A news blackout can be imposed for many reasons mate. But when effectively most western media outlets report what you tell them verbatim and have consistently without fact checking on a vast majority then what purpose in the modern era of satellite coverage does a blackout serve when it would apparently be showing great Ukrainian gains and successes.
They've been getting western arms and training since 2014 onwards btw, it's not a sudden reaction to the invasion this year just a massive escalation since.
Tactically more astute, not sure about that at all, the two reported military successes of Ukraine thus far are the so claimed battles of Kiev and Kharkiv - neither of which was actually much if a battle as in both cases the Russian forces advanced and held position getting the Ukrainian forces to allocate pretty much all of their tactical reserves to those areas whilst the Russians positioned to encircle vast amounts of the Ukrainian armies elite and best equipped units in the east. The battles if both cities was effectively a Russian tactical withdrawal from both regions with 'relatively' light casualties doing so.
Russian tactics 101 is the Russian army is an artillery army, both in Kiev and Kharkiv they didn't deploy significant amounts of artillery to either zone but concentrated it in the east - to great effect.
Basic warfare dictates if you can force the opponent to focus his reserves to a area where you are not focusing on then you've succeeded in the objective, the forces in the east where left short of reinforcements - running out of ammo and ultimately encircled, not sure how this equates to being tactically in control.
Look at the gains made with a force roughly one third to one fifth the size of the Ukranian forces again people seem to not realize this is not full mobilization by Russia, it was pretty much 100k troops (risen to approx 200k) vs a country that had I believe pre war 300k armed forces with a reserve of 900k which obviously where calked up almost immediately not counting the various enforced enlistment and volunteers since then
I'd argue hugely again st lesser equipped, the Ukranian forces have effectively ran out of munitions firball their Soviet era equipment which is still operational (major parts have been destroyed early in the conflict and subsequent months) what they do have is some very effective western systems but in no way the training or numbers needed to be considered better equipped than a force which outguns them 10-15/1 on artillery in fundamentally an artillery war (again the type of war the Russians wanted which alludes to the tactics part again)
Will Russia or Ukraine win the war, it all depends on what you believe winning amounts too for each party involved.
Will Ukraine reclaim all lost territory including Crimea, imo there is not a chsnce in hell, and that's a thought echoed by esteemed realists such as John Mearscheimer who back in February stated about any conclusion/settlement to the war 'forget about Crimea it's gone and it ain't coming back' - I'd also state that the Donbass region won't go back to being Ukranian - maybe a autonomous region but no chance it will ever be Kiev controlled again. (If it did somehow I'd actually fear for what repercussions would happen in those regions post that also).
Before I get labelled pro Russian, a Putin bot or apologist - I'll state the following, I hate war - it's destructive and the people who suffer tend to be the innocents most, but I do understand cause and effect and why this entire thing is playing out before our eyes.
I'll also say yup Russian media is propaganda (I won't even have it on in the house cos of the kids) - but I'll counter with right now the western media is not 'reporting' it's being used willingly so as a propoganda tool itself - but way more Russians I feel realise that their own media is what it is than do people in the west do about their own.
Grab a sample of media articles or reports from a variety of main stream media on any given day and you will see either direct reporting of Ukranian governmental department releases about an event (with no effort to corroborate before printing) or briefings from unnamed stare department officials, mod officials or retired military personnel (who are part of the corporate machine).
Hopefully it ends soon, as right now a proxy war does nothing besides see Ukraine and it's people thrown into a meat grinder on a daily basis.
