Putin was a nobody who suddenly became president. This does not happen unless the KGB gives it the green light. He is a useful fanatic. He will be gone when he is no longer useful.
Figures of the complete work of the Ukrainian air defense on the attack not released yet but a significant number of the missiles from putin have been reported as having been intercepted:
One got through and hit a blood transfusion centre, reports of injured and dead.
Think that was the ammo transport cargo ship that got hit
Estimated 50% casualty rate among Russian paratroopers sent to Ukraine. This is Russia's elite force.
this is quite cool
Imagine how morally you would have to be to support Russian imperialism.
Russian missile hits Ukrainian blood transfusion centre
https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2023/0806/1398405-ukraine/
Monument in Kyiv has a makeover 😁
Fair play. Why just settle with just a regular middle finger to the Russian’s legacy, when you can install a massive cast-iron one for everyone to see. Nicely done :)
Darth Lenin: Join meee and we can rule the Baltics as Chairman and Secretariat!
Cool but done in 2015.
Watch that monument become a target now. Suppose its better than them targeting civilians.
On another note, reports that the Chongar bridge has been hit again.
Edit - just to clarify, there is no supposed about it.
Here we go again
They ain't elite if they have a casualty rate that high. Can you imagine elite British and American troops losing anything close to that figure in a war. It's very embarrassing for Russia .
Against, what was in essence, a home guard and reservist force.
...
If anyone is curious, the official total of deaths for the US Army in WW2 (07DEC1941-31DEC1946 (yes 46, that's the report)) is 234,374 dead in all theaters, to include those missing and declared dead (6,058) and 9,504 killed in accidents/illness/non-battle incidents.
That also includes all those bomber and fighter crews, as the US Air Force didn't exist yet, the US Army Air Forces were, as the name implies, part of the Army.
It's depressing seeing no movement at all from the counter offensive. Don't know whether it's tactics, competence or just how fortified Russia has made it's occupied territory.
The Kremlin spokesman Peskov was quoted in the NYT this morning as saying Russia does not want more territory and will hold what it has.
That means one way or another Ukraine needs a serious break through in the Russian lines and there is no sign so far they are capable of doing that. Two months in and the map is exactly the same.
Everytime Ukraine take out or damages a military target, Russia retaliates and targets civilians .
***does not want more territory yet
Because they're struggling to hold what they have currently
I guess it's always possible Russia reaches breaking point and they make the breakthrough. Ukraine only need to get halfway to the sea of Azov and it would be game over as everything in the land bridge would be easily hit. Much easier said than done. Every week that passes gives me less hope it will happen. Russia need's to hold out until about the end of October and Ukraine will have to wait another year.
IMO if Ukraine can't breakthrough they should still attack but on a smaller scale and only where it seems favourable even if that only means tiny gains. Save your best soldiers for another year when you'll hopefully have more western artillery, more long range missile's and western fighter jets. And most importantly more demining equipment.
Pretty depressing situation and Russia will go all out trying to hold on until after the US elections. That's their target date and if trump gets in they'll be able to repell Ukraine.
The Kremlin going, "well we don't even WANT anymore of Ukraine anyway", has to take the award for the most hilarious bit of immature geopolitical flouncing I've heard in years.
Sure Moscow. Cos you're the ones calling the shots.
On track to succeed the day Ireland gets booted out of the Single Market.
But they have recaptured territory therefore you are incorrect in saying that the map is exactly the same.
Why so depressed? It's sad to see Ukrainian military and civilians die and get horribly injured alright but the realists among us, can also perceive that Ukraine is causing real hardship for the Russian military - the death and maiming of many of their military, the destruction of their supplies, the slow strangulation of Crimea, the impact of war brought to the Russian capital, demonstrating the potential to cripple Russian navy and merchant shipping, the slow crumbling of the Russian economy and currency, the campaigns to render Russian cultural & sporting icons as pariahs to their own people. Russia and Putin lost this war early last year, it's just a matter of time - so cheer up.
Things are still intensifying.
4 of the 9 NATO trained/equipped brigades are now deployed in the Robotyne sector, that is up from 2 a few weeks ago.
Russia launched its largest missile strike since the start of the war. Ukraine has been launching many of the 50 SCALP missile donated to it.
It's shaping up that the biggest battle of the year will be fought sometime soon.
There's about two months until the Autumn mud season starts. We will know then whether Ukraine has achieved a strategic goal or not.
You aren't "depressed" in the slightest.
Ukraine has liberated around 250 square km of highly defended, heavily mined territory since this counter-offensive started. It's slow progress, but to be expected, and causing high attrition on the Russian side.
Not sure how you have missed the fact that Ukraine has regained some territory since their counter offensive started. Their tactics seem to be working well to kill lots of putin's army that has invaded their country and they look set to have liquidated over a quarter of a million of them soon if not already. Your claim that Ukraine needs a break through is just a putin propaganda lie to try appeal to people' wishful thinking that the terrible war he started in Ukraine will stop soon. Support for Ukraine will continue without fail and putin will get far more moskovytes killed in Ukraine than have already lost their lives there.
Seems to me that even without a clean breakthrough the fact so many moskovytes are being made to pay for their crimes in Ukraine with their lives daily would be some consolation to the forces of Ukraine who will liberate their country even if it takes some time to do so. Here's an update from Ukraine on how much they have moved to deplete putler's army since their invasion last year. The fact putin supporters see a muppett like Trump with his multiple pending convictions getting re elected to government in one of Ukraine's supporting countries as somehow a life line to their war of conquest shows how little hope they have for success.
Another point to help ease your depressing thoughts Kermit is we shouldn't have to wait too much longer for the Abrams. Last I read was that it looked like it would be September when they'd be ready.
Russian 152 mm artillery down 75%
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The Royal United Services Institute noted that a lack of 152 mm ammunition and replacement barrels was driving a shift from a primary reliance on 152 mm howitzers to increasing use of mortars to replace shortfalls in firepower. This mirrors reports from the frontlines, such as from Ukrainian officer Tatarigami_UA, who noted an overall shift in Russian tactics in February, when Russian units began operating with a greater emphasis on mortars. This also follows reports that 152 mm artillery usage had dropped by 75% or more.
Furthermore, Oryx verified losses of Russian artillery had been predominantly 152 mm artillery at the start of the war. The 152mm self-propelled artillery was the most commonly used artillery unit until May and Jun , when 152 mm artillery losses were surpassed by 122 mm howitzers and 120 mm mortar losses. This likely represents a significant drop-off in the number of 152 mm artillery being deployed, also suggesting Russia’s increasing reliance on mortars is real.
Of 152 mm artillery units still being deployed, an increased reliance on older towed artillery units, rather than better-protected and more mobile self-propelled artillery, has been observed.
Ukraine Update: Ukraine's war of attrition can break Russia—and it won't take years (dailykos.com)
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