re: Report: Russian 1st Guards Tank Army has been destroyed in Ukrainian counter-offensive

I have to admit I still have a chip on my shoulder about the Russians after growing up with their bullshite as the USSR. My gut instinct is to wish them harm.
But now I see our government pulling the same sort of suppression of religious freedom, freedom of speech, control over information and attempts to shut down the Bill of Rights.
I just want the damn war to end and let people get back to living their lives. I feel bad for parents on both sides sacrificing their children for nonsense.

You believe that shite,huh?

Sure. I’m not afraid to learn something new. Unless you are just looking for an opportunity to be an arse. If that’s the case then don’t waste your time. That’s silly.

You should hire a lawyer to evict me from living rent-free in your head

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You know...it is possible that one could be rooting for the Russians to fail without really caring about Ukraine.

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Poli Board rule 4652: You have to pick a side and then consider that side (and anything associated with it) to be the pinnacle of all that is good and holy while also considering the other side (and anything associated with it) to be the ultimate in evil and horror.

Yeah. I didn’t think they would. No one does really.

Hope the family is well.

The Billion Dollar Man Zelensky.

This is a VERY high level summary of how it happened.

Ukraine has been fighting a defensive war since the start, since the 2nd phase of the war began back in the spring, their strategy has been to grind down the Russian forces by fighting a slow retreat making the Russians pay for every KM in blood.

They did this while they accumulated the combat power they needed to launch last weeks offensive. That preparation consisted of calling up, training, and equipping a large number of troops. It also gave the Ukrainians time to integrate the weapons that were being provided by the Western countries.

About two months ago, the US HIMARS long-range rocket artillery system made its appearance on the battlefield. This system gave Ukraine a capability it hadn't had before to hit Russian logistics hubs and command/control centers up to 50 miles behind the lines. The Ukrainians used this new capability very well and began taking out the Russian logistics hubs and infrastructure points. The Russian logistics are based on railways, if you want to cut off the supply spigot, you take out the railroads... that's what Ukraine did. At the same time they were hitting the railroads they also started focusing on Russian supply dumps. The Russian way of war relies very heavily on the massing of artillery, so Ukraine attacked Russia's supply of artillery ammo. Combined with the reduction in resupply caused by the hitting of the railroads, it has created supply issues for the frontline Russian troops.

The next thing that happened that shaped the situation leading up to the offensive last week was that Ukraine opened an offensive in the southern part of the country around Kherson. Kherson is strategically important as the doorway into Crimea. Ukraine, using HIMARS, cut all of the bridges in the area, trapping the Russian troops north of the river. Ukraine also started talking a lot about its southern offensive. Russia responded by pulling combat power out of the east and repositioning it to defend Kherson.

What was left in the East where Russia pulled the troops from were many lower-quality troops conscripted from the occupied LNR/DNR regions. There were a few top-tier units left in the east; however, most were like the 1st GTA that was mauled earlier in the war and were reconstituting their combat power.

Ukraine began building combat power up in the East back in August. There are many posts from Russian Telegram channels discussing the build-up.

So a week ago, the Ukrainians launched an attack into the weak flank of the Russian formations. Once you get past the front lines, there isn't much to stop you, just like when a running back breaks into the secondary.

There is reporting that the Ukrainians had an 8 to 1 advantage in manpower during the offensive. They simply overwhelmed the Russians and routed them.

Russia's air force has never achieved air superiority over the battlefield, which is one of the big questions of the war. Russia certainly has the advantage in the number of airframes it can bring to the fight. The answer probably lies in the vast number of MANPAD anti-air weapons provided to Ukraine. The Russians simply couldn't risk their airplanes.

ETA: Russia launched its invasion with about 75% to 80% of its available Army. It has been heavily attritted both in manpower and equipment. Russia has not "mobilized" its population, so Russia has had difficulty replacing its battlefield losses. Add to that the loss of heavy weapons that are hard to replace. Russia has massive equipment stores, but most of it is older stuff decommissioned years ago. I read an article the other day that there were getting ready to field WW2-era howitzers. The sanctions levied by the west have made it difficult for Russia to replace its equipment losses; that's why you are starting to see the reports that they are asking North Korea and China for equipment.

ETA: Throughout this war, Ukraine has been aided by the US intelligence apparatus. We've been providing them with real-time information throughout the war. The war planning that went into their offensive last week was developed with the assistance of the US.

China will resupply them with more tanks, I'm sure.