Russia has lost a staggering 87 percent of the total number of active-duty ground troops it had prior to launching its invasion of Ukraine and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN.

Still, despite heavy losses of men and equipment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to push forward as the war approaches its two-year anniversary early next year and US officials are warning that Ukraine remains deeply vulnerable. A highly anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive stagnated through the fall, and US officials believe that Kyiv is unlikely to make any major gains over the coming months.

The assessment, sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, comes as some Republicans have balked at the US providing additional funding for Ukraine and the Biden administration has launched a full-court press to try to get supplemental funding through Congress.

  • sylver_dragon
    link
    fedilink
    English
    19411 months ago

    If we could harness the energy of Regan spinning in his grave, we’d have a limitless supply of energy.
    Imagine telling any conservative, during the Cold War era, that we could completely fuck Russia’s military power and readiness, for years to come, by sending weapons to a relatively small country. They would be rushing to arm anyone and everyone they could, unintended consequences be damned. And yet, here we are with the GOP blocking exactly that sort of activity. And even better, there is a very real possibility that we aren’t arming future terrorists this time around. Maybe that’s the GOP’s problem, Russia losing in Ukraine won’t create an excuse in 20 years to kill more brown people.

    • Cosmic Cleric
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3611 months ago

      If we could harness the energy of Regan spinning in his grave, we’d have a limitless supply of energy.

      I had always thought the same thing about Nixon, after he sees what Trump gets away with.

      • sylver_dragon
        link
        fedilink
        English
        2411 months ago

        Ya, it’s pretty bad when you can look at Nixon as a “stand up guy” compared to Trump. He at least had the decency to recognize that he had been caught in his bullshit, resign and go away.

        • @banneryear1868@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          3
          edit-2
          11 months ago

          Nixon is really interesting as a president it’s kind of a shame how he’s only remembered for Watergate and the drug war now. Most people don’t think “created the EPA” or “desegregation” when they picture Nixon, he also ended the Viet Nam war and draft. Definitely a complex person above a lot of other presidents, poor Quaker upbringing and looked down on by his elite classmates, could have rejected the draft on his Quakerism but became a lieutenant commander, insanely respected as he rose through the ranks and commended by almost everyone he worked with. Did terrible things with Kissinger in South America as a staunch anti-communist. It’s like every stark judgement on him has some extreme counter example. The guy basically was the USA at an insane time in history, definitely a man who fully embodied that period of history.

        • Cosmic Cleric
          link
          fedilink
          English
          211 months ago

          Say what you will about the Boomers, but at least they knew when it was time to leave.

    • The Snark Urge
      link
      fedilink
      English
      111 months ago

      They don’t want to hurt the feelings of anyone they made friends with on their last 4th of July holiday in Moscow

    • @avrachan
      link
      English
      111 months ago

      how do you know that arming Ukraine will not create future terrorists?

      is it because they are not muslims ?

      because Azov battalion sure looks terrifying to me.

      • ArxCyberwolf
        link
        fedilink
        English
        511 months ago

        There*. Also, mind elaborating? Or are these wild cards pulled from your rectum?

    • @jimbolauski@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      -18111 months ago

      In the world of politics you never give something for free. The Republicans are asking for more stringent border security and more border funding. If democrats were truly committed to supporting Ukraine then they would have made those concessions all ready. The problem is democrats love exploiting brown people for their cheap sweat shop labor.

      • @SwampYankee@mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        7411 months ago

        The problem is democrats love exploiting brown people for their cheap sweat shop labor.

        You could build an IMAX theater with all that projection.

      • @SCB@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        6611 months ago

        Border security wouldn’t stop migrant workers. The whole “invasion of the border” thing is never talking about those people, as was proven by farmers lamenting their absence in Florida.

        • @jimbolauski@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          -5311 months ago

          I wasn’t referencing migrant workers with work visas, I was referencing all the people entering illegally. Of course farm owners are upset, their source of cheap labor dried up.

          • @dragonflyteaparty@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            2611 months ago

            You know what would actually put a dent in illegal immigration? Fixing their country that we broke. They come here because being undocumented and working under the table with potentially dangerous conditions is better than their home country. Maybe we shouldn’t have destabilized so many democracies in South America.

            • @webadict@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              2411 months ago

              If you expect us to take responsibility for our actions, then we’d have to have real solutions, and it’s just easier to complain about things, plus we’d have to arrest a looooooot of war criminals.

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        4011 months ago

        Bullshit. You pass a law because it’s the right thing to help the country not because you got something for it.

      • @gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        2211 months ago

        Or the Dems know that letting the GOP get their shitty ideas through just because Dems want something isn’t a good idea and are going to try to do it without the traitors’ party’s help

      • Cosmic Cleric
        link
        fedilink
        English
        2011 months ago

        If democrats were truly committed to supporting Ukraine then they would have made those concessions all ready.

        They have been, some substantial compromises actually. The Republicans still wanting more, in a non-compromising sort of way.

        Personally I’m hoping the FBI actually does checks on everyone in Congress, to make sure they’re not being compromised to vote in certain ways that certain countries wants.

      • @AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        14
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        George W. Bush set the precedent that The US does not negotiate with terrorists. Even when those terrorists are in Congress. They should stop setting precedents they don’t really mean.

      • @Socsa@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        911 months ago

        Or is it that the Democrats understand the rhetorical danger of equating an actual war in Europe involving a major nuclear power, with the ego driven pet project of a fascist demagogue?

      • @Furbag@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        911 months ago

        Oh yes, more money to fix the perpetual, nebulously defined “border problem”.

        Sometimes compromise is not the solution. This is one of those times. I’m tired of Republican fearmongers getting rich off my tax dollars by funneling it into the border security slush fund.