Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

More Signs The West Is Losing And Reacting Accordingly In Ukraine
Gateway Pundit ^ | Aug. 19, 2023 | Larry Johnson

Posted on 08/19/2023 10:47:05 AM PDT by Kazan

After 18 months of endless cheerleading and gobs of hopium, the Western powers are now struggling to deal with the reality that they are losing their ass in Ukraine. The clearest sign is that Southfront.org has been removed from the internet. So much for freedom of speech. You can continue to follow Southfront on Telegram here. Southfront is a legit news outlet. The only problem is that it does not consent to kiss the ass of the Western lies.

Another canary in the mineshaft sending out signals that oxygen is in short supply is this article from Friday’s Washington Post, U.S. intelligence says Ukraine will fail to meet offensive’s key goal. The article is a stunner. Here are some highlights:

The U.S. intelligence community assesses that Ukraine’s counteroffensive will fail to reach the key southeastern city of Melitopol, people familiar with the classified forecast told The Washington Post, a finding that, should it prove correct, would mean Kyiv won’t fulfill its principal objective of severing Russia’s land bridge to Crimea in this year’s push.

The grim assessment is based on Russia’s brutal proficiency in defending occupied territory through a phalanx of minefields and trenches, and is likely to prompt finger pointing inside Kyiv and Western capitals about why a counteroffensive that saw tens of billions of dollars of Western weapons and military equipment fell short of its goals.

If only they had been reading Sonar21.com they would have come to this conclusion much earlier. You do not have to be Clausewitz or Sun Tzu to realize that an offensive that is not accompanied by air superiority and effective mobile artillery and mobile air defense would fail against an entrenched, heavily armored opponent. What kool aid were these clowns drinking?

Ukraine launched the counteroffensive in early June hoping to replicate its stunning success in last fall’s push through the Kharkiv region.

But in the first week of fighting, Ukraine incurred major casualties against Russia’s well-prepared defenses despite having a range of newly acquired Western equipment, including U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles, German-made Leopard 2 tanks and specialized mine-clearing vehicles.

Once again. Ground forces have zero chance of success against an entrenched foe that has air superiority and a massive drone force. This is military incompetence on a grand scale. Vehicles trying to tip toe thru a mine field while the Russians have zeroed their artillery on those approaches is nothing short of a suicide mission.

“Russia has three main defensive lines there and then fortified cities after that,” he said. “It’s not just a question about whether Ukraine can breach one or two of them, but can they breach all three and have enough forces available after taking attrition to achieve something more significant like taking Tokmak or something beyond that.”

The bleak outlook, briefed to some Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, has already prompted a blame game inside closed-door meetings. Some Republicans are now balking at President Biden’s request for an additional $20.6 billion in Ukraine aid given the offensive’s modest results. Other Republicans and, to a lesser extent, hawkish Democrats have faulted the administration for not sending more powerful weapons to Ukraine sooner.

U.S. officials reject criticisms that F-16 fighter jets or longer-range missile systems such as ATACMS would have resulted in a different outcome. “The problem remains piercing Russia’s main defensive line, and there’s no evidence these systems would’ve been a panacea,” a senior administration official said.

During my time at CIA we had an expression for the Captain Obivious conclusion — we called it, “No Shit Analysis.” The F-16 is not a wunder waffen. It has no magical powers. It is an aircraft that can readily be identified by Russia’s robust, integrated air defense system and it will be shot down. God pity the pilots of those planes if they ever make it to the theater of battle.

The publication of this article in the Washington Post is just another sign of flagging U.S. support for Ukraine. This is sending a signal that the U.S. intel community is no longer on the Ukraine band wagon.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: failedproxywar; russia; ukraine

1 posted on 08/19/2023 10:47:05 AM PDT by Kazan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kazan

How many are dead and wounded on both sides for this border war?
How many are dead and wounded in Mexico’s cartel/border war?


2 posted on 08/19/2023 10:53:30 AM PDT by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Karliner
How many dead...

Who cares, just as long as Schwann and his cult get their Liebensraum.

3 posted on 08/19/2023 11:15:46 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Kazan

The West isn’t even in Ukraine. Stupid headline.


4 posted on 08/19/2023 11:20:57 AM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sirius Lee

I think you mean ‘lebensraum’.

A ‘liebensraum’ would be where you’d go with your liebchen!

(-;


5 posted on 08/19/2023 11:24:30 AM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Karliner

I don’t agree with the characterization “border war”. It’s more of a pure civil war, or proxy war, like Vietnam, except without hippies protesting. The former hippies are cheering it on.


6 posted on 08/19/2023 11:29:31 AM PDT by scottinoc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MeganC

Yes, thank you. “Lebensraum”. One year of German doesn’t quite cut it. But if you’re a classical musician you kind of have to try at least.


7 posted on 08/19/2023 11:35:59 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Sirius Lee

No worries! ‘Liebensraum’ was proper German and I got a giggle from it!

Life is not much fun right now and I appreciated the giggle!

Regards,


8 posted on 08/19/2023 11:39:40 AM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: scottinoc

Isn’t gay

Liberation - supremacy - wars

Fabulous


9 posted on 08/19/2023 11:55:02 AM PDT by Firehath
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Kazan

The US policy makes much more sense once you realize the primary purpose is to launder money to the US defense industry.


10 posted on 08/19/2023 12:02:08 PM PDT by TennesseeProfessor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Karliner

Too many.
And, too many.


11 posted on 08/19/2023 12:48:53 PM PDT by desertsolitaire ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Karliner

Too many.
And, too many.


12 posted on 08/19/2023 12:48:54 PM PDT by desertsolitaire ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: desertsolitaire

Yes. Tried making a point we have a nasty war on our own border. I keep repeating Stalin’s quote regarding one death being a tragedy and a million is a statistic.


13 posted on 08/19/2023 12:53:52 PM PDT by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: MeganC

Du hast recht Fraulien!


14 posted on 08/19/2023 1:01:42 PM PDT by jmacusa (Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

(-;


15 posted on 08/19/2023 2:30:45 PM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Kazan
Any idea what Russian defeat has lead to all of the pro-Putin articles being posted?

When there is a volley of pro-Russian articles from places like the Asia Times, Martin Armstrong, and the like it means Ukraine has done something the Russians need to draw attention away from.

16 posted on 08/19/2023 3:02:00 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeganC
Not only is the headline stupid, but the cited Washington Post article is full of fake news opinions.

The quoted Washington Post article says that the Ukrainian counter offensive won't capture Melitopol, but instead:

"Ukraine’s forces, which are pushing toward Melitopol from the town of Robotyne more than 50 miles away, will remain several miles outside of the city, U.S. officials said."

Only a journalism major would think that remaining several miles outside of Melitopol would not totally disrupt the use of Melitopol as a supply and logistics hub.

In Ukraine nobody moves around "several miles" from the front lines without enduring nearly constant artillery, mortar, rocket, drone and ATGM missile fire.

IF the Ukrainian military gets within "several miles" of Melitopol there will no longer be any ground supply route to Crimea except across the Kerch bridge.

17 posted on 08/19/2023 3:13:12 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: freeandfreezing
You live an alternative universe. Ukrainian has been conducting a counteroffensive for 10 weeks and has yet to reach the first line of Russian defense. 50,000 Ukrainians have died.

Soon, there will be nothing left of the Ukrainian army.

18 posted on 08/19/2023 8:36:49 PM PDT by Kazan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson