What an amazing experience it is to follow the Ukraine counter offensive in real time these hours on social media. Some day we will all meet in Izium and relive and discuss what is happening now. And Ukraine is added to the to do list after Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. It this offensive similar to the fall of France and operation Bagration or what do you guys think?
5 Likes
I hope one day to celebrate the liberation of Russia. Surely there has got to be at least one general or someone out there just waiting for an opportunity. Or is Putin really that well entrenched?
4 Likes
That would be nice, but I guess all will skeptical to any move from Russia within at least the next decade. They have a very long way back to normal relations.
Feels more like Uranus than Bagration.
I worked in Russia 
Went to museums in Moscow and the Tula area and the people were Fantastic. It is the stupid politics that is in the way. I also did the Gulag museum which in 2015 at least was really good. The Russian Christmas was an excellent time to visit. Not sure what the future brings and not even sure if I want to know. Nukes, etc.
2 Likes
The Ukrainian Army displayed a sense of maskirovka or deception that would have made any Red Army general in WWII proud of his grandsons.
1 Like
I don’t have anything but admiration for the Russian people but the government they have bred has been killing them for generations. You know come to think of it, this is true of most governments but the developed air of corruption and waste is especially tragic.
Ukraine suffers from some of the same issues but at the heart of their survival are a people who wish to survive and are willing to fight for their freedom. That is a very powerful combination.
NATO has been training this force since 2014, has given them enormous financial and technological help. But it is the will of the people to fight which will ultimately make the difference. Russia is still stronger but they lack the commitment to the fight and don’t want to be there. This is a no win situation for them now but they can and do cause enormous harm in continuing the destruction.
The offensive has been well executed and I wonder how much farther it can go. They have until the fall rains begin I guess and I wonder what Russia will do to slow them down. Russia is claiming that Ukraine has had high casualties but I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense given what is happening. Certainly the Kherson offensive has had high casualties on both sides but Ukraine has the initiative and I hope they keep it.
1 Like
Authoritarian regimes have always suffered from problems with succession … most frequently by coup rather than peaceful transition. Nuclear-armed authoritarian regimes are even more problematic at moments like that. Unless the coup is completely successful in taking out the old leader and his top supporters, there’s a risk that the downfall of the leader may trigger an end of the world scenario. I think that risk is a large part of why Putin is still in power.
3 Likes