[Goose]

There are reports that Russia has stripped its northern border with NATO countries to replace their losses in the Ukraine, including removing S300 batteries from St. Petersburg.  Putin has truly gotten himself between a rock and a very hard place.  It is going to be a very interesting week if the reported Ukraine advance past Lyman is true.

It is true that Russia has transferred quite a few S-300 batteries from St. Petersburg someplace, probably to fight in Ukraine. However, remember the S-300 is obsolete in Russian service. Around St. Petersburg they replaced most of them with S-400s years ago. Since Russia never throws anything away, they have lots of S-300s all over the country that they really don't need. That is why they can use a SAM in a ground attack role. They don't work well, but they have scads of them.

Russia has lots of military challenges in Ukraine but the biggest ones right now appear to be lack of troops (thus having to rely on DPR and LPR troops in critical positions) and extremely poor tactical decision making. It is interesting to note that Stalingrad was surrounded when Russian troops broke through Romanian and Hungarian troops used to defend the flanks. The Germans didn't have enough men. Russia seems to be in that position today.

[Goose]

There are reports that Russia has stripped its northern border with NATO countries to replace their losses in the Ukraine, including removing S300 batteries from St. Petersburg.  Putin has truly gotten himself between a rock and a very hard place.  It is going to be a very interesting week if the reported Ukraine advance past Lyman is true.

It is true that Russia has transferred quite a few S-300 batteries from St. Petersburg someplace, probably to fight in Ukraine. However, remember the S-300 is obsolete in Russian service. Around St. Petersburg they replaced most of them with S-400s years ago. Since Russia never throws anything away, they have lots of S-300s all over the country that they really don't need. That is why they can use a SAM in a ground attack role. They don't work well, but they have scads of them.

Russia has lots of military challenges in Ukraine but the biggest ones right now appear to be lack of troops (thus having to rely on DPR and LPR troops in critical positions) and extremely poor tactical decision making. It is interesting to note that Stalingrad was surrounded when Russian troops broke through Romanian and Hungarian troops used to defend the flanks. The Germans didn't have enough men. Russia seems to be in that position today.