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Ask HN: Why doesn't Ukraine attack Russia?
Easy targets like electricity and communication lines, to inflict economic damage and paralyze society?
- Festro 5y agoBecause Ukraine doesn't want war?
- satellite2 5y agoAt this point it doesn't seem they have a choice?
- Festro 5y agoThere's a difference between self-defence and retaliation. At the end of the day it's civilians who pay the price. If the Ukraine strike Russian territory and inflict, pain or death on their citizens then Putin gains a lot more support. It would be a monumentally stupid idea.
- shrimp_emoji 5y agoYou also give Russia a counter-casus belli and lose the sympathy of the rest of the world.
- satellite2 5y agoI agree that it wouldn't be the best PR but it would be a relatively good way to weaken them. In any case, it seems relatively clear that NATO won't help them and they don't really have allies. So acting as the victim is not providing any benefits for them. It seems Ukrainians don't have a lot of leverage in this war otherwise and their prospects are currently not so bright. So that would be to put in balance with the risk of annexation to Russia and de facto suppression of their democracy.
- dragonwriter 5y ago> I agree that it wouldn't be the best PR but it would be a relatively good way to weaken them. Wars are won by morale. Material is instrumental to that, sure, but a relatively minor material gain (and against Russia, that's all Ukraine gains by unrestricted targeting in Russia) isn't worth a massive boost to the enemy population’s willingness to fight when that will is likely the greatest weakness your opponent has and your best path to victory. No one neighboring Russia is going to defeat them in a conventional war materially, but they have been outlasted in willingness to fight.
- llampx 5y agoRussia has superior firepower. It would be like asking why didn't Saddam strike the US?
- satellite2 5y agoI guess Sadam didn't have the capability to strike the US. But the question is the same, if he had, why didn't he?
- bitxbitxbitcoin 5y agoThe if negates the question.
- smt88 5y ago1. Ukraine doesn't even have the military strength to defend itself. It is far from being in an offensive position. 2. It would justify Russia's propaganda saying that Ukraine is attacking Russian assets. 3. Global sanctions are more painful to Putin than deaths of his people. Putin is happy to sacrifice civilians and resources to bring back the Soviet Union.
- mytailorisrich 5y agoUkraine has conducted at least one missile strike on a Russian military base in Russia, according to news reports today.
- baybal2 5y agoIt did, they destroyed an airport in Russia with a ballistic missile strike. But Russia seem to have destroyed most of Ukraine's ballistic missiles without them firing a shot. Poor readyness, and lack of serious attitude did cost Ukraine the golden 30 minutes.