“They can blame us and then retaliate.”
It hardly seems rational to destroy one’s own billion dollar asset so he could blame us for it. There are far simpler and less expensive ways.
L
Don’t waste your time. Anybody who would believe the Russians did this doesn’t care about the facts. He’s trying to shore up his false consciousness regarding the Russians and the Ukraine war. For people who are emotionally invested in a “side”, cognitive dissonance is painful and must be avoided at all costs. So, the Russians must be blowing up their own assets that actually give them huge potential leverage for influencing Europeans against the sanctions regime and...oh, yes...the Russians like to shell themselves, especially at nuclear power plants they control.
It had become a useless asset to the present Rooski leadership — or at least those who oppose a defensive negotiated settlement, where turning on the gas would be offered as a carrot stick / bargaining chip.