[advance_copy]

Russia’s aims in the conflict had gone beyond securing the pro-Russian enclaves of South Ossetia = (21st century vesion of) Hitler’s aims in the conflict had gone beyond securing the Sudetenland

[Cicero]

Not good. Not good at all.

[autumnraine]

So much for everyone saying Georgia did this and it was only about South Ossetia.

That was merely an excuse to Russia.

[autumnraine]

Crap! I just realized this means they have ground troops moving to a major city in Georgia.

As the Russian said “Invasion is an American term”.

[caveat emptor]

Abkhazia is in NW part of Georgia, extending almost half way down the Black Sea coast. Border runs NE from Black Sea to Russia.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Wow....they want to shut down the democracy and the pipeline.,..

[DJ Elliott]

There are three primary MSRs thru the caucasus.
The Caspian Sea coast, the Black Sea coast, and the Ossetia passes.

This is about Russia wanting to split the region from NATO.

They are pushing in Ossetia and look like they are on the Black Sea coast as well.

With Georgia split and fighting on two fronts, it falls, that puts Russia in position to do the same to Azerbaijan.
Two axis’ of attack.

Armenia is mopup.

Regain the caucuses and isolate the central Asian Republics from western support.

This is not about Georgia. This is about eight of the former soviet republics being taken or isolated from NATO so that Russia can take over at will. Eight of the 19 countries the Soviet Union lost to the breakup.

Belorusa is already defacto part of Russia. It never really was independent. (I do not count it in the 19.)

That means that Ukraine and Moldova will be the next targets after this operation completes.

This is about the Russian Empire regaining lost territories...

[dila813]

The Russians are venerable, they have no line of retreat, if the tunnel is sealed and the port destroyed, the Russian Army will be stranded and starve in the Winter.

Do we have the guts to help them?

It would only take a few Missiles and Bombs to crush the Russians. We can ask them to abandon their weapons and we will fly them home on commercial airplanes.

It would be a fitting end to this tragedy.