Russia and Ukraine

[Leonardo17]

Most of the 360 square miles that has been taken by the Ukrainian military is empty land with some minor settlements. So there won’t be event that will negatively influence the prestige of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And that’s a good thing. But they are still putting themselves at risk. All we can do is hope that they know what they are doing
 
I want to say a few words about the prisoner exchange that happened two weeks ago on august 1st:
 
The US + European countries gave (and are regularly giving) hired assassins, drug dealers, prominent figures of the Russian Mafia and convicted KGB spies in exchange for Russian journalists, political opponents, supporters of Russian democracy etc.
 
It looks like Western Nations are doing all they can for Russia despite the counter-efforts of the Russian government.
 
https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-democr...02178.html
 
 
(Just as a reminder of what everyone is fighting for here)

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Most of the 360 square miles that has been taken by the Ukrainian military is empty land with some minor settlements. So there won’t be event that will negatively influence the prestige of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And that’s a good thing. But they are still putting themselves at risk. All we can do is hope that they know what they are doing
 
I want to say a few words about the prisoner exchange that happened two weeks ago on august 1st:
 
The US + European countries gave (and are regularly giving) hired assassins, drug dealers, prominent figures of the Russian Mafia and convicted KGB spies in exchange for Russian journalists, political opponents, supporters of Russian democracy etc.
 
It looks like Western Nations are doing all they can for Russia despite the counter-efforts of the Russian government.
 
https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-democr...02178.html
 
 
(Just as a reminder of what everyone is fighting for here)

I’m not an expert on military tactics, but the Ukraine attack seems like a good move - Russia is relocating units from other areas of the front(s) to counter Ukraine taking ‘mostly empty land with a few minor settlements’.

In other words, Ukraine just forced Russia to weaken its attacks elsewhere to retake nothing of particular value.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

The thing of value in kursk is the people. Not the residents, mind you....the conscripts. What putin has done thusfar is to toss expendables and ethnic minorities into the meatgrinder in ukraine. Russias important sons, the ones putin promised wouldn't end up in this "special military operation" are held back in russia at border regions - both to pressure ukraine with a border long front - and to prevent riots in st pete and moscow. Not just from the plebs...the oligarchs own children are often planted in these units to burnish their paper cred before assuming power.

-and to clear some things up, ukraine didn't force russia to do that, and russia isn't doing that - either because they won't, or they can't. They're feeding more conscripts from elsewhere to ukraines infantry. Never make the mistake of thinking russia will do the smart thing, or even the self serving thing. They're too far into the master strategists fever dreams to have those options remaining to them. The kursk problem, from a russian pov, will be solved by purging military officials.

[The Grand Nudger]

I Want to Live reports the largest single catch of surrenders since the start of the war.   Ukraine woke up and chose violence, 100 russian conscripts in a well stocked bunker decided not to get in the way of that.

https://x.com/ukrpravda_news/status/1823...ssian-soil

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I Want to Live reports the largest single catch of surrenders since the start of the war.   Ukraine woke up and chose violence, 100 russian conscripts in a well stocked bunker decided not to get in the way of that.

https://x.com/ukrpravda_news/status/1823...ssian-soil

Wise move on the part of the conscripts.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

Russia drafts a bill to lower service age to 14. Sure, why not. Full on adults scraped from prison aren't working - try the middle schoolers.

[arewethereyet]

Russia drafts a bill to lower service age to 14.  Sure, why not.  Full on adults scraped from prison aren't working - try the middle schoolers.

As someone who can (almost) remember being 14, and a mother of three that were 14 for a time...that is truly frightening.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

The parallels are hard to miss.



Boru

[Thumpalumpacus]

The United States is reportedly "open" to providing Ukraine with the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile or JASSM, to arm its newly arrived F-16s, and which would provide a very powerful new long-range strike capability. The reports from Washington come around six months after Ukrainian officials stated that the country would receive an undisclosed type of air-launched cruise missile with a range of up to 300 miles for its F-16s.

Citing an unnamed official in the Biden administration, as well as two other people "familiar with internal deliberations," Politico reported today that the U.S. government is considering whether to approve JASSM for Ukraine, but is open to the idea. Furthermore, the same sources confirm that the Pentagon is already working on how to integrate these missiles on Ukraine's F-16s, which are upgraded older-model jets drawn from European NATO stocks.

https://www.twz.com/air/jassm-stealth-cr...ine-report

[Fireball]

Russia drafts a bill to lower service age to 14.  Sure, why not.  Full on adults scraped from prison aren't working - try the middle schoolers.

Their Iranian pals did the same thing against Iraq. Desperation. In all these cases, we see what (little) value they place on a human life.