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fightforfreedom

(4,913 posts)
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 12:56 PM Feb 2022

Do you know what separates Russian troops and the city of Kiev?

Chernobyl, Miles of radioactive land. One of the most dangerous places on earth.

By the way, if you have never seen the HBO series Chernobyl, watch it, it was outstanding. It gave me chills.

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Do you know what separates Russian troops and the city of Kiev? (Original Post) fightforfreedom Feb 2022 OP
Ironic. I think the Chernobyl disaster was a major cause in the fall of the Soviet Union. Walleye Feb 2022 #1
Yikes! Bayard Feb 2022 #2
Imagine being a Russian soldier driving a vehicle, tank through that radiation zone. fightforfreedom Feb 2022 #4
I would not put it past Vladimir Putin..... lastlib Feb 2022 #3
Will Russian troop commanders care? haele Feb 2022 #5
No, they would not care. fightforfreedom Feb 2022 #7
It's been a tourist destination for years now. sl8 Feb 2022 #6
I have heard that, I hope the tourists didn't stay too long. fightforfreedom Feb 2022 #8
There is a hotel within the Exclusion Zone that serves tourists. DetroitLegalBeagle Feb 2022 #12
I've watched TV specials on visiting Chenobyl PortTack Feb 2022 #14
No It doesn't FBaggins Feb 2022 #9
Agreed. The miniseries on HBO was exceptional Buckeyeblue Feb 2022 #10
Yes , You had to put you life on the line to tell the truth. fightforfreedom Feb 2022 #13
Yes. That part surprised me too. Buckeyeblue Feb 2022 #16
The radiation is not high enough to deter troops passing through in armored vehicles... JHB Feb 2022 #11
there's plenty of other ways to go. maxsolomon Feb 2022 #15
Somebody should tell Russia their plans have been foiled. N/t LiberatedUSA Feb 2022 #17
I wonder how the Russians missed that sarisataka Feb 2022 #18
Bears and wolves are more of a threat than radiation cinematicdiversions Feb 2022 #19
I seem to remember that, due to prevailing southerly winds, JustABozoOnThisBus Feb 2022 #20
There were some very brave men that did what they had to do. marie999 Feb 2022 #21
 

fightforfreedom

(4,913 posts)
4. Imagine being a Russian soldier driving a vehicle, tank through that radiation zone.
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:23 PM
Feb 2022

That would scare the shit out of me. Imagine if fighting broke out in that zone. Dam.

haele

(12,581 posts)
5. Will Russian troop commanders care?
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:24 PM
Feb 2022

Many countries view their ground troops as fungible. I suspect Putin cares as much for his ground troops as any mob boss cares for the street level mules his enforcers recruit for an intimidation job.

Besides, they expect to get through the Chernobyl area in a four or five hours. I'm sure they have told the troops their exposure would be the same as if they took a couple x-rays.

Haele


sl8

(13,584 posts)
6. It's been a tourist destination for years now.
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:27 PM
Feb 2022

Which is not to say that there's no danger, but I think that troops could pass through and avoid the really dangerous areas.

Somehow, I doubt Putin would have any qualms about sending troops through the outer exclusion zone.

I second your reccomendation for the HBO series.

https://www.highheelsandabackpack.com/visiting-chernobyl-is-it-safe-to-travel-

Visiting Chernobyl: Is it safe to travel to Chernobyl? (2022 Guide)



DetroitLegalBeagle

(1,904 posts)
12. There is a hotel within the Exclusion Zone that serves tourists.
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:48 PM
Feb 2022

Its about 10 miles down the road from Pripryat and the containment building. They stay there for multiday trips. If I remember right there are still around 10,000 people who live within the area, mainly workers at the plant itself. The power plant's remaining reactors are being decommissioned. The plant had 3 other reactors and those were still being used till 2000.

PortTack

(32,606 posts)
14. I've watched TV specials on visiting Chenobyl
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 02:43 PM
Feb 2022

They go with geiger counters and respirators and stay 20-30 minutes

FBaggins

(26,697 posts)
9. No It doesn't
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:37 PM
Feb 2022

It separates Belarus from Kiev perhaps... but not Russia.

Nor is it "one of the most dangerous places on earth". By most standards, you wouldn't want to pitch a tent and live there permanently... but it's not at all dangerous to drive through (even ignoring the fact that Russian forces can plan for NBC warfare).

Buckeyeblue

(5,491 posts)
10. Agreed. The miniseries on HBO was exceptional
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:37 PM
Feb 2022

I believe it is safer to be in parts of Chernobyl. I seem to remember an episode of River Monsters being filmed there. Although, I think Jeremy Wade had to monitor his exposure.

What I thought was great about the series is how well, in film, they were able to tell the story of how lies become facts. And what it takes to fight against it.

 

fightforfreedom

(4,913 posts)
13. Yes , You had to put you life on the line to tell the truth.
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:51 PM
Feb 2022

I was also shocked to learn that when you are dying from radiation poisoning, you have a short recovery period where you think you are going to get better. Then your body begins to basically melt and you die the most painful death imaginable.

Then there were the soldiers who had to go to the city and kill the thousands of pets left behind because they were so radioactive.

Buckeyeblue

(5,491 posts)
16. Yes. That part surprised me too.
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 05:31 PM
Feb 2022

The Soviets sent those people to their deaths. And lied to them as they did it.

JHB

(37,132 posts)
11. The radiation is not high enough to deter troops passing through in armored vehicles...
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 01:43 PM
Feb 2022

...especially ones built for chemical/biological/radiation hazards.

The radiation is high enough that you don't want to live there, but it's not much of a hazard for just passing through.

And even for living, it's become a sort of animal preserve since there's very little human activity there anymore. no wierd mutants, either, just normal animals.

sarisataka

(18,220 posts)
18. I wonder how the Russians missed that
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 07:17 PM
Feb 2022

That should stop them since there is no way they could go around it.

Or drive right on through it. Military force train to deal with radiation contamination, Russia does it more than most.

 

cinematicdiversions

(1,969 posts)
19. Bears and wolves are more of a threat than radiation
Sat Feb 19, 2022, 07:19 PM
Feb 2022

I mean there's really no radiation threat driving through. I want to live there 30 years perhaps. But it's about as much radiation as grand central station?

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