That is often true. But not always. It depends on a lot of variables. It did seem to be a total stalemate for a long time. Ukraine had great defence. Russia did not have great offensive capability. But over time the situation seems to have shifted. Ukraine has issues with supply of artillery ammunition and number of long range artillery pieces now. Russia has been able to keep an advantage in those two areas. So Russia can creep forward slowly now, with longer range artillery support than Ukraine can negate. It is a small advantage now. So it is still a very hard slog. I do agree that Russian casualties are probably higher now that an offensive is being waged. But I guess they are willing to take them. I think they are deemed reasonable.
You’ve got to stop drinking the Koolaid, Komrad. Everyone watching any news source with even the faintest whiff of being a free press noticed Russian artillery ammunition depots far behind the front line started exploding with alarming regularity a long time ago. Around the time the first half dozen HIMARS showed up in Ukraine. Daily Russian ammunition expenditures have dropped off quite substantially since then, too. Odd, that - Russian artillery fire down by nearly 75%, US officials say, in latest sign of struggles for Moscow | CNN Politics. It’s almost like Russia is running short of artillery shells.
Last month, a senior US military official said that Russia has had to resort to 40-year-old artillery shells as their supply of new ammo dwindled. To the US, the use of degraded ammunition, as well as the Kremlin’s outreach to countries like North Korea and Iran, was a sign of Russia’s diminished stocks of weaponry.
It is absolutely laughable that you’d claim Russia has an advantage in long range artillery. It’s not just HIMARS that outranges its Soviet and post-Soviet equivalents, all of the 155mm artillery the West has supplied outranges the former-Soviet 152mm or 203mm ammunition - which I’d remind you that both the Ukraine and Russia are using. For a visual representation if you click on the artillery icon two icons up on the bottom left at DeepStateMAP you can choose any of the artillery pieces and ammunition types currently in use in Ukraine (and some that aren’t yet) and see a range circle on a map of the frontlines.
Seriously, stop trying to spread Kremlin propaganda here you fucking muppet. Nobody is falling for it.
And if all of that wasn’t reason enough to find their prattle hilarious, the US is apparently sending longer-ranged munitions such as the GLSB. I’ve never fired anything but an Estes rocket, but it does seem to have impressive performance compared to what they’ve been offered so far.
Am I the only one who thinks Kedikat is just practicing his arguments here before posting them somewhere else, like Truth Social? It’s as if he is writing them on a blog and it doesn’t matter what response he gets.
That seems a more realistic theory than thinking the poster in question believed that they were convincing anyone here. But, they could just be as deluded as they appear.
Kedikat probably thinks that if even one Doper is inspired by his blather to contact their Senator or Congressman to urge an end to support for Ukraine, his efforts on behalf of the Fatherland will be justified. 
Things are going so well in Russia, they are charging 19 year olds as terrorists if they criticize the war. Don’t expect Ked to change his tune…he wouldn’t want to end up in prison.
What a country!
I was under the impression he’s in Croatia.
When has Russia’s borders stopped Putin?
cite: Ukraine
Given the audience on Twuth Social, anyone could post abject drooling blather and it will be uncritically accepted. As long as it’s reactionary anti-democratic. So no need to practice for that audience.
This I’ll agree with. He’s just spouting the line and is probably paid by the spout. An actual debate isn’t his goal; just get the words out on the internet.
it’s not that the russian shelling is down by 75% … the shells still explode, but collectively and next to their tubular delivery devices.
… which happens to be good news for the civil population of Ukr.
… as it seems that the russian shells are now mostly killing military staff (their own, that is)
The range is great. But from what I read it requires the target to be painted with a nearby laser? I may have misread or misunderstood. Even so, there are plenty of behind Russian lines folks who would do this.
Can it also be used in an unguided way? With coordinates programmed in? Or even dumb ballistic way?
I don’t post anywhere else. I feel or at least I used to feel that the Straight Dope had a good quality of users. I still feel there are many. I don’t intend to sway anyone in there basic views of right or wrong on this war. War is wrong. This one is wrong. It could have been avoided and it could end at any moment if the various sides can come to some sort of agreement. Ideally with Ukraine back to fully intact, and getting back to dealing with the regional differences on its own terms.
I generally post about technical, strategic aspects of the war. But of course I and others divert down other paths.
The name calling does not bother me at all. It reflects badly upon those who do it. So feel free to come up with ever more interesting ones.
Overall I am happy when Ukraine forces make a win. But the wins and losses of either side are of interest to me as to why and how. And all the reasons and machinations behind them. They spread out all over the world. In many realms. This war is more than Ukraine defending against Russia. It seems to be a focal point/flash point of a bigger change in the world order. Not sure for good or bad in the long or short term.
no need for an agreement to end this war - it can be done unilaterally by russia
Yes, all we need is for Putin to realize that it’s bad to kill people.
Well, other people.
Yes, Russia just needs to fuck off and stop invading other nations. It’s really quite simple. Yet they cannot seem to not invade another nation and kill their citizens.
I guess the other option is for all the people in Ukraine to commit suicide, so that Russia can have their territory. Probably not a great idea for them.
You are, as usual, wrong. GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb:
The original SDB is equipped with a GPS-aided inertial navigation system to attack fixed/stationary targets such as fuel depots, bunkers, etc. The second variant, Raytheon’s GBU-53/B SDB II, will include a thermal seeker and radar with automatic target recognition features for striking mobile targets such as tanks, vehicles, and mobile command posts.
Just use basic logic. Why would anyone develop a 150km range weapon with (from Saab’s product page)
- The precision of GLSDB is so high it can hit within the radius of a car tire
if it needed someone within visual range to lase the target? It’s quite amusing that you claim to post about technical aspects of the war and are ignorant enough to wonder if a weapon such as this would be used for dumb ballistic flight. What’s not so amusing is your transparent attempts to claim impartiality when you are continuously posting Russian state propaganda.
I read the link from the post. It did not give all that info. Thanks for pointing out more. That is a much better link.
GLSDB seems a real butt kicker. Need to get a lot of them out there with lots of ammo. I don’t think Russia has a similar weapon. Nor any good defence against it. Combined with the high level intel available for targeting it should cause a lot of havoc.