https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-goals-scaled-back/31770879.html This is hilarious. "first phase of its military operation was complete and it would now focus on two eastern regions claimed by Russia-backed separatists". Apparently the "first phase" was to lose 10,000+ dead and 20,000+ wounded, 20% of the tanks/BMPs/APCs, ruin your own economy, and become the world's pariah - in order to distract Ukrainians from the Russians' main goal - taking Donbass. Let the Putin poodles on this board start the prase flowing for the amazing cleverness of the Russian chess moves!
awaiting patiently for 2nd phase to be complete when Russia gets sent home packing. 3rd phase when they give up Crimea.
Putin of course is snakey too, so talk about moving russian troops to the donbass or focusing on it may or may not mean that he is scaling back in the north. Zelensky can keep talking with him or through a third party and that is fine as long as it does not cause Ukraine to reduce its offensive efforts by one iota. Otherwise the snake will bite him. Putin has not cancelled all those various foreign fighters that are supposed to be coming in, has he? I could very easily see him continuing to bring in the foreign fighters because the Russians back home really don't care as much if some mercenary scumbags get killed versus a russian boy. Bringing in those foreign fighters creates challenges because they are ruthless. On the other hand some pundits think it will only makes things worse because Russia's problems are in coordination and communication and having all those rag tag outfits does not help. Anyway. I would be optimistic about signs that Putin is backing down but nevertheless watch out for being scammed by him too. He might just be buying some time. He is not the most trustworthy source. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/25/russia-reinforcements-georgia-ukraine/ Biden is not all the trustworthy either. I heard him talking to troops earlier today and telling them what they should expect to see when they go into Ukraine. I just rolled my eyes and think "Joe, what are ya saying lad, what you saying? Does your mouth even have radio contact with your brain?"
The Fox and the Grapes is one of Aesop's fables.The story concerns a fox that tries to eat grapes from a vine but cannot reach them. Rather than admit defeat, he states they are undesirable. The expression "sour grapes" originated from this fable.
Analysis of the Russian KIA in first week of fighting based on decoration serial #s. https://informnapalm.org/en/medal-c...for-the-first-week-of-hostilities-in-ukraine/
Russia may give up a lot but Crimea will be Ukranian not sooner than nuclear winter comes into Washington It's absolutely sacral to Russians and there is no force on this planet that will make Crimea Ukranian ever again So given what I said above would you prefer to make large part of US radioactive desert to make Crimea ukranian again or maybe other solutions should exist?
Or you could say that it will be Chinese before it will be Ukrainian. Well underway, Preserving the glory of Russia by being terrorist and turning Russia into a vassal state of China. Wayyy to go Vlad. He set out to be Peter the Great, descended to Ivan the Terrible, and is now just the village idiot owned by China.
Not sure if this seventh guy is old news or new news. Hard to keep up. Seven is an unlucky number. Certainly was for him anyway. 7th Russian general killed in Ukraine https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveb...nior-commander-murdered-by-own-troops-report/