How far its Ukraine's forces go without becoming overstretched?

[speak easy]

Well, a new general is due on the battlefield. General mud. Not only are the Russians in disarray, but Ukraine controls the highways and rail. By the time the bog is freezing over, I'm thinking Ukraine will have reinforced their positions. And St. Javelin will be hunting orcs. My 2c.

[Johnny2X2X]

1. I think the timing was brilliant

Take as much territory back as possible before the mud season arrives. It will be easier to hold during mud season and the new lines can be reinforced. Let's see how much they are able to reclaim. Seems like a great strategic move.

[ColinC]

2. Also from the looks of it, it might be the Russians that were the ones stretched too thin

[DFW]

3. Becoming overstretched going east of Poland

Western conquerors from Napoleon to Hitler failed ultimately because they never understood the vastness of the place. This would be the first time one of those vast places was initiating an eastward thrust on its own, but this is within their own territory, and, unlike Napoleon or Hitler, harbors no ambitions whatsoever of conquering any territory that wasn't their own to begin with. Still, Zelensky needs to stay within what he can reasonably take, AND KEEP, even if it means leaving some Ukrainian territory for later. So far, I see no reason to fear that after making such a great number of smart moves in a row, that he would undertake a foolish one just for the glory of it. His goals, luckily for him, are finite. He'll stop at the Russian border, and let Putin stew in his failure on the other side of it.

[Johnny2X2X]

4. When this is over, the world is going to owe Ukraine an immense debt

Not only have they exposed Russia as a paper tiger, but they've drained so much of their military that Russia is going to be diminished as a threat to the rest of the world for decades.

[Igel]

7. I seriously wonder if Russian arms sales are affected.

Not by embargo or political fall out, but by saying, "You're selling us crap!"

India must be doing serious arms evaluations vis-a-vis China.

[underpants]

5. The Russian strategy has always been to use winter as a weapon

At least as I understand it. Armies stuck there through the winter just try to survive and limit the impact on their troops while being endlessly bombarded by Russian artillery. Maybe Ukraine can turn that around on them. A little rest for the troops while the big guns take care of things.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Well, the Ukrainians do have good interior lines, all troop and supply issues will be pretty well

localized in Ukraine itself, whereas the Russian supply efforts are coming from the entire European / Asian theaters.

[Igel]

8. Huh?

I seriously do not understand that sentence.

Ru will self-supply from European and Asian sources (since Russia is an Asian country, right?) It's apparently bought old Soviet-era weapons from a US Democratic ally PRNK ( < sarcism off > < sarcasm off > ). But that sentence doesn't say little more than, "Russia will self-supply from Russia itself."


Ukr's still getting European and North American weapons. That's a larger economic territory than Russia + PRNK.

(Note to self: Stop pronouncing "PRNK" as "porn-k." You might do it in front of students, who might confuse it with 'por que?')

[SWBTATTReg]

9. Interior lines? I am puzzled as to what do you not understand? Good interior lines refers to troop

resupply efforts and having to either transport supplies a long way, vs. a short way, behind your own lines (good interior lines). This is a military term, that was used in Gettysburg. Perhaps you're not familiar w/ the term?