The Smaller Bombs That Could Turn Ukraine Into a Nuclear War Zone
In destructive power, the behemoths of the Cold War dwarfed the U.S. atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Washingtons biggest test blast was 1,000 times as large. Moscows was 3,000 times. On both sides, the idea was to deter strikes with threats of vast retaliation with mutual assured destruction. The psychological bar was so high that nuclear strikes came to be seen as unthinkable.
Today, both Russia and the United States have nuclear arms that are much less destructive their power just fractions of the Hiroshima bombs force, their use perhaps less frightening and more thinkable.
Concern about these smaller arms has soared as Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the Ukraine war, has warned of his nuclear might, has put his atomic forces on alert and has had his military carry out risky attacks on nuclear power plants. The fear is that if Putin feels cornered in the conflict, he might choose to detonate one of his lesser nuclear arms breaking the taboo set 76 years ago after Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Analysts note that Russian troops have long practiced the transition from conventional to nuclear war, especially as a way to gain the upper hand after battlefield losses. And the military, they add, wielding the worlds largest nuclear arsenal, has explored a variety of escalatory options that Putin might choose from.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/smaller-bombs-could-turn-ukraine-114147827.html
erronis
(15,181 posts)Most rational people don't want to release this indiscriminate poison on populations. Chemical munitions tend to stay within their zone, biological - who knows. Radiation will spread through air, water, bodies, material; and will last a very long time.
When the environment in a war zone is already contaminated, there might be a willingness to increase the weaponry and radiation. Escalation by percentages rather than the one holy bomb to end it all.
KS Toronado
(17,152 posts)Him & IQ4.5 are just alike, they"ll do anything to "win" what they feel they are entitled to.