In the information war, supposedly a Kremlin strongpoint, the Russians have been hopelessly outclassed by Kyiv, leaving Moscow to rant about Ukrainian “Nazis” committing “genocide,” absurd claims which are believed by nobody outside the Putinist camp. Ukrainian farmers towing away abandoned Russian armored vehicles with their tractors have birthed a prominent meme already. Putin’s armed forces, supposedly substantially reformed since 2008, instead have demonstrated their perennial problems of poorly coordinated attacks, substandard march discipline, abysmal logistics, and insufficient concern about civilian casualties. While this ugly conflict’s ultimate outcome hangs in the balance, it’s obvious what Russia has lost already, beyond lives and treasure.
So far, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offensive against Ukraine, now well into its second week, has not at all gone according to plan.
