ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
May 11, 2022 5 tweets 3 min read Read on X
Really important question below: why would you even design a T-72 so that the crew literally has to sit on top of hundreds of kilos of highly explosive ammunition and propellant? /1
@clmazin answered this by analogy in his brilliant script for #Chernobyl. In the (fictional) courtroom scene in the final episode, Soviet nuclear scientist Valeriy Legasov explains why Chernobyl was effectively rigged to explode: /2
"It's cheaper". That's the answer to the T-72's design flaws. It's much smaller and lighter than the US M1A1 Abrams or similar British and German tanks. But it costs a fraction of their price, at the cost of crew safety. /3
I think we often forget how much poorer Russia (and the USSR before it) is than the West. Millions of Russians still live in abject poverty, without clean water, indoor sanitation or paved roads - much as their great-grandparents did 100 years ago./4
Russia and the USSR have sought to compete with the West by making cheaper and less safe weapons because they didn't have the means to compete on quality. Unfortunately for thousands of Russian soldiers, that philosophy is now costing them their lives. /end

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More from @ChrisO_wiki

Apr 23
1/ The developers of the Russian heavy bomber drone 'Kukushka' have been sent to their deaths en masse, according to the father of one of the men. He says they were deliberately killed as they were regarded as 'inconveniences' by their commanders. ⬇️
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Apr 23
1/ Recent satellite images showing dozens of Iranian fast boats in formation in the Strait of Hormuz illustrate Iran's ability to lay naval mines in the strait. An Iranian export catalogue highlights its many indigenously produced mine types. ⬇️ Image
2/ Iran is said to possess a huge stockpile of naval mines, potentially as many as 5,000-6,000. It has systematically made preparations over decades to mine the Strait of Hormuz, which it can do using small boats, aircraft, or even rockets.
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Apr 23
1/ Russia's growing economic and social problems, exacerbated by the government's own policies, are causing even loyal pro-Putin commentators to warn of a looming crisis. Yuri Baranchik warns that people are increasingly blaming the government for making their lives worse. ⬇️ Woman holding a sign reading 'PUTIN RESIGN'
2/ Baranchik comments in an analysis on his Telegram channel that "the system is increasingly struggling to cope with its own weight", and says that Russians are increasingly unhappy that growing state repression is now affecting them personally.
3/ "Since there is no shortage of analysis of the symptoms of the processes unfolding within the system ... I will attempt to describe the basis of this phenomenon.
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Apr 23
1/ Complaints about Internet blocks from Russian Instagram celebrities are obscuring a host of other problems, many caused by the Ukraine war, argues journalist Anastasia Kashevarova. Her long list highlights the increasingly severe difficulties faced by Russia's population. ⬇️ Image
2/ Kashevarova writes:

"About the women's rebellion. I am against gender rebellions and any others, since they are destructive and distract from solving real problems towards confrontation between the sexes, redistribution of spheres of influence, struggle of individuals."
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Apr 23
1/ Russia's economic crisis is deepening, with mass layoffs at public sector organisations and heavily indebted state corporations. It's a further sign of the severe strain on the Russian government's finances caused by the Ukraine war, and is a major political risk for Putin. ⬇️ Woman holding a sign reading "LOOKING FOR WORK"
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Apr 22
1/ Average gasoline prices in the US could rise to an all-time record of $5.50, and much higher in some states, if the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen by the end of June. Citigroup warns that the world's oil inventories risk falling to record low levels. ⬇️ Image
2/ A new report published by Citi sets out scenarios for the current impasse in the Strait of Hormuz, while other analysts say it could take nine months for things to return to normal even if a peace agreement is signed. Citi's analysts predict three possible outcomes:
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