"Americans believe war should be sterile, because it has never hit their home soil since the Civil War of 130 years ago, and even then, only in the southeastern part of the country. Russia has been rampaged for centuries by every would-be conqueror . . . this is a feeling Americans do not know. The way you get an enemy to submit is by bringing the war to his people." [i.e. 'soft' Americans will surrender.]

— Stansilav Lunev (1998)

Russia seems ready to absorb significant damage to win a nuclear war.