barbarians?
There's no willingness to cut Russia out of SWIFT.
Germany’s Olaf Scholz opposes inclusion of SWIFT in Russia sanctions for now
German chancellor argues certain measures should be reserved for ‘a situation where it is necessary to do other things as well.’
www.politico.eu
But the 5000 helmets Germany promised are en route! (as long as Ukraine comes to pick them up.)
It's like most nations who threatened dire consequences in the event of an invasion didn't expect to have to actually make good on them and still don't really want to carry through.
Taiwan better be looking for a black market nuke.
Bruno Kahl, president of the Federal intelligence Service BND (the German foreign intelligence service), had been in Ukraine by the time the Russian invasion happened, and had to be rescued by special forces.
www.wsj.com
Meanwhile, Russia has been banned from participating in this year's European Song Contest.
escxtra.com
German Spy Chief Stranded in Ukraine Amid Russian Attack
BERLIN—Germany’s chief spy was caught up in the Russian invasion on Ukraine during a work trip to Kyiv and had to travel back by road after Russian troops began bombing the country, closing its airspace, the German government said. Bruno Kahl, head of the foreign intelligence service BND, found him
Meanwhile, Russia has been banned from participating in this year's European Song Contest.
EBU: Russia won’t take part in Eurovision 2022 - ESCXTRA.com
The European Broadcasting Union has announced that no Russian act will participate in this year’s Eu
escxtra.com
Not to add to the grim spectacle, but I fully expect after the Security Council's meeting and the emergency session of the General Assembly, if some sort of troop movement is prevented or deliberated long enough that China's gonna pull the trigger on Taiwan to get it grabbed while the grabbing is good.
EDIT: Well NATO released a strongly worded letter that's political speak for "Damn, that sucks bro." when it comes to Ukraine.
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I hope Italy's concerns about trains don't have anything to do with them running on time.
Don't underestimate how many soldiers Putin is willing to throw into this quagmire, and how little he cares for their lives.