Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Kherson

What part West of the dam could be used for a counter offensive prior to the demolition ?? ... I don't see many issues geographically with the counter offensive now that the dam is blown.. other then Russian trenches being flooded

1. The Russians order an evacuation of civilians on the left bank months ago.
2. That water supply was already shut off to Crimea for 8 of the past 9 years.
3. The ZNPP is currently shut down and in a cooled state. No doubt it still needs cooling water but the Russians have played loose & fast with it already.
4. The counter-offensive is happening right now. Ukrainians hindering that by blowing the dam, causing untold damage to their country, just because they might be able to gain an advantage in several months is just absurd levels of mental gymnastics.

Ukraine will need to show restraint in the wake of this dam's destruction and flooding parts of Kherson. It would be a secondary hope of Russia that, apart from trying to shrink the front line, flooding Kherson might push Ukrainian high command into a rage and push for reprisals, committing forces intended for the counter offensive in a hasty way. Obviously, Ukraine is aiming to strike Russian occupying forces at some point soon, but it must be in a calculated way.

Explain the raising of the level behind the dam to record levels in advance

It's kind of perfect really. It encapsulates the mealy-mouthed nature of the U.N. in a single tweet.

It looks like Russian escalation for two main reasons

1) To delay an offensive in the area and distract Ukraine and others from it.

2) To 'up the ante' as the loss of the water puts the nuclear plants depending on it in danger. Putting more pressure on Ukraine and Europe especially to make a deal.

There are 3 actual possibilities here:

1. The Ukrainians blew the dam
2. The Russians blew the dam
3. The dam failed without either side specifically targeting it last night

I personally think that #1 can all but be ruled out for reasons already given.

I think #2 can very much be ruled in given past Russian actions in this war.

I don't think #3 can be ruled our entirely but it'd be a coincidence for it to happen right now, in the middle of the night, right when the UAF are beginning their counter-assault.

When it comes to committing war crimes and monstrous atrocities', there's nothing they are not capable of doing, or depths to which they will not sink to. Putin is a monster, surrounded by monsters.

I think this shows without doubt why the Ukrainians were not responsible, for the whole of this conflict they have shown they don't want to destroy their own cities or harm their own people.

Idea of Ukraine blowing up major dams on its on territory does run into same issue as the other "cunning" strategies posted about before (like Ukraine exploding dirty bombs to contaminate the land/water etc. and blaming Russia for it).

It is their own country they are messing up and they want to live there post war, the soldiers carrying out orders may be from areas that get ruined for these clever strategic purposes.

Ukraine is not a piece of a map in a real time strategy computer game.

Despite the "Ukraine is Russia" propaganda, the Russians can ultimately go home and throughout the war the attitude coming down from the top (Putin and his gang of murdering pirates) has been if "we" can't have Ukraine to bully, exploit and rob, we are going to ruin it!

"I am calling environmental organizations and activists, animal protection organizations and activists to action! Severe damage has been caused to the ecosystem in the South of Ukraine and the whole Black Sea and the Sea of Azov regions. Animals, birds and fish are dying in large quantities."

This is what is really getting to me today. Bastards.

Gosh volunteer enlistment in NATO is gonna take a bump from this.