It's all for show. All russia seems able to do is boast about a prowess that just isn't there.
Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion
- Thread starter Wednesday at Stoke
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
No way are they 'winning'. They're doing about as good as you can expect from a supposed 'powerhouse' invading you. Many of the eastern cities are in ruin, millions displaced, many dead and still at the mercy of Russian bombing. But they've done as well as one could have hoped. Western intel and weapons have definitely helped. If this was 1v1 I think it would have been over by now (it helps when you know exactly when and where the enemy will be and what weapons to counter them with)
A lot has been obfuscated from the public but I expect the proud VDV regiments to expect answers. There should not be total wipe outs of battalions. It’s absolutely inconceivable.
There are a lot of guys whom are battle hardened there. Same as Kharkiv. Actually it’s logical since those places are closest to flashpoints in LNR and DNR. Like civvies in Mouripol aren’t fighting the Russians.
Spot on. It is not as if Ukraine is thousands of miles away. I guess that they have used it/them to stop them being shot down by more conventional missiles.
Yeah of course. There will be a bloodbath but I think Zelensky is more open to dialogue. He was initially saying that he wanted build positive relations with Russia. He was on Russian tv and I actually think he’s well liked in Russia, relatively speaking.
That is just wishful thinking. like Tatarstan and Bashkirs would never even contemplate it. I’d just have to worry about Chechnya.. literally only place I’d have to worry about.
Kadyrov has an army that could probably take on any country in Europe — certainly they would absolutely put up the same fight as Ukraine now, and that’s without western help. This would only be one state that Putin needs to worry about,
Others are just, well, Russian.
There's a lot of guys who seem to battle hardened in every city. Even Mykolaiv is resisting now. I expect the best to in Kyiv, and that's why I think it will be a long and drawn out battle.
Dialogue is always good, but actually signing anything official is a different matter. I can't imagine he's full of love and positivity for the Russians right now, especially those who are trying to assassinate him.
I’m sorry.. mate but didn’t you get the memo?
People would rather be the kings of ash than live as equals.
Chechen army could take on any country in Europe? Are you serious? How many planes or tanks do they have? How about electronic warfare? Missiles?
No. There will be no winner. It is a disaster for both countries in different aspects. Ukraine is having the far worse punishment though.
In that case he could have saved a lot of Russian lives and just floored Ukraine on Day 1.
They're losing slower than expected.
Does this jive with our resident Russians?
I’m just saying that there are a lot of guys whom have been on rotation between now and 2014 — that’s very battle hardened, especially if they taking operations in Debaltsevo etc — some very, very crazy tales from there.
People whom advise Putin, FSB, guys whom get the sense on the ground — they have absolutely miscalculated. I mean, calling it a miscalculation is inappropriate — it’s a total unmitigated failure. Ukrainians do not want Russians ‘liberating’ them. And a lot of people don’ seem to really care about having Russian language restricted. Ukraines - AZOV and Right Sector Battalions - they are obviously are dogs, that Ukrainian government feels appropriate to set on people. To deny that they don’t exist would be absolutely mental. It’s just that Russia has taken advantage of this issue.
They’re probably the best trained guys in Russia.
They have a dedicated special forces school. A lot of guys whom are under Kadyrov are absolute living legends in terms of SOF - like Daniil Martynov et al.
NATO couldn’t deal with Chechnya for instance. Russians couldn’t deal with them. So yeah Chechen could attack any country, if they’re pretty much impregnable.
Cause Putin just thought that Ukrainian people would defect as a lot did in 2014. It was a massive miscalculation.
I've no doubt the Azov are a big reason why Mariupol is, unbelievably, still standing, but they can't be in every city from Sumy to Mykolaiv right? I think the Territorial Defenses are doing an impressive job.
That said, Yes I agree Putin has massively miscalculated and he can still very much 'win' the military battle. But for what exactly? Lots of Slavics are dead, Ukraine will be rubble, Russia will be too broke to do anything with the 'newly liberated' Ukraine.
Just none of it makes sense apart from one man with a taste for blood.
All countries have dedicated forces schools, specnaz. Moreover,I have not seen much from Kadyrov's boys in Ukraine. Russia dealt with Chechnya fairly easy, just levelled their cities. Modern wars are not about soldiers vs soldiers. They are about hi-tech weapons vs hi-tech weapons, and I doubt Putin has given much planes or tanks or rockets or any electronic warfare stuff to Chechnya.
This is extremely misguided, almost every country has special forces with vastly more investment and tech than Chechnya, war isn’t about tough guys or fanatics it’s about money. Even ignoring reports they’ve lost huge numbers already against the Ukrainians, if for some random reason Kadyrov attacked a developed European country it wouldn’t even be a contest.
Great thread:
Well I’m asking myself. I’m also thinking of Russian people as most of them didn’t ask for this and most of these people have been oppressed. Ukraine will become a buffer zone and a failed state, if it wasn’t already— Russia will see to that. Russia will be set back about 50 years in worst case scenario, economically.. but did the Russian people ask for this? No we didn’t. I know my aunt didn’t want this war. She’s didn’t vote for Putin. Another one of my relatives calls Putin Vova’ sarcastically — it’s diminutive. These people didn’t asks for this and if you’re going feel sorry for Ukrainian then also feel sorry for Russians and do something where there is a regime change.
No not like that. Trust me. Read up on these mental people. I’m not saying they’re absolutely naills and the best at what they do. But I’m just going to say that you can’t go into special military in UK for instance.
In which way mate? These guys absolutely withstood Russians and now they’ve actually had people taking key positions in FSB. In fact I’d say Chechens are the most trained guys in Russian military.
Like Daniil Martynov is a bit of a legendary special forces operator - a bit of James Bond type character - and by all accounts he precedes his reputation; what I’m saying is, if guys like that just decide to do their own stuff — Chechens will make isis look like child’s play.
Back on the topic of intelligence failure, I say this will match if not outmatch the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961. In both cases, the government of the invaded country will only gain far more legitimacy while the invader will suffer the biggest foreign policy failure in its history.
I'm not sure Ukraine is a failed state. I think patriotism in the people is now stronger than ever. Russia can put their flag and puppet government up for a short while, but once they leave the Ukranians will just tear the flag down and put the Ukraine flag up again. Just like the Taliban did in Afghanistan. If the people don't want to be changed, they won't. The failed attempt to put democracy in Afghanistan is a great example of this.
No? Feels like a failed state since Kuchma and since he had journalists whacked. Guys after that… Good God.. they tried to arrest each other and then blame Putin only to become chummy with Putin.
Then there is the whole conversations where US are discussing installing Western favourable leader. And also there is Russia absolutely wanting to kill you!
How is that not a flailed state. It’s absolutely torn in geopolitics.
But they are not anymore. They were integrated into the global consumerist world. Now they are cut off, much poorer, utterly disrespected by the West (this for a country that is always complaining about a lack of respect) and have turned Ukraine once and for all against them. Russia never had soft power and now it turns out it doesn’t have much hard power either. This is a humiliation on a scale with the end of WWI or the Crimean War.
Yeah that was all before the Russians decided to move in and decimate their houses and hospitals.
Now there is a clear and common enemy for Ukrainians, and ironically it is caused by Putin.
Maybe they're season ticket holders and always dress the same way for good luck.
Didn't even have to double check actually, I had seen the footage once or twice before.
My man
They don't and never have. Nobody, including Putin and cronies, believes that NATO would ever invade a nuclear-armed Russia. The idea that they might is just a convenient lie peddled by Putin.
This invasion is about crushing a free, independent and democratic Ukraine, lest it provides an example to the Russian people. This is what Putin fears. Everything else is just lies.