Today, the group that never faced the army when they protested the evil elected government in Kiev, who do not have the support of the army now, raised a Rights Sector National Guard of 12,000, down from 20,000 a few weeks ago, and likely 5,000 max now, invaded the protests in the east with tanks, and killed people.
The area in the east protesting are about a quarter of the population, over 10,000,000, with the backup of Russian troops, supplies, food, fuel, just across the border. They are also the most industrialized.
In general, keeping one fighter in the field takes nine in support, and that fighter spends half their time sleeping and eating. Of the nine or ten cities that have renounced Kiev, who are barricaded in, have check points on the roads, only one had Kiev forces try, and they were turned back. They have taken over one small airfield, and have a long long supply line back to Kiev, fuel, ammo, food, and soon, medical support.
From what has been seen, they did not bring cooks, mechanics, medics, just gunmen.
They are way over extended just getting there, do not have enough men to form a defense, much less take cities in urban warfare. Pictures of them show old men, fat men, and what looks like the content of jails.
The field before them is prepared with snipers, IEDs, and bottles of gas wait for them in every city.
The airstrip will become their prison, and their guards will not feed them.
There were many ways to invade the east, but once one was chosen, there are few paths to resupply food and fuel, ammo, and the roads are not safe. Resupply by air is expensive, and landing is well within range of a AK 47.
Toss in an RPG every few hours, no one gets any sleep, and stir for a week.
Tanks and APCs are much worse than SUVs, and without a lot of fuel, will be abandoned.
Forty men could isolate this "Army", and bleed it to death.
15 Apr 2014, 5:31 am
