Today's WSJ has the most pessimistic article (link later) on the...
Labrador Skeptic@SaysSimulation
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Aug 16, 2024
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Today's WSJ has the most pessimistic article (link later) on the Ukrainian war I've seen since the first days. Since the WSJ, NYT & WaPo can all be considered US govt mouthpieces, this is meaningful.
Ukrainians are down to half strength on the Eastern front, with a 5 to 1
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Ukrainians are down to half strength on the Eastern front, with a 5 to 1
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Labrador Skeptic@SaysSimulation
The fog of war is still thick, so premature conclusions are dangerous, but we've been learning interesting information.
Biggest surprise? Per the WSJ (link later), the Ukrainians actually pulled troops from the Eastern Ukraine front lines to get the troops to attack Kursk.
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Biggest surprise? Per the WSJ (link later), the Ukrainians actually pulled troops from the Eastern Ukraine front lines to get the troops to attack Kursk.
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Russian manpower advantage, and 10 to 1 artillery advantage. Here are some key quotes:
"Russian forces have gained territory at a faster rate this summer than at any point since the first weeks of the war and are now pushing toward the logistical hub of Pokrovsk."
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"Russian forces have gained territory at a faster rate this summer than at any point since the first weeks of the war and are now pushing toward the logistical hub of Pokrovsk."
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"Commanders in the east describe a situation that has grown more punishing through the summer—with no sign that Russian forces are easing up since the Kursk incursion began."
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"If we’re supposed to have five or six people in a position, we’ll have two or three,” said a 45-year-old army major who has been stationed in the Chasiv Yar area for the past two months."
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"The commander of the 21st Battalion, who goes by the call sign Kucher, said that when his men arrived in the Krasnohorivka area in the spring, they had roughly the same number of men as the Russians."
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"Now, he said, the Russians have a manpower advantage of around five to one. Only about 20% of the casualties his battalion takes are replaced by new recruits"
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"Exhausted soldiers are spending longer in the trenches, Kucher said, because there are no fresh troops to replace them."
"Three attempts at troop rotations had to be abandoned when Russian attacks began."
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"Three attempts at troop rotations had to be abandoned when Russian attacks began."
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“The Russians have more everything than us—more people, more guns, more shells, more ammunition,” Sifonesco said. “In the end, it makes us withdraw.”
“The fundamental issue is Ukraine doesn’t have enough reserves,”
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“The fundamental issue is Ukraine doesn’t have enough reserves,”
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It looks like there has been an extraordinary deterioration just in the last few months, that was exacerbated by pulling troops from the front line to send them to the Kursk salient.
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Pro-Russian bloggers saying things like that is one thing. But, this is the Wall Street Journal. It sure looks like they're describing an army on the verge of defeat. Here's the article:
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wsj.com/world/as-ukrai…
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wsj.com/world/as-ukrai…