[cue sad trombone WOMP WOMP]
Posted on 08/16/2023 7:28:56 PM PDT by Kazan
The cold, hard truth in the war between Russia and Ukraine today is that Ukraine’s last-gasp offensive has failed, and no amount of spin will change the outcome.
As Part 1 of this series examining the past performance and current capacity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) detailed, Kyiv’s troops in 2022 achieved some exceptional and major battlefield successes. Hope was high heading into 2023 that these wins would pave the way to ultimate victory in the war. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian senior leadership suffered from a combination of bad decisions, an overestimation of their own capacity, and – sadly – an overestimation of the efficacy of Western military gear.
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Bakhmut was a medium-sized town of about 70,000. It had some tactical significance for whoever possessed it, but by itself cannot be considered critical at even an operational level. Ukraine had held the town, but by early March, Wagner reached the eastern outskirts of the city. The military necessity for Ukraine at that time was to withdraw from Bakhmut to the next defended line to the west.
From this new position, Ukraine’s ability to defend would have been stronger and Russia’s task to attack the new Ukrainian lines more difficult because the Ukraine side would have had the high ground and open fields of fire through which Russia would have to advance, making any assault extremely difficult and costly in terms of men and equipment. But by staying in Bakhmut, the task for the Russians was much easier. Now, Russia could move to within literal meters of the Ukrainian positions within Bakhmut without being seen. The Bakhmut defenders were at a disadvantage from that point forward.
However, Zelensky chose to press the fight anyway. For months, senior U.S. leaders warned the Ukrainian president the battle was unwinnable and to move to other defensive positions. Not only did he refuse to withdraw to a superior fighting position, he ordered his men not to give up so much as a single building, forcing them to fight to the death. Month after month, Zelensky sent brigade after brigade to reinforce Bakhmut in an effort to reverse the tide.
Not only was it painfully obvious that military fundamentals made clear there was little rational hope of stopping Wagner’s drive to capture Bakhmut, but many of those brigades Zelensky sent in futile aid to help Bakhmut were also urgently needed in the upcoming spring and summer offensive. Two days after Bakhmut’s fall, Zelensky was still defiant, claiming the city had not fallen. In 2022, Zelensky’s tenacity and unwillingness to compromise resulted in blunting Russia’s invasion and then inflicting two major operational defeats.
Neocons did not learn from Vietnam fiasco.
Neocons did not learn from Iraq fiasco.
Neocons did not learn from Afghan fiasco.
Neocons will not learn from Ukraine fiasco.
I am guessing next will be Taiwan fiasco.
Add up the cost in blood and treasure of these stupid unnecessary foreign wars, which accomplished nothing, but added Trillions to the national debt.
President Eisenhower was right when he warned Americans of the military-Industrial complex.
no reverse gear, as the boys at The Duran always say.
Keep shrieking into that echo chamber, y’all.
[cue sad trombone WOMP WOMP]
Maybe Niger next. Even more useless than Ukraine.
Nonsense.
The Ukrainians never had the initiative. They could have bought a lot more time for themselves by not battling over Bakhmut, or engaging in their ridiculous and costly "spring offensive," but at no time since the start if the war did the Ukrainians have any hope of "winning."
He was indeed.
They got paid for all those fiascos though.
That’s the only important thing.
Russia may not be losing the war but RUZZIA is suffering defeat after humiliating defeat.
“The Hard Reality: Ukraine’s Last-Gasp Offensive Has Failed”
No surprise regarding this outcome, but it did manage to get a few more Russians killed, so what’s the downside?
(Neocon perspective)
Ukrainian military were brave and did the best they could.
But they were backed by the United States, unfortunately, who doesn’t fight wars to win. Wars are a way to launder money to elites:
“The goal is to use Afghanistan to wash money out of the tax bases of the US & Europe through Afghanistan and back into the hands of a transnational security elite. The goal is an endless war, not a successful war”
—Julian Assange
No worries, I’m reading there will be a Spring 2024 Counteroffensive.
I sh!t you not.
The rats have controlled the military for 11 of the last 15 years. So it’s exponentially worse than it was when Ike warned us.
Why the _____k hasn’t won the effing war yet! Seriously?
The Germans were on the defensive on the Eastern Front from 1943-1945. Their most effective tactic was to create strong points with multilayered defenses at critical junctions. The Russians eventually overwhelmed and took those positions but at enormous cost and casualties. Americans alive today should be eternally grateful that the Russians at such great cost to themselves mauled the best of the German army. The allied invasion and liberation of Europe would have been far more costly if the Russians, unlike most of the countries attacked by the Nazis, had not fought so tenaciously. The Russians paid a heavy price but learned and appreciated the German tactics. The Ukrainians despite the armaments and technology provided by the West found themselves attacking multilayered , well planned defenses that cost them huge losses. Sadly this useless meat grinder will churn on.
It’s impossible to be more useless than Ukraine.
You NeoSoviets sure like to use the term Neocon. Obama’s promise of greater flexibility to the Russians is backed up by you and your freedom-hating cohorts.
The Ukrainians are making steady progress. They are not killing just a few Russians. The have inflicted a quarter of a million casualties. They will never stop until your Mohammedan mercenaries and Russian convicts are driven out of Ukraine.
“They will never stop until your Mohammedan mercenaries and Russian convicts are driven out of Ukraine.”
If they don’t sue for peace first.
They are going to be cut off, and everyone knows it.
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