Please use this thread to continue discussing the war in Ukraine.
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Original thread:
What Russia are throwing at the problem in Kursk are basically running away.
Looks like a video game 😁
it's not…. smoking aircraft was confirmed as from some PC gameplay
yeah, that rocket would have had to do a serious 180 to catch up. Physics doesn’t work that way.
On further, viewing I'm inclined to agree.
Is this why Russia are not scrambling large forces to try and take the territory in Kursk back? They probably don't give a damn about the residents there anyway.
You mean like the huge columns that were sent to secure the region and never made it? Could it be that the Russian command is paralysed by its own inability to acknowledge and/or react constructively to its strategic failures.
Everything at the moment suggests that Ukraine are continuing to make the Russians pay heavily for every square centimetre of ground taken in Luhansk and Donetsk, while preserving their own men and equipment; but the Russians are incapable of mounting more than a symbolic defence of Kursk.
Russia's best forces were eliminated in the early stages of the war taking land that they subsequently lost. They're now limited to using whatever half-decent troops are left to move in after the dregs of Russian society have been sacrificed for The Cause; meanwhile teenage conscripts surrender to the Ukrainians while the supposedly Fearsome Akhmat retreat as fas as they can.
Russia isn't "scrambling large forces" because they've scraped the bottom of the barrel and there's nothing left.
The next Ukrainian incursion will be the one that really shows how bad things are.
They are now busy scraping other barrels, no lack of “contrarians” and “conservatives” and “conspiracists” to die for Putin
Send Clare Daly and that other muppet.
Just seen today that a US based youtuber Jake Broe fundraised about $1.2m from his channel followers for 30 pickup trucks and hundreds of drones for front line Ukrainian army units. Great to see that private individuals are stepping up in this way to see Mordor and the orc scum sent to oblivion.
You really couldn't make this up!!!🤣
If anything Russia probably planned on attacking over the border into Sumy eventually anyway so no harm creating a buffer zone. I'm sure Sumy is a hell of a lot less vulnerable to Artillery strikes since.
Indeed. Pokrovsk in Ukraine seems more of a priority to Russia than their own territory in Kursk, which tells us a lot about Putin's mindset. Invasion and conquest at any cost.
I've got a list. A really long fukn list..
But you're doing it again. Ukraine losing above averge (but very valuable)
OK? We all know every single piece of hardware in this war is "valuable". Whether it's Russian or Ukrainian Hardware. Value doesn't know any sides or borders. It's just inherent. Every T72 lost, every truck, jeep, round fired, soldier lost, whatever….it's all got value. Western equipment was given to help the war effort, it's absolutely inevitable it would be lost to some degree.
But you can't wage a war and not lose equipment, and most certaintly not a major offensive operation.
Ukraine going from losing two tanks per day or four tanks per day in the middle of a major offensive into Russian territory isn't any sort of alarm bell or death knell.
Similarly, the fact Russia hasn't lost much equipment or manpower in the course of the offensive doesn't mean it's not a severe blow to the Russian war aim.
You are correct in that time will tell. Except there's nothing whatsoever to suggest that the operation is going anything other than extremely well under the circumstances. Russia is struggling respond to it.
It absolutely cannot be measured in simple losses because it's not that kind of operation. Ukraine punched a massive hole in Russia, for which it was naively not prepared and is unable to respond to effectively.
Now, Russia has to plug a hole, regain territory, divert forces from elsewhere in the front, Putin has another omlette on his face, and there's nothing to say that Ukraine couldn't repeat the same border excursion elsewhere, all because Russia was so unbelievably naive to think that Ukraine would never attempt such a thing.
This isn't two armies on equal footing. It's a massive army against a smaller army and it is Russia's war to lose. Ukraine is playing a smart war, and obviously some people don't like it but it's extremely effective.
Ordinary (half) Russian. This guy didn't get much publicity in the initial swap, but remember reading about his incarceration months ago and glad to see he was released:
Fortune says Russian economy is on brink
and
One of the reasons Russia are reluctant to retake Kursk is they one have one tactic.
Since Syria it has been clear that their M.O. is entirely based around using artillery to flatten everything in front of them. Not gonna be very good optically on your own land.
Todays ISW update
And
I'm not surprised that Russia is teetering on the brink economically, but they could stay on that brink for year or even decades ,
Where it"ll really kick them in the nuts is relying on black market and grey market imports, especially of any form of tech for their military,
And in a kleptocracy , the prospect for the powers that be , of years on government pay , without being able to enjoy the luxuries of the west must be thrilling .. 😁
That's always been their tactic, since the 30s at least and it's also the only real way of taking towns without catastrophic losses of your soldiers.
Saying it's going "extremely well" is ignoring the broader context and again just focusing on the short-term positives, the costs elsewhere on the battlefield are already clear. In a few weeks we'll get a clearer picture. Hopefully it will remain positive
Ukraine have been managing to take towns without it.
Don't think the Americans used those tactics invading entire countries either.
Also it's not working on the last point being Russia is experiencing a catastrophic loss of soldiers.
Their TV is already calling for carpet bombing of Kursk
I fully expect a few months from now the talking heads will be saying “Kursk was never Russia” just like they insist that Russia did not attempt the now infamously disastrous decapitation drive on Kiev
Twitter proving its value once again
The Russian way is always total destruction and their own citizens are mere collateral damage, it's how they act in hostage situations too, maximum violence, minimum concern for saving civilian life
If Russia could carpet bomb the front they probably would , they have the old iron bombs ,they have the planes ,
But if the started bombing they wouldn't have the planes for long ..
I've seen something about the Russians have had to start modifying su-24s to be able to launch fab glide bombs , because they're running short on su-34s,
And the su-24s are older swing wing jet , so much higher maintenance load and probably lower availability, especially as they're having to fly further because the more forward airbases are being hammered..
Russians losing conscripts
And equipment
And still the Kursk liberation area grows
The biggest difference I have noticed between Ukrainians and Russians from posts on this thread and elsewhere is that Ukrainians seem to have a great sense of humour whereas Russians seem to have none.
"Next to power without honor, the most dangerous thing in the world is power without humor." –Eric Sevareid
Not content to plunder everything they could in Ukraine, seems Russian soldiers are doing the same in Kursk
Another benefit of the incursion - Russia has initiated a request for a prisoner exchange for the first time according to Euromaiden press. I'm not sure how accurate that claim is but they're implying Russia must place some value on their young inexperienced conscripts.
Frontline report: Russia initiates POW exchange talks after Ukraine captures 2,000+ Russian soldiers in Kursk OblastUkraine captured over 2,000 Russian soldiers in Kursk, prompting Russia to initiate prisoner exchange negotiations for the first time. Ukrainian Military Intelligence prioritizes the return of seriously wounded, ill individuals, and long-term captives, while Russian focus remains on conscripts.
Frontline report: Russia initiates POW exchange talks after Ukraine captures 2,000+ Russian soldiers in Kursk Oblast
Ukraine captured over 2,000 Russian soldiers in Kursk, prompting Russia to initiate prisoner exchange negotiations for the first time. Ukrainian Military Intelligence prioritizes the return of seriously wounded, ill individuals, and long-term captives, while Russian focus remains on conscripts.
Frontline report: Russia initiates POW exchange talks after Ukraine captures 2,000+ Russian soldiers in Kursk Oblast - Euromaidan Press
