YOU CAN’T WIN WARS WITH INFERIOR EQUIPMENT

OR INFERIOR LEADERSHIP

You Mean the U.S., NATO, and the Ukraine Against Russia?  I read the nonsense printed in the Washington Post daily.  It helps me understand what isn’t news.  The paper’s August 9 edition is most amazing.  It states that “Kyiv’s depleted and fatigued forces” somehow “seized 100 square miles of Russian territory” near Kursk.

There you have it.  Despite two years of carefully calculated warfare against the corrupt, Nazified, and totally U.S. subservient Ukrainian government, the Russian Federation is losing.  Despite pictures, videos, and reportage clearly demonstrating that the Ukraine has been destroyed--through its own actions and its efforts to comply with Western demands, America and its puppet media insist that it’s the other way around.  Russia has lost astonishing amounts of men and equipment and must soon sue for peace, returning vast swathes of Russian territory to the failed Kiev government.

Reuters, a British news service that publishes whatever its government wants, claimed on August 9 that “The unexpected ground offensive on Russian soil…was also partly about ‘being seen to bring the war home to Russia, and undermining Putin and the military's credibility’".  And, astonishingly, proof of this was assertions that there were 15 burned out Russian trucks along a road.

Just last year, on December 13, 2023, NBC News pumped out more propaganda about how the failed comedian and actor, Volodymyr Zelensky, masquerading as President of the Ukraine, destroyed the Russian Army:

The Russian military has suffered dramatic casualties on the battlefield since invading Ukraine in February 2022, according to newly declassified intelligence shared with Congress, a person familiar with the intelligence told NBC News.

In the past 22 months, 315,000 Russian troops have been killed and wounded, according to the assessment provided to lawmakers. Prior to the invasion, Russia had a ground force strength of about 360,000.

Russia has also sustained huge losses in equipment, with 2,200 tanks destroyed out of a force of 3,500 and one-third of its armored vehicles knocked out of action, the assessment said.

[For a scathing criticism of U.S. spy organizations and their inability to do their job, see Visas for Al Qaeda:  CIA Handouts that Rocked the World.]

Yet, Ursula von der Leyen, re-elected to a second five-year term as EU Commission President, said, in a quote carried on Euractiv.com December 1, 2022, “that an estimated 120,000 Ukrainians had been killed during Russia’s war.”

“It is estimated that 20,000 civilians and more than 100,000 Ukrainian military officers have been killed so far,” von der Leyen said in the original version of the video, reshared later by Twitter users.”

Lies, Dammed Lies, and Statistics.  Naturally, real numbers tell a different tale.  However, the trick is to find them.  Western governments and their controlled media certainly don’t provide any.  Russian information services do.  (Albeit in dribs and drabs that do tell a tale of UkoNazi losses of hi-tech but dated equipment supplied to Kiev.  Vide:

·       The number of Ukrainian Leopard 2 battle tanks destroyed by Russian forces is comparable to the entire supply of the vehicles that Kiev received from Poland and Portugal, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has reported.

·       Shoigu said on Monday that Ukraine has lost 16 Leopard tanks, which, he added “practically amounts to 100% of the tanks of this type supplied by Poland and Portugal.” Warsaw earlier pledged 14 Leopard 2A4s to Ukraine, with the first deliveries reported in March. Portugal sent three Leopard 2A6 tanks via Germany the same month.

·       In a similar update on June 22, senior Russian officials claimed Ukraine had lost 13 Leopard tanks.  RT July 3 2023

·       Back in January, Foreign Affairs magazine estimated that “of the fewer than 100 Leopard 2s in Ukrainian service, at least 26 have been knocked out; others cannot be used due to repair and maintenance issues.” The media outlet added that Kiev lacked the “extensive support infrastructure” needed to maintain the German-made hardware. RT July 22, 2024

German Leopard Tanks & U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles Lost to Russian Action

·       Main battle tanks the US has provided to Ukraine have inadequate armor and ammunition for the modern battlefield, their operators have admitted to CNN, complaining about being priority targets for Russian drones.

·       US President Joe Biden announced the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks to Kiev in January 2023, reportedly as a way to pressure other NATO countries to send German-made Leopards in larger numbers. 

·       Though the tanks arrived too late for last year’s summer offensive, they entered battle in February. Russian forces have documented eight Abrams kills so far. One of the wrecked tanks was even towed to Moscow as a trophy.

·       “Its armor is not sufficient,” one soldier from Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade, stationed in Donbass, told CNN – the first Western channel to observe the Abrams on the Ukrainian battlefield.

·       “It doesn’t protect the crew. For real, today this is the war of drones. So now, when the tank rolls out, they always try to hit them,” said the soldier, identified only by the callsign ‘Joker.’

·       “Without defense, the crew doesn’t survive on the battlefield,” said his teammate, ‘Dnipro.’  RT May 29, 2024

M-1Abrams Tanks Destroyed Through Russian Action

·       The first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The number of warplanes is “small,” sources told the outlet on condition of anonymity. Kiev has yet to comment on the reported delivery.

·       The origin of the aircraft is not yet clear. Last year, a group of NATO states, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden, formed the so-called ‘F-16 coalition’. Greece, the US, Bulgaria, and France later joined.

·       While some countries, including the Netherlands and Denmark, pledged to provide Kiev with 24 and 19 aircraft respectively from their own stocks, others committed to training Ukrainian pilots.

·       Norway has also recently stated that it would donate six fighter jets to Kiev.  RT July 21, 2024

Volodymyr Zelensky and One of His New Target F-16s

F-16s.  Yesterday’s technology.  The single seat, one-engined fighter first flew in 1974.  While it has been upgraded many times, its basic design is 50 years old. 

As Slashgear.com noted “Because the F-16 is a legacy aircraft, it has some shortcomings when compared to modern fifth-generation platforms. First and foremost is its radar, which comes in various forms depending on the aircraft variant. While upgrades have improved the F-16's radar capabilities, it has a limited range compared to more advanced aircraft. This means that it needs to get closer to an enemy aircraft to get a target lock, and while it does this, it's likely flying within the range of the target, making it more vulnerable to air-to-air attack.”

“... Still, while it has had some successes in combat, the F-16 has one major hindrance limiting its operability in combat: Limited range. The F-16 has a relatively small fuel capacity, limiting its combat radius to 300-400 miles [ca. 380-640 km]. This is considerably smaller than the F-35C, which has a combat radius of around 680 miles [ca. 1100 km].”

The F-16 requires mid-air fueling to operate in most environments, which limits its effectiveness. It also potentially endangers refueling aircraft should they enter a combat zone, so range is a significant limitation for the F-16. External fuel tanks are available, but adding them to the airframe significantly increases its weight, diminishing its maneuverability and dogfighting capabilities.

The Sukhoi Su-35 entered service in 2014.  It has twin engines and thrust vector nozzles to improve maneuverability.  It is an air superiority fighter.

According to DefenseBridge.com,

“The Su-35S fighter jet has proven its capabilities in various combat situations, showcasing its effectiveness and versatility. Its exceptional maneuverability allows it to outmaneuver and outperform enemy aircraft, giving it a significant advantage in dogfights.

The Su-35S's speed and long-range capabilities make it a formidable asset in offensive and defensive operations. Its ability to reach speeds up to Mach 2.25 allows it to quickly respond to threats and effectively engage targets. With a maximum range of over 3,500 kilometers [about 2200 mi.], it can cover vast distances and operate in different theaters.

Equipped with advanced avionics and radar systems, the Su-35S has excellent target detection and tracking capabilities. This enables it to effectively engage and neutralize enemy threats, whether airborne or on the ground. Its wide range of weapons integration options further enhances its combat capabilities, allowing it to adapt to various mission requirements.

In addition, the Su-35S's robust electronic warfare suite allows it to disrupt and deceive enemy radar and missile systems. This enhances its survivability and allows it to gain a tactical advantage over adversaries.”

Sukhoi Su-35

COMMENT.  So, inferior leadership has provided the collapsed Ukraine with inferior equipment, What’s next?  All-out war to cover the politicians’ mental failures?  Doubling down on more useless equipment?  Or out and out withdrawal? 

THAT would put the nitwits under the gun.  How can they justify pulling out of the Ukraine?  Years and years of propaganda, designed to mislead, and being very successful at it, will run into harsh reality.  Will the warmongers and their corporate puppeteers try to finesse their stupidity by vowing to spend more money and send more equipment to rebuild what they caused to be destroyed?

Let’s see what time brings.

J. Michael Springmann is an attorney, author, political commentator, and former diplomat, with postings to Germany, India, and Saudi Arabia. He previously authored, Visas for Al Qaeda: CIA Handouts That Rocked the World: An Insider’s View, recounting how the U.S. created and used Islamic Terrorism. Additionally, he penned Goodbye, Europe? Hello, Chaos?  Merkel’s Migrant Bomb, an analysis of the alien wave sweeping the Continent. He currently practices law in the Washington D.C. Area.  Internationally recognized as a knowledgeable pundit, he is a frequent commentator on Arab, Iranian, and Russian news programs.

Blacklisted by the US news media, he is also on the Ukraine’s “Enemies List”, having questioned, inter alia, that country’s refusal to honor the Minsk Accords and for stating that its government is Nazified.