Posted on 05/19/2022 8:29:13 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
Let the hunt for scapegoats begin! In the wake of repeated military disasters in his “special military operation” in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has begun a sweeping purge of his top ranking commanders, the UK’s Defence Ministry announced today. This confirms ongoing rumors that Putin’s playing musical chairs in an effort to reverse a series of humiliations at the hands of Volodymyr Zelensky and his surprising home army...
(snip)
So who’s out so far?
1) Lt. Gen. Serhiy Kisel relieved of command from 1st Guards Tank Army for the loss of the battle of Kharkiv
2) Vice Admiral Igor Osipov relieved of command from the Black Sea fleet for the loss of of the Moskva
3) Chief of General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov remains in place but apparently bypassed by Putin
That’s all that the UKDM has in specific changes, but it’s enough. What do all of these have in common? A tacit admission, at the very least, of the defeats inflicted on Russian forces by Ukrainians. Up to now, Russia has pretended that the Moskva didn’t get sunk but rather had some sort of accident that crippled the ship. They haven’t yet even acknowledged getting pushed away from Kharkiv, for that matter. You don’t fire commanders in the middle of a war for an accident and a retreat that never took place.
That brings us to the broader tacit acknowledgement: Russia is getting its rear end kicked in Ukraine.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
You’re probably right. It made no sense to keep pushing all that armor into the Ukrainian 155MM meat grinder when it had to have been clear on the ground that the crossing was compromised..
It makes a difference to the argument the Russian troll farm is making, which should be pinned down eventually.
About a month ago the Ukrainian army began to get reinforcement brigades of militia organized, above a local level, that it could redeploy east. Many parts of the front are now held by these militia brigades.
But back in the February-March emergency these units were not available and militia could only be used locally. They generally served very well, but they were not deployable. The only reserves the Ukrainians could redeploy were the prewar active brigades.
It takes time to mobilize armies.
I thought for once there was a glimmer of hope for you Owen. The barrel count is nearly inconsequential... it is the massive river of additional funds currently being transferred to Russia that counts.
Note: Rubles.
The convertibility of rubles is not, er, established. What effect this has on the affordability of yachts in the Med remains to be seen.
And what goes up, based on petroleum prices, can spike down.
Thats what really got Russia (and Venezuela) into trouble starting in 2014. A global recession, which is coming fast, will very likely create a different revenue picture.
Barrel count is very important.
That is what got Venezuela into a long term revenue trap.
They neglected production investment when prices were high, leading to falling production, which was papered over by high prices. Then prices collapsed. And revenue needs for “social spending” were squeezed. That led to even less investment, leading to lower production and lower earnings even when prices recovered a bit. The whole thing is in a death spiral.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY-1C3fGOQM
EU shock & awe sanctions strategy fails, as oil embargo plan crumbles
It has not yet recovered to its pre-covid production, which was over 11,000 bpd. The “opening the spigots” looks just like the US production recovery. That is, this is nothing special that indicates an increase in fundamental production capacity.
Has Putin shot any of them yet?
Well, the Ukraine army seems to shoot a lot of them.
Glad I’m not a Russian general.
5.56mm
Voenkor l Z l Lisitsyn
❗️Information❗️
The 208th Cossack regiment, together with the 7th brigade, captured Shchedrishchevo and are advancing to the borders of Severodonetsk; the battle is being fought on the outskirts of Severodonetsk.
Voenkor l Z l Lisitsyn
Tripoli, Vladimirovka, Novaya Kamenka were liberated by paratroopers, they are confidently moving forward.
Telegram
Voenkor l Z l Lisitsyn
🇬🇧News from the front🇬🇧
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May 19
Voenkor l Z l Lisitsyn
The 6th Cossack regiment entered Troitskoye, the battle is on.
Voenkor l Z l Lisitsyn
🇬🇧News from the front🇬🇧
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09:35
Voenkor l Z l Lisitsyn
The assault on Kamyshevakhi continues.
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Voenkor l Z l Lisitsyn
🇬🇧News from the front🇬🇧
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Are there any of those?
No matter how entertaining the shiny object of the Ukrainian misadventure seems to the armchair generals here... the actual consequences of military actions pale in comparison to Western Europe and the US destroying their economies while using this to keep everyone distracted. The new Soros world order is being cemented in place while our military wannabe strategists play with themselves in front of their computer screens. Join up for another round of Call of Duty anyone?
Slavyangrad - Gleb Bazov
@Boris_Rozhin confirms the taking of Tripolye and Vladimirovka by the Allied forces, with reference to reports form the scene.
“With respect to Tripolye and Vladimirovka, they confirm the taking of these settlement from the field.
Vladimirovka was taken by Russian paratrooper units (VDV).
Tripolyewas was taken by PMC Wagner.
Pilipchatino has not yet been taken.
The situation in Novaya Kamenka is still unclear. There are reports that it was also taken, but so far they are not 100% confirmed.
The road to Lisichansk is now under the threat of complete fire control by the RF Armed Forces.”
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Slavyangrad - Gleb Bazov
BMPT Terminators in action in Kamyshevakha.
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10:14
Slavyangrad - Gleb Bazov
While everyone was talking and expecting the Allied forces to shut down the Severodonetsk-Lisichansk cauldron through Vrubovka, the Russian units took the a more direct route by pursuing an offensive along the railway lines leading to Druzhba, then Tripolye, then Vladimirovka, then Novaya Kamenka.
We reported this line of the offensive early on, after the fall of Popasnaya and the beginning of the Popasnaya-centred multi-vector fanning advance, but did not expect this particular direction to yield quicker results than others. I guess neither did the Ukrainians.
PS. The route that remains runs through Seversk, but it is a lot less user-friendly than the main line from Lisichansk to Soledar.
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10:31
It should also be noted that current oil prices are up over 80% since the first of the year. The Biden administration has been doing everything it can to restrict fuel output in every form to consumers in every possible way what consumers pay is currently going up even faster. Biden’s handlers used every possible tactic to goad the Russians into the Ukrainian invasion. Those who have been paying attention could make a list. But my guess is that the projected increase in oil and gas prices was the impetus that finally convinced them to go for it.
Nothing happens by accident these days and the reasons given by all sides publicly typically have little to do with the actual motives. Biden is a senile old fool and that is the way his handlers like it. Cold hard calculations and projections guide their actions and goals are to turn this country into something that most people want nothing to do with. They need distractions like Ukraine to slip this crap by.
Neither the US nor Europe are “destroying their economies”. Both depend on high productivity manufacturing and services, vast capital assets accumulated over centuries, the highest technology levels on Earth, consumer markets that are the global prize (customers are way more important than producers), etc. and etc.
It just doesnt work to play a sort of trump cards game over this.
Big, big picture is the way to go.
Bad leadership will go away and better will follow. It is a problem for a season or two and will pass. Russian leadership though - congenitally horrible. Its absurd and tragic that Russia, with all that human capital and actual capital (half of which is held abroad - why?), did not create a modern economy besides exploiting natural resources. Russia is in real terms a very low productivity economy.
In case you hadn't noticed the USA is in the process of de industrializing....
LOL!!! Keep your head in the sand Poindexter. I am not a big proponent of people who forecast economic calamity. But the signs that show us and Western Europe pointed toward a major problem are clear and unmistakable.
That trend (in the US) got reversed to a substantial degree in Trumps administration. This is not a matter of destiny but political choice.
Anyway, US manufacturing in itself has been increasing in output value https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/manufacturing-output
Note that this doesnt include 2020 decline plus recovery in 2021.
https://www.reuters.com/business/us-manufacturing-output-races-2-12-year-high-2021-11-16/
Hiring is intense even in metal bashing. If you can do CNC, the worlds your oyster.
Yeah, we are going to have a recession, if we arent in one already, big whoop.
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