If the blood letting extends to other generals, I wonder how long before the Russian Military turns against the FSB/Putin?
This is a very American way of thinking. Not a slam to you, I also harbor these thoughts. Rooty Poo has spent 30 years putting “loyalists” in place. IMO it is more likely he has overwhelming support at command levels, and a bunch of criminals and dudes just trying to eat at levels that can’t pull it off. America itself came about one guy away from total dissolution.
For what it’s worth, I think you’re right. The overwhelming majority of Putin’s guiding coalition is probably loyal and reliable. But I would also say that by the time Germany had invaded Poland, Hitler had managed to purge most of the unreliable people around him, too. That did not prevent the July Plot from occurring some five years later (despite many, many more victories that Hitler had been responsible for in the interim … and Putin hasn’t delivered). Since we seem to be unwilling to help topple Putin, I will hold the faith (having no alternative) that some of Putin’s generals will value their country over short-term personal interest and do what is necessary.
I would concede 100% every word that you say as the truth (and I did not take your comments as a slam). However, the self-preservation instinct is going to kick in at some point. When they realize that, like most bully dictators (and wannabes), Putin is a coward and targeting them (and likely their families) to save his own reputation, they may snap-back for their own benefit.
Cnn live: "More than 320,000 Ukrainian citizens have returned home to fight, border officials say From CNN's Jennifer Hauser More than 320,000 citizens have returned home to help Ukraine fight since Russia began its invasion, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Most of them are men. "Our boys don't give up, so we need to help, we need to fight for our country. Ukraine must be free, like all people," the State Border Guard Service said in a tweet Thursday."
Cnn live: "Ukrainian ambassador to the UN confronts Russian counterpart about women and children killed in attacks From CNN staff Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya directly addressed his Russian counterpart during the UN Security Council on Thursday about the women, children and elderly killed by Russians in Ukraine. "Ambassador, do the eyes of Ukrainian children, women, and elderly killed by the Russians flash before you?" Kyslytsya asked. He continued, "If they do, we may consider how to sponsor a decision to help you deal with perpetration-inducted traumatic stress. But now, have some decency and stop the egregious manipulation of the Security Council. It is obscene." Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia did not respond to the comments during Thursday's Security Council meeting, but told reporters after the meeting that he does not "engage in personal exchanges" with Kyslytsya. "But when he asked about the eyes of children killed, I would also like to ask him whether he had any remorse when he thought about the children of Donetsk that were killed by Ukrainian forces," Nebenzia said." ..... Russians really are delusional.
And The Person Who Snant Be Named killed himself. And not to derail the thread, if Miller Lite inspires me enough I’ll start a thread (maybe my last??), I’m also done with the bizarre moratorium on naming Hitler. That has morphed from Hitler lovers (often correctly) claiming it’s used too much to cover for being Hitlerites.
I think for the most part comparing people to Hitler or Stalin is hyperbolic. So I take your point. But, and I say this with all sincerity, I think such comparisons are appropriate and accurate when it comes to Putin. So I will likely continue to do so.
Estimates of Russia's total casualty figures vary wildly. According to official Kremlin sources, just 498 Russian servicemen have lost their lives in the invasion of Ukraine while a Estimates of Russia's total casualty figures vary wildly. According to official Kremlin sources, just 498 Russian servicemen have lost their lives in the invasion of Ukraine while a US estimate puts the figure closer to 7,000 – more than the number of American troops killed over 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
General # 4 goes down. This is what happens when you populate the ranks with yes men. Russian generals are dying in Ukraine because they keep going near the front hoping to rescue the invasion, Western officials say (msn.com) Ukraine said it has killed four Russian generals since the country invaded on February 24. The generals are in harm's way because "things are going badly," Western officials told Insider. As a result, they said, the generals try to manage the war more closely and put themselves at risk.
4 dead generals. Could this be a sniper hunting? or a team of snipers? maybe with some intel to guide their path? One can only hope. The latest general Ukraine said it had killed was Russian Major General Oleg Mityaev. Mityaev was killed during the Russian assault on the city of Mariupol, Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Ukraine's Interior Ministry, wrote on Telegram Wednesday. The other Russian generals who have been killed include Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, Maj. Gen. Andrey Kolesnikov, Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov. As Insider's Tom Porter noted on Thursday, US officials told The New York Times that one general was killed after using an unsecured line to communicate, which let Ukraine work out his location and hunt him down.
Don't know the method used but I heard a news item that 1 general had to use unencrypted phone that Ukraine (or someone) geo-located and welcomed him out of Ukraine edit: here it is From the NYT article Two American military officials said that many Russian generals are talking on unsecured phones and radios. In at least one instance, they said, the Ukrainians intercepted a general’s call, geolocated it, and attacked his location, killing him and his staff.
What’s that? You want to open hostilities with the West? Seems like an empty threat, but if they act on it, they’re looking at open hostilities with NATO.
You’ve hit on the point I’ve been making since this started: all of his threats are empty. Provide Ukraine with all of NATO’s Soviet-manufactured gear, and he will shake his fist. Lead a no-fly zone, and he will shake his fist. We need to stop acting scared of what this clown might do, and start adding color to his nightmares about what we can do. Give Ukraine the air and naval support it needs, and let them destroy Russia’s armed forces in the field. This is the only way to topple Putin’s government and create a significant peace.
While I largely agree with you, the challenge with a NFZ is you have to patrol it and you have to be willing to take out anti aircraft weapons to maintain it. Because there are Russian anti-aircraft weapons stationed on the Russian side of the border that would attack planes patrolling an NFZ, we would have to be willing to attack those weapons in Russia proper. I can see how that would be a bridge too far for NATO and the US themselves at this point. The rest? Yep. Supply Ukraine to the hilt.
It’s incompetent of the Russians for sure, but then again why are we “revealing” this incompetence and how it was used against them? That doesn’t seem smart either.
I agree with not targeting weapons systems in Russia, at least not with kinetic ordnance. There are ways and means to mitigate the Russian surface-to-air threat while keeping Ukrainian skies free of Russian manned aircraft. Unfortunately, we have to leave it at that. But if your concern is not killing Russians in Russia, we have the ability (though, clearly not the will) to make mission with that ROE restriction in place. If your concern is our planes engaging Russian planes over Ukraine, then I think that is probably a minimal concern as well, because frankly I don’t think he’ll send his air forces up to challenge ours. Putin understands he is outclassed in the air against our top fighters, though he may not understand the degree. The losses he’s taken so far have been embarrassing enough, and he (or whoever assumes power when the dust settles) is still going to want to have an air component when this is over. But in the end this is all just academic discussion; we want to keep treating Putin as if he’s a serious threat when apparently he’s just a stomping bully who’s secretly more afraid of us than we are of him.
My concern is the US and NATO not firing ordinance into Russia proper to enforce an NFZ, which would likely be perceived as a Western escalation.
