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Ukraine: The military balance of power
BBC News ^ | 3 March 2014 | Jonathan Marcus

Posted on 03/03/2014 6:20:05 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

On paper, at least, the Ukrainian military looks credible, though it is numerically inferior to the Russian armed forces - Moscow having about four times as many active troops and twice as many tanks as Kiev.

On the face of things, if Russia were to move into eastern Ukraine, then the Ukrainian forces should be able to put up a better performance than tiny Georgia's armed forces did when the Russians moved onto the offensive in 2008.

But in reality, Ukraine's military is dispersed; it lacks readiness, and much of its equipment is in storage.

Given the divisions inside the country, there must also be question marks about the loyalty of elements of the Ukrainian military to the new interim political authorities in Kiev.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: bhorussia; putin; ukraine
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1 posted on 03/03/2014 6:20:05 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

They should have adopted the Swiss model for self defense.


2 posted on 03/03/2014 6:22:37 PM PST by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

A lot of their military has basically defected though


3 posted on 03/03/2014 6:23:01 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Russia is NOT going to use their entire army/AF/Navy for this...

But the Ukraine just might.


4 posted on 03/03/2014 6:26:49 PM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: GeronL

Bigger problem than that is they are broke.
The Russians can afford a small war, the Ukrainians can’t.


5 posted on 03/03/2014 6:27:29 PM PST by buwaya
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To: MinorityRepublican

Let me “splain” this to ya. The Russians have already surrounded thousands of the Ukrainian army dupes in the Crimea.Totally surrounded and holding them. What happened, for those in loma linda, is that the ELECTED!!! president was ousted by terrorists!! The Russian warm water port was threatened last week. No longer. I will bet you that that Russia will take ALL of the Ukraine. Any bets?
Don’t we need to draft 18 year old girls too? We can’t even stop illegal aliens!!!


6 posted on 03/03/2014 6:29:46 PM PST by SADMILLIE
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To: MinorityRepublican

Any Ukrainian who fights, will die.


7 posted on 03/03/2014 6:37:17 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: MinorityRepublican

credible???

this isn’t even close.


8 posted on 03/03/2014 6:38:12 PM PST by ealgeone (obama, border)
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To: SADMILLIE

Why do you call them “dupes”. Right now there are brave Ukrainian soldiers refusing to surrender their small garrison near Yalta. And who are you keyboard warrior to call them names?

I have extended family there who are Russian speakers but who do not want to be part of Russia for obvious reasons.


9 posted on 03/03/2014 6:42:37 PM PST by Monterrosa-24 ( ...even more American than a French bikini and a Russian AK-47.)
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To: SADMILLIE

Why are cheering on the blood thirsting
Putin!

You think its funny.
KGB Putin and the Soviets murdered millions of Ukraines, Turks, Greeks, Poles who all live there and they do not
want to be dragged back to the new Iron Curtain and be slaves to the Russians.
.The Russians practiced ethnic cleaning and murdered the natives and shipped in Russians to Crimea and East Ruusia.

You think its a joke.
Its not.


10 posted on 03/03/2014 6:44:10 PM PST by ncalburt ( Amnesty-media out in full force)
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To: Monterrosa-24

There are real sickos or useful idiots cheering on Putin here.
Its bizarre.
They are literally posting Putin propaganda here.


11 posted on 03/03/2014 6:45:57 PM PST by ncalburt ( Amnesty-media out in full force)
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To: SADMILLIE
. I will bet you that that Russia will take ALL of the Ukraine. Any bets?

No, Putin will settle for as little as a third. He'll get Crimea, the Donets, and Kharkov. He MAY take the lower Deniper and the area to the east and South. He won't go beyond Kiev or go for the former Polish territories.

12 posted on 03/03/2014 6:51:09 PM PST by PAR35
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To: ncalburt

“...posting Putin propaganda...”

Yes, they are here and on every thread it seems. Maybe they are mad because the Klitschko brothers have dominated the heavyweight boxing division for so long.


13 posted on 03/03/2014 6:52:24 PM PST by Monterrosa-24 ( ...even more American than a French bikini and a Russian AK-47.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
But in reality, Ukraine's military is dispersed; it lacks readiness, and much of its equipment is in storage.

The Afghan civilian population was armed with Lee Enfields and muzzle-loading rifles from the late 19th century. The Soviet Union's population was 15x Afghanistan's. The Afghans outlasted the Soviets over a decade-long war. The question isn't whether the Ukrainians have the equipment to fight the Russians - it's whether they have the resolve. Stepan Bandera killed over 30,000 Soviet troops and political cadres over a decade of guerrilla warfare. If Ukrainians can inflict anywhere that level of casualties on the Russians, they will run, not walk, back to their side of the border.

14 posted on 03/03/2014 6:53:32 PM PST by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: Monterrosa-24

What we are witnessing is the legacy of weakness and illegal invasion of innocent weak counties — ourselves. This is a knee slap belly laugh.


15 posted on 03/03/2014 6:54:22 PM PST by SADMILLIE
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To: PAR35

Putin will go where ever he wants. Who is going to stop him? Democrats in Washington? Bwaaaaaaa!!


16 posted on 03/03/2014 6:56:30 PM PST by SADMILLIE
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To: MinorityRepublican

Ukrainian military hasn’t been modernized since 1992. Most of their tanks, aircraft and vessels are useless because of lack of pieces and maintenance.
Only one aircraft out of 9 is operational.


17 posted on 03/03/2014 6:58:57 PM PST by Marguerite (When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: Monterrosa-24

M-24, I should start getting reports from inside Russia, and some from Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk in a bit as the morning breaks. When I do, I will message you privately. Is your family safe at this time? Do I understand they are in Crimea?

Gwjack


18 posted on 03/03/2014 6:59:49 PM PST by gwjack (May God give America His richest blessings.)
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To: Mariner
"...Any Ukrainian who fights, will die..." So claims our own Dr. Goebbels. Vladimir Klitschko easily defeats Mormeckl photo Wladimir-Klitschko-Jean-Marc-Mormeck_2727937_zps2b3e4d15.jpg
19 posted on 03/03/2014 7:02:25 PM PST by Monterrosa-24 ( ...even more American than a French bikini and a Russian AK-47.)
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To: PAR35

A lot of their Ukraine isn’t worth having. The Donets is like Detroit or the bad parts of New Jersey, a social service spending sink, a rustbelt with lousy prospects. I don’t think Putin wants those parts.


20 posted on 03/03/2014 7:04:03 PM PST by buwaya
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