Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targeting surgeon's computer

Re:Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targetin... by DaiPlusPlus on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @06:56AM (#16636941)

But to what end? What is their endgame? The USSR testing boundaries in the Cold War made sense because they needed real data for their concrete plans to cross the Rhine and conquer Western Europe - that’s what the Cold War was all about! Now it’s 2018 and I know Russia has lost their designs on Germany and France and seem primarily motivated to maintain a buffer territory, but testing limits is only going to move Russia’s neighbors into NATO - whereas if they at least played-by-the-rules and not acted so hostile and belligerent then it’s possivle they’d still hold a far more legitimate sway over eastern Ukraine and maybe even the Balkans.

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Re:Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targetin... by EliRivers on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @07:06AM (#16636987)

Again, going on the opinions of others (who are in positions such that they should know, but ultimately it's all opinion) a lot of it (by no means all) is about prestige and being seen and respected as a world power again. Which is not just for show; if people respect you as a world power, they are far more likely to do what you want.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was made a number of promises that really weren't kept (for example, about how far NATO would wander into Eastern Europe) and when Russia objected, they were ignored. The very significant modernisation of their military and the recent adventurism is part of that. Nobody is ignoring Russia anymore.

They did play by the rules; it got them side-lined and ignored, promises broken.

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Re:Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targetin... by gandhium on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @03:00PM (#16641261)

> Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was made a number of promises that really weren't kept

For example, not expanding NATO wasn't even a promise, it was a rumour.

OTOH, Russia broke several international _agreements_ and started waging wars with their neighbours.

Can you really equal those? Waging war and ephemeral promises?

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Re:Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targetin... by 220V_USKettle on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @06:59AM (#16636954)

"There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!" -Cosmo

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Re:Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targetin... by hollerith on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @07:18AM (#16637029)

The leadership of Russia might be worried that the same techniques used by Western NGOs to depose the leadership of the Ukraine in 2014 will be used to depose them. The endgame might be that they remain in control of the government of Russia.

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Re:Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targetin... by EliRivers on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @07:24AM (#16637049)

I believe (but of course cannot prove) you underestimate Putin. Real political threats get neutered (Alexei Navalny et al), tame opposition parties get induldged. The West is by no means sweetness and light in their attitude towards and dealings with Russia, but foment a revolution in Russia through the use of NGOs? Fantasyland.

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Re:Hackers 'led warplanes to Syrian hospital' after targetin... by gandhium on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @03:01PM (#16641271)

Sorry, leadership in Ukraine wasn't "deposed". President simply fled the country.

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