I think part of the problem and what creates these unrealistic expectations of invincibility is paradoxically the fact that Russian forces have been so incredibly effective and overwhelmingly dominating the Ukrainians on the battlefield. And it’s true that the level of military power is disproportionate but it’s not that disproportionate in a historical context. When the US engaged in its wars its enemies were way weaker relative to them than Ukraine is to Russia. And they have the huge advantage of waging war from across an entire ocean so their actual territory is protected.

And yet they still got 9/11’d. And during their invasion of Iraq there were instances when Iraqi forces managed to penetrate much deeper into the invading alliance forces’ lines, and they did it with worse equipment, far worse intel, and with their enemy having complete, oppressive dominance of the skies.

I sometimes try to imagine how these same Russians who are today getting so hysterical over every little Russian misstep, over every perceived loss, over every retreat of their own forces and every attack by the enemy on Russia itself would have reacted if they were alive during the Great Patriotic War. Hell, even during the German bombings of London after it had already become clear that they were going to lose the war. If the panic mongers and the doomers had been allowed to be as free as they are in today’s Russia it would have been mass hysteria. That alone shows you how much of a mountain is being made of a molehill here.

And i am not in the slightest discounting the harm, injury and tragic loss of life to civilians that these terrorist attacks cause. All of that is awful, and all efforts should be made to mitigate that. And i also know it’s easy for me to say this living in a country that is not engaged in a war with a terrorist, fascist regime (unfortunately we are aiding said regime which is truly sickening…), but if you want to win wars you need to think rationally and not emotionally.