War a step at a time

Survivors

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

Someone had blundered.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

 Theirs but to do and die.

The Charge of the Light Brigade Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The West thinks this is how you do war –charge— and overwhelm the enemy.

Occasionally it works.

When the Americans marched on Baghdad, they just slaughtered the remnants of an inferior army which had already been cut to pieces.

Highway of Death (Iraq War)

The Light Brigade did not do so well because they were facing a well-trained, experienced enemy in good defensive positions.

In the case of Ukraine, the Russians are not fighting this way. Because:

a.) They regard Ukrainians as brothers who for the most part speak the same language

b.) They want to destroy as little as they can because “if you break it, you gotta fix it”

c.) They are not in a hurry— since the longer the war goes on, the weaker the West and the stronger Russia.

So, it's a step at a time.

Putin of course is an incrementalist and a gradualist and this approach suits him fine.

As of today there has been steady progress all along the contact line with the Russians taking more villages and setting the stage for the eventual liberation of all of Donbass – while at the same time launching intensive missile strikes on industrial targets and military centers which impede the Ukrainian war effort and also exhaust Ukrainian missile defenses which are unlikely to last as late as April—which will allow the Russians to use their airpower more effectively.

The Ukrainians should be worried.

These are FAB 3000 bombs – twice the size of the FAB 1500 bombs in the news recently. They can be launched 60 km out with devastating results.

The missile strikes are all over Ukraine – Kiev, Odessa, and also Krivoy Rog North of the Donbas.

At the same time, the Russians are re-creating the Dnieper River Flotilla, consisting of fast vessels …

…with machine guns and cannons, and include unguided surface-to-surface missile launchers for operations against ground targets, as well as anti-aircraft missile systems for combatting air targets. Alexander Bartosh. Academy of Military Science / Center for Military-Diplomatic Analysis and Assessments,

This flotilla can carry out troop transfers and amphibious landings, provide fast reaction to a wide range of enemy attacks, as well as prevent sabotage operations.

Bartosh, a prolific writer on “irregular” and “hybrid warfare” explains…

The Dniepr River Flotilla’s formation is connected with the need to strengthen our forces in the southwestern direction…, the speeding up of the creation of a new NATO base in Romania raises certain concerns and creates a difficult situation in the western part of the Black Sea and in the Dniepr River, as the most important large river flowing into the Black Sea

Of course, Kiev is also on the Dnieper, as is Zaporizhzhia and Odessa.

So, the Russians are gradually expanding their capabilities allowing themselves a range of options and exceptional flexibility, embracing new technologies and strategic concepts.

One step at a time.

For the Ukrainians the only option now is unconditional surrender. But the West will not permit that.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

 Theirs but to do and die.

This is an election year. Die for Joe Biden.

Note

If you liked this article and want to support my work— and also get on the list for special articles for coffee buyers—click here to donate a coffee—or on the picture below – the Attack Squirrel!

This squirrel attacked a burglar in Idaho and foiled a robbery. You can watch the video here. Rumor has it the Russians are training an army of Spetsnaz attack squirrels to take over the world!