A New Phase of the Ukraine Conflict

 The war in Ukraine that began with a Russian invasion of land areas that were part of traditional Russia; in example, Crimea and later into areas claimed by Ukraine and supported by the Democrat Party and select European nations appears to have entered a new phase with the appointment of General Gerasimov to lead the war. Gerasimov is also Army Chief of Staff and one of three Russian with a nuclear football- nuclear codes, able with discretionary powers to use n uclear weapons.

Aftewr the Crimean conquest and years of increasingly tight sanctions with no end in sight Russia apparently choose to go whole hog and enter the dragon of full scall war on Ukraine. After the western response with loads of high tech military weapons and cash, information and all of its propaganda engines lined up in a row of resuplying Ukraine the counteroffensive occurred driving Russian forces back and away from the Dnepr and some eastern regions toward the edge. Notably Ukraine attacked point targets inside Russia. Winter developed and the realignment from what may be viewed as the warm up to the serious fight has shaped up.

Some say that Russia begins its war battles rather slowly. It is good to take them out in the opening rounds of the fight because over time their determination and stamina for battle may win out. Such analogies have limited value yet western leaders may need to set aside rose colored classess about the war of attrition where the Ukraine wins with so much support from the west with HIMARS, tanks etc and RUssian supplies are depleted and consider what Russian leadership might do in an existential conflict with the west.

Gerasimov has a philosophy of total control apparently that became eponymous for a doctrine somewhat reflected in American social media and the Democrat Party; the importance of controlling the information space and the real-time coordination of all aspects of a campaign, in addition to the use of targeted strikes deep in enemy territory and the destruction of critical civilian as well as military infrastructure."-Gerasimov. That is much like the Obama doctrine promoting homosexual marriage and social media attrition of conservative writers in social media.

The new phase of the war may be a more dangerous time- even as Russia may have internal confllicts and competition for leadership exacerbated by covert and overt support by the west. The entire affair reminds me a little of the true story of a skydiver whose parachute and reserve didn't deploy and yet photographed himself and the ground as he fell to Earth.