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WHY RUSSIA IS DECIMATING THE UKRAINE COUNTER OFFENSIVE
Sonar 21 ^ | 20 Aug 23 | Larry Johnson

Posted on 08/21/2023 1:54:01 PM PDT by delta7

When the history of Russia’s proxy war against NATO — i.e., the Special Military Operation in Ukraine — it will mark the point in history where conventional military operations predicated on doctrine established in World War II will be vanquished. ISR — i.e., Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance — is the true game changer and Russia, not NATO nor Ukraine, emerges as the military that has recognized this reality and adjusted its tactics accordingly. The West, by contrast, was lulled into complacency over the last twenty years because it employed its ISR, especially drones, against enemies that could not counter Western technology or shoot down our drones.

It is now impossible for conventional militaries to move men and equipment without being detected. During World War II the Soviets and the Brits were very creative and effective in deception operations, such as creating fictitious armies, that fooled the Germans into believing an attack was coming from one direction while failing to detect the real build up of forces. Locating enemy forces on the move or gathering in strength relied solely on fixed wing aerial surveillance, limited interception of encrypted communications and human sources (i.e. spies).

Today, the ISR capability of both the West and Russia is like the all-seeing eye of Sauron. During World War II darkness and cloud cover enabled commanders to move forces without a great risk of being detected. That is no longer the case, especially with satellite coverage of contested territory. Satellite optics and those on board fixed wing aircraft — both manned and unmanned — pierce the night and the clouds.

What does this mean for the Generals charged with preparing and executing battle plans? You must assume you are being watched by the other side and take measures to mitigate the various eyes watching your troops move into battle.

This brings me to the Ukrainian counter offensive and why it is failing. Ukraine, following the advice of NATO planners, is sending its forces across heavily mined, open fields without any air cover. This is the equivalent of a World War II banzai charge by despairing Japanese soldiers who are low on ammunition. They ran towards entrenched American positions hoping their numbers would overwhelm the defenders. They rarely succeeded and suffered devastating casualties in the process.

Today Ukraine is employing a similar tactic. But Ukraine is not sending 200,000 men in thousands of tanks and armored personnel carriers hoping to overwhelm Russia’s capability fire enough artillery, drones, missiles and bombs to stop the assault. Instead it is sending units, perhaps as large as 2000 men with a scattering of tanks and vehicles, and are melting away in the face of a Russian firestorm.

The following videos highlight the desperate plight of the Ukrainian forces:

Video

If you want a benchmark for comparisons sake I suggest you read Big Serge’s latest on substack — Götterdämmerung in the East. The size and scale of the Soviet offensives in 1944 and 1945 dwarf anything happening today in Ukraine but illustrate the power of large scale troop movements backed up by robust artillery, thousands of tanks and air superiority. Neither Ukraine nor NATO are capable of anything on this scale.

Russia is being very chary about revealing publicly its disposition of forces. However, I find it hard to believe that the United States and NATO, thanks to their ISR assets, do not have a pretty good idea of how many troops Russia has deployed along the 900 mile line of conflict. Any plans for attacking a strong point is a simple math problem — you have to have enough men and firepower to overwhelm the Russians. Yet we know the answer to that calculation — Ukraine is lacking in manpower, tanks, vehicles, artillery, mobile air defense and combat air. It does not have the power to punch through all of the Russian defenses, much less even the first line of defense erected by General Surovikin last fall.

So here is the billion dollar question — why did the West not encourage, hell, demand that Ukraine use Himars and Storm Shadow missiles to attack those defensive lines while they were being constructed? I believe the answer is simple — Ukraine lacked the offensive tools required for such a mission and, even if such supplies had been available, the odds are high that Russia could have thwarted those efforts.

We are witnessing military malpractice by the West on a grand scale. Did the NATO planners really believe the propaganda nonsense that portrayed the Russian military as a decrepit, doddering army of incompetents? If so, the West is now learning a very hard lesson and now must come to grips with the fact that NATO’s delusional calculation that Ukraine could shatter the Russian military is a complete bust.


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To: delta7

Decimated

Saturday, August 19, 2023, in the morning report to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the irretrievable military operational losses of manpower of the personnel of the RF Armed Forces are 267,418 people. Data as of 6:00 Moscow time today.

This figure, excluding data on the losses of Russian PMCs taking part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, on Tuesday, August 1, is 76,192 dead.

Most of the Russian PMCs came under the control of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and their losses are now an integral part of the total losses, since August 1, a separate calculation has not been conducted.
https://t.me/generalsvr2/515


21 posted on 08/21/2023 2:47:04 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: Persevero

“To decimate means to cut by 10%.”

That’s the historical meaning, yes.


22 posted on 08/21/2023 2:47:10 PM PDT by Jyotishi (Seeking the truth, a fact at a time.)
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To: delta7

The “collective west” thought that they would only have to maintain “the narrative” for a while until the Russian economy collapsed. It is equivalent to the Russians opening gambit in the Special Military Operation, they thought the Ukes would crumble. Not so and then had to retreat to a defensible line and mobilize.

The west is finding out that to militarily prevail they will have to mobilize. That will take years - think artillery production.


23 posted on 08/21/2023 2:48:58 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: alternatives?

You think Poland and Ukrainians hate our guts? Why, because it fits into your fantasy?

Ukraine is fighting with our help, Poland is a NATO ally that wants to be even more aggressive.

Maybe they would hate your guts but that’s another story.


24 posted on 08/21/2023 2:49:15 PM PDT by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
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To: delta7

All this and simply the fact that dug in defensive positions tend to wreak havoc on an offensive enemy.


25 posted on 08/21/2023 2:49:34 PM PDT by vpintheak (There is no Trans. There is only mentally ill)
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To: Persevero

Ukraine losses are big, but not at the level of WW1.

Royal Newfoundland Regiment, August 1, 1916 (Somme) had 110 survivors out of 780 and only 68 unwounded.

And there were other Regiments with even greater losses.


26 posted on 08/21/2023 2:50:46 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: alternatives?

The finger

Points back to obombo

Diversity

Gay liberation - supremacy


27 posted on 08/21/2023 2:53:53 PM PDT by Firehath
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To: Reverend Wright

Bakhmut

Whole brigades went missing


28 posted on 08/21/2023 2:55:28 PM PDT by Firehath
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To: tlozo

How does it feel to be wrong about everything regarding this war?


29 posted on 08/21/2023 2:56:09 PM PDT by JonPreston ( ✌ ☮️ )
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To: Persevero

Thank you.

You forgot the penalty flag though.

Fifteen yards for incorrect use of the old Roman term “Decimate” - I.E. kill one out of ten, the punishment for a Roman army unit that had underperformed in battle.


30 posted on 08/21/2023 2:56:22 PM PDT by OKSooner (Maybe Quix was right about some stuff. Pronouns=(XY, XYim, XY's))
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To: Persevero

Right, or annihilate. You likely know this already, but the word came from military discipline in the Roman legion. Every tenth man in a group was executed by other soldiers.


31 posted on 08/21/2023 2:57:40 PM PDT by quilterdebbie (We will endeavor to persevere!)
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To: delta7

While all those Ukrainian soldiers died, at least their bosses got new condos in Spain…


32 posted on 08/21/2023 2:57:45 PM PDT by WKUHilltopper
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To: Williams

Ukraine lost. You were wrong about NATO.


33 posted on 08/21/2023 2:58:28 PM PDT by JonPreston ( ✌ ☮️ )
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To: Reverend Wright

There was at least one town in Ireland that learned that all their young men, stupidly deployed into a “Chums Battalion”, had all been killed. All in the same spot in The Battle of the Somme, 1916.


34 posted on 08/21/2023 3:00:24 PM PDT by OKSooner (Maybe Quix was right about some stuff. Pronouns=(XY, XYim, XY's))
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

3 times. Liver, bowel, and pancreatic.


35 posted on 08/21/2023 3:07:10 PM PDT by EEGator
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To: delta7
Ukraine, following the advice of NATO planners

I have zero confidence and respect in NATO’s and our woke generals. We have a track record of losing. They don’t even seem to be the least bit upset about it as long as they rotate into defense contractor jobs.

I have zero confidence and respect for the CinC. When Biden is out of office it is imperative that we correct the course of our military. Like education, it’s not a matter of money. The military needs to be cleansed of woke officers all the way down to BCs. Faggots, gender deniers and women need to be discharged. Our forces need to be consolidated and mostly moved to the homeland, that includes exiting NATO. We have enough of our own losers that we don’t need to associate with the losers in NATO. We need to project power only in the South China Sea and Strait of Taiwan.

We need to be energy self sufficient so we do not rely on the ME. We know that is doable. We need to become self sufficient in semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and other products that we rely on China. Once that is complete we cut defense commitments with Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. They are big boys now just like Europe. They can pay for their own defense. I have no problem selling them weapons at a profit so they can defend themselves. These are some of the things that will make America great again.

We will be great when we can provide for ourselves and when we can defend the homeland. We are doing neither now.

36 posted on 08/21/2023 3:12:56 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA (The Delay Trump’s trial, delay. Elect Trump President. Trump pardons himself. )
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To: Williams

“Ukrainians fighting for Ukraine in Ukraine against an invader,”

A lot are paying bribes to avoid. Of the remainder, I think once it is over, many will realize it was a mistake.


37 posted on 08/21/2023 3:20:49 PM PDT by alternatives?
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To: Williams

Many are paying bribes not to serve. I think after the war is over many who served will feel dupped. They were close to a peace deal in May of last year, but England and us said no.

Early in the war, Poland certainly didn’t send fighter plans on their own when they could have. Germany is signaling no further escalation.

Go on and cheer for the NWO. Maybe in your fantasy it will be a great place.


38 posted on 08/21/2023 3:28:40 PM PDT by alternatives?
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To: tennmountainman

Unfortunately, in the house I rent space in, it is now full of single male, under 35 Ukes, all having been living o/s of Youcraint for at least 3 years. Why is Canaduh letting them in? Why aren’t they at home, defending their ‘homeland’? None of these jackasses have any job skills.

Calgary, and likely all of Canaduh, is FULL of newly landed Ukes. They are generally, loud, boorish, demanding and ignorant, and expect Canaduh to do everything for them. They are as bad as mohamedans and Africans, afa manners.


39 posted on 08/21/2023 3:32:06 PM PDT by A Formerly Proud Canadian ( Ceterum autem censeo Justinius True-dope-us esse delendam)
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To: delta7

“WHY RUSSIA IS DECIMATING THE UKRAINE COUNTER OFFENSIVE”

This was expected, given the skill and experience of the Russians. And deep down, I strongly suspect, the NATO planners knew this all along, but since they were Ukrainians...(I’ll leave it there).


40 posted on 08/21/2023 3:33:25 PM PDT by BobL (Trump has all the right Enemies; DeSantis has all the wrong Friends)
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