The thing is, those Russians will probably believe anything they hear from Putin's goons.
I mean, they don't seem to be very well informed.
They had soldiers digging holes into the highly-radioactive, poisoned soil around the Chernobyl site, after all. How bright can they be?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215750/quotes
IMDb
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Quotes
Red Army General : [in tears] I carried out my orders. I sent in all of my boys. But the Germans engulfed us. They have artillery, aircraft, tanks. And me, what did I have?
Nikita Khrushchev : A sacred duty to resist! I have to report to the Boss.
[puts a gun on the table]
Nikita Khrushchev : Perhaps you'd prefer to avoid the red tape.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-confirms-explosion-aboard-russian-135835087.html
Yahoo! News
Quint Forgey
Thu, April 14, 2022, 6:58 AM
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet was still afloat and “operating under her [ sic ] [ its ] own power” after an explosion aboard the vessel — which Ukraine said was the result of a missile strike and Russia said was caused by an internal fire detonating ammunition.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215750/quotes
IMDb
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Quotes
Nikita Khrushchev: [addressing a roomful of Soviet political officers] My name... is Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev. I've come to take things in hand here. This city... is not Kursk, nor is it Kiev, nor Minsk. This city... is Stalingrad. *Stalingrad*! This city bears the name of the Boss. It's more than a city, it's a symbol. If the Germans... capture this city... the entire country will collapse. Now... I want our boys to raise their heads. I want them to act like they have *balls*! I want them to stop shitting their pants! That's your job. As political officers... I'm counting on you.
[he looks at one man]
Nikita Khrushchev: You. What's your suggestion?
Sweating Officer: [visibly nervous] Sh-shoot all the other generals who have retreated, and their chiefs of staff, too.
Stammering Officer: [Khrushchev moves down the line to another man] M-m-m-make some examples. D-d-d-d-d-d-deport the families of the d-d-d-deserters -
Nikita Khrushchev: [turning away] Yes, that's all been done.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/massive-blow-russian-credibility-explosions-warship-win-ukraine-expert-rcna24376
NBC News
'Massive blow for Russian credibility': Warship's sinking is a win for Ukraine
Though Russia said it was towing its Black Sea flagship to port, a former Ukrainian defense official said, “It’s probably easier just to build a new ship.”
April 14, 2022, 11:20 AM PDT
By Phil McCausland and Andrew Jones
LVIV, Ukraine — While Russia and Ukraine differed on the exact cause of the major explosion that sank a Russian battleship in the Black Sea on Thursday, the incident was a massive blow to the Kremlin’s pride and looked set to undermine the country’s naval operations in the region.
Ukrainian defense officials said their forces struck the Moskva, a cruiser, with two missiles. Russia said it was an internal munitions fire that forced the evacuation of the crew from its flagship in the Black Sea.
While Ukraine’s military claimed the Russian ship leading the blockade of the Black Sea had capsized and was “sinking,” Russia’s defense ministry insisted it was towing the Moskva to port. The ministry admitted later Thursday, however, that the ship did sink in choppy waters as it was being towed.
"Due to damage to the hull received during the fire caused by the detonation of ammunition, the ship lost stability," the ministry said in a statement. "The ship sank in a stormy sea.”
Either way, the damage to the Moskva was a “big blow to Russia,” Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, said in an interview at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Its loss is expected to have a major effect on Russia's naval ability going forward.
A Western official called the Moskva “an entirely legitimate target” and reiterated Sullivan’s sentiment in a briefing to reporters that was given under the condition of anonymity.
Its loss was a “massive blow for Russian credibility,” the official said, as it either showed that a ship with missile and air defense systems was vulnerable to attack or that the Russian military suffered a major accident. Either situation would put its competence in question.
Andrii Ryzhenko, a retired captain of the Ukrainian navy who served as the country’s assistant minister of defense until 2020, called the Moskva “an immense symbol,” as it has a long history in the Russian navy and shares its name with Moscow. He said its destruction was an “embarrassment” for the Russian military.
“She absolutely lost her ability to move and her energy supply and even partially sank, but not completely,” he said by telephone Thursday. “She’s currently afloat but significantly under the water. It seems the Russians are trying to tow her back to Sevastopol, but I don’t think there is any repair possible.”
Considering the amount of damage, he said, “it’s probably easier just to build a new ship.”
NBC News has not been able to verify his claims, but the Russian defense ministry later said the ship sank, which would leave Ryzhenko's recommendation as Russia's only option.
Ryzhenko said the Moskva was decades old and appeared to be somewhat outdated, but it remained a great power in the Black Sea.
It was an essential support and command vessel for Russia’s military operations on the coast as its forces maintained a blockade of Ukrainian vessels, he said, adding that it also supported land units.
“It’s a shame for them because she was the most capable air defense platform, and she was killed only by two anti-ship missiles,” Ryzhenko said.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215750/quotes
IMDb
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Quotes
Danilov: [from the back of the room] Give them hope!
[Khrushchev turns around and strides down the line to Danilov]
Danilov: Here, the men's only choice is between German bullets and ours. But there's another way. The way of courage. The way of love of the Motherland. We must publish the army newspaper again. We must tell magnificent stories, stories that extol sacrifice, bravery. We must make them believe in the victory. We must give them hope, pride, a desire to fight. Yes... we need to make examples. But examples to *follow*. What we need...
[he glances quickly at Khrushchev]
Danilov: ... are heroes.
Nikita Khrushchev: [Khrushchev looks around, then leans in closer to Danilov] Do you know any heroes around here?
From 9/13/1941 ( from Wikipedia on the global-internetwork: Georgy Zhukov arrived in Leningrad to replace Kliment Voroshilov as the commanding officer of the city's garrison ) To 4/13/2022 ( ) is 29432 days
29432 = 14716 + 14716
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 2/16/2006 ( by me, Kerry Burgess, excerpts from my private journals ) is 14716 days
From 4/18/1988 ( as me, Kerry Burgess, while enlisted paygrade E-5, designated Petty Officer Second Class Fire Controlman (FC2), from my official enlisted United States Navy records: during USA Armed Forces Expeditionary Operation Earnest Will with my personal participation and commendation - CF-division, Missile Plot - guided-missiles Fire Control Computer Complex (UNIVAC digital-computers Mk152 Terrier System for, primarily, SM2-ER {Extended Range} Standard Missiles ordnance) - aboard the USS Wainwright CG-28 US Navy the United States Operation Praying Mantis ) To 4/13/2022 ( ) is 12413 days
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 10/28/1999 ( {puppet-in-chief} Bill Clinton, 42nd President of USA: Statement on the Navy Blue Angels Jet Crash ) is 12413 days
From 10/5/1944 ( during World War II the first Messerschmitt Me 262 jet-fighter is downed by gunfire, from the Royal Canadian Air Force military aircraft ) To 3/16/2001 ( premiere US film "Enemy at the Gates" ) is 20616 days
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 4/13/2022 ( ) is 20616 days
From 12/7/1998 ( as Kerry Burgess my first day full-time employment Microsoft Corporation in Seattle until 02/06/2004 as the known official United States Marshal Kerry Wayne Burgess and the active duty United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel circa 1998 ) To 4/13/2022 ( ) is 8528 days
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 3/9/1989 ( premiere US TV series episode "Heartbeat"::"From Russia with Love" ) is 8528 days
From 11/15/1971 ( debut of the Intel 4004 microprocessor ) To 4/13/2022 ( ) is 18412 days
18412 = 9206 + 9206
From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) To 1/16/1991 ( from the thoughts in my conscious mind, coinciding with United States of America Veterans Affairs hospital psychiatric doctor medical drugs: the date of record of my United States Navy Medal of Honor as Kerry Wayne Burgess chief warrant officer United States Marine Corps circa 1991 officially the United States Apache attack helicopter pilot ) is 9206 days
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cruiser_Moskva
Russian cruiser Moskva
From Wikipedia
Moskva (Russian: lit. 'Moscow'), formerly Slava (Russian: Слава, lit. 'Glory'), was a guided missile cruiser of the Russian Navy. The ship was the lead ship of the Project 1164 Atlant class and was named after the city of Moscow. She was the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and helped lead the naval assault during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. With a crew of 510, she was the most powerful surface vessel in the region.
Sinking
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych and Odesa governor Maksym Marchenko said their forces hit Moskva in the early hours of 13 April 2022, with two R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles, and she was on fire in rough seas. There were reports of an explosion and subsequent fire involving one of Moskva's exposed deckside missile tubes. The missiles were apparently fired from a land-based launcher near Odesa while Moskva was located some 60 to 65 nautical miles (100 km) offshore. The cruiser was equipped with a triple-tiered air defence system that if operated properly should have given her three opportunities to defend herself from a Neptune missile attack.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slava-class_cruiser
Slava-class cruiser
From Wikipedia
The Slava class, Soviet designation Project 1164 Atlant (Russian: romanized: Atlant, lit. 'Atlas'), is a class of guided missile cruisers designed and constructed in the Soviet Union for the Soviet Navy, and currently operated by the Russian Navy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-500_Bazalt
P-500 Bazalt
From Wikipedia
The P-500 Bazalt (Russian: English: basalt) is a turbojet-powered, supersonic cruise missile used by the Soviet and Russian navies. Its GRAU designation is 4K80 and its NATO reporting name is SS-N-12 Sandbox
The P-500 Bazalt has a 550 km range and a payload of 1,000 kg, which allows it to carry a 350 kt nuclear or a 950 kg semi-armor-piercing high-explosive warhead. The P-500 Bazalt uses active radar homing for terminal guidance, and can receive mid-course correction
The missiles were intended to be used in salvos - a submarine could launch eight in rapid succession, maintaining control of each through a separate datalink.
A version of the P-500 Bazalt with improved guidance and engines is used on the Slava-class cruisers. The sixteen launchers dominate the decks of the class.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belknap-class_cruiser
Belknap-class cruiser
From Wikipedia
The Belknap-class cruiser was a class of single-ended guided missile cruisers (their missile armament was installed only forward, unlike "double-ended" missile cruisers with missile armament installed both forward and aft) built for the United States Navy during the 1960s.
https://www.seaforces.org/usnships/cg/Belknap-class.htm
CG 26 – Belknap - class Guided Missile Cruiser
Modern US Navy Guided Missile Cruisers perform primarily in a Battle Force role. These ships are multi-mission (AAW, ASW, ASUW) surface combatants capable of supporting carrier or battleship battle groups, amphibious forces, or of operating independently and as flagships of surface action groups. Due to their extensive combat capability, these ships have been designated as Battle Force Capable (BFC) units.
The primary mission of Belknap-class was to provide anti-air (AAW) and anti-surface (ASUW) defense for aircraft carrier task force. Her secondary missions were to provide defense against submarines (ASW) and to conduct shore bombardment (NGFS) in support of amphibious operations. Designed to operate at high speed for extended periods of time in support of long range Battle Group operations, the Belknap-class was fitted with air search radars and a weapons direction system that uses digital computers. This system processed data on air targets and feeds it to the missile fire control and launching systems in order to aim and fire extended range standard missiles at any attacking aircraft or missile.
http://articles.latimes.com/1989-11-25/news/mn-254_1_missile-cruiser
Los Angeles Times
Soviet Host Ship Heading for Malta
November 25, 1989 Reuters
MOSCOW — The Soviet missile cruiser Slava, which will co-host next week's superpower summit in the Mediterranean, left its home port of Sebastopol on Friday heading for Malta, Tass news agency said.
It was escorted by the patrol ship Pytlivy, Tass said.
President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev will meet on board the Slava (Glory) and the U.S. cruiser Belknap near Malta on Dec. 2 and 3.
from my private journal, as me, Kerry Burgess, typed after being released from the USA Veterans Affairs psychiatric hospital enduring many months sitting in a grungy two-computer room in a homeless shelter on the waterfront in downtown Seattle:
From: Kerry Burgess
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 11:26 AM
To: Kerry Burgess
Subject: Re: Communist Interrogations
Kerry Burgess wrote:
http://www.odci.gov/csi/kent_csi/docs/v02i2a06p_0003.htm
The stimulants, in general, have the effect of increasing wakefulness and alertness at the expense of creating tremulousness, feelings of anxiety and overactivity. Caffein, benzedrine, and dexedrine fall into this category. There are a number of derivatives of benzedrine which have essentially the same action. "Aktedron," a synthetic benzedrine derivative, has been used in Czechoslovakia and Southeast Europe. Coffee and Benzedrine derivatives are sometimes administered to tired or sleepy prisoners in order to wake them up enough so that the interrogation can be carried on. They have been used in this manner in Eastern Europe, in Russia, and in China. In and of themselves they have no important effect in producing confessions. Used in combination with a system of psychological and physiological pressures they will in many cases accelerate and exacerbate the profound fatigue, confusion, loss of critical judgment, and breakdown of resistance which is a consequence of the full course of control techniques.
Kerry Burgess wrote:
I was thinking the other day, as whoever listens to me in the bathroom knows, about a situation 20 years ago when I was face-to-face with the Soviet Navy.
Ah, I remember now, it was after Bush was talking about how he thought the oceans would protect us. I thought out loud that he should have been with me in 1985 off the coast of Texas. And then that reminded me of something I read about Bush filling the role of a Soviet bomber during a training exercise with his fighter squadron. Doesn't make sense.
Anyway, I was thinking about how we had our names on our uniforms. We were close enough to them that they could probably read our names with telephoto lenses. I wonder if they would use that information to try to recruit spies, similar to the Walker spy ring that was going on back then. Then I remember something peculiar a year or two later. When I was in school at Dam Neck, someone commented that my security badge had a different color background on my photo. I didn't know what it meant. A different security level? So then I began to wonder the other day if maybe our spies had picked up their spies mentioning our names, taken from that expedition in 1985. I also wondered how often the Soviets had ships off our coast, especially the Gulf Coast. I remember someone saying they could easily launch a cruise missile strike on Dallas from there and I remember thinking of what that would do to those skyscrapers.
These are mean-looking mothers:
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/rus/slava-DNSC9400153.JPG
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/ss-n-12.htm
SS-N-12 Sandbox is a Russian supersonic speed cruise missile with a range of 550 km carrying a payload of 1,000 kg
from my private journal, as me, Kerry Burgess, typed after being released from the USA Veterans Affairs psychiatric hospital enduring many months sitting in a grungy two-computer room in a homeless shelter on the waterfront in downtown Seattle:
From: Kerry Burgess
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 11:26 AM
To: Kerry Burgess
Subject: Re: Communist Interrogations
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040426-6.html
For years, when we grew up -- at least us baby boomers grew up -- we thought that oceans would protect us from harm's way. And then we learned a solemn lesson on that day. We learned the lesson that there is an enemy which hates us because of what we stand for. Because we love freedom, because we value freedom, because we work for free societies, there's an enemy which is willing to inflict harm. The enemy also is the kind of enemy we've really never faced before because they're willing to kill innocent women and children and men of all religions in order to affect our psychology.
[Just what was it about the ocean that would protect us from Soviet bombers and missiles? And then he's talking about some new enemy that hates us, what did he think we needed defense from the Soviets for?]
From: Kerry Burgess
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2022 11:26 PM
To: ismay@krem.com
Subject: "Boomtown" and HB 1236
To: Ian Smay, KREM 2 News
From: Kerry Burgess
- posted by me, Kerry Burgess 01:24 AM Pacific-time USA Saturday 04/16/2022
