Mostly I'm interested in a clarification on Russian troop strength:
An estimated 35,000-40,000 Russian troops remain massed along the border, in addition to approximately 25,000 troops currently in Crimea.
Add another 40,000 Russians deeper inside Russia. And of the troops in Crimea, I think you have to subtract about 10,000 as Sevastopol garrison forces.
These aren't a whole lot of troops for a war with Ukraine. It all depends on whether the Russians expect--and get--a road march into Ukraine to some particular depth or whether the Russians get a war.
While we can offer advice on how to maintain, bring out of storage, and use what they have, it is too late in the day to bolster Ukraine's major combat operations capabilities with new weapons. If Ukraine survives this crisis, we can look at that later. For now, we'd be better off sending small arms and garage door openers (to trigger IEDs used against Russian troops.
