War in Ukraine

Panic increases in Russia as Ukraine attacks a border checkpoint and gains a foothold in Belgorod.

Ukrainian forces descend on Belgorod in fresh attempt to break Russian border

 

Russia is inoculating itself against the West’s wonder weapons …

 

Russia's air defenses are said to be hobbled and eroded, leaving some places unprotected.

Russia feels unfamiliar pain as Ukraine hobbles its air defenses, forcing tough choices

 

I never said it had nothing to do with terrain. The said terrain is not the score for telling how the war is going. If holding or gaining terrain is the only — or even the primary — consideration, then why does Ukraine defend in depth in the east and trade space for time while maximizing Russian casualties and minimizing their own? Why don’t they just spend more of their manpower to hold ground and/or counterattack? Why does Ukraine invest so much in deep strikes against Russian airfields and refineries? That doesn’t help them hold ground or regain it, at least not directly. Why does Russia throw so much effort at destroying infrastructure it means to control someday? They should be focusing that firepower strictly against the “Nazis” holding the line if seizing terrain is the key to victory.

But, yes, if the war ended today on the present lines, then that would be a strategic Russian victory. That would also mean that Ukraine has quit, which is the point that I was woefully unsuccessful making to you. This is all about who is going to quit first. Does Ukraine seem like they’re on the verge of quitting to you, no matter how much you wish they would?

 

Russia is trying to accelerate the production of the Su-57 Felon aircraft, the one that they are afraid to send into combat.

Russia tries to jolt its sluggish Su-57 warplane production

 

Lavrov uses the (other) N-word again. Everyone get scared. This time Russia means it …

Russia warns the United States of the risks of World War Three

I thought Russia was winning this thing. Aren’t they on the verge of wrapping this up? Don’t understand why they feel the need to threaten us when we haven’t escalated at all (though I would welcome such a change in attitude).

 

War production act still hasn't been implemented. about 2 years past due

 

all those body blows over the last 6 months are bringing them down. Im just hoping for a clear corridor to the Kerch bridge. Need some wild weasel flights to plot the path

 

Ukraine Shoots Down Russian Su-25 Jet in MANPADS Strike (msn.com)

The country's Khortytsia group of forces operating in Donetsk said anti-aircraft units of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade shot down the jet using a Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS).

The jet "was trying to fire at the positions of units of the Defense Forces," it said in a statement on Telegram.

 

Likely a Stinger then. That is interesting because the Stingers have not gotten many kills since early in the war. The Russians adjusted to the number of aircraft they were losing, which was staggering. Helicopters, in general, do not approach the front unless it’s with a great deal of artillery support to suppress potential Stinger operators (and you have to guess in advance where they might be). And fixed wing either use standoff weapons, such as glide bombs, or fly above the maximum effective altitude of a Stinger. Something is forcing the Russians to use low-altitude tactics again. Infer from that what you will.

 

appreciate what you bring to the board. kind of like when the fish force the bait up and the birds force them down.
taking out the long range radar and awacs russia was using over the horizon would seem to open up the skies for the birds to watch from on high and force the baitfish down..

 

Ukraine controls 99.64% of Putin's mind. That's all you need to know.

 

Burn baby burn. Russia has to be experiencing fuel shortages as all these refineries and tank farms take hits

MSN

Meanwhile, Baza specifies that the rupture and new explosion ignited a fourth tank at the Atlas depot.
"Currently, more than 200 people are trying to extinguish the fire," adds this Telegram channel.
According to Astra, after a new explosion at a facility in the Rostov region, the blaze can be seen from dozens of kilometers away

 

Lol

Russian Troops Captured One Of Ukraine’s Dutch Armored Vehicles, Rode It Back Into Battle—And Promptly Got Killed

 

The only thing that would have made that story better is if the Russians destroyed it thinking it was an attacking Ukrainian vehicle.

 

My guess is the USA is still insisting the F16 be used only above Ukraine. I hope this changes.

 

Not sure I agree, if Russia loses, ergo Putin, by his statements about this "police action", ceases to exist, thus Russia, by way of its umbilical cord attachment to " placenta Putin" ceases to exist...No?

I jest of course but you get my drift.

 

Point taken re a cornered, desperate Putin. The hope is that doesn't lead to a nuclear extinction event. Hope he has a nasty encounter with a balcony and someone else takes over. Preferably someone who is not expansionist.

 

The problem is that a cancer like Putin only surrounds himself with other cancers. It may be overly optimistic to hope that Putin’s replacement is much more than marginally better.

 

Ukraine has tried many times to counterattack in the past 18 months. They've all flopped. As for Russian strikes against infrastructure inside of Ukraine: kill the body and the head will die. Power outages, etc translate to degradation of Ukraine's resupply capacity. These are relatively easy targets to hit without losing soldiers and the cost of rebuilding them later would be a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of soldiers saved by doing it now. I'm sure you're a great soldier, but I am not so sure you're a great strategist. Crippling the war supply chain is an easy way to manage a war of attrition like this without extending oneself.

And I would say yes, Ukraine appears to be on the verge of quitting based on their acts of desperation (ie if they were winning or achieving objectives they wouldn't be desperate) and Zelenskyy's numerous public overtures lately for peace. Those two things, in addition to the fact they're being moved back slowly on the Eastern front makes me this yes, Ukraine are on the verge of quitting.