Posted on 02/24/2022 7:08:32 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The scenes out of Ukraine as Russia continues to invade its sovereign neighbor have painted a picture of chaos. We’ve seen street fighting, apartment buildings being hit with rockets, and tanks rolling down highways. But, what we haven’t seen is a decisive victory for Vladimir Putin.
Part of the invasion strategy was to quickly take the major airports in order to fly in men and materials to overwhelm Ukraine’s defenses. Surprisingly fierce opposition has prevented that, though. As of Thursday afternoon, Ukrainian military forces had actually recaptured one of the airports initially lost. That apparently happened with the help of a Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot, who shot down multiple planes and helicopters taking part in the airborne assault.
⚡️⚡️⚡️BREAKING:
Ukrainian troops in full control of the Hostomel Airport, Russian airborne force eliminated.— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) February 24, 2022
I'm seeing reports (but can't confirm) that a Ukrainian Mig 29 pilot has become an ace today.
First, how incredible in this day and age.
Second, holy shit the balls on that guy.
— Mike Nelson (@mikenelson586) February 24, 2022
NEW: Ukraine reports 350 Russian troops were killed in the first day of the invasion.
— Election Wizard 🇺🇸 (@ElectionWiz) February 24, 2022
For comparison, the United States lost only 154 servicemembers killed in action over the entire Gulf War. Over the first year of fighting the second Iraq War, 486 US service members were killed in the theater. That’s a testament to the technological and training superiority of the U.S. military, compared to the Russians, who have always been less formidable than they present. It also puts into perspective how much blood has already been extracted from Putin in an invasion that has barely gotten started.
That begs the question of how much resolve Russia truly has. Are they in this for the long haul, and possibly thousands killed in battle and via an insurgency? Or is Putin looking to tag the bag at Kyiv, claim victory, and then back off with his ego still intact? It’s hard to say because even though Russia is a dictatorship, the dynamics are not the same as other authoritarian regimes. While the Taliban had unlimited stamina when it came to absorbing losses and setbacks, I do not get the feeling Putin has that luxury. If things start to get really bloody, the protests already happening in his country are going to escalate, and that could cause major problems at home.
Further, it looks like the Ukrainians are in this for the long haul. They have already barred the exit of able-bodied men aged 18-60, meaning they are expected to stay and fight. Guns and Javelins are being handed out to militia forces in an effort to bolster defenses.
Still, I don’t want to give the impression that Ukraine is going to win this fight. Russia has a massive amount of forces ready to go in reserve along the border. If Putin is willing to accept the costs of blood and treasure, he will eventually reach his goal of decapitating the current government. I’m not so sure that’ll work out well for him in the end, though. If an insurgency takes hold, it’s going to be a nightmare for the Russian occupiers. Meanwhile, the Russian stock market is down over 40 percent today, a massive drop. Pain is coming for Putin, and we are going to find out how committed he actually is to this misadventure.
The US takes extraordinary efforts to keep US soldiers deaths low.
The US leveled Fallujah and then paid to rebuild it I believe.
If you are willing to burn through the life earnings of 100 Americans to save the life of one American soldier then you can keep the US death count fairly low.
The Ukranian gov is arming ten thousand civilians that are have no training and are not allowed to own guns to defend the city against a professional army. Where the hell is the Ukrainian army? If “come die for me people that I was sworn to protect” is not evidence that all is lost I have no idea what losing means.
Just about the last thing any sensible military officer wants to do is fight in a city.
The city won’t fall right away, but can be surrounded and cut off from rural food sources.
We lost about 55000 servicemen in Vietnam.
This is Russian equipment and training opposing Russian equipment and training. The question will be which poor SOB is willing the die for his country.
In point of fact the statement made about Ukraine by these agit-prop should really appeal to the Squad and the other anti-Jewish Leftist in Socialist/Marxist world:
Said that Ukraine is a Jewish led Nazi state that must be
“De-Nazifying”. Seriously f’d up concoction, which will not sell well or long in the face of real fighting insurgence. Believe Mossad is there and... others (not US, of course).
“Russia needs to bleed for this.”
The bleeding has just begun.
The first day, and the last day are kind of glorious for at least one side, but the harsh reality of war is in between.
Those Stingers, NLAWs and Javelins can make any Ukrainian the match for a Russian tank or helicopter. There are easily thousands of those weapons in Ukrainian hands. The UK alone provided 2,000 NLAWs in just the last few weeks. I just saw a report that NLAWs destroyed three Russian tanks in an engagement near the border around Kharkiv.
Kiev is probably bristling with them. They require only minutes of training, and their self-guided rounds make it hard to miss. Babushka could pop one out the living room window from her rocking chair, and kill whichever tank seemed to be sporting the most antennae (i.e. the Command vehicle).
Even before that, the first thing I want to see is Lukashenko strung up like Mussolini.
In that sense, it’s more like a civil war. Insofar as both sides have similar equipment, training and tactics.
CC
Ukraine remembers, even if you forgot...
Your bona fides and join date makes me suspicious.
CC
Russian conscripts being captured. This is no super man army and Ukraine is a huge country. Putin has bitten off way more than he can chew.
The Russians are already in Kiev. This war will likely be over before the end of the weekend.
I can believe it. Desert Storm was preceded by weeks of round-the-clock bombing. The Russians went into this cold, with just a few hours of missile attacks. Not sure what Putin’s hurry is, but not softening up Ukrainian targets with prep fires is a big risk.
Would the Russian people stand for a draft? Do the Russians even support this war? Does Russia even have enough non drunk men to draft?
Russian stock market being down 40% just today might bring Putin down. That is a huge destruction of market capitalization.
If Putin gets bogged down, the oligarchs will take him out.
It’s a conscript invading army going against men who have been told their country has no right to exist. I’d put my money on the home team here. It’s his land and no snot nosed kid from Chelyabinsk is going to out fight Ukrainian men hardened by 8 years of war.
CC
I was just watching live video from Kyiv. Nothing is happening there. At least not downtown.
CC
Wolverines!
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