Is Russia starting to lose the war?

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/10/1122201033/ukraine-russia-troop-pullback-kharkiv

Russian forces withdraw from the Kharkiv region as Ukraine pushes a counteroffensive

While Russia's Ministry of Defense and the Kremlin have not officially acknowledged the counteroffensive, [Russian] Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed that Moscow's forces withdrew from the city of Izium — a key regional transportation and supply hub for the Russian military in Ukraine's east.

You know it's not going well for Russia when they have to ask North Korea for weapons and ammunition:

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/07/1121477374/north-korean-ammo-will-stretch-russias-supply-but-with-clear-limits-and-drawback

Not necessarily. Withdrawing is a standard tactic for north Asian armies, whether tactically Mongol style or strategically scorched Earth Russian style. If the Russians flattened the area they might not feel any need to occupy it.

@athousandyoung said
Not necessarily. Withdrawing is a standard tactic for north Asian armies, whether tactically Mongol style or strategically scorched Earth Russian style. If the Russians flattened the area they might not feel any need to occupy it.

Ukrainian forces enter key city of Izium in a sign Kyiv's new offensive is working

When Ukrainian forces entered the city of Izium Saturday, it was more than a major military victory. It was a sign the war in Ukraine might be entering a new phase, one in which Russian troops are scrambling to hold onto the territory they captured over the past six months.

Russian forces were forced to flee the strategic eastern city just five days after Ukrainian forces began a new offensive eastward through the Kharkiv region.

@vivify
Besides all that Russian high ups are calling for Putin to resign because of treason!
For starting that ill-fated war with Ukraine.

@sonhouse said
@vivify
Besides all that Russian high ups are calling for Putin to resign because of treason!
For starting that ill-fated war with Ukraine.

Wars make some people very rich and a protracted war fits perfectly. The USA took 20 years to get nothing done in the middle east so why can't Russia do the same?

Another example is Hamburger Hill in Vietnam.
Soldiers died taking a useless hill and the USA just abandoned it later.

So Russia retreating could really mean anything and we can only speculate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hamburger_Hill

@sonhouse said
@vivify
Besides all that Russian high ups are calling for Putin to resign because of treason!
For starting that ill-fated war with Ukraine.

@ccpatzer said
Wars make some people very rich and a protracted war fits perfectly. The USA took 20 years to get nothing done in the middle east so why can't Russia do the same?

Another example is Hamburger Hill in Vietnam.
Soldiers died taking a useless hill and the USA just abandoned it later.

So Russia retreating could really mean anything and we can only speculate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hamburger_Hill

@athousandyoung said
The USA successfully enacted regime change in Iraq and occupied the entire country very early on

@vivify said
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/10/1122201033/ukraine-russia-troop-pullback-kharkiv

[quote]Russian forces withdraw from the Kharkiv region as Ukraine pushes a counteroffensive

While Russia's Ministry of Defense and the Kremlin have not officially acknowledged the counteroffensive, [Russian] Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed that Moscow's for ...[text shortened]... ultiple nations lending their power to Ukraine. Now even Russia had to admit they're losing ground.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62874557

Ukrainian forces outnumbered Russians by eight to one in last week's counter-attack in the Kharkiv region, Russia's top occupation official there says.

Vitaly Ganchev told Russian TV that Ukraine's army had taken villages in the north and broken through to the Russian border.

The tide is definitely turning.

Is the Ukraine required to pay all of the money back that was given to them?

@ccpatzer said
Is the Ukraine required to pay all of the money back that was given to them?

Sounds like a con game to me.