I was astonished to see one of the Vindman brothers testifying in Congress wearing his uniform and insisting he be addressed by his rank about the need to impeach Trump as President because he (President Trump) was literally subverting the foreign policy that he (Vindman) had set up. Vindman was doing everything he could to get Poroshenko elected as Ukrainian president and Trump was organizing support for Zelensky who was at that time the peace candidate.
Astonished because the media treated the serving officer as a hero for actively, publicly refusing to carry out the directives of the President and publicly trying to get the President removed from office for issuing policy that interfered with his personal military objectives.
It is easy to invade Russia due to thousands of kilometers of flatland. The Russians know that as well. Hence they set up satelite states in Eastern Europe after WW2. However, holding on to Russian territory is a whole different story.
I know the Russian army had their issues when the war broke out. Technologically they were not prepared and it supports the theory that Putin never wanted this war in the first place. But one has to admit that Russia has been fighting a just war in a somewhat civilized manner (compare the civilian casualties with any other war), strategically and operationally sound with clear objectives and most importantly calm. While Westen politicians and media outlets were celebrating the downfall of Russia, the Russian army went to work grinding down the Ukrainian army piece by piece. Hopefully, this will end sooner than later. And if Zelebsky ends like Bandera, I hope they won't give him a grave, so nobody will celebrate this sociopath.
F.W.I.W. this article matches up with most of the reasonable reports that I am receiving about the Ukrainian conflict.
Vuldehar is a rinse and repeat type operation. The Russians approach a Ukrainian strong point. The Ukrainians rush in extra troops to defend the strong point. The Russians hold back on a frontal assault, launching a barrage of artillery, missiles, bombs, drones, for months if necessary, to decimate the defenders. The Russians will occasionally send in reconnaissance in force operations to test the defenses. The Ukrainians hold their ground and convince themselves they have defeated the Russian attack. Meanwhile the Russians employ what they call a cobra attack. That is a multi headed attack where they use overwhelming force to take over the lightly defended surrounding territory until eventually they have the defenders surrounded on three sides and fire control over the defender's supply lines. The Ukrainians stay and hold their position until the losses are so massive they have to run the gauntlet and try to escape. The time scale for such successful operations has gone down from several months to just weeks.
It is amazing really. You can see the process start and track its progress through the different stages. If you want, you can watch the Russians and the Ukrainians doing their deadly choreographed thing now in Kursk.(deadly for the Ukrainians)
72nd is a (neo) nazi brigade who have a large dossier of war crimes; they will not surrender because they know their fate. They will die either way. The Russians will not forgive those bastards.
Seems that Dima's account of 1,500 soldiers of the 72nd trapped in Vuhledar, with only a few small groups attempting to escape North at night, and half of those killed, was largely wishful thinking.
Probably a couple of hundred were trapped last week, and most escaped before the citadel finally fell today.
The Russians had fire control over the only road North, preventing any mechanized exit, and used flares at night, but the AFU still had a roughly 1km-wide gap along treelines, so maybe it wasn't quite as desperate as the last days at Avdiivka.
And maybe the last holdouts were trying to buy time for comrades to leave and to reinforce with other new arrivals the defence at Bohoyavlenka, while keeping Russian forces from moving on there.
Perhaps there was a bit more logic than most of us assume . The once strategically significant small town had already distracted and consumed vast Russian human and material assets over the 2½ years Vinnik held out.
Ukrainian defence has generally been incredibly stubborn, despite huge challenges.
Zelensky didn't want complete defeat and retreat from largely symbolic Vuhledar while he was shopping for Victory in Washington and NYC (his wife was probably shopping too).
We need also to factor in Syrsky's fixation on pursuing symbolic victories like a Viking sailor burning his boat or refusing any exit strategy or strategic bigger picture, not least in Bakhmut - which his NATO patrons think cost Ukraine the chance to break through to Melitopol and the Azov Sea last year: Compare ill-judged Ukrainian defences drawing away their best troops from more important battles, with no prepared retreat, and Surovokin's impregnable double line in the South, which along with Syrsky's fixation on his own Eastern command saved the Russian land bridge and so the wider campaign last year.
But... don't forget either that Surovikin was dismissed, Prigozhin killed and some of the best Russian field commanders disciplined for complaining about the sclerotic top-down management of the war from Putin's securocrats in their Kremlin offices, with whom Putin himself has often been openly annoyed, but whom he's needed to largely keep in place to maintain political control at home
I read that some are now calling for Surovikin to replace Gerasimov, amid fury over initial Kursk failure, on top of serious mismanagement of the campaign from the very start.
The development of more imaginative mobile flanking manoeuvres recently, after giving more initiative to field officers and leading to various cauldrons, faster advance and lower Russian casualties, is positive for the campaign. But maybe Ukraine is also learning from mistakes, as the best Ukrainian forces are now I read being replaced in Kursk by territorial cannon fodder before they're trapped.
Meanwhile the massive failed armoured assault on the Oskil line last week seems, on the Russian side, to fit the tired old frontal pattern - though opportunities there for penetrative manoeuvre are limited, and the Ukrainian defence of the left bank was better than the Russians expected. I guess NATO accepts that will be the final line of control in the Northeast.
Finally, remember that Russian-born and trained Syrsky, whose family still lives in the homeland, speaks even worse Ukrainian than Zelensky and Yermak, and is widely resented in his adopted country as following the same plodding old-school tactics as Gerasimov.
But then this is in essence just another messy lumbering Russian civil war, as Putin has I guess known since 2013.
Some commentary suggests that as one of the best and most widely respected AFU commanders he was pulled from the doomed town to fight again elsewhere, rather than risk capture, serious injury, or death.
Didn't know the 72nd claims association with the Zaporizhian Cossacks who dominated the 'badlands' of Southeastern Ukraine before Catherine the Great russified them, forming Cossack regiments still represented in the Russian Army - including the Kuban Cossacks across the Kerch strait from Crimea, some of whom still dress as a Russian Imperial Guard (!)
Again, it's another Russian civil war, not some fake fight for freedom (as rightwing separatists and their British, French and now American backers have claimed since the Revolution).
Nope, it's the other way round - Gaza and now Lebanon wars are needed to provide Congressional funding for the Ukraine war. Before 7.10.23, House Republican support for Ukraine was collapsing. Funding was only secured by about 20% of the funds going to the Gaza/Lebanon war and another 10% for Taiwan.
Anyway, the US now can't walk away easily from Ukraine because:
(a) the frozen Russian assets are no longer there
(b1) Russia will insist on a roll-back to neutrality for Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Austria
(b2) "..." unpacking the cans of worms with Bosnia and Kosovo
(b3) "..." provide a land corridor for Kaliningrad ending a land corridor between Poland and Lithuania
Draft the Vindman brothers and send them to Ukraine to fight the Russians.
I was astonished to see one of the Vindman brothers testifying in Congress wearing his uniform and insisting he be addressed by his rank about the need to impeach Trump as President because he (President Trump) was literally subverting the foreign policy that he (Vindman) had set up. Vindman was doing everything he could to get Poroshenko elected as Ukrainian president and Trump was organizing support for Zelensky who was at that time the peace candidate.
Astonished because the media treated the serving officer as a hero for actively, publicly refusing to carry out the directives of the President and publicly trying to get the President removed from office for issuing policy that interfered with his personal military objectives.
Send them, they will be buried on the third day.
It is easy to invade Russia due to thousands of kilometers of flatland. The Russians know that as well. Hence they set up satelite states in Eastern Europe after WW2. However, holding on to Russian territory is a whole different story.
I know the Russian army had their issues when the war broke out. Technologically they were not prepared and it supports the theory that Putin never wanted this war in the first place. But one has to admit that Russia has been fighting a just war in a somewhat civilized manner (compare the civilian casualties with any other war), strategically and operationally sound with clear objectives and most importantly calm. While Westen politicians and media outlets were celebrating the downfall of Russia, the Russian army went to work grinding down the Ukrainian army piece by piece. Hopefully, this will end sooner than later. And if Zelebsky ends like Bandera, I hope they won't give him a grave, so nobody will celebrate this sociopath.
F.W.I.W. this article matches up with most of the reasonable reports that I am receiving about the Ukrainian conflict.
Vuldehar is a rinse and repeat type operation. The Russians approach a Ukrainian strong point. The Ukrainians rush in extra troops to defend the strong point. The Russians hold back on a frontal assault, launching a barrage of artillery, missiles, bombs, drones, for months if necessary, to decimate the defenders. The Russians will occasionally send in reconnaissance in force operations to test the defenses. The Ukrainians hold their ground and convince themselves they have defeated the Russian attack. Meanwhile the Russians employ what they call a cobra attack. That is a multi headed attack where they use overwhelming force to take over the lightly defended surrounding territory until eventually they have the defenders surrounded on three sides and fire control over the defender's supply lines. The Ukrainians stay and hold their position until the losses are so massive they have to run the gauntlet and try to escape. The time scale for such successful operations has gone down from several months to just weeks.
It is amazing really. You can see the process start and track its progress through the different stages. If you want, you can watch the Russians and the Ukrainians doing their deadly choreographed thing now in Kursk.(deadly for the Ukrainians)
Let us hope that Russia has learned, meanwhile, not to let trapped units escape to fight another day under better circumstances.
I think someone finally got the memo, Feral.
Instruct me, please.
Wishful thinking. They did get the memo,but they used it as a napkin for their vodka bottle.
Now we're back to the same old shit that's been going on for three years.
Basically, what I was afraid of.
Cheerleaders will continue to pile on excuse after excuse.
72nd is a (neo) nazi brigade who have a large dossier of war crimes; they will not surrender because they know their fate. They will die either way. The Russians will not forgive those bastards.
Don't kid yourself. Look at what happened to the surrendered Azov, if you don't believe me.
I hope.
The likelihood of that happening is probably equal to the reliability of your source that any such situation exists.
Zelensky's term as president of the Ukraine ended in May of this year.
Wow... I just saw the 72nd's badge...
A white Totenkopf on a black and red background...
Where have I seen that before?
The patch has the motto Україна або Cмерть, 'Ukraine or Death'...
Azov is more subtle: an SS Wolfsangel, but in Blue and Yellow.
Seems that Dima's account of 1,500 soldiers of the 72nd trapped in Vuhledar, with only a few small groups attempting to escape North at night, and half of those killed, was largely wishful thinking.
Probably a couple of hundred were trapped last week, and most escaped before the citadel finally fell today.
Suriyak has more balanced reporting:
https://x.com/Suriyakmaps/status/1841045771820360008
https://x.com/Suriyakmaps/status/1841052673224692085
Water-tight siege rarely works as planned. There are always weak links and the folks trying to escape tend to sniff out such opportunities.
The Russians had fire control over the only road North, preventing any mechanized exit, and used flares at night, but the AFU still had a roughly 1km-wide gap along treelines, so maybe it wasn't quite as desperate as the last days at Avdiivka.
And maybe the last holdouts were trying to buy time for comrades to leave and to reinforce with other new arrivals the defence at Bohoyavlenka, while keeping Russian forces from moving on there.
Perhaps there was a bit more logic than most of us assume . The once strategically significant small town had already distracted and consumed vast Russian human and material assets over the 2½ years Vinnik held out.
Ukrainian defence has generally been incredibly stubborn, despite huge challenges.
I guess they learned that as or from Russians.
Zelensky didn't want complete defeat and retreat from largely symbolic Vuhledar while he was shopping for Victory in Washington and NYC (his wife was probably shopping too).
We need also to factor in Syrsky's fixation on pursuing symbolic victories like a Viking sailor burning his boat or refusing any exit strategy or strategic bigger picture, not least in Bakhmut - which his NATO patrons think cost Ukraine the chance to break through to Melitopol and the Azov Sea last year: Compare ill-judged Ukrainian defences drawing away their best troops from more important battles, with no prepared retreat, and Surovokin's impregnable double line in the South, which along with Syrsky's fixation on his own Eastern command saved the Russian land bridge and so the wider campaign last year.
But... don't forget either that Surovikin was dismissed, Prigozhin killed and some of the best Russian field commanders disciplined for complaining about the sclerotic top-down management of the war from Putin's securocrats in their Kremlin offices, with whom Putin himself has often been openly annoyed, but whom he's needed to largely keep in place to maintain political control at home
I read that some are now calling for Surovikin to replace Gerasimov, amid fury over initial Kursk failure, on top of serious mismanagement of the campaign from the very start.
The development of more imaginative mobile flanking manoeuvres recently, after giving more initiative to field officers and leading to various cauldrons, faster advance and lower Russian casualties, is positive for the campaign. But maybe Ukraine is also learning from mistakes, as the best Ukrainian forces are now I read being replaced in Kursk by territorial cannon fodder before they're trapped.
Meanwhile the massive failed armoured assault on the Oskil line last week seems, on the Russian side, to fit the tired old frontal pattern - though opportunities there for penetrative manoeuvre are limited, and the Ukrainian defence of the left bank was better than the Russians expected. I guess NATO accepts that will be the final line of control in the Northeast.
Finally, remember that Russian-born and trained Syrsky, whose family still lives in the homeland, speaks even worse Ukrainian than Zelensky and Yermak, and is widely resented in his adopted country as following the same plodding old-school tactics as Gerasimov.
But then this is in essence just another messy lumbering Russian civil war, as Putin has I guess known since 2013.
So Vinnik is basically a scapegoat.
Some commentary suggests that as one of the best and most widely respected AFU commanders he was pulled from the doomed town to fight again elsewhere, rather than risk capture, serious injury, or death.
I'd give it hours...
Didn't know the 72nd claims association with the Zaporizhian Cossacks who dominated the 'badlands' of Southeastern Ukraine before Catherine the Great russified them, forming Cossack regiments still represented in the Russian Army - including the Kuban Cossacks across the Kerch strait from Crimea, some of whom still dress as a Russian Imperial Guard (!)
Again, it's another Russian civil war, not some fake fight for freedom (as rightwing separatists and their British, French and now American backers have claimed since the Revolution).
Zelensky maybe in even more trouble soon.
With the Red Sea growing into a muti state war will the USA drop Ukraine to support Israel?
Nope, it's the other way round - Gaza and now Lebanon wars are needed to provide Congressional funding for the Ukraine war. Before 7.10.23, House Republican support for Ukraine was collapsing. Funding was only secured by about 20% of the funds going to the Gaza/Lebanon war and another 10% for Taiwan.
Anyway, the US now can't walk away easily from Ukraine because:
(a) the frozen Russian assets are no longer there
(b1) Russia will insist on a roll-back to neutrality for Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Austria
(b2) "..." unpacking the cans of worms with Bosnia and Kosovo
(b3) "..." provide a land corridor for Kaliningrad ending a land corridor between Poland and Lithuania