• Docus@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Not convinced by this story. The guy allegedly worked in security on the base, so probably does not know anything about maintenance needed to keep the warheads operational. I also doubt western security services would let this guy speak to the BBC.

      • Saik0@lemmy.saik0.com
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        4 days ago

        The guy allegedly worked in security on the base,

        Nothing to keep security over if the nukes aren’t functional/maintained.

    • Saleh@feddit.org
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      4 days ago

      I find this theory so absurd, i am quite sure it comes out of some psyops organization. The main thing that resembled some of Russias former glory as SU was their nuclear arsenal. And believing they would let all of it go unmaintained to the point that no relevant amount of nukes would remain working is just nonsensical. Hanging on to that arsenal must have been one of Russias top strategic priorities.

      • SupraMario@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        It’s really not, brain drain, collapse of the ussr, cost to maintain, etc. all of this is why many in the west believe that the stockpile is in ruin. The kursk sunk because they didnt maintain basic torpedoes, what makes you think they have the knowledge/money to do that with nukes. Russia has clearly shown it’s a paper tiger.

      • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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        4 days ago

        Is it?

        The oligarchs has stripped the military of everything they could, replacing armor with paper crap and the such.

        Now take nukes, which are notoriously finicky and require a boatload of maintenance to remain explodable, if that is a word… If ever used, it’s the end of the world, and it won’t matter anymore.

        So here you got weaponry you can quite easily siphon millions out of and basically no one will find out, or no one will be left to care.

        Do you really think they did their best on those?

        • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          We’re also talking about a military that had an endemic of soldiers getting sick and going blind because they simply would not stop drinking the rocket fuel. Their flagship carrier is basically a littoral ship because that’s all it can do without catching fire. I assume they still have some silos with missiles that could launch and make for a decent dirty bomb but primed and functional warheads…unlikely

      • illi@lemm.ee
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        4 days ago

        Even if the nukes are unusable and Russia is bluffing… I’d not be too keen to call the bluff. You just have to assume they are not.

      • Valmond@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        When you, a corrupt general, get your annual $10 millions to take care of 50 nuclear warheads, that will never ever be used, what will you do?

        • KinglyWeevil@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          4 days ago

          The care of the warheads is typically done by some central organization, rather than every individual missile base. Its really specialized work, and it doesn’t make sense to have teams capable of performing it at every base.

          • Valmond@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            It was just a metaphor for corruption, you are right but the corruption could take place in the centralised organisation, everything is centralised in russia.

        • Saik0@lemmy.saik0.com
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          4 days ago

          Because only 1500 of the 1700 nukes working would make such a big difference.

          Or 10 of the 1700… Doesn’t matter how many, you have to think of it as xxx amount of the top populated cities. The top 10 populated cities will automatically decimate the population of many countries.

          I think it’s pretty safe to say that they likely don’t have ALL their warheads in functional order… but even if it’s just 2% of them… it’s enough to fuck over several countries for a long time.

        • Random_Character_A@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          There is difference between working and working according to specs. Nukes are very sensitive maintenance heavy and expensive to upkeep. Optimal yeld is easily lost and if exact timing is off, no boom. Wet fissile fasts don’t level cities.

          But true, even single nuke is a tragedy, even if it ends up being a non-functional dirty bomb.

    • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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      4 days ago

      Russia has thousands of nukes in its arsenal, and this is one person in one base.

      Even the US doesn’t have all its nukes well maintained, which is why they’ve been overhauling them for years.

      Personally I never subscribed to the “Russia has 0 nukes ready to go” theory because that’s just downright idiotic. Bare minimum you keep one well maintained so at the very least you can target whoever targeted you and try to hit their capital with a MIRV.

      Since no country really has a problem with taking what it wants from the people, it stands to reason that Russia would just squeeze its population a little tighter to keep as many nukes operational as possible.

      However, with that said I also don’t doubt a large percentage of it’s nuclear arsenal is basically useless.

      And anyone who knows anything about nukes can tell you it doesn’t matter if they have 10 or 1000, they could still kick off the nuclear apocalypse

  • majestictechie@lemmy.fosshost.com
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    4 days ago

    I get they blurred his face, but I don’t see what that second image really offers anyone other than a way for Russia to narrow down the search of the leak. If I was that guy I’d be pissed at any picture being leaked

    • OfficerBribe@lemm.ee
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      4 days ago

      Pretty sure there have not been many deserters holding such niche position. His identity already should be known.

    • AwesomeLowlander
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      4 days ago

      His story is pretty unique and he’s already on their hunted list. The pic makes absolutely no difference

  • x00z@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    “Go leak this info to some western press, comrade” - Putin

    • Siegfried@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Good thing is that we are gonna find out the truth in a year or so if this dude is still alive

  • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Rubbish. The security people wouldn’t have clearance to know much about what they are guarding, let alone the rest of the countries capabilities. He would know they were put on alert. That’s about it. His statement about maintaining it every minute reeks of trying to make his information more valuable so he is better taken care of by whoever he escaped to. Noone would build a weapon that requires that much maintenance. And if they were doing that much maintenance they might be spit polishing the exterior for all he would know. I call BS

  • Illecors@lemmy.cafe
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    4 days ago

    It’s a nice, even heartwarming story. It does feel a bit like that tv presenter protesting at the beginning, though.