I hope you’re right. The escalation from there to more direct support is closer together than most are comfortable with but I think that ultimately will end the war.
Somebody says that Russia plans to take Kharkiv. A week passes and Russia hasn’t taken Kharkiv. Chickenhawks point and guffaw and imagine, for some reason devoid of facts, that Ukraine and the US are in the driver’s seat.
Need imperial drones to capture data like that. We're still 200 or so years (at least) away from being about to spot 500,000 troops massed together for an invasion.
Massive trucker protest in Odesa, Ukraine, protesting the latest mobilization laws passed in Ukraine.
another artificial reef courtesy of the russian navy Ukraine Destroys Russian Black Sea 'Kovrovets' Minesweeper (msn.com) Armed forces in Ukraine have destroyed a key Russian ship in the Black Sea overnight, according to reports. The Kovrovets, a sea minesweeper, was destroyed overnight according to the latest update from Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces posted on Telegram. The attack likely took place off the coast of occupied Crimea, where much of the Russian navy's Black Sea fleet was stationed, although an exact location has not been confirmed. The ship was crewed by 68 individuals and falls under the Project 266 Akvamarin class, also called the Yurka class by NATO. Designed in the former Soviet Union, the ship was capable of detecting mines at depths of up to 150 meters and was equipped with two 30mm AK-230M naval guns and a high-resolution Lynx radar system, according to a report by the Kyiv Independent.
another refinery offline and another airfield supporting the russian offensive hit. Coordinated Drone Blitz: Ukraine Strikes Russian Refinery Amid Escalating Cross-Border Tensions (msn.com) In a dramatic escalation of cross-border strikes, Ukrainian drones have carried out a substantial offensive against Russian infrastructure, resulting in the halting of operations at an oil refinery in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. The Slavyansk-on-Kuban refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia, was brought to a standstill by an attack Ukrainian authorities claim to be part of a wider targeting strategy against Russian military and energy sites. According to Roman Siniagovski, a regional official, six drones descended upon the refinery. “During the night, six drones fell on the territory of the refinery in Slovyansk-on-Kuban,” he stated on Telegram. Eduard Trutnev, the head of security at the refinery, confirmed the incident to Interfax news agency, saying, “There have been strikes. The plant is currently at a standstill. We are assessing the damage.” This incident represents a significant uptick in the Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil, which have increased in frequency following over two years of a relentless Russian offensive. Russian officials acknowledged the attack, reporting that nine U.S. ATACMS missiles were shot down over Crimea and numerous drones were intercepted over the Krasnodar and Belgorod regions. Specifically, the Russian defense ministry claimed that 57 drones were neutralized over the course of one night. Beyond the immediate impacts on the oil refinery, the Ukrainian defence sources reported successful strikes on the Kushchyovsky military airfield, which operates a variety of combat aircraft used against Ukrainian forces. The strategic targeting of such sites underscores the depth of Ukrainian countermeasures within the protracted conflict.
Russia doesn’t realize what it’s up against. The Empire will not stop until the Donbas is Queered … https://www.theamericanconservative.com/our-lgbt-empire/
I know things on land are pretty tough right now but Ukraine has done a remarkable job against the Russian navy assets. So much so they can ship grain. Apparantly are causing some disruptions in the oil industry with Atacams. Hope the new aid package gets to Ukraine soon, they need it.
I hope they can destroy that bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland. Then pound the hell out of the Russians in Crimea.
Ive been curious why that bridge still stands as well. @uftaipan , any insight? To a layman it seems like a relatively simply target to destroy. Is that not so, or are there more nuanced reasons that it isn't targeted?
To pounding hell out of Crimea, three nights of unprecedented ATACMS and drones take out a fuel depot, an S-400 and a handful of inoperable aircraft and contrary to early reports, likely no ships … SITREP 5/19/24: Ukrainian Streets Deserted as New Mobilization Hits
To taking down the Kerch Bridge, I’ve read that you’d need a great many ATACMS for that. Remember that the only way Ukraine has inflicted significant damage, to the bridge, is when it duped a civilian into driving a truck bomb across the bridge. And even then traffic was not much curtailed and the damaged portion of the bridge was repaired in a matter of weeks. Takeaway, PR strikes just don’t win wars.
I'm a layman that reads a lot - and everything I've read indicates that the air defenses around the bridge are the best Russia has and they have layered them thickly because of how important it is. Further, it would take more than a drone to take out the bridge - it would probably take a number of direct hits of heavy ordinance. Bridges are built to take a lot of punishment, especially big ones like this. In addition to air defense, they deploy a lot of smoke screens, underwater defense against water drones, etc. It is a well defended structure, even so, Ukraine has hit it twice in the last year. Maybe it's something they could take down with F16s - they seem to be setting the stage for that with all the attacks on air defense and infrastructure in that region. But it will be costly.
