Russia seeks 'slow annihilation' of Ukraine's military
Russia's strategy in its war on Ukraine is shifting toward a "slow annihilation" of the Ukrainian military, US and other Western officials tell CNN, warning that Russia could focus on a bloody and deadly bombardment of cities and civilian targets as the conflict becomes a grinding war of attrition.
Ukrainian forces have so far been able to stave off Russia's initial push, maintaining control of Kyiv and other major cities. But they remain massively outgunned and outmanned. And Russia is now bringing in heavier, more destructive weaponry and increasingly striking civilian infrastructure, after an initial focus on military targets, the officials said.
The shift in strategy likely reflects a recognition by Russian President Vladimir Putin that his initial plan to quickly topple Kyiv has failed, said one senior Western intelligence official -- in part because the Ukrainians have put up a stiffer than anticipated fight and in part because logistics and supply missteps have slowed the Russian advance.
But Western officials now expect that Russia will ramp up heavy weapons bombardment of Ukraine's cities and potentially march in "tens of thousands" of troops, one US official said. Eventually, officials caution, Ukraine's military will likely run short of supplies needed to keep up the fight.
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'Cruel military math'
Ukraine's will to fight "is extending this," said the senior Western intelligence official. "But the cruel military math of this will eventually come to bear, absent some intervention, absent some fundamental change in the dynamic."
For Ukraine, whose military forces and civilian population have shown no signs of capitulating, the war appears poised to become a grim struggle for survival over a protracted, uncertain future.
The numbers are already bleak: Russia has lost roughly 3% to 5% of its tanks, aircraft, artillery and other military assets inside Ukraine — compared with Ukrainian losses of roughly 10% of its capabilities, according to two US officials familiar with the latest intelligence.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/02/politics/us-russia-ukraine-civilians-warning/index.html
We, the US and NATO that is, must either intervene directly immediately with our superior military might to back Ukrainian forces or de-escalate tensions somehow.
Anything else seems to be using the brave Ukrainian resistance as cannon fodder in a losing cause in a proxy war with Russia.
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The question is whether we, the US and NATO, step up and intervene militarily or do we leave the brave Ukrainian resistance fighting what should be our battle too all by themselves.
Half measures just means more Ukrainian forces will die in a fight CNN and US officials say they cannot win.
Tragic, but true.
That's a fact.
We, the US and NATO, intervened in Libya to stop Gadaffi's genocidal plans, as just one example.
Ukraine not being a NATO member is irrelevant in whether or not we have a moral obligation to help them resist this Russian invasion.
Again, half measures will just lead to more Ukrainian deaths in a losing cause.
Tragic, but true.
A bloodbath and demolished country.
A remarkable people gone. A people who were brave, showed good will in the face of adversity, smart, clever, maintained their sense of humor when facing evil. The kind of people who are the best of mankind.
And there was nothing we could do because a madman threatened to blow up the world.
Russian soliders are committing these atrocities. But its the West funding it.
We need to start sanctioning Russia's top exports, which so far have been left alone.
So true.
