• Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      3 days ago

      No, and we probably never will. The Russian government certainly doesn’t. When the invasion of Ukraine proper started, a lot of their equipment failed or was missing, and the military wasn’t aware. It had been sold off or just not maintained by the people in charge of it.

      I’m certain the same thing has happened with the nuclear arsenal. The only time it will be used is if you already lost, so what’s the point in spending money on keeping it operational over just having the appearance of it being operational. Your enemy can’t know the difference (especially if you don’t) and it’d be bad to bet on it failing, so it serves exactly the same purpose regardless.

    • brahn@piefed.social
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      3 days ago

      i believe (dont know) that civilans will never learn the actuals.

      Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Nuclear Notebook series) i read/summarize these and have an unfounded belief they have as good a pulse as we’re likely to get.