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US/NATO military options in the Ukraine:

It's contest for land grab. Since Russia swallowed Crimea, Turkey should grab North Caucasus (Dagestan-Chechnya etc). Gerogia will be more than happy to allow Turks to pass thru their territory. US & EU will covertly support the move as well. That could keep the Russians in check in all fronts (EU in the west & Turks in the south) !
Turkey won't do something like that unless Russian aggresion. Russia is smarter than that. It would start WW3 They know Turkey has finest fleet at black sea, Russian outdated fleet are sitting ducks. Turkey as has better land army at blacks sea. If Russia does something stupid I see Caucasus unfold. Turks won't stop at Caucasus. They will have to kick back Russians back to Volga river. On the western flank NATO alliance (especially Poland and Germany) in Europe will take everything up to Ukrania to stop Russian threat once and forever. Turkish fleet would be essential to clear the coasts.
 
There have been a lot of speculations about the Ukrainian military and its actual capabilities. CNN even published this absolutely ridiculous chart:


So this might be a good time to look at what the Ukrainian military really looks like. Needless to say, that kind of information is typically classified and I don't have access to any classified sources. However, I found a source which in the past has been rather reliable and who is well-connected with the Russian intelligence community: the reporter Evgenii Pozhidaev from the Regnum news agency. This is, according to him, the real condition of what is left of the Ukrainian military:
  • 20 SU-27 of which 15 can fly.
  • 80 MiG-29 of which 30 can fly (of a total of 45 MiG-29s were seized by Russia in the Crimea only 4 could fly).
  • 24 SU-24 of which 12 can fly.
  • 36 SU-25 of which 14 can fly.
The yearly amount of flying hours in the Ukraine is, on average, 17 hours, and in the best units 40 hours. In Russia the average is 110-130 hours.
  • 30 S-300 batteries of which only 3 are in good condition
  • 10 Buk 9К37 batteries whose condition is unknown
  • 41'000 soliders of which 6'000 are fully trained and 500 well-trained
    686 tanks, many bad shape, of which 86 can be considered as modern
  • 100+ heavy multi-launch rocket systems with well-trained crews
In contrast, Russia currently has 150'000 soldiers, 880 tanks, 90 combat aircraft and 120 combat helicopters deployed right across the Ukrainian-Russian border.
Bottom line: the Ukrainian military has a lot of powerful artillery units and an aging but still relevant air defense force. It can probably count on something in the range of 10'000 well-trained soldiers plus much larger reserves (ex Soviet military officers). A national guard of loyal Banderites of about another 10'000 men is in the process being created and this is the force which could be used in to keep an eye on the regular military and for punitive terror operations against the Russian-speaking population. In terms of armor, the Ukrainian military has many but old vehicles (MBT, APCs, IFVs,) protected by many short range air defense systems.
The Ukrainian Navy and Air Force basically exist only on paper.
The good news for the new regime is that all the evidence points to the fact that the SBU (the state security service, ex-KGB) appears to have switched its loyalty to the new regime.
Finally, the regime can probably count on 20'000+ armed thugs: a combination of the Right Sector brownshirts, mobsters hired by the newly appointed billionaire governors and volunteers from western Ukraine.
I think that a clear picture emerges from the above. It can be summarized in two basic conclusions:
a) The Banderite regime has more then enough forces to subdue, suppress, repress and terrorize the Russian speaking population in the south and east of the Ukraine. It's large and well-trained artillery force is particularly dangerous for the Crimean Peninsula.
b) The Banderite regime has no hope at all to mount a meaningful defense against the Russian military. As Pozhidaev put it - "the Ukrainian Air Force can only be considered powerful by African standards". That also goes for the rest of the Ukrainian armed forces.
The Saker
 
Palestine is the responsibility of the Arabs (Pan Arab nationalism-something Turkey won't mess !). Turkish interest lies in the Balkans & in the Caucasus. People of North Caucasus, Tatars are all kins of Anatolian Turks. Report says more than 7 million descendants of Circassians & Tatars live in Turkey alone. They are a strong voting block. Time for Turks to act.

Last time they were deported. Go ahead do it.This time they will be exterminated.

Turkey won't do something like that unless Russian aggresion. Russia is smarter than that. It would start WW3 They know Turkey has finest fleet at black sea, Russian outdated fleet are sitting ducks. Turkey as has better land army at blacks sea. If Russia does something stupid I see Caucasus unfold. Turks won't stop at Caucasus. They will have to kick back Russians back to Volga river. On the western flank NATO alliance (especially Poland and Germany) in Europe will take everything up to Ukrania to stop Russian threat once and forever. Turkish fleet would be essential to clear the coasts.

^^ this is very funny post indeed. But there are a few problems.Russian WMD arsenal .Plus it seems that the Turk has forgotten how much capable and mobile VDV forces are.
 
I will kindly request all members, Turkish and non-Turkish to please keep Turkey out of this picture.
If any Turkish government official makes an announcement about supporting one side or the other, then we can discuss in detail. Until then lets concentrate on Ukraine, Russia, US and EU.
Regards
 
Turkish FM made it very clear the other day, Turkey will not recognize Crimean referendum. Seems like Turkey may already have taken side. (on the side of Tatars).
 
Turkish FM made it very clear the other day, Turkey will not recognize Crimean referendum. Seems like Turkey may already have taken side. (on the side of Tatars).


Does Syria recognize the referendum in 1939 that partitioned Hatay to Turkey? :coffee:
 
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