I’m sorry, but this is just getting fucking ridiculous. As a long time tactical war gamer, I know that things don’t always go as planned. But when they don’t then your immediate rule is to fall back on the doctors oath, First do no harm. And what the Russian military is doing right now is committing military malpractice.
Even the vaunted US military has had operational things go afoul. But when they do, they’re prepared. In the raid to get Bin Laden, a US helicopter was crippled on approach. The first thing the SEAL team did was to destroy the helicopter to keep Al Qaeda from getting anything useful. The same thing happened in the recent mission to take out the latest ISIS head, and they did the same thing.
Russia isn’t even doing that! It has been reported for weeks now that Russian conscripts, furious at being told to kill Ukrainians are deserting. And they’re disabling their vehicles on the way out. But how much damage can a Russian conscript do? The easiest fix is to yank out the spark plug wires on your way out, or smash the alternator cap with your rifle, both of which are easily fixed. Especially when your opponent has some Russian vehicles and replacement supplies. This helps to explain the miles long train of Russian vehicles parked in or alongside the road. But there were no Russian attempts to destroy either the vehicles, or their contents.
It was two weeks ago that there was news video footage of Ukrainian soldiers walking up to the back of a stalled Russian supply vehicle, and helping themselves to Russian ammunition that would fit their weapons. Who knows what other treats they found, such as grenades, RPG’s, and shoulder fired missiles?
And last week there was news video of a bunch of Ukrainian soldiers taking a Russian tank they had gotten running again out for a joyride. Since the tank had obviously not seen battle yet as part of a convoy, it was surely fully stocked with munitions. Think the Ukrainians might just drive that tank up the ass of a convoy ahead of it, and extract maximum damage before permanently disabling the vehicle and scampering off to safety?
Make this clear. The Ukraine army is using Russian arms and equipment in order to kill Russian soldiers. Reliable reporting estimates have the Russian air force having already lost somewhere between 60-90 fighter jets and attack helicopters in 20 days. This is intolerable, since Russian manufacturing can’t gear up fast enough to replace them, And that’s bad news for the Russian infantry, which seriously needs that air support in order to advance into urban areas.
The US and NATO have done a spectacular job of re supplying Ukraine with the heavy armaments, like Javelin missiles that they need to continue to keep the Russians at bay. But I find it highly ironic that when it comes to small arms, grenades, ammunition, trucks and armor, the Ukrainians best supplier may end up being the Russian military! Don’t touch that dial.
The stalling of the ‘great’ convoy has allowed Ukraine to switch from reacting to acting. Ukraine army is on their own ground. We will see more of this, hopefully starting with artillery and rockets.
Murf, your take is dead on … apparently, in order for Putin to change from training exercises to full on attack mode in Ukraine, somebody forgot the secret passwords and directions to keep supplies, fuel, food and water on hand as needed …
Their field hospitals are only good for those still stationed in that huge display of Putin’s stupidity just into Russia, driving slowed up for various reasons, like you say, the military crew on its way into the Ukraine has enough youngsters with known and loved related there, pissed off number 1, killing kids has an effect on anybody, only the complete freak Putin, can grin and bear that … Just like Trump, who does not give a squat for ANYBODY, but himself and maybe his daughter, sending his own set of freaks into the US Capitol building …
Now, suddenly, the challenge of road conditions, blown out tires and the die-hard Ukrainians, with personal super weapons coming on line as fast as we can deliver them, the Ukrainians are smart enough to carry canteens of water, full supplies of ammo, snack packs and have the advantage of years of topographic memories of every nook and cranny in the bushes and fields, where they can set up incredibly successful ambushes that can strike before the poorly supported Russian knows they are had … 🙂
I was having a good time watching a row of tanks being destroyed by some pissed off home-defense troops with shoulder held weapons … Blowing up the lead tanks first makes the followers stuck behind long enough to draw a bead on their soft spots …
Putin HAS to know his time is getting shorter by the minute, he is going to go after his own inside structure, but with all his Oligarchs PO’d because of his screwing up their money trains, they have sources he cannot control, nor guard against, Trump must be sweating a little now as well, no more Atta-boys and back slapping, just STFUP and sit down, while the jury decides, and the judge slaps on the years …
With Putin’s Generals being bumped off and Putin on a rage fest, they should stop any level of nuclear triggering … killing those kids has lead to the biggest World of shit stain on Russia and normal life in Russia has stopped being the rule, the word gets out, a blond little gal probably has been captured and tortured for sign waving on State TV …
Thousands are now on way to the prison for speaking out, maybe for 15 years, it boggles one’s mind to know Putrid Putin is getting away with all this murder and suffering, seems to me, SOMEONE will at least make a suicide attack on Putin’s person … Huge money people will pay the right team to handle the deed …
Random items I’ve seen, supporting this:
1) Ukrainian farmers with their tractors have hauled off enough Russian military vehicles to be considered the eighth-largest military force in Europe.
2) Heavy machine guns are being removed from Russian tanks and equipped with sights, shoulder stocks and front-support bipods for individual use.
3) (from a retired US General) Field officers are responsible for issuing maps and orders to their troops to wall off civilian areas for protection. They are not doing that, perhaps doing the opposite, so they are personally guilty of war crimes.
4) A warning based on Russian operations in Chechnia and Syria: Don’t highlight where women and children are sheltering. Russians with make those as priority targets. Concerning in the same vein, UNESCO has initiated a program to put large, distinctive signage on nation-treasure architectural and museum sites, in the hope that combatants will respect them (oh, really???)
Perhaps it would be educational if those UNESCO signs were to start appearing in Moscow, plastered on *their* national treasures. First target, after Putin’s daschas, would be the Kremlin?