Russia will take years to replace nuclear-capable bomber planes that were hit in Ukrainian drone strikes last weekend, according to Western military aviation experts, straining a modernisation programme that is already delayed.

Satellite photos of airfields in Siberia and Russia’s far north show extensive damage from the attacks, with several aircraft completely burnt out, although there are conflicting versions of the total number destroyed or damaged.

The United States assesses that up to 20 warplanes were hit - around half the number estimated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy - and around 10 were destroyed, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

  • @plyth@feddit.org
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    -2121 hours ago

    Why else would it be introduced? If they don’t plan to lock down the entire internet, the age verification is useless. It could be security theater but it receives full media attention. So it is important. What else but war could be so important that it demands so much power over civil liberty?

    • @Railcar8095@lemm.ee
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      616 hours ago

      My theory? To fight Nintendo switch 2 scalpers. It makes more sense than your theory if you could think about it.

        • @Dasus@lemmy.world
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          210 hours ago

          Do you remember how pirating was in the headlines for a long time, how governments actually banned piratebay and various other sites?

          Remember how that did jack shit against piracy?

        • @Railcar8095@lemm.ee
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          412 hours ago

          I haven’t said anything about those laws making sense or not, I’ve only implied your reasoning doesn’t make sense.

          • @plyth@feddit.org
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            011 hours ago

            By presenting an arbitrary other motivation, which implies that there is no obvious motivation.

            Yet why does my reasoning not make sense? We fought in Libya. Everybody hates Russia and would be eager to fight if Russia didn’t have nuclear bombs. Remove the critical voices and we are ready to go.

            • @Railcar8095@lemm.ee
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              311 hours ago

              Your reasoning is a random one, with the exact same validity and any other random one. “What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence” rings any bell?

              Everybody hates Russia and would be eager to fight if Russia didn’t have nuclear bombs. Remove the critical voices and we are ready to go.

              Wait, you claim “everybody” hates Russia but doesn’t fight because Russia has nuclear bombs, so they are removing critical voices to be able to attack… Are nuclear weapons powered by critical voices? Or are you hallucinating?

              • @plyth@feddit.org
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                010 hours ago

                A European attack is prevented by critical voices from within Europe. If those voices are removed we will attack despite the threat of nuclear bombs.

                • @Dasus@lemmy.world
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                  10 hours ago

                  Easy to say. You say “we will attack” so I assume you — like me — are part of at least some European military?

                  I’m in the Finnish Defence Forces. Our entire military strategy is based around defending an attack from Russia, not actively attacking it.

                  • @plyth@feddit.org
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                    19 hours ago

                    That’s why the new weapons are needed, to prepare for an attack.

                    Why else would Europe need those weapons? Russia has problems fighting Ukraine. How could they fight Europe?

                    Btw, I say we because any serious war will use the entire population, like Ukraine.