RE: Whoops03 May 2022 10:32
Russia is all bluff. A bully. They have for years since been operating like a mafia will more or less everything that appears on the government balance sheet being available to state sponsored crooks to syphon off everything to fund the rich lifestyles of anyone being bribed to prop up the whole edifice. The Ukraine invasion so far being a case in point - the equipment just wasn't up to scratch with basic systems, hardware and spares being not combat ready - nobody outside of Putins inner circle even knew they needed to be ready.
I saw a quote from John Simpson recently. He was in Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed and he witnessed the rusted up nuclear missiles and launchers that just were not going to work. It has not changed. Consider the amount of cost required to maintain a working nuclear armoury of the size they claim and then consider the Russian GDP (about the size of Londons GDP).
True they will have a capability but not much will work and as for the hypersonic weapons - well what we see so far is just shouting - 'look what we have and imagine if we had 100's of these with multiple warheads'. I think the west knows they don't really have much.
This was in response to 'they have the most advanced long range missiles'. I'm not criticising that comment just an alternate view. I don't think Russia can support this war for much longer... the king is in his altogether.