Posted on 08/08/2024 7:49:21 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
Ukraine has reportedly captured hundreds of Russian soldiers in a further major blow to Vladimir Putin's army.
-snip-
New video images posted by Ukraine's army appear to show Russian prisoners of war captured during the incursion.
The prisoners include troops from Russia’s 225th Assault Brigade, as well as FSB border guards.
One captured Russian identified himself as 22-year-old Danil Kolesnikov from the Belgorod region.
In a video clip of his interrogation, the soldier said he served in the 488th regiment on the border in the Kursk-Sudzha area.
He was captured early on after Ukrainian troops crossed into Russia on Tuesday.
The soldier told his captors that the regiment's commanders had abandoned them and that "they will die, they will die".
Another video shows around 40 Russians being loaded onto trucks, after which they were taken to Ukraine.
Some reports claim that as many as 300 Russian servicemen had been detained by Ukraine's army.
(Excerpt) Read more at express.co.uk ...
Since the beginning of the full-scale Putin invasion from 24.02.22 to 08.08.24 are approximately, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have eliminated:
• personnel ‒ about 587510 (+1140) people,
• tanks ‒ 8431 (+2) units,
• combat armoured vehicles ‒ 16332 (+9) units,
• artillery systems – 16487 (+36) units,
• MLRS – 1142 (+4) units,
• air defence systems ‒ 914 (+4) units,
• aircraft – 366 (+1) units,
• helicopters – 327 (+1) units,
• UAVs of the operational and tactical level – 13293 (+81),
• cruise missiles ‒ 2424 (+3),
• ships /boats ‒ 28 (+0) units,
• submarines - 1 (+0) units,
• motor vehicles and tank trucks – 22285 (+59) units,
• special equipment ‒ 2767 (+8)
In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Vladimir Putin humiliated as ‘hundreds’ of troops seen captured by Ukraine inside Russia, UMCRevMom@aol.com wrote: I share caution to you and other freepers regarding accepting Alexander Mercouris as a credible source.
He is a disbarred attorney from London. He has become a “pro-Russian commentator on world affairs for Russian TV news outlets and websites.”
I understand Mercouris promotes Russian propaganda and has used poor sources, plagiarized and failed fact checks.
If you read the article he quotes others and together, he and the others are far more truthful than ANYTHING YOU EVER POSTED.
I will make sure not to hire him as an attorney when I'm in London. Anymore, when I see comments like that I assume they lawfared against him to shut him down years ago.
Mercouris is accurate and tells the public what his source is and whether he agrees with that source- that's what I care about. You know 'fact checkers' say Trump has committed thousands of crimes, right?
You are the most zealous Ukrainian propagandist I've encountered on the Internet - I will not trust cautions from you. Quite the contrary. Cautions from you are stamps of approval on Mercouris for those of us just trying to find out the truth.
Each person will choose their own sources.
Just remember: Use reason to seek truth
“Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.”
― George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron)
>>>>Each person will choose their own sources.
Just remember: Use reason to seek truth
“Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.”
― George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron)<<<<
In a few months, President Trump will be back in the Oval Office, Zelensky will be nothing but a bad memory, and you’ll be looking for a new job.
You’d really be great writing those little messages that are hidden inside fortune cookies.
BTW, you’ve been throwing around a lot of quotes lately, however it’s going to take more than that to make you seem intelligent.
In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Vladimir Putin humiliated as ‘hundreds’ of troops seen captured by Ukraine inside Russia, UMCRevMom@aol.com wrote: Each person will choose their own sources.
Just remember: Use reason to seek truth
“Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.”
― George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron)How typically condescending of you. You pretend you have to tell me to 'use reason to seek truth' as if I wouldn't do so otherwise. I don't need instruction from shills, thank you. Oh and I don't need quotes from Lord Byron to get me to 'use reason' because it comes naturally to me. You never get tired of pretending to take the moral high ground while you shill.
30 Dec: BUSY DAY. Ukrainians Start A MASSIVE HUNT ON RUSSIAN STRATEGIC MISSILE LAUNCHERS
VIDEO: DAILY WAR COMMENTARY
09 Aug: It’s Happening! RUSSIANS RETREATING: Full Defense Mode Activated!
War in Ukraine Explained
518K subscribers
8-9-2024 10:40 p.m. EST
5:45 Minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcvtRrP_3Ks
⚠️ Watch RFU in 20 languages: https://www.youtube.com/@RFU/channels
“Today, there are a lot of updates from the Kharkiv direction.
Here, intense combat continues in Vovchansk, with Ukrainian forces making slow but steady advances while Russian forces have officially announced a shift to a defensive posture in anticipation of a potential Ukrainian attempt to collapse Russian positions across the northern part of the city.
Although various map update sources show slight discrepancies, most information sources agree that Russian forces have completely withdrawn from their attempt to establish a stronghold in the wooded area south of the river, directly opposite the aggregate plant.
Recently published geolocated images show a group of Ukrainian soldiers walking along the road of the bridge just west of the wooded area. The Ukrainians move without apparent concern, indicating the complete absence of Russian forces in the vicinity.
Regarding the Aggregate Plant itself, Vitalii Sarantsev, a spokesman for the Ukrainian “Kharkiv” Group of Forces, confirmed in recent statements to the media that a small group of Russian soldiers remained blocked on the plant’s territory. The spokesman stated that the number of Russian troops still trapped at the aggregate plant constantly decreases, with an estimated 40 soldiers remaining. Although they can still receive small amounts of food and ammunition delivered by unmanned aerial vehicles, they are completely blocked and unable to leave. Sarantsev noted that these soldiers’ position is isolated from the main Russian force positions, as the Ukrainian army controls all approach paths to the plant.
In recent days, there has been an intensification of FPV drone attack operations on the aggregate plant. Geolocated footage shows numerous attempts by FPV drones to enter the plant’s standing buildings, trying to detonate explosives from the inside. While images show success in some cases, in others, the drones were shot down by Russian soldiers just before reaching their targets. This sudden increase in Ukrainian activity at the plant, including both drone operations and the innovative ground drone attack described a few days ago, suggests, according to various analysts, that the start of a Ukrainian clearing operation throughout the aggregate plant area is approaching. The original, uncensored footage of these drone attacks can be found on our Telegram channel through the link in the description.
Regarding the Citadel area, while there have been reports of Russian attempts to take positions in some of the high-rise buildings on the northern and eastern perimeters, Ukrainian advances have been confirmed around the adjacent streets to the south and southeast. This expands the Ukrainian control zone in the area and further compromises any Russian attempt to connect with the aggregate plant, suggesting that the Russians may have definitively given up on the aggregate plant and their next best option is to establish a stronghold in one of the citadel positions in an attempt to prevent the complete collapse of their defense in northern Vovchansk.
However, the most significant development has come from official Russian army communications. Official statements from the Russian Northern Group of Forces began in early August to describe their efforts in Vovchansk as “defensive” against what they termed a numerically superior Ukrainian force. Some analysts perceive this change in the narrative as preparation for a significant Ukrainian counterattack movement or even the possibility of withdrawal from substantial areas of Vovchansk. It’s worth noting that Russian sources themselves had confirmed on various occasions that they have evidence of the continuous accumulation of Ukrainian forces on the Kharkiv front.
Confirming all of the above, recent publications by military analysts, using open-source databases on geolocations over a one-month time window, confirm the slow but progressive Ukrainian advance in northern Vovchansk. They conclude that the situation is likely irreversible for Russian forces, which will soon only be able to aspire to maintain positions in the northern part of the city, above the citadel line.
Despite the continuous Russian artillery, thermobaric ammunition, and glide bomb attacks in their attempt to undermine the Ukrainian logistics in their efforts to supply the forces in Vovchansk, the better knowledge of the Ukrainian terrain, as well as the geographical possibilities of the area providing multiple possible routes and crossings for the Ukrainians has allowed them to maintain and increased their superiority in personnel and equipment over the Russians.
Overall, Ukrainian success in their effort to maintain the
increased personnel and equipment supplies in Vovchansk has led to the Russian withdrawal from position south of the river, the failure of their operation to connect with the aggregate plant, and the slow but Progressive advance of Ukrainian troops in recapturing the city. All of this evidence suggests that Russian forces have long been unable to make advances and are now trying to fall back and switch to a defensive mode.
The confirmation through official Russian statements foreshadows a possible imminent resolution of the situation in Vovchansk which could materialize in a withdrawal to the field high areas north of the city. Lastly the recent Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory from the Sumi oblast could provide the perfect excuse for Russian command to divert resources initially prepared by the Northern Group for the har France forcing them to withdraw troops from Vovchansk for a temporary regrouping.”
He's a contrarian getting his kicks opposing those who have the most political power. During the 9/11 years, When Bush was top dog, Johnson opposed the War on Terror. During the Trump presidency, when Trump was a political underdog, his support of Trump was in opposition to the majority power trying to take down Trump.
Johnson, like many others making a living on controversy, is good at telling a small and highly agitated audience what they want to hear.
“To those who have been on or followed FR form the 9/11 era, Larry Johnson is well known as a loose cannon.”
Thanks. Some do not know larryjohnson/larrycjohnson.
So, I tried to issue a comment to be cautious of source.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4257121/posts?page=33#33
Seriously, I think Russians are claiming they drove back Ukrainian invaders and put out videos showing destruction of many Ukrainian armored vehicles.
What looks true now is that Ukraine's "invasion force" seems far too small to be even worthy of the name, but has made some astonishing progress.
Naw... I'm hearing maybe a battalion or two, not even a full brigade, much less a whole army.
In any other context, the military would call it a "feint" or "diversion" or "demonstration" intended to distract and divert the enemy away from the main locus of attack.
But in the Russo-Ukraine war... who knows?
If the reports are true, it's pretty astonishing -- in a matter of days, and with minimal forces, Ukrainians have taken as much Russian territory as Russians captured from Ukraine all year at the cost of over 100,000 Russian casualties!
But the fog of war is pretty heavy right now, so I'd hold off any uber-exuberance until more can be confirmed.
"Atomic Annie" 280mm cannon,
Grable test 1953, 15 kt yield:
What's true is that all the logic in the world says Putin should threaten to use nukes at every turn, in hopes that weak western leaders like our Biden administration will self-deter and be afraid to do what's necessary for Ukraine to win.
That same logic says that if Putin ever actually did use his nukes, it would mean the destruction of Russia as a nation and Russians as a people, in other words, an act of national suicide.
And why would Putin order that?
Who would carry out such an order?
Battle of the Bulge, December 1944
Stavelot is near Malmady, northeastern part of bulge:
Stavelot was under Wehrmacht control in December 1944 and it took the Germans around 200,000 men, plus 1,000 tanks and nearly 2,000 artillery pieces to launch the Battle of the Bulge.
With those they created a front 50 miles wide and up to 70 miles deep.
It cost the Western Allies around 80,000 casualties to drive German forces out of the Ardennes.
In Kursk today, the Ukrainian invasion seems minor -- a couple of battalions at most -- and the gains rather significant, perhaps as many square miles in a few days as Russians took in Donetsk all year.
However, the fog of war is still quite heavy and nothing yet known for certain in terms of forces, positions and directions...
Kazan: "This is all silly distraction that has and will cost hundreds of more Ukrainian soldiers to die needlessly while Russia continues to advance on the battlefield:"Russian advances in its main focus of Donetsk have been relatively minor -- perhaps 200 square miles in 2024, at a cost of circa 100,000 Russian casualties.
Now the fog of war is still heavy over Kursk, but some reports suggest Ukrainians may already have taken, with just two battalions, as much Russian territory in Kursk as Russians took all year in Ukraine west of Avdiivka.
We'll see, but so far Kursk doesn't look very serious to me...
Kazan: "This attack is likely to have the opposite effect — Russia will accelerate its offensive against Ukraine and will not negotiate until Ukraine begs for mercy."Russia already "accelerated its offensive" in May, from around 900 Russian casualties per day to now circa 1,200 per day, on average, with corresponding increases in lost equipment, and the resulting gain of 100 or 200 square miles of Ukraine west of Avdiivka.
Estimates of Russian mobilizations suggest enlistments of around 25,000 new bodies for Russian "meat grinder" assaults per month, meaning they can barely keep up with the old 900 per day losses, much less the new 1,200 per day.
Now we hear that Russians have been offering enlistment bonuses in Moscow and St. Petersburg which rival Western military salaries.
So, we'll learn how much more eager Moscow mothers are to send their boys into Ukraine's "meat grinder" than they've been for the past 2-1/2 years.
Numbers I've seen suggest Ukraine's Kursk invasion force is maybe a couple of battalions (circa 2,000 men), which does not say "a major effort" to me, but apparently it did catch Russians napping and so has taken relatively large swaths of Kursk territory.
Of course, Kursk is north of Ukraine and just west of Russia's May invasion towards Kharkiv, which Ukrainians quickly contained and shut down.
Meanwhile, in the east near Donetsk, Russian "meat wave" assaults continue to advance at maybe one square mile per day on average, at a cost of circa 1,000 Russian casualties and over 100 Russian vehicles destroyed per day.
Only according to Russian propaganda sources.
Western sources, to the degree they can peer through the Kursk fog of war, all suggest that a relatively small Ukrainian force -- maybe two battalions -- caught the Russians napping and so took considerable territory.
Of course, a relatively small Ukrainian force cannot withstand a major Russian counter-attack, but perhaps that will still take some of the Russian pressure off of Dontesk?
bimboeruption: "In a few months, President Trump will be back in the Oval Office, Zelensky will be nothing but a bad memory..."As of today, nothing is certain, including your fantasy that a Pres. Trump will just abandon Ukraine and tell Putin to "do whatever the h*ll you want" in Ukraine.
I'm guessing it will be much more of a real deal than that.
>>>>As of today, nothing is certain, including your fantasy that a Pres. Trump will just abandon Ukraine and tell Putin to “do whatever the h*ll you want” in Ukraine.<<<<
Where in my comment did I say President Trump would tell Putin to “do whatever the h*ll you want” in Ukraine?
Have you been hitting the Communion wine with your mommy?
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