I am no longer convinced that that Russia will do anything other than to continue its grinding war of attrition. I also surmise that the massive expansion of its military is simply preparatory for a possible wider war.
“We are in a proxy war with Russia at this point.” Thank you for someone finally admitting that US aims totally contradict “unprovoked aggression.”
A good relatively unbiased look at the state of Russia’s economy. The short version is that their economy has weathered short term a bit better than expected because of high energy prices and the output they are pouring into their military effort, offsetting other sector losses. But brain drain, loss of advanced technology from the west, loss of markets in Europe, SWIFT, and other issues mean likely a lost decade or two are coming. The Cost of War: Russia's Economy Faces a Decade of Regress - The Moscow Times
Biden has understood that Russia cannot be defeated in Ukraine; nor are Russian people in any mood for an insurrection. Putin’s popularity is soaring high, as Russian objectives in Ukraine are being steadily realised. Thus, Biden is getting a vague sense, perhaps, that Russia isn’t exactly seeing things in Ukraine as a binary of victory and defeat, but is gearing up for the long haul to sort out NATO once and for all. Ukraine war tolls death knell for NATO - Indian Punchlinethe
spare parts for airplanes are rapidly drying up. Look for plane crashes to start happening unless they cut back on number of flights
Can’t be. I’ve read that Russian air superiority is coming, like, any day now. They’ve just been playing with the Ukrainian Air Force like a cat with a mouse strictly for entertainment purposes.
Like all surface ships, all aircraft all vulnerable. Thus, the days of manned aircraft over battlefields are drawing to an end. Missiles, drones - and as Russia has shown - flying lawnmowers are the future. And in any case real wars need to be won by land forces.
I was referring to their civilian fleets full of Airbus and Boeings. l imagine that their military air power is severely depleted by now too
I’ll take that, too. Anything that cranks up the pain. In my opinion, the economic measures are not going to have any significant effect in and of themselves, but they are an essential element of the whole-of-government approach. My opinion remains that we need to turn up the military pressure on Russia significantly to reach anything that looks like an acceptable end state.
Blasts reported at Engels air base deep inside Russia - online media (msn.com) Blasts were heard at Russia's Engels air base, hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian media outlets reported early on Monday. There was no immediate official confirmation of the blasts and Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. The RBC-Ukraine news agency reported that two explosions took place. The Russian news outlet Baza reported, citing local residents, that air raid sirens were wailing and an explosion was heard.
Probably says something about the future of air warfare that on the same day a Ukrainian drone reached Engels Air Base, again, & North Korean drones entered South Korean airspace with ease, even inflicting the loss of a combat aircraft, despite the extreme protections of the DMZ
Russian State TV Hails Lauren Boebert For Refusing To Stand For War Hero Volodymyr Zelensky Own it gop, she's one of yours. She's also not alone.
There’s been so many so it’s hard to keep track of which ones have been posted. But another dead Putin critic. Another Putin critic 'falls out a window' to his death: Tycoon plummets from luxury hotel in India | Daily Mail Online
Looks like Ukraine may be about to take Kremmina - which for those keeping close track on daily movements is a big deal towards the fall of Svatove, and eventually staroblisk - the key russian logistics hub for the entire region. Ukraine Update: Ukrainian forces rumored at Kreminna's gate
Here is an interesting article on how partisan activities contributed to Russia's humiliating defeat in Kherson. How Citizen Spies Foiled Putin's Grand Plan for One Ukrainian City (yahoo.com)
It is an advantage that Ukraine will always have over Russia. Russia has no ability or interest in winning the hearts and minds of the citizens of Ukraine. All the brutality and war crimes do is increase Ukrainian resolve and make them more willing to risk their lives for their freedom. If Ukraine ever invades Russia and starts pushing the Russian army back to Moscow, then the advantage would switch to Russia, but I expect Putin to surrender before then.
I was going to snark something to that effect. I mean, is not the premise of this war that Ukraine (aka Little Russia) is an inextricable part of historical Russia, inside every so-called Ukrainian is a Russian yearning to rejoin his homeland, and a hostile Nazi minority was squashing the will of the Little Russians to rejoin Greater Russia?
