Russia’s Military Chief Promised Quick Victory in Ukraine, but Now Faces a Potential Quagmire

WSJ ^ | 06-MAR-2022 | Thomas Grove

[woodpusher]

How has the WSJ come to know this? Or is it just propaganda?

Obviously, the author Thomas Grove was in the room and observed Putin look down a long table at his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, and saw Shoigu nod in assent. Or perhaps Grove is capable of doing "remote viewing" as some psychics do. /s

[woodpusher]

“American Express Suspends Operations in Russia and Belarus”

Russia moved to Chinese issued credit cards.

[cgbg]

Journalists (and many Freepers) use Ouija boards, remote viewing, witches brews and dowsing to read minds.

Science!

[marktwain]

If Russia wanted to break the place....they could do it in a day......

It is what we are told... over and over and over.

There are two possibilities.

One, is Russia is very restrained in its operations.

Two is Russian power has been vastly overestimated.

It is possible for both to be in play.

It maybe they are restrained, and have far less actual combat power than we have been told.

Those may form a feedback loop, creating a Russian disaster.

Restraint may have been used long enough to create a powerful resistance, which has broken the Russian ability to move fuel and ammunition, effectively and significantly reducing their combat power.

[Drew68]

When only the losses of one side are considered newsworthy, it's easy to think the other side is winning.

In truth, Twitter is going to have a meltdown in the coming weeks. The bulk of the Ukranian army, which has been stationed on the east fighting the DPR/LPR breakaway factions since 2014, is facing total annihilation. They'll be surrounded in the Donbas kessel, cut off, and wiped out after which the Russian army will regroup and take Kiev from the south.

And all those airplanes we're sending them? The Russians will crater every useable airfield in Ukraine, leaving only NATO bases from which they can operate.

[Hieronymus]

I am assuming that you are including the Crimea and what they already effectively held in the 50%, which makes 50% less impressive, even in accurate.

[SpeedyInTexas]

“take Kiev from the south”

Certainly possible. But maybe not as simple as you think.

It is about 800km from Mariupol to Kyiv. That is a long distance for supply lines. Ukrainian forces let the tanks pass and then hit the fuel trucks which have no armor.

The Russians are having trouble bringing in supplies 50km from Belarus to Kyiv.

[SpeedyInTexas]

“Russia moved to Chinese issued credit cards”

I have 2 UnionPay debit cards. One issued by ICBC and one issued by CCB in China.

It is a pain to use them in the US. I’ve pulled some of my gray hair out on them.

The ICBC card only has a chip, not a mag strip on the back. That chip won’t work in the US - even though UnionPay has an agreement with Discover to allow them.

The mag strip on the back works some places. But first, most retailers force you to try the chip 3 times and after 3 failures, can use the strip.

Another problem is Chinese banks have 6 digit pins for the UnionPay debit cards. They makes them hard to use for online purchases because most website only let you enter 4 digits.

Chinese people know to bring Visa/Mastercard abroad and not expect their UnionPay to work well.

[ScottinVA]

That’s exactly right. This will go down just as it did in Afghanistan. The Russians thought they’d just rip through there like a hot knife through butter… they’re going to be pinned down for a long time.

[SpeedyInTexas]

“Moscow and Moscow oblast are running out of insulin, apparently. I’m really surprised by this you would think there would be a Russian made generic. Perhaps it was panic buying as everyone is worried about medicines disappearing from the market.”

[SpeedyInTexas]

“Russia is recruiting Syrians skilled in urban combat to fight in Ukraine” -WSJ.

[OldWarBaby]

Well, well, well-—so Pootin has his own Austin/Milley crash crew. My Mom used to say maybe we could just put all the generals in a big room and let them duke it out-—leave our boys out of it?

[1forest1]

I think there’s a flaw in your logic. NATO is top heavy. Too many industrialists and bankers and not enough soldiers. Expanding NATO to the eastern block fixes that problem. Ukraine and Poland are full of quality soldiers that are badly needed by NATO.

[whistleduck]

Yes it does appear to display Putin as off-kilter. Reminds me of the recluse Howard Hughes. Older he got, the more reportedly germophobic and isolated he became. Throw in the China virus fear and the guy must be trembling behind every long table.
Or he is just displaying white guy racism of some sort? See any peculiar pronouns in the photo?

[woodpusher]

I have 2 UnionPay debit cards. One issued by ICBC and one issued by CCB in China.

It is a pain to use them in the US.

Customer satisfaction and the US market are not instant concerns. AMEX, MC, and Visa have made China a sole-source provider for the Russian market. I reckon China says thank you very much.

[Jimmy Valentine]

I am reminded that our own General Milley chief at the Pentagon forecast that 72 hours would be enough time for Russia to roll over Ukraine.