[nick238]

I get that Chernobyl is near the border of two countries at war, but why the everloving hell is anyone targeting anything within miles of the exclusion zone? Are there any military units anywhere near there, or is it intentionally being targeted as an oblique dirty-bomb threat?

[rich_sasha]

The whole Russian invasion is one massive exercise in contempt for human life, Ukrainian and Russian. So I don't think they would care about the hole.

[scrubs]

Yup. Science/math/chess/music and literature to name a few are better with russians involved. Then there's the russian government: that's a problem. Their military subdues by shelling to bits civil targets come what may. Then there's the Ukranian POWs and kids ... the Russia gov doesn't give a cats whisker.

[TheNewsIsHere]

Many do not understand the Russian military because it is human nature to search for some kind of reason or logic.

The is no reasoning with a mad man, and that is who is in charge in Russia.

[scrubs]

Agree. What putin's government understands is a 2x4 upside the head. I'm reminded of the cool hand luke line: "If that's the way he wants it, he gets it."

[explodes]

There are certainly very real humans deciding if this target gets hit or not and why.

[glitchcrab]

You can be human and not care about other humans.

[yetihehe]

That's even worse. They are humans who want to see more suffering. The famous quote from one Russian propagandist about Ukrainians dying: "I don't pity them at all". Me and you care and think that losses on both sides are atrocious. Russians don't care.

[roncesvalles]

When you're at war you just want to hurt the enemy; you're not thinking straight so to speak. It takes enormous professional restraint - both personal and organizational - to not say fuck it all and just press the nuclear launch button after a bad day on the ground.

[yetihehe]

Yes, but one side seems to commit noticeably more war crimes.

[lazide]

The side with nukes you mean?

[justsomehnguy]

> I get that Chernobyl is near the border of two countries at war

Chernobyl is located on the border of Belarus. It's nowhere near any active military action and at least 200+ km from the active front lines.

[magic_hamster]

Because any resource which is thought to be safe from bombardment will be utilized. Sadly this is extremely common all over the world. In war zones, armed forces use hospitals, schools, etc, as a base of operation (which invalidates its protected status by international law), then cry fowl when their cover is eventually bombed. Not saying Ukraine used Chernobyl for military purposes, but it would definitely not surprise me if they did, or if Russia wanted to rule this out. Either way, war is awful, too bad we are only going towards more war and more conflict. We're a dumb species.

[stuaxo]

Or maybe they just bombed it to terrorise the population, and the bombing of schools and hospitals in other conflicts is for the same reasons.

[recursivecaveat]

Diverted from regular target, then they bombed it because it's a vaguely industrial looking structure? I don't really see the logic in deliberately bombing Chernobyl, but Russia has not been particularly discriminate. Active nuclear plants have lost external power for cooling due to targeted strikes on energy infrastructure before.