Ukraine 3

[PeteS in CA]

I take news from the Ukraine war with a block of salt, regardless of the source. But hopefully the Ukrainians are teaching the orcs what happens when they concentrate their forces in one area and ignore their flanks.

There are a bunch of pre-war articles going all the way back to 2014 about how the Ukrainians were breaking away from Soviet-era doctrine and building a modern NCO corps.  They started sending troops to NATO NCO schools, and those years of doctrinal and training changes have really paid off.

IOW, Ukraine learned from Putin's successful invasion of Crimea. Putin has (had?) the bodies to use human wave tactics; Ukraine realized they have to fight smarter, and so far seem to have done so.

[kevindavis007]

https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1657061700007526401

[kevindavis007]

https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1657086848789798930

[PeteS in CA]

Luhansk Oblast and the city of Luhansk are orc-occupied Ukrainian territory. Not that Russian territory being used to support the orc invasion are not valid targets.

[240B]

[Timber Rattler]

Russia acknowledges retreat north of Bakhmut, Wagner boss calls it a 'rout'

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-tanks-join-attacks-along-60-mile-front-russia-says-2023-05-12/

Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Ukraine's battlefield city of Bakhmut after a new Ukrainian offensive, in a retreat that the head of Russia's Wagner private army called a rout.

The setback for Russia, which follows similar reports of Ukrainian advances south of the city, suggests a coordinated push by Kyiv to encircle Russian forces in Bakhmut, Moscow's main objective for months during the war's bloodiest fighting.

"In three days of counter-offensive activity, the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Bakhmut sector have liberated 17.3 sq. km (6.6 sq. miles) of territory," Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for the "east" group of Ukrainian forces, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Both sides are now reporting the biggest Ukrainian gains in six months, although Ukraine has given few details and played down suggestions a huge, long-planned counteroffensive has officially begun.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Ukraine had launched an assault north of Bakhmut with more than 1,000 troops and up to 40 tanks, a scale that if confirmed would amount to the biggest Ukrainian offensive since November.

The Russians had repelled 26 attacks but troops in one area had fallen back to regroup in more favourable positions near the Berkhivka reservoir northwest of Bakhmut, Konashenkov said.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner forces that have led the campaign in the city, said in an audio message: "What Konashenkov described, unfortunately, is called 'a rout' and not a regrouping".

EXCERPT

[sneakypete]

https://twitter.com/EvaTrmx86qc7r/status/1656737514491609089

@kevindavis007

That can't possibly be real. True,Putin seems to be losing power,but I just don't see the Politburo allowing a photo like that to "fly  free".

[Timber Rattler]

@kevindavis007

That can't possibly be real. True,Putin seems to be losing power,but I just don't see the Politburo allowing a photo like that to "fly  free".

It looks off to me.  Surely he's not crawling helplessly on the floor, and his security detail is just standing around doing nothing.

[PeteS in CA]

Just a couple of months ago the orcs had salients north and south of Bakhmut that looked like a threat to encircle the city and trap Ukrainian forces in a pocket. Whether for lack of trying or inability to do the encirclement, it didn't happen. Instead, the orcs took bits and pieces of the city, block by block and even building by building. And now it looks like the orcish salients could become pockets. Whether this is the or a main Ukrainian effort remains to be seen.

For the orcs, Bakhmut didn't have great strategic value. OTOH, for the Ukrainians, it could be a gateway to Lysychansk/Severodonetsk or Luhansk. IOW, an actual breakthrough could lead to liberating much of Luhansk Oblast. Welcome to the land of IF.

[kevindavis007]

https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1657101391293304844

[kevindavis007]

https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1657351604943683587

[kevindavis007]

https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1657353209701363713

[sneakypete]

https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1657353209701363713

@kevindavis007

I am confused. If they were Russian/Soviet aircraft that were shot  down,WHY would  the Russians be reporting it when their nature is to lie and deny that anything bad ever happens to them?

NOT denying this happened because I don't know if it did or not. It just  doesn't make sense to me.

[kevindavis007]

https://twitter.com/michaeleichert/status/1657385026680438786

[sneakypete]

https://twitter.com/michaeleichert/status/1657385026680438786

@kevindavis007

There can be NO question that China has now replaced Russia as the world's number one danger.

Since it is nothing less than a medieval police  state that is somehow accepted as a modern state (shows you just how well the media is REALLY  educated,doesn't it?) the ONLY way to spank their little hands and make them behave is to directly threaten their leaders and the leaders families.

This will,of course,lead to our own alleged "leaders" panicking and maybe even wanting to surrender,but  all that would accomplish would be to hasten their own deaths. Not that THEY are smart enough to figure  this out,but their aides,who would also be targeted would make sure they understood the basic truth that dictators NEVER leave any potential challengers to their positions living if they can help  it.


Think "An Asian Mafia Police State with millions of "foot soldiers",and you have defined China.

The Costra Nostra must be eaten UP with envy.

[mystery-ak]

Continued at Ukraine 4
https://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,499577.0.html