Ukraine 3

[Kamaji]

Russian troops are pushed back to the BORDER in some regions with Putin's men 'fleeing like Olympic sprinters' - as furious Vlad strikes power grid with missiles as revenge

By CHRIS PLEASANCE  and WILL STEWART FOR MAILONLINE
12 September 2022

Ukraine has chased Russian troops back across the border after recapturing dozens of towns and key cities in a stunning counter-attack that has dealt yet another humiliating defeat to Putin's military.

Videos that emerged Sunday afternoon and Monday morning appeared to show Kyiv's men at a border crossing with Russia in Strilecha - north of Kharkiv - ripping down Russia's flag and replacing it with their own.

It comes after similar scenes played out across the entire Kharkiv region at the weekend, as Ukraine's troops stormed east out of the city - smashing through Russian lines and liberating a swathe of territory twice the size of Greater London, including several key transport and logistics hubs supporting Putin's men in the Donbas.

Petro Kuzyk, a commander whose troops participated in the offensive, told the Financial Times that the Russians fled so fast that meals were still laid out on tables when his men arrived.

'We hoped for success but didn't expect such cowardly behaviour,' he said. 'They abandoned their tanks and equipment . . . even grabbed bicycles to escape.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11203063/Russia-bombs-Ukrainian-power-plants-revenge-Kharkiv-rout.html

[Kamaji]

Ukraine's Offensive Continues, Russia Shows No Sign of Being Able to Stop It, Intriguing Rumors Abound

By streiff
Sep 11, 2022

Saturday, I posted on the new Ukrainian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast that has liberated several hundred square miles of territory and threatens to unravel the entire Russian invasion; see Russia’s Disaster in Kharkiv Turns Into an Avalanche of Failure as Ukraine’s Army Advances Without Opposition.

The main effort in yesterday’s report was Kupiansk, a critical rail and highway node on the Oskil river. That city is firmly in Ukrainian hands. As I noted yesterday, this places the main railroad line from Russian forces in Ukraine to Russia within range of Ukrainian tube artillery.

The Ukrainian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast shows some signs of slowing down, unlike the Russian withdrawal.

*  *  *

But progress continues. I’d thought the Oskil River/reservoir running south from Kupiansk might mark a line of advance for this phase of the operation. New reports indicate the Ukrainians have vaulted the Oskil River and are in hot pursuit of the fleeing Russians with the possibility of re-conquering the fake Luhansk People’s Republic created by the Russians in 2014.

*  *  *

Source:  https://redstate.com/streiff/2022/09/11/ukraines-offensive-continues-russia-shows-no-sign-of-being-able-to-stop-it-intriguing-rumors-abound-n625911

[Hoodat]

New reports indicate the Ukrainians have vaulted the Oskil River and are in hot pursuit of the fleeing Russians with the possibility of re-conquering the fake Luhansk People’s Republic created by the Russians in 2014.

Nice.

[Hoodat]

Kupyansk liberated from Russian invaders.

[Kamaji]

Third group of Russian politicians calls for Putin to resign for 'harming citizens' future' with his invasion of Ukraine

By WALTER FINCH FOR MAILONLINE
12 September 2022

Vladimir Putin's problems are mounting as a group of Russian politicians have risked their livelihoods to demand his resignation in the wake of his collapsing invasion of Ukraine.

Municipal deputies from 18 districts of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kolpino made the statement on Twitter, the third such group to do so in a week after similar calls last Wednesday and Thursday.

'We believe that the actions of President Vladimir Putin inflict harm on the future of Russia and its citizens,' they published on the Twitter of Xenia Torstrem, a municipal deputy of St Petersburg.

'We demand the resignation of Vladimir Putin from the office of President of the Russian Federation.'

The demand is followed by the signatures of 18 local councillors from districts within the three cities.

'The text of the petition is concise and does not 'discredit' anyone. If you are a municipal deputy and want to join, you are welcome,' Torstrem added.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11204175/Russian-politicians-call-Putin-resign-harming-citizens-future-Ukraine-invasion.html

[catfish1957]

Third group of Russian politicians calls for Putin to resign for 'harming citizens' future' with his invasion of Ukraine

By WALTER FINCH FOR MAILONLINE
12 September 2022

Vladimir Putin's problems are mounting as a group of Russian politicians have risked their livelihoods to demand his resignation in the wake of his collapsing invasion of Ukraine.

Municipal deputies from 18 districts of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kolpino made the statement on Twitter, the third such group to do so in a week after similar calls last Wednesday and Thursday.

'We believe that the actions of President Vladimir Putin inflict harm on the future of Russia and its citizens,' they published on the Twitter of Xenia Torstrem, a municipal deputy of St Petersburg.

'We demand the resignation of Vladimir Putin from the office of President of the Russian Federation.'

The demand is followed by the signatures of 18 local councillors from districts within the three cities.

'The text of the petition is concise and does not 'discredit' anyone. If you are a municipal deputy and want to join, you are welcome,' Torstrem added.

The news from the past week have to be a national embarssment..  Got to wonder how much of new from the war front are reaching the Russian people.  I got to speculate much of web browing is being squelched and controlled.  I do know in my online free poker site, there used to be dozens of Russian players.  Since the invasion, there have been zero.

[Kamaji]

The news from the past week have to be a national embarssment..  Got to wonder how much of new from the war front are reaching the Russian people.  I got to speculate much of web browing is being squelched and controlled.  I do know in my online free poker site, there used to be dozens of Russian players.  Since the invasion, there have been zero.

If I recall correctly, Russia cut off the ability to easily surf to non-Russian sites by setting up a Russian captive version of the DNS system; however, I would think that with things like private VPNs and the tor network that Russians who are willing to do some digging are able to get outside of the new cyberiron wall.

[Hoodat]

Russia's response - attack civilians

Firefighters Battle Flames At Kharkiv Power Station After Russian Attack

"I will not hide the fact that the consequences of missile strikes are severe," city mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Associated Press Television News  |  12th September, 2022 03:50 IST

Flames lit up the night sky at a power station on the western outskirts of Kharkiv on Sunday after it was hit in a strike. Thick smoke billowed into the air, illuminated by the orange glow of the fire. Ukrainian officials said Kharkiv TEC-5, the country’s second-biggest heat and power plant, had been hit in a Russian attack.

At least one person was killed at the plant, according to the head of the Kharkiv regional administration. Russia struck at Ukraine's infrastructure Sunday night, causing widespread blackouts, with the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions among those without power, officials said. Authorities were working to restore the supply of electricity and water to Kharkiv residents.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the “deliberate and cynical missile strikes” against civilian targets as acts of terrorism. Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv appeared to be without power Sunday night. Cars drove through darkened streets, and the few pedestrians used flashlights or mobile phones to light their way. Separately, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the Russia-occupied south completely shut down in a bid to prevent a radiation disaster as fighting raged nearby.  .  .

https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-crisis/firefighters-battle-flames-at-kharkiv-power-station-after-russian-attack-articleshow.html


The plant was hit by one of twelve Iskander missiles fired from Belgorod.  Nine were intercepted.  The irony is that the Kharkiv grid is tied to the Belgorod grid.  So the missile strike cause a power outage in Belgorod.

[Cyber Liberty]

Russia's response - attack civilians

Firefighters Battle Flames At Kharkiv Power Station After Russian Attack

Which is apparently the way the Russians have been fighting the whole war.

If these stories about a Ukrainian rout of the Russians are true, then Putin is going to get kicked out for losing Crimea. 

[Kamaji]

Ukraine retakes town in eastern Donetsk region after forces cross Siverskiy Donets river

From CNN's Tim Lister and Denis Lapin
12 September 2022

In a further sign of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive in the east, geolocated images and video show that Ukrainian units have crossed the Siverskiy Donets river to take control of the town of Svyatohirsk in Donetsk region.

One geolocated image shows the damaged administrative building in the town with the Ukrainian flag hung above the entrance. Other images show Ukrainian soldiers on the streets of the town. The Ukrainians had held on to the south bank of the river in this area during the Russian offensive.

Why this matters: The capture of Svyatohirsk will further complicate any attempt by the remaining Russian-backed forces in the area to withdraw.

Some militia units of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic continue to hold out in the town of Lyman, but any retreat to the east would be difficult if Ukrainian advances continue.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-09-12-22/index.html

[Hoodat]

Ukraine retakes town in eastern Donetsk region after forces cross Siverskiy Donets river

From CNN's Tim Lister and Denis Lapin
12 September 2022

A week ago, there were reports that Ozerny had been liberated.  Clearly, the Ukrainians can cross that river at will now.

link

[Kamaji]

Valuable Trophy for Ukrainian Military: russian 'Orlan' Complex With Documentation

Defense Express
September 12, 2022

The capture of the unmanned aerial recon system will significantly help Ukrainian troops to track and counter these drones in the future
Warriors of the 8th Regiment of the Special Operations Forces together with the "Desna" special sniper group have seized a unique and valuable trophy – the entire "Orlan-10" reconnaissance complex, which includes not only the Orlan drones but also ground stations, antennas and technical documentation.

The news comes from Pavlo Kashchuk, OSINT-community InformNapalm reports. The equipment was seized from the 15th Army Aviation Brigade of the russian army.

"That means, very soon, the 'second' army of the world will in fact lose its most widely used UAVs. They will become even easier prey for our EW and SIGINT, as well as their crews on the ground for our HIMARS! It seems like the precise coordinates of the stations can be tracked by the signal," the Ukrainian serviceman wrote on his Facebook.

*  *  *

Source:  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/valuable_trophy_for_ukrainian_military_russian_orlan_complex_with_documentation-4200.html

[catfish1957]

So...  at this point what is the percent chance of the Uke's reclaiming Crimea?

You'd think that would be the last straw for putin.

[Cyber Liberty]

So...  at this point what is the percent chance of the Uke's reclaiming Crimea?

You'd think that would be the last straw for putin.

I don't know about this point in time, but that percent chance has to be increasing, on both counts.  If Putin loses Crimea, he's outta there.  Putsch time.

[Hoodat]

So...  at this point what is the percent chance of the Uke's reclaiming Crimea?

You'd think that would be the last straw for putin.

At some point, Ukraine will find a way to destroy the Kerch Strait Bridge.  Once that happens, Russia's hold on Crimea will be severely jeopardized.  Their Black Sea fleet is in shambles (other than submarines).  And if they lose Sevastopol, their next closest port is over 200 miles away.

[Hoodat]

[bilo]

Valuable Trophy for Ukrainian Military: russian 'Orlan' Complex With Documentation

Defense Express
September 12, 2022

The capture of the unmanned aerial recon system will significantly help Ukrainian troops to track and counter these drones in the future
Warriors of the 8th Regiment of the Special Operations Forces together with the "Desna" special sniper group have seized a unique and valuable trophy – the entire "Orlan-10" reconnaissance complex, which includes not only the Orlan drones but also ground stations, antennas and technical documentation.

The news comes from Pavlo Kashchuk, OSINT-community InformNapalm reports. The equipment was seized from the 15th Army Aviation Brigade of the russian army.

"That means, very soon, the 'second' army of the world will in fact lose its most widely used UAVs. They will become even easier prey for our EW and SIGINT, as well as their crews on the ground for our HIMARS! It seems like the precise coordinates of the stations can be tracked by the signal," the Ukrainian serviceman wrote on his Facebook.

*  *  *

Source:  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/valuable_trophy_for_ukrainian_military_russian_orlan_complex_with_documentation-4200.html

Sometimes enthusiasm is not a good thing. If the Russians didn't know about their vulnerability before they do now.

Overall, the Ukrainians sure have been very sharp in how they've adapted to modern technology. I sure hope they get their entire country back and are able to punish all the collaborators, especially those that killed, or were complicit in the killing of Ukrainian civilians trapped in Russian controlled areas.

[bilo]

So...  at this point what is the percent chance of the Uke's reclaiming Crimea?

You'd think that would be the last straw for putin.

30%

It's a tough nut to crack. Russia can resupply Crimea from the bridge they built and their airplanes can cover that territory pretty quickly from their Russian bases.

[Hoodat]

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1569594934356856832

[Hoodat]

Ukraine's soldiers inch toward Sievierodonetsk in major counteroffensive

Cities in Ukraine that have been occupied since April once again raise the Ukrainian flag

Caitlin McFall  |  September 13, 2022  |  9:20am EDT

Russian forces are withdrawing from areas in the Luhansk region, local officials said Tuesday, marking the latest development in Ukraine’s counteroffensive as its soldiers push eastward.

Governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, took to Telegram to say the city of Kreminna, first occupied by Russian forces in April, had once again raised the Ukrainian flag over its buildings.


Ukrainian flag waves after Ukrainian army liberated the town of Balakliya in the southeastern Kharkiv oblast on Sept. 11, 2022.  (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

It remains unclear why Russian forces have apparently withdrawn from the area just 15 miles north of the strategically important city of Sievierodonetsk and Fox News could not confirm if Ukrainian soldiers had yet advanced on Kreminna  .  .  .

https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukraines-soldiers-inch-toward-sievierodonetsk-major-counteroffensive


This tells me that there is zero leadership on the ground with Russian forces.  There is no command structure in place for regrouping and counter-attack.  There could be a bigger mutiny going on here among mid-level commanders.

[Hoodat]

80% of Izium infrastructure is destroyed and heating systems are damaged, Ukrainian officials say

Tim Lister and Julia Kesaieva  |  10:10 a.m. ET, September 12, 2022


People carrying their belongings walk in front of a destroyed building in Izyum, Kharkiv Region, on September 11. (Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images)

Ukrainian officials have begun addressing the daunting demands of reconstruction in recently liberated areas, with winter just a couple of months away.

After recapturing the city of Izium over the weekend, Ukrainian forces are taking steps to stabilize the situation there, according to Maksym Strelnikov, a member of the city council.

Residents who fled want to return home, Strelnikov said at a a briefing Monday, but added that "more than 80% of the city infrastructure is destroyed, including multi-storey buildings and private houses, enterprises, government institutions and educational institutions, as well as [industrial] plants."
"The central heating system, which was used by majority of residents in winter, is damaged. So these would be the challenges to overcome for the local authorities," Strelnikov said.

He also talked about the privations suffered by civilians during the occupation.

"As of now, we know at least 1,000 civilians [in Izium] have died due to hostilities. But we think even more people were affected due to lack of medical care, as the Russian occupiers have destroyed all the health care institutions in March. The occupiers have looted all the pharmacies, so there was no access to medication. This is the most urgent issue for now, along with hospitalization of Izium residents, who require urgent medical care," he added.  .  .

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-09-12-22/h_280c69104479678d4adeb8a2a1e12d6e

[Hoodat]

Putin removes frontline commander after only 16 days in charge of operations

Chris King  •  12 September 2022  •  21:29

As reported by Ukrainian Defence Force on Sunday, September 11, Vladimir Putin removed the officer in command of the Western Group of the Soviet Union from duty after only three weeks in the role.

Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov was only appointed as commander of the forces on August 26, when he replaced Lieutenant General Sychevy. The apparent reason behind his rapid removal is the massive amount of devastating defeats received by the Russian forces as a result of the offensive of the Ukrainian military.

https://twitter.com/DI_Ukraine/status/1569019756942065666

Berdikov will reportedly be replaced by Lieutenant General Oleksandr Lapin, the officer previously in command of the Centre Group. He will reportedly be tasked with the objective of his restoring the group’s ‘management stability’.

It is believed that all of Lapin’s staff have relocated from the Luhansk region to the command post of the Western Group.  .  .

https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/09/12/putin-removes-frontline-commander-after-only-16-days-in-charge-of-operations/

[Hoodat]

Accounts of Russian torture emerge in liberated areas

Orla Guerin, BBC  |  1 hour ago

In north-eastern Ukraine, a counter-offensive has seen the nation's forces recapture swathes of territory, and drive out Russian troops.

But in the newly-liberated areas, relief and sorrow are intertwined - as accounts emerge of torture and killings during the long months of Russian occupation.

Artem, who lives in the city of Balakliya in the Kharkiv region told the BBC he was held by Russians for more than 40 days, and was tortured with electrocution.

Balakliya was liberated on 8 September after being occupied for more than six months. The epicentre of the brutality was the city's police station, which Russian forces used as their headquarters.

Artem said he could hear screams of pain and terror coming from other cells.

The occupiers made sure the cries could be heard, he said, by turning off the building's noisy ventilation system.

"They turned it off so everyone could hear how people scream when they are shocked with electricity," he told us. "They did this to some of the prisoners every other day... They even did this to the women".

And they did it to Artem, though in his case only once.

"They made me hold two wires," he said.

"There was an electric generator. The faster it went, the higher the voltage. They said, 'if you let it go, you are finished'. Then they started asking questions. They said I was lying, and they started spinning it even more and the voltage increased."

Artem told us he was detained because the Russians found a picture of his brother, a soldier, in uniform.  .  .  .

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62888388

[bilo]

"They made me hold two wires," he said.

"There was an electric generator. The faster it went, the higher the voltage. They said, 'if you let it go, you are finished'. Then they started asking questions. They said I was lying, and they started spinning it even more and the voltage increased."

Artem told us he was detained because the Russians found a picture of his brother, a soldier, in uniform.  .  .  .


Not a great way to win the hearts and minds of your traditional "Russians".

Russia has been the evil aggressor from the beginning. The good news is they have destroyed themselves in the process. Europe has been forced to stop buying oil & gas from Russia and in the process they will have more dependable sources that won't hold them hostage. The multinational businesses that pulled out of Russia will not risk the capital to go back. The population of Russia is aging and the younger generation is not at a replacement rate and this trend is accelerating. All in all I have to say it couldn't happen to a better bunch.

Ukraine posed no threat to Russia when Russia promoted a separatist movement and also took Crimea. When Russia invaded this year Ukraine still posed no threat to Russia, but the difference this time was instead of crumbling under the "great Russian might" they fought.

I would love to see Ukraine finish the job and push Russia out of all of Ukraine, then I would love to see Putin thrown out of office, and finally with a neutered Russia I would like to see the USA pull out of NATO.

[Kamaji]

Ukraine has pulled off 'one of the greatest counter attacks in modern history': Military expert JUSTIN BRONK says Vladimir Putin has NO good options and Russia's entire invasion force could COLLAPSE in worst defeat since WW2

By JUSTIN BRONK FOR MAILONLINE
14 September 2022

The long awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive to retake the southern city of Kherson finally began late last month.

However, many were dismayed by the relatively cautious pace at which Ukrainian forces were advancing, and pointed out that by making it so obvious that a counter-offensive was being prepared in Kherson, Kyiv had given the Russian Army more than a month to move some of its most elite remaining units and large numbers of supporting reserve units to block it.

The brilliance of this strategy his been revealed as of Wednesday last week, as a second Ukrainian force launched a smaller scale but much more mobile counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region to the north.

After initially breaking through the Russian frontlines at the town of Balakliya, Ukrainian armoured and mechanised brigades did not stop to consolidate their gains, but instead drove rapidly throughout the next two days and nights, deep into Russian-occupied territory.

As the Ukrainian commanders urgently rushed reinforcements in to consolidate and widen the narrow corridor of liberated towns, the spearhead units isolated and then bypassed the limited Russian reserve forces that tried to halt them at the small village of Sevchenkove and reached the southern edge of the crucial junction city of Kup'yansk on Friday morning.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-11206285/Vladimir-Putin-no-good-options-react-Ukraine-says-military-expert-JUSTIN-BRONK.html