Can you point to satellite pictures, evidence, independent sources or intelligence that show a Ukrainian 5-layer deep line of minefields, dragon teeth, anti-tank trenches, deep zig-zag trenches and 800,000 soldiers? You can't just narrate this war like a fiction writer and pass bullshit off as truth. You don't have the first clue as to what you're talking about. Ukraine have spent the last 6+ months preparing for their current counteroffensive, training with Western partners and weapons. They've not devoted much in the way of resources or time in building up a durable line of defense, because they were planning an offensive. But I'm happy to take whatever evidence you feel like you have under advisement. Meanwhile, those entire 6+ months (or more) Russia was solely focused on digging in southeastern Ukraine and building an impenetrable wall of defense along the front line. Ukraine clears a minefield one day, comes back the next day and the minefield is restocked with even more mines than before. Two months into Ukraine's counteroffensive and Ukraine have yet to engage the Russian 1st line of defense. Ukraine doesn't have anything like this waiting for Russia, which is why Ukraine are reluctant to commit to these operations in the counteroffensive, because if they lose huge chunks of their army, it will be rather easy for Russia to launch a major offensive and there wouldn't be much left to stop them. That you treat this as though it's a fiction novel you can adjust the narrative to at any point bespeaks the general naivety many Americans have about what's going on in Ukraine. But even that is changing. Most Americans no longer support further lethal aid to Ukraine.
No General, I don’t study satellite imagery nor do I subject myself to daily “battlefield reports” via anyone’s twitter feed. To do so would be an utterly useless waste of my time. I’m just stating the obvious here. The Russian invasion was stalled along a front line. A defensive line put up by Ukraine. Thus, BOTH sides obviously have entrenched defensive positions which have effectively stalled advances by the other side. Did Russia drop a helluva lot more mines around their positions (and even behind them). Probably, yeah. That sounds like something the Russians would do. I saw something that it will take 50 years to clear all the landmines out of these territories of Ukraine.
You don’t build trenches that could almost pass for a Motel 6 if you’re in a smoking hurry to capture territory …
IMO, they've tied up too much of their identity in being "against" anything that liberals are seemingly "for." Liberals and moderates (also liberals, in their minds) are largely for supporting Ukraine, so the obvious choice for these individuals is to be "against."
^ It’s the kind of thing where the people you’re rooting for have been shelling civilians *indiscriminately* for a decade now.
Yup. Literally exact same phenomenon as COVID. They say “question everything”. Right up to the point they find a few twitter sources or political leader (for most, Trump) that drip feeds them exactly what they want to hear, then suddenly everything from their new source is unshakeable gospel truth. It’s utterly bizarre.
A-a-a-n-d we default to “Trump!” who, last time I checked, was lionizing Zelensky and pledging to send him more weapons.
It should be a "something we are very informed on thing", which I don't see much of, in this thread. That said, in terms of public opinion, you're now in the minority in America if you believe we should keep sending more weapons to Ukraine. That minority is going to get smaller and smaller the longer this goes on.
They wouldn't need to. Europe has F-35's that Russia can't detect, just like we have. If Putin escalates and Europe gets involved, Ukraine can continue winning the ground war, while the F-35's open up the skies for Ukraine's air force and drones to bomb Russia into oblivion. Supply lines and command posts would be destroyed. All of Russia's ships in the Black Sea become vulnerable, just like what's left of their bridges to Crimea. If Ukraine wanted to, they could fly bombers to the other side of Moscow and destroy Russia's weapons factories, and they could bomb military bases on Russian soil. As soon as one side or the other in this conflict gets and keeps control of the skies, it's all over. There is a reason that China is backing away from Russia at this point in the conflict. Well, two, actually. (1) Russia can't pay its bills. (2) China can see the writing on the wall, and that writing says that Russia is showing signs that they can't win this war.
As long as the more intelligent people are in charge, we will continue sending weapons to Ukraine to help them win this war. It is the best money that the U.S. military has spent since WWII.
There is one aspect of the counter-offensive that is going very well for Ukraine: the artillery battle. Ukraine is destroying three or four Russian artillery pieces for every artillery piece they lose. Ukraine is getting more accurate firing position information, and making the most of that information. And since artillery is killing more troops than any other weapon during this war, if Russia loses too much of their artillery, they will lose the war. Even while fighting a defensive war, Russia is losing as many soldiers a day as Ukraine is. I'm sure that part of it is the better medical care that Ukraine's military is providing. Ukraine is winning a crucial part of the land war. It’s nuclear button time for Putin – again
Serbs shot down two F-117s with ancient AD. F-35s have no chance. Also, Russia has increased defense spending. This is Vietnam 2.0 for the US. Russia is literally fighting out of its backyard.
