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Conscript arrival -- and demise -- creates new crisis for Putin
Hot Air ^ | October 14, 2022 | Ed Morrisey

Posted on 10/14/2022 5:11:27 AM PDT by Timber Rattler

Even the solutions turn into problems for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine — big problems. Less than a month after announcing a “partial” mobilization, Russian conscripts have entered into combat in Luhansk. And it appears that they are exiting almost as quickly, provoking even more backlash from nationalist milbloggers who are increasingly balking at Putin’s propaganda.

The Ukrainians reported their arrival in combat areas yesterday. Serhii Haidai, the top military official in Luhansk Oblast, claimed that the first conscript wave consisted mainly of ex-convicts:

(snip)

The Russian milbloggers didn’t take long to confirm the arrival of conscripts — and to complain about what happened next. ISW picked up on their chatter about the rapid demise of these untrained troops and their unhappiness with the chain of command:

(snip)

Putin may have hoped that the conscription — a much-demanded action from nationalists — would convince them to stick to the Kremlin’s talking points. However, that ignores a reality that matters even in authoritarian systems, including in Russia’s imperial/inferiority-complex culture. When dead bodies come back from the front, families and communities start asking questions. When those dead bodies belong to conscripted-by-force family members, questions aren’t the only thing raised.

ISW notes that nationalist milbloggers have begun to read that writing on the wall as well:

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


TOPICS: Government; History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: edmorrisey; edmorrissey; edtheclown; gaseousexcretions; hotgas; putin; russia; russianatrocities; russianterrorism; russianterrorists; russianwarcriminals; snekbot; thesnekbot; thetimbot; timbot; ukraine; war; wemissallahpundit
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Comrade Putin just keeps making more problems for himself.
1 posted on 10/14/2022 5:11:27 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
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To: Timber Rattler
“They're using conscripts to plug holes in lines that have been moving backwards for six weeks, up against crack combat troops with high morale and lots of hard-earned experience.”

I don't doubt problems with untrained convicts, but to call Ukrainians “crack combat troops with high morale and lots of hard-earned experience” is an incredible stretch for six months with very little training of their own.

Crazy propaganda from both sides!

2 posted on 10/14/2022 5:21:29 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Timber Rattler

Who is ISW? Couldn’t figure it out even after reading the link.


3 posted on 10/14/2022 5:24:12 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: Vigilanteman
It's the Institute for the Study of War, which has been providing detailed daily updates and analyses, with excellent maps, since the beginning of Russia's invasion.
4 posted on 10/14/2022 5:26:35 AM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: Vigilanteman

Its a front group for Neocon trash. Kristol is a board member.


5 posted on 10/14/2022 5:27:37 AM PDT by Long Jon No Silver (Rrily)
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To: ConservativeMind

Why do they call reserve units conscripts?


6 posted on 10/14/2022 5:27:52 AM PDT by NorseViking
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To: Timber Rattler

Is Ian Williams a pal of yours?


7 posted on 10/14/2022 5:28:36 AM PDT by Long Jon No Silver (Rrily)
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To: Timber Rattler

My new entertainment is reading comments from people claiming Russia is winning, while the Russian military continues to destroy itself in Ukraine. Somewhere in hell Baghdad Bob is smiling.


8 posted on 10/14/2022 5:33:09 AM PDT by Rokke
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To: NorseViking

Russia has universal military service like Israel. And like Israel it has a careerist core to the forces, that are supplemented as needed by reservists who can be former careerists and conscripts. I could have it wrong though


9 posted on 10/14/2022 5:34:35 AM PDT by Long Jon No Silver (Rrily)
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To: Rokke
Believe it or not, Baghdad Bob still lives, in the UAE!
10 posted on 10/14/2022 5:35:30 AM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: Timber Rattler

Have the decency to inform readers of your thread that neocon and Trump hater, Bill Kristol is a board member of ISW. Then they can more easily disregard anything it has to say


11 posted on 10/14/2022 5:37:49 AM PDT by Long Jon No Silver (Rrily)
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To: Timber Rattler; NorseViking

The husband of my wife’s good friend from college was forced into the Ukrainian military. She left to Poland, but all men were kept in Ukraine.

These men are effectively conscripts—forced to fight.

Conscripts on both sides. That’s what the draft causes, too.

A conscript is anyone forced to fight in war.


12 posted on 10/14/2022 5:38:10 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Long Jon No Silver
Funny that everybody except the Putinistas around here accept and use the ISW analyses and maps for their own information and professional purposes.

Don't like the source? Find a better one, and it's not 'Moon of Alabama/KOS' or 'Sons of the New American Revolution' or 'The Saker' or whatever.

13 posted on 10/14/2022 5:40:27 AM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: ConservativeMind

Yep, except in Russia there is no such concept. There are reserve units instead.


14 posted on 10/14/2022 5:41:22 AM PDT by NorseViking
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To: Long Jon No Silver

Its reporting has been dead on.


15 posted on 10/14/2022 5:41:31 AM PDT by FreshPrince
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To: ConservativeMind
The difference is that the Ukrainian conscripts are fighting for the existence of their own country, whereas the Russian conscripts are being forced to fight in an aggressive invasion driven by greed, desire for more power, and pure ego of their illustrious dictator.

Two entirely different motivations, or lack thereof.

16 posted on 10/14/2022 5:42:56 AM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: FreshPrince

Oh I am sure it has with Kristol giving first hand accounts /s


17 posted on 10/14/2022 5:46:42 AM PDT by Long Jon No Silver (Rrily)
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To: Timber Rattler

Wow. I was just there. I need to look him up. He’s probably a Freeper based on some of the comments I read here.


18 posted on 10/14/2022 5:47:42 AM PDT by Rokke
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To: Long Jon No Silver

Why the personal attacks?


19 posted on 10/14/2022 5:50:55 AM PDT by popdonnelly (All the enormous crimes in history have been committed by governments.)
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To: Long Jon No Silver

So you think that Kristol actually sits down and writes those detailed daily summaries and draws those maps himself?


20 posted on 10/14/2022 5:51:07 AM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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