Russia and Ukraine

[Thumpalumpacus]

Russian forces, particularly Russian airborne (VDV) Forces, are reportedly suffering heavy losses in simultaneous infantry-heavy Russian offensive operations on multiple fronts. A Russian milblogger claimed on December 31 that units of the Russian VDV forces are suffering heavy losses and are unable to rest and recover.[13] The milblogger claimed that experienced and trained VDV contract servicemen (kontraktniki) form a lower proportion of the VDV's personnel, and that the VDV has suffered high losses amongst experienced members of the command cadre that had previously made up the core of the VDV forces. Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets assessed on December 31 that elements of the newly formed 104th VDV Division, particularly its 328th and 337th VDV Regiments, will have to withdraw from the Krynky area in the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast for rest and replenishment after a month of almost continuous fighting in the area.[14] The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense (UK MoD) assessed on December 14 that elements of the 104th VDV Division likely suffered exceptionally heavy losses near Krynky due to inadequate air and artillery support and the inexperience of many of its personnel.[15] VDV Commander Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky implied on December 23 that the Russian military command is deploying new VDV officers and troops directly from graduation from initial training to the frontlines without having them complete pre-combat training.[16] Teplinsky stated that some recent graduates of the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School will join the 104th Division in the Kherson direction.[17]

The high casualty rate, particularly among units such as the VDV that were considered elite before 2022, is largely a reflection of the fact that the Russian military command has chosen to pursue simultaneous offensive operations along the entire frontline, often prioritizing marginal gains at the cost of disproportionate losses. The UK MoD stated on December 30 that “the average daily number of Russian casualties in Ukraine has risen by almost 300 during the course of 2023” and that if the current casualty rate continues Russian forces will have lost over half a million personnel total in Ukraine by the end of 2024.[18] A declassified US intelligence assessment reportedly shared with Congress on December 12 stated that Russian forces have lost 315,000 personnel since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.[19] The current tempo and style of Russian offensives in Ukraine are reflective of these estimated casualty rates. Russian forces have conducted multiple waves of mass mechanized assaults and infantry-led assaults to capture Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, since October 10 despite heavy personnel losses, for example, and have rushed untrained VDV elements to defend against Ukrainian ground operations in the east bank of Kherson Oblast, where they have also taken heavy losses.[20] The Russian military leadership has undertaken extensive force generation measures as part of efforts to offset manpower losses, however, including partial mobilization since September 2022 and ongoing crypto-mobilization efforts.[21] The current casualty rate should not be taken as permanent—the Russian military command could change the tempo and pace of offensive operations or take time to reconstitute its forces for more effective future offensive operations. Ukraine's Western partners must guard against complacency when assessing Russian losses and operational failures in Ukraine, as ISW has previously assessed.[22]

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgro...ct-updates

[Fake Messiah]

A tale of two Russias.

1: Today Russia wasted many hundreds of millions of dollars firing around 100 cruise missiles at Ukraine's civilians, with the bulk of them shot down.

2: Today around 30 million Russians don't have running water in their homes, businesses and or even medical centres. So they use medieval-style outdoor toilets, which aren't connected to centralized sewage systems. It also means they must rely on wood for heating, and no indoor plumbing.

https://hromadske.ua/en/posts/russia-is-...em-literal

[Fake Messiah]

‘Shocking’ Reality of Ukraine Blowback Hammers Putin at Home

For years, Russian government officials and state media propagandists have been claiming that Western sanctions don’t cause any real harm to their economy and to the contrary, actually help it develop. But the main industry that seems to be thriving despite the sanctions is the country’s military-industrial complex. As for everyday people, their lives are progressively getting worse.

Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Vladislav Davankov, who filed his paperwork to the Central Election Commission to take part in the 2024 presidential campaign, accused the Federal State Statistics Service of fudging the numbers “to make it seem that all is well with the prices.” He said that prices on many items, including rice, grains, and butter, are rising 10-30 percent faster than officials claim. “When statistics diverge from reality, it is impossible to make effective decisions to curb prices,” Davankov added.

According to official statistics, basic food products sharply rose in price: eggs by 59 percent, tomatoes by 52 percent, bananas by 46.5 percent, cabbage by 29 percent, poultry by 27.7 percent, and apples by 20.7 percent.

Polls reveal that two-thirds of Russians complain about the prices rising at a faster pace—and that Russians in general are tired of war, with over 50 percent of participants hoping for the end of the so-called “special military operation” as their biggest wish for 2024. Witnessing Western hesitation to continue aid to Ukraine, Putin is unlikely to grant the wish of his own citizens anytime soon. Russian lawmakers and other state TV propagandists promise an expanded agenda, with all of Ukraine on the menu. Encouraged by the disarray in the U.S., they hope for a civil war in America that will permanently distract the country from helping Moscow’s intended victims.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/shocking-r...in-at-home

[Fake Messiah]

Putin faces fresh revolt as fed-up Russians burn down 25-acre warehouse in fury at war

A giant warehouse near St Petersburg has gone up in smoke after the Russian workers there set the entire facility ablaze.

The action was reportedly taken after Russian police raided the Wildberries warehouse to find people to conscript to fight the war in Ukraine.

The fire took hold of the 50 thousand square metre site and required hundreds of firefighters to bring it under control.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/185...ildberries

[Thumpalumpacus]

Putin faces fresh revolt as fed-up Russians burn down 25-acre warehouse in fury at war

A giant warehouse near St Petersburg has gone up in smoke after the Russian workers there set the entire facility ablaze.

The action was reportedly taken after Russian police raided the Wildberries warehouse to find people to conscript to fight the war in Ukraine.

The fire took hold of the 50 thousand square metre site and required hundreds of firefighters to bring it under control.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/185...ildberries

Reuters reports that a cause has yet to be determined.

[ShinyCrystals]

Putin faces fresh revolt as fed-up Russians burn down 25-acre warehouse in fury at war

A giant warehouse near St Petersburg has gone up in smoke after the Russian workers there set the entire facility ablaze.

The action was reportedly taken after Russian police raided the Wildberries warehouse to find people to conscript to fight the war in Ukraine.

The fire took hold of the 50 thousand square metre site and required hundreds of firefighters to bring it under control.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/185...ildberries

Ah, things look like they’re about to get ugly, huh? This should be interesting.

[The Grand Nudger]

Russia has been burning down the entire time. Not just because of ukranian sabotage or domestic dissent - primarily because russia has raided every piggy bank to fund the war in ukraine.

[Leonardo17]

Two Bradley M3 Infantry Fightin Vehicles (with the help of a drone) are hitting the Armata T-90 Tank (Russia’s most Advanced Tank) on its weak point and killing it:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/2-us-bradley-...27831.html

[ShinyCrystals]

So, I was wondering; Russia has a higher population than Ukraine, but still, it kinda seems to me (but not completely) that Russia is losing troops fast, and is giving little training when they recruit new troops for the war. So, how do you you all think this war of attrition thing will end for Russia? I mean, even should Russia win, it will be costly. If they continue what they are doing now, they will lose a lot of lives and resources, so the war can't be that beneficial for them.

What do you all think, though?

[The Grand Nudger]

It's not a "them" kind of thing.

(that brad footage, fuuuck. The guys in the first one just narrowly avoided the reaper. I assume that if we had a good topo map of those streets they were hull down in defilade between the ruins - which is lucky in a brad, they're tall. I hope both crews are trainers now.)