This is one of the dumbest military campaigns in history. Planned by Putin and his pals (even the military was shocked this was going down).
Maybe Putler shouldn't have humiliated his intelligence chief and instead read some intelligence.
https://twitter.com/akihheikkinen/status/1497690713282301959Europe was literally standing by and ready to make the occupation of the area the Russians already held in the Donbas 'official'.
With some sort of deal his claim on the Crimea might even be accepted. Effectively ending the war as per the Russian interpretation of the Minks agreements.
What Biden called a 'minor incursion' wink wink nudge nudge. No chance that Zelensky could've started a war on his own to prevent such moves from Russia (as it would've shut the door to the EU and NATO indefinitely).
Surely there would've been some sanctions and "bad Putin is bad!" takes but nothing that would've changed the situation on the ground.
At home Putin would've been a hero for finally ending the war in Ukraine and the "genocide" of Russians there. Basically all the big players would've been happy on the geopolitical chessboard.
But he starts lobbing missiles at Kyiv instead and invades with an understaffed and under equipped army rotten to the core by corruption.
Ukraine now claims they've killed Kadyrov's number 2.
They also report they have sights on 500 Russian vehicles that are moving towards Kyiv. Right into the blockades, Molotov storms, Turkish drones and freshly delivered anti-tank missiles.
Also the Russians haven't send much to the Donbas(go figure) so the LNR and DNR have not made any gains since the invasion begun.