The Ukrainians have to be willing to cede territory and fall back to the urban centers and fight there the way the Chechens did in Grozny. That takes a level of disciple to accept that kind of damage to inflict high losses on the invader. Can they do that? I think they might. What other choice do they have?
“The Ukrainians have to be willing to cede territory and fall back to the urban centers and fight there the way the Chechens did in Grozny. That takes a level of disciple to accept that kind of damage to inflict high losses on the invader. Can they do that? I think they might. What other choice do they have?”
You are on to something here. May I recommend this article from the Center for Strategic and International Studies:
https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-possible-invasion-ukraine
It is a long read, but quite fascinating.
Some interesting points: Destroying railroads in Kharkiv, opening dams to flood areas near Dnepr River, Ukraine has a 900,000-man reserve force - need time to mobilize.
“A Ukraine that is willing to fight for itself is a Ukraine worth supporting. While the Ukraine of 2022 is not a perfect democracy, neither was Poland in 1939 when Britain and France decided that their principles and security interests made it necessary to draw the line against Nazi aggression along its borders. The key to thwarting Russian ambitions is to prevent Moscow from having a quick victory and to raise the economic, political, and military costs by imposing economic sanctions, ensuring political isolation from the West, and raising the prospect of a prolonged insurgency that grinds away the Russian military. In this war, Russia might have the watches, but the West and Ukraine may have the time.”