Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Update from Ukraine | Bakhmut Situation Both sides on Attack | Ruzzia Lost 200k Army in Ukraine
Youtube.com ^ | 5-17-2023 8 p.m. | Denys Davydov

Posted on 05/18/2023 9:22:57 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com

Update from Ukraine | Bakhmut Situation Both sides on Attack | Ruzzia Lost 200k Army in Ukraine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk5PY-jBStw&t=749s

****NEW SUMMARY Military MAPS & COMMENTS here:

Invasion Day 448– Summary May 17 , 2023 Jerome News The summary of the situation of Russian re-invasion to Ukraine covering the last 48 hours, as of 2023 – 22:00 (Kyiv time).

https://militaryland.net/news/invasion-day-448-summary/

*** Greatly appreciate the viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use on each Front map!


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

1 posted on 05/18/2023 9:22:57 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: UMCRevMom@aol.com

Update from Ukraine | Bakhmut Situation Both sides on Attack | Ruzzia Lost 200k Army in Ukraine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk5PY-jBStw&t=749s

****NEW SUMMARY Military MAPS & COMMENTS here:

Invasion Day 448– Summary May 17 , 2023 Jerome News The summary of the situation of Russian re-invasion to Ukraine covering the last 48 hours, as of 2023 – 22:00 (Kyiv time).

https://militaryland.net/news/invasion-day-448-summary/

*** Greatly appreciate the viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use on each Front map!


2 posted on 05/18/2023 9:23:06 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


3 posted on 05/18/2023 9:25:29 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

VIDEO WITH COMMENTARY

17 May: NEW GAINS SECURED. Ukrainians Conduct a SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT | War in Ukraine Explained
Reporting from Ukraine
258K subscribers
5-18-2023 3:00 A.M.

⚠️ Watch RFU in 18+ languages: https://www.youtube.com/@RFU/channels

I am Ukrainian. My country has been invaded by Russia. In this video I will tell you what happened on the four hundred and forty eighth day of the war.

Day 448: May 17

Today there is a lot of news from the Bakhmut direction.

After Ukrainians conducted a successful unblocking operation in the Kromove region, Ukrainians once again started to actively use the Khromove highway to deliver supplies directly to the city. Such developments put a spoke in the wheel of the Wagner Group as Ukrainian resistance increased.

As you remember, the Head of the Wagner Group, Prigozhin, announced that he would leave Bakhmut on the 10th of May. The Russian Ministry of Defense pretended to comply with Prigozhin’s demands at first, but on the 9th of May, Prigozhin received a letter from the Ministry saying that if he leaves Bakhmut, he would be immediately tried for treason.

Prigozhin sees that the collapse of the flanks that he predicted is happening and understands that there is a huge risk of being taken into a pocket. His new plan, therefore, became taking Bakhmut within the coming days, no matter the losses, to declare that his detachments completed the job so that he could formally transfer the responsibility for the region to the airborne forces and escape the cauldron.

That is why in the light of increased resistance due to increased supplies, the Wagner forces switched their focus to the outer edge of the city and devoted significant resources to making sure that the supplies are cut. The latest confirmed reports indicate that Russians managed to advance and are only 1 street away from the supply road, which means that it cannot be used anymore.

When it comes to the citadel, the main Ukrainian positions are located in the last block of fortifications. Such developments were inevitable because the recent footage shows that Russians have absolutely demolished the main firing positions that had prevented Russians from entering the citadel for weeks. Several hours ago, Prigozhin reported that his forces will not be able to encircle any Ukrainians and will have to take the rest of Bakhmut through brutal fighting. He once again took a chance to pillory the Chief of Staff Gerasimov for the collapse of the flanks that ensured that there was no possibility of encirclement and no possibility of starving Ukrainians out.

And today, it was confirmed that Ukrainians collapsed the flanks by several more kilometers. After a short regrouping and consolidation of newly gained tactical positions in the forest, Ukrainians launched multiple attacks in the direction of Klischiivka. A lot of combat footage was released by many assault detachments of the clearing and storming operations. The 3rd Assault Brigade showed how they used a tank to undermine Russian defense in a tree line and ended up blowing up the enemy ammo depot.

Another video shows how an assault unit was getting ready to storm the proximate Russian positions in a tree line when the commander suspected that Russians unveiled their positions as the first shell seemed to be too accurate. The immediate reaction saved the whole unit as the next shell blew up their emptied shelter.

A fighter from the 24th Assault Brigade reported that their advances were so successful that they started to have a new problem. Because they penetrated Russian positions so deeply, some Russian forces started shooting at them from the back. He said that they still decided not to retreat, requested support from the Presidential Brigade that operated in the vicinity, and continued to move forward.

Seeing the relentless movement of Ukrainian forces, many Russian troops tried to abandon their positions and retreat along the tree line. Ironically, according to the soldiers on the ground, this actually increased their losses because almost all of them died from artillery fire, and they had better chances of survival by surrendering and becoming prisoners of war. However, as reported by a fighter from the Aidar Battalion, during this storming operation, Russians lost more than 80 troops.

Given the current setting, the next logical step is attacking Klischiivka, and many Ukrainian soldiers already reported about the preparation for the storming operation. The biggest obstacle on the way is an extensive trench network on the hill north of the settlement. But once it is taken, Russians will have to retreat not only from the village in the lowlands but also from the fields back to Opytne.


4 posted on 05/18/2023 9:27:43 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: UMCRevMom@aol.com

The FBI just implicated itself in setting up J6.
More terrorists on the FBI Wanted List arrested at the Southern border.
Do you even care? Or are you hoping Zelenskyy does the horizontal mambo with you?


5 posted on 05/18/2023 9:28:27 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

Zelensky could surrender, be allowed to occupy some home he has bought elsewhere. A military junta could be put into control in Kiev, cooperating with Russian military requirements. The Ukraine troops could turn all of their weapons over to the Russians and then go home, with the Junta keeping the lights on and trains on time.

Then the Junta will arrest all British and American intelligence officers and execute them on the spot.

After all of this, Russian troops return home, retaining the new territories. Just as Russian troops returned home after helping stop the coup in Kazakhstan in January 2022.

With all of this in place, western media will report:

VICTORY. RUSSIAN TROOPS CRAWL OFF WITH TAIL BETWEEN THEIR LEGS. Zelensky has announced his victorious retirement, leaving in charge hand selected people.


6 posted on 05/18/2023 9:33:58 AM PDT by Owen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AmericanInTokyo; Apparatchik; AZJeep; babble-on; BeauBo; bert; BiglyCommentary; buwaya; ..

ARTICLE

Embarrassed by Ukraine downing its ‘unstoppable’ missiles, Russia is now scrambling to attack its air defenses, UK intel says

Sinéad Baker
May 18, 2023, 11:03 AM EDT
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-targets-ukraine-air-defense-after-kinzhal-missile-downing-uk-2023-5

-Russia’s new priority is targeting Ukraine’s improved air defense systems, the UK MOD said.

-This comes after Ukraine shot down Kinzhal missiles that Russia bragged were unstoppable.

-Russia claimed it destroyed one Patriot air defense system, but US officials said it was still operational.

Russia’s new priority is trying to neutralize Ukraine’s “improved” air defense systems after they successfully shot down missiles that President Vladimir Putin had bragged were unbeatable, according to UK intelligence.

The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Wednesday that Russia has prioritized attempts to neutralize Ukraine’s improved air defence capabilities after it “achieved the first ever shoot-down of a KILLJOY air-launched ballistic missile.”

KILLJOY is NATO’s term for Russia’s advanced Kinzhal missiles, which Russia has previously described as unstoppable.

Ukraine said on Saturday that it achieved the first-ever shoot down of a Kinzhal over its capital city, Kyiv, using a US-made Patriot air defense system.

On Tuesday it said it had shot down six more Kinzhal missiles over the city.

Insider has not been able to independently verify the claim.

The UK MOD did not say how many Russian Kinzhal missiles it believes have been destroyed, merely stating that Russia had lost “several more” KILLJOY missiles in its efforts to target Ukraine’s defense systems.

It’s also not clear how successful Russia’s efforts have been.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that a Russian missile destroyed one Patriot air defense system in Kyiv. Ukraine refuted the claim, The Guardian reported.

Two US officials told The New York Times that one Patriot system had been damaged but that it was still operational.

Patriot systems make for easy targets due to the signals they emit, but their best chance of taking out a Kinzhal is actually when they are the target, one expert told Insider.

The US decided to give Ukraine the Patriot defense system last year, after Ukraine asked allies for air defense help to repel Russian attacks. Ukraine has at least two Patriot air defense systems.

Ukraine’s air defenses have become increasingly important in the war, with Russia targeting cities far from the front lines.

Ukraine’s defenses, which also include missile systems from the UK and other countries, have stopped many of those attacks.

The destruction of the Kinzhal missiles was a psychological blow for Russia.

The missile’s manufacturer, Rostec, had claimed “there is no countermeasure” to it, with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in August calling it “impossible neither to detect it nor to intercept,” as Insider’s Ryan Pickrell previously reported.

The UK MOD said that the apparent vulnerability of the missiles “is likely a surprise and an embarrassment for Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted the system as undefeatable.”

Meanwhile, experts have disputed the idea that the missile can be called “hypersonic,” as they don’t have the ability for sustained hypersonic flight, even though they can reached those speeds.


7 posted on 05/18/2023 9:36:11 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

“Do you even care?”

EXACTLY! WAKE-UP!!

The FBI just implicated itself in setting up J6.
More terrorists on the FBI Wanted List arrested at the Southern border.


8 posted on 05/18/2023 9:37:47 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: All

Ukraine intelligence chief says Kyiv wants a demilitarized border zone up to 60 miles inside Russia to prevent future conflicts
Sinéad Baker
May 18, 2023, 8:34 AM EDT

-An intel chief says Ukraine wants a demilitarized border zone up to 60 miles into Russian territory.

-He said it would prevent future conflict and “shouldn’t be an issue” if Russia doesn’t plan attacks.

-Major General Kyrylo Budanov said Ukraine had “successfully targeted” some Russian propagandists.

The head of Ukraine’s military-intelligence service says Kyiv wants to set up a demilitarized border zone up to 60 miles into Russian territory.

Major General Kyrylo Budanov said the goal would be to prevent future conflict with Russia. “If they are not going to attack and don’t decide they want revenge in a couple of years, this shouldn’t be an issue,” The Times of London reported Budanov said.

It’s unclear how or when the zone could be created, especially with the current conflict showing little sign of ending.

Budanov added that Ukraine wanted the demilitarized zone even if Russian President Vladimir Putin was overthrown, as it would help conserve peace in the future.

Budanov was also asked by the Ukrainian YouTube channel Rizni Lyudi whether Ukraine had killed any Russian “propagandists” since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

He said that targeted killings had taken place but didn’t comment on specific incidents.

“We’ve already successfully targeted quite a few people. There have been well-publicized cases everyone knows about, thanks to the media coverage,” he said, according to the Times’ translation.

Budanov said he couldn’t comment on any specific examples, adding: “We’re not going to confirm or deny any information whatsoever,” according to a translation by Meduza.

Military bloggers and other media figures in Russia have urged Putin and other officials to launch large-scale attacks in Ukraine and to use more brutal tactics against Ukrainian citizens and soldiers.

Budanov said the Kremlin had “invested so much in this propaganda machine that it began to influence them in the end.”

He said his agents had targeted Russians who committed war crimes against Ukraine. “These cases have happened and will continue. Such people will receive a well-deserved punishment, and the appropriate punishment can only be liquidation and I will implement it,” he said, according to The Times.

Several high-profile Russians who supported the invasion have been killed or injured since it began.

These include Vladlen Tatarsky, a military blogger who was killed in an explosion in April in a Saint Petersburg café. The Kremlin said that Ukraine, which denied involvement, was responsible for the explosion. Russia’s foreign minister praised Tatarsky after his death, saying he died “boldly” and was “doing his duty.”

Darya Dugina, a pro-war Russian TV commentator and the daughter of an influential Russian nationalist thinker, was also killed in a car bomb last August. Russia said that Ukraine was responsible, but Ukraine denied any involvement.

Reports in October said the US believed Duginmightay had been killed on the orders of the Ukrainian government.

Budanov said in another interview that Ukrainians weren’t responsible for recent attacks on infrastructure in Russia.

He told another Ukrainian YouTube channel that those attacks — which included attacks on Russian oil facilities — were the actions of unhappy Russians.

He said they were carried out “almost 100 per cent by citizens of the Russian Federation,” The Times reported.

Budanov also said Ukraine considered Putin a legitimate target but was not trying to take him out.


9 posted on 05/18/2023 9:40:47 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: UMCRevMom@aol.com

Who to believe?????

https://asiatimes.com/2023/05/ukrainians-are-organizing-retreat-from-bakhmut/


10 posted on 05/18/2023 9:42:51 AM PDT by elpadre (nd )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: UMCRevMom@aol.com

There is the concept of a “bloody nose”, actually two. The first bloody nose is the number of casualties that the military takes before it backs off. The second is the civilian version.

In Russia, 200k is enough for the military bloody nose but not enough for a civilian bloody nose. I estimate that it will take about 500k to get the civilian population to back off and push the government to pull back.

Just my .02


11 posted on 05/18/2023 9:44:33 AM PDT by taxcontrol (The choice is clear - either live as a slave on your knees or die as a free citizen on your feet.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PIF

VIDEOS

1. COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE FSB - RUSSIA IS PANICKING DUE TO AN AVALANCHE OF SABOTAGES || 2023
Warthog Defense
535K subscribers
May 17, 2023 7:30 p.m. EST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykK9DCCuBaU

2. “I AM A GARBAGE DRIVER. I CARRIED STRANGE BLACK PACKAGES FROM THE FRONT” RUSSIAN POW INTERVIEW
Volodymyr Zolkin
1.44M subscribers
5-17-2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOZ5YCtqslE


12 posted on 05/18/2023 9:44:50 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
As posted only minutes ago to another thread:

--- "...very difficult for Ukraine supporters...." I find it fascinating as I sample posts and comments with a modicum of distance. Some Freepers are missing.

The "SpeedyInTexas" and at least two regular fans, "PIF" and "FtrPilot," seem to keep their own counsel, but don't check in on other Ukraine-Russia war threads.

Similarly, "MCRevMom@aol.com" and two consistent fans, "Sunsong" and "Widget Jr" seem to keep to themselves.

It seems odd. I posted to one of those threads: "Given the three stances, 1) pro-Z, 2) pro-P, and 3) 'not my circus', I am of the third stance, and find the Obama-Biden flood of money to this 'event' much like the massive sums spent on another 'event'."

What seems clear is that stance number 1 seems very active and dislikes disagreement, while I see our debt-ridden nation beggaring itself for a war between two non-NATO countries. Biden being on one side makes for suspicion aplenty.

Two non-NATO nations warring. Non-NATO. And so NATO and Biden are busy, busy, busy. For the "liberal world order."

13 posted on 05/18/2023 9:46:08 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Worldtraveler once upon a time; SpeedyInTexas; PIF; FtrPilot; Sunsong; Widget Jr

Name ‘em

Ping ‘em


14 posted on 05/18/2023 9:49:58 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

The French are laughing at Zelensky. The truth is emerging and after countless lives and taxpayer billions lost, the public is beginning to reject him and his propaganda.

'A travelling circus': Ukraine fumes after French TV ridicules Zelensky's Europe tour | Watch


15 posted on 05/18/2023 9:50:23 AM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: taxcontrol

“I estimate that it will take about 500k to get the civilian population to back off and push the government to pull back.”

You are probably correct. They loss freedom of thought & expression so long ago.

Now they Russian people just survive.
The Russian population is experiencing negative population growth choose not to have children or immigration for a variety of reasons: from resource availability to societal and cultural pressures.


16 posted on 05/18/2023 9:54:08 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Worldtraveler once upon a time

“Some Freepers are missing?”

Not missing. Just refuse to engage in petty word games.
Many Pro-putin types have long standing reputations of not providing any positive comments toward discussion... so they become left out of the loop. Sorry


17 posted on 05/18/2023 9:59:40 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com (Pray for God's intervention to stop Putin's invasion )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: UMCRevMom@aol.com
Ukraine - Air Defense Lessons

Patriot Missiles Won’t Save Ukraine - National Interest - May 9, 2023

Patriot systems are limited to pinpoint defense of major assets and are designed to operate in tandem with air defenses engaging targets at higher and lower altitudes. Without these additions, Patriot will have too many threats to engage and the result will either be porous coverage that doesn’t protect its defended assets, or coverage that quickly subsides when Patriot runs out of interceptors. Moreover, Patriot systems are themselves vulnerable. Operating a Patriot radar system gives away its location, making it an open target for Russian attacks. This means that Patriot is not a one-stop-shop for defending Ukraine’s military assets or its people.

Those facts were proven last night.

War Monitor @WarMonitors - 1:23 UTC · May 16, 2023
⚡️I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but after careful review of this video, it appears that the air defence battery (most likely patriot) tried to save itself, but failed. It most probably got toasted.

Those were expensive two minutes for the 'West':

Fennec_Radar @RadarFennec - 1:45 UTC · May 16, 2023
I counted 30 Patriot PAC-3 MSE launches here.
The FY2024 costs of these per missile is about $$5,275,000
That was $158,250,000 fired in about two minutes. And as we see, the battery or something else likely got blown up. So it failed in its mission.

18 posted on 05/18/2023 10:00:01 AM PDT by Kazan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UMCRevMom@aol.com
Bakhmut Endgame | Major Wagner Advances | Bakhmut Front Update 18/05/23
19 posted on 05/18/2023 10:00:18 AM PDT by Kazan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UMCRevMom@aol.com
Russia Launches Final Push In Bakhmut. We Could Hear News Anytime Now


20 posted on 05/18/2023 10:00:35 AM PDT by Kazan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson