War in Ukraine

Spring at the earliest. FWIW, Grippen (which some are training on now in prep for F16) would be a much better aircraft for Ukraine if we could get the Swedes to part with some. But, for obvious reasons, they want to hold on to what they have.

 

I think history will judge his presidency in a positive light. He's gotten a few things wrong, but the Ukraine War he has mostly gotten right. Getting the poorly educated Americans to think positively about his presidency is a different matter. Less literate people are more likely to only support a war that our side is winning dramatically, and not slowly as Ukraine is doing. This is somewhat an aftereffect of the two Gulf Wars and the Afghanistan War. Either we are winning in dramatic fashion, dominating the opponent, or it's a disaster that we should have never spent money on. Not much room for middle ground. Not much room for understanding the need to win the conflict. Not much ability to look forward and see what failure will look like after 20-30 years.

 

Yeah, but what use are they without air support? This was the problem with the counter offensive in the first place. Tanks are sitting ducks without air cover. The "successes" have come after Ukraine switched to using smaller - non-armored - units, which aren't as easy to kill. It's almost cruel to suggest a combined-arms attack without one of if not the key elements in that.

 

Personally, I'd pretend I really, really wanted it, then give it up at the last minute to seal the deal (and stick Russia with the mess it created). I'm hearing not thousands, but millions of mines to clear.

 

Maybe. But why give them so much evidence? Like reams and reams evidence. If anything, it's a total condemnation of Trump's decision making. If I knew everyone was out to get me, I might make "a little" better effort to button things up. Stupid is as stupid does. Trump's the drug dealer who deals packages of crack through his mail slot while cops sit in their car across the street.

 

He just wants to break things. It's really not worthy of consideration at this point. Like trying to explain why the Tooth Fairy isn't real. F it! Just let it go.

 

How can Biden be strategizing to save his presidency if he is senile? For that matter, how could you prosecute him for all those 4Chan crimes. Seems like mens renal failure right there. Case in the shatter.

 

Willful stupidity my friend. It's the bane of this country at the moment. People have no time for the truth, which tends to be murky and oftentimes boring. So they go for fairy tales instead. I guess because it's just easier that way than to actually use your brain and accept that solutions aren't easy and require some compromise.

 

Don’t know. But we will find out together since the tanks are going to get there first.

 

We had some at the beginning, they just didn't meet with much success. Again, my understanding is the Russians can just use helicopters and drones with impunity, which makes them sitting ducks.

 

Zelensky regime: “We need more weapons!

Washington: “Stop your whining. You’re not dying hard enough.”

 

minefileds limited their speed aand mobility which made them sitting ducks for artillery. breach the minefields and destroy the artillery and weapons cahces used to support the artillery and they should become much more effective.

 

Your keyboard is broken too, I see.

 

Can’t speak to drones, but the effective use of Russian helicopters in a close air support role has been the exception and not the norm. Russia has lost so many helicopters and trained aircrew to enemy fire that they are primarily employed in rear area security and logistics roles now.

See, Russia does not control the skies either, which remains particularly embarrassing for them and all of their troll apologists, since they were supposed to have air superiority within 12-48 hours of the start of the war. Sure, you’ll hear “We don’t care about it” or “No one can do it anymore,” but really the truth is as simple as they weren’t nearly as bad ass as they pretended to be.

 

Russia wipes out a couple of entire platoons . . . of Russians . . . in a friendly fire incident. Some Russians did not get the message to retreat during a Ukrainian advancement, and were hit with Russian artillery when they were late in their retreat. Another communications problem for the Russian military, which forces soldiers to buy their own radios.

A total of 27 were killed, and 34 injured.

27 Russian occupiers dead, 34 injured in friendly-fire incident over mistaken belief of advance on Donetsk air

 

Apparently the panic reaction in Optyne was triggered by Ukraine advancing in an unexpected direction.

Ukraine makes gains on Eastern Front with ‘blindside’ move near Avdiivka

 

If I were Biden, I would offer two F-16's to Sweden to replace every Gripen they sent to Ukraine. We have plenty of F-16's. We could supply Ukraine and Sweden with F-16's and be in no danger of running out of them.

 

Russia is desperately deploying reserves to the front in Ukraine. According to Ukraine, Russia spent 60% of its time building the first line of defense, and only 20% each on the next two lines of defense. Russia was fairly certain that Ukraine would never break through the first line. Oops.

Russia deploying reserves in desperate effort to prevent Ukrainian breakthrough

 

Putin now admits that sending tanks into Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the old days was a mistake. He says that you shouldn't do things that harm the interests of other peoples. A little late for that now, isn't it? Sometimes Putin makes speeches where he sounds like he's talking to elementary schoolchildren and telling them lies, but he really wants them to believe those lies. Either that, or Putin is clinically unable to experience anything approaching self-awareness.

Putin: Sending Soviet tanks into Hungary and Czechoslovakia was a mistake

They are called "principles", not interests.

 

Inflation in Russia is at 5.2% annualized last month, which is higher than the 4% that Russia had targeted. It's only going to get worse from here, assuming that Russia is even telling the truth.

Vladimir Putin says that inflation in Russia is making it 'practically impossible' for businesses to plan