It’s been almost a full year since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and according to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Russia has lost this conflict both “strategically” and “operationally.”
“Putin thought he could defeat Ukraine quickly, fracture the NATO alliance, and act with impunity. He was wrong,” Milley said on Tuesday.
Last year, Russia amassed around 190,000 troops around Ukraine’s border in what Russian officials claimed was nothing more than a large-scale military exercise. American Pentagon officials, however, were clear from the start that what Russia was really preparing for was a full-scale invasion of the former Soviet territory.
Because of Russia’s apparent technological and numerical advantages, many within the defense community feared Ukraine would quickly fall to the superior Russian forces, though some outlets, including Sandboxx News, were quick to point out that Russia’s military was nowhere near as capable as popular perceptions at the time suggested.
Related: Sabotage targets: A saboteur’s guide to targeting an invading force
On February 2, 2022, we published a story outlining why Russia’s ineffectual approach to military modernization and headline-grabbing military systems had little real-world value. Then, on February 22, two days before the invasion began, Sandboxx News outlined Russia’s focus on narrative control and information operations to fool the world into believing it was far more capable than it actually was.
Now, some 355 days since the first Russian troops crossed into Ukraine, those early appraisals of Russian military capabilities are proving true.
“Ukraine remains free, they remain independent. NATO and this coalition has never been stronger, and Russia is now a global pariah,” Milley said. “And the world remains inspired by Ukrainian bravery and resilience. In short, Russia has lost — they’ve lost strategically, operationally, and tactically, and they are paying an enormous price on the battlefield.”
Related: UK intelligence says Russia’s Su-57 is involved in Ukraine war
Of course, despite Milley’s comments, the war is far from over. Regardless of Russia’s poor performance in Ukraine, it has no shortage of manpower to throw into the fight — something Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to have no qualms about doing. With hundreds of thousands of newly mobilized (but reportedly poorly trained and equipped) troops to throw into the meat grinder, Russia appears to be approaching the fight for Ukraine as though it’s a fight for its own survival.
While this may not be a fight for Russia’s survival, it very likely could be one for Putin’s regime. The Russian president, who rose to power under suspicious circumstances in 1999 and has since reshaped the Russian government around himself, was once seen as a strategic mastermind, working to usher Russia out of its post-Soviet turmoil and back into contention with global powers like the United States and China. Although his aggressive approach to foreign policy had resulted in financial sanctions being imposed on Russia by many countries and organizations and in Moscow having few allies, until the invasion of Ukraine, Putin was widely seen as a leader who could accomplish a great deal with very little.
Now, however, perceptions of the Russian president have shifted dramatically on the world stage. Putin must be aware of how previous Russian leaders fell from power after losing a staring match with the West. After Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was believed to have backed down during the 1960s Cuban missile crisis, for instance, his popularity quickly waned, leading to his being ousted from power in 1964.
Read more from Sandboxx News
- How false flag operations work and Russia’s history of using them
- Another Putin critic dies after falling out a window
- How Russia’s warfare doctrine is failing in Ukraine
- Russia’s focus on perception is costing them the skies over Ukraine
- Sinking of Russian flagship hastens new era of naval warfare
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been a source of concern for the international community, with tensions escalating in recent months. However, the recent statement by General Mark Milley that Russia has already ‘lost’ in Ukraine is a reassuring sign that the United States is closely monitoring the situation and is committed to supporting its allies. It is clear that the US military leadership is taking this issue seriously and is prepared to take action if necessary to ensure that Russia respects the sovereignty of Ukraine. For those who want to stay up to date on the latest developments in the military and defense world, I would recommend checking out Forcescast.com, an excellent source of news and analysis on military affairs. With a focus on providing informative and insightful content, Forcescast.com is an essential resource for anyone interested in this important topic.
This barrage of western propaganda is no longer working. It’s clearly wrong about the status of the Russians and the war. Russia is actually taking the initiative and successfully advancing methodically. They have a huge huge force assembled for this war and are integrating fresh units into the fight. Milley has NO credibility. NONE. The Western powers know things are extremely bad for Ukraine now. They are taking huge casualties. Meanwhile we are on the edge of being at war with Russia. THAT will not end well for US.
Did anyone neglect to forward Milley’s comments to the Russians so they will know that they have lost?
I suspect Milley might have been a real soldier at some distant past in his career, but now I don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth. I believe Ukraine still has a chance to win this war, but it certainly isn’t decided yet. Stalin is quoted as saying “Quantity has a quality all of it’s own”, Frederick the Great said “God is on the side of the bigger Battalions”. The Russians have taken a beating but they still have a greater capacity than Ukraine. Hopefully Ukraine can continue to grind the Russians down using superior tactics, equipment and the commitment that comes from defending your own ground. But Milley….not a word that comes out of his mouth.
We are drawing down our stocks of weapons, platforms and munitions at an alarming rate. Recruitment is through the floor. China is probing us. They will take Taiwan before Biden leaves office.
Then this little missive came out this week: “South Africa is set to host what analysts have described as “10 days of war games” with China and Russia from Feb. 17 to Feb. 26, which coincides with the anniversary of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov is armed with hypersonic Zircon missiles. “In April 2017, it was reported that the Zircon had reached a speed of Mach 8 during a test. If that information is accurate, the Zircon missile would be the fastest in the world, making it nearly impossible to defend against due to its speed alone. Another valuable aspect of the missile is its plasma cloud. During flight, the missile is completely covered by a plasma cloud that absorbs any rays of radio frequencies and makes the missile invisible to radars. This allows the missile to remain undetected on its way to the target.”
Our carriers are sitting ducks in the South China Sea.
I have a plasma cloud detector in my sock drawer at home…. I got this, Sarge!
They are not invisible. A plasma cloud reflects some radar waves very well.
You mean the same Gen. Milley that sat on his hands when a clueless Joe Biden called our catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan an “extraordinary success?” Or maybe you mean the hack who treasonously stated he would give China a “head’s up” if Trump did anything he considered threatening.
We are making a mistake by committing such high quantities of military materiel to Ukraine.
I remember experiencing shortages while serving in the Infantry after 9/11 – and that was when the American military was the priority. Now, that Ukraine is of first concern, I can only imagine what shortfalls there are among units of lesser tier throughout the Armed Forces.
What logistical difficulties have we created through our support of Ukraine? How will they impact basic war plans? Are these shortages a design of our rivals?
Remember – appropriations to replace equipment does not create the equipment required. It can take years to transform monetary sums into military power.
Remember also – that the nation that goes to war with a surplus of equipment is likely the nation that wins the conflict.
Lastly, what General Milley publicly states regarding Russia’s weak military position does not bring Ukraine closer to peace and reflects an unfortunate attitude toward diplomacy.
I recognize your concerns. It’s a Hobbesian choice, if we retain all the material for ourselves, we ourselves may end up having to fight the next war at great cost in both material and people. If we send the material to the Ukrainians, we weaken ourselves but it may also be that the Ukrainians fight the next war for us.
A war of attrition – It is ultimately a question of who runs out of men and armaments first. Unfortunately, the reporting on this war is so clouded by propaganda and wishful thinking on all sides that it is hard for any of us to know the true picture. If we send all our war stocks to Ukraine and they still lose against a fully mobilized Russia, are we any better off? If Russia wins after fully mobilizing and fighting for years, is Russia going to demobilize afterward, or will they just keep going?
Didn’t you mean Hobson’s choice? Meaning that no matter what we do, we have only one option. Although Russians are clearly behaving according to Hobbs… 😉