"They're like smashing their heads against a wall."
If Leaf knew this idiom, he certainly would have said this, but he didn't know, so he could only say that those trying to stop his Black Box members with a few cars and a few people were idiots.
Regardless of the political significance of using fighter jets and armed helicopters in Armenia, to kill Yuri, the higher-ups would definitely agree to it, and would persuade other units to cooperate with the KGB in doing so.
Yuri was a traitor to the KGB; others might not know, but the KGB was acutely aware of the danger Yuri posed. Over the years, to cover up the harm caused by Yuri's defection, the KGB had always downplayed and disguised Yuri's role and importance, but now, the KGB could not afford to pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Right, Leaf also didn't know the idiom "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," otherwise he would have surely advised his superiors thus.
Leaf felt that air support was coming too slowly.