Ground blast nuclear = radiation forever with mutants eating each other. Doomsday weapon would be a plutonium shell hydrogen bomb, ground burst. They would rather use high altitude nukes to fry electronics, EMP attack.
Dealing with mafia gang types is the same in all cultures. They try to convince you they have an asymmetric advantage so you feel fear. Putin is crazy, he is sick, obsessed with legacy and has nothing to lose bla bla, better be nice to him. So you deal with them as a state does with any criminal gang. As for an EMP, have a look at where near all of Russia's population is all up against the rest of Europe. 90 percent of Russians are a much smaller target than you imagine for an EMP, two of which can catastrophically damage the whole US.
Doomsday weapon would be the Tsar bomba. Who knows? Putin could have hundreds of these things by now. 60 years is a long time to accumulate this shit.
Way less targets than in EU, US and AU combined. Their locations (& putkas including) are known 24/7 and UKs intelligence said, that those gangsters would be the first ones to suffer the dirrect hit. With a special war head to penetrate that bunker/where ever those krisas could be.
…If someone decides to intervene in the ongoing events from the outside and create unacceptable strategic threats to us, they should know that our response to those oncoming blows will be swift, lightning-fast,” he explained. “We have all the tools to do this. Tools that no one except us can brag about. But we’re not going to brag. We’ll use them if such a need arises,” the president added, without specifying which tools could be deployed…” https://www.rt.com/russia/554619-putin-strategic-threat/https://www.rt.com/russia/554619-putin-strategic-threat/ Does the “man who shakes hands with air” want this?
I continue to think Russia will carefully measure its responses to any escalations by the US in that regard. As an example, I don't believe Russia would unilaterally attack the Aegis Ashore installations in Poland and Romania - unless those countries escalate to a direct kinetic provocation. I am on record (Martyanov again) that I think what Putin wants is to put strategic weapons in Ukraine on the Polish border to counter those weapons - and nothing more, at least in regard to that particular issue. However, I can certainly see that in the event of a more kinetic escalation that Putin might use that opportunity to attack those installations. That would depend on his calculations as to whether that would cause an irrational response on the part of the US. Putin doesn't want to unleash a nuclear war even if he thinks Russia would win it. As many have said, Putin doesn't bluff. But he is also known for his caution and precise responses. Gruff thinks it requires a nuclear event to "break the escalation cycle". I disagree. I think Russia will use the "cauldron" approach - raise the pain dial incrementally until the West collapses internally from a failure of the will. This seems evident in the steps Russia has taken in the economic sphere so far. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/05/ukraine-open-thread-2022-64.html?cid=6a00d8341c640e53ef0278807cce7d200d#comment-6a00d8341c640e53ef0278807cce7d200d