Russia isn't even giving these guys a chance. Holy eff. It's like they knocked over a museum.

Мобики или резервисты #1ак #роа (возможно, снято несколько дней назад). В качестве снаряги и оружия раздали древнее говно - всё равно им помирать, чего тратиться? https://t.co/gmxQCzobEj pic.twitter.com/3opFheZODB

— Necro Mancer (@666_mancer) March 10, 2022

If confirmed, this will be really major news. Beseda and Bolukh are as high as it gets. Beseda was literally in charge of Ukraine intel (= guy who would have misled Putin on Ukraine's readiness to "welcome liberators"). Bolukh additionally in charge of disinformation. https://t.co/GBY0vFVI5P

— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) March 11, 2022

FriscoKid said:

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Russia/Putin is going to lose this "war". You can't lose this many vehicles, planes, troops, etc and still think you can beat the world. The Ukrainians are dug in around the capitol and it's fixing to be a bloodbath if they enter.

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I tend to agree. Mixed with sanctions that a lot here mocked, including myself. Russia is hurting everywhere, that is beyond clear and it's getting worse every single day. They have been exposed at just about every level that matters.

Said it a while back, but I think a siege would break Russia before it breaks the Ukes may this point. I also would not discount the Ukes having more stockpiled than they let on. Ukraine has been preparing for Russia for years now. Not the Donbass, but Russia. Zelenskyy himself said it in an interview before the war even began.

I think people forget that while it takes huge amounts of supplies to endure a siege, it takes huge amounts to mount one as well. Russia has not been the poster child of wartime logistics to date.....

Rossticus said:

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As if this couldn't get any weirder…

Don’t forget their last hit, massacre a village after a bad raid https://t.co/D21sl8WG9J

— Lost Weapons (@LostWeapons) March 11, 2022

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These guys realize they're volunteering to go from a country that's lowest average temperature is 57 degrees to a country that is currently has highs sitting around freezing right?

wangus12 said:

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Rossticus said:

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#Putin appears to have abandoned initial plan of installing puppet leaders in #Ukraine

New plan appears to be:
- encircle & pound on #Kyiv #Chernihiv #Kharkiv #Mylolayiv & #Zaporizhzhya
-seize #Mariupol & #Odessa
-wear down Ukraine’s military
-then dictate terms for ending war

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 11, 2022

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I don't see how Russia can pull this off as the sanctions sink in. This isn't something that will be over in a month or two. Sure they have Mariupol cut off, but Odessa is gonna be a massive supply/manpower sink. The Ukes have had time to really dig in there. Outside intelligence is gonna make an amphibious assault a slaughter and they'll have to stretch lines from Crimea to encircle Odessa.

Like someone said earlier, the Ukes are fighting for their existence and aren't simply just gonna surrender. They've shown their resolve. I do think Russia still has them massively outnumbered and if they are that determined, they'll take Ukraine, but I don't think that happens before the economic collapse causes something to happen domestically in Moscow.

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Imo, the sanctions only back Russia into a corner. I also think that corporations pulling out of Russia will have the opposite effect of what they think. It will galvanize the russian population against the west/world.

Has any nation publicly set forth what'd they do if Russia were to stop the war? Would the sanctions be lifted?

Or is it stop the war and putin must go? Or stop the war and putin must face war crime charges?

Essentially, if you take everything away, there's nothing to lose.

Another important thing that inhavent seen much discussed- what happens when putin wins this war? How does nato/eu/us/world react?

🇺🇦Zelensky: We have reached a strategic turning point in combating Russia’s invasion

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) March 11, 2022

Mykolaiv governor Vitaly Kim: "We have offered the Russian forces near the city to surrender to us. In 1-2 days, we will know their answer." pic.twitter.com/7lzVKVFmCx

— Neil Hauer (@NeilPHauer) March 11, 2022

Red Pear Realty said:

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🇺🇦Zelensky: We have reached a strategic turning point in combating Russia’s invasion

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) March 11, 2022

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Call me naive, but I actually think this is spot on…

clw04 said:

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Stlkofta said:

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Beat40 said:

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Stlkofta said:

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Rossticus said:

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As if this couldn't get any weirder…

Don’t forget their last hit, massacre a village after a bad raid https://t.co/D21sl8WG9J

— Lost Weapons (@LostWeapons) March 11, 2022

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Seeing the League of Russian Scum getting together just makes me wonder why the hell we aren't getting our act together and getting the Ukrainians outfitted with the Polish MiGs.

The Russians are the ones who invaded and the ones who have escalated.

The mixed messaging from this White House recalls their confusion in Afghanistan. It does not serve our interests well either in Ukraine or with our NATO allies in eastern Europe.

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I feel like I've read both Poland and the US say it would take multi months to have the planes even ready to give the Ukes as they would have to remove NATO equipment to even have the planes at an operable enough level for the Ukes to be effective. Also there was the issue of fueling them.

I get the idea it's much more complicated than just sending the planes in.

Somehow this has become the sticking point for the US and NATO to show they're doing enough. I think reality is these planes wouldn't even be ready in time to be super effective and don't increase the chance of Ukraine winning much at all. I think Zelensky is asking for them knowing if we send them, it greatly increases the chances the US and NATO enter the war, which I don't blame him for doing. From reading, it doesn't sound like it makes much strategic sense as far as effectiveness.

I'd argue the intelligence we've shared with Ukraine is far more valuable than the MiGs.

I honestly think our political class knows and agrees with the above and is just using this MiG issue to score political capital.

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Given the performance and ability demonstrated by the Russian Air Force, I would think the opportunity to give Ukrainian pilots the chance to fly planes they have more familiarity with is too good to pass up.

If you can increase Ukrainian strength in the air, then you diminish still further the Russian capability to control what goes on in the air.

A consistent approach on this issue was required the minute someone first conceived the idea.

I don't think the Poles are the problem here, nor are the barriers you mentioned an issue for the Ukrainians.

But we've seen our political leaders at work in this situation before and we have seen them fail in just this way with regard to supplying the Afghan Air Force and ANASOF.

They wanted to invade and in doing so have thrown in forces and arms from partner nations. Make them pay for it by giving the Ukes what they need to fight.

If they fight alone, then so be it.

But give them a fighting chance to gain more control of what goes on in the air.

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I read what I think is a pretty valid point. The US has said that the Ukrainians still have a significant number of their planes. The planes aren't flying a lot because Russia has S-400s all around the borders that can cover a 250 mile radius. The statement was that the MIGs weren't going to help Ukraine because flying them where they want to fly them would be suicide with the S-400s.

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Way too much handwringing about the MIGs. What Ukraine needs is air defense and fighters aren't the only way to achieve that.

SAM

FireAg said:

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Red Pear Realty said:

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🇺🇦Zelensky: We have reached a strategic turning point in combating Russia’s invasion

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) March 11, 2022

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Call me naive, but I actually think this is spot on…

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For an infinite amount if reasons, I hope this is true.

Agthatbuilds said:

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Imo, the sanctions only back Russia into a corner. I also think that corporations pulling out of Russia will have the opposite effect of what they think. It will galvanize the russian population against the west/world.

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Initially maybe. However, over time .... body bags, censorship, arrests, layoffs, unemployment, rationing, and acute shortages will put extreme domestic pressure on the Russian gov.

Once we see evidence of Syrian fighters in Ukraine. I say we level Syria

NATO/ the west is already the big winner long term whatever happens in Ukraine. Cold, but true.

In no particular order:
-Russia losing tons of gear they cannot replace anytime soon
-Russia has lost a bunch of flag and field officers
-Russia will suffer 10-20k deaths and a lot more casualties
-NATO got a chance to study the performance of all Russian gear
-NATO got to study their tactics
-RU ability to project power is greatly diminished going forward
-CCP probably greatly reassessing their strength

ETA: this will create instability in RU, even if they "win."

Ukraine's Army officially confirms death of Russian Major-General Andrei Kolesnikov, commander of the 29th Army of the Eastern Military Districthttps://t.co/7jKJTarNuf pic.twitter.com/gElhvJpfn0

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) March 11, 2022

High tier target eliminated. Keep these coming!

VaultingChemist said:

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Ukraine still has 56 operational fighter jets in its inventory and the Ukraine Air Force is still flying 5-10 sorties a day: senior US defense official.

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) March 11, 2022

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Our defense guys need to stop publicizing all the little assets that the Ukes have.

That's the real Ghost of Kiev