Ukrainian special ops forces who stormed a Russian trench in an intense video did 'everything right' and took their enemy by surprise, US infantry veteran says

Business Insider MSN ^ | 6/22/2023 | Jake Epstein

[marcusmaximus]

Harrowing footage published by Ukraine's special operations forces this week shows their troops storming a Russian trench and engaging in deadly close-quarters fighting with Moscow's soldiers.

The assault appears to have caught the Russians by surprise and left several dead as the Ukrainians cleared their way through the dirt maze. In stark contrast to the reactions by the Russian soldiers, Kyiv's forces appear to have executed the mission flawlessly, doing "everything right," a former US Army infantry soldier said.

"What the Ukrainians did is very unique in their level of proficiency," John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point's Modern War Institute, told Insider after watching the video. "They do everything right, which doesn't always happen in war — even if you're really trained."

Ukraine's special operations forces shared the graphic video to several social media channels on Monday. The military said its forces approached the enemy positions from the rear and killed 10 Russian troops.

The following video is a graphic depiction of front-line trench warfare in Ukraine.

Sharing the video on Twitter, Spencer wrote: "I know a lot of people have already commented on this video of Ukrainian Special Forces conducting close quarters battle in a Russian trench. I can tell they are highly trained, good weapons handling, use of grenades. Intense. High adrenaline but not chaotic. Bravo Zulu."

[JonPreston]

I've been here over two decades opposing the neocons.

Cowardly little men like you, who curl up at the feet of Biden and his warmongering foreign policy administrators, are Neocons. Embrace it. Love it. Wear it.

[Gunslingr3]

Newsflash, moron: I oppose NATO expansion and the involvement of the US in the Ukrainian coup of 2014 and this war.
You cannot point to a single comment I’ve made here in support of the war. You can only find opposition, as I kindly provided you links dating back over 20 years on this forum.
You conflate an objective assessment of the relative incompetence of the Russian armed forces with support for neocon policies, because you’re a moron.

[JonPreston]

Look you NeverTrump freak, your shilling for Biden’s war in the Ukraine litters your timeline. Give it a big hug along with your fellow freak Zelenskyy. Now beat it, libertarians have no place among serious ppl.

[libertarian66]

EVERYONE knows troop numbers because the Russians have been open about it and it’s been in Western news sources all over. You should check it out. It’s actually been a scandal in Russia how few troops have been deployed.

They opened up the operation with only 200k men! Hence the failure from near quick victory.

How do YOU get YOUR casualty numbers? Are you an insider? There’s a ton of Western -and Russian/Ukranian propaganda, but do you have any hard facts? The numbers deployed are fairly well known, Casualty numbers are not. Your claims make absolutely zero sense operationally and just at a common sense level.

[adorno]

EVERYONE knows troop numbers because the Russians have been open about it

We also know that, Putin is the nicest guy on the planet, because, the Russians say it and have been open about it. He's the second coming of Christ and is the greatest fearles leader in history. Don't believe me? Check with the Russians, because they're very open about everything.

[libertarian66]

Now you’re being irrational. This has nothing to do with Putin or how nice he is. Troop numbers are announced by the Kremlin and closely monitored by NATO. They have in no way disagreed about the numbers deployed.

Russia and NATO and Western media largely agree on the number of Russkie troops deployed. If you disagree with those multiple disparate sources, don’t know what to tell ya.

[adorno]

Troop numbers are announced by the Kremlin

Use your head, or whatever you have for a brain.

No country ever divulges the number of troops deployed to war, and no country is ever truthful about casualties on the field of battle. Numbers come out after the war or after some battles. NATO, for example, is not going to tell the Russians or anybody about how many NATO troops or special forces are aiding Ukraine.

In the case of the Russians, the number killed and injured, can be verified by those doing the fighting, namely the Ukrainians and the U.S. intelligence agencies. The Russians have the media reporting their numbers, but, who the heck believes the Russian media or the Russian military or Putin? Only fools believe anything coming out of Russia. Which them makes you a fool. BTW, that American reported in Russian prison was spying for the U.S., according to the Russians. Do you believe them?

[libertarian66]

Countries routinely announce troop numbers. I was there in Desert Storm numbers were announced weekly. I was in Saudi Arabia, read the news.

What’s the basis for your counter claim?

The Kremlin has announced numbers and the West hasn’t challenged them. You have no basisto do so.

Please prove your claim the numbers are wrong. No Western government or intelligence agency or military has said the Russian deployment numbers are significantly wrong.

Please provide your sources, reports, authors of those reports. Or just accceot the numbers are already known and accepted by all sides.

[adorno]

Please prove your claim the numbers are wrong.

That's not how things work. Stop being so naive.

So, if you believe that the Kremlin numbers, aka: the Putin numbers, are correct, it's you that has to prove them right. See how that works?

Putin has lied about his intentions and about his military power and about how Russia can work around the sanctions placed on his country. None of that has been true. Yet, you claim that the Kremlin doesn't lie and that their numbers are true. Such a fool you are.

so, how 'bout that truth with the Kremlin numbers. Talk to Putin and tell him to tell YOU the truth.

I claim tht the Russian casualties in the war for Russia are a million or more. Prove me wrong. IOW, if you can't prove me wrong, then, how can you prove the Kremlin to be correct. You don't have access to the truth anywhere. Get real!

[libertarian66]

You don’t decide “how things work”, and i’ve experienced a military campaign and a major war. Naive may apply to you in these matters, but not to me.

In any case, I haven’t relied on the Kremlin directly but Western media reports for the numbers and they certainly aren’t pro-Russian.

Once again I say please provide your sources for numbers along with proofs. Failing that all we have are the numbers in the press as reported by Russia and not challenged by NATO nor by intelligence agencies.

If you don’t have sources please don’t bother replying and exposing your ignorance. It’s getting old.

[adorno]

You don’t decide “how things work”, and i’ve experienced a military campaign and a major war.

Oh, wow! You 'experienced' a military campaign? Sounds just as dangerous as a political campaign. Poor baby! I feel sorry for You. Any PTSD?

I didn't 'experience a military campaign'. I went to war and I was targeted many times, with bullets and rockets hitting close to home; meanwhile, I say my military buddies go home in body bags and amny more wounded and evacuated from battle.

aWer is hell. No??? Meanwhile, back at home, there were many protests and campaigns to end the war. Campaigns ae helll too No???

Stop being an idiot!

While at war, there was nobody letting the enemy know how many soldiers letting the enemy know how many personnel we had, nor how many were killed or how many were wounded. That's intelligence that the enemy can use against our forces and for propaganda reason, and to undermine operations.

Yep! Your 'campaign experience' makes you such an expert, and your experience tells you to believe the Russians, especially when their numbers are repeated in the western press. Whatever your name is, Naive must be your middle name.

You are naive to the point of being a moron. Intelligenceis nowhere to be found in your brain.

[Gunslingr3]

Look you NeverTrump freak

Voted for Trump twice, specifically to bring an end to what he rightly called 'stupid wars'. Never supported the NeverTrump neocons like Bill Kristol. You just keep spouting baseless lies because you're an idiot who can't let go of his own misapprehension.

your shilling for Biden’s war in the Ukraine litters your timeline.

You're a liar, or you'd quote the comments you attribute to me instead of whole cloth fabricating positions and assigning them to me.

Anyone can read what I've written on here going back decades opposing the neocons.

Just because the Russian military sucks compared to the US military, and I'm unapologetic in observing it, doesn't mean I support the neocons. You're apparently too much of an idiot to understand the positions needs not overlap.

There's no need to glorify the incompetent Russians while opposing the neocons.

Now beat it, libertarians have no place among serious ppl.

Libertarians founded this Republic, you ignorant twit.

[JonPreston]

Here’s an idea Mr Libertarian, rather than cheering for another Biden catastrophe, why no get yourself into the fray? 🤡

[JonPreston]

Pure Certified Clown.

• Update from Ukraine | Who blown up the Dam? Ukraine Lost Leopard-2 John Deer Modification

  06/06/2023 6:43:26 PM PDT · 25 of 168
  Gunslingr3 to C210N

  Why would Russia blow up a dam they built?

  Reasons Russia would blow the dam:

  It provides a crossing point of the river.

  The flooding raises challenges the Ukrainian army will face in trying to force crossings into the flood zone.

  The reduced opportunity for cross river assault allows Russia to reduce force commitment in this area, and make those forces available to protect the land bridge to Crimea.

  I don’t see any advantage in Ukraine destroying this dam, as it reduces their potential avenues of attack, and eliminates a sturdy crossing they could have used, in addition to the power generation capacity that has been lost to Russian scorched earth.

  Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies

[Gunslingr3]

Pure Certified Clown

You like bringing attention to your ignorance, don’t you?

How much do you know about WW2? The Eastern Front in particular?

In August 1941, with Nazi forces storming toward Zaporizhzhya during the German invasion of the Soviet Union, retreating Red Army forces blasted a hole in the dam of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station

Russian clowns, amirite?

[JonPreston]

Tell us about how Russia destroyed their own dam, you Neocon 🤡

[StAnDeliver]

"You would think the Russian soldiers would rebel against their superiors. 200,000 of them have been killed so far."

This aged very well, a young wine, but fit to drink. Salud!

[Gunslingr3]

Tell us about how Russia destroyed their own dam,

Are you wondering how such a thing is possible? You think the Russians today can’t figure out something the Soviets figured out how to do in 1941? What’s your basis for that assumption? Anything at all beyond your colossal ignorance of last century’s battles in this very region? Tell us why the Russians refused the Ukrainian requests for international observers to be stationed at the dam to preclude Russian sabotage prior to their inevitable retreat.

How utterly clueless are you?

Oct. 21, 2022

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has warned that Russia was preparing a “false flag” operation to blow up a large hydroelectric dam in the south of the country, potentially flooding 80 towns, villages and cities, including the strategically important city of Kherson.

He said that the plot to attack the dam at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the city of Nova Kakhovka was aimed at framing Ukraine for the devastating humanitarian and ecological disaster that would ensue. He called for the creation of an international observation mission at the plant, saying it was imperative to prevent a potential catastrophe.

“We have information that Russian terrorists mined the dam and aggregates of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant,” he said on Thursday via video link to a meeting of European leaders in Brussels. “The water supply to a large part of the south of Ukraine may be destroyed.”

He added that a potential attack on the dam also presented a serious security risk, because it could leave the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, without the water necessary to cool its facilities. Water for the plant, he said, came from the Kakhovka Reservoir.

[JonPreston]

Clown boy 🤡, only you Biden, Blinkin, Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton believe the Russians blew up their own dam. You are, and remain, a dopey Neocon.

[Gunslingr3]

You’re ducking the question:
Why did the Russians refuse to allow international observers to the dam?

If you’re capable of answering two questions, think about this one for a while and let me know the conclusion you reach:
Why do you think the Russians in 2023 wouldn’t do what the Russians did in 1941 and the Germans in 1944?