SaltyNZ:

 

Batman:

 

Russia has bombed a Nuclear Power Plant ... fire 10X larger than Chernobyl according to some people

 

 

 

 

What? No way ... even if Putin's an evil bastard surely the battlefield commanders aren't that stupid.

 

What a stupid place for ukrainian troops to use as cover. Of course russians would not give 2 cents what collateral damage will be. Russian actions in Syria showed us that mentality.  

Batman: From the president's most recent speech it sounds like he knows it's over.

I hope he can be evacuated alive

Not seen that. There is the issue that if he told Putin I give up, spare my life and spare my citizens, Putin would let him walk. It was on CNN a couple of days ago, that the longer it goes, more deaths, and still Ukraine is taken over. Easy for me to say, sitting here in NZ, but maybe that cost weighs on him.

cruxis:

 

What a stupid place for ukrainian troops to use as cover. Of course russians would not give 2 cents what collateral damage will be. Russian actions in Syria showed us that mentality.  

 

Are we victim-blaming now?

cruxis:

What a stupid place for ukrainian troops to use as cover. Of course russians would not give 2 cents what collateral damage will be. Russian actions in Syria showed us that mentality.  

Nuclear Power Plant

As seen at Fukushima having a live power grid connected to your plant to supply power is a critical safety backup. Sister plant down coast in Japan survived due to heroic efforts to reconnect to grid.

In war you want the grid down to deny your opponent energy. 
It also makes life unbearable for civilians in cities especially.
Saps defending army's morale as they see civilians suffering and chances of hospital treatment dwindle.
Evacuating civilians means you can pound cities harder, and outside cities defenders have to deal with evacuees.
As invader this does not worry you.

For workers at power plant its a very crappy situation as you have to keep working as you can't just leave it.
Probably worse if your house is bombed, or you or  family get hit while having dinner.

Batman:]

 

?

 

NATO

Both Russia and the West view Ukraine as a buffer against each other.

Sending NATO troops into Ukraine would be suicide.

Russia has 850,000 active personnel, with 250,000 more in reserve. 200,000 are inside Ukraine.

Putin could send in more forces, take Ukraine, seize the Baltic states then attack Poland. 

The last thing Europe wants is another war with Russia, even without nukes involved.

It's a long way to Moscow: Operation Barbarossa

No IKEA either

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-03-03/card/ikea-closes-all-17-stores-in-russia-kt9QORVODutcLLSFiTfO

""
STOCKHOLM—IKEA is closing all of its stores in Russia, stopping production in the country and halting all exports and imports to and from Russia and Belarus, the Swedish furniture maker said Thursday.
""

freitasm: You'd never invade Russia in winter.