In Case You're Wondering, The Russian Military Is Not Holding Back. The World Has Dramatically Overestimated Russia's Military Capabilities

[RIP U.S. Democracy]

This is a really inciteful article from the Washington Post. --

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/15/ukraine-war-proves-russia-no-longer-a-superpower/

Where is the mighty Russian air force, you may be wondering? --

In pondering the mysterious case, Justin Bronk offered this data point: Russian air force pilots spend perhaps 100 hours per year in the air. That’s all a third-rate economy can afford. One hundred hours per year averages out to less than 20 minutes per day.

Russian “leadership may be hesitant to commit to large-scale combat operations which would show up the gap between external perceptions and the reality of their capabilities,” Bronk suggested. Despite huge expenditures for modern aircraft, Russian generals would rather leave them parked menacingly on runways than have them flown incompetently in battle.

Where is Russia's modern precision bombs, you may be wondering? --

The inability to follow up on its initial display of modern might illuminates another Russian weakness: Its precision munitions appear to be in short supply. Whether laser-guided or steered by GPS, smart bombs are increasingly the coin of the realm in 21st-century warfare. Even smaller Western militaries are amply stocked. Britain, for example, has roughly nine smart bombs for every dumb one in its arsenal, according to Exeter University defense expert Michael Clarke, who estimated in iNews that Russia’s ratio is the inverse: nine dumb bombs for every smart one.

 

[yankintx]

This is was known well over 2 weeks ago. There are several threads already on this topic.

 

[Grand Mal]

This is a really inciteful article from the Washington Post. --

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/15/ukraine-war-proves-russia-no-longer-a-superpower/

Where is the mighty Russian air force, you may be wondering? --



Where is Russia's modern precision bombs, you may be wondering? --

They just don't make superpowers like they used to. Of either stripe. Maybe they never were so super after all.

 

[RIP U.S. Democracy]

This is was known well over 2 weeks ago. There are several threads already on this topic.

I disagree. At the beginning of the war, a lot of people were thinking Russia was trying to end the war quickly, without using their full force.

Yeah, they were trying to end the war quickly...because they didn't want everyone to see how weak their military really is.

 

[Monica33]

I disagree. At the beginning of the war, a lot of people were thinking Russia was trying to end the war quickly, without using their full force.

Yeah, they were trying to end the war quickly...because they didn't want everyone to see how weak their military really is.

There are 80000 that they have not even used yet .
They took out 4000 military installations by shelling and bombing .
They can close the circle and suffocate the remaining Ukey forces at will .

You are trying to talk up a US force that cannot remember winning anything anywhere .

 

[RIP U.S. Democracy]

There are 80000 that they have not even used yet .
They took out 4000 military installations by shelling and bombing .
They can close the circle and suffocate the remaining Ukey forces at will .

You are trying to talk up a US force that cannot remember winning anything anywhere .

??? What are you even talking about? This has nothing to do with the U.S. military.

No, the Russians can't defeat Ukraine at will. That's the whole point of the article. There's a real possibility that Putin will give up before Ukraine will.

 

[less right]

There are 80000 that they have not even used yet .
They took out 4000 military installations by shelling and bombing .
They can close the circle and suffocate the remaining Ukey forces at will .

You are trying to talk up a US force that cannot remember winning anything anywhere .

Nothing gets by you. Even when it's something no one said.

 

[Greenbeard]

They're getting smoked.

As Russian Troop Deaths Climb, Morale Becomes an Issue, Officials Say

The conservative side of the estimate, at more than 7,000 Russian troop deaths, is greater than the number of American troops killed over 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

It is a staggering number amassed in just three weeks of fighting, American officials say, with implications for the combat effectiveness of Russian units, including soldiers in tank formations. Pentagon officials say a 10 percent casualty rate, including dead and wounded, for a single unit renders it unable to carry out combat-related tasks.

With more than 150,000 Russian troops now involved in the war in Ukraine, Russian casualties, when including the estimated 14,000 to 21,000 injured, are near that level. And the Russian military has also lost at least three generals in the fight, according to Ukrainian, NATO and Russian officials.

 

[RIP U.S. Democracy]

They're getting smoked.

As Russian Troop Deaths Climb, Morale Becomes an Issue, Officials Say

Definitely. The amount of casualties that the Russians have suffered in less than one month of fighting is staggering. Morale is so bad among the troops that it's possible that mutinies will start occurring if this war continues to drag out.

I didn't know about the loss of 3 generals. Wow.

 

[Noodlegawd]

??? What are you even talking about? This has nothing to do with the U.S. military.

No, the Russians can't defeat Ukraine at will. That's the whole point of the article. There's a real possibility that Putin will give up before Ukraine will.

Don't feed the Russian troll. The sanctions against Russia should be universal, including sending virtual sustenance to their propaganda agents.

 

[Grandpappy]

My question is how much of the Soviet era nuclear weaponry have they maintained or improved? Will a 1989 model nuclear missile still fire and hit the target? Have they kept up the maintenance?
Their army does appear to be flailing in Ukraine. Pretty sure people at the Pentagon are working on this.

 

[ChickenTendies]

My question is how much of the Soviet era nuclear weaponry have they maintained or improved? Will a 1989 model nuclear missile still fire and hit the target? Have they kept up the maintenance?
Their army does appear to be flailing in Ukraine. Pretty sure people at the Pentagon are working on this.

Considering their dubious maintenance of battlefield equipment and Soviet era relics in general, I have doubts that all of their nuclear weaponry is in operational condition. But they still probably have enough for a first strike and then some.

NATO intelligence in the air and on the ground has def been a key part of this campaign. This isn't to underscore the capabilities of the Ukrainian military themselves, who have been preparing for this for 8 years and have received billions in Western equipment, which the media seems to ignore and overwhelmingly focus on the setbacks the Russians have been faced with.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

This is a really inciteful article from the Washington Post. --

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/15/ukraine-war-proves-russia-no-longer-a-superpower/

Where is the mighty Russian air force, you may be wondering? --



Where is Russia's modern precision bombs, you may be wondering? --

I don't know if THIS has been discussed yet but consider the possibility that the United States may ALSO be standing by and watching, making more precise assessments, and deciding
if it is wise to allow Putin to expend half or two thirds of his resources, until losses reach the point where Russian military confidence is at such historic lows that they're unable to commit to wider involvement for a sustainable period of time.

Imagine if you will, a neighborhood bully tiring themselves out trying to beat a smaller but more fierce opponent, and then when the bully is tired out, the rest of the neighborhood kids, who didn't initially start the fight, step in to finish the bully off.

The sad truth is, Americans don't really WANT to step into a much wider world war and no one can blame them for feeling that way, however at some point, Putin is going to have to decide his next move.
And if his next move IS outside of Ukraine, or the UNTHINKABLE, an attack on a NATO power, we won't have much choice.

 

[jnug]

Where are the Russian T-80 main battle tanks....NOT GOOD ENOUGH...another FAILED DESIGN

Where are the T-90 main battle tanks?....who cares....they are just warmed over T-72's. We can see T-72's smoldering on the sides of the road.

Who makes up the Russian military?....conscripts on short military stints being asked to kill people that look like their grandmothers, heck they might be their grandmothers. Between his own losses and ethnic Russians living in Ukraine Putin is killing more Russians than he is Ukrainians.

Where are the NCO's? They don't have any.

All Russia has is lots of young, untrained guys with no NCO's which are the heart and soul of any army.

All Russia has now in its military is LOTS......OF......SHIT....literally lots of shit.

The US Military no longer has lots of anything. But what it has works. Geezuz the Russians can't even get tires that work. They are more of a paper tiger now than they were during the actual Cold War.

Let Russia burn through its shit because they have nothing behind it and having a big army of any sort will burn through tons of logistics. Having a big army full of garbage will burn through logistics while getting little accomplished. Russia can't even fight along the axis of attack any longer. They have to be satisfied lobbing ordinance over the axis of attack. If Ukraine can find a way to get to that stuff....this thing is OVER!

 

[WillyPete]

My question is how much of the Soviet era nuclear weaponry have they maintained or improved? Will a 1989 model nuclear missile still fire and hit the target? Have they kept up the maintenance?
Their army does appear to be flailing in Ukraine. Pretty sure people at the Pentagon are working on this.

Perhaps a more positive take on this is that they probably don't have the faintest idea where our missile subs are.

 

[RetiredUSN]

Definitely. The amount of casualties that the Russians have suffered in less than one month of fighting is staggering. Morale is so bad among the troops that it's possible that mutinies will start occurring if this war continues to drag out.

I didn't know about the loss of 3 generals. Wow.

4 now.

 

[Fledermaus]

There are 80000 that they have not even used yet .
They took out 4000 military installations by shelling and bombing .
They can close the circle and suffocate the remaining Ukey forces at will .

You are trying to talk up a US force that cannot remember winning anything anywhere .

🤣

 

[RIP U.S. Democracy]

My question is how much of the Soviet era nuclear weaponry have they maintained or improved? Will a 1989 model nuclear missile still fire and hit the target? Have they kept up the maintenance?
Their army does appear to be flailing in Ukraine. Pretty sure people at the Pentagon are working on this.

When I was in the military attending ACSC about 10 years ago, I read an essay that there was a very strong possibility that the U.S. could take out Russia in a first strike, before Russia could retaliate...because Russia's nuclear capabilities have become seriously degraded over the past 20 - 30 years.

Not that I'm advocating that we test this theory by any means.