What do you think is the best military strategy against Russia in Ukraine?

[kentuck]

Understanding that there are no military "experts" here, but I am not a big believer in "military experts".

The US and NATO do not wish to escalate the present situation in Ukraine. That is understandable. Because they do not know what Putin might do with his nuclear weapons.

In my opinion, Putin must be defeated militarily in Ukraine. In order to do that, the Ukraine military must be supplied with all the weapons they need to defend their country without escalating to air support. That seems to be the line they do not wish to cross?

Russia might capture Kyiv in the days ahead. They might declare that the war is over since they have captured the capitol city of Ukraine? However, they could be setting themselves up to be surrounded by Ukrainian forces in the near future? It will be difficult to hold, in my opinion.

The psychology of the war is such that as long as Putin thinks he is on the offensive, he will not resort to tactical nuclear weapons. Only when he feels trapped will he act unpredictably.

So long as Putin is fighting in Ukraine, there is less likelihood that he might invade another country. The strategy should be to defeat him through attrition and continued political opposition in his own country of Russia.

As I say, I am no military expert, but this seems the most logical approach to defeating Putin. The key is not to escalate the war. Keep it within the boundaries of Ukraine. Destroy his tanks and helicopters one at a time until the will of the Russian military has been broken. (There are reports that morale is already very low)

It is important that the Russian people do not see America as the enemy. Putin is their enemy. There are no Ukraine soldiers invading Russian soil - only Russians killing Ukrainians. That is the fact that the Russian people need to know. It is a war of propaganda as much as it is military advances. For example, there have been no reported incidents of Ukrainian use of biological weapons. It has not been reported in the press either. It was made up by Putin and his propagandists. The Russian people are lied to continuously.

The most difficult part of defeating Putin's army is to not let it escalate. It will take a while but he will be defeated.

Just my opinion.

[Walleye]

1. We may be dealing with a legitimate 21st-century domino theory

In the old days, in the first cold war, the big oil companies and so on decided that the enemy was communism, afraid that their foreign interests would be nationalized. For many of the powers back then, it really wasn’t about freedom. It was about capitalist interests. I think that’s why we never for forgave Iraq or Cuba, they nationalized the oil.Now we know the real enemy is Russian imperialism. It’s got nothing to do with their system of government. Unless you count corruption as a system of government

[Ursus Rex]

26. I mean, it pretty much always was "imperialism," though, right?

Whatever economic system enables that drive is not inconsequential - look at how it's gone so far - but imperialism (drive for territory with no ulterior motive) vs "not-imperialism" (drive for territory with an ulterior/different/additional motive) is what's behind this. The Russians/Soviets were never actual "Communists" in the strictest theoretical sense, they only used that terminology and the trappings of a "people's state."

I DO agree that US business interests got to frame the conflict, and that that framing has hurt the US's interests to this day.

[Walleye]

28. Yes. They put it very well I agree with all that

Years ago I remember Henry Kissinger made what I think was the definitive statement on Russia. He said, “Russia will always take territory, that’s what they do”

[Ocelot II]

2. I do believe in military experts. They know far more about tactics, strategies and weapons

than an entire Internet full of armchair generals. Our and NATO’s intelligence services know things we don’t know. Accordingly I have no opinion, and if I did it would be worth just as much as those of all the other armchair generals on the Internet. If people want to discuss and debate, fine. I can’t control what’s going on, and since I don’t know what’s going on anyhow, I’ll have to let the people who do know make the military decisions.

[NewHendoLib]

3. great response.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. With all the excellent intelligence we're getting out of Russia,

I would venture a guess that the US, or another western intelligence agency, has a high level mole inside Daddy Vladdy's inner circle or the Russian High Command, the intelligence is just too good and accurate.

[Ocelot II]

16. You're probably right. Spies have never gone out of fashion.

[kentuck]

10. Do you have a favorite?

I will look for him/her.

[Ocelot II]

15. I don't know enough to select a "favorite." I don't know if there is such a person.

I do have more faith in the aggregate expertise of the people who are currently involved than I have in the aggregate opinions of the expert Internet generals (some of whom probably used to be expert Internet virologists who did their own research to determine that bleach, ivermectin and/or urine cured covid), or even in the retired generals who do understand military ops but who no longer have access to current intelligence. I have the reasonable belief that people like Biden, other heads of state, Stoltenberg, and NATO's intelligence and military people, are in a better position to analyze the situation and make the best possible decisions for the short and long term. Beyond that I don't know.

[kentuck]

19. I have heard that "military intelligence" is an oxymoron?

But I wouldn't know.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

27. Our Military Intelligence seems to be pretty good,

I would hazard a guess that we, or another western intelligence agency, has a high level mole in either Daddy Vladdy's inner circle or the Russian High Command, the intelligence coming out of Russia is just too good and accurate.

[doc03]

4. How would I know nt

[Crazyleftie]

5. determine a way to attack the convoys before they enter the city

They are sitting ducks

[MarineCombatEngineer]

6. And a very good opinion,

I'm dead set against any direct US/NATO combat in Ukraine, however, any NBC attack upon Ukraine, or any incursion into a NATO nation, would be a red line for me and my opposition to intervention will disappear fast.

Until then, supply the Ukrainians with whatever they need, ATGM's, SAM's, NVG's, etc.
They seem to be using these weapons with great gusto and effectiveness.

[uponit7771]

7. 1. Putrid is an asshole not a complete moron take nukes off the table, 2. Make red line and hold

... them the economic sanctions guns is not out of bullets, 3. CONTINUE to flood the country with ammunition, food, medicine and protect those lines, 4. Give them anti artillery tech that will be able to neutralize the shelling by rockets and cannons so the stupid level of shelling will stop.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

9. +100.

[ShazzieB]

11. Personally, I'm okay with leaving this to the military experts.

I would feel lost trying to debate military strategy. I can be quite opinionated on matters I feel I know something about, but this is an area about which I feel like a blithering idiot, tbqh.

The armchair generals here at DU are welcome to have at it. I'm content to watch from the sidelines.

[kentuck]

13. But you stand with Ukraine, right?

How did you make that decision?

[Gore1FL]

29. I can't speak for who you asked, but my support of Ukraine is political in nature.

I supported Ukraine before it was clear they could hold off the Russian invaders; military expertise or lack thereof never entered the picture while making the choice to support Ukrainian democracy vs Russian authoritarianism.

[Buckeyeblue]

12. I think the action so far has shown the Russian military to be weak

From a pure numbers perspective, they should have been able to run over the Ukrainians. However, it seems as if their equipment is not great, morale is low (probably due to the cold and lack of supplies) and strategically they're a mess.

Ukraine has been fighting with great courage and pride.

My concern is that Ukraine is going to be structurally decimated by the time Russia decides to call off the dogs. They will have to completely rebuild. And many of the people who left may not return.

I would prefer to see NATO intervene and quickly push back the Russian troops. When the first F-16 pops up on the horizon I think the Russian military will retreat.

I think Putin will pretty much be done at that point.

[marie999]

21. Or Russia uses 100 tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

[Mad_Machine76]

25. He might do something like it out of spite

but if he's trying to win and hold Ukraine for Russia, having a massively irradiated hulk of a country would obviously be counterproductive to those aims.

[Cracklin Charlie]

14. I think the current strategy seems to be working.

Let Putin beat himself.

[rockfordfile]

17. Actually the majority of the Russian people support Putin.

[crud]

18. Declare Putin a war criminal

Declare the invasion a war crime. I think NATO needs to tell Russia to get out or we are going in big to kick their asses. All those NATO rules don't mean shit to Putin and he is using that against us. Send in the jets and pilots and deny that we did. Declare a 100 mile noFly zone into Ukraine to include Lviv for starters. I know that smart folks don't want to escalate but I don't think that is an option anymore. I don't know much about military tactics but this is game theory. I don't think Putin is gonna launch the nukes, but he is gonna keep going until someone stops him. I don't think we should be afraid of doing what needs to be done to defeat them.

[marie999]

23. Russia has already used thermobaric weapons in Ukraine.

Tactical nuclear weapons could be next.

[Johonny]

20. The end product of this seems almost certain

Russia will end up a vassal state of China. Their exit from being just another European country is essentially complete. Putin wanted to return to the Soviet days, but the position of Russia and China simply won't allow that. There's no way Russia won't essentially exist to prop up China sort of like a slightly wealthier North Korea.

The Russian people have lost any ability to be seen as just a European nation. They're unlikely to find western goods except those that flow through China, anytime soon. It's unlikely the west can inflict economic hardship on Russia and not be seen as the enemy by the Russian people.

I have no idea how long Ukraine can hold out. They've already held out long enough to inflict serious damage to Russia. But can they survive long enough to escape when the complete collapse of Russia occurs? No one knows. My assumption is, NATO is going to have a hard time not eventually going in to Ukraine if only to stabilize the peace after the conflict ends.

[hamsterjill]

22. I don't think it hurts to have an opinion on what the military is doing.

I’m in Texas and Ft. Hood soldiers are usually the first called upon for elite military operations. Three hundred (approximate) have just been sent to Europe to fortify NATO.

This tells me that something is brewing. What that is, I don’t know. There has also been a very obvious increase in air traffic around local military bases, both jets and cargo planes.

So, my opinion is that we aren’t just ignoring what Putin is doing, but we are preparing for war should it come to that.

This certainly isn’t “intel” and I’m not a military expert. Just observations.

[Iggo]

24. I know fuck-all about military strategy.