> And Russia would be all too happy to assist them. Think the Donbass conflict in Ukraine, but larger scale.

Don't you think this way it's an even bigger reason for an rapid, overwhelming action to stem any chance of it.

Russia will not be happy at all to start losing more than disposable mercenaries for the first time.

It's by far the surest way to regime change Russia, without an open, direct conflict — to make Putin commit to a big war which he can't win, nor retreat from.

It's very important to make him to activate Russian standing military, so the people can't be made to "unsee" the fact of Russian state involvement.

The easier the victory will look for them, the more they will commit, the harder it will be for them to pull out.