Putin has announced partial mobilization. Always knew that our guy would pull through. Never doubted him. Not for a second. *heh*.
But will 300k troops be enough? The short answer: no. But it will prevent the Russians from losing the Donbass, so that’s good enough for now. In general, I think that this idea of escalating slowly and only as a tit-for-tat measure is ill-advised. It’s predictable, for one, and it won’t lead to any breakthroughs. Ukraine will announce another mobilization and their numbers will reach parity with the Russians, again.
But that’s tomorrow and this is today.
Russia announcing partial mobilization 7 months into the so-called policing operation is a much-belated step in the right direction any way that you slice it. It’s easy to look back and grumble at how irresponsibly they have been fighting this war leading up to this point, but I may as well just drop that gripe for now. The audience doesn’t like it when I write about it and then I get mad at the audience and we can’t have that. Can’t have it!
So, instead, let’s focus on the positive from here on out.
This mobilization announces to Russian civil society and the world that Russia is serious. There are going to be foreseen and unforeseen consequences to this measure. I was half-expecting Russia to continue doubling down on the current strategy of denying reality, fighting at a 3:1 disadvantage, relying on Wagner prisoners to plug the gaps??? and losing more large chunks of Donbass by relying on poorly equipped local militias instead of admitting defeat and finally treating this like a war.
You and your division when wearing the kit provided to you by different volunteers.
But, luckily, Putin seems to have stepped in. And then BAM!!! Just like that, 300 thousand Russian reinforcements.
It’ll take some time to actually mobilize them, but still.
So much for the 5D dunces who said that Russia’s plan was to sit back and freeze the Ukrainian army to death over the winter, by the way.
You know, although I’m not a conspiracy theorist, (I don’t theorize, I simply believe in all conspiracy theories by default until proven otherwise), I can’t help but look back and wonder why exactly so many of these Russia bloggers were so against mobilization. You would get a ban for suggesting it in the comments sections of some of these guys’ blogs. It begs the question: why? Why insist that everything was going according to plan, without hiccups and that everyone who dissented was a NATO troll?
Were they told by someone to be against mobilization? Why was it that only fringe, dissident voices like Strelkov and a few others dared to speak up on this topic? Is there simply a Boomer hive-mind off-world beaming signals into these people’s heads? I don’t know. All I know is that, clearly, powerful people within Russia were dead-set against mobilization. Their position was mirrored by these pro-Russia bloggers who contorted themselves into pretzels to justify it. Make of that what you will.
Also, it’ll be funny watching the dunces start claiming that they were actually FOR mobilization all this time. But, we all know that it was only after the debacle in Kharkov (and possibly the recent beachhead into Lugansk proper across the Oskil river) that this mobilization (partial) was finally pushed through against what was clearly stiff domestic resistance.
But hey, that’s fantastic news for us patriots! Things are moving in our direction again!
Today is mobilization, my dudes.
I’ll tell you this much. Each time when faced with a setback, Putin has refused to cut his losses and back down. That means that Russia is about to take an even harder position of opposition to the West. Only further escalation is possible until someone blinks or we finally have a showdown between NATO and East. In the meantime, Russian society ought to continue its shift towards embracing nationalism and the de-liberalization process will continue.
Yep, I’m thinking we’re back in business, boys.
I trust nor Stelkov neither CCCPshaker.
I'm not a doomer neither a "muh russophobia/satanitc western nazi crusaders".
I think there is no doubt Russia will win this war, than Russia did careful by political reasons (don't burn to the ground a country you entend to annex). I even think Russia know the Kharkov plan and let Ukraine doing it. But I also think Russia did it because she haven't enough soldiers.
That's said, I'm negatively surprised by the number of losses on ukro, as said Choïgou. Only 60 000 is very poor, considering there must be 1 million left. OK, the best part is in the 60 000 but still...
Here in France, big forums considers Russia having a "bum army", with zimbabwean material/corruption, an high-dregree of alcoolism and incompetent generals. Bla bla bla.
On the other side, the 2 Andreis think Russia is like alien sci-fi army which could destroy America/China (and even Roman empire, why not) in a second. Okay...
My position : I think Russia have scientific adventage on hypersonics, but I have no clues how much missiles they have.
I don't know too why they use so few their airforce. But I belive ukro airforce is destroyed.
All that to saying, between doomer sites and hurra sites, it's difficut to find good analysis. Even if you're a bit too much doomerist for me, you're the best !
PS : as a royalist, I think Vladimir should restore Monarchy, but not with a Romanov : with himself, and an adopted male heir. Long live to emperor Vladimir, third of his name, king of the Russians, the Ruthens, the Tartars, and...other peoples !
I can't help but be reminded of the beginning of the SMO when everyone thought it would be over in a couple days. We couldn't imagine anything other than a military invading in a blitzkrieg fashion indiscriminately destroying infrastructure without regard for human life. The US killed 1 million in Afghanistan and no one even knows/cares because that's how we're conditioned to think of war.
Putin in contrast is way too nice which NATO will never give him credit for. I can't help but wonder if these baby escalations will at some point be too much for Ukraine or whether NATO will be able to match them. Theoretically Putin should be able to outdo Ukraine with the sheer size of the Russian army.