Posted on 11/01/2022 7:31:40 PM PDT by Kazan
Monday witnessed a massive Russian attack (reportedly the largest since February 24th) using high-precision long-range air- and sea-based armament on Ukrainian facilities that control communication and energy systems throughout the country, which reportedly disrupted the command control and logistics operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and their logistic networks. You got to ask, “What took them so long?”
The war in Ukraine clearly has entered a new phase, with Ukraine failing to press its offensive and Russia solidifying its lines of defense and launching counter attacks that are pushing Ukraine out of key strategic areas in Donetsk. It appears that the combination of the murder of Darya Dugina, the sabotage of the Nordstream pipelines, the bombing of the Kerch bridge and the spoiled drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Sevastapol convinced the Russians to step up its military strikes to destroy critical electrical and energy infrastructure that they had previously left intact.
Yet, even while achieving success in systematically turning off the lights and heat throughout Ukraine, Russia is focusing on destroying transformers and key transmission installations rather than blow up nuclear, thermal and water power plants. If those sites are still intact, Russia will face an easier reconstruction task once Ukraine is defeated. It is easier to install new transformers and power lines than it is to build a new nuclear reactor. Right?
The Russian strikes reportedly have eliminated 50% of Ukraine’s ability to supply power and heat, which means life in Kiev, Lviv and Kharkiv will become unsustainable. We are not talking about the inconvenience of being unable to charge your cell phone or watch your favorite show on Netflix or keep your computer battery alive. The loss of power cuts off water supply and degrades the sewer system. As I noted in a previous piece, if your live four or more floors above ground level you will either have to carry buckets of water to the toilet or give up flushing. It also means no heat and the temperatures in Ukraine fall to near 0 Celsius at night. That would be tolerable if you have a fireplace (which most of the apartments in the urban areas do not have). With no radiant heat you must layer up just to avoid hypothermia.
Basic task like shopping require you dress as a cave explorer. Check out this photo (at link) of grocery shopping in Ukraine.
It looks like there is a split growing between Washington and London on the future of the war in Ukraine. NBC news reported today that President Dementia Joe screamed at Ukraine’s Zelensky during a June phone call:
But a phone call between the two leaders in June played out differently from previous ones, according to four people familiar with the call. Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy he’d just greenlighted another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance for Ukraine when Zelenskyy started listing all the additional help he needed and wasn’t getting. Biden lost his temper, the people familiar with the call said. The American people were being quite generous, and his administration and the U.S. military were working hard to help Ukraine, he said, raising his voice, and Zelenskyy could show a little more gratitude.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-lost-temper-zelenskyy-phone-call-ukraine-aid-rcna54592
Biden yelling at people is not unusual, at least for an old guy with dementia. What is striking is that this “news” was leaked today, one week before the mid-term elections. While the NBC report goes on to insist that things are just swell between Joe and Volodomyr and that they have patched things up, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, John Kirby, said this:
“The president’s goals were clear from the very beginning. We don’t want conflict with Russia. It’s number one,” Also among the tasks, Kirby listed strengthening the eastern flank of NATO and helping Ukraine to approach the negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in the most advantageous position.
https://t.me/infodefENGLAND/593
So, the United States is backing off of its bellicose rhetoric and is now briefing that it does not want “conflict with Russia.” Someone forgot to tell the Brits. I made a point of listening to a raft of British political figures, including Boris Johnson, on Sky News today. They were pushing the meme that Russia is on the ropes and that Ukraine is marching to an inevitable victory. Check out Lord Dannatt–Putin is desperate and gravely ill:
Video at link
And here is Kiev’s Mayor Klitschko reporting, falsely, that Ukraine stopped most of Russia’s missiles. Yet, he concedes that 80% of Kiev is without water.
Video at link
I save the best for last. BOJO. This interview, if you have the stomach for it, demonstrates Boris Johnson is a wretched, dishonest, deluded man. He is still all in on Ukraine beating Russia on the battlefield.
Video at link
Johnson insists it is up to the Ukrainians to decide their own fate. He fails to mention that he pressured Zelensky in May not to negotiate a deal with Russia. In BOJO world, Russia will have to surrender annexed territory. How that will be accomplished is not spelled out. BOJO is delusional. He appears to believe sincerely that Putin is running out of options, while oblivious to the economic horror wrecking England. Prominent, famous pubs are closing their doors. Inflation is surging and the common folk are finding it more difficult to buy food and maintain lifestyles they enjoyed just a year ago.
Here is the bottomline–Ukraine’s military position will continue to erode in the coming weeks while economic conditions in England and the rest of Europe will worsen. The latter will make it impossible to sustain political support to continue sending unlimited financial and military aid to Ukraine.
I think Putin believed taking Ukraine up to the Dnpier would be easier and did not want to wreck the infrastructure. If you are going to fight a war you go in hard at the start.
And Zelensky will perform another homo-erotic dance with that quick restoration of power and water.
I read somewhere that russia is flooding the skies with cheapo decoys to draw out and expend the expensive US supplied air defense weapons and that Ukraine propaganda is claiming “attacks on infrastructure” to beg for more support
“You got to ask, “What took them so long?”
Russia is not fighting a war to destroy the Ukraine. They are attempting to get it back after the Ukraine left them in the early 90’s. There are a lot of useful paying parts of the Ukraine like their metals and food they send to other countries not to mention their work on nuclear. Russia doesn’t want to destroy it, just get it back. Leveling the buildings and killing the people that work these prosperous endeavors would be stupid at best.
wy69
You mean they “SAID” power and water were restored - unless we’re on th ground there nobody knows what’s true or not.
It's absolutely true that Ukraine's capacity to operate its electric grid has been severely diminished even before the latest attacks, to the point of having regular rolling blackouts.
Things are going to get worse because Ukraine does not have an adequate air defense.
Russian Derangement Syndrome obviously scrambles one's brain until it is as dysfunctional as John Fetterman's.
Great point. I agree.
Current Kiev live cam.
Not exactly looking like Times Square.
https://twitter.com/AZgeopolitics/status/1587573462310293505
The Mayor of Kyiv, Klitschko says power, water back in Kyiv
"In a post on social media, Klitschko wrote, "Water supplies to the homes of Kyiv residents have been fully restored.” He added, “Electricity supplies in Kyiv have also been restored."
They are both present in Kyiv.
Long forgotten is the “lightning counter attack” which seems to have fizzled out of juice. Russia still has the initiative in terms of picking the battle and the fight. It has always been understood that the Russians did not want to obliterate the country’s infrastructure, but it appears that finesse will not carry them to their objective. More brutal destructive fighting is in store and Ukraine can’t stop it. The West is facing dire crises as winter approaches, and so will be of declining assistance. Ukraine should try to negotiate.
Note the Orthodox Christian iconography, and lack of any communist symbology.
Stupid wars have stupid consequences.
O’Biden’s Drum beat getting louder.....
More Russian propaganda on this website. The writer fails to describe how well the Ukrainians are defending themselves scumbag Putin has incurred tremendous losses.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.