The use of large numbers of poorly trained conscripts has become a key part of Russia’s military strategy in Ukraine, despite the high rate of casualties.
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 13, 2023
Captured troops describe being used as cannon fodder in these sacrificial assaults.https://t.co/jnTxsa3Edv
The original article is beind a paywall. Behind another paywall, there is an article about the Russian diaspora and how most of them will never return. Given that Russia is facing demographic collapse, losing a million men of reproductive age on a war of choice would seem to be a pretty stupid choice. Especially when a goodly number of those emigrating/fleeing the country are some of the best and brightest people that Russia had.
A cold-blooded argument can be made that it is no skin off Russia's nose to empty out its prisons and send its convicts into a meatgrinder for little gain. But as for the conscripts and the exiles, most of those men are ones that Russia can ill afford to lose. Russia is in the process of gutting itself for the fleeting glory of Tsar Vladimir IV.
Which leads me to this: It is time to open up the warehouses, the airbases, the factories. If a weapon system does not have a nuclear, biological or chemical payload, then it should be handed over to the Ukrainins as quickly as they can be trained to use them effectively. Which should be faster than one might believe.
Putin is strangling Russia in an effort to Immolate the Nation as the Tsars did. It's a Russian tradition.
ReplyDeleteOver the years, i have made friends with members of the Russian diaspora. They seem to have no intention of returning to Russia. Currently, it is a nice educated couple . She is Lithuanian, he is Ukrainian. They speak Russian among themselves. They are talented intelligent people. I think they are examples of this brain drain. The woman used to go every summer to visit her family in Lithuania. I haven't had chance to visit with them since this war started.
ReplyDeleteI need help understanding this piece at a time supply. We all agree they are at war, but we nickel and dime them with supplies. They need a lot of 21st-century war tech and they needed it a whole year ago. It's not like we don't have a whole army in storage, we do. Maybe it isn't all cutting edge but it was good enough to stop the Russians once and can do it again. Why are we dribbling out needed assistance?
ReplyDeleteYes Comrade, every single piece of equipment that isn't nuke or biological needs to be on a transport to Ukraine.
When I heard of Lend-Lease, I figured the spigots had finally opened. Why not?
w3ski
Contact your congresscritters and ask WTF.
ReplyDelete