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"On a knife's edge" is how one YouTube Channel summarizes the situation in Pokrovsk-Myrnoghad (P-M) area. Russia is still pouring in troops, losing them, and pouring in more. The Russians are "winning" by sacrificing lives for ground. Some Ukrainian commanders are calling for an orderly withdrawal from P-M while there is still time.
Russians trying to flank the 425th Regiment holding the gap. Some brutal combat occurring. As one Ukrainian commander said, "This shit is real, boys." Latest reports are Ukraine is still holding that line. We shall how it plays out.
Hooray for Norway!
Norway has pledged to use their national emergency fund as collateral against future claims by Russia who would sue any country releasing their frozen assets to Ukraine. This fund has right at $2 trillion in US dollars in it. Belgium has the most Russian assets in its banks and is afraid Russia will take them to international court in the future demanding their money back. So now, Norway is saying go ahead and release Russia's assets and if that happens Norway will reimburse Belgium and any other nation.
Russia has $500 million in American banks.
Putin is sending 50,000 more troops to Pokrovsk, or the P-M theater of battle. Ukraine, has, at least for the time being, secured Myrnoghad, and stabilized the situation in Pokrovsk. The Orcs have made no new advances in the past 24 hours. General Srynsk has joined General Budanoz at Ukraine's Operational HQ near the P-M region. These are, using a football team, Ukraine's defensive and offensive coordinators.
The 425th Assault Regiment has beaten back 19 separate attacks thus keeping open the gap between the cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnoghad. The Orcs have pulled back to lick their wounds, and, no doubt, get ready to try again. One Putin-leaning YouTuber is warning Ukraine and Ukrainian supporters, not to get too confident. He says Russia's big push is building and P-M will fall before the end of this week. This dovetails with the reports of the 50,000 new troops being sent to the P-M region. But, no 50,000 troops can move without Ukraine knowing about it. With recon drones covering all of Donbas and into Russia, and with US spy satellite data being shared with Ukraine, such a large movement is easily detected and tracked.
Russian sources have admitted to 30,000 KIA in the P-M theater since July, 2024. If Russia is admitting to 30K killed, that means the true number is at least twice that, if not 3X that. Several independent sources have already reported 100K Russians killed/severely wounded since July '24 in the P-M region. Those "severely wounded" Orcs rarely survive more than a month, given the inferior medical care.
Iraq, Zambia, and now South Africa have joined 40+ other nations filing grievances against the Putin regime for war crimes and breach of contracts on behalf of their citizens foolish enough to travel to Russia thinking they were being hired to work in various plants. An Iraqi, who was able to surrender to Ukrainian troops, was interviewed. He said he is a highly-skilled electrical engineer, with a college degree, went to Russia to work in an electronics plant, but was kidnapped from his apartment and sent to fight in Ukraine as a grunt. This is typical of many thousands of fools from various countries.
More hits on Putin's O&G and power infrastructure overnight. Russia's oil exports are down 30% year-over-year. That which is still getting out is at the new, lower prices. So, revenues are down more than 30%.
A heavy, and I mean HEAVY fog has settled over the P-M area allowing the Orcs to advance without having to worry so much about drones. Visibility is down to less than 50 feet. Russian officer, using his bodycam, is seen encouraging his men to advance into Pokrovsk while the fog provides cover.
At the same time Ukraine is evacuating wounded soldiers from P-M.
The P-M area is going to fall soon. Simply too many Orcs flowing into the fight from three directions.
More of Putin's infrastructure bombed into the stone age! Most notably the huge oil refinery at Saratov, near Volgograd (formerly known as Stalingrad).
Good news from Pokrovsk. The 425th Assault Regiment launched a counterattack on the southern (Pokrovsk side) of the gap and drove the Orcs back passed the center portion of the city. This has, for the time being, relieved the pressure on holding the gap open. Good job.
Ukrainians holding out in P-M area. Russians have opened a new active front near Hyaipole (spelling???) about 20 miles south of Pokrovsk. Two of the brigades, originally at Pokrovsk, have moved southward and are now threatening this town.
Ukraine continues the steady destruction of Russia's O&G and power infrastructure. There are daily/nightly attacks. Ukraine has shut down the oil terminal at Tarupsa, and struck a refinery in Orsk Oblast, which is 1,100 miles from Ukraine.
Back at Pokrovsk, the 7th Rapid Response Corps wiped out an entire Russian column, which included 2 tanks and 8 armored vehicles. Further north, in the wooded hills, the 1st Azov Corps, is slugging it out with two divisions of Russians. That fighting is a slugfest, both sides giving as well as it is taking. Latest reports are they have reached stalemate, but this after the 1st Azov units liberated about 30 square miles of ground. The weather is deteriorating as winter sets in. Roads are muddy messes, virtually impassable for any rubber-tired vehicles.
The situation at P-M has stabilized but remains a serious concern for the Ukrainians. The 68th and 155th brigades have still not been withdrawn from the pocket, which can close behind them after a few bad days. Many pundits are screaming to get them out while there is time. But so far Ukrainian high command is saying the situation is under control and those brigades can be/will be withdrawn when warranted. I hope so.
The 1st Azov is fighting in what has evolved into the "Dobropillya theater." Today they took 300+ Russians prisoner, the Orcs are giving up in many areas.
Earlier this week gas at the pump was around $2.00, now it's up to $2.35. What happened? Well, two things for sure have influenced world oil prices, and thus oil futures, thus gas prices.
1) China and India are rolling back purchases of Russia's cheap oil and replacing it with oil bought on the world market. Why? Because Trump struck a deal with both countries reducing tariffs in exchange for them to stop buying Putin's oil. This has reduced supply and increased demand which yields higher prices for everyone.
2) Ukraine is reducing Putin's oil infrastructure, and this week hit a grand slam! Ukran Neptune cruise missiles have put Russia's largest, and one of the largest in the world, oil terminals out of business, baby! The HUGE oil terminal on the Black Sea at the Port of Novorossiysk (heretofore referred to as "Novo"). This terminal, alone, accounts for 2.3% of the entire world's oil production. Not 2.3% of Russia's, nope, 2.3% of the world market. The terminal is shut down. No oil is flowing via this port for the foreseeable future. It is blown up! And any attempts to repair the damage will be met with more Ukrainian attacks.
Good job Ukraine!
Yep, I am paying more for gas at the pump, just like everyone else. Maybe this might motivate the world to finally stand with Ukraine and crush the Putin regime once and for all.
Very latest from the P-M region. Ukrainian troops are being withdrawn from the eastern most portion of the pocket. These are troops of the 68th and 155th brigades. It's a slow go, due to Russian drones hovering overhead. As mentioned many times, drones have forever changed the modern battlefield. You can't just move troops/equipment anymore without dealing with attack drones. To this end, Ukraine, like other armies will as well, has deployed anti-drone drones to clear the sky. These "hunter drones" are designed to knock FPV drones down. They can temporarily clear the sky allowing ground forces to move. But, of course, in this case Russia just sends in more FPV drones to attack and the process starts over again. It's a sophisticated "cat and mouse" game.
As of this morning, Saturday November 15, Ukraine is still holding all of Myrnoghad and the northern and western portions of Pokrovsk. The P-M gap has been widened and it's through this gap the troops of the 68th and 155th will be evacuated.
All of the heavy fighting is focused on the P-M theater right now. The Russians have basically halted, and dug in, along the front as more and more reserves are being moved to the P-M area. North of P-M, in the Dobropillya region, the 1st Azov Corps reports the Orcs have withdrawn close to 3 miles and have dug in. They have been ordered not to attack, but rather to dig in themselves.
Speaking of the Azov, one of the heroes of Mariupol, now a brigadier general in the 1st Azov, Propokenko, was shown on Ukrainian TV attending a briefing meeting with President Z. Propokenko was one of the Ukrainian officers, at that time a major, captured after defending the nuclear power plant for several months, and sent, by agreement, to Turkey to sit out the war. After Putin ignored Turkey's warnings not to violate an agreement, which Putin did, Turkey returned those Azov officers to Ukraine. Putin was furious with Turkey, but it was he who violated the agreement.
Sweden entered into an agreement to "sell" Grippen jets to Ukraine several months ago. This agreement is a joint project with Ukraine to build a new plant to build in Ukraine and build this very capable jets. This is a long-term project to provide Ukraine a supply of modern fighter jets. Sweden sent several Grippens to Ukraine last year as trainers for Ukrainian pilots.
Now France has entered a similar agreement with Ukraine with their Rafale jet fighter. Only in this case, the plant will be in France and be jointly owned with a Ukrainian company. France sent two Rafale jets to Ukraine last year as well, to serve as an introduction and trainers for Ukran pilots.
Latest on the recent Department of Energy scandal in Ukraine. The former minister of the department, Timur Mindich, has escaped to Israel where he has an estate. Ukraine is asking Israel to arrest and detain Mindich pending extradition back to Ukraine to face fraud charges. Israel has not yet responded to this request. As of this morning 23 others have been arrested by Ukrainian "FBI" agents and being held to face investigations into their roles in this scandal. Another source says Mindich is not in Israel. Mindich was identified when his private jet landed in Vienna, Austria several days ago.
Mindich is a joint Ukrainian/Russian citizen holding passports in both countries...and maybe in Israel too. Mindich is a known Russian "leaner" in sympathy. Some had called on his removal as minister of energy years ago given his background and political leanings. President Z had meetings with Mindich and was apparently convinced he would continue to do a good job on behalf of Ukrainian energy needs. Which, for the most part, he has done. This corruption scandal stems from Mindich buying/selling oil & gas on the side for personal private gain.
Russian propagandists are using this as evidence that Ukraine is corrupt and does not deserve to exist as a sovereign nation. First, Russia is the single most corrupt country on Earth. Secondly, there is so much corruption in the good ole USA I wish our FBI would act as swiftly and strongly as Ukraine's does when they have real evidence of scandals. All of Mindich's assets, his two houses, his Kiev apartment, his bank accounts have all been seized and will be used to recover some of the stolen funds. That would NEVER happen in the US.
The Russians have gotten a portion of the oil terminal at the Port of Novo operational again. There are four loading berths, floating docks where the tankers are loaded with oil. Two of those were purposely not struck by Ukraine because at the time there were tankers from Greece and Argentina at them. The other two had Putin ghost fleet tankers, which were blown up and both of those docks completely destroyed. They also hit the main pump house. But now the Russians have rigged up a portable pump and oil is flowing to the two operational berths. The Greek and Argentinian tankers have been filled and departed. Other tankers are lined up waiting their turn. One next in line is an Iranian tanker and the Russians smartly waved it off knowing Ukraine would strike that berth if an Iranian tanker was there. So now, tankers from various nations, not directly supporting Putin/Russia are being serviced at the two berths.Originally Posted by dawg80
When fully operational the Port of Novo accounts for 20% of Russia's oil exports and 2.3% of the total world market. That's down to 10% and 1.15% respectively. But the renewed operations have caused the price of oil to drop some on the open world market.
Ukraine needs to strike it again.
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