Virginia state Senator Richard Black served in the state legislature from 1998 to 2019, initially in the lower house, He retired at the end his his 2016-2019 term. Senator Black also served in the U.S. military, on active duty and in the reserves, retiring at the rank of Colonel. He is a social conservative and a long-time critic of U.S. foreign policy. He is like U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, only with a social conservative inclination in domestic policy, instead of a libertarian inclination. So, I count him as a good guy, even though, as I argue below, I think he’s wrong about Ukrainian loses.
Regarding his statement that the Ukrainian counter-offensive has hit “an iron wall,” and that the Ukrainians have suffered massive casualties, this appears to be based on images from multiple angles of a relatively small number of Ukrainian loses.
While recognizing that each life is precious, these losses haven’t been massive. I think Ukraine has lost exactly two German Leopard tanks and something like twenty U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles. These losses were sustained in two separate incidents:
(a) A convoy in the attack was caught in a minefield when the lead vehicle, designed for mine-clearing, was knocked out.
(b) A separate convoy in a rear area moving to the front, was caught by Russian artillery when it was halted in something of a traffic jam.
Even in these cases, many of the crews and passengers in the vehicles survived because western armored vehicles are designed to be “survivable.” For example, ammunition is kept in compartments that are designed to blow out.
Furthermore, the vehicles themselves were recovered by the Ukrainians and, so, can be repaired or, worse case, cannibalized for parts. The two Leopard tanks are already evacuated to Poland for repair; and, the Bradleys that can be repaired are being repaired in Ukraine.
Ukraine is better able to recover vehicles in part because it is on the offensive (and, so, overtakes prior battlefields) and in part because it is better equipped with recovery vehicles.
While some armored vehicles are involved in this counter-attack, the counter-attack is mostly being conducted by infantry in small groups, using infiltration tactics. The bulk of Ukraine’s forces equipped with western-made armored vehicles are currently being held in reserve, presumably to exploit a breakthrough achieved using infiltration tactics.
There actually aren’t enough western-made armored vehicles in the counter-attack for Russian claims to even possibly be true. The Russians are liars, but they aren’t good liars.
Oh who cares - it is narrative that matters - not facts!
“ Regarding his statement that the Ukrainian counter-offensive has hit “an iron wall,” and that the Ukrainians have suffered massive casualties, this appears to be based on images from multiple angles of a relatively small number of Ukrainian loses.”
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PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE DEAD BODIES BEHIND THE CURTAIN.