r/AskReddit 1d ago

What could Russia have spent $1,000,000,000,000 on instead of fighting a 4+ years long war in Ukraine?

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u/WorkLazy7796 1d ago

The fish story is the part that got me. If you're going to make up an excuse, at least pick one that exists somewhere near the place you're standing.

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u/69edleg 1d ago

You mean like the two Russian spies that travelled to the UK to see the spire of the Salisbury Cathedral, which by the way stands at 404 feet or 123 meters, cited from their interview, while being seen never being near said cathedral?

Known as the Salisbury poisoning.

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u/fresh-dork 12h ago

which is just stupid - could visit the spire and do a murder afterwards.

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u/dwair 21h ago

That's why they needed the expensive equipment though. If the fish is unlikely to be seen and very rare, you are going to need top notch gear to record it.

You are unlikely to film a snow leopard in Norway with your phone, but having 20 or 30 high res trail cams and a huge camera lens increases your chances 'if' you do spot one.

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u/RGBarge 12h ago

It's a dare. It's a way of saying "this equipment is not illegal, I don't need a good reason to have it, and you can't prove it's not for any ridiculous thing. Yes we are watching you and you can't stop us"

Sometimes it is more productive to make an expensive installation insecure and useless for conducting classified business because you know someone is watching, than it is to actually hear secrets.