**Location an height of record turret toss revealed.**
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The complete transcript.
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[ Ukraine Launches a Space Program for Russian Soldiers ]
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Today [ Oct 11 ], there are a lot of new developments in the Lyman direction.
Here, Russian forces have intensified their offensive in the Zherebets sector, concentrating on the Nevske area, but this push has triggered strong Ukrainian counterattacks to the south. In recent days, multiple failed Russian mechanized assaults have resulted in heavy losses, including the destruction of various “Turtle” tank variants, underscore the effective use of advanced drone warfare.
Interestingly, the recent capture of Nevske was not intended as a springboard for a southward advance, but rather as part of a broader strategy to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines by threatening the nearby bridge.
Geographical constraints play a critical role in Russian planning, as Nevske’s position in the lowlands makes it unsuitable for massing forces, and any troop movements along the river would be highly exposed to Ukrainian fire.
Acknowledging these limitations, Russian command has shifted focus. Instead of advancing from Nevske, they aim to exploit the disruption to Ukrainian logistics by launching a main assault from the highlands, specifically from the fields near Torske, where the terrain is more favorable and Ukrainian defenses may be weakened by supply issues.
Recent developments have underscored significant tactical advantages for Ukrainian forces, despite Russian efforts to disrupt their logistics near Nevske. While the threat to a key bridge presents challenges, the region’s intricate road network allows Ukraine to maintain multiple supply routes, preserving their operational flexibility.
Additionally, the overextension of Russian lines has become a critical weakness. Russian armored units must travel up to 20 kilometers to reach attack positions, giving Ukrainian forces ample time for early detection and preparation. This extended approach leaves Russian units vulnerable to ambushes and long-range strikes, further exacerbating their logistical difficulties.
Ukrainian forces have successfully capitalized on their ability to deploy key assets from a secure depth. Drone operators and artillery units, unconstrained by frontline logistical challenges, retain full combat effectiveness even when positioned west of the river. This capability, coupled with advanced drone warfare tactics and precise artillery coordination, enables them to swiftly and efficiently counter Russian maneuvers, maintaining a decisive edge in response times and operational flexibility.
In recent days, Russian forces have renewed mechanized assault attempts toward Torske. Geolocated footage reveals the involvement of various armored vehicles, including a T-72B3M, a T-80BV “Turtle” variant, an APC-82A, and at least one additional BMP in the offensive. Ukrainian forces, notably the 63rd and 60th Separate Mechanized Brigades, with artillery support from the 40th and 45th Brigades, successfully repelled the attack, halting the Russian advance.
The effectiveness of Ukrainian drone warfare was on full display during this engagement. Reconnaissance drones detected the Russian advance early, enabling FPV drone operators to precisely target Russian armored vehicles.
One particularly striking moment was the destruction of a Russian “Turtle” tank, with its turret catapulted nearly 75 meters into the air, equivalent to the height of a 22-story building.
This incident exemplifies a growing trend: Ukrainian FPV drone operators have refined their techniques for destroying these “Turtle” tanks along the entire front line. This development has significantly undermined one of Russia’s most unconventional military innovations since the war began.
A spokesperson for a Ukrainian brigade in the Lyman sector reported that Russian forces have amassed armored vehicles and reinforced their ranks with poorly trained personnel to resume assault operations. This lack of training likely contributed to the swift and decisive failure of the recent Russian offensive.
To add to their challenges, Russian forces have struggled in heavily forested areas, such as the Kreminna forest, where mechanized assaults are nearly impossible. This terrain plays to the strengths of Ukrainian forces, whose superior preparation is evident. In recent days, Russian activity in the area has reportedly decreased, allowing Ukraine to intensify pressure with attacks along the forest line.
Geolocated footage captured a devastating Ukrainian strike using grenade-dropping drones equipped with thermal cameras, which obliterated Russian troops unable to defend against the aerial assault.
Overall, the Russian strategy of disrupting Ukrainian logistics by capturing the Nevske bridge has had limited impact on Ukraine’s defensive capabilities in the Lyman direction. Ukraine’s robust defense is bolstered by a flexible road network, overextended Russian supply lines, and the ability to deploy key assets from secure positions at a distance. These strengths, combined with technological superiority in drone and artillery warfare, allow Ukrainian forces to detect, track, and engage Russian units well before they reach their attack positions.
Additionally, Ukrainian forces are showing significant resilience in the forests near Kreminna. With these advantages and the impending onset of the muddy season, Ukrainian forces continue to demonstrate remarkable determination to defend this crucial sector of the frontline.
Ruble death watch resumed.
Steep declines through September against all major currencies. Dropped about 15% against the Yuan and the Rupee.
The penny ruble (100 rubles to the dollar) last year caused Putin and the Russian Central Bank to impose harsh currency controls on Russian businesses (forced ruble buying), and resume intervening in the currency market to buy rubles, and shore up that currency’s price.
Well it seems that the effectiveness of those interventions culminated, and the ruble has resumed its decline. From a recent high of 85.5 rubles to the dollar on August 4th, it fell to 98 to the dollar on October 9th - flirting with the penny ruble again.
The Russian Central Bank dove in yesterday to pull it back to 96, but it is fighting a strong tide of fundamentals, and seems to be running low on foreign currency reserves to keep doing enough to overcome market forces.
The volume of trades in the ruble market is dramatically less than it used to be, but the Central Bank’s inability to keep the ruble propped up (even in this much thinner market) since secondary sanctions were imposed in June, and especially over the last two months, probably indicates that they just did not have enough foreign currency to keep intervening enough. Running low on bullets.
Normally, a weak currency helps exporters, but Russian exports are overwhelmingly commodities, that are priced in other currencies, especially Dollars. The weakening ruble definitely hurts Russian consumers.