Posted on 02/27/2022 4:22:32 AM PST by Kaslin
I once respected Vladimir Putin for his effectiveness, although I emphatically did not like what he did to neighboring countries, and also Russians with whom he disagreed. One can similarly respect the effectiveness of other despots such as Peter the Great and Catherine the Great without liking how they treated other countries or even their own people. When Peter the Great built Saint Petersburg, for example, tens of thousands of workers died from disease and privation, and some were eaten by wolves in the streets.
Putin's invasion of Ukraine, however, demonstrates a colossal lack of judgment that reveals him to be more like Nicholas II than Peter the Great. Nicholas II was the Tsar whose mismanagement of the Russo-Japanese War lost the entire Baltic Fleet at Tsushima, whose blunders led to the revolution of 1905, and who sent soldiers who lacked rifles to fight Germany in 1914. This is exactly why he was Russia's last Tsar; as stated by General Patton, "[People] love a winner and will not tolerate a loser."
Recent news reports show that the supposedly mighty Russian Army, including its massive helicopters and state-of-the-art tanks, are making limited headway against Ukraine's numerically inferior forces. The Russian Air Force has failed to gain absolute control of the air despite its numerical superiority and possession of fifth-generation stealth fighters. Even if Russian numbers eventually prevail, this fiasco has already told the world that the supposedly mighty Russian Bear is far weaker than he wants the world to know.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
CA, what makes you think Pootie-Poot is the guy calling the shots?
Ok, let’s hear your expert, fact-based analysis of why Russia is doing this and who’s “calling the shots” if not Putin. 🙄
An unexplained insinuation is not enough.
Russian troop strength in the area was reported at about 150,000.
The Ukrainian forces are reported at 200,000 on active duty, and about a million reserves (sort of like our National Guard).
The equipment is lopsided, so that is difficult to determine.
How many Javelins equal a Russian tank? How many Turkish drones make up for a Russian jet?
If Russian forces are at the gates of Kiev making further headway means urban combat. For what purpose? To get a Big Mac at a Kiev McDonald’s?
Once a city is surrounded the invader should let the stomachs of the residents of the city fight the battle.
Putin can win. It just depends on how brutal he wants to be on the battlefield and in governing the conquered land. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it’s doable. We’ll see how far he’s willing to go.
Waiting to see if anyone takes the fight into Russia.
I have no idea what assets could reach Russian cities from afar (let’s leave nukes out of the equation for sake of discussion).
I asked a question.
Why the non-responsive, snarky comment?
All the Russians have to do is dig trenches around surrounded cities and wait.
Americans generally lack patience.
Russian patience exceeds Ukrainian city food supplies.
Let me answer...If there is no evidence that the leader of a country is not “calling the shots”, than common sense dictates he is in fact “calling the shots” as the leader would do.
Does that answer it?
So you’re making an assumption, got it.
Fair enough.
But that’s not how I roll. :-)
Because it was not an honest question. It was a baseless insinuation.
And thank you for your correct answer, FreshPrince. You have way more patience than me for this sort of clownery.
It takes a hell of an army to lay siege to a city.
The numbers required to close off every escape/supply route are bigger than the numbers to try force out all the enemy resistance.
Yes you roll with completely unsubstantiated assertions and expect others to explain how your wrong...
It seems the Russian forces are holding back to minimize the Ukrainian casualties... a sort of minimal incursion that will be tolerated. It is fun to watch the anti gun people praising normal citizens taking up arms to defend their freedoms... d’oh
I still think the attacks outside of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk are to drive Ukraine into talks that result in Ukraine relinquishing those areas. Putin may take Kyiv, he may rain destruction on Kyiv, but I do not believe that he has ever had plans to hold Kyiv. Resistance may be tougher than Putin expected, but I think his goal remains the same. Sanctions won’t bother him enough in the short-term to affect things, and I think this is a short-term war.
I hope Ukraine causes Russia so much pain that Putin won’t try something like this again, but I bet Russia gets Luhansk and Donetsk.
“All the Russians have to do is dig trenches around surrounded cities and wait.”
Time is not on Russia’s side.
It is costing them dearly every day ($20 billion/day has been estimated), while they are losing money from sanctions. They have already accumulated more combat losses than the USA incurred in 20 years in Afghanistan. There are more anti-tank missiles in Ukrainian hands, than there are armored vehicles in the forces Russia has deployed, and more are on the way. The further they go into the Ukraine, the longer and more vulnerable their supply lines become.
The forces they surround the cities with, are themselves surrounded by a much larger Ukrainian population, any one of which could kill their vehicles with a Javelin (or one of the many equivalents now flowing into Ukraine). Without their armored vehicles, they are greatly outnumbered men on foot in a foreign country, looking for a meal and a safe place to sleep.
Yes, but I’ve already seen the same dem trash who praise Ukrainians with guns say “but we don’t need guns because America will never be invaded”.
I see you believe everything the MSM reports as gospel. There is no way the Russians have lost that many soldiers. It amazes me that so many on FR still have so much faith in the propaganda arm of the Democratic party.
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