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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis COULD explain Why Putler Underestimated Ukrainian forces
This COULD explain Why Putler Underestimated Ukrainian forces and why he's asking for Belarus troops to enter the fight.
Putler was fighting the last war
In 2014 Ukrainian equipment was awful. Almost 100% vehicle and ammunition were 25+ year old Soviet stocks. Moreover, most of it just expired. Like vehicles existed on paper but were never checked or used since 1991.Their radiators, accumulators all rotten and unrepairable
FSB colonel who led pro-Russian insurgency in 2014 admitted it created problem for him, too. He wanted to restock from the Ukrainian military warehouses, but that stuff just didn't work. Like they took 28 anti-tank missiles and fired them all during Nikolaevka battle. None worked
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Link to tweet
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Nevilledog
(51,197 posts)uponit7771
(90,364 posts)SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)Ty again!
qazplm135
(7,447 posts)1. The economic sanctions and cost of the war will bankrupt them
2. There's no way they have the troops to occupy Ukraine so they will have to use a puppet government which will set a record for the shortest puppet government in history
3. Whenever Ukraine does regain independence, it's going to be the most western looking nation in E Europe, who will be feted by the West and given a lot of rebuild money and will have a powerful military.
So, sooner, or later, the very thing Putin fears is going to be what occurs, all because he couldn't figure out how to treat Ukraine like a partner than a minion.
uponit7771
(90,364 posts)... to look at them the same after this.
lame54
(35,321 posts)As long as he didn't act on it
What a difference 5 days make
This idea that Putin never made mistakes and he must have gone crazy to have ended up on this path.....
Fact is that he has an interest in Ukraine that's more than just his ego. Either he wants access to their mineral resources or sees a need for their agricultural land with climate change shrinking Rissian farmland. In either case his miscalculation that he could walk into Kiev anytime he wants wasn't because he was isolated or delusions, it's because he fucked up and he doesn't have anyone around him who's going to tell him he's wrong. Fact is, they probably all thought Ukraine would roll over and none of them thought it would draw the ire of the entire world down on them.
Putins best best, and his best way to retain power, would be to find a quick way to claim victory and bail on it. Draw back to your sliver of the eastern lands and stay there in exchange for being able to access SWIFT and a reduction in sanctions with more to come over time. The matter of NATO memebership will be left to NATO and interested countries without Russian infuence.
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)AlexSFCA
(6,139 posts)and all of that happened in the years after crimea. And continues to happen since EU and US have now established essentially unlimited pipeline of military arsenal through EU borders. Ukraine has professional army whereas russian army is conscription - they have no motivation, they are forced to fight. Again, with unlimited pipeline of military equipment flowing into the country, this war cant be won, it can drag on for years but each day is ramping up pressure since its the first war broadcasted in real time on social media.