Russia

Russians do it again! Some goofball commander gathered about 100 of his soldiers in an open field...and this time only 10 miles from Krinky where heavy fighting is on-going...for target practice apparently. They were new recruits and targets had been set up for rifle practice. Yep, they were engaged in TARGET PRACTICE and they were the target! Ukran HIMARS missiles struck after a drone had spotted them. Early reports say 60+ are dead the rest wounded. Warfare has forever changed and all militaries across the world have to adjust to the new reality.

#1 Putin propagandist committed suicide on a published video! Andrei Mororovo a very popular Russian influencer and Putin's biggest liar and cheerleader was so distressed by the losses at Avdiivka and the lies spread in the cover-up that his last video was him telling the truth, for the first time for him, and then blowing his pea brains out, wow! Mororovo had been spreading lies about the war and accepting official Putin reports as the truth and using his influence on social media to try to rally Russian people to support the war and to support Putin. His last video he said Russia lost 16,000 KIA and also lost 335 armored vehicles taking Avdiivka. Official Putin sources and the information the Russian people had been seeing was considerably less...MUCH less. Western sources and pro-Ukrainian YouTubers place Russia's losses higher at 25,000+ but the 16,000 Mororovo reported was much higher than what the Russian people had been told. Moroovo said he knew he would be murdered by Putin's agents after he released this video so he was doing himself.

Putin propagandists are in full damage control saying Mororovo had lost his mind (literally!) and nothing he said in that last video is true. Dennis Davyov, one of the Ukran YouTubers, says Mororovo's death is better than any Russian general's death since he had tremendous influence on how the Russian people were "seeing" the war and Putin. Good riddance.

Russians are making small gains in several locations along the front. They have mostly reversed the gains Ukraine had made near Bakhmut by gobbling up territory north of the city. The 3rd Assault Brigade was moved from south of Bakhmut down to Avdiivka and the Russkies didn't waste their opportunity at Bakhmut. South of the city the Ukrans are holding still, even in the absence of the 3rd, but the Russians haven't tested those positions yet, concentrating north of the city. Yes, as usual, the Russians are suffering heavy losses but that never deters them. They exchange dozens and dozens of their soldiers' lives and many armored vehicles for a few acres of ground.

Ukraine has run short on key ammo and supplies, namely howitzer shells, especially the cluster bombs. They still have some, but they are saving those few they have left for a more critical situation. This is not lost on the Putinites. They know Ukraine is getting low on a lot of ammo/supplies and are pushing hard to capture as much ground as they can. It is still winter and the ground is not exactly suitable for large scale movement of heavy equipment, yet the Russians are advancing in places anyway.

The Ukrans are building defensive positions further west, but still in the Donbas region. They look like the World War I trenches, bunkers, and defensive lines. I guess some things never really change. It has been widely reported that Putin wanted all of Donbas under his control before the March elections, but that is not going to happen. Doesn't matter since Putin will be the only candidate on the presidential ballot...I suppose he'll win re-election :icon_roll:

I don't understand what has happened to our world. There was a time when the FREE WORLD would not have tolerated an imperialistic bully like Putin invading a neighboring country. Yes, it is true, the "free world" is supplying Ukraine and mostly "rooting" for them to win, but...well, you know.

I also know the US is being invaded...hopefully that will stop starting in January, 2025.

Ukrans shot down yet another Russian A-50 radar plane, again over the Azov Sea. That's the second one in a month, plus an Il-22 radar/surveillance plane, plus last year the Ukrans destroyed one A-50 and damaged three others while they were parked at an airbase. It was reported Russia had only 8 of the A-50 radar planes, three have been destroyed, three more damaged, so maybe Putin has just 2 left. There was also a report about the lack of spare parts rendering some of the A-50 fleet grounded. Maybe Putin has none operational at this time.

At least one US Abrams tank was involved in heavy combat west of Avdiivka. There were probably more, or at least more in the vicinity, but confirmed video shows just one Abrams absolutely mopping the floor with the hapless Russians and their inferior tanks and armored vehicles. Brutal! The Abrams was attached to the Ukran 47th Mechanized Brigade.

More released video from the Russians, showing their destroyed equipment and scores and scores of Russian corpses in the streets of Avdiivka. The Russian officer (rank unknown) narrating the video is disgusted with what he is seeing. He laments all the fallen "comrades" showing some real emotion as the camera pans twisted, burned to a crisp, and blown-apart bodies strewn about. Then the camera pans to a totally destroyed building, looks like an apartment complex (or was one) and he moans, "For what? For what?" Clearly indicating Avdiivka was not worth the price paid for it by the Russian grunts. Better get used to it, because there is plenty more of this to come for the Russkies.

And, great video of the Russian A-50 going down in flames! You can hear "Oh my!" repeated several times by whoever was videoing the crashing jet. There were no survivors...confirmed. The jet was struck over water, the Azov Sea, but actually hit land, exploding in a huge fireball.

I don't speak Russian (po Russki), the videos are dubbed into English.

Putin's version of NATO is falling apart. Armenia has officially left the loosely united organization, following Georgia, Kazissthan (sp?) and others. Moravia has reportedly confirmed it was standing with Russia/Putin, but western sources say don't be sure they will.


And, some heart-pounding video released, body cam footage, from a platoon of the 110th Brigade, it was shot several days ago during the withdrawal. This was a rear-guard unit, and they stayed a little longer than they should have in the city center. About 35 Ukran soldiers, just a guess, and they fight their way out, being attacked from three sides as they made their way through streets, alleys, and wrecked buildings. One Ukran soldier is hit and goes down, one guy goes back to him, pronounced he is very badly wounded, and the officer shouts "Leave him, leave him!" Finally, they make it into a wooded area and hear heavy vehicles nearby...one Ukran soldier leaps to his feet and shouts with relief, "Bradleys! They are ours!" Not clear how many of that platoon made it out...but some did.

Sanctions aren't working against Putin because in reality there are no sanctions. Just watched a BBC report on UK exports of equipment, spare parts, supplies, etc. banned for export to Russia, so the companies simply alter the route selling the stuff to middlemen in India, Turkey, and a host of other countries who in turn export it to Russia.

Add the fact that stupid Biden has made Putin's oil more valuable and in demand due to restraints on US production/export and Putin has actually made more money selling his oil the past two years than he would have otherwise.

This is all STUPID! :icon_roll:

Two years ago today, 2/24/22, Putin invaded Ukraine. Hasn't worked as well as Putin had hoped.

Like many others, I thought if Putin really wanted Ukraine he could take it. Putin didn't go "all in" two years ago, opting for a calculated invasion force of 100,000 boots on the ground supported by his air force, long range missiles, and his navy. Surprise! Thanks to Trump providing real weapons to Ukraine, to Germany stepping up very quickly to supply weapons in the first week of the evil invasion, and thanks mostly to the gallant, heroic efforts of Ukrainian soldiers who refused to buckle to fascist imperialism Putin was stifled.

Want to post this again, such that their sacrifice not be forgotten... in the first week of the invasion, supported by pro-Putin militias in Donbas, the Russkies swept through the three eastern provinces taking huge chunks of territory, most of which they still hold today. Putin suffered setbacks at Kiev and later in the north in the Kharkiv region. There was a brigade of Ukran infantry near the city of Bakhmut, who were ordered to withdraw to keep from getting surrounded and trapped. Most of that brigade, numbering 4,000 soldiers, followed orders and pulled back. But 900 soldiers refused. Those brave 900 dug in east of Bakhmut and fought for months against impossible odds. Finally, out of ammo and supplies the survivors surrendered. Best sources say half, 450 were killed in combat, the other 450 taken prisoner. Putin has refused to disclose the fate of those 450 valiant soldiers. Putin has also refused to include them in the numerous prisoner exchanges that have taken place. Probably because they are all dead, executed by Putin's thugs. One source reported they had been transferred to a prison in Siberia, where, who knows? maybe they are still being held.

Putin knows those 900 gallant souls are true heroes, like the defenders of The Alamo, or the Brits at Rorke's Drift, and doesn't want them (if they are still alive) paraded in front of the world, hailed as heroes. But, the world would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge their heroic stand and forever remember them as first to refuse to buckle to Putin's evil invasion.

Now two years later, here we are, and Putin's evil plans to conquer eastern Europe have gone awry.

Bad decision! The Ukrans have not destroyed the industrial plant at Avdiivka because they say they plan to "own" it again someday. Maybe, but in the meantime Putin has exactly what he wanted all along. There has been damage to the plant(s) during the fighting, but apparently nothing so serious that it can't be repaired and made fully operational again. Or, maybe the Ukrans will allow the Putinites to make the repairs and just before it starts operating, BAM! nail it with cruise missiles. I hope so. Otherwise, that's just being stupid.

While the Ukrans are allowing Putin to have the plants at Avdiivka (at least for the time being) they continue to destroy industrial sites in Russia. Yesterday a steel mill was targeted by Ukran drones. Lots of damage, fires still raging out of control, and many injuries (deaths too) occurred. How bad is it and is the mill knocked out, too early to tell. Hopefully Putin has lost the use of that steel mill because 90% of the material was being shipped to Putin's tank/armored vehicle plant. Ukrans need to step up these kinds of attacks and use anti-Putin partisans in the country for sabotage too. Attack Putin's war industry.

Of course, it would help if the so-called "allies" of Ukraine would actually enforce the sanctions. Right now western governments are looking the other way as their domestic businesses go through the back door, as I posted above.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

While the Ukrans are allowing Putin to have the plants at Avdiivka (at least for the time being) they continue to destroy industrial sites in Russia. Yesterday a steel mill was targeted by Ukran drones. Lots of damage, fires still raging out of control, and many injuries (deaths too) occurred. How bad is it and is the mill knocked out, too early to tell. Hopefully Putin has lost the use of that steel mill because 90% of the material was being shipped to Putin's tank/armored vehicle plant. Ukrans need to step up these kinds of attacks and use anti-Putin partisans in the country for sabotage too. Attack Putin's war industry.

Of course, it would help if the so-called "allies" of Ukraine would actually enforce the sanctions. Right now western governments are looking the other way as their domestic businesses go through the back door, as I posted above.

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Steel mill is located in Lipetsk, an industrial city with many plants, factories, mills and has been the target of multiple Ukran attacks recently. The regional governor of which Lipetsk is a part, went on TV and tried to assure the public that the damage was minimal at the steel mill and the fires were isolated and under control. Well, too bad for that moron who thinks he is still living in the days of a few TV networks under the control of the central government and information was totally controlled. Even in Putin's Russia social media exists and several released videos via social media tell a different story about the damage to the steel mill. It's hard to tell exactly what has happened at the mill from those videos, shot by panicked workers/nearby residents, but what is very clear is the fires are not isolated and definitely not under control, at least not last night when those videos were shot.

Ukran Special Intelligence and Operations took credit for the drone attack at the steel mill and vow to keep attacking Putin's war industry. That mill is owned by one the oligarchs, who is one of Putin's few friends he has left.

Unconfirmed reports that the Ukrans have sunk another Russian ship, this one a guided-missile frigate, near Crimea. Nothing being reported by the official Russian channels. But, the Ukrans have never claimed such a thing before unless it was true, since it can be so easily debunked if not true. We'll see.

Still nothing more on the reported sunk Russian frigate this morning. So....

Ukrans release official casualty numbers for the first time. On the 2nd anniversary of the war President Z held a press conference where he discussed the situation and announced OFFICIAL counts. According to these numbers, the Ukrans have suffered 31,000 KIA and another 72,000 wounded/captured. Of the wounded many, if not most, have or will return to duty. But President Z did not split wounded/captured numbers, so we don't know exact numbers. Recently, the evil Russkie thugs have stopped taking prsioners and are murdering any wounded or surrendered Ukranian soldiers. Of Russian losses President Z just said they have lost close to 200,000 killed and said no more on that. Western sources place Russian losses at 182,000 KIA and another 300,000+ wounded/captured.

Russians have really stepped up the offensive actions all along the front. They have garnered some gains in places, such as west of Avdiivka and west of Bakhmut, but as always paid a heavy price for it. The Russians have launched three large attacks trying to retake Robotyne but have been beaten back each time, again with heavy losses. The Ukrans are reaching critical lows in artillery shells, which has been their #1 best weapon to contain Russian advances. They have stopped using the cluster bomb shells, which have been very effective, holding their remaining inventory for some critical time....what, in defense of Kiev?

There are 17 nations who are supplying Ukraine in some fashion, but without US support, which has been idled, the future is bleak for Ukraine. Pro-Putinites in Poland continue to block the border and disrupt the movement of military supplies in and products, especially grain, out. The Polish government refuses to intervene saying the "people" have a right to protest. Yesterday a train carrying millions of tons of Ukrainian grain was stopped and all the grain dumped on the ground. Ukraine is being increasingly isolated, left on its own, as support for them wanes worldwide. The world has tired of the war and just want it to be over. The Ukrainians agree! but they want the invaders out of their country first. If the world decides they are done supporting Ukraine, Putin will take it all, he will murder every government official, and their families, that he can capture. The evil invaders are murdering Ukrainians in occupied territory right now. This is genocide! Anyone, any person, any nation who turns a blind eye to this, shrugs it off, had better NEVER mention Hitler and his NAZIs as being some "evil" regime in history, because Putin is exactly the same and is committing atrocities right now in 2024.

Moldovia is in talks to join both the EU and NATO, and Putin is pissed and is threatening to invade that country before they can join. Right! these threats will compel a nation not to want to join NATO. It's crap like that, and his evil invasion of Ukraine, that is driving all these nations...tiny, defenseless countries...to want to join NATO (and the EU). Has the rest of the world woken up yet to the true evil nature of Putin? That bastard needs to be taken out, and hopefully his own people will. In the meantime, it is past time to play hardball with the asshole and crush his pathetic army in Ukraine.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Unconfirmed reports that the Ukrans have sunk another Russian ship, this one a guided-missile frigate, near Crimea. Nothing being reported by the official Russian channels. But, the Ukrans have never claimed such a thing before unless it was true, since it can be so easily debunked if not true. We'll see.

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Now the Putin propagandists are claiming an Abrams tank has been knocked out. Not much on details, so it is probably BS. Not that it can't happen because the Ukrans have lost 3 or 4 Leopards and one Challenger tank. No tank is invincible.

The BBC owned Telegraph Channel is reporting an Abrams has been severely damaged, apparently struck by a Lancet drone, which is Russia's best kamikaze drone. The ammo blew but as the Abrams is designed to channel the explosion outward, away from the crew, faster than a deploying air bag in your car, the crew survived. The tank has been disabled and abandoned in an open field, the crew, two wounded, made their way to safety. Neither side has dared to approach the tank as they would come under attack. So, for now, the tank sits. This occurred west of Stepove, a small village northwest of Avdiivka. The Ukrans will either retrieve the tank or finish it off denying it falling into Russian hands.

Yes, the Putinites are giddy with delight. You see, they are saying, American equipment is not any good. Except the Bradley Fighting Machine has been kicking their asses, and this Abrams took out a whole column of Russian tanks and APCs just yesterday. Warfare has changed...drones rule the modern battlefield.