Goliath not as tough as thought.
What I think the Ukrainian armed forces are trying to provoke is a redeployment along the border, a thinning out of artillery and air reconnaissance.
This is important because NATO style combined arms tactics depend upon strong air support, and the Ukrainians don’t have the necessary level of air superiority, and still are at a disadvantage when it comes to artillery. Russia basically is divided into tonnes of howitzers and mortars, an air force that dare not commit, and… cannon fodder whose only purpose really is to act as spotters for the artillery. At least that’s been my impression.
This is apparently becoming notably less-true in recent weeks, with multiple reports that the effective range of systems such as HIMARS has made the majority of russian artillery obsolete. It’s certainly reflected in the russian losses posted by the Ukrainian MoD, which show a rolling average of 20+ artillery pieces being destroyed or captured every day. At the start of the war, this figure was effectively zero for a long time.
“Advanced U.S. weapons systems, particularly High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), are causing the greatest impact on the battlefield—and may soon allow Ukraine to take the initiative. HIMARS have a range of more than 50 miles, easily outshooting any Russian artillery piece. As soon as they were delivered to the front line, the Ukrainian military was able to hit military targets at a much longer range than before. Within days of these weapons reaching the frontline, Ukrainians were striking Russian ammunition storage throughout the Donbas and the south. HIMARS were also crucial in destroying Russian artillery positions in Kharkiv, which in turn allowed the Ukrainian army to successfully attack in this region.”
Relations between the Russian Armed Forces and PMC “Wagner” are excellent. /s
PMC Wagner detained and interrogated no other but the commander of the 72nd Brigade, Roman Venevitin. Wagner and the 72nd Brigade shared positions in Bakhmut.
They detained the man, beat him, broke his nose, and forced to record a video admitting to firing at a car of PMC Wagner due to “personal animosity” towards them.
They accuse him of being drunk while doing so, speaking to him as if he is a subordinate. This is a complete demoralisation of the Russian Armed Forces who should not be any close to tolerating such behaviour of a PMC.
Always remember: any Russian claim that hasn’t been independently verified should be dismissed entirely. They lie, about everything, all the time.
That’s one group of Russians who captured some Russian POWs in Russian territory offering to exchange them for a Russian POW that was captured by another group of Russians on what those Russians claim to be Russian territory. We’re talking three different groups of Russians, two of whom are nominally on the same side.
How do you spell “civil war” in “special military operation”-speak?
[Edit: swap to translated video]
“Infant Swimming Resource” is what popped up when I googled “ISR.”
For the record, the Ukranians are not using poopy-swimming pools, nor are the recreating 1990s album covers, to defeat the Russians.
This seems more likely:
Sub-optimal inter-unit co-ordination, requiring clarification of the chain of command?
A state-of-emergency address by Vladimir Putin was broadcast on the radio in three regions of southern Russia: Rostov, Belgorod, and Voronezh. Listeners heard Putin declare martial law in response to an alleged “incursion” of the Ukrainian armed forces into Russia.
The journalist Ksenia Sobchak and the Telegram news channel 7х7 both report that the president’s message said the Ukrainian army had entered Russia’s Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions and that martial law was being effected in those areas. Residents were advised to “evacuate deep into Russia.” Putin also promised that “general mobilization” would take place in the country.
Officials in Belgorod and Voronezh regions attribute the broadcast to hackers trying to “sow panic” and insist that “there’s no cause for concern.” The Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov also says that Putin’s emergency address was simply a “hack,” writes TASS.
The full headline:
Putin’s ‘martial law’ address broadcast in 3 Russian regions. The Kremlin says radio stations were hacked, denies authenticity of recording.
The only reason I agree it must be a hack is that there’s no way Putin would ever admit it on national TV if it really happened.
From April:
