aezmvp said:
Okay but REALLY what isn't going to be taken out by a 44 lbs munition moving at Mach 4?
No kidding. Took a team scientists to calculate the amount of raw energy needed to penetrate a static piece of armor…. This is literally physics 101 homework right here in a community college.
To the overall discussion of Russian vehicle losses, I fully believe that Russia from the tippity top are not thinking long term and simply don't care right now. With the premise that the losses, right now, are worth it for their immediate gains. Which I lend a fair amount of credence to, personally.
I don't think anyone can argue at this point that Putin, and the collective of yes men around him, are personally driving this war. Even the de-nazi'ing propaganda finally died aside from the staunchest low intelligence and gullible peasants. This is Putins war to gain assets for Russia and consequently cement his legacy as the modern Russian Czar to become legend in the coming centuries. I truly believe this to be the main driver of this conflict. That particular origin discussion aside though, Putin is absolutely looking to the immediate upcoming elections and like every politician to have ever existed, is scrambling to lock in a resounding "win" right before. And capturing another city blasted into oblivion that has been poking him in the eye, will do it for the majority of the people of Russia. Or at least he thinks that (granted, with a lot of precedent). So losing what is effectively an entire armies worth of armored vehicles once every month or so, is worth it if he can take a city or two more in the coming weeks. Like Adiivka.
All of this to say, no. Russia (on paper at least) should not be able to sustain this level of fighting for long. But also yes, if you look at it from just a few weeks/months of timeline. Which again, I think the Russians are largely doing right now.
Typical educated western minded logic trying to bend itself to Russian shenanigans is rough though. I wrestle with it constantly myself. "They should not be doing this!" As Russia does whatever it is they should not be doing over and over and over and over…. I have to CONSTANTLY remind myself when looking at this war that Russia is just straight up different than us in just about every geopolitical way possible. And that trying to rationalize motivations and decision making processes Russia undergoes from OUR perspective is often folly.