Posted on 11/20/2025 4:14:43 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
The speaker (a military analyst) discusses the major strategic shift caused by the U.S. finally supplying Ukraine with longer-range, modern ATACMS missiles (up to ~300 km / 200 miles range) in meaningful quantities.Key points from the summary:
Overall tone: cautiously optimistic that the long-range ATACMS represent a significant and timely escalation in Western support that materially changes the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine’s favor.
Video Transcript:
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)
The ATAKM is basically a long-range, precision-guided missile. These have sort of been around for a while, but have very much come to the fore in the Ukraine war. The challenge being that it's designated as an artillery piece, but a smart artillery piece.
The challenge has been for either side to be able to hit targets with accuracy. So what is really important, as far as the Ukrainians go, they've had ATAKMs for some while, but they've only had the short-range ones, sort of 30, 40 miles or so. But the ability to attack military targets into Russia behind the lines, particularly the logistics that are supplying all the supplies to the front line, is hugely significant.
And this is where ATAKMs comes in. This is where they're really good. And the ATAKMs that we understand that the Ukrainians now have from the Americans are the more advanced, the more modern ones, the much longer-range ones, and also in quantity.
So what we're hearing over the last 24 hours from the Ukrainians themselves, but certainly not denied by the Allies, that they're using these ATAKMs to go deep into Russia, up to 200 miles, to interdict key Russian military targets, and the inference that they have enough of these to make an impact. And we've seen how actually the deep Ukrainian strikes are having a massive effect on mainly the Russian economy, because they've been attacking the oil industry, particularly the petrol refining industry, and that's cut off the supply of money, of foreign currency that Putin so badly needs. But the ability to also wear down and grind down his military is hugely important.
We've seen Russia has massed about 170,000 troops in the Donbass for the assault on Petrovsk. But had the Ukrainians had these missiles, say, a few months ago, they could have affected and disrupted the buildup of those troops. So now that they can do that, a similar operation like Petrovsk will be very difficult.
So it's clear. And the fact, I think, that there's a psychological impact, too, now that the Russians know that anything within 200 miles of the border, that sort of 800 mile contact line, as we call it, is well within range of Ukrainian ATAKMs missiles, then that makes a huge difference. I think the other element to that, Ukraine has been using some of its very valuable longer range missiles, the Poseidon and others, that Ukraine has developed themselves, which means that they can now use them at much greater length rather than focusing on targets closer to the Ukraine border.
So I think overall, this probably has a very positive effect on the Ukrainian military. And as far as the Russians go, it constricts their what we call freedom of manoeuvre. You know, the key thing on the battlefield is to be able to have freedom of manoeuvre, go where you like and attack where you like.
If you don't have that, life becomes very much more difficult. And I think hitherto, Russia has had more freedom of manoeuvre than Ukraine and the Allies would like. And if the ATAKMs, the new ATAKMs are there in sufficient strength, then, you know, that'll be a real big headache for the Russians, I expect.
Well, I think we have to, in this particular war, which is being controlled by propaganda and disinformation, it's very difficult to, you know, actually get a really clear picture. So, of course, one would expect the Russians to say they're dealing with them, they're intercepting them. And I wouldn't take that at face value.
I think the fact that the Russians have shouted so loudly about ATAKMs and about cruise missiles means that actually they're having a much bigger impact than the Russians want to admit. And part of that is what we're hearing at the moment. So we haven't seen the full battle damage assessment from the Ukrainians or from the Allies.
But if the Russians are shouting about it and say it's not working, generally, that is usually about 180 degrees from what's actually happening. So, yeah, I think ATAKMs are a real concern for the Russians and a real bonus for the Ukrainians. Well, we're hoping it's a really significant shift.
You know, Trump in particular has been very quiet over the last few weeks and perhaps months. We had the much wanted summit in Alaska. We had a council meeting in Budapest where Trump and Putin were supposed to meet to discuss the ceasefire.
It would appear that Trump has now realised that Putin has sort of been playing him and Putin has no interest in peace. And Trump has got increasingly frustrated and it would appear, and I think his defence secretary, Pete Hesketh, has also got frustrated with the Russians, too. I think these guys sort of thought that they could drag Putin to a peace table, have a nice peace, not spend too much US money or munitions, and it would be all happy and Trump could declare the Eighth War or Ninth War that he'd stopped this year and the Nobel Peace Prize would be sitting on the White House before you could say sort of boo to a goose.
Now, that appears at least now that Trump has realised that's not the case. And the only way to get a peace is to make sure that Ukraine can prevail. So there have been a number of indicators, a number of visits to Kiev recently, and I think the ATAKMS knowledge is a very significant shift in direction.
Undoubtedly, the Europeans, nations, including the Brits, are probably paying for these ATAKMS missiles, but that's fine. That is a key weaponry that the Ukrainians need. The natural next step would be the cruise missiles, the Tomahawk missiles that Ukraine so badly craves and badly needs.
Now, if Putin saw Trump gifting those to the Ukrainians or giving them via the Europeans, then that would be a signal to the Kremlin and to Putin that the tide had very much changed. I think they really need to apply it to targets that will resonate to the rank and file in Russia, to the Russian people, because at the moment, the Russian people are pretty much ignorant of really what's happening. They now realise that the price of their petrol is very high, if they can get it at all.
Whether they actually realise that's because their oil industry has been attacked so badly, who knows? It's very difficult to judge. Trump did a few months ago ask Zelensky whether he would put a cruise missile through the Kremlin. Now, what impact or effect Trump was trying to have there, who knows? But it's pretty clear that actually it's the Russian people who are now beginning to realise that this special military operation is no great liberation for them.
And people are beginning to question, you know, eventually Putin's leadership, who might potentially take over from Putin. And these are the sort of things that could perpetuate that. And there are an awful lot of people saying whoever will take over from Putin might be worse.
Well, he might be. But all the people sort of ganging up in the Kremlin wanting to take over are the sort of oligarchs and the super rich who are getting frustrated that they can't go to their villas and super yachts in the Mediterranean and ski chalets in Switzerland. And actually, if they did take power, they might be more interested in wallowing their luxuries in Europe rather than continue to fight the Ukrainians.
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)
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Don’t poke the bear.
I’m holding out for the non-deadly missiles.
Are the insurrectionist Dem 6ers going to try to get the military to disobey orders because they don’t like them?
This potato brain doesn't seem to think about the fact that the cruise missiles are nuclear-capable.
What if the Russians decide to give the cartels nuclear-capable missiles?
I’m holding out for the non-deadly missiles.
—
Scotty, Set the photon torpedoes to stun
All good and cute, but the Russians shot them all down and no one was even injured, much less taking out another Russian Apartment Building.
That leads to two possibilities - either the Russians have the Neocon missiles figured out, or Ukraine shot them off WITHOUT US involvement - which is why they targeted a city, rather than a time-critical target (i.e., you need real-time intelligence for that)...and that they were shot down could well be because Ukraine doesn’t know where Russian defenses are located.
In any case, I cannot see this being a GAME CHANGER!!!...particularly now that Trump seems to FINALLY understand that half of the people (at least) who work for him have been lying even worse than our own Zeepers, regarding the situation in Ukraine.
Somebody here in the U.S. is desperate for a war with Russia, and this festering proxy war doesn’t count.
“And the only way to get a peace is to make sure that Ukraine can prevail.”
That is an insane statement, as if Putin will shrug and say, “Well, let’s pack up and go home. Ukraine has won.” and if this missile story is true, then it is breathtaking insanity from the Pentagon and on up.
Or is Trump’s orders not to use them one of those that don’t have to be obeyed?
I thought this war was winding down. Isn’t Ukraine about out of men? We’re gonna regret screwing with Russia. They will get back at us by massively supplying high tech military equipment to Iran.
Personally, when I here President Trump say we must stop the loss of life in Ukraine and Russia and then allow our military equipment to be used against Russia...it makes me really sad as they have lost enough lives.
I care zero for Zelenski. What he has done to the people of Ukraine is so evil.
Bkmk
“Are the insurrectionist Dem 6ers going to try to get the military to disobey orders because they don’t like them?”
Having Trump support Ukraine in the war is the only thing that could turn the D’s into isolationists.
Yup.
Lots of potato brains here, too.
Cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, and unlimited range so they say. Imagine swarms of them.
The 9M730 Burevestnik is a Russian low-flying, nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile under development for the Russian Armed Forces. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile’s range is effectively unlimited.
Some of these rah rah types remind me of Germans about 1940.
Flash fwd five years to them sorting through the rubble of their own cities.
Of course, Detroit, a few other cities ...
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