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> Ukraine continues asking for boring old-fashioned tanks and artillery, probably because their generals believe that can help them take back lost territory. U
by topspin 4y ago
> Ukraine continues asking for boring old-fashioned tanks and artillery, probably because their generals believe that can help them take back lost territory.
Ukraine has explicitly asked for Western aircraft, F-15s and F-16s in particular, and UAVs such as Reapers. Those requests were public knowledge 5 weeks ago.
Ukraine's command believe tanks and artillery will conquer territory because that's actually happening on a daily basis, most recently around Kharkiv. They believe better artillery will enable offensive operations in late May or June, and they're correct. Right now Russia has an indirect firepower advantage they're using to advance slowly in Donbas. When that advantage vanishes because the enemy has longer range, more mobile and accurate weapons they will fold and territory will be ceded back to Ukraine.
- jltsiren 4y agoIn the short term, Russia has the military advantage. In the medium term, Ukraine will probably gain the advantage, but it's unclear if it will be sufficient to drive the Russian forces out quickly enough. Because in the long term, Ukrainian economy and infrastructure are collapsing, and they still have something like 35 million civilians to feed. Fossil fuels are particularly problematic. If Ukraine can't import energy from Russia, Belarus, or over the Black Sea, the only remaining choice is Europe. But Europe is facing a shortage of its own, because most countries are trying to phase out energy imports from Russia. If they can't buy enough for their own needs, they may not share enough with Ukraine.