UpdateQuote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
This Russian tank is now at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
Printable View
UpdateQuote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
This Russian tank is now at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
Wagner Group leader Prigovhin sent a letter to Putin urging him to declare victory and end the war in Ukraine. What is shocking to me is the Hindustan Network, nothing but a propaganda machine for Putin, put out a video discussing this request by Prigovhin and admitting the Russkies have fallen far short of their pre-war goals and leaving now is admitting defeat. Whoa!
But, the Ukrans because of President Z, are not just going to allow the Russkies to pack up and leave peacefully. If the Russkies start pulling units out it will weaken their already shaky frontlines and the Ukrans will launch a devastating attack, catching enemy units in columns and not prepared to defend themselves. Then there's the matter of Crimea. Even if Putin abandons east Ukraine, he will not voluntarily withdraw from Crimea and President Z has vowed to retake it. The war will go on.
Back to the first point, the fact that Prigozhin is urging Putin to abandon his evil invasion is HUGE! The Wagner units have enjoyed the most success and if Prig sees it as useless to continue, then it must really be bad.
Russian bombers bomb their own city. The city of Belgorod, Russia is the latest victim of Russkie incompetence as it was on the receiving end of a bombing run. No reports of deaths/injuries yet, but drone imagery shows substantial damage to a portion of the city. Belgorod is 36 miles inside of the Russian border with Ukraine and is over 100 miles from the bombers intended target in Donbas, Ukraine. Not even close fellows! Bomber crews must have been drunk on "wodka."
Fog of war. Happened with Pat Tillman and the USS Atlanta in the battle of Guadalcanal (and thousands of times since then).Quote:
Originally Posted by dawg80
That said, 100 miles is a pretty bad miss!
Ukranian troops are crossing the Dnipro River. Only light units, no vehicles. But this does represent a change and a possible prelude to the anticipated Ukran counter-offensive. There has been zero Russkie resistance (so far) and these Ukran units are securing towns along the river and the eastern side of key bridges. Russian ships, corvettes and one frigate. were attacked and driven out of the Dnipro River several months ago. Since then, the Ukrans have commanded the river with artillery and rockets. The Russkies destroyed segments of two bridges, but most of them still stand. The Ukrans have been assembling pontoon bridges and constructing bridging materials to cover the gaps in the partially destroyed bridges.
Near Bakhmut the intense fighting continues. No significant changes to note. About 10 miles south of Bakhmut a Russkie suicide charge...4 tanks and about 200 infantry...was wiped out, and minutes later, a second charge was attempted, but it too was stopped and driven back. The Russkies have learned (the hard way) not to mass its units in one spot, easily detected by drones, and often attacked by Ukran artillery and drones before any attack could be launched. One source claims the Russkies have suffered losses the past 5 days of: 720 soldiers, 600, soldiers, 540 soldiers, 680 soldiers, and 480 soldiers, 3,020 total. Doesn't mean all KIA, probably mostly wounded and/or captured, but out of their ranks.
According to one source, which I think is accurate and unbiased, the Russkies have captured a section of the northern paved highway going into Bakhmut. Or, I should say, recaptured as they have taken it twice before only to be pushed back by a Ukran counter-attack. This is about 5 miles west of Bakhmut near a small farming village. If the Ukrans cannot retake it, a third time, then that leaves only one paved highway into the city, to the south, and Russkie units have pushed to within 100 yards of it in one place. At that point, however, there is a network of good side roads through a housing development still open to the Ukrans. Meanwhile, the Russkies are making slow, and costly, progress out in the countryside moving west both north and south of the city, capturing farmland and patches of woods. The front line is now a distinctive bulge which is shrinking. Looking at the combat map it now looks like a phallic symbol, with Bakhmut the head, if you will excuse this reference. Heavy rains are forecasted for the next two weeks, so neither side will be moving heavy equipment across the muddy fields. The paved highways will be the only avenue for moving tanks and the like, but there are bridges whose weight limits are not designed to support such heavy vehicles.
If this very latest information is correct, and I have no reason to think it is not, then the Ukrans are in real danger of being surrounded and cutoff in Bakhmut. If, a big IF, the Ukrans are planning a summer counter-offensive, and IF they can dig in and hold on to Bakhmut, then it shouldn't matter in the short term, as the city will be relieved with a successful summer offensive. All of that remains to be seen.
Why are some media types, namely Laura Ingram, advancing Russian propaganda? I follow 6 international news sources, one of which is nothing but Putin propaganda, and one is a "we're rooting for the Russkies to win, but here's a little truth." The others are all unbiased. And NONE of the unbiased sources ever, and I mean ever, report what Ingram is reporting. And it's not just Ingram, there are other media outlets doing the same. For instance, the Russian propagandists (Laura Ingram included), and Tucker Carlson is (was) another one, report crap like the Russkies are killing Ukrans at a rate of 8 to 1. Really, so when the Russkies lose 2,000 KIA in a week, we are to believe the Ukrans lost 16,000? Really?
You know...I am not on the ground in Ukraine to see for myself, and I have no intention of going. So, like most everyone else, I rely on reports and weigh what I do know against what I know about military operations, some based on historic facts, what seems probable and then look at the overall facts. So, if the Russkies are truly kicking the Ukrans' ass (8 to 1 kill ratio) how is it the Putinites are still bogged down TRYING to take one small city (Bakhmut) after 8 months of intense fighting? The answer is the reported kill ratio is a BIG FAT LIE!!!
Why (how) have the Ukrans been able to cross the Dnipro River, uncontested, mind you, and are now pouring troops across establishing a solid foothold on the east bank? Answer: because the Russkies have suffered so many casualties they simply lack the troops to oppose the crossing. Do you think this would be happening if Putin did enjoy an 8 to 1 kill ratio?
Then some Putin propagandists put out a story that a column of German-supplied Leopard tanks were wiped out by the Russkies. Only, the Leopard tanks are ALL still sitting at a base far away from the combat zone (Donbas) because the Ukrans are 1) planning to use them in their summer offensive, and 2) the Ukrans lack the transportation (trucks/lowboys) to move them, and they are reinforcing the bridges along the highways so as to support the very heavy Leopard tanks. The needed trucks/lowboys are on their way, some from Germany, and others from other nations. Point is, while the Laura Ingram types gleefully reported the Leopard tanks were wiped out, it is simply not true.
Carry on!
Do we need to give them more money without others giving as well? If so how much and how should we hold them accountable? Does it matter that our “allies” are corrupt?
Our allies are corrupt? Well, right now the US is corrupt under Biden et al. So, should we allow a tyrant like Putin to steamroll over a neighboring country just because our allies are corrupt? And, you didn't quantify it, so are ALL our allies corrupt, or just some of them?Quote:
Originally Posted by PawDawg
Pundits have said...are saying...that we are fighting a proxy war against Putin in Ukraine. Supplying the Ukrans just enough to NOT lose and to bleed the Russkies dry, damaging their military, setting it back years. Well, if I were to accept this as the only truth, I say, so? Now, some Putin propagandists, including Laura Ingram and guests she has on her show, lament the deaths of innocent Ukrans, civilians, women & children, and blame the US (and others) for supplying the Ukrans and causing the war to rock on so long. Oh, I get it, they think the Ukrans should have just rolled over and surrendered. Sure, there wouldn't have been so many civilian casualties if the war had ended in a month. Taking that to its logical conclusion, let's just surrender to the Chicoms to avoid civilian losses, you know, in the case of war.
Accountability? Between Biden and Ukraine? Surely you jest.Quote:
Originally Posted by PawDawg
Is Bakhmut about to fall? There are indications that the Ukrans are pulling out of the city. Reports today of demolition charges set in the ring of buildings the Ukrans held yesterday. Ukran units seen fleeing the city on the central road to the west. Russkie troops surged ahead to occupy the vacated buildings and then BOOM! This has caused the Russkies to hesitate to advance when it appears a building has been vacated. According to one source this is the intention of the Ukrans which buys them time to withdraw troops.
And there are reports of long-range missile attacks by the Russians against the line of hills most pundits think will become the next line of defense for the Ukrans. Seems Putin will soon have his symbolic victory, capturing Bakhmut.
The Ukrans are still holding about 20% of Bakhmut, the extreme western side of the city. The fighting is street to street, building by building. Watched a video of the Ukrans setting off charges in a unit of high-rise apartments, one of five structures in the complex completely collapsed after demolition charges were set off, trapping and killing about a half dozen Russkies who had entered it. The video shows three Ukran soldiers running across the interior courtyard of the complex, the videographer in the window shouting toward the three to "hurry." (it has subtitles in English).
I am still perplexed by the morons posting on a blog I follow who are rooting for Putin. Some post in various languages, but most in English. "Glory to the Russian soldiers in their noble fight," is an example of one such post. And it's amazing how far the world has deteriorated in moral values. 50+ years ago Europe, the world, would not have tolerated this evil invasion and nations with a soul would have rushed troops into Ukraine to save them from the invaders. Some cite fear Putin will go nuclear, but conventional wars have been fought in the nuclear age and no nukes were used by either side. I think it's a reflection of the moral decay of the world. It's the "Doesn't involve me, so f**k 'em all," syndrome. Yeah, the west is fighting a proxy war by supplying the Ukrans, so there's that at least.
Breaking news, the Russkies have now captured a point on the southern (paved) highway, meaning, if true, they have cut off both major highways into/out of Bakhmut. This was caused by the general withdrawal from the city by Ukran forces and it was inevitable that a section would change hands. Now it is said, Ukrans hold only 8% of the city. But, this source is VERY pro-Putin and has been a cheerleader rooting the Russkies on since the beginning. Most of those commenting on that blog are pro-Russian. Some still maintain Ukraine is a haven for Nazis. Of course that is not true, but what does that mean, exactly? Even if you are stupid enough to buy that BS, how would that manifest into a real threat to Russia, such that an invasion is justified?
The Ukrans are using a single, unpaved road in the center to move supplies, and apparently evacuate troops. It rained there today but the forecast for the next 10 days is mild temps, sunshine, no rain.
Pro-Putin bloggers are predicting the fall of Bakhmut any day now! There is very heavy fighting in and around the city.
Latest numbers place Russkie casualties in the now 8-month long battle for Bakhmut at: 83,000 KIA and 135,000 wounded/captured/missing. These stats courtesy of the Jane Military Research Center (British). Now, with these numbers in mind, remember Laura Ingraham had a guest on that said the Russkies enjoy an 8-1 to kill ratio. So, that means the Ukrans have suffered 664,000 KIA just at Bakhmut!!! Not once did Ingraham challenge that ratio. She just had that stupid smile on her face and nodded like one of those spring-head dolls.
Now, it is true, the Ukrans have been very guarded about reporting their casualties. Western sources, including Pentagon observers, have been issuing estimates based on satellite/drone images and reports from the front of ambulances and trucks carrying KIAs. The best estimate I think for the Ukrans in the 8-month battle of Bakhmut is: 12,500 KIA and another 35,000 wounded.
In the next week, most likely, the Russkies will occupy all of Bakhmut and the Ukrans will suffer losses, many captured, in a hasty retreat from the city. There is open ground west of the city which offers very little cover so the Ukrans will suffer losses as the Russkies blanket the area with artillery fire.
Putin canceling parades and celebrations out of fear of Ukran drone strikes on the gatherings. Also an admission that the Russkies are powerless to protect their border and airspace from intrusions.
Putin's PR office is preparing statements to be released to the press in the growing likelihood of an ultimate Russian defeat in the Ukranian War. This stems from the anticipated Ukran counter-offensive soon to be launched, and which the Russkies will not be able to stop.