Probably not a popular opinion, but I feel sorry for most of the Russian low level soldiers

[captain queeg]

I know there are some committing atrocities, but I’d bet most of those guys really don’t want to be there. If the reports we see can be believed there is resistance to following orders, desertions, even attacking there own. Not much of that but I think it reflects a high level of dissatisfaction. They were sent in being told it would be a quick cake walk. They’ve been ill supplied right from the beginning. They expected to have air supremacy. They know back home the people are being fed s line of shit. Lacking in food and fuel they are being hounded by a well supplied an tenacious foe.

I’m sure many of them still buy the party line, but a lot of them never wanted to go in the first place and those that were ambivalent realize what a huge mistake it’s been. Since I’m just seeing the western press I realize I might not be getting the true picture but I think the war is extremely unpopular with the Russian troops. There will be many who want revenge for their killed comrades but I think the majority just wish they’d never come and just want to go home. It’s an old story, but especially bad in this case.



Putin miscalculated stupendously and the army, Air Force, and navy realize it. Soon the folk back home will figure it out. Many have already. They will realize all the death and destruction as well as economic woes are due to his ego. It will be the end for him. How long will he drag it out? Probably till some other Russians in the government take him out.

.

[Harker]

1. Like any army, it's a mixture of gleeful murderers and mixed up youngsters

trying to get by.

I'm with you in feeling sorrow for the latter.

War should be a war crime.

[secondwind]

2. They certainly are not part of the normal Moscow crowd.... those people pay up $5,000 to be exempt.

What Russia has in its "troops" are the misfits, the homeless folks, the drunks, etc... THEY are now part and parcel of the army...
They are expendable to Putin, they get very little training before they are sent to the slaughter, it is a horrible situation. And yes, they are raping women like crazy.... UGH

[Amishman]

3. I don't, I imagine it would be fairly easy to desert

or surrender at the first opportunity.

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. I kinda do, too.

Especially after I saw the video about how they’d never seen flush toilets.

Wow.

[uponit7771]

6. Give Russians as much time as it took Americans to find out Bush2 was lying about Iraq and WMD

... which wasn't 3 months... or hell, was it?

Iraq 2 was not the America's shining moment and yes, it was republicans

[Xolodno]

7. A good portion are probably nothing more than simple farmhands who..

...live in very remote parts of Russia and still till the soil with a plough. The know very little of world affairs other than the Great Patriotic War. The rest are bad apples. But they are all indoctrinated at a very young age to be wary of other foreign powers. Not like they have a choice to refuse service anyway.

There is a reason why many pacifist groups were exiled or went into exile during that butcher Tsar Nicholas II.