Londonrake wrote:Kikapu wrote:Wars are not exactly a “gentleman’s game” and that ALL targets are vulnerable to be hit at one time or the other should the war continue long enough. Winning the war is the objective, but it is never assured. Even great powers lose wars if you go back in history as well as recent times. Wars will come and go and people will suffer and die. What else does wars do!
Thanks for the response. It's seemed to become increasingly futile, trying to keep the thread - more-or-less - on track
Whoever's claimed war to be such? Although, there are clearly some in here who've thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and delight in gloating/boasting about it. Plus, occasionally offering their considered, experienced views on ways the Russians are getting things wrong.
I assume by "gentleman's game" you're referring to there being a significant change in emphasis re-Russian strategy after the Kerch bridge incident? From the achievement of military objectives to basically revenge "Blitz" attacks on the Ukrainian civilian population.
You seem to be missing my point(s) though. IMHO, in order to satisfy his own petulant anger, and placate what's become an increasing chorus of criticism from his subordinates that he's not being brutal enough, Putin has made a significant error. One of his many in this ill-conceived war.
I offered the historical parallel of Hitler's anger in 1940 at the RAF attack on Berlin Templehof. By ordering the Luftwaffe to change its strategy and concentrate on the bombing of UK cities he gave the RAF time to consolidate and regroup after what had become a relentless and increasingly successful campaign of attrition against them. Had he not done so the outcome of the war could have been changed significantly.
It's tended to be a maxim in military campaigns throughout history that you should always maintain the objective.
The Ukrainian people won't be terrorised or cowered by these attacks. They will just serve to enhance their resolve. Globally, what was left of Putin's diminishing reputation will shrink even more. Perceived as an indiscriminate butcher of civilians.
He clearly has no way of winning now, in essence is losing and seems to be becoming ever more desperate.
Time's not on the man's side.
I don’t believe I missed your point at all LR.
Russia hitting the so called “civilian targets” as a “revenge” for the Kerch Bridge to scare the civilians to capitulate, but having a reverse effect is just a another propaganda narrative by the collective West. People are suffering and people are shit scared when missiles are raining on them. It is only natural to do so. Most of the targets Russia hit the other day have direct and indirect military applications to them, just as the Kerch bridge does, but the collective West not once stated that the Kerch bridge was a “civilian target” because it has a multi purpose, just like power infrastructures which were hit by Russia.
Many times the children’s play ground was shown by the collective West propaganda which had a huge crater by a Russian missile no doubt as if it was deliberately targeted by the Russians, or residential buildings. Yes, sometimes missiles can land in the unintended locations, but often, the so called “shot down” incoming missiles also land in unintended locations causing unintended damages. Not all intercepted missiles explode in the air. Many are redirected from their intended targets because the defense missiles are mostly “proximity detonations” to the incoming missiles and not directly hitting the incoming missiles as in “bullet hitting bullet”.
As of today, Russia is winning the war because of the amount of land from Ukraine it is holding. Tomorrow may well be a different story therefore we need to wait. Ukraine has been winning the propaganda war from day one thanks to the collective West’s own agenda against Russia. This is not about picking sides, but I can understands Russians reasonings on this war and at the same time, I can see through the collective West’s agenda against Russia by using Ukraine as the future battlefield as early as 2014 by not allowing Ukraine to ratify the Minsk agreements or since.
What happens to Putin now or in the future is neither here or there. He is just one man, but “Mother Russia’s” survival is paramount and as it should be and to any other nation, to which “Mother Russia” will survive no matter how this war ends up and whatever happens to Putin personally , which I often refer Russia/NATO as the driving force this war and not Putin/Zelensky.