Putin has admitted he intends to reconstruct the former USSR by force. This is proving more difficult than planned. Crimea was a cake wale thanks to Obama. Even if he does manage to take 20% of eastern Ukraine, he has to keep it.
Putins 2nd challenge is his military. It’s been decimated in the first 100 days. Over 30k dead of his peacetime army. His higher end tanks and armor have been severely depleted, his air forces basically grounded, and Black Sea fleet badly mauled. Putin is now reactivating his T62 inventories of high 50% are non operational. Last article I read, he has 10,000 of these rusting in some depot. It will take half or more to be used as spare parts to make up a fighting force.
The T62 is slower, less armored, uses 25% more of logistical requirements, and can travel half of modern MBTs before refueling. There lies the problem for Russia. They want to expand to NATO countries with sub par equipment and materiel. Not a good position for them to be in.
Finally, Russia is now using Siberian troops as replacements for those lost. They don’t know the terrain plus Russia is weaker in Siberia. China has to be licking its chops at this.
Please provide a link to your statement. I have never seen anything like that.
“Putin has admitted he intends to reconstruct the former USSR by force.”
Thanks.
And, just a heads up, the 30,000 dead number you indicated is not accurate. No one, but Ukraine, has made that estimate, including the Pentagon. And Ukraine routinely and deliberately lies in most of the info they provide.
On June 1 they said they were losing 60-100 troops a day.
On June 11 they said they were losing 100-200 a day.
On June 14 they said they had 200-500 a day DEAD and up to 1,000 a day counting the wounded.