Simply put, Ukraine not only “psyched-out” Russia, but it masterfully manipulated its perceptions after realizing long ago (or being told by the Anglo-American Axis) how strongly it’s affected by groupthink.
Sure hope that this conflict, will not drag on much longer. As non-combatant casualties, sure are a concern 🙁 for myself, and no doubt many in the communities, of Nation’s in the area.
Perhaps the Russian lack of border defenses was a deliberate choice, giving the option to maul Ukrainian units that advanced and/or to match a Ukrainian escalation with one of their choice.
I don't think so since they could have safely hit those units on the Ukrainian side of the border ahead of time if that was the case or launch their own cross-border campaign to preempt theirs.
Not if they wanted to use territorial defense forces that have up until now been kept out of the war zone. I suppose that's a good point to check: What units are being tasked with repelling the Ukrainian attack?
Furthermore, allowing a limited Ukrainian incursion, in addition to wearing down fresh Ukrainian brigades, helps spread a sense of urgency among the Russian people, allowing consensus-minded Putin greater leeway in decisions to mobilize and/or escalate, perhaps with the entire border now becoming an active combat zone.
When Russia increased the "buffer zone" outside Kharkov/Belgorod area, I thought Russia wanted to hide a force there. But obviously in the Kursk area, there was no such buffer zone plan nor hidden forces. In two many ways, the situation smells like the German prep for the Battle of the Bulge and the Russia's seemingly lack of defense prep smells like US 12th Army Group's intelligence Assessment. Indeed a lot of us bystanders think too much like a logical person, when the opponent thinks more like Hitler.
The way the Ukraine ultra nationalists' way of thinking maybe that they want to recover the peak of the Kievan Rus. If so, even an attack to the Finnish border is well justified. Similar to some Israelis people "Israel" has been their homeland and they have a right to re-establish their nation, and their "Greater Israel" is pretty much the territories of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah which existed roughly 1047 BCE to 586 BCE. Kingdom of Jerusalem was destroyed 1291 AD, then no Christian or Jewish governments in this area until the British defeated the Ottoman Empire. If everybody wants to reclaim their historical glory like Mussolini did, we are not going to see much peace.
"... raising questions about why there weren’t better border defenses in place just in case"
By the current look of it it seems that the Russians wanted this type of incursion just to easily destroy more armor and cull a few more thousand of NATO/Ukrainistan fools.
Of course that Russia is also making a few mistakes... Like the last one of the military column. But that's WAR!
Seems that Russia are sleeping. They have soon been at war with Ukraine for 3 years and they still don’t know what to do It’s very poor planning and the military leaders are incompetent Russia was not at all prepared of the west support to Ukraine They probably thought they just could invade the country and only had to fight against Ukraine And now they don’t know what to do and running around like chickens without a head They wasn’t even prepared for a Ukraine attack and they have no plan how they will stop them. Not much respect left for the Russian army. They can’t win and should withdraw before they totally collapse
Just a zelensky pr stunt to show the west look the afu are still relevant, meanwhile while he's on he's adventure in kursk the real front is collapsing all along the frontline instead of reinforcing the front
This incursion is of no interest, and will only maul down the Ukrainian forces, even faster. From a military point of view, it doesn’t matter much.
What is interesting is all the media attention and coverage is has gotten. Especiallt from alternative media.
For an operation like this to be successful, Elensky have to take Moscow in the end, and that will not even be enough.
The only interesting thing about this incursion is, if there is double play from forces inside Russia, that is helping Ukraine or the Western Oligarchs to controle outcomes and narratives in the war.
That question can only be answered when we see the outcome of this war.
I respectfully disagree that it's of no interest since it's the largest incursion inside of Russia since World War II and it has the full backing of NATO.
Drawing attention to the shortcomings that preceded it and helped make it possible doesn't suggest that it'll succeed in its goals.
There were very serious errors of judgement that occurred in sequence and are arguably systemic. They must be corrected as soon as possible in order to prevent more incursions.
Without pretending to comment on Russian strategy or intelligence shortcomings, the population losses between, say, 1905 and 2005 might mean that Russia is short 100,000,000 people. Short-staff compromises are an inevitable result.
Sure hope that this conflict, will not drag on much longer. As non-combatant casualties, sure are a concern 🙁 for myself, and no doubt many in the communities, of Nation’s in the area.
Perhaps the Russian lack of border defenses was a deliberate choice, giving the option to maul Ukrainian units that advanced and/or to match a Ukrainian escalation with one of their choice.
I don't think so since they could have safely hit those units on the Ukrainian side of the border ahead of time if that was the case or launch their own cross-border campaign to preempt theirs.
Not if they wanted to use territorial defense forces that have up until now been kept out of the war zone. I suppose that's a good point to check: What units are being tasked with repelling the Ukrainian attack?
Furthermore, allowing a limited Ukrainian incursion, in addition to wearing down fresh Ukrainian brigades, helps spread a sense of urgency among the Russian people, allowing consensus-minded Putin greater leeway in decisions to mobilize and/or escalate, perhaps with the entire border now becoming an active combat zone.
Also, wasn’t Russia de-mining that area before Ukraine invaded? Perhaps baiting them.
When Russia increased the "buffer zone" outside Kharkov/Belgorod area, I thought Russia wanted to hide a force there. But obviously in the Kursk area, there was no such buffer zone plan nor hidden forces. In two many ways, the situation smells like the German prep for the Battle of the Bulge and the Russia's seemingly lack of defense prep smells like US 12th Army Group's intelligence Assessment. Indeed a lot of us bystanders think too much like a logical person, when the opponent thinks more like Hitler.
The way the Ukraine ultra nationalists' way of thinking maybe that they want to recover the peak of the Kievan Rus. If so, even an attack to the Finnish border is well justified. Similar to some Israelis people "Israel" has been their homeland and they have a right to re-establish their nation, and their "Greater Israel" is pretty much the territories of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah which existed roughly 1047 BCE to 586 BCE. Kingdom of Jerusalem was destroyed 1291 AD, then no Christian or Jewish governments in this area until the British defeated the Ottoman Empire. If everybody wants to reclaim their historical glory like Mussolini did, we are not going to see much peace.
The last sentence is the money quote.
As for the Ukrainistan it seems they wanted to try and capture the Kursk NPP! Only thing of value around that area.
"... raising questions about why there weren’t better border defenses in place just in case"
By the current look of it it seems that the Russians wanted this type of incursion just to easily destroy more armor and cull a few more thousand of NATO/Ukrainistan fools.
Of course that Russia is also making a few mistakes... Like the last one of the military column. But that's WAR!
Seems that Russia are sleeping. They have soon been at war with Ukraine for 3 years and they still don’t know what to do It’s very poor planning and the military leaders are incompetent Russia was not at all prepared of the west support to Ukraine They probably thought they just could invade the country and only had to fight against Ukraine And now they don’t know what to do and running around like chickens without a head They wasn’t even prepared for a Ukraine attack and they have no plan how they will stop them. Not much respect left for the Russian army. They can’t win and should withdraw before they totally collapse
Just a zelensky pr stunt to show the west look the afu are still relevant, meanwhile while he's on he's adventure in kursk the real front is collapsing all along the frontline instead of reinforcing the front
This incursion is of no interest, and will only maul down the Ukrainian forces, even faster. From a military point of view, it doesn’t matter much.
What is interesting is all the media attention and coverage is has gotten. Especiallt from alternative media.
For an operation like this to be successful, Elensky have to take Moscow in the end, and that will not even be enough.
The only interesting thing about this incursion is, if there is double play from forces inside Russia, that is helping Ukraine or the Western Oligarchs to controle outcomes and narratives in the war.
That question can only be answered when we see the outcome of this war.
I respectfully disagree that it's of no interest since it's the largest incursion inside of Russia since World War II and it has the full backing of NATO.
Drawing attention to the shortcomings that preceded it and helped make it possible doesn't suggest that it'll succeed in its goals.
There were very serious errors of judgement that occurred in sequence and are arguably systemic. They must be corrected as soon as possible in order to prevent more incursions.
NATO fully exposed itself on this incursion and I hope they are thoroughly defeated!
Without pretending to comment on Russian strategy or intelligence shortcomings, the population losses between, say, 1905 and 2005 might mean that Russia is short 100,000,000 people. Short-staff compromises are an inevitable result.
The offensive cannot seize the Kirsk NPP?
I read Russian just fine.