Ukraine has proven something beyond any doubt.

[fightforfreedom]

In a conventional war, America, NATO, would kick the shit out of Russia. The Russian military is not impressive at all.

[Sherman A1]

1. From what we have seen thus far it does appear that the Russian military is a very brittle

force. They a still not to be totally disregarded.

[sop]

2. I'm left wondering whether the same isn't true of their nuclear arsenal's capabilities.

I'm not suggesting we find out, mind you.

[fightforfreedom]

6. I recently posted we should threaten to move more nuclear weapons to Europe.

People called me crazy. Come to find out, America already has nuclear weapons in countries like Germany. Putin knows this. If he every uses nuclear weapons Russia would be vaporized. Putin is evil, but he is not suicidal.

[2naSalit]

18. And Russia...

Has fewer cities to attack in order to take control of the country.

[WarGamer]

24. You left out the second part of the story...

If Moscow is vaporized, so is LA, NYC, CHI, SF and Miami...

In fact the whole world is finished.

[zuul]

7. Some military analysts have doubts about Russia's nuclear arsenal as well.

Given that Russia is known for corruption by high-ranking officials, there is little doubt that there was some shoddy work involved. We have seen the results of that with their conventional weapons.

If Putin tries to launch a nuclear weapon, it may very well backfire (literally and figuratively.)

[NNadir]

11. Everybody's nuclear arsenal should be suspect in terms of reliability.

This is the happy result of the banning of tests.

[zuul]

13. Hi NNadir. You have been summoned in this thread:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216470101

[lagomorph777]

16. Yeah, they've probably been buying Acme crap on ebay.

[2naSalit]

20. LOL!

[SheltieLover]

30. Bazinga!

You win the thread!

[Haggard Celine]

12. I've been thinking the same thing.

And you know that if we're thinking that, plenty of other countries might be willing to see if our weapons are as lethal as we say. Besides, are we or the Russians willing to cause a nuclear catastrophe?

[BlueIdaho]

3. Putin's biggest mistake

exposing the myth of the all powerful Russian military. We now see just how far behind western democracies his military is - in virtually every category. It’s a hollow bear.

[Irish_Dem]

35. He really blew it. He wanted the world to be stunned with his military strength.

To be frightened and shown a lesson about his power.

This was to be a stepping stone to taking other territories and shifting world power to Russia and China.

[BlueIdaho]

38. Instead he has shown

An invasion of Russia, while difficult, is not only possible but likely successful.

[Irish_Dem]

40. Amazing isn't it? His goal was to shift world power.

And he certainly did, but the opposite of what he intended.

[newdayneeded]

4. And now

perhaps we look even sillier spending the umpteen trillions on military spending we do.

[Irish_Dem]

36. Obscene amounts of money spent on our military and we can do nothing to save Ukraine.

Putin threatens nukes, bio weapons and all we can do is sit on our hands and watch.

[AlexSFCA]

5. That's why putin is recruiting syrians

this must be very embarrassing to russian generals.

[WhiteTara]

8. another reason for importing Syrians

is that the Ukrainian military has killed a number of the Russian generals.

[world wide wally]

17. Russia is running low on body bags

[WhiteTara]

21. I thought they eschewed body bags in

favor of a mobile crematorium.

[world wide wally]

22. Just a euphemism

[hunter]

31. Those require fuel which they probably don't have.

.

[Irish_Dem]

37. Right that is one reason Hitler stopped using field crematoriums.

They used too much fuel in the field.

The other reason is that they were not efficient enough for him. Didn't destroy enough bodies in a timely period.

[Silent3]

23. It could also be about Russian soldiers willingness to kill Ukrainians

Perhaps Putin is hoping Syrians will be more ruthless.

Obviously some Russian soldiers are cold-blooded killers, or Ukraine would be suffering so much now. But part of the failure of the invasion so far might have been unwillingness among many Russian soldiers to be a part of this cruelty.

[dalton99a]

9. The Great Russian Army has to recruit foreign mercenaries to fight its war

It is very good at destroying buildings with rockets and missiles and murdering civilians

[RobinA]

10. Are We Sure

we are seeing the full force of the Russian military?

[PufPuf23]

19. That has been a thought in back of my mind.

That the best of the Russian equipment and personnel are being held in reserve for the future, like if NATO responds.

The Russian army appear to be chewing up older equipment and sorting through neophyte soldiers in a low tech attack brutalizing Ukraine, perhaps the method is itself a warning for other former Soviet republics.

Hope I am wrong.

[WarGamer]

25. NONE of their 21st Century hardware has been used...

T-14 Armata tanks? Nope.

S400 SAM's? Either no or not much

SU-35s? Nope or not much

[relayerbob]

27. Likely because most of it is for show

Too expensive to build and operate, too rare to be effective. Many are claimed as operational, but are likely barely out of prototype phase.

[uponit7771]

32. 50% of total active forces were sent into UKR. One could say the north is fighting unconventional

... but in the east and south the conventional wars aren't going good for RA AT ALL.

They were experience, armed and close to the Russian border and are having a tough go at it.

[hunter]

14. We'll all be sorry when North Korea takes Moscow.

"Red Dawn" indeed.

[Enoki33]

15. The gaping holes in their strategic planning

exposed vulnerabilities that seemed to remind of a reliance on propaganda, and images of overwhelming force somewhat detached from reality. Old school KGB.

[Volaris]

26. This statement says to me that if putin were to engage nato, the defensive response

Would be immediate (obvisouly), but the offensive response would be longer-term...utilizing a slow, planned and very specific, process of utterly obliterating every single shred of his military capacity.
The planning would take 6 months of absolutely nothing happening, and then the offensive obliteration would take about 6 days.

[relayerbob]

28. I suspect most of the planning is already done.

[uponit7771]

33. Not in Donbas near the RU border, they're getting they're asses kicked there too.

[James48]

29. Totally disagree.

The Russians STILL have a formatable force in the field, and are now using it, and are traching themselves how to fight better.

If we are directly thrown up against them, both firces woth be slaughtered.

[uponit7771]

34. Correct, but that forces is fractured now. 100 KIA a day (that's the conservative number split in...

... half) is horrid and 3 flag officers dead.

That doesn't even happen in WWII

One could make the "not prepared" argument for the north but in S/E they're not having a good go at and that's close to the Russian border.

The RU forces are dismounting and using SMGM cause their getting their asses kicked or neutral in tank battles.

Putrid has had the FSB minister arrested already.

This isn't going good ... I know I know ... 1000 out of 23,000 isn't impressive but we both know RU fractured BTG has more of an effect than a fractured US battalion

[bluestarone]

39. Actually, i DO not think the Russian army even wanted to fight? (that's why pooty fired his generals

I believe they would fight differently had their homeland been invaded. pooty threw them into their own WW3