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Russia's Shoigu Says Capturing Ukraine's Bakhmut Will Allow More Offensives
US News ^ | 3/7/2023 | Reuters

Posted on 03/07/2023 11:15:59 AM PST by marcusmaximus

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that the seizure of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine was critical to punching a hole in Ukrainian defences and would allow Moscow's forces to mount further offensive operations deeper inside the country.

-snip-

Asked about Shoigu's comments on Tuesday, Prigozhin said he did not know what would happen after the capture of Bakhmut, but called on Russia not to get ahead of itself.

"They say 'don't sell the skin until you've caught the bear,' but nobody talks about the consequences of trying to remove the skin while the bear is still alive," he said in a post on Telegram.

The mercenary boss and defence ministry have been embroiled in a long-running row over Russia's campaign in Ukraine.

In his latest criticism, Prigozhin accused Shoigu of hobbling the Bakhmut offensive by not supplying his Wagner forces with enough ammunition. The defence ministry has rejected such allegations in the past.

In his post on Tuesday, Prigozhin made pointed reference to the defence minister, saying he "had not seen him in Bakhmut" and said Wagner forces were coming up against well-equipped Ukrainian forces, who could number up to 20,000 in strength.

"Zelenskiy is not running out of people, thousands more are being thrown into the 'meat grinder'. They have ammunition and weapons," he said.

Prigozhin also appeared to criticise Shoigu for publicly commenting on what Russian forces might do after seizing Bakhmut.

"Why Sergei Kuzhugetovich (Shoigu) commented on that I do not know ... perhaps in order to please the Russian audience. Perhaps to annoy Zelenskiy," he said.

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: accordingtoplan; bakhmut; butmuhbakhmut; neocons4biden; prighozin; putin; russia; shoigu; wagner; zelenskyworshippers
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To: rellic
The Ukrainians are slowly accruing the advantage over Russia. A smaller force with better, Western-style training and organization using flexible combined arms tactics and modern weapons will almost inevitably beat even a larger force that has top-down planning, autocratic leadership, and obsolete weapons. That is how Ukraine will win, how Israel beat vastly larger Arab armies again and again, and how the US in 2003 used a much smaller army to take down Saddam Hussein.

Putin recently speculated in public that Russia and the Russian may not survive the present conflict. Nevertheless, with continuing US and NATO help, Ukraine will defeat Russia and prosper again. A defeated, post-Putin Russia though may well need US and Western help to survive.

21 posted on 03/07/2023 2:19:03 PM PST by Rockingham
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To: rellic

“Russia may lose Asia east of the Urals. “

Where did you come up with that idiocy other than the ignorant recesses of your ‘mind’ ?


22 posted on 03/07/2023 2:20:39 PM PST by A strike ("The worse, the better."- Lenin (& Schwab & Soros)
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To: Rockingham

Yeah, you go with that.
That’s the Bidementia, Soros, Nuland, WEF position.


23 posted on 03/07/2023 2:25:06 PM PST by A strike ("The worse, the better."- Lenin (& Schwab & Soros)
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To: marcusmaximus
https://sonar21.com/the-west-does-a-back-flip-on-bakhmuts-strategic-importance/

Russia has lopped off the arms and legs of the Ukrainians and President Zelensky and General Zalushny insist it is only a flesh wound. This absurdity would normally be great grist for a comedy sketch. But there is nothing humorous about this war, it is a profound tragedy. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are being sacrificed needlessly because NATO wants to use Ukraine as a proxy to fight Russia. And behind these horrendous casualties there are hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian mothers, fathers and siblings mourning the loss of a loved one.

24 posted on 03/07/2023 2:48:00 PM PST by Kazan
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To: A strike

That’s the spirit! Thinking is so hard. It is so much easier to boo against the team and players you dislike instead of learning the facts and reasoning through an analysis.


25 posted on 03/07/2023 3:42:16 PM PST by Rockingham
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To: Kazan

Putin MIA again today. Will he make it 4 in a row tomorrow?


26 posted on 03/07/2023 3:44:23 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

🇷🇺 advanced further in the south of the city.

🇷🇺 continue to secure areas of the eastern bank abandoned by 🇺🇦.

27 posted on 03/07/2023 6:32:43 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Rockingham

Too bad your “facts”, “reasoning”, “analysis”, “thinking” is afu. Yeah, that’s the spirit !


28 posted on 03/07/2023 6:33:53 PM PST by A strike ("The worse, the better."- Lenin (& Schwab & Soros)
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To: marcusmaximus
Looking at a topographical map of Bakhmut and the deepstate map, its going to be a long 20 miles from Bakhmut to Kramatorsk, or anywhere else.
29 posted on 03/07/2023 7:31:24 PM PST by Widget Jr ( 🇺🇦 Слава Україні! 🇺🇦 Sláva Ukrayíni! 🇺🇦 - No CCCP 2.0 )
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To: MinorityRepublican

Exposed flanks. No wonder Prigo is in a panic.


30 posted on 03/07/2023 7:32:18 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: Widget Jr

Wagner’s northern and southern flanks are exposed. And radio silence from Prigo for the last 24 hours.


31 posted on 03/07/2023 7:36:56 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: A strike
Instead of bombast and insult, please advance the discussion by putting forward your own contrasting sources, facts, and analysis. Let's start with the basics.

For Putin, his attack on Ukraine is a war of choice that has gone badly wrong with no clear path to victory. Putin's original war aim was to expand Russia's territory and influence and in doing so, to further the recovery of the power lost to Russia when the Soviet Union dissolved. Now Putin's war aim seems to be mostly his survival in power, even at immense cost to Russia.

For Ukraine, the war is a matter of national survival and the recovery of lost territory. For the West, meaning the US and NATO and their primary allies, Putin's attack on Ukraine tests NATO and the security architecture that has maintained peace in Europe for over seventy years. For the US and NATO, the logical if not always fully stated goals include Ukraine's survival and establishment as a member of the EU and NATO, ending Putin's regime, and reducing Russia's menace to Europe.

As to how the war is going, no matter how one assesses the details, Russian territorial advances are stalled, losses in men and materiel are high, and there is no clear end in sight. Yet Russia still has striking power and, as the aggressor, retains the strategic initiative.

Where we seem to differ the most is on Ukraine's chances for victory. I see the war as slowly shifting Ukraine's way. You do not. Specifically, on what facts and analysis do you rely?

32 posted on 03/07/2023 10:34:06 PM PST by Rockingham
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To: Rockingham

Ukraine is more stalled than Russia.

Russian advances against Ukraine on open ground, succeed when Russian troops, armor, and artillery plus anti-UKR-drone (electronic warfare), are well led to work in combination.

Ukraine does not have the equivalent of that, yet. Ukraine, in particular, does not (yet) have the troops and armor - in close support of each other - for offense.

Ukraine has a major lack of mobility for its troops along the front and from there in depth, that is prepared to shift and move, upon Russian break-through(s).

All that aside, the proto-socialist strategy of the leftist New World Order - that is the spawn of communist China and communist Russia - magically envisions that its creator (that marxist union - both at home and abroad) - can be replaced by ... a new (narrative) version: because progressives say so.

But that confounds the result of: Russia withdraws to its border AND THEN proceeds to bombard the Donbas and Crimea *for years,* because, if the Moscow Club cannot have what it wants, then nobody else can.

What is missing: Forgiving, kindness, love, truth.

What is abundant: Pride, power, temptation.


33 posted on 03/08/2023 12:02:24 AM PST by linMcHlp
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To: linMcHlp
Ukraine has been training, arming, and equipping new forces for an offensive in the spring after the seasonal rain quits and the ground dries enough to permit cross-country tank and IFV travel.

Russian troops are not well-led by US and NATO standards due to: the lack of a reliable career NCO corps; a rigid, top-down approach to planning and field operations: and profound inadequacies in weapons and equipment.

In contrast, Ukraine follows the Western combined arms approach that emphasizes training, flexibility, a rapid pace of operations, and the orchestration of different military components in a decisive manner.

On the whole, Ukrainian forces are more mobile due to a Russian lack of sufficient road transport. Russian logistics relies heavily on rail up to about 50 miles from the front, where road transport is meant to take over. This is inadequate to the demands of modern combat.

Your conjecture that Russia could make a tactical withdrawal and then maul Ukraine with long range weapons is all too plausible.

34 posted on 03/08/2023 2:38:47 AM PST by Rockingham
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To: delta7
“Russia has most everything they need”

Russia stronk and peaceful.

“The collective West war cheerleaders”

The collective West weak and evil warmongers be.

You dudes never change. It's by retards and for retards. Always. Every time.

35 posted on 03/08/2023 3:23:41 PM PST by Grzegorz 246
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To: Rockingham

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
You chide me for lack of sources yet stupidly go on to claim to know Russia’s objectives because you can read Putin’s mind. The very least you could do is listen to what he and Lavrov have said about the reasons for this war rather than consulting tarot cards.
What Putin has said is that Russia will not accept NATO (and it’s bases (especially a NATO naval base in Crimea)) a couple hundred miles from Moscow, WHICH is what was promised at the breakup of the SovietUnion. Since that time NATO has been ever moving eastward and now Putin has called that out. Look up Angela Merkel admitting that he Minsk agreements were a lie that the West was never going to follow.
This is megalomaniacal Putin seeking to resurrect the ‘glory’ of USSR by invading and challenging, taking on the entire West ? Who’s on fentanyl here?

As to who is winning/will win, the only way Ukraine can possibly even get close to a draw is how fast the UnitedStates/NATO can throw 100% all in emergency equipment/personnel measures.

That ‘’basic’ enough for you ?


36 posted on 03/08/2023 6:20:11 PM PST by A strike ("The worse, the better."- Lenin (& Schwab & Soros)
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