Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

So, if they actually have that many reservists on standby, why on earth are they pulling lifers out of prison?

wanderingdriver68 said:If we’re looking at this realistically, how is Ukraine supposed to actually win a war against a nation that possesses virtually limitless human resources—I mean, they have three or four times the population size—and besides, it’s become painfully obvious that Russia isn't going to settle for anything less than total victory in Ukraine; in fact, I’m convinced they’d be willing to drag the entire world into a massive conflict if things started going south for them, since a psychopath like Putin is clearly prepared to go all the way to a total war.

Personally, I find myself stuck in a situation where I don't see any viable exit strategy that doesn't eventually spiral into a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, because honestly, what are the odds that this doesn't escalate into that within a few months or years, especially when removing Putin from the equation seems just as impossible as it was to stop Hitler, given how he has spent years building up an absolute machine of power within Russia that grants him unchecked control.

And what exactly are those millions of new soldiers going to be handed? An assault rifle or a garden hoe?

I honestly don't understand where people get the idea that simply mobilizing more bodies is a magic fix.
To transport, train, and equip two million people while you're already struggling to supply the 150,000 currently in the field? That's pure fantasy.
The Russians are notorious for treating their soldiers as expendable cannon fodder.
How could the Russian military bureaucracy even hope to organize this effectively, given that they've spent the last seven months proving through sheer corruption and negligence that they botched the opening weeks of the war, despite having such a massive advantage?

darkrider55 said:So, if they actually have that many reservists on standby, why on earth are they pulling lifers out of prison?

Because Krimos is stepping up voluntarily. These pension fund holders? They aren't exactly rushing to volunteer.

Joshua Myers432 said:It’s all playing out exactly how you’d expect: a referendum, military buildup, and those predictable nuclear threats if anyone dares step onto Russian soil. Of course, the old fox isn't being specific about what "Russian territory" actually means—is he talking about the borders from before February 2022, or the ones from before 2014?
Now we wait to see if it's just a bluff. In the meantime, I'm going to go dig a hole in my backyard. 😁

Star Fox is a slippery one.
Putin is nothing more than an intellectually stunted gangster.

And yes, Ukraine needs to be armed to the teeth.

Nathan Evans78 said:Well, they're being neutralized through force. Ukrainians didn't just sit around waiting for an oil embargo to kick in back in December; they took action right now.

The only way to deal with an aggressor is with force—economic sanctions are just far too slow to be effective in the heat of the moment. It’s like if someone were to physically assault your wife, and your response was to protest by taking their wallet. It just doesn't add up, does it? ☕

Yeah, great idea: just beat him up, snatch his wallet, and then quit your job on the spot. And that's exactly what happened to Russia...

You have to be incredibly biased or a total troll to actually believe that economic sanctions don't work or won't have a devastating impact over the next few years.

But hey, whatever... I guess everyone’s entitled to their own little delusions...

gentlerider7 said:Putin really gave those reporters at The Washington Post a good scare, didn't he?

I honestly hope their bosses provide them with some decent psychotherapy.

Joshua Myers432 said:Because Krimos is stepping up voluntarily. These pension fund holders? They aren't exactly rushing to volunteer.

🤣

Fair enough. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how many of those 250,000 folks are already singing happy songs while they wait to head out to Lyman or Kherson.

darkrider55 said:So, if they actually have that many reservists on standby, why on earth are they pulling lifers out of prison?

As I recall, we even offered those CRIMOs a chance to hit the front lines in exchange for full rehabilitation.☕

wanderingdriver68 said:If we’re looking at this realistically, how is Ukraine supposed to actually win a war against a nation that possesses virtually limitless human resources—I mean, they have three or four times the population size—and besides, it’s become painfully obvious that Russia isn't going to settle for anything less than total victory in Ukraine; in fact, I’m convinced they’d be willing to drag the entire world into a massive conflict if things started going south for them, since a psychopath like Putin is clearly prepared to go all the way to a total war.

Personally, I find myself stuck in a situation where I don't see any viable exit strategy that doesn't eventually spiral into a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, because honestly, what are the odds that this doesn't escalate into that within a few months or years, especially when removing Putin from the equation seems just as impossible as it was to stop Hitler, given how he has spent years building up an absolute machine of power within Russia that grants him unchecked control.

Let's just slow down for a second. What we're seeing today is the first step toward dismantling Putin's regime. And it's simply not true that Russia has unlimited resources. What Putin manages to send out through this mobilization is likely the absolute limit of what he can deploy and equip. And even that probably won't be enough to conquer Ukraine.

rowdyraven112 said:As I recall, we even offered those CRIMOs a chance to hit the front lines in exchange for full rehabilitation.☕

Look, we were the ones being attacked and torn apart here. And those guys you're talking about? Even if you’re twisting their story out of context just to make a point, they were defending their own homes. We weren't out there recruiting them like those fascist Russian scum and Wagner mercenaries. If you can't see the difference between that and what's happening—and clearly, you can't—then I don't even know what to say to you. Honestly, what's the point? It doesn't matter what those pro-Kremlin agitators think. They're nothing but bottom-of-the-barrel trash and fascists, along with the Russian regimes that back them up.

They’re calling it a partial mobilization because they're only planning to draft about 300,000 out of a possible 25 million people this time around.
That's the whole idea. Everyone's essentially on the list.

Get those ATACMS sent over to Ukraine ASAP.

William Anderson5 said:Let's just slow down for a second. What we're seeing today is the first step toward dismantling Putin's regime. And it's simply not true that Russia has unlimited resources. What Putin manages to send out through this mobilization is likely the absolute limit of what he can deploy and equip. And even that probably won't be enough to conquer Ukraine.

We shouldn't lose sight of the math, though. If you count those Ukrainian rebels—who are essentially Russians—as part of Mother Russia, then Russia has at least four times the population of Ukraine. Plus, if you filter out the war propaganda coming from both sides, I seriously doubt Russian losses are actually higher than Ukrainian ones.

Brenda Murphy3 said:So what kind of joke is this "partial mobilization" crap then? 😁

Look, they aren't going to draft every single person on the priority list. For instance, they don't exactly need Amharic translators or seventy-year-olds serving under a Fleet Admiral on the front lines right now.
I suspect their primary deficit lies with those categorized simply as cannon fodder. And let's be honest, they probably need about 300,000 of those.

"The US anti-war movement 'Vesna' is calling for protests against the mobilization. Rallies are announced for 7 P.M. in the center of all US cities."

With these protests being called for across the US, we'll just have to wait and see if anyone actually shows up.

"Countries that refuse to side with Ukraine in the war against Russia are 'accomplices' of the new Russian imperialism - French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN session"

Honestly, I think it's high time we hit Russia with total sanctions, and frankly, we should be slapping sanctions on any countries helping them out with weapons, too.

One thing is certain: by speaking out so openly, they've once again dragged a small band of apologists into the spotlight. 😁

And that would be about the entire impact of this message sent to the Muscovites west of Belgorod.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Yeah, great idea: just beat him up, snatch his wallet, and then quit your job on the spot. And that's exactly what happened to Russia...

You have to be incredibly biased or a total troll to actually believe that economic sanctions don't work or won't have a devastating impact over the next few years.

But hey, whatever... I guess everyone’s entitled to their own little delusions...

Alooo, they aren't an instant fix for ending this conflict quickly. We should have been pouring every bit of available weaponry into Ukraine yesterday, and we need to start mass-producing new gear immediately because, clearly, we're going to need it. ☕

Joshua Myers432 said:We shouldn't lose sight of the math, though. If you count those Ukrainian rebels—who are essentially Russians—as part of Mother Russia, then Russia has at least four times the population of Ukraine. Plus, if you filter out the war propaganda coming from both sides, I seriously doubt Russian losses are actually higher than Ukrainian ones.

Most Ukrainians want to fight, or they simply don't have any other choice but to pick up a rifle. If you genuinely believe an equal number of Russians are eager to head into Ukraine just to die for Putin for no reason at all, then you're seriously mistaken...

Brenda Murphy3 said:Look, we were the ones being attacked and torn apart here. And those guys you're talking about? Even if you’re twisting their story out of context just to make a point, they were defending their own homes. We weren't out there recruiting them like those fascist Russian scum and Wagner mercenaries. If you can't see the difference between that and what's happening—and clearly, you can't—then I don't even know what to say to you. Honestly, what's the point? It doesn't matter what those pro-Kremlin agitators think. They're nothing but bottom-of-the-barrel trash and fascists, along with the Russian regimes that back them up.

So, you're looking to rehabilitate someone who stole a mother's, a grandmother's, or a sister's life savings? Someone who ruined a family, or a domestic abuser whose family is lucky he's finally behind bars? And you try to justify it by calling it patriotism. I’d tell you exactly what I think of that kind of "patriotism," but this forum isn't the place for it. The Ukrainians did the exact same thing.
Until you realize that war itself is an evil, there's no point discussing this conflict. If you're just watching it like a fanatic sports fan, any debate is useless. That's why I haven't been commenting much lately. ☕

Joshua Myers432 said:We shouldn't lose sight of the math, though. If you count those Ukrainian rebels—who are essentially Russians—as part of Mother Russia, then Russia has at least four times the population of Ukraine. Plus, if you filter out the war propaganda coming from both sides, I seriously doubt Russian losses are actually higher than Ukrainian ones.

Well, by that same logic, Mexico had twice the population of America back then. A war isn't just some simple numbers game, especially when you aren't fighting to defend your own home, but are actually the one doing the attacking.