It has been very interesting to read this thread over the past year. The degradation into old stereotypes, biases and stupid jokes has reached critical levels, with even mods joining in, after all it is all so funny, stupid backwards orc vatnik mobiks
Russia has run out of literally everything a year ago, from missiles to manpower to tanks, fights hungry, drunk and with shovels, is totally demoralized, has no idea what tactics is and so on and so forth, and yet…
First it was a month of “probing and shaping” with the rare Wester equipment, then it was a month of “exhausting Russian equipment and ability to fight”, now it is the third month of the ingenious “light infantry with minimal vehicle support tries to pass the minefields” tactic (as it turns out minefields CAN be larger than 200m x 100m squares, truly the cowardice of Russia knows no bounds!).
It all has resulted in a blip on the map – ~250km2 retaken (less now since Russia has again been advancing in the north) with whole 9 or 10 villages liberated, while first Russian defensive line has barely been reached in a single place only (Robotyne) after 2 months of efforts, much less broken through.
Western press like Politico, NYT, WP, WSJ and others with increasing frequency are publishing articles full of зрада, all of which basically point to counteroffensive becoming/being a failure, that Russia
actually plays a sound defence, that there are issues with what else can be given to Ukraine and that support might be waning.
There is very roughly only a month left until mud season starts and forces everyone to halt. What then? 31x Abrams are gonna do it? F-16’s? More cruise/ballistic missiles? Magical winter assault? Another attempt next year - surely UA can just respawn new units like in RTS. After all, Russia cannot produce anything, oh wait, tone has been changing there too…
I can see only two scenarios with which this war ends – total defeat of Ukraine (more unlikely), or some type of frozen conflict. Перемога? No.
Maybe I am wrong, I hope I am wrong, and that some miracle suddenly happens, and you all can laugh at me after a year and make me eat my words. Feel free to call me out then…
P.S.
I wonder how well NATO and especially USA would fight in similar circumstances without overwhelming air control.
Clearly, an impossible scenario where NATO airpower is clipped.