Originally Posted by
jolihokistix
One could argue of course that the loss or partial loss of that bridge would tighten considerably the Russian clutch on the land corridor. Following the old Chinese art of war, it might in a certain light be advisable to leave them a viable back door.
Quite, however, it transfers initiative to the Ukrainians to set the focus firmly on Crimea, and the coastal access down the coast of the Sea of Azov. knowing exactly where your invader is forced to concentrate permits a fair amount of concentration of your efforts.
The asymmetry of the fight at present is that Russia is forced to be reliant on armor that is proven to be at risk from much lower cost man-portable weapons. The anti-armor weapons can be supplied by single cars or a farmer on a tractor towing a T-72 for good measure. The Russians have to be supplied with fuel, the Ukrainians can operate with minimal fuel supplies. The Russians are trying to get former servicemen to rejoin by bribing with cash bonuses if they are Ok to go to Ukraine, the Ukrainians have volunteers from around the world, from every part of their society, including current female ministers of the government, opposition politicians, and the former president of the country. The only reason that the Russians will get anyone is that they are lying to them, and that is great until the lie is exposed, at which point, we have already seen mass refusal to fight, Russian soldiers changing sides, and Russian soldiers surrendering to unarmed civilians with their intact weapon systems, a donation to Ukraine's efforts. That is ultimately not going to avoid public awareness in Russia. Can anyone imagine Pukin riding bare-chested (bare-breasted? more appropriate) on his horse (or a T-72) towards an irritated group of Ukrainian army troops? Pukin cannot bear to sit within 200' of his cabinet, let alone tussle within grenade distance of someone who has the ability to punch his ticket. Pukin is great at sending his mates and others to jail or adding poison to tea.... or ordering Novichok attacks, not so much on getting his own tender self in front of a fireflight.
Personally, I think that Pukin should consider taking refuge with his admirer Trump and Mike Pompeo, (who seems to have caught the same disease as Pukin) in the dacha at Mar-a-lago. Until the feds turn up. Heck, Mark Meadows can add to that mob and have a new voter registration to add to the ones that he has used recently while talking about voter fraud. What a bunch.
Originally Posted by
NutLoose
I mentioned dropping the bridge months ago and no one batted an eyelid as I saw it as the only realistic way they had of pumping items in through Crimea even before a semi held land bridge had been formed, strange you are now all talking about it.
Loose, I think you are absolutely correct, and it remains a necessary action by Ukraine. I think it has not occurred to date as the Ukrainians were too busy trying to survive another day, and then have surprised themselves that the moral support of their population and much of the world has supported their struggle against a criminal, genocidal regime that suffers from bipolar disorder, trying to determine if they are fearful fo the people around them or too busy raping and pillaging their own population, a condition that derives from the elevation of an insignificant deputy mayor of a second-tier city to the position of Prime Minister by fiat, at the whim of the drunkard Boris Yeltsin. Now, thanks to the donations to the Ukrainian military of the "frontline" weapon systems including rockets and MBT's, there is an opportunity for the Ukrainians to use their prodigious ingenuity to plonk some ordnance into spots that can control the direction of the war.
The dropping of that span would stymie the alternative water supply to the criminally annexed region of Crimea, which gains its water supply from the canal system fed from the Kakhovka Reservoir by the North Crimean canal, water from the Dneiper. The Dneiper gets its water in turn from the Dnipro and Pripyat (the one that glows), and the Sozh & Berezina add to the Dnipro. The water may have some sources ex Belarus, but there is more water than Ukraine can use from all sources, and Belarus, where domestic opposition groups sabotaged Russian army trains repositioning forces, yeah, Lukashenko may need to get an AIRBNB booking with his mates at the dacha at Mar a Lago.... Anyway, things happen at their time, that would seem to be a strategically interesting confluence.
Russia reported that the restriction of water supply to Crimea that was done from 2014 onwards had no effect, the Russians reported that agriculture production increased, whereas the USCIA report suggests otherwise. You can be certain that the Russians are lying only when they move their lips.