Well, if you can't beat a determined defense odds are pretty good the guys you are invading will begin to return the action on you. Forcing the Russians to move their depots deeper into Russia is a good move. It's also a way to make the point that Russia is at war and that's the first step in getting public opinion moving against Putin. The next week or so is a particularly dangerous time as the hairs on Putin's neck start to rise.
Nothing makes you want peace more than long gas lines... j/k Not sure that public opinion matters much to Putin. He seems committed to getting what he wants.
Public opinion definitely matters. The people who might make a move on him are watching the masses closely. They're watching their bank accounts and what happens to other elites who get shifty but they're definitely watching the man on the street. This adventure has the potential to tip over into obvious ruin at any moment. There is no obvious catch point where things might stabilize for the regime. So in that reality everybody has one eye on public opinion. Today it was a fuel depot close to the border. Tomorrow it could be an airfield another 30 kilometres in. Things caught in an unhealthy balance tend to go unbalanced quickly when the fundamentals are poor. Ukraine's air defenses were aligned against the vectors the invasion might come from. Does Russia have air defenses in depth along the border with Ukraine? It's a long border and you might think they didn't believe they'd have to do that.
It's like someone here does not know how state controlled media works, let me go find Kim Jong-un's last 80% approval rating
Barf. KKK is not acceptable. Please drop it. And Acad. Leave barf alone man. - To Cool everybody down, I am locking this thread until tomorrow. @Petrozza @Cman65 Feel free to unlock this if you like.