Simplicius the Thinker posted a lengthy article after the news of the Russian takedown of an MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. However, in the later parts of his article he mentioned two other matters of great interest. The first touches on the issue that many readers have brought up: What’s taking the Russians so long?
No surprise that the Ukies are (or have been) skilled in static defense. As wars go on and one side begins to gain the upper hand the other just digs deeper. They learn to use their limited resources in the most efficient manner. Destroying an enemy includes destroying their will to fight. Ukraine still has the will so, therefore will continue to battle as hard as they can with what they have. Those fortifications Simplicius reminded me of the German "tobruk". Essentially a cement casemate with a modified top, sometimes an old tank turret. Very difficult to overcome without causing casualties. Gives one man the ability to really increase lethality and cause problems. Ukraine has just rediscovered and modified the concept. War brings innovation...quickly.
Re: the drone. I love my country but, if we're playing stupid games then..., well then, win stupid prizes.
It depends on how you define "senior". These wouldn't have been generals and so forth. But, yes, your caution makes a valid objection. OTOH, at Mariupol we know that there were almost certainly senior commanders who were captured--one Canadian general remains unaccounted for and I believe there was also an American in that category. The truth will eventually come out, but perhaps not as quickly as one might ordinarily expect. Both sides have reasons for keeping such things under wraps.
No surprise that the Ukies are (or have been) skilled in static defense. As wars go on and one side begins to gain the upper hand the other just digs deeper. They learn to use their limited resources in the most efficient manner. Destroying an enemy includes destroying their will to fight. Ukraine still has the will so, therefore will continue to battle as hard as they can with what they have. Those fortifications Simplicius reminded me of the German "tobruk". Essentially a cement casemate with a modified top, sometimes an old tank turret. Very difficult to overcome without causing casualties. Gives one man the ability to really increase lethality and cause problems. Ukraine has just rediscovered and modified the concept. War brings innovation...quickly.
Re: the drone. I love my country but, if we're playing stupid games then..., well then, win stupid prizes.
I suppose we can now expect the "Russia running low on Kinzhals" headlines from the NYT et al.
Indeed. I am credibly informed that they are throwing shovels at this point.
That's how they took down the drone--the Russian pilot threw a shovel at it.
Don’t you think that if senior NATO commanders were killed (Americans) it would have leaked out by now?
It depends on how you define "senior". These wouldn't have been generals and so forth. But, yes, your caution makes a valid objection. OTOH, at Mariupol we know that there were almost certainly senior commanders who were captured--one Canadian general remains unaccounted for and I believe there was also an American in that category. The truth will eventually come out, but perhaps not as quickly as one might ordinarily expect. Both sides have reasons for keeping such things under wraps.