This is being spun one way, but reality still might tell a different story
The buzz is that Putin has called for Georgia to provide troop reinforcements as Russian casualties start to add up. This, suggests many, shows that Ukraine is obviously winning the war and Russia is obviously losing. Why else would they "need" to call for reinforcements?
This is a valid question and there is a valid argument to be made that Russia would not be calling for reinforcements if everything on the ground was going as planned. However, the fact of the matter is Russia has reinforcements to bring in. The Ukrainians do not.
If war was strictly a game of numbers, consider this. The believed number of Russian forces who have been killed or injured (and likely out of service) is thought to be in the 10-15 thousand range. Whereas the Ukrainian causalities are thought to be less than half that. But consider if the Ukrainians successfully knocked out 15,000 Russian Troops and Putin is able to call on Georgia to replace those 15,000 troops then what did the Ukrainians really gain?
The reality is that as long as Putin can keep bringing in mercenaries from Syria, troops from Belarus, or troops from Georgia, and he still has a million or so trained soldiers in Russia who are either active or reserve... they will not be defeated by 15,000 troops being killed. They may arguably have "more" troops right now in Ukraine than they did when they first crossed the border.
So rather than think about how many troops have been killed on either side, the reality is that we should all be concerned with how many troops each side has left.
21 comments:
Why does it always seem to me that you seem to be "rooting" for the Ukrainians to lose?
James, he wants the Russians to drag it into a long term battle, so the Republican's can blame Biden.
But if this continues, the morale decides they might self destruct
Russian soldiers ran over their commander, apparently blaming him for heavy losses in Ukraine, Western official says
Sinéad Baker
Fri, March 25, 2022, 9:41 AM·2 min read
Russian troops ran over their own commander in response to the Ukraine invasion, a Western official said.
The official said it was done as "consequences of the losses they had taken," one report said.
The official said the colonel died, and an earlier report said he was brought to hospital with injured legs.
Russian soldiers ran their commander over in protest of the heavy losses that Russia has suffered during its invasion of Ukraine, a Western official said.
The official was cited by several UK defense writers on Friday afternoon.
It appeared to confirm a previously-reported story about a senior commander run over by a tank.
Larisa Brown, defense editor of The Times of London, tweeted, citing the unnamed official, that the commander "has been killed by one of his own units" and that the colonel "was ran over by his own troops deliberately."
The colonel was named as Colonel Medvechek, commander of 37 Motor Rifle Brigade, by Deborah Haynes, security and defense editor for Sky News, who also cited a Western official.
The earlier report had named him as Colonel Yuri Medvedev, a similar but not identical name,
The official said he was "run over by his soldiers," according to Haynes.
Haynes tweeted that the official said: "The brigade commander of one of the units was killed by his own troops and killed by his own troops, we believe, as a consequence of the scale of loss that had been taken by his brigade."
Gordon Corera, the security correspondent for the BBC, tweeted a similar account.
An earlier report said that the colonel was not killed, but that his feet were crushed.
Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk said on Facebook on Wednesday that a soldier ran over the officer's legs with a tank, and that he was brought to a hospital in Belarus.
Russia's progress in invading Ukraine has been significantly slower than what Russia expected. Intelligence officials have spoken of very low morale among Russian forces, who appear to be poorly supplied and some of whom have said they were misled about the invasion.
A senior NATO member said on Wednesday that up to 15,000 Russian troops may have been killed. Fewer than 3,000 American troops were killed in Afghanistan over 20 years.
DOES THIS SOUND SO ROSY FOR THE RUSSIANS?
Russia Signals Scaled-Back War Aims
“Moscow signaled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions in Ukraine to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive to recapture towns on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv,” Reuters reports.
However, the AP reports Vladimir Putin’s war “is approaching a new, potentially more dangerous phase after a month of fighting has left Russian forces stalled by an outnumbered foe.
“He is left with stark choices — how and where to replenish his spent ground forces, whether to attack the flow of Western arms to Ukrainian defenders, and at what cost he might escalate or widen the war.”
OR THIS?
Russian Troops Killed Their Commander
A Russian brigade commander has been killed deliberately by his own troops after his unit suffered many losses in Ukraine,
Sky News reports.
Said a western official: “That just gives an insight into perhaps some of the morale challenges that Russian forces are having.”
What you said is somewhat true but...
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — About 300 people were killed in the Russian airstrike last week on a Mariupol theater that was being used as a shelter, Ukrainian authorities said Friday in what would make it the war's deadliest known attack on civilians yet.
The bloodshed at the theater fueled allegations Moscow is committing war crimes by killing civilians, whether deliberately or by indiscriminate fire.
Meanwhile, in what could signal an important narrowing of Moscow’s war aims, the U.S. said Russian forces appear to have halted, at least for now, their ground offensive aimed at capturing the capital, Kyiv, and are concentrating more on gaining control of the Donbas region in the country's southeast — a shift the Kremlin seemed to confirm.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again appealed to Russia to negotiate an end to the war, but pointedly said Ukraine would not agree to give up any of its territory for the sake of peace.
They will never maintain control over anything
Russian state TV whistleblower:
'We were told war would be over in 2 weeks'
Yahoo News
Ellen Manning
March 25
Russian state journalists were told the invasion of Ukraine would be over in two weeks, according to a media whistleblower.
Speaking anonymously to ITV News, a journalist for the Russia 1 television channel said they were initially told the war would be over by 8 March, then they would be able to go back to their "normal work".
But a week after that date passed, Russian security chiefs admitted that the conflict was not going "as fast as we would like".
The journalist's comments come as Russian efforts to take Ukraine continue to stall, a month after the invasion.
On Friday, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) intelligence update said Ukrainian forces were reclaiming key towns and positions up to 21 miles (35km) east of Kyiv as Russian forces lose ground.
Read more: UK armed forces unable to 'stand up to enemy' in event of another world war
Speaking to ITV News, the Russian journalist said: "We expected the war to go on for one week.
"Our manager told us it would be over by 8 March and then we could return to our normal work on musical and dance programmes."
But the journalist said a week after 8 March came and went, Viktor Zolotov, a member of Russia’s national security council admitted that "not everything is going as fast as we would like".
The anonymous journalist is the latest media whistleblower to speak out.
In a high profile protest, journalist Marina Osvyannikova interrupted a live broadcast carrying a placard which read "they are lying to you here".
In a video recorded prior to her protest, she said she was "ashamed" to be working for "Kremlin propaganda".
In history, some military officers refuse their orders, because their lives are at risk..
Watch: Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko attacks Putin: 'He's sick, he's an unhealthy man'
The hill sums it up
Russian troops reportedly attacked their own commanding officer by running him over with a tank after many in their brigade were killed amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk said in a post on Facebook that Russian Col. Yuri Medvedev was attacked after fighting in Ukraine left nearly half of the men in the 37th Motor Rifle Brigade dead, The Washington Post reported.
Tsymbaliuk said the brigade injured both of Medvedev's legs by hitting him with a tank, causing him to be hospitalized, according to the newspaper.
The incident occurred roughly 30 miles from Kyiv, in Makariv, Ukraine, the Post reported. The country reportedly retook the town this week after Russia gained control of it earlier in the war.
A senior Western official told the newspaper that he thinks Medvedev has died, saying the incident shows the low morale among the Russian troops in Ukraine.
He was killed “as a consequence of the scale of the losses taken by his own brigade,” the official said, according to the Post.
If this keeps happening, the Russian army might rebel against Putin
Newsweek
Ukraine and Russia closer to ending war as understanding reached in four areas
By Jack Dutton On 3/25/22 at 5:47 AM EDT
00:36
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Ukraine and Russia have reached an understanding on four of the six main topics of disagreement, including NATO, partial disarmament, collective security and Russian language, bringing the two warring countries a step closer to resolving the conflict.
Ragıp Soylu, Turkey bureau chief of Middle East Eye, reported the news in a tweet on Friday. However, there is still no agreement on Crimea and Donbas, two eastern areas of Ukraine that Russia sees as its own territory. In 2014, Russian troops annexed Crimea before claiming it as Russian land.
Newsweek has contacted the ministries of foreign affairs of both Russia and Ukraine for comment on the peace talks.
Turkey has been in contact with the negotiating teams from the two countries. The NATO member shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has a strong relationship with both states. Although it has imposed some sanctions on Moscow since the war started on February 24, it has also offered to mediate the conflict.
Erdogan was speaking at a press conference following the extraordinary summit of NATO leaders on Thursday and Friday.
"We will continue our talks with both Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky from now on as well," Erdoğan said, according to a statement from his office. "All our efforts aim to create an atmosphere of peace by bringing together the two leaders."
"As is known, there is almost a consensus regarding such issues as NATO, disarmament, collective security and using Russian as official language in the technical infrastructure works during the ongoing process in Belarus," Erdogan added. "However, there is the issue of Crimea and Donbas, which is impossible for Ukraine to consent to."
The Turkish leader called Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky's move on Monday to declare that Ukrainian compromises with Russia will be decided on by a referendum was "wise leadership."
"Turkey's strong support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty since 2014 is known by everyone. We have stated at every opportunity that we never have and never will recognize Crimea's annexation, and we continue to do so," Erdogan said.
"The destruction and humanitarian tragedy caused by the war are evident. The war-torn cities, hospitals, schools and houses that have nearly turned into wrecks, and weeping refugees, who packed all their assets in one suitcase, have all reminded us once again of the bitter face of wars."
Erdogan is due to tell Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Make an honorable exit in Ukraine and become an architect of peace," Soylu reported.
The Turkish president met with U.S. counterpart Joe Biden and other NATO leaders in Brussels on Thursday to discuss further sanctions on Russia and bolstering the alliance's eastern flank. Biden will travel to a Polish town near the border of Ukraine later on Friday to show solidarity and show Western resolve against the Russian invasion.
What really matters.
Rock chalk, Jayhawk, KU".
Rock chalk, Jayhawk, KU".
Rock chalk, Jayhawk, KU".
Why does it always seem to me that you seem to be "rooting" for the Ukrainians to lose?
I don't know Reverend....
One might think you could explain your own thoughts better than anyone else here? Not sure why you keep asking the same question.
Russian military officials hold a briefing in Moscow today. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images
Top Russian military officials said Friday the operation in Ukraine was entering a new phase focused on the "complete liberation" of the eastern Donbas region, claiming Russia's assault on cities like Kyiv was part of a strategy to distract Ukrainian forces.
Why it matters: Russia's advance has stalled across most of the country after four weeks of war. The public briefing, which was riddled with false statements, could signal a pivot away from what U.S. officials believed were Russia's original objectives of regime change and long-term control of Ukraine.
The Russians are going to lose the war.
As Ukraine forces counter near Kyiv,
Russia scales back goals
Zelenskiy says dealing Russian forces 'powerful blows'
Russia signals military focus on eastern Ukraine
Officials estimate 300 dead in Mariupol theatre bombing
MARIUPOL/LVIV, Ukraine, March 26 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pushed for further talks with Russia as Moscow signalled it was scaling back its ambitions to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the east after attacks elsewhere stalled.
In an announcement on Friday appearing to indicate more limited goals, the Russian Defence Ministry said a first phase of its operation was mostly complete and it would now focus on the Donbas region bordering Russia, which has pro-Moscow separatist enclaves. read more
"The combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been considerably reduced, which ... makes it possible to focus our core efforts on achieving the main goal, the liberation of Donbas," said Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate.
Breakaway Russian-backed forces have been fighting Ukrainian forces in Donbas and the adjoining Luhansk region since 2014. They declared independence with Moscow's blessing - but not recognised by the West - soon before the Feb. 24 invasion.
Reframing Russia's goals may make it easier for President Vladimir Putin to claim a face-saving victory, military analysts said. read more
Moscow had said the goals for what it calls its "special operation" include demilitarising and "denazifying" its neighbour. Western officials say the invasion is unjustified and illegal, aimed at toppling Zelenskiy's pro-NATO government.
Weeks of on-and-off peace talks have failed to make significant progress. In a video address late Friday, Zelenskiy said his troops' resistance had dealt Russia "powerful blows".
"Our defenders are leading the Russian leadership to a simple and logical idea: we must talk, talk meaningfully, urgently and fairly," Zelenskiy said.
In what officials billed as a major address in Poland U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday "will deliver remarks on the united efforts of the free world to support the people of Ukraine, hold Russia accountable for its brutal war, and defend a future that is rooted in democratic principles," the White House said in a statement. read more
The United Nations has confirmed 1,081 civilian deaths and 1,707 injuries in Ukraine since the invasion but says the real toll is likely higher.
Some 136 children have been killed so far been during the invasion, Ukraine's prosecutor general office said on Saturday. read more
Russia's defence ministry said 1,351 Russian soldiers had been killed and 3,825 wounded, the Interfax news agency reported. Ukraine says 15,000 Russian soldiers have died. Reuters could not independently verify the claims.
This is a big deal': Former Ukraine ambassador Bill Taylor says Russia's tactical shift is a game changer
Bill Taylor
On Friday's edition of CNN's "The Situation Room," former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor broke down the significance of Russia appearing to announce they no longer intend to seize control of Ukrainian capital Kyiv and will focus instead on "liberating" the eastern regions they have recognized as so-called "independent republics."
"Ambassador Taylor, how significant, potentially hugely significant, is it for Russia to say, their main goal, at least for them to be saying their main goal is to liberate Eastern Ukraine, compared to their original goal to potentially take order and set up a puppet government throughout the entire country?" asked anchor Wolf Blitzer.
"You're exactly right, this is a big deal," said Taylor, who rose to public prominence as a key witness in former President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial. "This demonstrates that the Ukrainians have indeed stopped the Russian advance. The Ukrainians have been fighting much harder than the Russians. We know that the Russian soldiers were not even sure why they were there. And we knew the Ukrainian soldiers knew exactly why they were there. They knew they were fighting for their country, for their independence. So the Ukrainians are super motivated and that has been demonstrated now. And I think what we're seeing is a change in momentum. We're clearly seeing the change in momentum in favor of the Ukrainians."
"Do you expect Putin will try to claim victory, regardless of how badly this military campaign has gone for him?" asked Blitzer.
"Wolf, I think that's the key," said Taylor. "President Putin will look now to some kind of negotiations, conceivably. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. But it is possible with this change in momentum. With the... attack on Kyiv stalled, President Putin may be looking for a way back, a way down. And he can now say when he goes to these negotiations, if that happens, that what he really wants is Donbas. what he really wants is recognition of Crimea. He's not going to get that from the Ukrainians, but he can say that's what he was after. He can sit down with the Ukrainians and have that conversation."
This may be a game changer.
Joe Biden on Saturday "will deliver remarks on the united efforts of the free world to support the people of Ukraine, hold Russia accountable for its brutal war, and defend a future that is rooted in democratic principles.
I looked at the Fox news website and it looks like thecoldheartedtruth!!!
Sleepy Joe Biden everywhere.
His mental disorders were very apparent yesterday evening.
Beyond Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin is also fighting cultural battles.
In a speech on Friday from the nondescript, beige-walled office in which he has been conducting much of his public business this month, Mr. Putin made no mention of Ukraine. Instead, he expanded upon a personal obsession: “cancel culture.”
Western elites “canceled” the author J.K. Rowling because she “did not please fans of so-called gender freedoms,” Mr. Putin said in his nationally televised remarks, flanked by two Russian flags. Ms. Rowling was widely criticized in 2020 after voicing support for a researcher whose views on transgender people had been condemned by a court.
Japan, he claimed, “cynically decided to ‘cancel’” the fact that it was the United States that dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. And now, he said, the West is busy “canceling” Russia, “an entire thousand-year-old country, our people.”
That the Russian president delivered a disquisition on Western public discourse on Friday may seem odd at a time when Russia is fighting what some analysts believe to be its bloodiest war since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. But it underscores how Mr. Putin tries to channel cultural grievances and common stereotypes for political gain — while using language that also allows him to speak directly to possible allies in the West.
“This is his cultural front,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center. “He’s also at war there.”
Why does it always seem to me that you seem to be "rooting" for the Ukrainians to lose?
Because he thinks it will hurt biden!!!!!!! He think Biden deserves no credit for the Ukraine resistance because the Uke's are brave without help.....Sad...the arms the US and Nato have provided which Trump would not have deserve nothing but disdain from Lil Schitty.....forgetting how arms were held hostage unless Zelensky dug dirt of biden.....that is what Lil Schitty thinks leadership should be!!!
See CH's 9:31 PM
That was not much of an answer, was it? Note that Ch did not say, as he easily could have, Why no, I'm NOT rooting for Putin and the Russians.
It other words, it not only SEEMS that way to me. It IS that way.
So we ask him again: Why are you actually rooting for Putin and the Russians?
Come clean on that.
CH AND RRB WEEP BECAUSE
Another Russian General Has Been Killed In Ukraine
March 26, 2022 at 8:44 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
“Ukraine’s defence ministry says another Russian general, Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev, was killed in a strike near the southern city of Kherson,” the BBC reports.
“A western official said he was the seventh general to die in Ukraine, and the second lieutenant general – the highest rank officer reportedly killed.”
THEY ALSO WEEP BECAUSE
Zelensky Vows No Surrender of Territory
“In what could signal an important narrowing of Moscow’s war aims, the US said Russian forces appear to have halted, at least for now, their ground offensive aimed at capturing the capital, Kyiv, and are concentrating more on gaining control of the Donbas region in the country’s southeast — a shift the Kremlin seemed to confirm,” the AP reports.
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again appealed to Russia to negotiate an end to the war, but pointedly said Ukraine would not agree to give up any of its territory for the sake of peace.”
Washington Post:
Russia shows signs of changing course.
Russia on Course for Deep Two-Year Recession
9:26 am
“Russia’s economy is on course to contract in two consecutive years for the first time since the collapse that followed the Soviet breakup three decades ago,” Bloomberg reports.
STOP WRINGING YOUR HANDS, AMERICAN TRAITORS!
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