Urban combat is the worst, even for elite troops. The Russians are moving up block busting artillery, but at the end of the day you need to send in the infantry to take control of the city, and that takes building by building endless fire fights which quickly erodes morale. With troops with low morale to begin with, a debacle beckons. The alternative is of course to surround and starve the city, if you have time on your side. Putin does not have time on his side. He needs to bring this war to a swift victorious conclusion or he risks being toppled by domestic opponents in Russia. Napoleon supposedly once said that if you set out to take Vienna, take Vienna. An autocrat like Putin cannot afford defeat, especially in a mismatch like Ukraine v. Russia.
Thought For the Day
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
I certainly hope this goes badly for Putin, not just for the Ukrainian’s sake, but for every country on Putin’s menu.
I find it incomprehensible that some otherwise very religious and intelligent people would be favoring Putin in this invasion.
I have a friend who is an archbishop in the Anglican Continuum down in Africa. He has gone on anti-west rants speckled with lots amounts of black nationalism and false assertions that Russia has done nothing to harm Africa (I guess he forgets about the Cold War).
I have several friends with whom I once worked at a commercial nuclear power plant and who are radical neo-conservatives. They posit fantasies that Putin is sending in troops to destroy bioweapon labs, illegal drug factories, Nazi gangs, and Hunter Biden’s methane gas corruption. They imagine that Putin will somehow reverse the last election and install Trump as rightful President.
I have several friends who are radical Traditionalists and who imagine that Putin will punish the west with nuclear weapons for its idolatry, abortion, and sodomy. Maybe God will allow that to happen (I got not insight into any of this), but I do NOT wish this to happen, yet they do.
And I have a friend who is a convert to the Russian Orthodox Church, always coming to the defense of the Russians and never recognizing that the initiation of force is always wrong.
Oh yes, there on wrongs on both sides in this invasion. Yes, there have been anti-Semites in Ukraine; but Russia is equally guilty. But Russia invaded Ukraine without military provocation. Yes, NATO has expanded around Russia. Yes, Ukraine has been going increasingly westward (don’t they have the right to self-determination?). But no NATO country ever threatened Russia militarily. I just don’t get it. These people sanctimoniously wanting (even pray) that Russia (and China) will chastise us. It’s wacko, really wacko.
For the record: this war isn’t worth one drop of either Ukrainian or Russian blood. It’s fratricide. And personally, I hope Vladimir Putin follows the way of Julius Caesar or Benito Mussolini. You all can disagree with me if you like, but I think this whole thing is absolutely horrible.
Yes, NATO has expanded around Russia. Yes, Ukraine has been going increasingly westward (don’t they have the right to self-determination?). But no NATO country ever threatened Russia militarily.
A critic of Russia suggested that the problem with NATO expansion (and keep in mind, it occurred in two installments – one 23 years ago and one 18 years ago) was not that Russia is threatened, but that Russia is impeded from seizing territory it wants from others and subjugating foreign countries. It would be agreeable if the bulk of rank-and-file Russians and the bulk of the practically-minded men in elite circles were simply not on board with Putin’s projects here.
@Art Deco – agree!!!
If people really love “Holy Mother Russia” as she is sometimes called, then they would do their best to oppose Putin who is managing to drag two countries at once down the toilet..
A critic of Russia suggested that the problem with NATO expansion (and keep in mind, it occurred in two installments – one 23 years ago and one 18 years ago) was not that Russia is threatened, but that Russia is impeded from seizing territory it wants from others and subjugating foreign countries. It would be agreeable if the bulk of rank-and-file Russians and the bulk of the practically-minded men in elite circles were simply not on board with Putin’s projects here.
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Exactly.
And Russia was preaching the anti-West sermon long before the existence of NATO.
Anyone of the local commenters have an understanding of the consecration of Russia?