Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Gen. Mark Milley breathes a sigh of relief: A 'general' emerges who's even worse than he is: How competent does a general have to be to lose nearly 500 troops at one Ukrainian river?
American Thinker ^ | 05/18/2022 | Monica Showalter

Posted on 05/18/2022 7:02:36 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

It must be good times for U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Mark Milley.

Just as Jimmy Carter breathes a sigh of relief that he's no longer America's worst president, Milley, who commanded the disastrous U.S. Afghanistan pullout, is no longer the world's worst general.

That 'honor' now goes to Vlad Putin, who, according to The Guardian, citing U.S. intelligence sources, is the "general" who directly, specifically, brought Russia its biggest military failure in its "special operation" against Ukraine. He was out there playing "colonel," the report said.

It was ugly.

According to the New York Times:

On May 11, the Russian command reportedly sent about 550 troops of the 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 41st Combined Arms Army to cross the Donets River at Bilohorivka, in the eastern Luhansk region, in a bid to encircle Ukrainian forces near Rubizhne.

Satellite images reveal that Ukrainian artillery destroyed several Russian pontoon bridges and laid waste to a tight concentration of Russian troops and equipment around the river.

The Institute for the Study of War, citing analyses based on the publicly available imagery, indicated that there could have been as many as 485 Russian soldiers killed or wounded and more than 80 pieces of equipment destroyed.

The Times points out that the military error, which cost Russia hundreds of lives and a 73-piece loss of equipment at one pop, was very obvious to Russia's military bloggers, who are a pro-Russia bunch.

They are now having misgivings about the "generals" at the top who engineered the catastrophe:

“I’ve been keeping quiet for a long time,” Yuri Podolyaka, a war blogger with 2.1 million followers on Telegram, said in a video posted on Friday, saying that he had avoided criticizing the Russian military until now.


(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: bidenbotfarm; bidenbotsonfr; chechens; chechnya; generals; incompetence; neocons4biden; pedos4biden; pedosforputin; putin; putinlovertrollsonfr; putinsbuttboys; putinworshippers; russia; russianaggression; scottritter; uketards; ukraine; ukraineslushfund; zottherussiantrolls; zotthesorostrolls
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last

1 posted on 05/18/2022 7:02:36 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

FROM THE GUARDIAN:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/16/putin-involved-russia-ukraine-war-western-sources

[EXCERPT]

Vladimir Putin has become so personally involved in the Ukraine war that he is making operational and tactical decisions “at the level of a colonel or brigadier”, according to western military sources.

The Russian president is helping determine the movement of forces in the Donbas, they added, where last week the invaders suffered a bloody defeat as they tried on multiple occasions to cross a strategic river in the east of Ukraine.

The sources added that Putin is still working closely with Gen Valery Gerasimov, the commander of the Russian armed forces, in contrast to claims made by Ukraine last week that the military chief had been sidelined.

“We think Putin and Gerasimov are involved in tactical decision making at a level we would normally expect to be taken by a colonel or a brigadier,” the military source said, referring to the ongoing battle in the east of Ukraine.


2 posted on 05/18/2022 7:04:11 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I am sure the Taliban will be more than willing to trade the Ruskies some of the billions of dollars of military equipment we left behind for oil, gas or wheat.


3 posted on 05/18/2022 7:05:15 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Did that Russian general leave behind millions of dollars of perfectly good equipment? If not, Milley is still at the top of the incompetency list.


4 posted on 05/18/2022 7:06:12 AM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Tomorrow the United States Senate will vote to give $40 billion to pay for the pensions and benefits of Ukrainian citizens. That's $40,000,000,000.00 we do not have.

Neocons Are Dangerous

5 posted on 05/18/2022 7:07:49 AM PDT by JonPreston (Q: Never have so many, been so wrong, so often)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Did any Russian general comment on Milley’s Afghan withdrawal?


6 posted on 05/18/2022 7:09:49 AM PDT by NorseViking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I think this river crossing was just a diversion.


7 posted on 05/18/2022 7:13:00 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham ("God is a spirit, and man His means of walking on the earth.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NorseViking

The Russian probably used it for a blueprint...😁


8 posted on 05/18/2022 7:13:48 AM PDT by SMARTY (“Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face.” Thomas Sowell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: NorseViking

I think their actions by moving in on Ukraine speaks for themselves.

America leadership is weak, delusional and navel gazing globalist.


9 posted on 05/18/2022 7:14:08 AM PDT by RedMonqey (Fu%k the Ballot box. Now the Cartridge Box)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman
I am sure the Taliban will be more than willing to trade the Ruskies some of the billions of dollars of military equipment we left behind for oil, gas or wheat.

Ever see the Three Stooges try to fire an artillery piece?

10 posted on 05/18/2022 7:14:12 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham ("God is a spirit, and man His means of walking on the earth.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I guess the author never heard of the Battle of Antietam. Casualties were a lot more (and in a single day). Plus, that was before the advent of automatic weapons.


11 posted on 05/18/2022 7:14:25 AM PDT by rbg81
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Nah, woke Milley is still the worst and an embarrassment to the USA


12 posted on 05/18/2022 7:14:39 AM PDT by CarolinaReaganFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JonPreston

During the Vietnam War, Johnson was making military decisions similar to what Putin supposedly is doing. The lesson in both wars is that politicians should allow the professionals to make the strategic and tactical decisions.


13 posted on 05/18/2022 7:16:04 AM PDT by JGPhila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

This was like the Battle of San Jacinto.

Just a complete whooping unheard of since WWI.


14 posted on 05/18/2022 7:16:42 AM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr Ramsbotham

“I think this river crossing was just a diversion.”

A diversion to the bottom of the river.


15 posted on 05/18/2022 7:18:35 AM PDT by ought-six (Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Leaning Right

“B”.


16 posted on 05/18/2022 7:19:19 AM PDT by OKSooner ("What is your name, Joe?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SMARTY

Pretty sure they consulted that Mexican President who lost his leg to the Texans.


17 posted on 05/18/2022 7:19:27 AM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: rbg81

“I guess the author never heard of the Battle of Antietam.”

The bloodiest day in American history.


18 posted on 05/18/2022 7:20:04 AM PDT by ought-six (Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

There is much more to the story. Crossing a river in a hostile environment is not an unusual military necessity. Most armies routinely train for such missions. However what is new is the type of weapons and technology being deployed to resist such crossings. Drones, positioning technology, artillery guidance systems and smart munitions now make the procedure far more hazardous and unlikely to succeed. Suspect the officer in charge of the crossing was targeted and killed early. The tanks bunched and the rest followed. Its a whole new military reality. If history is a guide many young soldiers will die before the generals in all the world’s armies come to understand and change tactics.


19 posted on 05/18/2022 7:20:08 AM PDT by allendale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Leaning Right

I noticed something with that Afghanistan withdrawal. All the top military guys over there had watery eyes that set my gaydar off. Same with the surgeon general people during Warp Speed.


20 posted on 05/18/2022 7:20:56 AM PDT by Pollard (Don't ask if there's a conspiracy. If you're not in one, you need to start one. CA Fitts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson