Posted on 08/17/2022 9:11:58 AM PDT by Mariner
KYIV — For two months, Ukraine has been signaling its intent to recapture the southern city of Kherson in what has been billed as a major counteroffensive and the moment that Kyiv turns the tide against Russia.
What that push will look like is still a mystery, however. Ukrainian artillery and rockets provided by the U.S. and allies have smashed bridges and Russian ammunition depots close to the city, but the larger movement of infantry has yet to happen. Meanwhile, the Russians are reinforcing and digging in.
Ukrainian officials have long said the fate of the war could be decided in the south and claimed that a series of suspicious attacks on Russian military installations far beyond the frontline — including two massive explosions at a Russian airbase in Crimea on Tuesday — indicated the counteroffensive had begun.
But even with billions of dollars worth of weapons from across Europe and North America now in Ukrainian hands, real questions remain over whether it’s enough, and what enough might look like.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
The Ukraine is small? It has more men under arms fighting than do the Russians and its allies combined.
I mean, Ukraine is committing its entire force vs. a Russia that hasn't declared war to enable the full mobilization of its army.
Ukraine, meanwhile, needs billions and billions of foreign dollars and arms just to stay afloat and not have its government collapse in on itself, so let's cool it with the "glorious Ukraine standing strong" crapola.
Wait, they destroying bridges to cut off Russian troops from supplies and they are going to attack in winter when the Dnieper River is frozen solid and can be driven over? Real smart.
All of the cold showers he has been taking and the German BO created by less washing has rattled his mind.
The Ukraine is small? It has more men under arms fighting than do the Russians and its allies combined.You are unable to do a simple search?
Ukraine Population: 44.13 million (2020)You are saying Putin can't plan a war right with the correct amount of men.
Russia Population: 144.1 million (2020)
Depending on which estimates you went with, Ukraine had at least the third largest army in Europe (including Russia) as of late 2021.
Based on the available estimates, the initial forces committed by the Russians to their “special military operation” were also likewise outnumbered by the Ukrainians.
All jokes of Ukraine’s government being a corrupt playground for American Democrats and other globalists aside, its military (after 8 years of American/British/NATO training and armaments) was, at the very least, a conventional peer with Russia at the start of the war.
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I mean, Ukraine is committing its entire force vs. a Russia that hasn't declared war to enable the full mobilization of its army. Ukraine, meanwhile, needs billions and billions of foreign dollars and arms just to stay afloat and not have its government collapse in on itself, so let's cool it with the "glorious Ukraine standing strong" crapola.
“Destroying the bridges of the Dnieper in the south is going to cause supply shortages for the Russians defending Kherson.”
That might work if Russia did not have any of those airplane thingys.
;-)
Based on the available estimates, the initial forces committed by the Russians to their “special military operation” were also likewise outnumbered by the Ukrainians.Speaking of Special Forces and own goals... Putin threw away 50 percent of his Special Forces right at the start of the war when he failed to take the airfields outside Kyiv.
The Russians botched their operations in February. Their initial attempt at blitzkrieg was a huge failure, and they are doing much better now. It’s like the western front during WWI.
They’ll put their eyes out…
Planes to carry the thousands of artillery shells which the Russians fire in day to day operations? Maybe, but kinda doubt it.
But, it is equally true thatthe Kherson salient is a terrible defensive position. The first step in retaking it is to isolate the battlefield, so that's what is happening. The Ukrainians will retake it eventually simply because it is a horrible position.
The only way the Russians can hold it long term is to take expand their foothold west/north of the Dnieper to include a lot more land, and they don't have the force for that.
Geography says it will eventually be Ukrainian again.
You do realize that in terms of landmass, Russia is also over 28 times bigger than Ukraine, right?
Did America commit its entire military to Afghanistan or Iraq? No; we only dedicated enough forces that our military believed was sufficient for the task (which didn't turn out well for us either, with the benefit of hindsight).
And given Putin's own stated goals at the outset (which included demilitarization of Ukraine's armed forces), they don't mind taking their time; if Ukraine wants to keep throwing its men up against the meat grinder of Russian artillery, Putin is content to let them.
The Ukraine also turned the western half of Donetsk into one massive line of fortifications after occupying it in 2014.
The Russians were fools to think ejecting them would be easy.
Correction: The Russians are NOT doing much better now.
The silver lining is this is the second proxy war in a row lost by the World Police. The days of being able to push countries around is almost over and planet earth will be better for it.
Their initial attempt at blitzkrieg was a huge failure, and they are doing much better now.So, a vast failure now then. Which is better than huge failure.
Where do people get this idea Russia failed to take the airport? Kiev acknowledged they took it and held it until the eve of Russia’s withdrawal from the city.
I remember the very infamous clip of a CNN reporter literally going to the airport because he believed the Ukrainian claim that they’d retaken it, and then when he showed up there were VDV standing guard at the perimeter.
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