Russia's War Against Ukraine

[Sir Slash]

I just can't buy the notion that an entire Russian army brigade was destroyed in Andivika, the pre-war population was less than a hundred so where would the Russians hide 4,000-5,000 men at? And why would they put that many men in one little Podunk town? They'd more probably be spread-out along the entire line. If there were thousands of dead bears lying in a village without one building left standing I think they would be very easy to see. 

[Windigo]

One honest election in Russia is all it would take to solve their problems and end this war.

Sir Slash, That one honest election is never going to happen with their current kleptocracy.... never...

[Windigo]

very funny that the backround was blurred for security reasons.

and she gone...

[Windigo]

I just can't buy the notion that an entire Russian army brigade was destroyed in Andivika, the pre-war population was less than a hundred so where would the Russians hide 4,000-5,000 men at? And why would they put that many men in one little Podunk town? They'd more probably be spread-out along the entire line. If there were thousands of dead bears lying in a village without one building left standing I think they would be very easy to see. 

While it seems that this number is really high, remember how orders are carried out/chain of command functions in the Russian forces? In my mind this is entirely possible with just a few orders carried out.

The Russians do fairly well in trench warfare, but when the battlefield becomes foggy, they are terrible.

[Con]

very funny that the backround was blurred for security reasons.

Need to know - what tire defense doing?

[JasonPratt]

Even one honest election in Russia would probably put a gung-ho strongman on the triggers. Prigo was apparently very popular.

A lot of Russians evidently believe the anti-Uk propaganda; they just don't trust the competency of their military or that the military will properly take care of their own people.

Admittedly, who knows? -- I hear all kinds of things. But by the same token, who knows? At best an honest election would be a crapshoot, and THAT assumes whoever wins power will work for peace -- either for or against the honest vote which put him there.

How often to politicians in real republics do what they promised they'd do to get hired?

[GDS_Starfury]

I just can't buy the notion that an entire Russian army brigade was destroyed in Andivika, the pre-war population was less than a hundred so where would the Russians hide 4,000-5,000 men at?

I've learned not to get fixated on a specific location with how things are reported.  better to think of it as the Andivika sector got hammered, not just the village.  it would also serve you well to look at the terrain of the area and how the rail line dominates it.

[JasonPratt]

True, the HQs may have been (apparently were?) in the town, but the brigade elements would be deployed mostly around it.

Do I remember hearing that a serious number of officers up to generals got crunched there? 

[GDS_Starfury]

a serious number, as in all of them. 

[GDS_Starfury]

heres a russian bmp going full Leroy Jenkins.  seems pretty effective ngl.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1703668189521920395

[ArizonaTank]

Even one honest election in Russia would probably put a gung-ho strongman on the triggers. Prigo was apparently very popular.

A lot of Russians evidently believe the anti-Uk propaganda; they just don't trust the competency of their military or that the military will properly take care of their own people.

Admittedly, who knows? -- I hear all kinds of things. But by the same token, who knows? At best an honest election would be a crapshoot, and THAT assumes whoever wins power will work for peace -- either for or against the honest vote which put him there.

How often to politicians in real republics do what they promised they'd do to get hired?

Sadly, historically, getting rid of authoritarian rulers has never been easy. They like having large wings of their palace dedicated to their wife's shoe collection.

[FarAway Sooner]

It's an interesting question, what is the political alchemy for transforming authoritarian governments into liberal democracies.

The most successful examples from the 20th century have probably been Germany, Japan, and South Korea.  Numerous Central and South American countries also seem to be making that transition successfully, although it's often a "two steps up, one step back" kind of process.

Russia saw an explosion of liberal society over the last 20 years.  Unfortunately, almost all of that was outside the halls of political power--in NGOs, in classrooms, in non-state media outlets, etc.  The recent crackdown from the hardliner-oligarchs calling the shots in the Kremlin has silenced many of those would-be-liberals, while it's driven many others out of the country.

Even if it weren't for their status as pariah outcasts, the Russian country and the Russian economy would be deeply screwed based on corruption, demographics, and economics alone.  Add in the international embargoes, the increasingly limited choice of trade partners, and the brain drain from a decimated middle class, and it gets even worse.

I'd be lying if I said that I feel sorry for them.  I feel sadness, but justice is seldom a dish that gets served gently.

[Windigo]

It's pretty clear that the educated GTFO and the uneducated GF'd.

[GDS_Starfury]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1703766517488193792

[JudgeDredd]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1703766517488193792

I'd hate to have to stop ina  hurry in that "jeep".

That reminded me of the T-Rex chase scene in Jurassic Park.