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This was yesterdays news. Today the Russians are storming it.
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Posted on 08/18/2024 12:42:30 PM PDT by Chode
For the majority of 2024, Russia has held the overall battlefield initiative in Ukraine. That period has seen slow, continuous advances as the Russian military slowly ground its way forward. Throughout that process, Moscow has known it enjoys a degree of sanctuary on its own territory, effectively shielded from advanced long-range Western weapons or serious ground incursions.
On August 6th, that sanctuary was directly challenged when a force of Ukrainian Brigades breached the Russian border in the Kursk region and, in the days that followed, overran an area comparable in size to months worth of Russian gains and at a fraction of the price.
Today, we talk about this sudden Ukrainian offensive, how it started, what it may show about the nature of warfare in Ukraine and, as the eyes of the world are on Kursk, what may happen next.
Watch out, Zelenskyy.. IT’S A TRAP.
The real lessons have been learned by China. The Chinese now know that Russia’s conventional forces are paper tigers. Absent the use of nuclear weapons, Russia would have great difficulty defending and holding its rich ,underpopulated Asian Pacific territories and the treasure house of Siberia. Ironic if the US, Japan and Russia would have to form an alliance to thwart a Chinese invasion that would change the world.
They’ll be in Moscow by next week. </sarc>
Meanwhile in the east
Steve Lookner reposted
WarTranslated (Dmitri)
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Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister called for civilians to evacuate from Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Selydove due to advancing Russian forces.
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Pokrovsk Population 60,000
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This was yesterdays news. Today the Russians are storming it.
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It’s a stunt. One that’s gonna cost them a bunch of their good troops and equipment.
Current analysis of Ukraine’s offensive into Russia.
https://x.com/BowesChay/status/1825267668137513421
Russia has gained ground in 2024, but it has been insanely costly in Russian corpses. Poor planning, strategic blunders are compensated for by simply sending more meat to the grinder - by the thousands. I actually am saddened to see just how many lives have been tossed away for this insane effort by Putin.
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And it has also been learned by Iran and the 'Stans on their border.
Sure, they will back Russia as long as Russia is giving them what they want. The moment they show weakness it will be hungry wolves time.
A short sharp war that ended with taking a bite out of Ukraine would have been a major win but that is not what it turned out to be.
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Putin could have closed the border but he let thousands of Ukrainians cross in. I doubt any of the Ukrainian forces, and their foreign mercenaries, will be permitted to return home, ever. 15,000 of Ukraine's troops went into Russia/ Since Putin has said their actions are not military, but are terrorism (i.e., shooting at citizens, attempting to damage nuclear power plant etc), he says the Geneva convention rules do not apply. That's why all but the Chechen group are not military. They may add some military troops along the way, but the Russians have been militias for the most part.
In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Ukraine's Kursk Offensive: The lessons and risks of Ukraine's push into Russia , McGruff wrote: Current analysis of Ukraine’s offensive into Russia.
https://x.com/BowesChay/status/1825267668137513421
Wagner made it 2/3 of the way to Moscow within days
A poorly grasped fact is how focused Russians are on The Motherland. They see the land as divine and life giving. Russians will respond to this incursion into their lands as if their mother had been attacked. Watch what happens. It will be extreme against the aggressors which include apparently NATO advisors and US weapons.
Why poke the Bear like this, if not to scuttle peace talks?
It looks like Germany and the UK are bailing out which is not good for the Baltics or US.
That doesn’t count the volume of prisoners conscripted, nor Wagner fighters. and apparently doesn’t match up with any count form anywhere else in the world (even Putin’s own admission several months back).
But also - you are misunderstanding the term “casualties” - that isn’t just deaths.
Winter’s coming
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