Posted on 08/23/2022 7:09:26 AM PDT by SpeedyInTexas
Russia invaded Ukraine with less than 200k troops, and since they have not taken the whole of Ukraine, you deem them a paper tiger? Militarily that does not make much sense.
I will say this, what they have taken thus far is probably nearing the extent of what is possible with such a small amount of troops.
To me the numbers russia invaded with do not indicate a goal of taking all of Ukraine. Heck there are multiple cities in Ukraine that tactically would take more troops to secure. Honestly, I believe had Ukraine had better leadership the map would look a bit different than we see today.
Ironically, one of Dugin's complaints about Putin was that he waited **too long** to send Russian forces to back the anti-Maidan separatists in 2014 after the Ukrainian military's counteroffensive in July 2014. There were articles at the time about nationalists and separatists complaining of feeling betrayed by Putin.
Yup! Winters are brutal. Russia will disable that nuclear plant that supplies 1/3 of Ukraine as well as having “maintenance” issues on the pipelines to Europe. Trump was once again right.
Above all don’t forget how effing stupid the Germans are. They started this suicidal energy policy in 2005.
https://www.rferl.org/a/1061242.html
Map of Russia pipelines feeding Europe.
https://mapofeurope.com/european-gas-pipeline-map-and-the-ukraine/
The only thing I can say at this point is the Trump would never have allowed such a complete, abject debacle as our high-tailing out of Afghanistan, leaving BILLIONS in equipment and arms, former sympathizers, interpreters, adjuncts and Afghanis in peril as HE did that day. Not to mention the American soldiers he LET die and the Americans-with-credentials remain. He is a demented, despicable excuse for a human, IMO. 81 million votes my ass.
You invade a country where the standing military is committed to fight, pounding the opposing side seems like a logical tactic and again you have no idea what Russia’s objectives really are, which means you are speculating with no real knowledge of the situation, neither do I which makes us even, we know nothing
Yes
Not
The Taliban, having a total force under six digits in 2001, had approximately 15,000 casualties during the initial invasion, compared to 12 US troops who died between October 2001 and March 2002. Of course, given the numerous militias and ragtag nature of the Taliban and its allies from 2001 onward, a reliable headcount is going to be difficult to obtain. However, the United States invaded with assistance from local militias opposed to the Taliban, along with over a dozen other countries and UN backing. (Granted, all of this dazzling success, 20 years on, was for naught, since the Taliban is now back in power with over $7 billion in US military tech to play with that got left behind.)
You're seriously comparing that to a conventional peer-to-peer war between a fraction of Europe's largest army on the home turf of Europe's second or third largest army (depending on how you count force totals)?
Pull the other one.
One key difference must be in Build Strategy.
The US could act in Iraq and Afghanistan with no fear of confrontation by a peer enemy (though of course the US had to deal with plenty of lethal aid in the form of IEDs smuggled in from Iran and Pakistan). There was no chance of suddenly being embroiled in an air war.
The Allies in Ukraine (on the other hand) have to deal with the very real possibility of formal intervention by NATO forces. They can't, can't build a bigger air force than the US. They can't ignore the mass of high-tech tank-killing weapons in the hands of the UDF. And they have to penetrate well-defended modern fortifications that have been laboriously constructed over eight years.
They need to neuter NATO air power and AT weapons by deploying artillery in all its modern forms, backed with Soviet-era levels of ammo-production. All this while deploying only 200K infantry in-theatre (which seems to be a political constraint).
So their core build strategy hinges on massive artillery coupled with drone-jamming and deterrent levels of air defence. Which all makes for slow going.
We might expect to see a modest speed-up after the Kherson elections frees up men for other uses. Or if the UDF tires of its casualties, God help them.
Look at a map -- Russia gains ground every, single day. Hundreds of Ukrainian troops die everyday.
Once Donetsk is cleared, the Russians will gear up to take both Odessa and Kharkiv and everything else east of the Dnieper river. The only thing that can stop that is an unconditional surrender by Ukraine.
Got monekypox yet?
Interesting thread guys, thanks and good evening to all.
Sure, sure, Russia has gotten itself into a quagmire and embarassed itself on the world stage because that’s such a big brain move.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Tell more jokes, you are a funny guy.
Who has the momentum seems to change from day to day.
What I want to know is...where is the case that was filed against the Ukrainians for crimes against humanity in the ICC and joined by many countries?
Must have been swept under the rug.
Imagine that!
I disagree. The “length” of a supply line is not measured in just distance though that is one of the factors. For example, assume the same two cities for source and destination. A supply line by rail is preferred due to the ability to move any cargo, regardless of composition or size. The same supplies delivered via air is much more complicated (considered “longer”) as transport via air is more difficult and often consists of smaller loads that have to have a certain amount of favorable weather.
Ukraine has demonstrated the ability to attack Russia’s ground supply by attacking convoys and routes/bridges. Russia has not yet demonstrated the ability to consistently and effectively attack Ukraine’s supply lines. However Ukraine has to ship from NATO countries.
I was not first to bring it up as a comparison.
NATO air power? Okay
Even Biden propaganda isn't this transparent.
Part two of your true statement is that all the billions the US has sent to Ukraine has disappeared into the corrupt existing system of kickbacks and money laundering which Biden, McConnell,McCain, Graham, Klobuchar, Pelosi’s family, over the many years. It is a system of finance for the DNC, and the mil-industrial “colonels” of the revolving Pentagon door. Biden started with 89 Billion of US hardware, automatic weapons, tanks/armored vehicles, helicopters,small arms and expllosives-— left for the Taliban, when it could have been expedited up to the Northern Alliance/Saudi/Arab Emirates Resistance. To this day the Northern Alliance is kicking Taliban in the North where they dare not go- and the Biden clowns?- they are talking about giving the Taliban money!!! So they can continue to slaughter more.
Winter has already begun in Europe. Hey, WSJ— the Russians are winning and will win over Ukraine by simple attrition. Have you WSJ forgotten the Soviet counterattack agains the entire Eastern Front Nazi army? The Nationalist Russians remember it, generationally, whether the Ukraine consists of what they say are ex-Nazis (harkening back to when the Ukraine gleefully welcomed the Nazis and joined them, as well as White Anti-Communist Russians and Don Cossacks to defeat Stalin’s masses of Red Army.
So- Russia will win, Ukrainian profiteers will skim US money in the millions and Russia will take back territory with a hell of a lot of natural resources. WSJ is completely owned.
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