Skillfully directed and targeted artillery is most likely 10 times more deadly than unskilled untargeted artillery. More bang for your buck. And in war, a stalemate is by definition a meat-grinder. War is hell. As for the West, Russia has the same GDP as Italy or Texas. Thinking that this very small economy is anything other than a small regional power is ridiculous. They are a minor country running on the inertia of empire that gave them nukes. Nukes which might or might not be being maintained in any way.

As for previous wars, that is a non argument. Iraq was wrong. Afghanistan was wrongly executed. Serbia I would say is more of a grey area. That was a mess all around. But regardless, this invasion is way worse than all of them. It is a naked power and land grab by a weak country with nukes. It has to be stopped.