Russian forces “preparing to work under radioactive contamination” – Moscow

Irradiated rubble anyway.

The use of small yield tactical weapons would almost certainly escalate to full blown nuclear exchanges, it's a pandoras box that won't be closed.

I think people have so much rage against Putin (understandably) that they want all facts to point to Putin being the sole problem and fantasize about his death and it solving the current situation. It is unfortunately not so simple.

I assume you're joking, since this is not true, and obviously so. Where to start? Not having monopoly on use of force, as evidenced by actions of e.g. Chechen head?

  >it has always been Russia's stated position that they won't hesitate to use nuclear weapons as first strike weapon...

Other commenters have hinted at Russia staging a false flag 'dirty bomb' incident, to justify making a nuclear response. That's an alarming thought. But I think it's equally alarming to see how we're being manipulated by the media into accepting some kind of limited nuclear conflict as inevitable and being pre-programmed to accept the "He hit me first!" jutification --especially as [see my other posts on what Putin actually did and didn't say] it seems like the Russian people are being similarly prepared for similar justification.

мы сделаем все чтобы обеспечить безопасные условия для проведения референдумов для того чтобы люди могли выразить свою волю это решение о своем будущем которое примет большинство жителей Донецкой и Луганской народных республик Запорожской и Херсонской областей мы поддержим в своей агрессивной антироссийской политики Запад перешел всякую грань мы постоянно слышим угрозы в адрес нашей страны нашего народа некоторые безответственные политики на западе не только говорят о планах по организации поставок Украине дальнобойных наступательных вооружений систем которые позволят наносить удары по Крыму другим регионам России такие террористические удары в том числе с использованием западного оружия уже наносится по приграничным населенным пунктам Белгородской Курской областей вход пошел и ядерный Шантаж речь идет Не только о поощряемых западом обстрелах Запорожской атомной электростанции Что грозит атомная катастрофы высказывание некоторых высокопоставленных представителей ведущих государств НАТО возможностей и допустимости применения против России оружия массового поражения ядерного оружия тем кто позволяет себе такие заявления в отношении России хочу напомнить что наша страна также располагает различными средствами поражения А по отдельным компонентам и более современными чем у стран НАТО и при угрозе территориальной целостности нашей страны для защиты России и нашего народа мы безусловно используем все имеющиеся в нашем распоряжении средства это не Блеф А те кто пытаются шантажировать нас ядерным должны знать что Роза ветров может развернуться и

And a Google-translation:

we will do everything to ensure safe conditions for holding referendums so that people can express their will this decision about their future, which will be made by the majority of residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics of Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, we will support in its aggressive anti-Russian policy, the West has crossed every line, we constantly hear threats against our country, our people, some irresponsible politicians in the West not only talk about plans to organize the supply of long-range offensive weapons to Ukraine that will allow strikes on Crimea to other regions of Russia, such terrorist strikes, including with the use of Western weapons, are already inflicted on border settlements Belgorod Kursk region has entered and nuclear Blackmail is not only about the shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant encouraged by the West What threatens a nuclear catastrophe is the statement of some high-ranking representatives of the leading NATO states of the possibilities and admissibility of the use of weapons of mass destruction of nuclear weapons against Russia by those who allow themselves such statements regarding Russia, I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction A for individual components and more modern than those of NATO countries and with a threat to the territorial integrity of our country to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal, this is not a bluff, and those who are trying to blackmail us with a nuclear weapon should know that the prevailing winds can blow in their direction.

Perhaps you can show me where he made "threats ... to defend Russia's "territorial integrity" with nuclear weapons"? Because the only time he mmentions nuclear weapons by name, he's referring to threars from NATO to use them on Russia and saying he'll respond in kind if this happens. Exactly the same response any other country would make; "If you nuke us, we'll nuke you back". Do you think the US or any other NATO country would say any different?

How on earth does this get mutated into 'Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons'? It's the same kind of doublethink which mutates 'We're not going to buy your gas any more' into 'Russia turned off the taps'.

You don't have to be an apologist for what Russia has done to Ukraine [and I'm not!] to be alarmed at how public opinion is being manipulated here. It's just depressing that it's even working on the HN audience which I always assumed to be a bit less gullible and a bit more questioning. God only knows what crap people who get their news from the tabloid press are being spoon-fed here!