It's not so much the act as it is the scale factor. Seems the last atrocity highlighted was a lone civilian cyclist blown to smithereens.

This is something I've long dreaded (however predictable in view of what we're hearing of the shift in Russian public opinion).

A Russian missile destroying multi-story appt complexes, outside Kyev, one very large. Reduced to rubble, killing hundreds.

I guess Putin is emboldened by the fierce public support his expert propagandists have drummed up. What does he care about world opinion?
Their war fever is hot.

My hope that the dead Russian soldiers and their shock at their unfriendly reception in "liberated" Ukraine, would influence the broader public against the invasion is dashed. Not to mention the hostile world response! Control of the media really IS all.

Reminds me of the bombings in WWII (briefly thinking of my father's 40 bombing missions of Berlin, part of the carpet bombing that helped end the war. But that was a defensive war! For that matter, he was especially endangered had he been shot down.)

Dead Russian soldiers exert a long run influence. It's not something that draws hundreds of thousands into the streets right away. Anti-government agitation didn't hit Russia until the end of their Afghan war. But then it hit with a vengeance.

Sanctions will have a strong effect on a) the Russian economy, and b) Putin's ability to marshal resources to rebuild his military. But it takes some time for existing resources to dry up. This is one reason for today's US refusal to allow Russia to use reserve assets held at US institutions to pay interest on its bonds. This forces Russia either to default, which they are loath to do, or to spend precious foreign-currency assets that they currently have inside Russia -- meaning that they cannot use those assets to import necessary goods from other countries.

If you want to smack Putin in the here and now, that requires giving Ukraine the kind/quality of weaponry to clear the skies of Russian planes and helicopters, and to make ships (including fully laden troop transports) go boom on the Black Sea. A thousand elite soldiers on a troop transport foundering off of Odessa would grab attention, as would a few more daring strikes on Russia itself ... say, obliterating a few trains hauling troops and equipment eastward. The key is to help Ukraine weather the next Russian assault.

PD, it makes a big difference whether or not the public is shown the coffins lowered on Russian soil. (Remember controversy surrounding the Vietnam War).

Putin's absolute control of the media may prevent the reaction you (we both) hope for - at least, in time to avoid a much great conflagration fed by lies about both Russian losses and their alleged (hard to believe) victimization.

For reference for why I highlight the difference of scale.

(Couldn't make it smaller to go with initial post. Anyone able to shrink it, thank you.)

quote:

Originally posted by Piano*Dad:

Sanctions will have a strong effect on a) the Russian economy, and b) Putin's ability to marshal resources to rebuild his military. But it takes some time for existing resources to dry up. This is one reason for today's US refusal to allow Russia to use reserve assets held at US institutions to pay interest on its bonds. This forces Russia either to default, which they are loath to do, or to spend precious foreign-currency assets that they currently have inside Russia -- meaning that they cannot use those assets to import necessary goods from other countries.

Meanwhile....

quote:

Russia looks to have averted a historic sovereign default on Friday by tapping its domestic reserves and attempting to make overdue dollar payments on its international debt obligations.

Earlier Friday, Russia’s Finance Ministry said that it had attempted the dollar payments — a dramatic U-turn after the country had previously sought to make the payments on its dollar-denominated bonds in Russian rubles.

The ministry said it had made a payment of $564.8 million on a 2022 eurobond and a payment of $84.4 million on a 2042 eurobond, according to Reuters, with both in dollars — which was originally stipulated in the debt agreements.

The funds have reportedly been channeled to the London branch of Citibank but it’s unclear whether they will reach their intended recipients. The payments were due to be made in April and had entered a 30-day grace period before official default on May 4.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/2...istoric-default.html