Why? What would Ukraine stand to gain from that attack?
If it was something they intended to pull off in secret and blame someone else (like ISIS-K), what’s the benefit to them? It doesn’t affect Russia’s war effort against them, and only solidifies Russian support behind Putin.
And if it’s something they were to do openly or take credit for, the above applies, plus it provides justification for Russia to take harsher measures and /or be more reluctant to a negotiated end to hostilities.
Ukraine having a hand in this simply makes no sense to Ukraine itself. It’s all downside and no benefit. And carrying out such a thing without clear attribution simply allows Russia to control the narrative, which is still detrimental to Ukraine.
I rather suspect it really was ISIS-K, and Russia is spinning it to find an angle that applies to the current conflict. Russia (and previously the Soviet Union) have always been masters of realpolitik.
(Necessary FR discalimer- I say all the above as someone who despises both the Russian and Ukrainian governments as corrupt and not representative of their peoples. Not a fanboy of either Zelesnkyy or Putin. And no, I don’t think it a Russian false flag- it makes the Russian government look to fallible for that.)
Added thought to my own above comment: if it was Ukraine, it would seriously imperil their aid from Western countries, which pretty much would mean losing the war.
Again, all downside and no benefits for Ukraine to have done this. And the above downside is catastrophic.
Just doesn’t make sense.
Makes sense. Putin is using this massacre to blame Ukraine.
ISIS-K? I think it a Raisin Bran.
ISIS-K is a DC invention.
A well thought out comment....finally!
I have in-laws from Turkey (Christian) and they right away said Chechnya.
If anyone else is involved it would be easy to suspect the CIA/WEF one worlders who apparently see Russia as an obstruction to their goals.
What would Ukraine stand to gain from blowing up the Nordstream Pipeline? Which they did.