>> THIS IS A 3500 TON FRIGATE. >> THIS IS A 3500 TON FRIGATE. THAT WAS THE FLAGSHIP VESSEL OF UKRAINE'S RELATIVELY SMALL NAVY, UNTIL IT WAS SUNK NOT BY RUSSIAN FORCES ACTUALLY BUT BY UKRAINE ITSELF. THE SHIP HAD BEEN DOCKED FOR REPAIRS IN THE PORTS CITY OF MIKE LEE OFF AND ON THE BLACK SEA COAST WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT LAST WEEK. AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP ACTUALLY FEARED THAT THOSE REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE FINISHED IN TIME TO PREVENT THE CROWN JEWEL OF UKRAINE'S NAVY FROM FALLING INTO RUSSIAN HANDS. HE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE THAT RISK. SO HE BASICALLY CARRIED OUT ORDERS TO SINK THE SHIP. UKRAINE'S DEFENSE MINISTER DESCRIBED THE CAPTAINS PREDICTING IT THIS WAY, SAYING, IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE A MORE DIFFICULT DECISION FOR A COURAGEOUS MAN AND HIS CREW, BUT WE WILL BUILD A NEW FLEET. RUSSIAN FORCES ARE WAGING AS WE HEARD AN ALL OUT ASSAULT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN REGION OF UKRAINE, WHICH IS THE ONLY REGION OF UKRAINE THAT ACTUALLY HAS ACCESS TO THE SEA. HERE SOME THE FIRST UKRAINIAN CITY TO BE CAPTURED BY RUSSIAN FORCES IS QUICKLY RUNNING OUT OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES. MARIO POLL ALSO IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN UNDER SIEGE CUT OFF FROM ACCESS TO THE WATER, POWER, FOOD SUPPLIES. NOW IT'S GOING ON FOR DAYS. IN THE SOUTHERN CITY OF ODESSA WHERE WE JUST GOT THAT LIVE REPORT, THE POPULATION THERE IS ACTUALLY GETTING READY TO MOUNT A DEFENSIVE OF THEIR CITY AFTER UNVERIFIED REPORTS SUGGESTING A FLEET OF WASHINGTON WARSHIPS HEADING INTO THEIR DIRECTION. THAT IS THE SITUATION RIGHT NOW IN SOUTHERN UKRAINE. BUT THE ASSAULT BY PUTIN'S ARMY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY WHILE HORRIFYING IN ITS OWN RIGHT, IS ACTUALLY MOVING MUCH MUCH LOWER. A 40-MILE CONVOY OF RUSSIAN TROOPS REMAIN STALLED OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL CITY OF KYIV. AND DESPITE THE HELLISH SHELLING THAT THE CAPITOL IN KHARKIV THAT WE HAVE SEEN NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, SOME U.S. OFFICIALS ARE ACTUALLY REPORTEDLY SURPRISED BY THE RISK AVERSE OR PROTESTS THAT RUSSIA HAS TAKEN WITH ITS VAST AIR POWER AGAINST UKRAINE'S MUCH MUELLER AIR FORCE I. AS ONE RETIRED THREE STAR GENERAL TOLD VOID OR'S, THE RUSSIANS ARE DISCOVERING THAT COORDINATING MULTI DOMAIN OPERATIONS IS NOT EASY, AND THAT THEY ARE NOT AS GOOD AS THEY PRESUME THEY WERE. WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE COMING DAYS IS PUTIN CONTINUES HIS SIEGE AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE. JOINING US NOW FOR MORE ON THAT PROBABLY, FORMER MARINE CORPS -- AND SENIOR FELLOW AT THE FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE. ROB, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. THANKS FOR JOINING US. LET'S ASSESS THIS. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT RUSSIAN FORCES THEY ARE DOING BETTER IN THE SOUTH IT SEEMS AND THEY ARE IN THE NORTH. I'M CURIOUS TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHY THAT MIGHT BE. AND IS THAT A SIGN OF RUSSIA AND IF IT'S AN'S CASE OF FACILITIES IN THE SOUTH? OR A SIGN OF BETTER UKRAINIAN FORCES AND POSTURE IN THE NORTH? I >> WELL THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS. BUT I THINK ONE OF THEM IS THAT UKRAINIAN FORCES DECIDED -- WHAT WHATEVER IS TO THEY HAVE TO DEFEND AND WHAT AREAS CAN THEY TRADE TIME FOR SPACE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S WITH THE DOING IN THE SOUTH. YOU GET A VERY GOOD BRIEFING OF WHAT'S GOING ON. ULTIMATELY, THEY'RE CONTINUING TO ADVANCE TOWARDS THE SOUTH -- THEY TOOK THE SAUDI OF ARAB HOEVEN YESTERDAY. WHERE THE NUCLEAR PLANT IS, PUSHING TOWARDS AREVA. -- MORALISTIC SURROUNDED IN THE SOUTHEAST. BUT AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, HAVE THE BIG CITIES IN THE NORTHEAST HAVE NOT FALLEN. SO KHARKIV, SUMY, TOONIE GULF, AND OBVIOUSLY CAVE. UKRAINIAN FORCES ARE STILL HOLDING THOSE. -- IT'S DIFFICULT FOR UKRAINE'S MILITARY TO FIGHT A CONDITIONAL FIGHT WITH RUSSIAN MILITARY. -- IT NEGATES A LOT OF THE STRENGTH FOR RUSSIAN MILITARY AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE BEST REGGIE'S. >> DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW AT THIS CURRENT MOMENT THE UKRAINIAN MILITARY IS MANAGING ITS SUPPLY LINES? I MEAN, WHAT HAPPENS TO UKRAINE'S MILITARY IF RUSSIA DOES MANAGE TO CUT OFF THEIR ACCESS TO THE SEA? WE KNOW THAT THE U.S. AND WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TRYING TO RESUPPLY VARIOUS UKRAINIAN POSITIONS. DO WE KNOW IF THAT'S HAPPENING BY AIRLIFT, LANDRIEU, TO I.C.E.? >> SO, I'M NOT SURE. AND ONE THING THAT'S GOING TO -- THERE'S MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT'S RUSSIA'S DOING THAT THERE IS WITH UKRAINE MILITARY. AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS FOR THAT. AS LONG AS THE WESTERN BORDER OF UKRAINE IS OPEN TO THESE NATO MEMBERS, BALL HOPEFULLY NATO CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPLY. IT EVEN IF THE NAVAL ACCESS IS CUT OFF, THAT LAND BORDER WILL STILL BE VERY SIGNIFICANT. AND ULTIMATELY RUSSIAN -- THERE'S NO EASY WAY TO CUT THEM OFF IN THE TIME BEING IN THAT THE LAND -- IN ADDITION, UKRAINIANS AIR DEFENSES ARE STILL CAPABLE. THEIR AIR FORCE IS STILL OPERATING. AND SO RUSSIA -- IN WESTERN UKRAINE BECAUSE IT INTERDICT NATO'S FLOODLIGHTS. >> THAT BRINGS UP A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTIONING ABOUT THE AIRSPACE OF UKRAINE. -- IN SYRIA, I THINK IT TIP THE BALANCE IN THAT FIGHT BETWEEN THE SYRIANS AND THE OPPOSITION. BUT UKRAINE'S AIRSPACE, AS YOU SAID, REMAINS CONTESTED. AND I THINK IT HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS. WHY DO YOU THINK WE ARE NOT SEEING EVEN MORE AGGRESSION FROM RUSSIA'S MUCH LARGER AND PRESUMABLY AT ONE POINT A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AIR FORCE? >> SO, IT'S STILL VERY SURPRISING. I THINK AT THIS POINT WE, HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE CAPABILITIES OF THE RUSSIAN AIR FORCE AND START QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF DOING CERTAIN OPERATIONS. THAT THE U.S. AIR FORCE IS CAPABLE OF. -- THEIR ABILITY TO SUPPRESS -- HAS STRUGGLED TO DO SO, THEY STRUGGLE TO KNOCK OUT THE UKRAINIAN FORCE. THE UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE CONTINUES TO WRECK HAVOC ON THEIR SUPPLY LINES INCLUDING -- AND SO, IT APPEARS THAT RUSSIAN AIR FORCES -- AND I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS, IN PREVIOUS CONFLICTS IN 2014, 2015 -- MOSTLY BECAUSE OF -- IT IN SYRIA, IT HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE BUT THEY HAVEN'T GONE AGAINST A CAPABLE AIR TO FOREST FENCE AND SOME. AND SO IT'S BASICALLY BEEN OPERATING WITH RELATIVE IMPUNITY -- AND THEN JUST WORKING ON TARGET PROCESSES. BUT RIGHT NOW THIS OPERATION IS MUCH MUCH MORE COMPLEX. IT'S MUCH LARGER. ANY OF MUCH LARGER RUSSIAN GROUND FORCES ON THE GROUND THAT NEED AERIAL SUPPORT. AND SO ALL THOSE FACTORS ARE
The myth of the mighty Russian military died In Ukraine. Their army can’t even drive off road and their airforce seems to be good only for bombing defenceless third world countries. It’s only numbers that are a problem for Ukraine. And the numbers are going down each day. Without nukes Putin would just be a weak old angry man with a tiny pecker.
I get that the Russian military is dogshit compared to what was expected.
But on paper they have a few thousand operational fighter jets.
Where the fuck are they?
Not just air force
A fucking paper army. I have no idea why russian forces were so idiolized, even if they did make most of their job to defeat Germany in WW2, if you look at their losses russia always was weak as shit. The ratio in unbelievable.
It seems only thing they are good for is either bombing innocent civilians or just soldiers who doesn't expect to be bombed by them(referring to bombing of Turkish soldiers in Syria).
It is the winter war all over again. The world though the mighty Russian army would destroy the Finns and we're crushed instead. Let's just hope the Russians. Don't learn from their mistakes this time around.
Worts decision is to even build a fleet. Why spend money on that shit when you could get loads of portable anti ship missiles. If you need floating shit, get light and fast boats that you use in peace time.
Destroy the pipelines from Russian gas going through Ukraine. Destroy them all in so many places they can not be fixed. What kind of foolish voluntary allows money to go through their land to support the war against them.
Shen you spend decades killing intellectuals and malnourishing your strong people, you end up with scraps.