6214

When you have issues with getting stuck in the mud and fuel, I hear adding a bunch of weight really helps both things.

6215

The Poles already fly F-16s, so the idea is to get them to replace their MiG inventory entirely and send those MiGs to Ukraine

6216

Interesting information on light infantry tactics and the war in Ukraine:

6217

I think we just need to make sure Ukranian government stays total, and Ukraine uses the George Washington strategy of keep pieces on the board so to speak to make the Russians bleed out.

Let sanctions and Russian mothers losing their sons do the work.

6218

It is pretty astounding that the Russians are this bad. I’ve had the thought watching Russian anti-terrorist operations over the years that their special forces looked like crap, but I never imagined anything like this.

6219

I’m a bit worried about the Israeli “mediation” thing. The track record of Israel’s government over the past few decades isn’t exactly encouraging. They have shown a disturbing tendency to throw anyone and everyone under the bus to get what they want, and what they want tends to be at odds often with what I at least would want. Then again, as long as the Ukrainians keep resisting that sort of answers the question. I think the only scary thing would be if for some reason NATO/EU folks suddenly freeze aid and support to Kiev in order to force acquiescence to some sort of Russian occupation to forestall Putin’s wrath.

That supposed FSB leak lined up thread is fascinating. I put it through Google Translate before I saw the link to the already translated version, doh. It certainly reads like something an apparatchik at FSB would write. It has the wring of bureaucratic despair.

6220

Well considering I live in a city that is a primary engagement target I’m really not looking to get my hair mussed.

6221

The fucking fuck?

6222

80 nukes landed is not something we want at any price short of NATO being overrun, and you’re quite likely being optimistic.

WHat you’re suggesting is madness.

6223

I find it strange that he is asserting that things are going to plan.

Russian plan A, was a blitzkrieg, using airborne assault to capture key government buildings decapitated the government while demoralizing the Ukrainian people and the army. The pro-Russian Ukrainians would celebrate the end of the corrupt and incompetent Zelenksy government.

We are now at Plan B, or perhaps D, E, or F. Encircling Kyiv from all sides does make a lot of sense, it also make sense to take the smaller cities first in order to concentrate all the assault groups, on the grand prize, Kyiv.

The siege Kyiv is quite likely and if the bulk of the Ukrainian army is deployed there, it can be destroyed via artillery, air power, and starvation. This will be devastating to Ukrainian resistance.

The problem with Beau and many other Americans when they pronounce 'Russia has lost" is they are using the wrong timeframe. Certainly, over the next year or two, the blood and treasury that Putin puts into Ukraine is going to exceed any economic or political gains. The right time frame is a decade or even two.

The 2nd Chechen war started in 99 and by 2009 organized resistance had stopped, with the key battle being the 3 month seige of Grozny. The Syrian war is going on year 11, but the last two years have basically been a mop up operation. Now, Chechnya is only 1/30 the size of Ukraine but Syria is roughly 1/2 as large.

We are essentially only hearing the very effective Pro-Ukranian propaganda claiming that all of Urkaine is unifed against Putin. Crimea has been annexed for 8 years now, I’ve not heard of a massive resistance effort inside the air. In the breakaway regions, it appears it has been a stalemate, so clearly not all Ukrainian oppose Putin. I have no doubt that Putin, is ruthless enough to employ brutal pacification methods needed to destroy a resistance. No doubt the Ukrainian people are extraordinarily brave, but everyone has breaking point, and watching your neighbors and their families rounded up and shoot, while give pause to even bravest men. Crushing resistance is one area Russia excels at.

6224

I just finished watching this, it is excellent. Most of protestors in the film were in their late teens, or early 20s. So they will be around 30 now, perfect age for leading a resistance. Sadly, I don’t see the Russians being nearly nice as the Ukraine riot police.

6225

We couldn’t and didn’t care to help Chechnya.

Crimea we correctly saw as something Russia was willing to nuke over (Russia wanted that Black Sea access, it’s a vital Russian strategic interest)

Ukrainian rebels we can supply, and punishing Russia is something that well be long-term. Ukraine will be devastated, but we can make Russia have an open sore they can’t stop.

6226

So far we can, and hopefully it will stay that way.
We also said that Assad would fall, and we stand with the protestors in Syria. That hasn’t worked out so well for them.

6227

I guess I was the only one who didn’t read this as serious lol.

6228

The Russians had broad support in Crimea, so I don’t think anyone was expecting that.

Meanwhile the Russians seem to be bombing villages and hamlets inside Ukraine more or less at random. Apparently they haven’t changed at all since Afghanistan. If there is a Ukrainian who doesn’t already want their blood, the Russians are certainly doing everything they can to give them a reason.

6229
6230

I had my doubts but when it’s a paraphrase from Dr. Strangelove you’re right that the intent was likely tongue in cheek.*

*speaking of which I find it very hard to believe George C. Scott’s later claims that he wasn’t aware he was playing a caricature of gung ho militarism in that movie. The name of his character alone, and lines like the “hair mussed” one, belie that.

6231

I just assumed it was a reference to Dr Strangelove.

6232

Yeah, I thought it was kind of obvious.

6233

The problem with Dr Strangelove is that it’s good satire. Those people actually exist.