Putin is now resorting to shouting like Goebbels the Nazi about 'dirty nuclear bombs'

In his article, "How liars create the ‘illusion of truth’", Tom Stafford wrote,

" “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”, is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels (left). Among psychologists something like this is known as the "illusion of truth" effect." (BBC Future : 26th October 2016 ) (my emphasis)

Stafford goes on to warn us that,

"We live in a world where the facts matter, and should matter. If you repeat things without bothering to check if they are true, you are helping to make a world where lies and truth are easier to confuse." (ibid Tom Stafford)

Putin, his Generals, and that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet Foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, are
now using Goebbels's tactic of constantly pushing the lie that Ukraine's president Zelensky is about to release a 'dirty nuclear bomb' on the people of Ukraine. (video: ITV News : 26 October 2022, Aljazeera : 25 October 2022, Sky News : 24 October 2022)

As I also wrote in my previous blog entry (23 October 2022),

"Without providing evidence, Shoigu said Ukraine could escalate by using a "dirty bomb", or conventional explosives laced with radioactive material." (Jonathan Landay and Pavel Polityuk :Reuters : 24 October 2022) (my emphasis)

The fact that Putin is orchestrating such a concerted effort to set the scene for his use of a 'dirty nuclear bomb' has not gone unnoticed in the West.

Shannon Vavra (left) reports that,

" Russia is now taking its claim that Kyiv is preparing to use a dirty bomb in Ukraine as an act of provocation to some of Moscow’s closest partners in India and China, in an apparent attempt to shore up support. But the presentation has fallen flat.
...
India’s warning about the dirty bomb claims echoed western allies’ rejection of Russia’s allegations, which Shoigu began shopping around to leaders over the weekend without providing any evidence. The United States, U.K., and France issued a rare joint statement following Shoigu’s campaign, labeling his claims as “transparently false allegations.” (Daily Beast : 26 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Mark Reynolds has also reported that,

" Russia's 'transparently false allegations' that Ukraine is preparing to fire a dirty bomb within its own territory is being seen as a double-bluff by Vladimir Putin to allow his military to use such a device.

Britain, the United States and France have jointly rejected Moscow’s contentions – with Volodymyr Zelensky angrily accusing the Kremlin of nuclear blackmail and a ‘false flag’ ploy. The Ukrainian President said Russia’s mention of a dirty bomb – where conventional explosives are laced with radioactive material – meant Putin could well be preparing such an illegal attack." (Express: 24 October 2022) (my emphasis)

US President Biden underscored Putin's 'nuclear bomb' threat during a meeting with his defence officials yesterday (26 October 2022)

CBS News : 26 October 2022

Added to putin's constant headaches about his failing army in Ukraine, Charlie Bradley (left) reports that,

"An economist from Russia, Vladislav Inozemtsev (right), believes that Putin's mobilisation will contribute to Moscow's financial downfall in the future. Writing for The Insider, he said that the “financial effects of mobilisation—in the medium-term—will be significantly greater than the consequences of…the war in Ukraine."

Mr Inozemtsev added: “The Russian economy is going to die by winter, I wrote in early March. Now I think I was right. The mobilisation announced on September 21 was a milestone that really divided Russian history into ‘before’ and ‘after’—an event that began the final countdown of Putin’s era." (Express : 26 October 2022) (my emphasis)

And as Putin's economy continues along its downward spiral Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany, is calling for the equivalent of a 'Marshall Plan'  to rebuild Ukraine after Putin's forces are all pushed back to Russia by Zelensky's army, including from Ukraine's Crimea.

As reported by  Reuters,

"“My message to the Ukrainians is: ‘Not only do we stand by your side, but we will continue to support Ukraine economically, politically and also militarily,” Steinmeier told reporters on his arrival by train in Kyiv.
...
Steinmeier’s arrival in Kyiv coincided with a conference in Berlin on what its hosts say must be a ‘Marshall Plan’ to rebuild Ukraine, comparing the challenge to the U.S. funding of Europe’s reconstruction after World War Two. (Euronews : 26 October 2022) (my emphasis)

 

DW : 25 October 2022 : YouTube

But perhaps Putin's biggest headache lies in the fact that, as reported by Tim McNulty,

"Russian conscripts have filmed a makeshift prison below an army base where they say soldiers who refused orders are being held in squalor and filth.

The spokesman for the conscript moans about the threat of being sent to "the meat grinder," and describes Ukraine as the "slaughterhouse" as he points out the filth the unit is forced to live in." (Express : 27 October 2022) (my emphasis)

And as reported by Michael Drummond (left),

"The governor of Russia's Belgorod region announced on Monday that an explosive device damaged the railway near the village of Novozybkovo.
...
The damage to Russian logistics has been a key factor in supporting Ukraine's counteroffensives.
...
The latest attack on the railways Moscow uses to send supplies to Ukraine - this time apparently from inside Russia - will only add to the difficulties." (Sky News : 27 October 2022) (my emphasis)

It is therefore no wonder that Putin has now resorted to shouting like Goebbels about an alleged Ukrainian 'nuclear dirty bomb'.

 

(to be continued)