“And, on the contrary, what benefit is it to Russia to kill him, knowing the blowback that would occur?”
There will be no blowback. Russia is already under sanctions, excoriated for years by the Western media, and suffering embarrassment in its military invasion of Ukraine. This is NOTHING.
“Can you think of anything gained for them?”
Yes, fewer reporters on the scene to document what they’re doing. But you’re making another mistake. Why are you assuming this was a deliberate attack on reporters rather than a deliberate attack on unknowns carried out by frightened Russian conscripts?
“At worst, it was an accident, as far as I can tell, and certainly not something to start WW3 over.”
And who is calling for WWIII over this? How many straw men are you going to create over this one incident?
“And who is calling for WWIII over this? How many straw men are you going to create over this one incident?”
Try watching the Sunday news, particularly the trigger-finger Republicans.
“There will be no blowback. Russia is already under sanctions, excoriated for years by the Western media, and suffering embarrassment in its military invasion of Ukraine. This is NOTHING.”
Lots of blowback. Ukraine DESPERATELY needs this war to widen to stand a chance. Framing the killing of a journalist on Russia, knowing that the media will then parrot it, brings them that much closer to making it a European war (at a minimum).
“Yes, fewer reporters on the scene to document what they’re doing. But you’re making another mistake. Why are you assuming this was a deliberate attack on reporters rather than a deliberate attack on unknowns carried out by frightened Russian conscripts?”
I won’t rule out an accident, although it wasn’t being reported as such, at least initially.
As to fewer reporters, plenty of options for Russia other than intentionally killing the reporter and leaving his body to be found for Ukraine’s benefit. Among them are taking him as a POW, or getting his body out of the way - perhaps in one of those ‘mobile crematoriums’. Oh, never mind, that was debunked as FAKE NEWS. But still just bury the guy and he’ll be written off as missing in Ukraine.