Russia - threadbanned users in OP

The main issue with Russia declaring a war is that the current "special military operation" is actually a bullshit term. It's already a full-blown war. Russia declaring war would indeed allow them to mobilise reserves, and go to war production, but there isn't exactly anything stopping them from doing all that at any point right now.

If their production goes to "war mode", then sure, they'll have new tanks, guns and ammo, but not any time soon. The same with mobilisation, it takes a long time call troops, equip them, and train them to a basic level, and then move them to the war zone. None of this is going to happen this year, even if they started right now.

Then there's the matter of sanctions - I'm sure they can get some parts needed for production, but it's not simple.

It's true Russia didn't have enough troops to start a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Yet they did. That's why it hasn't gone great for them. Maybe they can gather up more strength, and re-launch their offensive, but who thinks they'll do better next time?

Must have been transporting ammo

Stop with the nonsense, Putin wanted all of Ukraine but got stopped.

Now he has a somewhat larger chunk than he had last Christmas but is getting pummeled all along the front line and will most likely lose a chunk of what he controls now by the end of the year.

How do you assess that? Nobody seems to know what Russia's objectives are/ were/ will be with this 'special operation'. Do they know themselves? Variously we hear that they regard the whole of Ukraine as Russian territory and they'd also have their eyes on all the Baltic states as they regard this as part of their heritage & empire. This is an imperialist war, driven by a desire to expand territory and command natural assets. Nothing else.

Putin's only weapon this winter is gas, gas and gas.

You say above he could throw in thousands more troops into a winter campaign - sheer madness.

So Kiev and Odessa were never targets ?

You are talking through your proverbial. Russia taught it only had to send a battle group of paratroopers to swan into Kyiv and use a special forces unit to capture and/ or kill Zelenyshi and the war would be over. Another 20-50k would rock up the Ukrainian M50 and slap bam thank you mam there special operation would be over.

They taught the Ukrainian's would either p!ss in themselves or welcome them with flowers. They got it badly wrong.

You think now that 200k more conscripts and border guards are going to make a difference. If Puntin was going to mobilize he have done it last May. He could not do it then as the quality of the Russian conscripts are sh!the. These have not even has a proper basic training when they were originally conscripted 2-10 years ago.

These are not ex US troops that joined the army to get through college got 2-3 years of top class training and are now in the national guard. They did not do a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. These are the same as putting a gun into an 20 or 22 year old college kids hands in Ireland. Not only that they are not motivated

Look at what the US did to the Iraqi army on the roadways out of Kuwait city. It will be much the same if Putin trys to add another 200 k to his army.

The reason people thanked my posts was not because I posted drivel from the net but because I gave a reasoning to my figures and to what is happening.

Wars are no longer about the number of troops you have it's about technology. And Russia has no f@@king technology

Someone needs to find a new hobby,

putinbots

The US army would do it with 80-100 k troops