Russia - threadbanned users in OP

A bit, actually, yeah. I'd have thought they'd be fairly sick of Ukraine by now and would prefer to face down barely-armed African rebels rather than a HIMARS strike. Doesn't seem as though Ukraine has been a happy time for them, characterised by bloody attritional fighting and bickering with the regular Russian military.

I guess that that if Wagner reenters Ukraine, then it's full proof that Russia needs Wagner at least as much as Wagner needs Russia.

The story that Putin has tasked Prigozhin with finding and killing Zelensky certainly suggests that Wagner's mission in Russia would change from an assault force to something more covert.

Good analysis of the offensive to date.

https://youtu.be/8fR9HJnYXoc

Probably better armed and equipped now he's shown he could take bakhmut and a few weeks later gets to the gates of Moscow with little or no losses,as it stands Wagner are Russias vanguard forces going forward

I have not listened to this guy before, he's a Danish military analyst, its very refreshing to get a balanced opinion on the status of the Ukrainian offensive.

All that talk we have being hearing about for months is unfortunately wishful thinking.Ukraine still have a huge task to beat back and out Putin who will use any means at his disposal.

I just discovered it is the same Roseanne that was growling on our televisions some years back. lol. And she became a politician and she is still growling, lol. She's a growler. She's a growling growler, growling.

Roseanne Barr is Disgusting - Jewish Business News

Pavel previously called out the lack of ammunition for ukraine as a serious issue ,he's mentioned it again here and this isn't some propaganda repeated off twitter,

There's a real concern in what he's saying if major gains aren't made in the next while and they go into winter in pretty much the same positions and on the same lines ,this Will give Russia the chance to enforce their lines and Fortifiy more locations, they also have to take into stock NATO supplies aren't infinite and according to various reports Nato countries will need be restocked or put their own defense capabilities at risk,

Just looking at the list of vehicles being sent to Ukraine more Bradleys and Strykers going by the figures Ukraine already seem to have lost a sizable number of their new Bradleys which was supposed to be a game changer for them,

The next few months may very well prove to be crucial

Yes, he gives a very reasoned view on the present state of play. He also gives different view on the "Prigozhin Affair " He does not believe for an instant that it was a joint Putin / Prigozhin endeavor to flush out the anti-Putin elements. it was a full fledged mutiny, that for some as yet unknown reason failed, but is still very much a live and on going event. you can see it here:- Is there another Wagner insurrection coming? - YouTube

Lack of air support is probably the main reason for the slow progress of the Ukrainian advancing. So one reason why Biden gave the cluster munitions is that it will help make up for the shortage in aircraft, by supplying the cluster bombs, where a singe bomb can deliver 2'000 bomblets, and all by air. Imagine a few of these cluster bombs releasing their thousands of munitions over trench systems? Will cause absolute mayhem on the Russian lines.

Ukraine saying today it probably wont be until end of Spring 2024 before they get F16s. Ukraine is being asked to do something that hasn't been attempted since NATO was founded - advance without air cover into Russia's labryinth of trenches and fortifications.

Read today that Ukraine reached the last tree line before Zereb'yanka in Zaporizhia region but had to retreat under heavy Russian shelling. They have made progress in Zaporizhia but they need air cover.

A bit of criticism from the Brits?

Slight word of caution', UK defence secretary warns Ukraine allies aren't 'Amazon' delivery serviceAnalysis by Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

The UK and its NATO allies are not an "Amazon" delivery service for weapons to Ukraine and Kyiv might be wise to let its supporters "see gratitude", Britain's defence secretary has said.

In a blunt intervention, Ben Wallace said his "counsel" to the Ukrainians was to keep in mind that they need to persuade some doubting politicians in Washington and other capitals that the tens of billions of pounds they are spending in military aid to their country for its war with Russia is worthwhile.

He was responding to a question from Sky News about whether the failure of allies to give President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a timeframe for membership to NATO at a major summit this week would undermine the morale of his troops on the frontline.

The defence secretary said he did not believe this was the case, before describing how Ukraine is always asking for more even after receiving the latest batch of arms.

"There is a slight word of caution here, which is that whether we like it or not people want to see gratitude," Mr Wallace said in a briefing to journalists on the sidelines of the two-day summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.

"My counsel to the Ukrainians is sometimes look you're persuading countries to give up their own stocks [of weapons] and yes the war is a noble war and yes we see it as you doing a war for - not just yourself - but our freedoms.

"But sometimes you've got to persuade lawmakers on the Hill in America, you've got to persuade doubting politicians in other countries that you know, that it's worth it and it's worthwhile and that they're getting something for it.

"And whether you like that or not, that is just the reality of it."

Mr Wallace said you sometimes hear "grumbles" from American lawmakers – not the administration – about support to Ukraine that "we've given $83 billion worth or whatever [and] you know, we're not Amazon."

The defence secretary said he too had told the Ukrainians in June last year that the UK was not the online delivery service when it came to supplying arms.

"I said to the Ukrainians last year, when I drove 11 hours to [Kyiv to] be given a list – I said, I am not Amazon."

He also said he warned them that they needed to provide better training for their troops to stop them suffering such a high weekly rate of casualties as that would risk them losing political support. He instead offered to provide a training programme in the UK.

Meanwhile in the black sea the Moskva cruiser which the Ukrainans sunk last year has been replaced with a brand new vessel barely 12 months later....

Hopefully this one joins it's sister on the floor of the Black sea .....