The Official Russian Invasion of Ukraine Thread

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Big C
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In reply to Cal88 • 4:41p, 5/22/23
Cal88 said:
movielover said:
BTW, Russia's subway system looks stunning.

I've never been to Russia, but apparently both the Moscow and Leningrad subway systems are major tourist attractions, conveying a sense of European grandeur, in addition to being very clean and well-maintained. Not bad for a subway network where an unlimited ride costs 45 cents...

Also Moscow and St Petersburg are the safest big cities in Europe, according to some Parisian friends who visited, one said it reminded him of Paris from a few decades ago.

15 most beautiful subway stations to visit in Russia:
https://iamaileen.com/moscow-metro-stations/





















Apparently there are also a lot of newly built stations that are very modern, but just as elaborate, 35 new stations in Moscow are being built this decade:











each station in Moscow has its own unique look and theme, this new one has a Chinese theme:


Most Russian airports are also very modern and architecturally elaborate, so much for the image of Russia as a s***hole...


Wow, I was kind of mindlessly scrolling through those pictures and I thought I was on BART or something!

Especially the ones where there were no trains!
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dajo9
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In reply to Cal88 • 5:30p, 5/22/23
Cal88 said:
movielover said:
BTW, Russia's subway system looks stunning.

I've never been to Russia, but apparently both the Moscow and Leningrad subway systems are major tourist attractions, conveying a sense of European grandeur, in addition to being very clean and well-maintained. Not bad for a subway network where an unlimited ride costs 45 cents...

Also Moscow and St Petersburg are the safest big cities in Europe, according to some Parisian friends who visited, one said it reminded him of Paris from a few decades ago.

15 most beautiful subway stations to visit in Russia:
https://iamaileen.com/moscow-metro-stations/





















Apparently there are also a lot of newly built stations that are very modern, but just as elaborate, 35 new stations in Moscow are being built this decade:











each station in Moscow has its own unique look and theme, this new one has a Chinese theme:


Most Russian airports are also very modern and architecturally elaborate, so much for the image of Russia as a s***hole...



Police states do have an advantage in cleanliness, for sure
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Cal88
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In reply to Big C • 5:38p, 5/22/23
Big C said:
Cal88 said:
movielover said:
BTW, Russia's subway system looks stunning.

I've never been to Russia, but apparently both the Moscow and Leningrad subway systems are major tourist attractions, conveying a sense of European grandeur, in addition to being very clean and well-maintained. Not bad for a subway network where an unlimited ride costs 45 cents...

Also Moscow and St Petersburg are the safest big cities in Europe, according to some Parisian friends who visited, one said it reminded him of Paris from a few decades ago.

15 most beautiful subway stations to visit in Russia:
https://iamaileen.com/moscow-metro-stations/





















Apparently there are also a lot of newly built stations that are very modern, but just as elaborate, 35 new stations in Moscow are being built this decade:











each station in Moscow has its own unique look and theme, this new one has a Chinese theme:


Most Russian airports are also very modern and architecturally elaborate, so much for the image of Russia as a s***hole...


Wow, I was kind of mindlessly scrolling through those pictures and I thought I was on BART or something!

Especially the ones where there were no trains!

Photoshop a few big rats in there and you'll be in Manhattan.

Some good news from Bakhmut:

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dajo9
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5:40p, 5/22/23
https://www.reddit.com/r/ANormalDayInRussia/comments/eskz8p/kirov_reporting/
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Unit2Sucks
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7:31p, 5/22/23
Not sure whether the shills have received their talking points yet from their discord servers but what's happening in Belgorod is quite interesting.




Obviously, Prigozhin is using this embarrassing turn of events for Putin and Russia to twist the knife.



The good news for Russian soldiers is that there is an alternative to dying for nothing in Putin's war of aggression.





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bearister
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7:33p, 5/22/23
Anti-Putin militia claims to have overrun village in Russia border region of Belgorod


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/anti-kremlin-militia-freedom-of-russia-legion-overrun-russian-border-village-kozinka?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention
I got some friends inside
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Cal88
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In reply to dajo9 • 8:30p, 5/22/23
dajo9 said:
Cal88 said:
movielover said:
BTW, Russia's subway system looks stunning.

I've never been to Russia, but apparently both the Moscow and Leningrad subway systems are major tourist attractions, conveying a sense of European grandeur, in addition to being very clean and well-maintained. Not bad for a subway network where an unlimited ride costs 45 cents...

Also Moscow and St Petersburg are the safest big cities in Europe, according to some Parisian friends who visited, one said it reminded him of Paris from a few decades ago.

15 most beautiful subway stations to visit in Russia:
https://iamaileen.com/moscow-metro-stations/





















Apparently there are also a lot of newly built stations that are very modern, but just as elaborate, 35 new stations in Moscow are being built this decade:











each station in Moscow has its own unique look and theme, this new one has a Chinese theme:


Most Russian airports are also very modern and architecturally elaborate, so much for the image of Russia as a s***hole...

Police states do have an advantage in cleanliness, for sure

Are "****hole" countries also supposed to have an advantage in cleanliness.

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dimitrig
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8:50p, 5/22/23

Moscow and St. Petersburg have nice subway stations.

What does that have to do with anything, especially their invasion of Ukraine?

Does it mean if Ukraine's loses the war they can look forward to nicer subway stations in Kyiv?
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oski003
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In reply to dimitrig • 8:54p, 5/22/23
dimitrig said:

Moscow and St. Petersburg have nice subway stations.

What does that have to do with anything, especially their invasion of Ukraine?

Does it mean if Ukraine's loses the war they can look forward to nicer subway stations in Kyiv?


A lot of folks here insult Russia. One example is calling them a glorified Petro station. Another is saying they are poor and talking about them barely being in the top 50 GDP per Capita. In response, Cal88 is defending Russia from these criticisms, which may further lead to folks calling him Putin88.
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Big C
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In reply to bearister • 8:58p, 5/22/23
bearister said:
Anti-Putin militia claims to have overrun village in Russia border region of Belgorod


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/anti-kremlin-militia-freedom-of-russia-legion-overrun-russian-border-village-kozinka?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Cool, that's exactly what I've wanted to see for a long time: the Rooskies having to worry about defending their own territory.

I fully understand why NATO doesn't want Ukraine to attack Russia using NATO weapons, but it's damn hard to win a war when the opponent can focus 100% of their efforts on offense.
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dimitrig
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In reply to oski003 • 9:31p, 5/22/23
oski003 said:
dimitrig said:

Moscow and St. Petersburg have nice subway stations.

What does that have to do with anything, especially their invasion of Ukraine?

Does it mean if Ukraine's loses the war they can look forward to nicer subway stations in Kyiv?


A lot of folks here insult Russia. One example is calling them a glorified Petro station. Another is saying they are poor and talking about them barely being in the top 50 GDP per Capita. In response, Cal88 is defending Russia from these criticisms, which may further lead to folks calling him Putin88.


Mussolini made the trains run on time. He invested a lot of money in the failing rail system, especially on lines which were likely to be used by tourists and wealthy Italians. It was a calculated strategy to impress foreigners and the general public.

Russia's train stations served a similar purpose. They were designed as a sort of propaganda for Stalin to prove to the world and his populace that communism was a success.

Here we are 80+ years later and Stalin88 is using them for the same purpose.

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oski003
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10:07p, 5/22/23
Anti-drone tech

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2023/05/18/us-drone-swarm-thor/amp/
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BearHunter
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In reply to dimitrig • 11:37p, 5/22/23
dimitrig said:
oski003 said:
dimitrig said:

Moscow and St. Petersburg have nice subway stations.

What does that have to do with anything, especially their invasion of Ukraine?

Does it mean if Ukraine's loses the war they can look forward to nicer subway stations in Kyiv?


A lot of folks here insult Russia. One example is calling them a glorified Petro station. Another is saying they are poor and talking about them barely being in the top 50 GDP per Capita. In response, Cal88 is defending Russia from these criticisms, which may further lead to folks calling him Putin88.


Mussolini made the trains run on time. He invested a lot of money in the failing rail system, especially on lines which were likely to be used by tourists and wealthy Italians. It was a calculated strategy to impress foreigners and the general public.

Russia's train stations served a similar purpose. They were designed as a sort of propaganda for Stalin to prove to the world and his populace that communism was a success.

Here we are 80+ years later and Stalin88 is using them for the same purpose.



dimitrig is Dmitry Medvedev.
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Cal88
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In reply to dimitrig • 8:38a, 5/23/23
dimitrig said:
oski003 said:
dimitrig said:

Moscow and St. Petersburg have nice subway stations.

What does that have to do with anything, especially their invasion of Ukraine?

Does it mean if Ukraine's loses the war they can look forward to nicer subway stations in Kyiv?


A lot of folks here insult Russia. One example is calling them a glorified Petro station. Another is saying they are poor and talking about them barely being in the top 50 GDP per Capita. In response, Cal88 is defending Russia from these criticisms, which may further lead to folks calling him Putin88.


Mussolini made the trains run on time. He invested a lot of money in the failing rail system, especially on lines which were likely to be used by tourists and wealthy Italians. It was a calculated strategy to impress foreigners and the general public.

Russia's train stations served a similar purpose. They were designed as a sort of propaganda for Stalin to prove to the world and his populace that communism was a success.

Here we are 80+ years later and Stalin88 is using them for the same purpose.

So now if you want a well-run urban transit and transport infrastructure, you need to be a Stalin or Mussolini? Does Japan have good transit system because of Tojo? How about Switzerland or Sweden??

Stalin has been dead for 70 years now, the Moscow metro system is twice as large since, with several dozen new stations being built or planned since 2010. Russia's subway stations serve the purpose of providing a cheap, clean and efficient mean of transport to the millions of their big city residents. 2.5 billion trips every year.

Objectively speaking, Russia has done a remarkably good job rebuilding and extending its transport infrastructure, not just subways, but also rail, airports, bridges and highways. There has been an infrastructure boom in that country the last two decades, which has had a positive effect on their economy.

Airports:

Krasnoyarsk. Siberia
https://www.awaragroup.com/blog/all-the-amazing-airports-of-stagnating-russia/

Roads and bridges:

World's largest cable bridge, Vladivostock

https://www.awaragroup.com/blog/impressive-progress-of-russian-roads/
https://www.awaragroup.com/blog/putin-the-pontiff-bridge-maker/

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DiabloWags
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In reply to dimitrig • 8:44a, 5/23/23
dimitrig said:


Mussolini made the trains run on time. He invested a lot of money in the failing rail system, especially on lines which were likely to be used by tourists and wealthy Italians. It was a calculated strategy to impress foreigners and the general public.

Russia's train stations served a similar purpose. They were designed as a sort of propaganda for Stalin to prove to the world and his populace that communism was a success.

Here we are 80+ years later and Stalin88 is using them for the same purpose.


Bingo.

And he admits to never having been in Russia.
Ha!


"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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DiabloWags
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In reply to Cal88 • 8:48a, 5/23/23
Cal88 said:

Objectively speaking, Russia has done a remarkably good job rebuilding and extending its transport infrastructure, not just subways, but also rail, airports, bridges and highways. There has been an infrastructure boom in that country the last two decades, which has had a positive effect on their economy.

Objectively speaking, how would you know if you've never been to Russia?
"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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Cal88
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In reply to DiabloWags • 8:53a, 5/23/23
DiabloWags said:
Cal88 said:

Objectively speaking, Russia has done a remarkably good job rebuilding and extending its transport infrastructure, not just subways, but also rail, airports, bridges and highways. There has been an infrastructure boom in that country the last two decades, which has had a positive effect on their economy.

Objectively speaking, how would you know if you've never been to Russia?

Do you think that bridge above is made out of papier mache?
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DiabloWags
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In reply to Cal88 • 9:01a, 5/23/23
This photo below is a subway station in Moscow.
The Moscow subway system services 7 million daily riders.

This looks a lot like Grand Central Station in NYC at rush hour.
And yes, I've been in Grand Central on numerous occasions and lived in NYC for 10 years.

Unlike Cal88 who has never been to Moscow.

PS. I've also spent a couple of weeks in East Germany, when it was still under Communism.



The Moscow Metro lacks restrooms throughout almost the ENTIRE subway system.
And if you happen to be disabled, good luck getting around.

Just adding a dose of reality to all of the "pretty" photos



Konstantin Petrenko's answer to What are some rarely discussed negatives and downsides of the Moscow Metro (subway)? - Quora
"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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dimitrig
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9:24a, 5/23/23

I have never been to Moscow, but I have been to St. Petersburg and I rode both the subway and the train there. It was cheap, it was clean, it worked fine. The subway stations are deep underground so expect a long, long escalator ride.

I also took a hydrofoil and a taxi. No issues other than the insane taxi driver. People drive like crazy there and there is lots of traffic at the wrong time of day.

Gasoline is cheap compared to everywhere else in Europe.

Russia is also the only country I have ever visited that had machine gun armed guards with German shepherds standing on the platform at the train station. Some of them were women, though, so it is equal opportunity.

What any of this has to do with this thread I have no idea.

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DiabloWags
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In reply to dimitrig • 9:31a, 5/23/23
dimitrig said:


What any of this has to do with this thread I have no idea.


Me neither.
I think it's just pure DESPERATION by our local Russian propagandist.

Subway stations in Moscow clearly have nothing to do with Russia invading Ukraine.
The "pretty" pictures have nothing to do with the hundreds of thousands of people that have died due to Putin's actions.
It strikes me as pretty pathetic that someone is promoting this kind of twisted logic.



"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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sycasey
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In reply to DiabloWags • 9:46a, 5/23/23
DiabloWags said:
dimitrig said:


What any of this has to do with this thread I have no idea.


Me neither.
I think it's just pure DESPERATION by our local Russian propagandist.

Subway stations in Moscow clearly have nothing to do with Russia invading Ukraine.
The "pretty" pictures have nothing to do with the hundreds of thousands of people that have died due to Putin's actions.
It strikes me as pretty pathetic that someone is promoting this kind of twisted logic.



It's a deep-down-the-rabbit-hole talking point. It only works if you assume that Russia's invasion is obviously justified, so those who are criticizing Russia must just hate Russia as a country, and how can they hate it when it has such nice looking subways? Does America have subways like that? Huh?

Of course, the whole thing is pointless if no one actually hates Russia as a country and really just hates that their leaders started a war, which is what's really going on.
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tequila4kapp
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In reply to bearister • 9:46a, 5/23/23
bearister said:
Anti-Putin militia claims to have overrun village in Russia border region of Belgorod

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/anti-kremlin-militia-freedom-of-russia-legion-overrun-russian-border-village-kozinka?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
As an anti-Putin person I appreciate the effort but holy crap, talk about suicidal activities...is there any way this doesn't end with total nihilation for these rebels?
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oski003
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In reply to DiabloWags • 10:10a, 5/23/23
DiabloWags said:
dimitrig said:


What any of this has to do with this thread I have no idea.


Me neither.
I think it's just pure DESPERATION by our local Russian propagandist.

Subway stations in Moscow clearly have nothing to do with Russia invading Ukraine.
The "pretty" pictures have nothing to do with the hundreds of thousands of people that have died due to Putin's actions.
It strikes me as pretty pathetic that someone is promoting this kind of twisted logic.



A lot of folks here insult Russia. One example is calling them a glorified Petro station. Another is saying they are poor and talking about them barely being in the top 50 GDP per Capita. In response, Cal88 is defending Russia from these criticisms, which may further lead to folks calling him Putin88.
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dimitrig
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In reply to oski003 • 10:49a, 5/23/23
oski003 said:
DiabloWags said:
dimitrig said:


What any of this has to do with this thread I have no idea.


Me neither.
I think it's just pure DESPERATION by our local Russian propagandist.

Subway stations in Moscow clearly have nothing to do with Russia invading Ukraine.
The "pretty" pictures have nothing to do with the hundreds of thousands of people that have died due to Putin's actions.
It strikes me as pretty pathetic that someone is promoting this kind of twisted logic.



A lot of folks here insult Russia. One example is calling them a glorified Petro station. Another is saying they are poor and talking about them barely being in the top 50 GDP per Capita. In response, Cal88 is defending Russia from these criticisms, which may further lead to folks calling him Putin88.


They are poor unless you are an oligarch who owns a mansion next to the river.

Everyone else lives in tiny apartments in Soviet era brutalist gray high rises that make Evans Hall look inviting.

One really weird thing about Russia is that almost everywhere was dead quiet. Walk into a restaurant and no one greets you. Then out of the shadows emerges someone in a suit who looks like Lurch and seats you. I saw this in many places. Not in the upscale hotels, of course, where a hostess greets you but in the typical cafes.

I stayed at a small hotel and the girl who was at the front desk at 10pm was also the girl who was at the front desk in the morning. The guy serving us breakfast in the morning was also our waiter at night. They must work like 16 hour shifts. I found it a little disconcerting.

Oh, I forgot that the tap water is not safe to drink because it is contaminated with heavy metals so the hotels provide all the bottled water you want for free.

I went to a Russian neighborhood grocery store and it was like the worst 7 Eleven you have ever been to in your life. Produce was horrible. Liquor was prominent. Later on I asked at the hotel if there was an actual supermarket as opposed to a convenience store and they told me that was the supermarket unless I could drive to the suburbs.

I was able to buy crab-flavored Lay's chips, though. Delicious.
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dimitrig
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11:47a, 5/23/23

How could a country that consumes crab-flavored Lay's not be a utopia?

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Goldener Bar
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In reply to Big C • 12:30p, 5/23/23
Big C said:
bearister said:
Anti-Putin militia claims to have overrun village in Russia border region of Belgorod


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/anti-kremlin-militia-freedom-of-russia-legion-overrun-russian-border-village-kozinka?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Cool, that's exactly what I've wanted to see for a long time: the Rooskies having to worry about defending their own territory.

I fully understand why NATO doesn't want Ukraine to attack Russia using NATO weapons, but it's damn hard to win a war when the opponent can focus 100% of their efforts on offense.
Yeah that's great. Anything that increases the likelihood of Russia using nuclear weapons is exactly what I want too. The one thing I definitely don't want is for this war to be settled by peace negotiations.
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tequila4kapp
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In reply to Goldener Bar • 12:42p, 5/23/23
Goldener Bar said:
Big C said:
bearister said:
Anti-Putin militia claims to have overrun village in Russia border region of Belgorod


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/anti-kremlin-militia-freedom-of-russia-legion-overrun-russian-border-village-kozinka?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Cool, that's exactly what I've wanted to see for a long time: the Rooskies having to worry about defending their own territory.

I fully understand why NATO doesn't want Ukraine to attack Russia using NATO weapons, but it's damn hard to win a war when the opponent can focus 100% of their efforts on offense.
Yeah that's great. Anything that increases the likelihood of Russia using nuclear weapons is exactly what I want too. The one thing I definitely don't want is for this war to be settled by peace negotiations.
Russia isn't going Nuke. It is all bluster. Just like Trump used to do when he'd make all his threats about doing military stuff like had never been seen before, etc. It is a stupid game of chicken. The person with the big sticks wants to make the other person believe they'd really use it. People who really intend to use their big sticks just do it, usually in a surprise type way, and don't talk about doing it.
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dajo9
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In reply to dimitrig • 2:08p, 5/23/23
dimitrig said:

I have never been to Moscow, but I have been to St. Petersburg and I rode both the subway and the train there. It was cheap, it was clean, it worked fine. The subway stations are deep underground so expect a long, long escalator ride.

I also took a hydrofoil and a taxi. No issues other than the insane taxi driver. People drive like crazy there and there is lots of traffic at the wrong time of day.

Gasoline is cheap compared to everywhere else in Europe.

Russia is also the only country I have ever visited that had machine gun armed guards with German shepherds standing on the platform at the train station. Some of them were women, though, so it is equal opportunity.

What any of this has to do with this thread I have no idea.



You must not have been in NYC after 9/11
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Big C
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In reply to Goldener Bar • 2:13p, 5/23/23
Goldener Bar said:
Big C said:
bearister said:
Anti-Putin militia claims to have overrun village in Russia border region of Belgorod


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/anti-kremlin-militia-freedom-of-russia-legion-overrun-russian-border-village-kozinka?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Cool, that's exactly what I've wanted to see for a long time: the Rooskies having to worry about defending their own territory.

I fully understand why NATO doesn't want Ukraine to attack Russia using NATO weapons, but it's damn hard to win a war when the opponent can focus 100% of their efforts on offense.
Yeah that's great. Anything that increases the likelihood of Russia using nuclear weapons is exactly what I want too. The one thing I definitely don't want is for this war to be settled by peace negotiations.

I agree that the number one thing we want, if there must be a war, is that the war be contained to Russia-Ukraine. However, if ethnic Russians are attacking their own country, that doesn't seem like an act that is going to prompt Putin to go nuclear.
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dimitrig
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In reply to dajo9 • 2:36p, 5/23/23
dajo9 said:
dimitrig said:

I have never been to Moscow, but I have been to St. Petersburg and I rode both the subway and the train there. It was cheap, it was clean, it worked fine. The subway stations are deep underground so expect a long, long escalator ride.

I also took a hydrofoil and a taxi. No issues other than the insane taxi driver. People drive like crazy there and there is lots of traffic at the wrong time of day.

Gasoline is cheap compared to everywhere else in Europe.

Russia is also the only country I have ever visited that had machine gun armed guards with German shepherds standing on the platform at the train station. Some of them were women, though, so it is equal opportunity.

What any of this has to do with this thread I have no idea.

You must not have been in NYC after 9/11

I have been a couple of times since 9/11. I even took the train to Jersey. No armed guards.

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BearHunter
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1:25p, 5/24/23
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tequila4kapp
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In reply to BearHunter • 2:02p, 5/24/23
BearHunter said:
Who is to say it didn't? It is easy to translate that statement simply to mean Win vs. Lose. But forcing a larger force with strategic advantages to spend 10 months fighting to acquire a single city is a substantial strategic W. To wit, if Russia had routed the Ukranians and taken the city in say a week the trajectory of this war would be massively different.

By way of comparison, the longest battle on German ground during World War II and the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought was the Battle of Hurtgen Forest - 3 months. The longest battle of Vietnam was Battle of Khe Sanh - 2+ months. The longest single battle of the Civil War was The siege of Port Hudson - 28 days. We have to go all the way back to WW1 and the battle of Verdun to find another battle that lasted 10 months. (all per Wikipedia)
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Unit2Sucks
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2:30p, 5/24/23
Little talked about benefit from the Belgorod breakthrough. This will help set the table for Ukraine's upcoming offensive.


Yet another reminder, for anyone who still falls for Russian propaganda, that China and Russia aren't really friends or partners - they very much have a transactional relationship of convenience.




I know I sometimes can sound overly critical of the Russian military, but there are some smart people left.



And even official Russian propagandists are starting to question the delusional Kremlin leadership.


Finally - just a reminder that regardless of whether you are there to jostle with millions of passengers on the subway at rush hour or because you want to support Putin's vile regime, don't wear your Cal (or UCLA) colors or you may end up in a gulag.


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In reply to tequila4kapp • 2:41p, 5/24/23
tequila4kapp said:
BearHunter said:
Who is to say it didn't? It is easy to translate that statement simply to mean Win vs. Lose. But forcing a larger force with strategic advantages to spend 10 months fighting to acquire a single city is a substantial strategic W. To wit, if Russia had routed the Ukranians and taken the city in say a week the trajectory of this war would be massively different.

By way of comparison, the longest battle on German ground during World War II and the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought was the Battle of Hurtgen Forest - 3 months. The longest battle of Vietnam was Battle of Khe Sanh - 2+ months. The longest single battle of the Civil War was The siege of Port Hudson - 28 days. We have to go all the way back to WW1 and the battle of Verdun to find another battle that lasted 10 months. (all per Wikipedia)


I am reminded of something Michael Kofman said back in April of last year. He said what we think is important in the moment is often deemed not critical upon later review, and turning points in wars are often not apparent until a few years after the conflict.

Point being, dont get to high or low about the daily ebbs and flows of the conflict.
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movielover
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In reply to tequila4kapp • 2:44p, 5/24/23
tequila4kapp said:
BearHunter said:
Who is to say it didn't? It is easy to translate that statement simply to mean Win vs. Lose. But forcing a larger force with strategic advantages to spend 10 months fighting to acquire a single city is a substantial strategic W. To wit, if Russia had routed the Ukranians and taken the city in say a week the trajectory of this war would be massively different.

By way of comparison, the longest battle on German ground during World War II and the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought was the Battle of Hurtgen Forest - 3 months. The longest battle of Vietnam was Battle of Khe Sanh - 2+ months. The longest single battle of the Civil War was The siege of Port Hudson - 28 days. We have to go all the way back to WW1 and the battle of Verdun to find another battle that lasted 10 months. (all per Wikipedia)


That's a simpleton stretch. How about we look at alleged Ukrainian casualties?

Battle of Stalingrad - 500,000 Germans killed
Battle of Bakhmut- 100,000 - 200,000 Ukranians killed*
Battle Hrtgen Forest - 28,000 Germans lost
Battle of Khe Sanh ----- 3,000 Vietnamese lost

*If we believe sources like Colonel McGregor and leaked Pentagon documents, there is a devastating kill ratio imbalance of between 8 to 1 and 10 to 1 favoring Russia.

Total killed Ukranians is now estimated by Colonel McGregor at over 300,000 men.
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