Vietnam won, didn't they? They got given whatever the USSR sent. One thing isn't going to tip the balance, but clearly a lot of things have. People predicted that the Ukraine would fall in DAYS. It's been more than a month now and Russia is pulling back.
Well, that's apples and oranges a bit.
These ex-German IFV's should be useful...but they are miles from state-of-the-art.
Whereas the Russians sent the NVA some of their latest equipment - like SA-2 AA missile systems, thousands of modern AA guns, Mig-21 fighters, modern tanks and artillery and ammunition/parts/advisors for all of these.
We should also wait until the war is over to decide what the Russian goals really were.
Were they to take over Ukraine proper?
If so - they look like they will fail unless they throw a LOT more at Ukraine.
Or was it just to secure the Donbas and a buffer zone on the eastern side of it to prevent Ukraine from continuing to shell the breakaway regions (which they have been doing since April 2014) PLUS scare the Ukraine out of allowing NATO in?
If the latter is what they wanted? They are winning that battle as Ukraine has already said they will abandon becoming part of NATO. Plus they are making lots of headway in securing the Donetsk and Luhansk territories.
On March 28, Russian cruise missiles destroyed a large fuel base near Klevan; On March 28, the Russian troops destroyed...
southfront.org
And now that Russia has pulled forces from the Kiev area? They can concentrate them in the Donbass...where combat is still going on.
I have no idea.
But it is hard for me to believe that Russia actually thought they could conquer ALL of Ukraine with the forces they allocated - knowing that NATO would surely render assistance (as they have).
Because it is OBVIOUS they were not remotely enough.
Time will tell.
www.reuters.com
