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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Here's how the US could stumble into war in Ukraine
2014-04-28
Has anyone seen that "Reset Button" thingy recently?
Posted by:Uncle Phester

#11  Looks to be about same size as a Hetzer - except less armor and weaker armament.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2014-04-28 16:58  

#10  "But mistrust of Russia runs deep in the foreign policy establishment, where many of the players grew up during the Cold War. This has led to missteps and lost opportunities."

Doesn't matter what the establishment says if the decision makers don't listen to them.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2014-04-28 15:20  

#9  ComeOn Folks - Journalism 101: Treads = Tank. Law of Primacy takes it from there.
Posted by: Uncle Phester   2014-04-28 11:08  

#8  War would be a great pretext for Obama's not leaving office on time.
Posted by: Thatch Grutch6383   2014-04-28 11:06  

#7  Article on the 25th Airborne (and its fate) posted to the burg, today's edition at this link.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-04-28 01:40  

#6  Just did a bit of research - if the 25th Airborne is the best the Ukraine has, they are in trouble, the unit fell apart.

Posted by: OldSpook   2014-04-28 01:21  

#5  LOL Bad, you posted while I was editing my corrective post.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-04-28 01:16  

#4  On second thought, that looks too small for a BMP, I shoulda countered road wheels and noticed the turret was too far forward as well- that is a BMD (5 road wheels vs 6 for BMP, fwd turret, smaller).

These used to be Russian Airborne only -but apparently Ukraine has about 150 of them, half BMD 1 half BMD 2.

So we are probably looking at troops from the 25th Airborne Brigade. They were based on the Soviet , the 98th Airborne Division, 217th Guards Parachute Airborne Regiment, thus the BMDs. "A company of the brigade was deployed to Crimea during the Crimean crisis of 2014. It became one of the few, if only Ukrainian unit to leave leave Crimea as a unit, still bearing their arms" (per Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). March 25, 2014.)

Interesting. These guys are considered the best light infantry the Ukraine has.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-04-28 01:15  

#3  Actually, that's a BMD, a vehicle used by airborne troops.
Posted by: badanov   2014-04-28 01:06  

#2  Article instantly discredits itself - caption of the picture showing troops on a BMP, which says "Ukrainian soldiers sit in a tank at their newly erected checkpoint".

Posted by: OldSpook   2014-04-28 00:59  

#1  But mistrust of Russia runs deep in the foreign policy establishment, where many of the players grew up during the Cold War. This has led to missteps and lost opportunities.

The author is suffering from cognitive dissonance. A "distrust" of the 'Russian' eventually led to the END of the cold war and the break-up of the Soviet Union. "Lost opportunities"...? Please name one.

“They do not think we respect them,” Graham said.

Quite difficult to 'respect' someone you cannot trust.
Posted by: Besoeker   2014-04-28 00:31  

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