Lucien, your West Point training is really coming through in your latest posts about Ukraine. I appreciate the insights and wisdom you are sharing during this terrible time, and I am happy to support your work.
This is kind of a good news/bad news article. On the one hand it's good to hear the Ukrainians are effective at killing Russian soldiers. On the other hand, most of the Russians dying are very likely young, ill-trained, and inexperienced and may not even know where they are or what their mission is. They are sons, brothers, and maybe fathers whose relatives know nothing of their whereabouts or what they're doing. I say this because it's such a tragedy that young men have to die because their craven prezident is trying to reconstitute the old Soviet Union. Putin cares not at all that they are dying in Ukraine, because to him they are simply tools, a means to an end. How many die isn't important to Putin as long as they achieve HIS goals. And no matter how many die, their deaths will not alter Putin's plan. The only thing that might stop his madness is the public reaction in Russia to more young men dying for a tyrant. And maybe there are a few generals who see this madness for what it is and step up to put an end to it. Maybe, but I doubt it.
Thank you for these updates. I wish there was a way to share this information as well as the pics of soldiers left where they fall in the snow with their families back home.
For those wondering about the Russian knowledge of these events at home, imagine if this was a Trump run adventure and what truths might be available to the homefront.
Russia has lots of non nuclear bombs and missiles. The danger to Ukraine is when Putin gets frustrated with conventional warfare and orders cruise missiles, etc. to be used. Huge collateral damage and civilian casualties.
Yes, very high casualties -- 2000 killed, wounded and captured in less than a week. I'm surprised that they are acknowledging such losses. And of course, they probably are low balling the numbers.
We knew this would be the case. The death and destruction is so disturbing. When will a formula finally be reached to end this? Sanctions seem to have an effect on the WRONG people. We are not at war with the people of Russia. Their fear of incarceration is real. Their fear of money's access and utility is real. How do we distinguish between them and their criminal leader? It’s so easy for us to suggest that they battle back Arab Spring style. But is that a real solution?
On top of everything else, they picked the dead of winter for this war. Another sign of great planning. You can both freeze and starve to death before it's over, if you don't get shot first.
It seems to me that leaving your dead behind indicates poor morale, poor discipline, poor leadership or you just got whipped badly. I'm not a soldier, never have been but I know that both we and the VC tried to recover all casualties during the Viet Nam war, so this does not show the Russian military in a good light.
You'll be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for this work, Lucien. And you'll win one.
Unfortunately, Putin -- like the Soviet leaders before him -- doesn't give a shit about his casualties. Dictators rarely do.
Every murderer, every war criminal, should be locked in a room with a corpse. For the duration of his imprisonment.
Please forgive the misspelling. But you know how your name is spelled.
I like that concept. A lot!!!!
His troops are “sub-human” to him. Chechens even lower.
Lucien, your West Point training is really coming through in your latest posts about Ukraine. I appreciate the insights and wisdom you are sharing during this terrible time, and I am happy to support your work.
This is kind of a good news/bad news article. On the one hand it's good to hear the Ukrainians are effective at killing Russian soldiers. On the other hand, most of the Russians dying are very likely young, ill-trained, and inexperienced and may not even know where they are or what their mission is. They are sons, brothers, and maybe fathers whose relatives know nothing of their whereabouts or what they're doing. I say this because it's such a tragedy that young men have to die because their craven prezident is trying to reconstitute the old Soviet Union. Putin cares not at all that they are dying in Ukraine, because to him they are simply tools, a means to an end. How many die isn't important to Putin as long as they achieve HIS goals. And no matter how many die, their deaths will not alter Putin's plan. The only thing that might stop his madness is the public reaction in Russia to more young men dying for a tyrant. And maybe there are a few generals who see this madness for what it is and step up to put an end to it. Maybe, but I doubt it.
Excellent reporting all around ! I sense that Putin would nuke Kyiv before he would quit in embarassment.
Please. I hope not.
Thank you. Very encouraging. Much more detailed than anyone writing about this horrible injustice.
Thank you for these updates. I wish there was a way to share this information as well as the pics of soldiers left where they fall in the snow with their families back home.
need social media to do it's thing.
TikTok, go at it.
You got that, the more of these pictures that get back to the folks at home in Russia the better.
yeah, i really dunno how tiktok or instagram or any of those work but i know they can be powerful spreaders of influence and information
I have heard others such as Peter Zeihan speculate that this might be Russia's "twilight war".
When the oligarchs feel the financial pain of this folly...
For those wondering about the Russian knowledge of these events at home, imagine if this was a Trump run adventure and what truths might be available to the homefront.
Taking Ukrainian cities is one thing. Holding them another.
Potemkin army
Russia has lots of non nuclear bombs and missiles. The danger to Ukraine is when Putin gets frustrated with conventional warfare and orders cruise missiles, etc. to be used. Huge collateral damage and civilian casualties.
Yes, very high casualties -- 2000 killed, wounded and captured in less than a week. I'm surprised that they are acknowledging such losses. And of course, they probably are low balling the numbers.
We knew this would be the case. The death and destruction is so disturbing. When will a formula finally be reached to end this? Sanctions seem to have an effect on the WRONG people. We are not at war with the people of Russia. Their fear of incarceration is real. Their fear of money's access and utility is real. How do we distinguish between them and their criminal leader? It’s so easy for us to suggest that they battle back Arab Spring style. But is that a real solution?
On top of everything else, they picked the dead of winter for this war. Another sign of great planning. You can both freeze and starve to death before it's over, if you don't get shot first.
It seems to me that leaving your dead behind indicates poor morale, poor discipline, poor leadership or you just got whipped badly. I'm not a soldier, never have been but I know that both we and the VC tried to recover all casualties during the Viet Nam war, so this does not show the Russian military in a good light.