Comments by "peabase" (@peabase) on "Ukraine war: Zelenskyy praises Western artillery | DW News" video.

@dynamiteplayz4332 Russia retreated from Kyiv. Front lines ebb and flow.
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Here's more relevant historical context for you: Russia retreated very tactically and very repeatedly when Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812. In fact, Russia's oh-so-many tactical retreats made Napoleon grow bored and homesick in Moscow, so he decided to make for home. To cut a long story short, I've never seen or heard anyone call Napoleon's Russian campaign a French victory.
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Speaking of Russian objectives, regime change in Kyiv remains elusive as ever. However, regime change in Moscow is coming along nicely, slowly but surely.
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@bennymuller3379 True, but there are more parallels between Emperor Putin's abortive march on Kyiv and Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign. Ultimately, both failed because of poor logistics.
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@WangMingGe Napoleon's Russian campaign saw some pitched battles, but those belied the overall lack of fighting that typified the conflict. The vast majority of losses were due to poor provisions, lack of suitable clothing and disease. It's interesting that you accuse me of "holes" in my knowledge, but you don't put your finger on them. Tactical retreats are neither a harbinger of victory nor of defeat. Both sides resort to them if the situation calls for it. In Ukraine, both have. That was my whole point, but it was lost on you, wasn't it? You're not much of a military historian yourself if you can't see that there are age-old rules that still apply to modern warfare. Why go on about Sun Tzu if wars are no longer fought with bows and arrows?
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@root_pierre I agree. Wisely, Xi hasn't tied his fate to that of Putin. Putin is a dictator who can do as he pleases, at least until the day that he's (violently?) deposed, but Xi has a party dictatorship to contend with. The CCP will sacrifice Xi in a jiffy should he jeopardise the CCP's dictatorship.
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Putin is lashing out at everyone, including his own henchmen, because of the poor results.
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@altrfryd5859 So Ukraine must be utterly destroyed so that it can be rebuilt into a "beter [sic] country for everybody". Do you ever listen to yourself? Russia can't even rebuild its own economy, much less Ukraine.
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@navinkv7024 I doubt that very much. Russia pulled out all the stops in trying to kill or capture Zelenskyy. Nothing short of a city-destroying thermonuclear blast would do it. This may come as surprise to you, but being stable democracies, we recycle our leaders regularly, and without drama. A Russian dissident is supposed to have said that where the West has elections, Russia has revolutions.
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@navinkv7024 It was not a gambit, but an epic intelligence failure. As a case in point, Russia sent in lightly-armed paramilitary police units to "liberate" Ukrainian cities and villages. Instead of rose petals and kisses, these notorious OMON troops met RPGs and bullets. Their casualties were commensurate. It's no wonder that Putin has had hundreds of FSB officials imprisoned and purged. Dictators always end up with sycophants for advisors.
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@navinkv7024 A gambit is where you hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Putin's troops prepared for a parade instead.
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@navinkv7024 They're still there. Maybe just not for you.
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Nothing says "special operations" about the way Russia is slowly gaining ground in Ukraine. Slowly but surely, Russia's artillery blasts everything to kingdom come, after which its troops timidly take over the bombed-out positions. It's a non-textbook application of scorched-earth policy if there ever was one, and one that won't endear them to the locals, regardless of their ethnicity or loyalties.
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