Daily Archives: 25 November 2022

A Plan for the Winter

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Mark Kimmitt (USA Brig Gen, ret) has one for the Ukrainian military that centers on resting and refitting for a major spring offensive. The thought has some merit, but I disagree.

Rather than using the winter to refit for a spring offensive, the Ukrainian army should use refitting-in-progress to mount a winter offensive along one or two fronts.

A drive through Melitopol’ to the Azov Sea coast would be one useful front; a drive to liberate Severodonetsk and though Kramatorsk would be another.

It’s true enough that the Ukrainian forces are tired and their equipage is degrading, but the situation is far worse for the barbarian hordes in Ukraine, and the disparity is greatly magnified by the winter conditions. This is no time to pause and let the barbarians rest and refit and get their balance back.

Harden defensive positions along the current frontlines….

No. Let the barbarians do that. But before they can, the Ukrainians should attack, not letting the barbarians disengage, and go through them like….

Of course this also puts a large premium on Kimmett’s other suggestions:

  • [West should] continue to resupply crucial equipment and ammunition, Himars rockets, and air-defense assets
  • West should beef up its support for Ukraine’s deep-fires campaign against supply depots, logistical routes, command centers, and second-echelon support units well beyond Russian [Kimmetts’ term] frontlines

And his diplomatic and economic suggestions, as well, which center on Europe holding the line against the barbarian’s assault on European energy and on tightening economic sanctions against barbarian Russia.

Controlling

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Naked self-promoting advertisement….

My latest (as of 22 Nov 22, anyway) Peter Hunt novel is out, available here.

Peter Hunt’s lady is brutally assaulted, and Hunt has to go after the mastermind who set the thing up.

Donahugh was involved in DPA Donason’s kidnapping and personally involved in her rape.
More quiet. Then Freyman said, “I’ll be handling the prosecution. Keep me current as this business proceeds.”
“Of course,” Jankuwicz said.
Freyman turned to me. “I’ve also heard about you. There will be persons to prosecute as this winds up?”
“Before I could answer, Jankuwicz said, ‘That depends on the perpetrators.'”

Jankuwicz drummed his fingers on his desk for a moment. Then he said to me, “What do you need from me?”
“‘Keep Freyman out of my way.’
“‘hat would be easier to do if you keep in mind what I said earlier.”

But that’s not all Hunt had to deal with. His pseudo-niece Trang Thi Thao is back and they’ve found a line on the…person…who bought her missing older sister, Trang Thi Khiem, for his personal use and through him they hope to locate her sister.

A thin mattress, only slightly more than a mat, covered in a dirty red sheet, was on the floor…. Suarez was standing on the other end of the mattress, trying to pull his pants up. He was still shirtless, his brown skin glistening with the sheen of his sweat in the light from the ceiling light bulbs. Bare light bulbs; the ceiling fixture had long since lost its cover. Clumps of dark hair spilling down over his ears from their original sweep back. Thick chest gone soft.
Another thin mattress, with no sheet at all or pillow, was on the floor, too…. The two mattresses filled most of the small room’s floor, leaving just enough space for the door to open when Suarez wanted in—or when it was kicked in. Half Pint was standing on the bare mattress, holding a small Asian girl in front of him. His bush of blond hair was messed and twisted. Big, striped t-shirt wadded on the mattress. The girl might have been Thao’s age when she’d been sent to me by Pilsner. She was pale and emaciated, so it was hard to tell. She was wearing a too-big, dirty, pale blue t-shirt that came to the tops of her thighs.