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Ukraine has telegraphed its big counteroffensive for months. So where is it?
Politico via Yahoo ^ | August 16th, 2022 | Christopher Miller and Paul McLeary

Posted on 08/17/2022 9:11:58 AM PDT by Mariner

KYIV — For two months, Ukraine has been signaling its intent to recapture the southern city of Kherson in what has been billed as a major counteroffensive and the moment that Kyiv turns the tide against Russia.

What that push will look like is still a mystery, however. Ukrainian artillery and rockets provided by the U.S. and allies have smashed bridges and Russian ammunition depots close to the city, but the larger movement of infantry has yet to happen. Meanwhile, the Russians are reinforcing and digging in.

Ukrainian officials have long said the fate of the war could be decided in the south and claimed that a series of suspicious attacks on Russian military installations far beyond the frontline — including two massive explosions at a Russian airbase in Crimea on Tuesday — indicated the counteroffensive had begun.

But even with billions of dollars worth of weapons from across Europe and North America now in Ukrainian hands, real questions remain over whether it’s enough, and what enough might look like.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christophermiller; lookwholovespolitico; paulmcleary; politico; pollutico; waitingforgodot; yahoo
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To: EC Washington
How dare you! His proper title is 'Saint George Washington Zelensky' so show some respect! That man had the Ghost of Kiev fly him to Moscow where he defeated Putin in a gay dance-off.
21 posted on 08/17/2022 9:57:07 AM PDT by WMarshal (Neocons and leftists are the same species of vicious rat.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

The Ukraine is small? It has more men under arms fighting than do the Russians and its allies combined.


22 posted on 08/17/2022 9:57:12 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper
So... the Mighty Russian War machine is still unable to defeat small Ukraine.

I mean, Ukraine is committing its entire force vs. a Russia that hasn't declared war to enable the full mobilization of its army.

Ukraine, meanwhile, needs billions and billions of foreign dollars and arms just to stay afloat and not have its government collapse in on itself, so let's cool it with the "glorious Ukraine standing strong" crapola.

23 posted on 08/17/2022 9:59:31 AM PDT by Trump20162020
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To: BenLurkin

Wait, they destroying bridges to cut off Russian troops from supplies and they are going to attack in winter when the Dnieper River is frozen solid and can be driven over? Real smart.


24 posted on 08/17/2022 10:03:49 AM PDT by WMarshal (Neocons and leftists are the same species of vicious rat.)
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To: Trump20162020

All of the cold showers he has been taking and the German BO created by less washing has rattled his mind.


25 posted on 08/17/2022 10:05:23 AM PDT by WMarshal (Neocons and leftists are the same species of vicious rat.)
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To: BenLurkin
The Ukraine is small? It has more men under arms fighting than do the Russians and its allies combined.
You are unable to do a simple search?
Ukraine Population: 44.13 million (2020)
Russia Population: 144.1 million (2020)
You are saying Putin can't plan a war right with the correct amount of men.
Even though he had eight years.
That's another own goal.
26 posted on 08/17/2022 10:05:50 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper; Mariner; BenLurkin

Depending on which estimates you went with, Ukraine had at least the third largest army in Europe (including Russia) as of late 2021.

Based on the available estimates, the initial forces committed by the Russians to their “special military operation” were also likewise outnumbered by the Ukrainians.

All jokes of Ukraine’s government being a corrupt playground for American Democrats and other globalists aside, its military (after 8 years of American/British/NATO training and armaments) was, at the very least, a conventional peer with Russia at the start of the war.


27 posted on 08/17/2022 10:07:49 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007 (There is nothing new under the sun.)
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To: Trump20162020
I mean, Ukraine is committing its entire force vs. a Russia that hasn't declared war to enable the full mobilization of its army. Ukraine, meanwhile, needs billions and billions of foreign dollars and arms just to stay afloat and not have its government collapse in on itself, so let's cool it with the "glorious Ukraine standing strong" crapola.

28 posted on 08/17/2022 10:09:09 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: BenLurkin

“Destroying the bridges of the Dnieper in the south is going to cause supply shortages for the Russians defending Kherson.”

That might work if Russia did not have any of those airplane thingys.

;-)


29 posted on 08/17/2022 10:11:14 AM PDT by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: Ultra Sonic 007
Based on the available estimates, the initial forces committed by the Russians to their “special military operation” were also likewise outnumbered by the Ukrainians.
Speaking of Special Forces and own goals... Putin threw away 50 percent of his Special Forces right at the start of the war when he failed to take the airfields outside Kyiv.
30 posted on 08/17/2022 10:11:53 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper

The Russians botched their operations in February. Their initial attempt at blitzkrieg was a huge failure, and they are doing much better now. It’s like the western front during WWI.


31 posted on 08/17/2022 10:13:28 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Seruzawa

They’ll put their eyes out…


32 posted on 08/17/2022 10:14:42 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: cgbg

Planes to carry the thousands of artillery shells which the Russians fire in day to day operations? Maybe, but kinda doubt it.


33 posted on 08/17/2022 10:14:50 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Mariner
The Ukrainians don't have the force to launch a massive counteroffensive, and some of that was propaganda to keep up Ukrainian morale.

But, it is equally true thatthe Kherson salient is a terrible defensive position. The first step in retaking it is to isolate the battlefield, so that's what is happening. The Ukrainians will retake it eventually simply because it is a horrible position.

The only way the Russians can hold it long term is to take expand their foothold west/north of the Dnieper to include a lot more land, and they don't have the force for that.

Geography says it will eventually be Ukrainian again.

34 posted on 08/17/2022 10:15:32 AM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: Berlin_Freeper; BenLurkin
You are unable to do a simple search? Ukraine Population: 44.13 million (2020) Russia Population: 144.1 million (2020) You are saying Putin can't plan a war right with the correct amount of men. Even though he had eight years. That's another own goal.

You do realize that in terms of landmass, Russia is also over 28 times bigger than Ukraine, right?

Did America commit its entire military to Afghanistan or Iraq? No; we only dedicated enough forces that our military believed was sufficient for the task (which didn't turn out well for us either, with the benefit of hindsight).

And given Putin's own stated goals at the outset (which included demilitarization of Ukraine's armed forces), they don't mind taking their time; if Ukraine wants to keep throwing its men up against the meat grinder of Russian artillery, Putin is content to let them.

35 posted on 08/17/2022 10:15:55 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007 (There is nothing new under the sun.)
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

The Ukraine also turned the western half of Donetsk into one massive line of fortifications after occupying it in 2014.

The Russians were fools to think ejecting them would be easy.


36 posted on 08/17/2022 10:16:31 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: BenLurkin; Berlin_Freeper

Correction: The Russians are NOT doing much better now.


37 posted on 08/17/2022 10:17:41 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Mariner

The silver lining is this is the second proxy war in a row lost by the World Police. The days of being able to push countries around is almost over and planet earth will be better for it.


38 posted on 08/17/2022 10:19:08 AM PDT by Chunga85 (An arrogant govt combined with an ignorant population is a recipe for disaster.)
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To: BenLurkin
Their initial attempt at blitzkrieg was a huge failure, and they are doing much better now.
So, a vast failure now then. Which is better than huge failure.
39 posted on 08/17/2022 10:19:12 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Where do people get this idea Russia failed to take the airport? Kiev acknowledged they took it and held it until the eve of Russia’s withdrawal from the city.

I remember the very infamous clip of a CNN reporter literally going to the airport because he believed the Ukrainian claim that they’d retaken it, and then when he showed up there were VDV standing guard at the perimeter.


40 posted on 08/17/2022 10:19:28 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007 (There is nothing new under the sun.)
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