Look out Rooskies. Here come da screaming eagles, i.e. the storied 101st Airborne Division. The 101st Airborne Division was one of the units that defended Bastogne from a Nazi attack in World War II. Now, 78 years later, 4700 grandsons and great grandsons, a new generation of air mobile soldiers, are playing war in Romania near the border with Ukraine.
CBS News is out with a psyops special report:
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team consists of the following units:
- Headquarters Company
- 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment (“First Strike”)
- 2nd Battalion, 502d Infantry Regiment (“Strike Force”)
- 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment (“Blue Spaders”)
- 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment (“Widowmakers”)
- 1st Battalion, 320th FAR (“Top Guns”)
- 39th BEB (“Raptor”)
- 526th BSB (“Best by Performance”)
Note that these guys replaced the 82nd Airborne Division, so this was not then and is not now a new deployment of U.S. troops. Moreover, these troops have been in place for a little more than four months:
Elements of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) began arriving to the Mihail Kogalniceanum Airbase in Romania June 20, and are scheduled to continue arriving during the next several days.
Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, will support the U.S. Army V Corps’ mission to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank and engage in multinational exercises with partners across the European continent in order to reassure allies and deter further Russian aggression.
The deploying 101st Soldiers do not represent additional U.S. forces in Europe, but are taking the place of Soldiers assigned to 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters and the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division.
In all, approximately 4,700 Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division are scheduled to deploy to locations across Europe.
https://www.army.mil/article/258008/101st_airborne_division_arrives_in_europe_to_support_nato_allies
It is important to understand that the 101st is “light infantry”:
Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought as scouts, raiders, and skirmishers. These are loose formations that fight ahead of the main army to harass, delay, disrupt supply lines, engage the enemy’s own skirmishing forces, and generally “soften up” an enemy before the main battle. Light infantrymen were also often responsible for screening the main body of a military formation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_infantry
The 101st is essentially a band aid. Its primary mission is to try to slow up an attacking army. In other words, the 101st is an expensive, lethal speed bump. The challenge for the 101st Brigade Combat Team is figuring out how to fight a peer army. Frankly, it would be a suicide mission to deploy these guys to Ukraine. The 101st lacks the offensive punch to go toe-to-toe with a Russian heavy infantry unit.
Andrei Martyanov has the proper perspective on the capabilities of the 101st:
2. The deployment of 4,700 US paratroopers to Romania is risible even against the realities of a single operational direction of SMO theater, which sees currently about the same weekly number of casualties (KIAs, MIAs and wounded) of VSU and no American officer or soldier ever faced such combat realities in their life. Nor did US Army ever face the level of attrition VSU faces today. It is simply outside of America’s military experience. What will be the duration of combat stability–that is the ability to perform combat tasks while sustaining attrition–of the 101st under present fire impact conditions one can only speculate, but I would say at best–two-three weeks.
3. But then, of course, comes this other issue which Brigadier General John Lubas misunderstands–the only way 101st can “enter” Ukraine is under the condition of an all out war of NATO against Russia, which will require even in conventional (non-nuclear, that is) framework something between 500,000 to 700,000 NATO ground troops for the first “wave”–an impossible task for NATO and the US, unless NATO goes into full draft and I am sure American public will meet this news with enthusiasm and resolve. This, BTW, is the thinking of Mr. Petraeus, who never won shit in his life, yet somehow became a general. He thinks about “multinational” force now–I am sure his stellar experiences in Afghanistan will also be studied (already are) around the world on how not to fight COIN, forget real combined arms operations of scale of which he has only vague understanding.
Is NATO foolish enough to try to massively reinforce Ukrainian troops if Russia stages a major break out? Here is the reality–the 101st alone is not a sufficient force and NATO would require MONTHS–let me reiterate that point–MONTHS to round up and deploy the thousands of troops that would be required to pose a credible threat to a Russian advance. Do you think Russia will sit idly doing nothing while NATO scrambles to assemble a force to invade Ukraine and challenge Russia? Ain’t going to happen.
I agree with Andrei’s observation that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s first call to Russia’s Shoigu since May was probably to reassure the Russians that the reports coming out about the 101st Airborne Division element in Romania was hype and that the United States had no intention of deploying that unit to Ukraine. The CBS report target audience is the American public. Keep feeding them bullshit in a desperate attempt to convince them that America should be fighting in Ukraine. I do not think most Americans have the stomach for another feckless foreign military misadventure.
Our Military is going to be wasted fighting on the wrong side FOR the DAVOS Globalists against what’s left of the free world that no longer includes The THING in the White House’s Amerika, unrecognizable as American!
If, only if, we where living in a parallel world where were a crossed relation between ‘act-of-war’ and midterm polls,then this deployment has had a reason d’etre. More the loosing of the 101, better the polls for the rulers. In a parallel world.
The naming voodoo masters got one thing right when they named the former C I’m gAy chief “Petraeus.”
They started his name with Pet.
I’m still working on “Ray Us.” Very suggestive. Since he was fired in disgrace he became an ex. Providing opportunity for ex Ray Us.
I can’t get much further than a retired Pet, with unfortunately highly toxic penetrating insights.
I’ve always been partial to Betraeus as his true name. 🤷
Truth, you f***kin nailed it!
If it was only one man/critter. Easy fix, put him down. But it’s the whole circus. Burn down the tent.
The Bible tells us when judgement comes upon the evil ones, it will come upon them as their ‘worst fear’. This U.S. administration, who ‘blatantly’ stole our last presidential election from the will of the republic’s people (through many easily verifiable means which the corruption on the the ‘Supreme Court’ would not allow to be presented) believes all of the more in their own greatness and power, and are ‘wise in their own conceit’. In this condition, they’re ripe to be used by the Lord God Almighty to bring about the 6th trumpet war that He prophesied He would allow to be brought on the world about this time (Book of Revelation chapter 9 verse 18). Which by-the-way Medvedev cautioned the U.S. about on September 13th, actually quoting this same scripture from the Bible.
As a Judeo-Christian who has read The Bible I understand your predilection. Personally I have never been able to whole-heartedly subscribe to the belief that all of the books in The Bible are the literal word of God. I know too much about how The Bible came to be in its present form.
Over and above that, however, is an even bigger hurdle for me — namely the question of believing in super-natural events. I’d like nothing better but I have to be realistic, using Occam’s Razor, so to speak.
I don’t really see any events in history to support the idea that such massive super-natural events have happened. One can always claim that such an event as described in Revelation is a “one-off” thing never before seen in human affairs, but I find that pretty tenuous.
My two prutahs.
I am also well aware of how the Vatican and humans edited the bible.
“I don’t really see any events in history to support the idea that such massive super-natural events have happened.”
It is just a matter of interpretation. They say God helped Israel win wars.
Well, why is everything nato stan doing against russian bouncing back and hitting natostan? That’s also a miracle, and a matter of interpretation.
Is that super natural too?
May I suggest an excellent book. (Reading Revelation Responsibly. Gorman.) It will help you understand the meaning of the colorful language used in the imagery of this wonderful book of the Bible. Which is indeed the Word of God. Revelation is not written to be taken literally but as a vision of John put into words for things he had no practical description for. He uses visual descriptions for unimaginable things. Visuals that his 1st century readers would have immediately understood.
John like most psychics, channelers, and prophets, had the gift of seeing future timelines. But that is nothing new, as seers have always been with us. They are also online and on ytube too. They predicted the 2020 health crisis as well. They aren’t always right, as they also predicted donald would win in a landslide in 2020. They were right but also wrong, so there is that.
Revelations talked of people’s hearts stopping in the end times. And merchant ships not docking at port, staying at sea, right before Mystery Babylon’s destruction.
AMEN!
More flag waving. The US is locked into a Hollywood fantasy world. Good vs Evil. Heroes against the Horde. https://julianmacfarlane.substack.com/p/media-hate-speech-a-rant?
Yes and now Petraeus says he will lead a multinational force to battle Russia! Who does he think is going to sign on?
Oh stupid fucking sychophant Australia will … trust me…! Definitely the Brits & Poles as well I’d say…
Lithuanians Estonians Latvians… All 100!
America: love your cinema, fear the Brothers Coen
Riddick: “When the killin starts, It’s gonna rip our little Psycho Fuck family Apart”
Mere publicity stunt.
It’s not that the generals or politicians really care about the men of the 101st. Rather, they dread the blowback that’d receive when those men would get slaughtered – and they know they would. They’re not going into UKR.
Any F35’s entering the fray
They can’t afford to, because then the world would see how utterly useless they are and the order book at Lockheed Martin would dry up.
I think most F35’s are undergoing maintenance. That is why they are so stealthy. They are inside hangars being repaired. They cost 36,000 USD to maintain per hour of flight.
Yankee go home
pretty sure if the balloon goes up we will see the full deployement of all USAF assets against russia. And it is safe to say that the nice F35 and F22 and other jets will be a prime target for russia’s TBM / IRBM hitting forward operating airfields..
and btw how can US fight a war when all their ISR assets including satellites go down due to russia air defense ? not to mention the precious USAF aerial tankers shot down like lumbering pigs.
just like putin said , the west havent seen anything yet as russia havent started yet
F35? If a camel is a horse designed by a committee, then the F35 is the camel of strike-fighter aircraft. Three mutually exclusive requirements for the Airforce, Marines and Navy somehow have to be met.
1. Long range, stealthy and capable of winning air supremacy at high and low altitudes for the Airforce, operating from prepared airstrips with long runways.
2. Short range, ground support aircraft, vertical takeoff and landing, capable of operating on improvised airstrips far from home with minimal maintenance for the Marines.
3. Twin engine air supremacy and strike fighter, capable of surviving hitting the deck of an aircraft carrier at 100+ knots and coming to a dead stop in 50 feet without pulling the tail of the aircraft off for the Navy.
The F35 is a tribute to American engineering, not because its the world’s best fighter, but because they managed, given enough time and money, to get three versions to fly and get them into service at all.
What seemed like a money saving idea to a Congress asked to fund three new aircraft for the respective services, has probably cost far more and resulted in aircraft that are not the dream-machines of the respective service sponsors.
The result is an aircraft that very few countries can afford at all, and then only a handful.
What is unknown, is how these aircraft would stack up against Russian Air Force opponents – a very interesting exercise for all but the crew of the second-best aircraft.
wrong take , why would russian airforce face western airforce when russian have modern and layered A2AD ? the western jets will suffer massive attrition fighitng against missile force.
it is folly to think that the russian will face western air power jet vs jet.. just like it is folly of western airpower doctrine where their strike group are dependent on air refueler and AWACS for coordination which wont be there due to the russian long range SAM destroying them.
Without coordination from AWACS and fuel tankers and operting forward airfields , the whole western airpower doctrine crumbled. WHen the last time western powers got their forward airfields bombed by missiles ?
a total war , no holds barred war will see total destruction or at very least severe degradation of US eyes and ears in space , including their navigation satellites.
I agree with your points about the impact of current Russian air defence systems on air combat in a peer to peer conflict. And yes, it is unlikely that old style one on one dogfights would occur over Ukraine. My point was more theoretical, in how they would perform if such a scenario were to occur. Did Uncle Sam get value for money or is it an expensive dud?
You can make a heck of a lot of surface to air missiles for the cost of an F35 or an AWACS. Also, stand-off munitions to a large degree obviate the need for medium and long range bombers.
Other changes, including the use of drones in a variety of roles should be giving those paid to think about air power, doctrine, strategy and tactics a lot to think about.
I’m beginning to think Ukraine signals the beginning of the end for manned air frames as a major component of forces. There is still the capability of force projection against targets without air defenses, but we can assume those will be reduced with time. The US air supremacy model seems like it’s facing a financial, reputational and effectiveness wall.
Will armed conflict return to something resembling WWII era air forces (except unmanned) and anti-aircraft guns for the cheap drone/missile class like Shaheed?
In a total war scenario, there are no replacements for losses, just steady attrition for all parties and all weapon systems. This is true of the troops, too. The current highly trained servicemen will be replaced by poorly trained conscripts. That will be true of all the armed forces involved.
By 1915, the original BEF had ceased to exist.
Here is a link to an article about researchers’ efforts to devise ways to use the Starlink constellation of satellites to provide navigational/positional information similar to GPS, Glonost, etc. As noted in the article, already efforts have apparently been taken by Russian EW forces to disrupt Starlink over Ukraine, as it was being used by Ukrainians (or US techies) to enable military uses. Well, Mr. Musk, now you are identifiably a NATO asset. Whoops.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/10/21/1062001/spacex-starlink-signals-reverse-engineered-gps/
For those technically inclined, here is a further link:
https://radionavlab.ae.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/starlink-structure.pdf
Both of these links came via a website run by an American expat living in New Zealand. Ran away from the madness here, only to wind up living under Jacinda Ardern. Oh, frabjous joy! Very interesting site.
Cryptogon.com
Appreciate the link to that site… I’d lost track of it and forgot the name so you helped jigger my memory.
Right-O! All of that kind of U.S. air power has been predicated upon facing non-peer adversaries. The U.S. air assets have gotten fat and complacent fighting Afghans and poor Arabs.
Didn’t another one just crash the other day?
This photo op and spin approach to warfare is as dangerous as it us dumb. Deploying some of our most elite light infantry as a glorified tripwire and speedbump versus armored forces with a massive artillery advantage is infuriating.
The 101st is perfect for some missions, totally unlike the one it might be thrown into. While our entire diplomatic corps is being completely useless in the type of situation for which it was created.
Goes perfectly with all the other s**t that was done so far. Seems one side is struggling as they always do, while the other is just doing what has to be done, without any fancy hype and whatever.
2 observations about the CBS news clip
1) the 101st appeared to be training with a Romanian Mechanized formation. This suggests Pentagon approach might be to use the light infrantry combined with the BMPs/MBTs.
2) Odessa is only 350km away, that’s a quick Blackhawk ride. One possible mission might be for the 101st to secure Odessa airfield ? Harbor ? as the lead of any number of possible scenarios.
Don’t think number 2 is an option. Seizing an airfield would not do anything. First it would mean that the US has officially entered in a war with Russia. Secondly those men would share the same fate as the other Ukrainians did. They would simply be taken out by artillery or missiles.
US will never enter this conflict. They have by far many other problems, like inflation, debt, shrinking economy. They will use Ukraine as long as they believe they can achieve something.
Agree that it would be irrationally self-destructive for Washington to openly fight in country. However, this time the war party has really painted itself into a corner.
Regarding a quick mission to secure the Odessa Airfield or Harbor. Bet the junior pentagon planning staff is itching to recreate the glorious feat of arms achieved by the 173rd in Mosul.
Odessa has significant emotional appeal to a powerful ethnic lobby in Washington.
Just saying it’s possible
I don’t know about the glorious feat of arms by the 173rd in Mosul. I fear a more likely scenario is a repeat of the 101st’s unfortunate experience in Arnhem, Operation Market Garden, when they were dropped between a couple of SS Panzer divisions.
When ego, rivalry and delusion combine with intelligence failure the boots on the ground pay the price. Let’s pray that today’s brave young men are spared the opportunity to prove themselves worthy, trying to live up to the reputation that their heroic forebears bought at a terrible cost.
Already far too many brave young men on both sides have lost their lives or received life-changing wounds in Blinken and Nuland’s War to F**k the EU. Let’s hope it ends very soon.
….. When ego, rivalry and delusion combine with intelligence failure the boots on the ground pay the price. Let’s pray that today’s brave young men are spared the opportunity to prove themselves worth……..
Well said !
It was the british 1 para in arnhem, not the american. The 101 and 82 were in 2 town before arnem
Perhaps the bravest of these servicemembers are the ones who did their Constitutional duty and refused illegal orders to take an experimental gene therapy — onr that contravenes the Nuremberg Code as codified in the US Code. Sadly these bravest of the brave (and wisest) have been drummed out of the services. I don’t have much respect for the ones who submitted to the illegal injections.
What’s the position if the Ukrainian Govt. Invites the 101st to garrison Odessa way before the Russian forces have got past Nikolaev. Would put them in a similar position to Russian forces in Syria, there by invitation of the internationally recognised government. Retaining a naval presence in the Black Sea is likely of high strategic priority.
Don’t be too sure about the US not getting involved directly. I remember Argentina’s internal issues causing her then ruler Gen. Galtieri to look for a way out of the people’s hugely negative spotlight. He found it and his exit out of leadership in the disastrous adventure called the Falklands.
Stupid people do stupid things and when I look at the top of Western leadership I see a lot of stupidity.
a rational US govt might do that
but are you sure biden’s administration (and those behind him) wont ? they might see that this is their only time to make war with russia and they will never get another chance.
so many ukrop loving / eastern european criminals in US govt that will drive USA into oblivion ..
For obvious reasons, they (whoever they are) can’t just make “war” against Russia. Russia is not bluffing. They crush everyone and that means even if there is the possibility to be defeated, they launch a full scale nuclear attack on the entire planet. A world without Russia is not possible.
WW2 was nothing in comparison to the possibilities we have in means of weapons and destruction. US is trying already to save face. Biden is toast. He was worse than every other puppet before him. They should really dump this on him and walk away. So far the west failed to achieve even the slightest success in this whole mess (again an total miscalculation on their behalf). They played with fire and now their home is burning down. EU is already complaining how the US is ripping them of with that whole LNG/Oil situation. They are slowly fed up too. West will crumble like the USSR did.
Top Gum: How about seizing a train station or area with residential and civilians (declared to allow medicine deliveries)?
Wag the dog – distract the voters with a military attack is a classic tactic that has been used repeatedly in recent years.
3) They might try to liberate Moldova.
…. 3) They might try to liberate Moldova……
Indeed – Transdinstra needs a color revolution PDQ.
Great insight – thank you
Establishing control of Bessarabia at the mouth of the Danube plus Odessa by invitation has the potential to bring Moldova into both the EU plus NATO. Controlling both sides of the Danube closes off options for Serbia and later Hungary to have external access to markets out with the control of both EU and NATO. in effect the boundary moves East from the Danube to the Dniester river. If correct I remain curious as to what any Russian response might be.
Artillery burger Mince.
First they have to fly into Ukraine. That’s all she said.
Dead at 10,000 feet or frost bite feet in a ditch as the flame throwers descend.
101st airborne’s last winter tank battle was the Bulge. Against a Nazis reserve army on the verge of defeat. Now it’s, “got your back” for bunch of Ukie Nazis on the verge of defeat.
The amazing case, of the unbelievable….. “switch aroo,”no less.
This movie ain’t gonna be a success. They need the Maverick to sell the pop corn.
Or is it all about protecting Rumania soil with a splash of Hollywood guns ho tough guys, when in reality no Pentagon approval to cross Putins big red line?
Cleared and approved by the Kremlin via that phone call.
Meanwhile for everyone’s edification
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/10/18/patrick-lawrence-grave-new-world/
PS
Larry you’re the real deal, your mates say it all. Hope the American people in Florida are getting some financial help from the latest $50 million or is it $50 billion freebie for Ukraine.
Charity begins at home. Best wishes to you, you and your family. That goes for every citizen of Florida :
Florida Lives Matter, even if they are forgotten and ignored by Brandon and the Main Street Media.
“Larry you’re the real deal, your mates say it all.”
I dunno everytime i read LJ’s posts even before SONAR21 he reminded me of Dick Marcinko the founder of SEAL TEAM 6. His love of the country is visible and his hate toward those who want to corrupt USA is also obvious.
Unlike the many pretenders and hypocrites who claimed they are against neocons in DC and then flipped 180 supporting ukrop nazis .. fake patriots
That’s why we are around, ain’t it?
Rare birds online, representing what many think, but do not dare to say.
Dare I say, not many (enough) think.
There’s no way Biden will ever have the political capital to commit US troops directly, publicly, into this conflict.
So regardless of what US troops are doing here and there they are not publicly going into UKR or attacking Russia.
First time commenting, been reading for a while.
Thank you, Larry, for injecting a bit of sanity in the frenzied hate whipped up by the MSM. I did not know that the 101st contingent was replacing some from the 82nd, that does lower my panic level a bit. For the rest, I hope some cool heads in the Pentagon know what their limitations are.
You are absolutely right. As former “light” infantry, (now reclassed), it is infuriating how cheaply our lives get spent. At least this just for photo op. Post it your social media of choice, check the box. Hoorahh.
Ocean – I am not so sure about it. This administration shoots first without thinking about consequences and then tries to play catch up on their own policies later. It looks schizophrenic but I think this belies the underlying problem that we have (at least) 3 governments acting autonomously inside the US and no one in actual authority in charge.
I believe that they (the vague west) will commit the military to defend Lviv and Odesa. What military that is is a larger question. If the 101st or even 82nd are committed in force they will be destroyed as will all American bases in Europe including NATO HQ and likely the British MI-6 as well. All US satellites will be taken out simultaneously and if it escalates as might happen should the US respond with missiles on Russia then non-nuclear hypersonic weapons will visit DC.
I think anyone can see this coming unless someone (who that might be is a huge question) decides Ukraine is a lost cause and shifts to screwing with China instead.
I don’t know about the American public, but the MIC and State Dept seem to have a never satiated appetite for “feckless foreign military misadventures”.
As regards rotating the airborne, I suppose somebody at the WH told the Pentagram “You gotta do something!” To which Milley replied “Ah! This is something, we’ll do this!”
I’m just waiting for the deployment of the 69th Trans Division, marching for miles in their stiletto-heel boots, mil-std miniskirts and Army issue camouflage lipstick eager for battle.
One assault with the latest in armour-piercing guided handbags will have those pesky Rooskies running for the far-side of the Urals and Surovikin covering his ass with excuses. Obviously, Putler will be deposed by a popular revolt and Russian oblasts shall be sold off as independent fiefdoms to Western stakeholders.
We’ll see Mr Austen on CNN saying “That’ll teach ya to mess with our bitches.”
I hear the Brandon regime wants it done and dusted by 7 November.
Look our for the 69th INtersectional Dildo Brigdade: Bidens Battling non-Binaries
Makes me think of this old skit
https://youtu.be/FBWr1KtnRcI
“I’m just waiting for the deployment of the 69th Trans Division, marching for miles in their stiletto-heel boots, mil-std miniskirts and Army issue camouflage lipstick eager for battle”.
Priceless thanks mate.
101st Screaming Chicken Division is what they will be known as afterwards…well, whatever will be left of them if they ever do something so asinine as enter the fray in Ukraine.
This is just another posturing for the media circus , pretending that US administrator are ready for direct confrontation with russia.
Anyone with knowledge would know a real war with russia will be preceeded with US military draft call up.
as LJ said , the number of soldiers in 101st far to small to last even a week in real war against a peer enemy especially in terrain like ukraine.
Instead of bringing Sweden & Finland into NATO, why not Russia? That way we can get some state of the art air defense equipment. There are many other benefits (drones?).
Of course, there is a downside, who are we going to vilify & bomb?
Putin actually “flew” this idea. Really he did. The current members of the North Atlantic Tit’s Up Organizaton at that time did not like the idea at all.
Why does the western media constantly run advertising for the US army calling it “news?” From all the video clips and stories I am hearing and viewing coming out of Ukraine that is some pretty damn vicious fighting.
The US army are not prepared to be tossing grenades at each other with the Russian military mere meters away between trenches. The Russians are on home turf man, that is a tactical 7 to 1 kill ratio in Russia’s favor.
Why did it seem like the Americans put on a big show with enormous fire power against Iraqis and Afghanistan mud hut dwellers but when it comes to Ukraine it is going to be a whole different kind of killing?
78 years ago they fought against Nazis, now they will fight for Nazis. How ironic.
The US is posing. The 101st Airborne did well enough in Afghanistan, but flying into densely layered air defence where the enemy owns the skies is a suicide mission. I guess they could do a photogenic air drop in Lvov, but they’re not equipped or trained for intensive urban combat so they’d be well advised to exit quietly before Wagner and the Chechens show up.
Russia has placed the West in Zugzwang. At this point, any move the West makes puts them in a worse position than the one they’re in. So, while they can’t stay where they are without looking indecisive, they can’t move without looking inept. The world notices whichever they choose, and the membership application centres at the SCO & BRICS see an uptick in inquiries.
“The secret to (European) politics”, said Bismarck, “is a good treaty with Russia.” By accident or by design, the West is all out of Bismarcks. The only one in play is Russian, and it shows.
The 86 year old Italian tycoon, bunga bunga champion of the world and 3 time former Italian PM, Silvio Berlusconi, also regarded as Vladimir Putin’s best friend in Europe, boasted this week just that: that there are no leaders left in Europe except himself.
Was Pearl Harbor also FDR posing? False flags are the meat of the dark state. It allows them to gain control via fear. Gulf of Tonkin. 2020 Covid lockdowns. Mandatory waxxines.
Ukraine.
2022 elections, suspended.
I had the same thought as Larry about the inappropriateness of light infantry versus the Russian army when this “news” item was referenced last night. Not sure how they would perform against Chechens either.
Frankly, as a European I have had enough of American war mongering and the Normandy reference summed things up. Europe needs to regain its independence, stop war mongering too and send these guys back home. It is an army of occupation in reality but occupation armies always tell you they are there to protect you. Just as dictators do. Being British too, I am well aware of how our colonial history was distorted in precisely the same way.
Saw a good q and a session by Viktor Orban last night that he made on 11 October in Germany. It is on the Balazs Orban You Tube channel and deserves a wider audience than it has had. He lucidly argues that we need a ceasefire and then negotiations. Also is very clear that the sanctions are counter productive and do not help Ukraine. States explicitly too that America is the true counter party to the war and they need to negotiate with Russia. What is most shocking is that these are obvious points but no other European leader is saying any of this.
One thought about the 101st Airborne. Am sure the soldiers on the ground are as professional and brave as their predecessors at Bastogne. But the senior officers came across as seeing war as a game. That is a very easy attitude to fall into when you are fighting on someone else’s territory. The silly unit names such as “widow makers” are the same. How can that be a moniker to be proud of? The Russians seem much more adult and serious. War is real. Not a game. It matters for their security.
My second thought is linked to the potential role of the Airborne as a deliberate trip wire and the game of high stakes poker. Attack them if they are deployed and the US will treat that as an existential attack on American territory. Which as per Andrei Martyanov comments is the only defence that US aircraft carriers also have against a serious adversary. Risky “poker” strategy though.
Thanks to Larry and everyone for a reality based commentary on this s–t show.
Dear American Cousins, why don’t you make wars on your own soil.
What’s the point of being allies ?
I distinguish the person who can be a soldier, from the people in charge whether they are army commander or politician.
At no point soldiers who were part of D-Day Normandy in 1944′ where supporting the idea to turn France into another US state or the United States to become the overlords of France.
But from a political point of view, it was only in an interest of redefining the world supremacy by getting UK and France empires collapsing, that USA enters that sad conflict.
I still see US citizen as friends but i strongly disagree with this warmonger approach and as a European, French citizen, Russia is not my enemy neither Ukraine. China and other religious-propelled countries are.
Make no mistake as who are your real enemies. Destroy Europe/Russia or weaken Europe/Russia is really not the goal to pursue
Hope those boys won’t get there to fill in empty slot in Arlington cemeteries or forgotten places into new US foreign cemetery.
They already had at least one casualty. (https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2022-09-13/army-death-romania-7315884.html).
I’m a bit frustrated to read opinions from outside my country, about my country. My wife’s parents live about 20km east of M. Kogalniceanu, which, by the way, is not a proper base because it’s also the civilian airport of Constanța. The Hornets are making a lot of noise.
The real thing that scares me is the idea that Romania might get involved, not in Ukraine, but most likely in Moldova.
Since PR is the game, maybe „liberating” Transnistria is the goal. If Moldova asks Romania for asistance and the US decide to provide „limited support” for a special military operation of a NATO member …
There are some people here who speak of such a scenario …
Oh, and I’m really pissed of the fact that Russia started it’s SMO on the 24’th of February! It’s my daughter’s birthday.
Hey Yanks. Don’t go worrying much about those Ruskies. They jawbone a lot. Posture about. But they don’t do much real fighting. Except on ‘defence’. They occupy places. Occupy. Yeah. Not much on the attacking business though. Whole lot of Ukie out there and sure enough those Roosians just can’t their act together to go after it. After a few months, it’s clear that all Russian generals are named McClellan. The Chinese are also real big on the Issuing Of Statements. Sure as hell none of their lot go anywhere near real fighting.
There’s some Russians trying to fend off the always-attacking Ukies. Who are really stupid. But they have grit. They fight. Ever heard of any of those ‘fighting Russian’ units? They have a First and Second Guards Tank Armies. Sounds impressive eh? Seen any of them doing anything? Nope. Off on Yoga training I guess.
At the rate the Russians are going it’ll be decades afore they get anyhere west. If the Ukies stopped their dumb attacks, nothing much would happen at all. Didn’t budget any money for ‘please go forward’. And the Russian media is filled everyday with endless whining about why just about everyone should be not drafted. And they all need extra holidays. And none of them has shown up for any of the fighting stuff yet. Washington is just shaking at this spectacle of iron will.
Why keep advancing when the enemy keeps coming to you? The pesky Rooskies shell the trenches, kill a bunch of defenders, then a new lot turns up. If the aim is to “demilitarise” Ukraine, this is very convenient. Guns are all zeroed in, just need to wait for the next batch.
The advantage of this strategy is that a very narrow corridor is being totally destroyed. Eventually, Ukraine will run out of men and means to fight, at which the Russians can capture territory with little opposition and corresponding damage.
That seemed to work OK up until Sep when Ukrainians seem to have got tired of hanging out in foxholes waiting for incoming and went on the offensive. This seems to have caught some Russians by surprise. One should never treat one’s enemy with complacency or contempt.
I suspect that rather than acting per Gen McClellen, Gen Surovikin is waiting for his new troops and Gen Winter to show up.
Sub-par bait, mate. Do better.
is there no bottom to the stupidity hole?who drove Napolian back to Paris?who drove the Nazi germans and Roumanians back to Berlin?i must review all my history books,they are all wrong.
Seems to me, based on what we have seen in Ukraine – up to this point – is that the breath-taking lethality of modern peer-on-peer forces will mean there will never be a “breakout” in the classic sense. Warfare is changing in front of eyes just as it was in 1914, and our minds are struggling to process what is actually happening. Waves of tanks, massed infantry, great masses of artillery are as useful as the battleship and calvary charge today. It comes down to company on company, even platoon on platoon, combat as can be seen in many videos. Larger than that are simply AI targets. Blanket atellite coverage preclude surprise massed movements, drones roam the battlefield waiting to destroy armor and mechanized formations. A war between NATO and Russia is already waging in the ether, I know this personally. Communications are being disrupted on massive scales, and leaders on both sides aren’t able to keep up with the damage. We will never see “A race to the X” again between modern peers.
Very good comments, echoes what has been on my mind for some time. As the modern art of war currently stands it does seem like the Era of grand sweeping advances is not on.
Until the all-seeing and constant overhead surveillance has been digested and adjusted for in the theory and application of the art, we may just be in a 1915 Era where tactics and doctrine have to catch-up to new realities.
This also applies to the use of airpower on the battlefield. Combined, these have tremendous implications for Western art of war as or anyone else. If Western Air forces cannot impact the land battle, it puts the whole doctrine into doubt and leaves the army to it’s own devices, undoubtedly an advantage to Russian army doctrine.
It will eventually be compensated for and overcome, but again using history as a guide, that takes years in heavy combat to learn and rid the dull weight at the top, and unmentionable losses for the combatants.
Not so sure. Surveillance drones and ISR are great until they get blown up ir jammed. When that happens the side relying most heavily upon it (NATO) will suffer most and be more vulnerable to encirclements and rear area attacks. The West has become hopelessly addicted to high tech systems that can fail in a million easy ways but are difficult to replace. I caution against judging this conflict based on the limited measures employed so far. Next months will look quite different.
Both myself and John Q. were not only assessing on the current conflict. But as the war there shows clearly, just the sheer number of small and cheap drones available down to the platoon level, precludes the ability to counter the threat of omnipresent surveillance in any way. Against the most formidable IADS anywhere, UAF has maintained the ability to use drones to observe, direct and attack the enemy in its airspace.
Yes high-tech can fail and be countered, but if you can field it in sufficient numbers, you can carry out the tasks despite losses.
Much as in other moments of military history, 1973 with mobile SAMs and ATGMs in the Sinai for ex., tactics and doctrine need time to catch up to new realities in the field.
Both myself and John Q. were not only assessing on the current conflict. But as the war there shows clearly, just the sheer number of small and cheap drones available down to the platoon level, precludes the ability to counter the threat of omnipresent surveillance in any way. Against the most formidable IADS anywhere, UAF has maintained the ability to use drones to observe, direct and attack the enemy in its airspace.
Yes high-tech can fail and be countered, but if you can field it in sufficient numbers, you can carry out the tasks despite losses.
Much as in other moments of military history, 1973 with mobile SAMs and ATGMs in the Sinai for ex., tactics and doctrine need time to catch up to new realities in the field.
The Danube delta close to the Ukrainian border is a swamp. Just imagine the horror of an army without any functioning logistic supply line from the hinterland. An army that is getting stuck in the mud. An army like a twittering bunch of sitting ducks that is being exposed to enemy fire. Perhaps the ‘101st Airborne Division’ is still able to evoke a fear inspired halo among people who think that the Ardennes Offensive of 1944-45 was the most important event of WWII. For those who know that the Battle of Stalingrad 1942-43 was decisive for the course of WWII this PR show means nothing.
For a change I like to add a comment. First a compliment for Larry, as usual very dryly describing the factual situation of this major “threath”to the Russian army.
A second thought is about the logistics needed to support the militairy operation.
Food, ammo, guns, repair, medical services, fuel, transport, etc. Who is going to suply the needed materials? Not the European Nato countries. They already spent their stuff on Ukraine. Not to speak about the different types of militairy equipment/ammo in use by the different small armies. Little left now…
Small example from the Netherlands. Total army size about should be 40k. At the moment a shortage of manpower of 10k. No cruisemissiles at all. No effective airdefense.
The only thing the NAFO is good at, is shooting with words. They have quite a lot in stock there.
So true.
Amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics.
Rule of thumb is a US light infranty brigade in the field needs 1,400 short tons of supplies daily.
The need for supplies will reduce dramatically after first contact with Russian artillery, if history rhymes as some say it does.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_of_the_Light_Brigade
Thank you for dealing with this issue. All over Baltic and Nordic countries the newspapers and the television are in a celebratory mood over what they call, “the US elite forces” ready to enter the war on the side of Ukraine any time now. What a delusion! But then…
There is an interesting editorial in today’s Strategic Culture website suggesting that “The rulers of the United States and Europe want to start a war with Russia before their own people start a war at home.”
Given that the collective west is reeling from the blowback of their sanctions regime which has enriched Russia and impoverished Europe, and given that the same collective west seems incapable of finding a reverse gear out of the mess it has made for itself, and remembering that we are seeing protests in Germany and France, regime change in the UK and new governments in Sweden and Italy, this idea does seem worth considering.
Not so far fetched. Interest rates and economic college were on cards long before SMO yet the population is bring groomed to blame Russia.
Property prices are not falling as much as they should as Obama killed home ownership (was 68%) now banks , hedge funds and bill gates own most property (54% and going up) and agricultural land on US respectively. And they are buying buying more.
So this means that even as incomes real fall rent and property stay artificially high and agriculture is increasingly manipulated large scale farming.
Monsanto Beyer just waiting to introduce suicide seeds. They used them in Somalia
You plant they grow but seeds are useless. You have to go back and buy new seeds. So forget growing anything unless you can buy more seed
3 companies own the seeds world uses. US destroyed Iraq’s ancient seed bank and their Syrian back up seed bank. Now Monsanto feeds them. This Iraq being a place human agriculture started.
There is a whole lot just getting started. Forget US looking for excuse to get militarily in the biggest push is GMO and drought resistant suicide seeds in Africa and South America.
US lost itself not with vile foreign wars but a failure by corrupt politicians to enforce monopoly laws. Now monopolies and too big to fails have US by the neck.
To rebuild what was destroyed is almost impossible for the US. Small banks dead, Starbucks and chains all over, Amazon everything. Everything that grows in America from food to big business kills as it grows.
Big tech kills little tech, Amazon kills high street, military contractor monopoly kills efficiency, big agriculture kills small, big banks kill smaller finance houses…
So where do you go when everything growing in your country is killing everything else in your country?
The Biden administration is clear on where they go. They grow what grows and what dies dies.
That’s baked in.
To undo the system now, possible but takes pain and a leadership America does not have.
From that context their approach to Russia makes sense. The things that grow need to feed because there is literally nothing else that feeds America which dies as it grows.
Despite what everyone is saying about how stupid our direct involvement would be, when your top two people are cognitively impaired + useless word-salad maker, you have to first ask yourself – who is really running this show? We don’t know is the answer and since we don’t know, whoever it is – has created plausible deniability and are, hence, able to do whatever they want. Including stupid s*it like sending forces into an active battlefield against a nuclear adversary….
As for this deployment, I think the people in DC are not really interested in what their electorate thinks (see above). It’s all about PR anyway and besides, to have a THINKING electorate, well, we are way past that point here.
The media is on board, tech companies are on board, people are not going to protest (police state (!), but also too fat, lazy, drugged up and besides, TIK-TOK has so many videos to watch all day, why would you inconvenience yourself by doing civil disobedience??? – too much work!), situation on the front of foreign policy (most of the world is laughing at our duplicity) and at home (inflation, taxation without representation, elections that make zero difference and just elect the “other” more of the same “side” every few years) is at the point where we need (another) war to distract us from the clusterf*ck our dictatorship, pardon, democracy has become. Painted into a corner/run out of options does not do it justice.
What I find funny (sad) in this story is Romania. They complained about being under the Russian boot for years but here they are with American boots on their soil and EU mandates to de-industrialize. But then again, who did Romania side with in the second world war anyway? Just cannot shake the collaborator syndrome and cannot pick the “right side” over and over. 3rd time is the charm (but it will not be for Romania, sadly?). What is it they say about the Romanian peasant? You can boil him all day like Mamaliga but he will never explode…..(paraphrasing)
“the level of attrition VSU faces today.”
So the Russians have been getting the Sh** shot out of them for months. What does that do to the combat effectiveness of the VDV?
“The US NEVER in its history, including in WW II, fought the enemy which could easily strike at strategic and operational depths with ease,”
Remind me again who burned our capital and planted an army in Louisiana too, with essentially zero resistance from the USN? Not to mention a different country which reached across the Pacific and destroyed major air and fleet components in the Philippines and Hawaii. (Before completing the invasion and occupation of the former.) Sounds like Andrai should brush up on history.
Have you managed to find or create an OOB for either side in this conflict?
Your US military history points are wrong.
Russia can, and might If cornered or pissed off enough, destroy not only Pearl H, but also all what is really important mainland: refineries, power generation, digital communications, roads, rails, name it. A grid that connects east, south and west. Japan couldn’t even dream about it.
This war is different game level. NFL, not high school competition. Remember that all cornerbacks and wide recievers might get wiped out first. US is a naval and overseas trade power, pass player. Russia is resources one, a nose tackle player to cover running yards, as you have possibly noticed.
USA has no quarterback, or it has one but he’s useless moron, just a bunch of qb staff to run him because backing one is… well, name it. Russia has one, not spectacular, but accurate and patient.
And she, Russia, controls the clock.
That’s why that overconfident and dismissive old soviet jerk A. M. is right. Tom Brady can’t do passing magic all the time. Even when he does, by the way, he is not throwing to WRs: they are too soft when stakes are really high.
You should work on some english comprehension. The British attacked Washington D.C. and burned government buildings in the war of 1812, they also landed an army of veterans in Louisiana who were defeated at the Battle of New Orleans at the end of that same war. The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941 and the Phillipines a day later. They also landed an army which destroyed US and Phillipine forces in a short campaign and occupied the country (then a US territory). Andrei should have remembered those facts when drafting his piece.
Russia and destroy Pear Harbor? Sure can, if they use nuclear weapons. They have 5000+ nuclear weapons and a couple hundered ICBMs. Doing so would result in the destruction of every city in Russia by the US retalitory response. Please stop with the childish “if pissed off” non-sense. This is not a game of american football nor is the leadership of the Russian Federation going to make emotion based decisions. They may make bad strategic choices, but that’s another thing entirely.
You came to my point yourself.
World war is already here, in finance, economy, friend or foe diplomacy, proxy army fighting against Russia in Russian ethnic areas, declared recently as part of motherland.
Hopefully, it will stop there.
Yeah, Andrei has some good points worthy of attention, but then he goes too far and becomes a total stupid dickhead with his hyper hoorah Russia/America sucks bias rhetoric. Some wheat and lots of chaff. He’s a one trick pony galloping around on a broken record.
“We will never see “A race to the X” again between modern peers.”
Not unless you control everything. Air superioty space to deck would be nice, but unless you are willing to smash up enemy satellites and bring on the Kessler Syndrome, such a thing is an impossibility, so to really make progress, you must, as you alluded, have total command of the ether.
Maybe the Russians believe they have achieved this, or are close to achieving it, this … what should we call it … Ether Dominance?
One thing I do know, the Russian build-up that is underway is massive, and by looks of the equipment it sure looks for all the world like traditional armored offensives are in the offing.
Excepting for the all the digging machines I’ve seen, there’s been a surprising amount of those on the incoming trains, including tunnel borrers. One thing I’ve learned from this war, tunnel borrers are great for digging trenches, nice ones too, deep as hell and wide as you like, wide enough in theory, I would think, to roll armor back and forth, with maybe even a roof above in some spots.
One of the reasons I think this will end with a seige. Do what you did in the beginning, and surround Kiev (really surround it), and then dig in.
And wave to the Pentagon all the while you are beseiging the city, much as you did in March with the 40 mile long The Column to the West , the one that was both rolling and out of gas according to Anderson Cooper, and drive everyone inside the Beltway more batshit insane than they already are.
Including Nancy “I want to bomb the hell out that motherf*cker” Pelosi.
Apologies, I done messed up, this was intended to be a reply to John Q. Public above.
While I’m at it, here is some pilot cam footage of a successful bailout after his Su-25 gets shot down in the safest airspace available in this combat zone, treetop level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfq8FzPbUUo
When the $100 million F-35 can be described by one of our esteemed commentaters as a “flying barn,” and you say to youself, “hmm, that sounds about right,” you know the future of conventional warfare to further political aims is bleak.
“I do not think most Americans have the stomach for another feckless foreign military misadventure.”
Sure hope you’re right about that Larry, the bs is being super sized, and non thinkers are gobbling it up… #fear
The next feckless military misadventure will be a domestic one.
Yeah because it doesn’t affect them
When the US government announces a draft to replace combat losses and massive desertion as a result of those combat losses the people will suddenly become anti war.
The US has spent decades making their own citizens stupid and lazy, while decrying patriotism as racist and evil. That does not make a good recruiting pool.
The military can’t even get enough recruits with all the benefits they offer now.
Not everyone is incentivized by free sex changes. Now that student loans are no longer loans any more than lend-lease, only a chump looks for a GI bill.
We used to call our Airborne divisions tank speed bumps as there is no way even with modern technology you are going to stop heavy mechanized divisions.
Watch out you dirty Ruskies, Emma is coming to kick your butts!
https://youtu.be/MIYGFSONKbk
Pretty clear where this is headed: nuclear false flag.
The US will not and can not stand down, and will provide the provocactions and atrocities necessary to continue and increase the war.
A recent video produced by Brian Berlitec (The New Atlas) got my mind thinking about what options -short of direct combat against the Russians- may be available to the US. This led me to the situation in Syria.
The Ukrainian government calls upon its allies to provide a humanitarian expedition to safeguard civilians in the vicinity of Odessa. The 101st would then be deployed to Odessa, professing not to engage the Russians but to provide a safe zone for civilians and maintain a no-fire zone over the city.
By doing something like this, the Americans would put the Russians in the position of “aggressor” should they take action against this enclave. The Russians may very well accept this position, which effectively freezes whatever ambitions they may have to take Odessa. There may be efforts by the Poles, for example, to do something similar around Lvov and Lutsk.
In Syria, Assad asked the Russians to come in to save its government from collapse. The US used the SDF as proxies through which it denied the Syrians access to the oilfields east of the Euphrates. The US had already seized a section of Syria at the Jordanian border. Since then, the Russians and Americans have respected and tolerated their respective zones of control.
You state “if Russia stages a major breakout.” Where do you believe Russia might stage a major breakout? Certainly, you don’t think it will be in the Kherson region since the Russian army is rapidly withdrawing from there. Given that Ukraine possesses high precision artillery now and all sorts of intelligence from satellite imagery provided it by the US, surveillance photos from its many drones, and information relayed to it by partisans behind the Russian lines, all of which allow Ukraine to not be taken by surprise by any major Russian ground attack, where in Ukraine do you believe the Russian army will achieve a “major breakout” and when?
Are you serious? Or just trolling?
Shoigu discussed situation in Ukraine with British defense minister Wallace
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a telephone conversation with British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. He conveyed concerns to his British counterpart about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a “dirty bomb.”
https://russian.rt.com/world/news/1064919-shoigu-uolles-razgovor
Russian sites report that preparations for this are already well advanced and that there is the OK from the UK. Yes honestly did not expect anything else. The only thing the West can do is cheap terrorist operations. Reminds of the poison gas events with the “dear” white helmets in Syria. Was exactly the same there.
A window of opportunity for this would be before November 8 before the US elections. The criminal Democrats will have to do something urgently. Of course, the Western press is already absolutely prepared, on the ground, and we will then experience a cross-national propaganda disarmament wave. Target exclusion of Russia from the UN and the Security Council. Likewise, most countries will then be forced to participate in the sanctions and classify Russia as a terrorist state.
For me, this would then clearly be the beginning of the hot 3rd World War. This is exactly what I have been worried about for a long time, since the topic appeared in the media that Russia is planning to use nuclear bombs in Ukraine. Was in Syria exactly the same with the poison gas. Press full that the “evil” Assad will do that. It happened on time, of course, and everyone knows the rest of the story.
I’m curious how Russia will react to this, but the answer is likely to be fierce for the West.
Larry, how do you see the whole issue? I would be extremely interested in that.
You have to wonder at how stupid the UK are. Brexit was to be free of Europe only to end up sucking America’s titties and destroying their one chance to be astute mature and global Britain. They could have cleaned out on neutrality. But no their ego can’t sit this out. They have to lower the belt and waggle the rear.
The globalist rodents gnawing on the soft underbelly of planetary civilization are losing, and they know it. If they go the dirty bomb route in a forlorn attempt to stave off the inevitable, then it will likely end in their extinction rather than mere disgrace. So the question becomes “Do they hate us more than they love their own children?”
I think the Global South will not buy it. The know how dishonest western governments are. Germany and Sweden’s approach to the blowing up of Nordstream has provided the latest proof point.
Western populations will by and large swallow the propaganda, of course. You can condition people to believe anything if you push it hard enough.
The Global South always knew how corrupt and dishonest the West is. Not news at all. Just news to some in the West. Point is the South can do nothing about it. Nothing of any significance anyway. Just stare with morbid curiosity to see if Russia can find a way out of the Wests World Wide Web. That doesn’t necessarily mean freedom comes South or that Russia or China will take on the South’s battles and save it from the wicked witch of the West (currently aka Biden) as some hope. Far from it. To an extent this war gives hope and enhances helplessness, reinforcing that the South is completely incapable of doing what Russia is doing or what China can do. UN votes against the US are a middle finger of as good as it gets before the South scurry’s back under a rock in case the beast angers.
Given the UK’s leadership issues, who is “authorizing” this little adventure on behalf of the British people? Or is the game of musical chairs at 10 Downing Street intended to provide cover for that, too?
It’ll be like Mogadishu on steroids.
Troops on the Romanian frontier….the Russian army is disorganized……because this doesn’t sound familiar at all .
Clearly there are sane military heads that know the 101 is inadequate for even an expeditionary force in the Ukr-Rus war. But if one looks at NATO’s trajectory over the last 8 months (or 8 years), it is one of continuous escalation – no reverse gear.
So to answer: “Is NATO foolish enough to try to massively reinforce Ukrainian troops if Russia stages a major break out?”
Yes.
I would say the President’s handlers are foolish enough to set up a “sinking of the Maine” event, and have Biden give the order (absent a US military coup). And I think after decades of overselling the overpriced/underperforming wunderwaffen to the Politicians by revolving door generals / Raytheon board members, our military cannot accurately assess its state readiness.
Meanwhile the west seems unable to assess the level of readiness of Russia: (military industrial capacity, hypersonics, economic strength, ….)…
-a perfect storm.
ColMacgregor:
“Earlier I told you what this is really about: There’s this attempt to destroy Russia. We’ve decided to made it this blood-enemy that has to be eliminated because it refuses to march down the path that Europe has.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdLugd25GVU
This is insane.
They might be used to create a buffer zone to keep Odessa and prevent Ukraine from becoming a landlocked shithole. Analogous to the situation in Syria.
Poland already has troops in. They will likely be the main foreign contingent supported by USUK indirectly.
Zelensky has already passed legislation on Poland having rights in Ukraine and special status.
Belarus and Poland getting fully drawn in not inconceivable.
If Sunak gets in UK I expect appetite for conflict to decrease. Increase if Boris bonks back.
I have a question.
Where is it possible to get reliable informations about what is happening currently at the front in Ukr?
I don´t trust in mainstream media.
I was wondering for example, what is happening currently around Cherson?
Are Ukrainians trying to attack?
Southfront and military summary channel are ok. Nothing is 100%. No one has all the info other than combatants.
thanks
cont.ws
https://voenhronika.ru/publ/vojna_na_ukraine/60
https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/
english site is slow with translations, yandex translate the Russian version for latest news😉😎
Here is a english link https://www.youtube.com/c/PatrickLancasterNewsToday/videos
Only mid ru is 100% offical news.
use https://translate.yandex.com/
The vids are unsubbed on voenhronika but written commentary +”who/where/when” on every vid.
A bonus link- https://russianfilmhub.com/movies/war-and-peace-1966/
the cont link would not stick🙄
here is a pasted not typed version https://cont.ws/
Larry, western political leaders have escalated continuously since 2014, have no reverse gear, and a demonstrated ability to ignore honest assessments (if they are honest). And the current escalation (weapons & dollars + quick train an army + sabotage) has run out of steam as the winter Russian offensive approaches.
Could NATO gamble that a 101 Odessa bridge-head would have Russia back-off (to avoid missiles on civilians) securing NATO rat lines? NATO placing a trip wire is logical (but IMO a mistake based on Russian’s not bluffing).
Russia might respond by destroying the Romanian base. Or mass bombing that eviscerates US forces in Odessa (as NATO does, irregardless of collateral damage).
Or pre-landing an expeditionary force into a GPS-denied, layered A2/AD environment that neutralizes the 101’s advanced technology and cuts off comms with NATO (satellites go dark).
“101ST AIRBORNE DOES PHOTO OP IN ROMANIA”
Well having a school photo taken before you break up is traditional.
The deployments and rhetoric seem to point to indecisiveness on the part of the US.
My guess is Pentagon and Government are not aligned. Under pressure the Pentagon would need to do a dance and show to please their political masters.
Blinken, Nuland and Biden are clearly all in. The drag seems to be coming from the Pentagon. Even Austin seems for now to have cooled his rhetoric.
After all, the MIC had it’s money, the top Pentagon guys have their future jobs secure so now before the shit hits the fan their minds are focusing on what could go wrong. What is the downside? There will unquestionably be uneasy cold feet in the Pentagon as the scale of this hits home.
So 101st will dance and prance, Biden will think he’s the man, the Pentagon will now be preparing to scale or brake.
The republican victory (likely) will raise uncomfortable public questions from the few not in the uniparty. The Pentagon will likely full stop everything as much as they can until the elections.
Trump may yet save America. Not by being president but by backing republicans from outside the uniparty who just may, may, make things uncomfortable.
When I was in Afghanistan we took 8 KIA and that was an absolutely shocking number to take all at once
We spent months there and never even took an injury from the little bit of enemy fire we encountered
And each time we’d kill one guy here, a dozen guys there, and those were considered as significant.
I couldn’t even conceive of the men I served with being thrown into a region where 300 KIA *per day* is normal.
In Iraq, the largest battle we fought was 95 KIA in one month at Fallujah, and they breathlessly compare that to a battle in Vietnam that was 452 KIA in 2 months
The US army would have no idea how to handle losses of that magnitude every day. It would collapse very quickly because most US soldiers signed up either out of a lack of motivation or options, and the benefits. They would lose faith in their commanders in an instant and would probably just refuse further orders and quit the field en masse, which would of course necessitate a draft. Which would also of course lead to massive resistance since the US government has spent years eroding it’s citizens’ faith in itself, their shared history, destroying their culture with mass immigration and social engineering, and dumbing down their own people onto slovenly idiots.
Airborne troops were always problematic. There were early successes in WWII, but after the German Fallschirmjaeger were savaged in Crete, Hitler didn’t throw them into battle again except as infantry. Same with allied forces. D-Day went pretty well, but Operation Market Garden was, as noted, a failure. We think “Airborne” means super troopers, but as Larry said, they need quick, heavy support from a leg unit.
Airborne tried to use their own light, self-propelled artillery, etc., but they always got banged up landing, and airborne forces simply can’t truck in the heavy stuff needed.
But we hear the magic words “82nd Airborne” or “Screaming Eagles,” and we think all will be well.
It was something akin to the Korean War, when we sent in “Task Force Smith” to stop the North Koreans under the assumption that a U.S. military unit would, by its very presence, whip a bunch of coolie soldiers. Instead, the North Koreans rolled over the task force. GIs fired bazookas whose rounds bounced off T-34s. Artillery had to fire point blank to stop tanks, which is not what they’re made for. GIs just broke and ran. Granted, these weren’t paratroops, just garrison forces in Japan, but sending troops to be a trip-wire is a terrible idea.
Same in Vietnam. We sent some marines in to protect bases, then you needed more marines to protect those marines, then to protect the region, you need…and it goes on.
Stephen: You might consider how much you English have been sidekick to our adventures. It’s understated in Orwell’s 1984 that Britain is simply an appendage of Oceania (America), and Britain was designated “Airstrip One.” I always thought it would have been interesting if Orwell’s tormentor, O’Brien, had been explicitly made an American.
” I always thought it would have been interesting if Orwell’s tormentor, O’Brien, had been explicitly made an American.”
That would likely have been too early.
The “official handover” of the British Empire took place in the Imperial General Staff meeting with guests in March 1943, the main item on the agenda was not – What are we going to do about Maria ?, but a derivative of well the odds have changed in the let’s fight the Germans to the last Russian gambit phase, so lets increase the food supplies to the Russians and possibly arms to show we care, since The Germans are recruiting the Ukrainans and others to delay the Russians, so we have added time to sit on our arses to not open the second front just yet.
Lets try Sicily first (we can come to some arrangements with our guests’ friends on the lower East Side of New York building on our associations in regard to the docks from 1942) and then invade Italy taking our time – which in respect of Italy was frustrated by the outcomes of the battle of Kursk, the king thinking he was a player along with his “advisor” Mr. Bagdolio, the German Invasion of Italy, the tempo being also increased by Mr. Clark’s ambition to be in the history books as the liberator of Rome, which required even more Poles being sacrificed for your freedom and ours at Monte Cassino aided by “allied” bombing of the monastry and environs creating better cover for the Germans, which proved quite useful in 1946 since many in the Polish Carpathian Division had reservations about the re-emergence of the Second Polish Republic in the same form without the former Jewish population,since that would leave the remaining minority population as the Ukrainians, which will be a greater problem throughout the Carpathians, likely greater even than their recent activities in Volyn and Galicia.
That is a rough thumbnail sketch – although indicative of “strategic discussions of the Imperial General Staff” continued in spirit by NATO placing sanctions on the Russian Federation.
Of course the minutes (such as they were) were not written in the vernacular.
These discussions in part increased the motivation of OKH to plan what was later to become the initial phases of the actions against the Kursk salient, and subsequently Bagration which in “the history books” is said to be in agreed co-ordination between the “allies” with the opening of the “Second front” but these Russians had difficulty co-ordinating things, the modified script being used again in August 1944 towards the resupplying/rest phase of Bagration.
Russians were on the right bank of the Vistula and the Poles commiting suicide – polished by assigning the name of “The Warsaw Rising” not everybody invited remembering to turn up – on the left bank “for your freedom and ours”, which is still higher than the left bank (Western side) of the Vistula, as is the case with the left bank of the Dneiper in Kiev close to Hydro Park which is lower than the right bank of the Dneiper.
Mr. Burgess, Mr. MacLean and later Mr. Philby proved educational, the latter also in regard to What ever happened to Stepan Bandera ?, since Mr. Philby aided the disappearances of more than a few of those engaged in “Gladio” attempts in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine shipped in from mostly Kiel in West Germany which was deemed more important than his aid to Mr. Burgess and Mr. MacLean which some chums thought more plausible.
The 101st could be useful in city warfare, Odessa, if given some cover against air strikes and air support they could help hold the city for a decent time especially as Russia would not want to kill the Russian civilians there. Plus if they get in early and have other units in support. Open ground is another matter.
The air is an issue. Other issue is energy supply and supply lines.
Does US public opinion count?on transgender issues no, on abortion no, on alot of major issues no. Biden is on record saying he wants a transformational presidency. As president his control over foreign policy and as CIC is substantial. He is not running again. What does he have to lose? There are no consequences for America or it’s leaders re foreign wars of choice. He can still push and get away with it.
If Odessa is lost Nuland will cry.
I posted my comments much earlier.
Evidently, the moderator(s) found them to be inappropriate in some way.
I am very disappointed.
Moderator, please disregard my complaint that my comments had not been posted.
I went back to read the comments posted by others, and consequently found my comments.
I apologize.
They, the Russians will make them run, the 101, in panic without a shoot fired, by asking them a simple question. Tell me what a woman is.
I wear a 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) combat patch on the right shoulder of my uniforms…the only thing that is going to happen in Romania with a 101st brigade boots on the ground is that the Romanian whores are going to make a lot of money…I am not disparaging the soldiers…I have a lot of respect for them and served in combat with that Division…I am just saying that whoring will be about the most exciting thing that will happen–just telling it like it is. Oh yeah…senior officers and NCOs will thump their chests and declare how formidable they are while promoting woke ideology within the ranks. Perhaps a battalion of transgender soldiers will be fabricated along the way to prove how inclusive the 101st leadership is…just sick of this shit…
Truly sad, the Screaming Eagles with skirts. I know someone keeps destroying our country, it can’t be a coincidence on so many levels.
It will take NATO over a year to mobilize the required troop mass. And then after that NATO will have enough munitions for about a month. There is a pro-Ukr youtuber who about 3 weeks looked at what an only EU army could bring immediately, right now to the Ukraine. His estimate was only 25% of the entire EU could fight right now. Germany can’t even put up a majority of their air fighters. Their readiness is pathetic.
Wow! I didn’t know Snake’s Island was under Ukrainian control!
What a relief!
Gonzalo Lira thinks the UkroNazi’s preparing dirty bomb to be detonated in Nikolaev which is currently being evacuated. Of course the Russians will be blamed and the 101st airborne dispatched from Romania to be obliterated & then WW3 underway. https://youtu.be/Bw84nOmGLcw
If they (101) enter transnistria – they all will die without any doubt – unfortunately…..please don´t try….. because if the senile Bidet then really pushes the red button to retaliate – EU and the US will be leveled to nuclear ground zero….think of your and my children….PLEASE !!
This is what happens when you take the borg shot and swear fealty to zelensky 4th reich and xiden 4th reich. You end up dying for a lost cause.
This is all that Gog vs Magog stuff in apocalypse/armageddon.
America’s version of CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE?? MY, OH, MY