Reality Check on Russia's SMO

by Stephen Lendman

Reality on the ground about Russia's SMO is worlds apart different from a daily MSM recitation of state-approved managed news misinformation and disinformation rubbish.

Yet once in a while, rare moments, a ray of sunshine breaks through the fabricated official narrative to set the record straight about reality on the ground.

On September 7, WaPo's John Hudson partially delivered an example in an article also containing the type rubbish infesting virtually all MSM reports about all things Russia and Ukraine.

He explained the devastating human toll on Ukrainian troops since Kiev's harebrained Kherson offensive began days earlier, saying the following:

Ukrainian hospitals overflow with severely wounded troops.

Large numbers are brought in "with severed limbs, shrapnel wounds, mangled hands and shattered joints."

The regime's AFU is mismatch against vastly superior Russian firepower and tactical skills.

It's been evident throughout Russia's liberating SMO — the equivalent of a top-ranked high school team going up against the Super Bowl champion LA Rams.

Ukrainian troops lack "artillery (other weapons and proper training) needed to dislodge Russia's entrenched forces," Hudson explained, adding: 

They "described a yawning technology gap with their better-equipped adversaries."

Because of how badly Ukrainian troops are pummeled by Russian firepower, "Ukrainian military commanders barred reporters from visiting the front lines."

One Ukrainian soldier was quoted as follows, saying:

"They used everything on us."

"Who can survive an attack for five hours like that?"

The casualty count explained by Ukrainian troops made clear that much more of the same is certain as long as one-sided fighting continues.

Soldiers "were interviewed on gurneys and in wheelchairs as they recovered from injuries sustained in the (failed Kherson) offensive," Hudson explained.

They "spoke plainly about the disadvantages they faced."

Countless numbers of severely injured Ukrainian troops "won't be returning to the battlefield," said Hudson.

A "a 28-year-old former construction worker lost his arm in a mortar blast…last week."

"He winced with phantom pain in his hospital bed…saying he felt a sting from the fingers and hand that were no longer connected to his body."

"They were just hitting us all the time," he said. 

"If we fire three mortars, they fire 20 in return."

And this from Hudson, saying:

"Ukrainian soldiers said they had to carefully ration their use of munitions, but even when they did fire, they had trouble hitting targets." 

"When you give the coordinates, it's supposed to be accurate, but it's not," said one soldier — in sharp contrast to state-of-the-art high-precision Russian munitions, able to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy.

And this from puppet Zelensky, saying:

"Ukrainian flags are returning to the places where they should be (sic)" — referring to regime troops entering a couple of deserted villages of no strategic value. 

And this from Hudson:

"Russian electronic warfare also pose(s) a constant threat."

"Soldiers described ending their shifts and turning on their (cell) phones to call or text family members — a decision that immediately dr(aws) Russian artillery fire."

"When we turn on mobile phones or radio, they recognize our presence immediately. And then the shooting starts," one soldier said.

For clear reasons, Russian forces do not carry mobile phones.

Overpowering Russian firepower shattered the illusion of a possible successful regime Kherson — and second Kharkov — offensive.

The longer they continue, the greater the Ukrainian casualty count mounts — while achieving no strategic aims.

And this from Hudson: 

WaPo reporters in Ukraine "were prevented from entering (a) village (allegedly taken) by Ukrainian troops and could not ascertain its status."

One Ukrainian soldier said seven troops were killed, 20 others wounded in his unit of 100 men.

A Ukrainian platoon commander said half of his 32 men were wounded, another killed.

Wounded troops were taken to hospitals throughout southern Ukraine.

The majority of regime troops are poorly trained and armed conscripts, ones rushed to front line positions to replace large numbers of dead and wounded.

Despite tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons et all thrown at Kiev since 2014 by US-dominated NATO regimes — and a three-to-one Ukrainian troop force advantage — at no time were regime forces to push back effectively against Russia's vastly superior firepower and tactics.

Never once since its SMO began did Ukrainian troops achieve anything resembling a battlefield success — just the opposite from day one to the present time.

The notion of Russian forces on their back foot as Ukrainian ones advance — by US/Western regimes and their MSM press agents — turns reality on its head and tramples on it.

It's just a matter of time before Ukraine's greatly degraded military collapses or stops fighting to salvage what remains of a largely decimated generation of youths.