Quote (ferdia @ Oct 26 2022 08:20am)
The running narrative, which I agree with, is that Ukraine will retake everything it has lost by the end of the year, and that they will move on Crimea next year. This is not the first time I have said this. If Ukraine moves on Crimea that would in my mind induce a response from Russia, and therefore next year we can expect the war to escalate. While there was talk some years ago *2017* (with video interview with Ukrainian military advisor - previously posted in this thread) where Ukraine envisaged stop starts over a number of years , which you have alluded to here, I would say that we are still a bit away from a cessation of hostilities, or a pause, and would go so far to say that things are continuing to ramp up with no sign of a lul.
All that we are seeing here is Ukraine doing well and Russia on the back foot. Russia will respond and we will enter a new chapter of this war.
I'd like to believe this, but how does Ukraine do that with their numbers? They had net population of about 40MIL when this started, Russia about 3x at 150MIL and willing to mobilize near 1.2MIL. Even if Ukraine has great successes , attrition of boots on the ground will add up. Then who is left to operate the NATO/Western tech being sent in?
Maybe someone has a better handle on the numbers?