Dr. Mike Martin suggests that this might be turning into a war of manoeuvre rather than the static war of attrition, with Ukrainian troops actually moving toward Mariupol. If this is true, then it is playing to all the weaknesses of the Russians and the apparent strengths of the Ukrainians. The Russians appear to be tactically inflexible and largely road based. The Ukrainians appear to be highly mobile, tactically flexible and fast reacting. This might be a false dawn and expectations might be unduly raised but it is remarkable what is being achieved. Do you have any idea how this news is being processed in Russia? What is the homefront looking like there?
Reading that, it almost seems like I am reading about Russia in 1905, not 2022. Can it really be true, Russian tanks with armour made of rubber pads and cardboard because the valuable materials were stolen? Is the incompetence and corruption really that pervasive? At what point do the brutalised Russian conscripts refuse orders they know are suicide?
It's the active armor - stuff in external envelopes that's supposed to explode out when anti-tank missiles want to explode inward. Yes, I'm sure there's a black market for such explosives, and envelopes obviously hide their absence. Yes, we have been reading from the beginning that corruption is that pervasive. This article puts their inventory of working tanks at the start of the war at about 2000. Homans says they have lost 2154 so far. We read that they have been taking cold war relics out of deep storage.
If it is that pervasive, then Russia is a hollow giant. A huge and terrifying monster that is secretly, desperately weak. Call its bluff and stand firm and a total collapse might be coming. Although, Big Serge has just posted that the offensive has no significance other than that Russia might finally 'take its gloves off' and start to fight hard and stop being so restrained. Which makes me question his grip on reality. Either he or I must be mad.
''Russia, which called the meeting, demanded that Ukraine return all the weapons that Russian troops have abandoned on Ukrainian territory.'' I'm sure that Ukraine will be happy to return all the captured ammunition......
Dr. Mike Martin suggests that this might be turning into a war of manoeuvre rather than the static war of attrition, with Ukrainian troops actually moving toward Mariupol. If this is true, then it is playing to all the weaknesses of the Russians and the apparent strengths of the Ukrainians. The Russians appear to be tactically inflexible and largely road based. The Ukrainians appear to be highly mobile, tactically flexible and fast reacting. This might be a false dawn and expectations might be unduly raised but it is remarkable what is being achieved. Do you have any idea how this news is being processed in Russia? What is the homefront looking like there?
Edward Slavsquat had a long piece yesterday on how Russia is taking this. See Paul Craig Roberts on Unz dot com for a reasonable proxy.
Thank you, I will check that out.
Here's another from an old acquaintance. State of Russia's war production. Not positive.
https://breakingdefense.com/2022/09/russias-military-facing-steep-artillery-import-challenges-six-months-into-invasion/
Reading that, it almost seems like I am reading about Russia in 1905, not 2022. Can it really be true, Russian tanks with armour made of rubber pads and cardboard because the valuable materials were stolen? Is the incompetence and corruption really that pervasive? At what point do the brutalised Russian conscripts refuse orders they know are suicide?
It's the active armor - stuff in external envelopes that's supposed to explode out when anti-tank missiles want to explode inward. Yes, I'm sure there's a black market for such explosives, and envelopes obviously hide their absence. Yes, we have been reading from the beginning that corruption is that pervasive. This article puts their inventory of working tanks at the start of the war at about 2000. Homans says they have lost 2154 so far. We read that they have been taking cold war relics out of deep storage.
If it is that pervasive, then Russia is a hollow giant. A huge and terrifying monster that is secretly, desperately weak. Call its bluff and stand firm and a total collapse might be coming. Although, Big Serge has just posted that the offensive has no significance other than that Russia might finally 'take its gloves off' and start to fight hard and stop being so restrained. Which makes me question his grip on reality. Either he or I must be mad.
''Russia, which called the meeting, demanded that Ukraine return all the weapons that Russian troops have abandoned on Ukrainian territory.'' I'm sure that Ukraine will be happy to return all the captured ammunition......