Russia - threadbanned users in OP

That's all true, but vetoing a security council UN peacekeeping mission to Ukraine just takes a signature or a verbal objection? Surely they can manage that? That's your first 4d chess move, be a shame if it unraveled with just a signature or a verbal objection at a UN security council meeting from the Russians.

Who is they? The UN? A veto in the security council gets thrown down to the general assembly to debate why the veto was used. It doesn't actually nullify it and the general assembly can't veto the security council veto.

Eh Russia don't/didn't abstain, that's one issue with the UN. It says they shall abstain, but they can still veto.

That's the text from the UN charter, the shall seems to be the issue.

Your 4D chess is faltering on it's first move.

Just a quick note on Ukranian missile tech, you'll know this if you are an aviation/space nerd like me.

The press always seem surprised with Ukranian ingenuity, but forget that Ukranian rocket and aviation engineers are up there with the best. From the world's largest Antonov aircraft to Space-faring rockets, the Ukrainians are no strangers to innovation.

In fact, the 1st stage of the successful Antarres ISS resupply spacecraft was built and designed in Ukraine. They are very capable of producing ultra long-range ballistic missile systems to reach even Moscow ( which isn't that far away. It surprises me that one of the first targets on Russia's bombing list wasn't the Ukranian aerospace facilities, which are still functioning.

They even pre-programmed the coordinates of the Crimean airbase into the HARM missiles and back-engineered the launch rail to fit an SU-27, together with a simple launch interface mounted in the cockpit.

This, OSINT people are quietly whispering, is their ace up their sleeve. However, they are reluctant to strike strategic Russian targets deep inside Russia for fear of angering the fearful West.

But, if it comes down to it, and Ukraine feels cornered if the war turns in Russia's favour, I believe Moscow will be targeted.

They have the capability. Question is, what will the warhead be?

Well to play devils advocate - one presumes a very basic strategy by such a NATO operation would be that it would only be launched when the prevailing wind and weather would send radiation fallout towards Russian territory.............

The UN are clearly not in a position to do anything useful despite all their hand waving. As an organisation, it's structural faults with vetoes have been shown to be fatal. As useless as the tits on a bull in this scenario.

Why is it that some people bang on about the risk of 'nuclear war' and only bring it up whenever NATO or the US is brought into the equation? Have Russia not brought this scenario to our doors with their aggressive behavior and shithousery over the last decade? Russia can behave however the **** it wants, but if the west wishes to stick up for its values, it's 'no, you're risking nuclear war!'

Not going to happen, empty threats as usual something, something......

Why?

Same reason as all along, Russia uses nukes in Ukraine and they are done, the rest of the World won't allow one rogue nation to put it at risk, it wouldnt be nukes in response either, conventional warfare on a scale never seen before would have them overwhelmed and Moscow flattened in probably less than a week. No one would be coming to help them either.

One packed with nuclear waste, hopefully.

So you don’t want to entertain the idea that a NATO attack on Russian forces would cause Russia to put its Nuclear detergents on high alert with USA following suit?

You do realise that is actually what will happen.

And this was made very clear after the Russian plane got shot down in Syria. In the after math, there was lots of talk about the incident triggering a war between Turkey and Russia, with of course the participation of NATO support for Turkey. This was flatly refuted by NATO. So no, it was left strictly between themselves. But even the downing of the Russian plane, had elements of a "Family Affair " about it. At the time, ISIS controlled the Syrian oilfields, and were selling this oil to anyone, but mainly Turkey ( who in a roundabout way were in turn reselling it to Assad) Then the wholesale bombing of Syrians by Russian started to take its toll, and and they retaliated by placing a bomb on a Russian plane in Sharm-Elsheik, which was full of mainly Russian holiday makers. Putin retaliated by bombing oil convoys leaving the Syrian oilfields bound for Turkey etc. Erdogan ( or rather his son, who is in charge of Turkish oil business ) retaliated by shooting down a Russian warplane which had entered its airspace ( for something like a minute or two). Discussion's were held and the upshot seems to be that the retaliation would not escalate further. Has Putin forgotten I wonder, or is he powerless to do anything, even at this stage? Seems pretty much like that now anyway.

If one was a bit paranoid... And was worried In advance of a Russian attack , one could have stashed a dirty bomb in a van somewhere in Moscow , and said nothing ....