r/worldnews • u/Raj_Valiant3011 • 11d ago

Russia/Ukraine Zelenskiy: "There is updated intelligence indicating that Russia is ​preparing a massive attack on Ukraine"

https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-intelligence-shows-russia-is-preparing-massive-attack-2026-10-06/
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u/IndividualSkill3432 11d ago

They seem to be holding back missiles to have a very serious attack on Ukrainian energy supplies just as its getting cold. This story has been building for months. This is likely to be one of the biggest if not the biggest they will be able to put together.

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u/BringbackDreamBars 11d ago

If this is the energy knockout attempt, it puts the shutdowns in Kyiv potentially in context.

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u/warpigeon4L 11d ago

Isn’t it also a war crime to target civilian energy infrastructure

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u/fshlrp 11d ago

Valid question / statement but I don’t think war has too many rules unfortunately… if there are rules, who’s making people follow them?

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u/faithinhumanity_null 11d ago

Some brave politicians might give a press release or a tweet with some harsh language, like ”war crimes is never ok” or ”we condemn war crimes of any sorts”. Or ”we are monitoring the situation.

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u/SaddyDumpington69 11d ago

"..and that's why I've decided to form a committee to draft a strongly worded letter.."

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u/Sharp-Reply-5104 10d ago

True 😂 Those strongly worded letters have ended many wars .

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u/gavrilomijerod 11d ago

Den Haag for instance…at least theoretically.

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u/Original_Employee621 11d ago

It's kind of a misnomer. It's a set of rules of engagement that both sides should agree on. Hitting civilian infrastructure isn't very beneficial to the war effort, so it should be avoided when possible.

But Putin doesn't give a shit if Russians die for him, so he's free to act like a cave dwelling islamist terrorist. Ukraine isn't stooping to his level, because hitting oil refineries and military materiell is far more important. And because it could quickly turn the public favor in Europe against them. Russians are crying about the price of gas, but gas is a legitimate target, hitting a hospital or school wouldn't achieve much beyond further solidifying Russian sentiment against Ukraine.

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u/Forward-Specific5651 11d ago edited 10d ago

Hitting civilian infrastructure has been a time honored tactic since at least WWII.

Both the Allied and the Axis forces participated in this tactic by bombing critical civilian/dual infrastructure in London, Antwerp, Berlin, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima among many, many others.

(Note however that these bombings are not actually classified as war crimes, although they would be so considered today, bc they took place prior to the legal framework established by the General Convention of 1949.)

ETA: *Geneva Convention

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u/fshlrp 11d ago

So the energy infrastructure is a legit target in your opinion? Just trying to understand when you say oil is a valid target. Great reply by the way!

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u/wpaed 11d ago

Energy production facilities are valid targets IFF they are making a contribution to the military action AND its destruction or capture doesn't create excessive civilian harm in relation to military gain.

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u/Original_Employee621 11d ago

To a point, yeah. Energy infrastructure, particularly gas is critical for moving shit to the frontlines. And it hurts their ability to fund the war, especially for a country like Russia where it's by far it's biggest export.

Remember how Putins assault on Kyiv basically stopped right outside the city, because they ran out of gas? Granted, that was a problem with Russian supply lines being stretched too thin (and the mud). But if Ukraine manages to run Russia out of gas, the entire offensive stops dead in its tracks.

Hitting power stations/electrical grids is a bit more iffy. It would depend on where the power stations are and where it delivers the power. It would hurt the civilian population far more than the military operations. Better to hit the industrial plants producing materiell for the war.

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u/SuccotashOk2098 11d ago

When you say gas, do you mean American 'gas' or do you mean oil which is refined into American 'gas' or as the rest of the world calls it 'petroleum'.

Just because Russia exports actual gas as well.

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u/ResearcherElegant516 11d ago

The Russians are attacking schools?

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u/MrCompletely345 9d ago

Yes. You are surprised?

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/news/russia-bombs-school-in-ukraine-s-sumy-during-classes-children-among-dead/ar-AA2ddfD9

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u/ResearcherElegant516 8d ago

I believe you, I thought you were insenuating that they were doing it purposefully, and I had the same thought you did.

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u/ResearcherElegant516 8d ago

They probably had an outdated AI model just like the US when they hit that school in Minab.

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u/CricketDue5136 11d ago

What's misnomer?

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u/fjf1085 11d ago

War has rules and has had them in some form or another formerly for like well over a 120 years. Whose making people follow them, ostensibly it would be other nations either militarily or through economic and diplomatic isolation.

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u/Glanea 11d ago

The basic premise behind two sides agreeing to follow war rules is mutuality. Take treatment of POWs for example. It's in your interest to treat captured POWs decently because your enemy will almost certainly have captured some of your soldiers. Same with attacking ambulances or hospitals; you don't bomb your enemies medical facilities because you have medical facilities and you'd prefer they weren't bombed.

All of this of course is based on the premise that both sides care about these things, and if one or the other doesn't (e.g. Japan in WW2) then the rules basically go out the window. As you say, there's no enforcement for them outside of mutuality.

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u/Pale_WoIf 11d ago

The keyboard warriors on Reddit, duh! Someone has to hold this guy responsible for all these war crimes! Oh, the guy that keeps killing everyone, refuses to stop and no one can do anything about it, good luck!

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u/Roidzilla55 9d ago

You reminded me of a quote, “To put rules on war is to acknowledge that war is a game, and games are meant to be played”