Posted on 05/21/2024 9:26:02 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
Everyone expected Russia to launch a new offensive in Ukraine on May 9. That’s because May 9 is Victory Day in Russia – the day the country celebrates the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
It’s a symbolic day for a war of choice that’s less about territory or resources than it is about Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s conception of himself as a new Russian emperor lording over a thriving Russian empire.
But Putin’s new Russian empire is a farce, albeit a nightmarishly bloody one. And his Victory Day offensive is a farce, too. Less than two weeks after the first Russian platoons marched across Ukraine’s northern border with Russia, just north of Kharkiv, the Russian operation has ground to a halt after just a few miles.
Even worse for the nearly 500,000-person Russian army of occupation in Russia, the northern offensive has overextended Russian logistics and armor support and forced unprotected infantry to attack on foot. The Russian casualty rate was high before Victory Day. Now it’s catastrophically high as Ukrainian mechanized brigades reinforce the northern front.
-snip-
No one outside of the Kremlin knows what the offensive’s actual military objectives were supposed to be. But in strictly military terms, the offensive almost certainly wasn’t worth it. Not only did the Russians fail to gain control of any important terrain, they also squandered offensive firepower that might have made more of a difference elsewhere along the 700-mile front line.
One possibility is that Russian commanders hoped their 30,000-strong northern force would break through Ukrainian defences and drive toward Kharkiv, 20 miles to the south. Alternatively, they may have intended for Ukrainian commanders to think the Russians were aiming for Kharkiv – all in order to compel the Ukrainians to redeploy every available brigade from
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I wish both would be destroyed. Two worthless countries having war games.
Kharkov city promoted to best night sky observatory in Europe!
Prepare your personal parade generators!
I imagine that’s why the Piano Puppet is smiling...
Doink the dicktater.
Comrad, when you post too excitedly, you sometimes forget to insert grammatical articles.
You got pics of them all!!
I finally read a David "Sissy SoyBoy" Axe article.
Since Little Davey was telling us breathlessly about all the horrendous Russian casualties, I was curious to see what he said about Ukrainian casualties.
Near as I could tell, there have been no Ukrainian casualties - only "powerful mechanized Ukrainian brigades" zipping from place to place on the battlefield, filled to full strength with tireless Ukrainian warriors who never need to be rested or refitted or replaced in the line.
Ukraine also has an air force, as I also found out!
"the Ukrainian air force might simply bomb [a Russian-occupied building] into rubble"
It's an amazing work of fiction by war novelist David Axe...
What your pedo JoeNocchio doink?
Crimea in 2 Days.
, following a six-month legislative blockade by Russia-friendly Republicans
Stopped reading after this
Does anyone remember what this war is supposed to be about?
Russia is attacking Ukraine and the Ukraine people are fighting for their lives and survival as a nation.
But when those same British papers say something that is positive for Russia suddenly you think they are the absolute truth. Why is that?
The cost to Russian families is enormous.
I rarely post on the Ukraine war. Occasionally I will through a quote on an Ukraine thread to piss of the propaganda Zeeperheads. It that is about it.
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