The Ukrainian War IV: "And von Moltke Laughed ..."

[Sordhau]

"You see Ivan if Kalashnikov is rusty then that means bullets are rusty, and if bullets are rusty then everyone you shoot dies because if bullet does not kill them rust will! 100% kill count guaranteed!"

We are not poorly maintaining weapons, were just adding poison damage.

I wonder if that counts as biological warfare.

[Bears Armed]

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov, who was in charge of military logistics, has been removed from office and will be replaced by Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, known as "the butcher of Mariupol."

Butchers, famously very good at logistics.

"You have no food? Take it from Ukrainians!"
"Ukrainians say that they have no food either? Eat Ukrainians!"

that will not be fine in a few hours. That upper receiver is donezos and will explode if you try to put any rounds through it

"Nikolai, you idiot! Just because Avtomat Kalashnikova function when cover in mud, does not mean you store Avtomat Kalashnikova in mud! Blyat!"

_________________________________________________________________________


Military coup in Russia before top generals all fall from high places?
Top generals in Russia fall from high places before coup could happen?

[New Baltenstein]

"Not worry comrade, rust is best armor, Javelin go right through and come out other side without explode!"

What is rust if not extra armor? And makes the tank unusable

"You see Ivan if Kalashnikov is rusty then that means bullets are rusty, and if bullets are rusty then everyone you shoot dies because if bullet does not kill them rust will! 100% kill count guaranteed!"

We are not poorly maintaining weapons, were just adding poison damage.

They literally don't have to do anything. No amount of scraping will make those weapons serviceable. Once the rust causes sheeting like that, the received is no longer capable of containing the chamber pressure. You might get one of two shots off before it's gonna pop. Russian troops will literally kill themselves before they kill any Ukranians

The only use those things have is as clubs. And this is what they have to give their first wave of mobilized troops. God help the next ones.

The man with the rifle shoots! The man without the rifle follows!

Even though it was an urban legend when applied to WW2, Putin seems really eager to actually turn the meme into reality in this war.

[Senkaku]

Protests and vandalism against military recruitment offices reported in cities across Russia.

Russian conscripts have been receiving some very rusty AKMs out of storage.

Jesus I though rusty meant like outdated not like outright covered in rust. Their already resorting to this and are planning to raise more troops increasing the amount of equipment they will be going through. Honestly it would not surprise if they start handing out fucking spears at this rate.

Can always follow the Japanese 1945 invasion mobilization plan and start handing out bamboo shivs, I doubt that’s a sanctioned import (yet)

[Tarsonis]

I really am looking forward to Death of Stalin 2: Vladlectic Boogaloo

[Sordhau]

I really am looking forward to Death of Stalin 2: Vladlectic Boogaloo

Meh.

Zhukov is way better than Shoigu. The difference between name brand and Great Value brand.

Although I wouldn't complain if Dugin take's Beria's role.

[Shrillland]

I really am looking forward to Death of Stalin 2: Vladlectic Boogaloo

If he keeps this up, it probably won't be a long wait before his circle realises that one one of the two-Putin or Russia's current form-can survive.

[Picairn]

I'm the only one that doesn't see this as micromanaging? It's a few quotes and there's already two decisions where Putin followed the military or changed idea (mobilization and Oskil).
And to be fair, abandoning Kherson is a terrible idea if you don't want to end the war there, not even the more doomer Russian ex-commanders like Strelkov (he didn't even thought possible to conquer Mariupol) ever proposed that (contrary to Kiev and Kharkiv). If he followed the advice, now they would have to cross the Dnieper again.

It is micromanaging, because:

1) Putin planned a quick capture of Kyiv with insufficient manpower and weaponry, even his senior generals were not buying it.
2) He opposed retreating from Kherson to consolidate and preserve forces, and to Oskil river because he didn't want to hand Zelensky a win. The retreat to Oskil river only happened after the Ukrainians have reached all the way to Kupiansk.
3) Russian forces west of the Dnieper are spent after the failed attacks on Mykolaiv, attacking Odessa is a meme at this point. You don't think the Russians can magically come back with a counteroffensive in Kherson, do you?

At this point, the 200,000 strong Russian professional army has been gutted and lost the initiative. Poorly trained and equipped conscripts are filling the slots, and there is no way the Russians can sufficiently launch grand offensives with those unreliable troops.

[Vistulange]

Russian forces west of the Dnieper are spent after the failed attacks on Mykolaiv, attacking Odessa is a meme at this point. You don't think the Russians can magically come back with a counteroffensive in Kherson, do you?

This is basically Steiner's counterattack, at this point.

[Picairn]

...And we are already seeing the first deserters of Russian conscripts. A conscript from Moscow, armed with a machine gun, fled in a KAMAZ from Belgorod and hightailed towards Kursk on a stolen VAZ 2107. Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Guard have been sent to search for him.

Ukrainians have liberated several settlements north of Lyman. The encirclement of Lyman continues.

[Corrian]

Is it ever a particularly good sign when a leader of a country directly intervenes with seemingly every military action? Like obviously a leaders got to get involved with some decisions, but everything? Historically that always seems to end bad, because they're more thinking about what makes them look "good" and what they WANT to happen before what might be the actual smart idea.

[Shrillland]

Is it ever a particularly good sign when a leader of a country directly intervenes with seemingly every military action? Like obviously a leaders got to get involved with some decisions, but everything? Historically that always seems to end bad, because they're more thinking about what makes them look "good" and what they WANT to happen before what might be the actual smart idea.

Well, ask Tsar Nicholas how it turned out. Or Stalin, for that matter.

[Andsed]

...And we are already seeing the first deserters of Russian conscripts. A conscript from Moscow, armed with a machine gun, fled in a KAMAZ from Belgorod and hightailed towards Kursk on a stolen VAZ 2107. Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Guard have been sent to search for him.

Ukrainians have liberated several settlements north of Lyman. The encirclement of Lyman continues.

I can only imagine how bad desertion and surrenders will get once these conscripts reach the frontline. Once any Russian offensives die down I would honesty bet on Ukrainian counterattacks producing routs like we have seen in Kharkiv.

[Corrian]

Also one thing I always have to wonder when I hear "These places WANT to join Russia", yeah, maybe some of them were true...before the war. The question now is do they STILL want to join Russia after seeing all this shit over the last few months?

[Vistulange]

Is it ever a particularly good sign when a leader of a country directly intervenes with seemingly every military action? Like obviously a leaders got to get involved with some decisions, but everything? Historically that always seems to end bad, because they're more thinking about what makes them look "good" and what they WANT to happen before what might be the actual smart idea.

Well, ask Tsar Nicholas how it turned out. Or Stalin, for that matter.

Stalin was smart enough to understand that no, he wasn't the best at military affairs, and he eventually left it to people who knew about war. For most part—I think there was some interference in who would get to enter Berlin first—but overall, Stalin wised up to it, while Hitler didn't.

Or so it goes. I'm not sure about the specifics, or whether it's correct at all.

[Lord Dominator]

Well, ask Tsar Nicholas how it turned out. Or Stalin, for that matter.

Stalin was smart enough to understand that no, he wasn't the best at military affairs, and he eventually left it to people who knew about war. For most part—I think there was some interference in who would get to enter Berlin first—but overall, Stalin wised up to it, while Hitler didn't.

Or so it goes. I'm not sure about the specifics, or whether it's correct at all.

Stalin and Hitler in WW2 basically reversed their positions on interference - Stalin started it being very paranoid of the military elite and tending to overly control and gradually learned/stopped doing that, while Hitler famously did the opposite.

[Salus Maior]

Hitler's interference being the cause of German failures is overstated. The German High Command made just as many blunders on their own (and sometimes Hitler's instincts were right).

But that's aside from this war.

[Perikuresu]

Also one thing I always have to wonder when I hear "These places WANT to join Russia", yeah, maybe some of them were true...before the war. The question now is do they STILL want to join Russia after seeing all this shit over the last few months?

Silly westerner, Kherson has been a part of Mother Russia since Ancient times
/j

[Skelly Man Dan]

Also one thing I always have to wonder when I hear "These places WANT to join Russia", yeah, maybe some of them were true...before the war. The question now is do they STILL want to join Russia after seeing all this shit over the last few months?

Silly westerner, Kherson has been a part of Mother Russia since Ancient times
/j

Can't wait for Putin to reveal that before the Big Bang, everything was Russia

[Ifreann]

I dread to imagine the state of the armouries and warehouses those weapons are being stored in.

Sergei's Big Shed, dampest shed in Kamchatka.

[Bears Armed]

I dread to imagine the state of the armouries and warehouses those weapons are being stored in.

Sergei's Big Shed, dampest shed in Kamchatka.

Deepest basement of Kremlin, so was secure.

[The Two Jerseys]

Sergei's Big Shed, dampest shed in Kamchatka.

Deepest basement of Kremlin, so was secure.

Recovered after being lost in actual boating accident.

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

Is it ever a particularly good sign when a leader of a country directly intervenes with seemingly every military action? Like obviously a leaders got to get involved with some decisions, but everything? Historically that always seems to end bad, because they're more thinking about what makes them look "good" and what they WANT to happen before what might be the actual smart idea.

My take is that it is bad both when presidents try to be generals, and when generals try to be presidents.

[Bears Armed]

Is it ever a particularly good sign when a leader of a country directly intervenes with seemingly every military action? Like obviously a leaders got to get involved with some decisions, but everything? Historically that always seems to end bad, because they're more thinking about what makes them look "good" and what they WANT to happen before what might be the actual smart idea.

My take is that it is bad both when presidents try to be generals, and when generals try to be presidents.

Eisenhower, though?

[Perikuresu]

My take is that it is bad both when presidents try to be generals, and when generals try to be presidents.

Eisenhower, though?

And Ulysses S. Grant