Yodean wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 2:05 am
Well, how interesting ... Ritter, who up until recently was very pro-Russian in terms of how the Russian Special Operations would ultimately resolve in the Russian Federation's favour, looks completely sheepish in the above clip as he basically walks back most of what he proclaimed previously, in light of recent events in Kharkiv, where the Russian forces there, by most accounts, panicked and ran like dogs in a cowardly retreat from an Ukrainian counterattack - leaving pro-Russian civilians there at the mercy of the victorious Ukrainian Neo-Nazi forces.
If there is a God, I hope She offers some mercy to the innocent civilians abandoned by these cowardly actions by the Russian military.
So much for Russians being "tough," or whatever. They ran like dogs.
Or even if this is some bullshit "3D Chess" move by the Russian military, leaving all those pro-Russian Ukrainian civilians behind to be tortured, killed, and raped by the Ukrainian forces is unforgivable.
I always thought Ritter didn't look too smart - sure, he's got some previous experience in the American military in Afghanistan killing innocent, unarmed civilians, I am sure, but he came across as a bit of an idiot, in his previous interviews. Oversimplified everything that was happening on the Grand Chessboard.
I think you are over simplifying things. Ritter has his good, bad and weak points. I prefer to listen to several individuals and then draw my conclusions.
What the Russians did is a Tactical Retreat as the troops that were left there were not regular army units. They were part of the National guard and then you had the LPR troops. They lacked the heavy fire power to defend those areas. As for the locals suffering there, Russians were telling all the Ukrainians in the areas that they had taken over to leave and for now and move to friendly areas. They helped these people move and helped them obtain Russian Passports. In fact most of the people that supported Russia left, so most of those that stayed supported Ukrainian. The stories being pushed smell as bad as the Ghost of Kiev stories, the pilot that never existed.
The losses the Ukrainians suffered are nothing short of horrific; they lost roughly 5 for every Russian they took out. Did the Russians make some mistakes? Yes, they definitely did, but what the West is spewing out is garbage and hides the massive price the Ukrainians paid and in the end they will lose these locations.
This story provides a better overview of what occurred
Wounded Ukrainian soldiers reveal steep toll of Kherson offensive
SOUTHERN UKRAINE — In dimly lit hospital rooms in southern Ukraine, soldiers with severed limbs, shrapnel wounds, mangled hands and shattered joints recounted the lopsided disadvantages their units faced in the early days of a new offensive to expel Russian forces from the strategic city of Kherson.
The soldiers said they lacked the artillery needed to dislodge Russia's entrenched forces and described a yawning technology gap with their better-equipped adversaries. The interviews provided some of the first direct accounts of a push to retake captured territory that is so sensitive, Ukrainian military commanders have barred reporters from visiting the front lines.
"They used everything on us," said Denys, a 33-year-old Ukrainian soldier whose unit fell back from a Russian-held village after a lengthy barrage of cluster bombs, phosphorous munitions and mortars. "Who can survive an attack for five hours like that?" he said.
Denys and eight other Ukrainian soldiers from seven different units provided rare descriptions of the Kherson counteroffensive in the south, the most ambitious military operation by Kyiv since the expulsion of Russian forces at the perimeter of the capital in the spring. As in the battle for Kyiv, Ukraine's success is hardly assured and the soldiers' accounts signaled that a long fight, and many more casualties, lie ahead.
"We lost five people for every one they did," said Ihor, a 30-year-old platoon commander who injured his back when the tank he was riding in crashed into a ditch.
Ihor had no military experience before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. He made a living selling animal feed to pig and cow farms. His replacement as platoon commander also has no previous military experience, he said.
The soldiers were interviewed on gurneys and wheelchairs as they recovered from injuries sustained in last week's offensive. Some spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid disciplinary action. Others, like Denys and Ihor, agreed to reveal only their first names. But most spoke plainly about the disadvantages they faced.
Russia's Orlan drones exposed Ukrainian positions from more than a kilometer above their heads, they said, an altitude that meant they never heard the buzz of the aircraft tracking their movements.
Russian tanks emerged from newly built cement fortifications to blast infantry with large-caliber artillery, the wounded Ukrainian soldiers said. The vehicles would then shrink back beneath the concrete shelters, shielded from mortar and rocket fire.
Counter-battery radar systems automatically detected and located Ukrainians who were targeting the Russians with projectiles, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire in response.
Russian hacking tools hijacked the drones of Ukrainian operators, who saw their aircraft drift away helplessly behind enemy lines.
Ukraine has discouraged coverage of the offensive, resulting in an information lag on a potentially pivotal inflection point in the nearly seven-month conflict.
When Ihor fired on Russian soldiers with his Kalashnikov rifle this week, he said, it was his first time shooting at a human being. "You don't think about anything," he said. "You understand, if you don't do it, they will do it."
Despite the challenges, Ihor said he is eager to return to the front line as soon as he heals. "My people are there. How can I leave them?" he said.
Other soldiers won't be returning to the battlefield.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe ... 44535.html
