Life comes at you fast: pundits on Russian TV realize that their military is failing and their country is in trouble. They are starting to play the blame game. Some of them finally understand that their genocidal denial of the Ukrainian identity isn't working in Russia's favor.
Russia claims that accusations it might use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine are "absurd." Let's take a trip down memory lane and recall various threats to do so on Kremlin-controlled state TV, where not much happens without official approval.
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The possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons against Ukraine has been continually raised by the state-controlled media and Russian lawmakers. Here is one of many examples:
Putin came, bearing flowers, to give his respects to the late nationalist extremist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who predicted the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine to take place at 4 AM on February 22, 2022. That might have been part of the original plan. Thread:
Remarkably, the author ADMITS there is no Nazism in the Ukrainian gov't & therefore claims that phantom Nazism is "disguised as a desire for independence" and a Western path of development. Russia simply sees Ukraine's desire for independence as "Nazism."
This state media article argues that even the name of "Ukraine" should not be allowed to remain, and any surviving "republics" should be forced to rely solely on Russia for its survival.
The article further argues: "denazification will inevitably also be a de-Ukrainization." These genocidal maniacs want to completely eradicate Ukraine and erase its national identity.
“The cases we documented amount to unspeakable, deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians. Rape, murder, and other violent acts against people in the Russian forces’ custody should be investigated as war crimes.”
"These include a case of repeated rape; two cases of summary execution, one of six men, the other of one man; and other cases of unlawful violence and threats against civilians between February 27 and March 14, 2022. Soldiers were also implicated in looting civilian property."
"On March 4, Russian forces in Bucha... rounded up five men and summarily executed one of them. A witness told HRW that soldiers forced the five men to kneel on the side of the road, pulled their T-shirts over their heads, and shot one of the men in the back of the head."
Putin has been misinformed by his advisers about the Russian military’s struggles in Ukraine, according to declassified U.S. intelligence. It shows growing tension between Putin & the Ministry of Defense, including Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu. nytimes.com/2022/03/30/wor…
"Putin’s rigid isolation during the pandemic and willingness to publicly rebuke advisers who do not share his views have created a degree of wariness, or even fear, in senior ranks of the Russian military."
"Officials believe that Putin has been getting incomplete or overly optimistic reports about the progress of Russian forces, creating mistrust with his military advisers."