GlastonSpur
Also disliked on an Aston Villa forum
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While it is true that the attacking military force will suffer more losses I don't think you can compare the siege of Stalingrad by a starving disease ridden German army dressed in summer clothing, with what's happening in Ukraine. We are only speculating on Russian losses but we can be sure they are being under reported by the state run and controller Russian. media.
I am very sceptical at claims from either side. I don't think the Russian military have the resources to occupy a huge country like Ukraine and as you say they face a country surrounded by a hostile civilian population. I don't see that as part of the Russian plan. My guess, and it's only a guess is for the Russians to create a new neutral area, effectively a buffer zone to protect the Russian border against the further eastern expansion of NATO that would include hostile troops and nukes sitting on the Russian border.
This has never been about creating a military buffer zone. It is only about trying to crush the notion of freedom, democracy, and sovereign statehood independent of Russia - because this is what Putin fears will otherwise infect - via Ukraine - the Russian people. It's about power and control vs freedom and democracy - nothing else.
Nor is it about NATO "expansion", as if NATO was marching eastward and conquering nations as it goes. Instead it's about sovereign nations voluntarily applying to join NATO in order to better protect themselves from Putin's tyranny.
The irony is, of course, that what will emerge from this is a Ukraine that is more pro-West than ever, even if it has less territory. Eventually, however long it takes, this Ukraine will join the EU and NATO. It's an historical inevitability.