With the usual skeptical eye toward the source, the ownership of the moment would seem to not be in DC or Brussels:

RT article with photos depicting armor loading and a Defense Ministry statement.

Another one.

Ukraine President Zelensky predicted tomorrow as a likely invasion date and declared it a Unity Day for Ukrainians. Remains to be seen where the trains are headed.

TR, et all

Does the Ruskie massive heavy armor build-up not set the stage for the exact problem the Germans run into in WWII.

I'm thinking the Eastern Europe transportation infrastructure has improved somewhat, but those improvements will focus that armor into limited and concentrated roads as the Spring thaw starts.

Effectively making the armor easy targets,, not unlike the "Highway of Death" between Kuwait and Basra in 1991.

How many A-10's do we have? Better start making more.

No kidding. They shouldn't have stopped; I imagine some of those original airframes are getting pretty creaky. I miss seeing them up here, lining up inbound on the Chief of Staff's 2nd-story office...
:cool:

Personally I think Putin's going home, having achieved the high-RPM count on the west's emotional tachometer & will have a good laugh.
Besides, it's too warm for a mechanized party, as JJ points out. I've not been there but have heard that mud is like grease.

Finest Kind TR :lifter

Remember the old ADA adage?

If it flies, it dies.

The Russians have made a lot of crap, but their integrated air defense systems are pretty good and there are lots of them.

I hope we have some super secret high tech we have been hiding, but if we did, the Chinese have probably already stolen it and shared it with the Russians.

Time to get some of the M1 Abrams back out and in the depots in Europe.

Of course, it takes balls to make that call.

TR

I consider myself fortunate to enjoy both borsht and rice. Not looking forward to the lines, though.

Just pretend it is spring of 2020 you are in line for toilet paper and hand sanitizer - you wont even notice the inconvenience.

Thank you, Comrade Box, I will of course learn to appreciate the opportunity to spend time with my fellow citizens awaiting public assistance that will address my every need.

TR,

Those 9-11 divisions, allegedly focused on Ukraine*, are soldiers from only Mother Russia.

To show how far we have fallen, Imagine how this would focus our attention (pre-Xmas 1991),if there were combined forces from the former USSR (with all the +/-)

But, Diversity is our strength

Something else to remember is that Putin is not taking OJT. On 7 May, President Putin will celebrate 10 years in office (if you count is time as Prime Minister under Medvedev.)

*Some think that Putin already has what he wants with Donetsk, Crimea and Nord Stream, leaving the Ukraine as a runner up to Moldova as the poor neighbor who can be bribed with 20 kopeks.

SnT

Klaxons
 

Well, it's 0400 tomorrow over there, I guess we all should've been loaded out & rollin' by now... oh, WAIT - this is 2022.

A handful of articles that some may find interesting given the current kerfuffle now that Putin has recognized the eastern areas as legitimate independent republics - and is, by all accounts, inserting some "peacekeepers."

ZeroHedge discusses an article from Der Spiegel that asks "Is Vladimir Putin right?"

An addendum to that is an article from Dec 2017 regarding (at the time) newly declas docs that indicated pretty clearly that Gorbachev & Russia were given assurances that NATO had no intentions of moving eastward at all. (Always get that shit in writing, no?)

Finally an interesting article that interviews Finnish President Sauli Niinistö regarding his impressions of Putin, garnered over quite a few years of visits, meals, and even some shared ice hockey.

Looks like it may have started...

"Looks like the cameras at the Kalanchak border post to Crimea went offline a few minutes ago right after the Ukrainian troops and staff there could be seen running away and leaving it empty".

"Reports that the frontline at Mariupol on the Sea of Azov coast is under heavy indirect fire at the moment."

Interesting post by one of you guys...

CAN UKRAINIAN RESISTANCE FOIL A RUSSIAN VICTORY?
BRIAN S. PETITFEBRUARY 18, 2022
https://warontherocks.com/2022/02/ca...ssian-victory/


Retired Colonel Petit
https://missionsixzero.com/our-team/brian-petit/

Well:

This from a Ukraine International Airline pilot I follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9UHMPZ5qqA

End of day 2 recap from a non-MSM Russian blogger, former analyst, now living in the west.


Terminology used (viewpoint) is interesting in the denigration of the current apparatus running Ukraine.
Remainder of article at the link above.