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Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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The Air War over Ukraine Justin Bronk has published a very interesting update on RUSI: Four Years On: An Update on the Air War Over Ukraine
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The Kremlin (and its propaganda outlets – such as RT) are increasing presenting the war as a struggle against high technology, AI controlled machines, Western weapons.
Mr Putin makes a rather unconvincing John Connor – but this is what they are going with.
And, win or lose, a generation of Russians has suffered severe mental harm – they are used to an environment where everything is trying to kill them (not just “in battle” – all-the-time, whereas, in the past, war was “long periods of boredom, punctuated by terror” – now the terror is all-the-time), and you must use your shotgun (or whatever weapon you have) instantly – no time to think, against machine threats.
They are not going to be able to “turn off” even if they survive and “win” (although there is no real gain in “victory” as Ukraine has nothing that Russia does not have more of – land, raw materials, and so on), coming home will be hundreds of thousands of men not used to any “safe area” (there are no safe areas – not even back at base, or even in a Moscow party – see the attack on Saturday), but, rather, used to constant danger of death – and the need to shoot at a second’s notice (again – there is no time to think).
They are all going to have PTSD – and it is going to be very difficult for other people live with them.
Marrying such a man would be problematic (to say the least) – remember he goes into lethal force mode instantly (the people who hesitated do not get to go home – they die) as soon as he feels the slightest threat – even if the threat is not real.
Imagine accidently bumping into a such a man on the street or in a bar – he will rip your throat out, before he even knows what he is doing.
a generation of Russians has suffered severe mental harm
And, a generation of Ukrainians has suffered severe mental harm too.
Jacob – yes Jacob they have.
I blame Mr Putin for all this, Mr Putin and his lackeys.
There was no need for the invasion of Ukraine – for example Liz Truss (then Foreign Secretary) went to Russia and begged them not to invade – offering them talks and agreements to address any legitimate concerns. And they just mocked her – asking her about the geographical location of random towns, rather than HEARING what the lady was saying – do-not-invade-Ukraine – it-will-not-be-the-easy-victory-you-think-it-will-be.
Mr Putin and co thought the war would be easy – few Russians, and, indeed, few Ukrainians would be killed.
He thought the Ukrainian military was still in the state it had been in 2014 – he ignored the changes in the Ukrainian military (in arms and in training), and Mr Putin thought the Russian armed forces were much more efficient than they really were.
He was warned – but he choose to mock the person warning him.
He knew so much better – it-would-all-be-easy.
The economic-driven adaptions are very interesting. Over the last couple weeks I’ve seen several videos of Ukrainian fast jets getting gun kills on Russian drones, which is vastly cheaper than using a Sidewinder, Magic, or MICA.