[Goose]

Lots of videos of Russian airstrikes on front line Ukrainian cities, with continuous Russian drone overhead footage. Air defenses are clearly diminished and no longer providing the same coverage they did even a month ago.

I am not so sure it is mostly air defenses being diminished. Ukraine never had a very robust air defense. They are probably running very low on Patriot missiles, but IMO the main difference is that the Russian air force is finally getting off their dead ass. Having JDAM style weapons really helps, and you don't need great accuracy when your target is a city. Ukraine has way too few SAMs and virtually no remaining air force, having started with a small and old one two years ago.

This may be a reason for the Biden administration releasing "emergency" funds to rehab some of the HAWK batteries given to Ukraine. This HAWK thing has been going on for literally a year, at least. Once again, much too little and certainly very, very late. The US is getting eaten alive because we don't move "at the speed of war". Neither does Russia, but they are faster than we are in adapting to the situations they face. God help us if we have to fight a "real" war with a near-peer competitor. We are real good at "playing down to our competition", but it seems we are today playing well below it. Sickening.

[Goose]

Lots of videos of Russian airstrikes on front line Ukrainian cities, with continuous Russian drone overhead footage. Air defenses are clearly diminished and no longer providing the same coverage they did even a month ago.

I am not so sure it is mostly air defenses being diminished. Ukraine never had a very robust air defense. They are probably running very low on Patriot missiles, but IMO the main difference is that the Russian air force is finally getting off their dead ass. Having JDAM style weapons really helps, and you don't need great accuracy when your target is a city. Ukraine has way too few SAMs and virtually no remaining air force, having started with a small and old one two years ago.

This may be a reason for the Biden administration releasing "emergency" funds to rehab some of the HAWK batteries given to Ukraine. This HAWK thing has been going on for literally a year, at least. Once again, much too little and certainly very, very late. The US is getting eaten alive because we don't move "at the speed of war". Neither does Russia, but they are faster than we are in adapting to the situations they face. God help us if we have to fight a "real" war with a near-peer competitor. We are real good at "playing down to our competition", but it seems we are today playing well below it. Sickening.