Advice to civilian resistors in Ukriane, especially Kyiv
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- aggression of foreign countries regularly happen, did you remember Iraq with the lie of mass destruction/chemical/biological weapons? Afghanistan with the lie that it protect Osama Bin laden? Libya and Syria in a more "European" way (witch means a bit less publicly announced, with more discretion and low information). Ukraine is just the last one in a long row;
- in all west, and almost all the world, protests against neo-liberal govs have spread to a point that many fear (counter)putsch by angry crowds, now they are almost silenced;
- EU, after decades of push and pull, was about to consider Russian Fed. a partner, now they are back under the NATO umbrella witch actually is more harmful than useful for us Europeans...
- China is the actual winner: with Russia blocked by the wast China is it's sole strong partner option, and for China that means the ability to access far more natural resources from Russia and also far more hi tech military gear and skill, perhaps to a point of being able to technologically surpass USA, a thing so far impossible;
- with the war, hyperinflation, energy issues etc became "because of the war" instead of "to push the Green New Deal".
Long story short: most government of the world need a war, most people of the world need peace. But as always most people are unable to see their own enemy, not the other peer with a different uniform on the opposite side of the front but the one well at their own army head.
This very post is part of that propaganda: asking people to fight an in-winnable, and already obviously lost war, is asking to damage themselves for the sake of the west. Much like what happen in WWII in UE, where "the allied" decide to destroy anything, their own soldiers life included, to face devastated countries far easier to be politically conquered thereafter. If Ukrainian do want the good for their own country since it's evident that the war is lost they should not fight but instead welcome the winner and do their best to became part of it's establishment, doing so let them protect their country in the immediate from war destruction, in the short terms in sovereignty terms (anyone can oppress, but you can oppress more a devastated and defeated enemy than one that's welcome you), and in mean/long term sabotaging the invader from the inside.
Did you see colorful revolution? The so called "Arab springs"? Di you try too see the cui prodest (who benefit from them)? Well, now the plot is essentially the very same and the fact that the blackbird is actually black does not means that the crow is of another color. The very first thing to do to win a war is understand what's your enemy. The enemy actually is at our head as of the one at Russian head. It have a name: neoliberalism. The same people that try a nazi putsch in the USA in the '30s (JP Morgan -led), the same one that help original nazi even when the WWII was already started (from IBM to Standard Oil), the same mind behind "Operation Unthinkable" and "Operation Dropshot". The same who kill millions of Americans and British soldiers for their own profit.
The fact that Putin is aggravated and that Russian troops are stacking casualties, seems to counter your claim that the war isn't worth fighting.
Actually Ukraine was spoiled of anything by a small oligarchy that before was Russian backed and after western/neoliberals backed and both equally steal anything they can. For Ukrainian Citizens a western puppet-government or a eastern one does not really change much, BUT a physically destroyed country for what it remain instead of a just badly shaped one makes a big difference.
That's the same for Kazakhstan, Kazakhs people do not see any difference before and after the failed coup and that was not much start to ignite because of Russian evil actors nor western backed evil actors but just because of skyrocketed energy prices, skyrocketed because the local dictatorship decide to follow the western neoliberals ending price-enforced prices to switch to a free market: https://www.energyintel.com/download?issueId=0000017e-2c65-d...
The very same move by EU commission that skyrocketed the EU gas and electricity prices, blaming Russia perhaps to avoid much social unrest.
In the actual state of things Ukrainian can fight back better under Russian Federation NOT as a defeated nation but as a nation that freely decide to join and because of that demand and pretend a small freedom, slowly working from the inside to elicit more. The alternative is just something good for USA and UK who benefit from a long conflict because they fortify their grip on EU and justify they big internal economical mess with another war. All, of course, against our own people interest. Not differently than Putin propaganda inside Russian Fed. to ensure a better grip on his people against his own people interest.
Long story short: who benefit from that war are just the various form of dictatorship in charge in various part of the world, western world formal (but not substantial) democracies, more and more formal dictatorship themselves, who loose are the people of all various nations, more or less.
[1] not joking see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_of_the_People the plot and and who made it, Vladimir Zelenskiy, actual President, was the main actor, "the President", Serhiy Trofimov (First Deputy Head of the Administration) the executive producer, even Ivan Bakanov actual head of Ukrainian intelligence was the lawyer of Quarter 95 studio!
also there is always American gas (not sure if this is realistic wrt to volume as those who claimed that Nordstream2-critcism was an American prop to force us to buy US gas) or perhaps we have to rethink nuclear energy.
It is pretty unlikely that Russia won't retaliate economically and I can't see any way this continues and people would support EU governments sending money to Russia for energy.
Provided Putin's government doesn't crumble soon the gas exports are getting shut down one way or another, it just hasn't happened today. Probably not the kind of thing you want to turn off with the flick of a switch without giving people time to prepare -- there are probably many thousands of workers around the EU working out plans for when the Russian gas gets turned off.
Indian generals are already commenting on how the Russian strategy on Ukraine seems to be to precisely avoid urban warfare - "Psychological warfare, avoiding casualties: Why Russians aren’t storming Ukraine’s cities" - https://theprint.in/defence/psychological-warfare-avoiding-c...
If the internet comments romanticising the current conflict and encouraging civilian to pick up arms and become "freedom fighters" are anything to go by, our generation seems to be the least prepared for war of any kind ...
Hope is so important during a siege.
I am Quite confused why you don’t understand that?
1. Communications - Ideally a radio, or visual (i.e. hand signals). This way you can ask for help, supplies, or warn people of an oncoming threat. The better your communication, the better you can coordinate your efforts.
2. Choke points - Not just for vehicles, but also for personnel. Ideally you would have some advantage over the choke points, such as height. You are unlikely to have a long-distance advantage over a trained soldier.
3. Disable infrastructure - As the thread suggests, bridges, roads, trains, paths - anything you find useful, your enemy also finds useful.
4. Identification - Ideally you need to be able to quickly identify one another, and potentially somebody who is not one of you.
For offence strategy:
1. Petrol + <censored> (search engine) - It is possible to make a highly flammable substance that sticks to anything it touches. This is highly effective against personnel.
2. Burning barricade - For pathways or alleyways that cannot be easily blocked off, start a large tire fire. This location will essentially be unpassable until the fire is extinguished. Tire and oil fires are notoriously difficult to put out.
3. Sabotage - Sabotage resources the enemy may want or need (but make sure your allies are aware of this). Food/water can be poisoned, fuel can be contaminated.
4. Weapons - Don't waste time aiming too much. Fire in the location of the enemy and move location. A single shot, then move to a random location. The goal is to make them take cover and remain in cover. If you can, coordinate it such that as one person/groups moves, the others provide covering fire. You will need a lot of ammunition, even if you are highly conserving it.
Tactics to be aware of:
1. Flanking - If you are successfully holding an enemy in a location, they or other support are likely trying to flank your position. Know all entry points to your location in advance and have exit routes planned.
2. Large weapons - If you have an enemy held in a location and they are not able to flank you, the other option is using a large weapon. This could be a tank, launcher, air support, shelling, etc. Ideally you retreat before this happens.
General points:
1. Food/water - You will not operate for long without these. At least 2 litres of water a day and at least 2000 kcal a day. Ideally 4 litres of water and 4000 kcal.
2. Sanitation - You need to maintain basic hygiene. Disease will make you ineffective incredibly quickly. Shit when you need to, a common mistake is to wait for days for a toilet to be available.
3. Medical supplies - Ideally you have some medical supplies on hand. Most likely injury is to be shot or hit with shrapnel, most penetration wounds will not kill you. Blood loss is your greatest immediate concern to deal with.
4. Morale - Make sure people are paired up at least - long periods of solitude are awful for mental well-being. Be prepared for nothing to happen for a long time, then lots to happen all of a sudden. Maintain alertness and always assume the enemy is watching.
Best of luck to you all.
Dunno, wish I had his self-confidence.
He's literally both a colonel and a professor of urban warfare.
I also wish I had self-confidence to say anything that suggests that Ukraine reversed progress of German troops. It was Soviet Union that did that in an offensive which started shortly after the battle of Stalingrad. Ukraine was under Nazi occupation throughout majority of the war with one major nationalist insurgency group fighting both Nazis and Soviets simultaneously.
He retired as a Major in the US Army (he’s also a Colonel in the California State Guard, but that's less of a qualification) after 24 years of infantry service, including two combat tours in Iraq, and he is the chair of urban warfare studies for the Modern War Institute at the US Military Academy (West Point). [0]
So, when it comes to urban warfare, he probably has some idea what he is talking about.
[0] from: https://www.ausa.org/people/maj-john-w-spencer-us-army-retir... except for the State Guard rank.
I was not trying to say he wasn't trustworthy, I am sure he means well. (plus, I am certainly not qualified to judge his advice)
What I am thinking about is this: how confident can you generally be with applying your expertise/giving advice, when you yourself learn about the circumstances from secondary sources? I mean, he's not on the ground, but he confidently describes very specific barricade shapes, etc. If I were a naive protester, I could set up these barricades — and immediately interfere with the regular army, with movement of our own troops, etc.
How do doctors know about diseases they haven't had themselves?
Someone who's experienced one specific conflict, even first hand, may know less than someone who's studied a range of conflicts and derived and war-gamed doctrine from what they saw.
2) That's a massive accomplishment by the armed forces of Ukraine, but it is still useful to advise civilians and make them better prepared in case the fight gets to that point. They weren't handing out assault rifles to civilians for the lulz. I'm sure there are a lot of people among them who have no fighting experience.
I agree with you that if this goes on, HN needs to stop talking about it, or at least scale back to rare instances where something materially new happens. I think there's some room in the first couple days for these stories to dominate though, it's kn everybody's mind and it's tough to just shut it out entirely
"Please don't complain that a submission is inappropriate. If a story is spam or off-topic, flag it."
You should see reddit, the whole site is flooded with the topic for the 3rd day straight now, even cats subreddits for crying out loud.
I don't think I would be willing to give my life to defend a country unless against a terrible evil like the Nazis.
Live out your life in a corrupt dictatorship with bad economy Flee Fight for a brighter future
Look, good for grandfather, you should be proud, but don't piss in people making rational decisions in a completely different situation.
False dichotomy.
Putting words in the other's mouth.
> everyone who doesn't want to fight in any war is a coward and is to be mocked
was putting words in my mouth.
Resist. Whether that involves a Kalashnikov, or simply shitting in a water supply, resist. I won't judge you if you don't. It's your internal critic that you're going to spend the rest of your life with.
Some people have strong values, that they're willing to risk their life for even a chance to preserve. Some people don't. But if you're not, for God's sake, don't spend your time trying to dissuade and condemn those who are.
I just meant that comparing this to how someone's grandfather fought the Nazis is BS, and the people who chose to not fight shouldn't be judged by that false comparison.
Some people chose not to put "their country" before their own lives, and that's fine with me.
The millions of people who have lived in the countries from Eastern Europe, all of which have been invaded by the Russians at the end of WWII, have learned that being ruled by the Russian government, either directly or indirectly through their servants that are installed as supposedly independent local governments is far worse than being ruled by any other elite.
Not only the Russian elites have always been greedier than other elites, but they were not content to steal your assets, they also forced you to say all the time that you are happy about it, which was even more annoying than being dispossessed.
When the difference is between your elected government and an invading regime that's well known for being violently oppressive even against their own people - yes. Also, the Ukrainian people can easily see the how life goes for people who stayed in DNR/LNR.
You either fight totalitarianism or flee it; accepting it is a really lousy option.
The Russians have murdered much more people in the Eastern European countries that they have occupied than the Nazis ever have. If the Nazis had not been defeated relatively quickly they might have killed much more, but as it happened, the victorious Russians had much more years available to kill everybody who was believed as able to oppose them. Totaled over all the Eastern Europe and the various minorities of Soviet Union, many millions of people, mostly those being the formerly well-educated professionals of the occupied countries, have been either killed immediately or imprisoned, and most have died during detention.
The only difference between the Nazis and the Russians has been that the Russians were more careful to hide many of their actions and as former allies of USA, unlike the Nazis, they have not been the subjects of so many movies or novels describing their crimes during WWII and during the first decades after WWII.
Nevertheless, unlike Germany, which has apologized publicly many times for what the Nazis have done, and which has paid consistent reparations for a part of the victims of the Nazis, neither Putin nor any other Russian leader has ever apologized for any past actions of Russia. Paying reparations would be even more unconceivable for the Russians, who continue to claim that they have "liberated" the people whom they have enslaved after WWII.
I have seen nothing in the public speeches of Putin that would indicate that he would ever behave in relation with an invaded territory differently than it was traditional for the Soviet Union leaders or for the earlier Russian tsars.
Until the man himself would say and act otherwise, in a credible way, the only rational assumption is that an invading Russia will behave like always in the past.
Everyone has his own priorities and point of view but I think the only way a life is "thrown away" is if a person does nothing at all with it.
Everyone gets to decide how much they value the independence of their country for themselves. If Ukrainian choose to fight, so be it.