I don't get the Russian strategy (or lack thereof).

[Irish_Dem]

31. One explanation: Putin is in charge. He is not a military genius. He is a psychopath and ex-KGB.

It is becoming more clear that RU generals have had minimal input as we can
see the puzzling and incompetent RU military tactics and strategy.

This is reinforced by Putin deliberately sending generals to the front line where
they have been systematically killed by the Ukrainians. Putin showing his disdain for the
top brass.

From the beginning Putin was fighting a psy-ops war devised by a ruthless psychopath.

Thought he could install his puppets in Kyiv, assassinate Zelensky and military leaders.
Take over the airfields, shut down communications.

Have his men change into parade uniforms and watch civilians throw flowers and kisses at them.

But his advance team intelligence agents fumbled the bag. They knew from their focus groups
the Ukrainians were going to fight back. They were afraid to tell Putin. The puppets in Kyiv they paid to
run the new Russian gov't pocketed their bribes and took off before the war started.

Zelensky is smarter than your average bear and eluded the RU special ops teams sent to kill him.
Rumor has it part of the RU team didn't even make it to Kyiv because they were so incompetent.

Putin was probably surprised the the RU military corruption had resulted in such a poorly trained and
incompetent military. No matter, Putin thinks he is the smartest man in the world.
And he is ruthless and evil, and would burn everything down to win.

The basic problem is that those of us who are history and military buffs keep thinking along
military strategy and tactical lines. We are greatly puzzled.

Instead, Putin is fighting a brutal war of psychology: terror, death, torture, rape, murder of civilians.
This is what he knows how to do.

Terorrize the world with nuclear threats. Freeze out Europe this winter. Cut the Nordic Stream pipelines.
Move nuclear fighter/bombers jets to the Finnish border.

Turn the war into a war of attrition, i.e., a human meat grinder.
Bully Europe until they drop sanctions and force Zelensky into surrender.

I have degrees in political science, social sciences and psychology.
And I am a student of WWII and grew up as a military kid with a career USAF Dad.

The skill set most pertinent to understanding what is happening with Putin and the war is my
psychology training and understanding how psychopaths operate.

This is just my theory but it does make everything make sense.
Parsimony/Occam's razor.