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Posts by SpeedyInTexas

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  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    10/20/2025 11:44:57 AM PDT · 20,972 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to blitz128; PIF; BeauBo

    What a Blessing this war has been ... for the USA.

    “Russia’s latest big Ukraine offensive gains next to nothing, again”

    “Hundreds of thousands of Vladimir Putin’s troops are losing their lives for barely any land”

    “In May, Russia launched an enormous offensive aimed at breaking Ukrainian lines. Its furious attacks in the following months set the entire front line ablaze.

    However, our calculations suggest it has seized just 0.4% of Ukrainian land

    Russian forces have achieved no major objectives, with key cities such as Pokrovsk holding the invaders at bay…
    …despite relentless attacks

    The offensive has come at an enormous cost: our meta-estimate suggests over 100,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war this year.”

    “WAS IT THE Tomahawks? The deadly cruise missiles are probably one reason Vladimir Putin spoke to Donald Trump on October 16th and agreed to meet him in Budapest in the coming weeks to talk about a ceasefire in Ukraine. Mr Trump claims to have told the Russian leader during their call: “Would you mind if I gave a couple of thousand Tomahawks to your opposition?” But the next day, meeting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, he seemed to backpedal.
    Regardless of whether and when America decides to supply Ukraine with the powerful missiles, Mr Putin has deeper reasons to worry. According to an analysis by The Economist, it is paying a huge cost in return for minimal gains on the battlefield.

    Russia’s summer offensive is winding down. Many in the West focus on the grinding progress its troops have made, and the shortage of Ukrainian manpower it has exposed. But that is to look down the telescope from the wrong end. More striking is how little territory Russia has taken in its third and largest offensive; and the terrible cost it has paid in men and materiel. Unless something dramatic changes, Vladimir Putin will be unable to win the war on the battlefield. The fact that he nevertheless continues to try regardless suggests that he is out of ideas.

    Exactly how poorly Russian forces have fared is impossible to tell. But data from satellites and shifts in areas of control suggest when the fighting is intensifying, and that permits a rough guess. This lines up well with more than 200 credible estimates of casualties from Western governments and independent researchers. Combining these data allows The Economist to estimate Russian losses and track them over time.

    Our meta-estimate suggests that, from the beginning of the full-scale invasion to January of this year, Russian casualties amounted to 640,000–877,000 soldiers, of whom 137,000–228,000 have died. By October 13th, those totals had risen by almost 60%, to 984,000–1,438,000 casualties, including 190,000–480,000 dead.

    Russia’s losses have not won a commensurate gain in territory. Since the battle lines stabilised after Ukraine’s first counteroffensive ended in October 2022, they have barely moved. No large city has changed hands. At the pace of the past 30 days, seizing what remains of the four regions Mr Putin already claims—Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia—would take until June 2030. (For Russia to occupy all of Ukraine would require a further 103 years.)

    Moreover, a sudden collapse in Ukraine’s defensive lines is unlikely given how the two armies are fighting the war. Constant drone surveillance, coupled with long-range precision weaponry, has made massing forces near the front suicidal. Incremental gains remain possible—though only at enormous cost—by sending small groups of men into the “kill zone” to stake out forward positions. It is hard to breach Ukrainian lines. Should a breach happen, the advance of massed forces and equipment needed to exploit it is extremely difficult.

    Perhaps that is why this summer’s fighting appears to have been much less deadly for Ukraine than for Russia. There is too little data for us to generate a meta-estimate of the cost to Ukraine. However, UALosses, a website, has catalogued 77,403 deaths among Ukrainian soldiers since the full-scale invasion began (it reckons a further 77,842 are missing in action). By date of death, there has been a marked downward trend since last autumn, with 8,668 fatalities recorded this year. Crucially, that is a lower bound, and although independent investigations have confirmed the fate of soldiers in the list, no one knows how many are missing from that count. Moreover, recent deaths are less likely to be in the database, as recording them takes time (some will never be included). But even if the true number is twice the tally, the figures would imply a ratio this year of roughly five Russian soldiers killed for every Ukrainian.

    At such rates, manpower may soon become a more serious constraint for Russia than for Ukraine. When the offensive began, Russians were lured with generous sign-on bonuses, and Mr Putin’s recruitment drive outpaced Ukraine’s by 10,000-15,000 per month. But Russia’s heavy casualties this summer probably nullified that advantage.

    Only some of Mr Putin’s wounded will ever return to the front lines—perhaps 40%, according to one 2024 estimate by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think-tank. And in the long term, the supply of Russian men to be sacrificed on the fields of eastern Ukraine is limited by the number reaching fighting age inside Russia. About 800,000 boys turned 18 there last year. Insatiable demand meeting limited supply may mean that even larger bonuses will be needed to get people to join up. Failing that, Mr Putin could resort to conscription—though that would be unpopular.
    Our rough calculations suggest that the soldiers killed in the war amount to 0.5%-1.2% of Russia’s pre-war cohort of men under the age of 60, compared to 0.6%-1.3% for Ukraine, taking UAlosses’ record of dead, and dead plus missing, as a starting guess.

    Equipment is another issue. Oryx, a Dutch open-source intelligence site, has confirmed the loss of 12,541 Russian tanks and armoured fighting vehicles; 2,674 artillery and missile systems; 166 aircraft; and 164 helicopters. All these numbers are lower bounds. Ukraine’s daring strike on Russian airfields and other targets in June, using drones hidden in lorries, wrecked perhaps one sixth of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. Much of this can be replaced—but not cheaply, and rarely quickly.

    And after the pause in American assistance in late 2023 and early 2024—when a lack of, among other things, artillery shells saw many soldiers killed—Ukraine now appears much better supported by its allies. Aid cannot bring back the dead. But, at current trends, it could keep the arithmetic of attrition in Ukraine’s favour.

    The war is changing in other ways, too. For years, Ukraine’s economy has been battered by Russian missiles. It is still suffering much more than Russia is. But it is now at least hitting back at some scale, in part via relatively cheap, domestically produced missiles and drones. If the front lines remain much as they are, and the war morphs into one of installations rather than territory, it is no longer so obvious that Russia has the upper hand. Although its economy is much larger than Ukraine’s, it is tiny compared with that of Ukraine’s allies; and although they face the odd act of sabotage, they are not being battered by Russian bombs. Indeed, several of them have promised to bump their defence spending by sums exceeding Ukraine’s annual budget.

    Before the recent strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, surveys—always to be taken with a grain of salt in Russia—suggested its people were bullish about the economy. Few signs point to an imminent collapse. If Western backing for Ukraine holds, the war may well grind on at enormous cost, with Russia gaining ground only slowly.”

    https://archive.ph/t8e4e

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    10/19/2025 1:17:34 PM PDT · 20,943 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to JonPreston

    Too many RuZZian Boys are dying for this war to end.

    Its a blessing for the Good Ole USA.

    In the good old USA, I’m proud to say
    We got brand new action, good old fashion too
    And the future so bright, like stars in the night
    Just smiling down on everything we do
    The big-big harvest mood
    Brings the happy lovers too
    While sweethearts culminate, two by two
    Look at you, look at me
    We are lucky as can be
    We got a hold of something here worth holding to

    Yeah, the USA is made for me and you, amen
    Ah, it’s the greatest place on earth folks
    You can’t beat it
    It’s where the eagle fly baby
    I’m telling you, the best people in the world
    The best place in the world
    Gonna always be that way
    And the good old USA, well I just got to say

    Tomorrow’s dreams are always coming true
    And the whole blessed world, all the little boys and girls
    Are all counting on the all red, white and blue

    We got faith in the Lord
    We got Chevrolet and Fords
    We got folks working hard to see us through
    All the people of the earth
    Gonna get their money’s worth, yeah
    By betting on the land of the free

    Yeah, the USA is here for me and you, amen
    Aah, ah, you better know it
    Best place on earth
    Billy bands says it, this is the best place on earth, right here
    This is the heart of the world, right here

    We got faith in the Lord
    We got Chevrolet and Fords
    We got folks working hard to see us through
    All the people of the earth
    Gonna get their money’s worth
    By betting on the land of the free
    Yeah, the USA is here for me and you
    Yeah, the USA is made for me and you, amen
    And amen and amen

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKyNtWNluCs

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    10/12/2025 7:28:03 AM PDT · 20,603 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to blitz128; FtrPilot; BeauBo; PIF

    Moving away from Neville...

    Far from Winston though.

    “Ukraine hit Russian energy sites with US help”

    “The US has for months been helping Ukraine mount long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities, in what officials say is a co-ordinated effort to weaken Vladimir Putin’s economy and force him to the negotiating table.

    American intelligence shared with Kyiv has enabled strikes on important Russian energy assets including oil refineries far beyond the frontline, according to multiple Ukrainian and US officials familiar with the campaign.

    The previously unreported support has intensified since midsummer and has been crucial in helping Ukraine carry out attacks that Joe Biden’s White House discouraged. Kyiv’s strikes have driven up energy prices in Russia and prompted Moscow to cut diesel exports and import fuel.

    The intelligence sharing is the latest sign that Trump has deepened his support for Ukraine as his frustration with Russia has grown.

    The shift came after a phone call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July, when the FT reported the US president asked whether Ukraine could strike Moscow if Washington provided long-range weapons.

    Trump signalled his backing for a strategy to “make them [Russians] feel the pain” and compel the Kremlin to negotiate, said the two people briefed on the call. The White House later said Trump was “merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing”.

    The US intelligence helps Kyiv shape route planning, altitude, timing and mission decisions, enabling Ukraine’s long-range, one-way attack drones to evade Russian air defences, said the officials familiar with the matter.

    Three people familiar with the operation said Washington was closely involved in all stages of planning. A US official said Ukraine selected the targets for long-range strikes and Washington then provided intelligence on the sites’ vulnerabilities.

    But others involved and briefed on the operations said the US had also set out target priorities for the Ukrainians. One of them described Kyiv’s drone force as the “instrument” for Washington to undermine Russia’s economy and push Putin towards a settlement.

    Trump has been open about his disappointment with Putin since he rolled out the red carpet for his Russian counterpart at an Alaska summit that made little tangible progress. This was a factor in Trump’s shift in support of deeper strikes, the people said.”

    https://archive.is/Px7wy#selection-2311.0-2323.256

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    10/09/2025 2:25:33 PM PDT · 20,522 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to PIF

    “How Ken Paxton, a Rising MAGA Star, Got Rich as a Texas Politician”

    “AUSTIN, Texas—Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton went from being a middle-class lawyer to a multimillionaire during his two decades on a public official’s salary, according to thousands of pages of previously unreported documents that shed new light on the personal finances of one of the Republican Party’s most-watched midterm candidates.

    Paxton, who entered state government in 2003 with a modest income and few assets, by 2018 told a lender he had amassed a net worth of about $5.5 million, not including millions in assets he and his wife had previously moved into a blind trust.

    The following year, Paxton reaped an additional $2.2 million gain—never previously disclosed—from his investment in a local company with a lucrative Texas state contract, according to the documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, which include Paxton’s tax returns and bank statements.

    Paxton’s accumulation of wealth has become a key campaign issue as he vies to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a hotly contested Republican primary set for March 3, 2026. The race is crucial to Republicans’ hopes to hold on to their Senate majority. Paxton is popular with the party’s base, but national GOP strategists fear his nomination could cost them in a general election.

    Cornyn has cast suspicion on Paxton’s finances and highlighted the attorney general’s failures to fully disclose them. Paxton has sought to paint Cornyn as a Washington insider. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt said Monday he is joining the Republican primary field as well.

    Paxton, 62 years old, became a rising star in the MAGA world, winning support for his battles on issues such as abortion, border security and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

    But allegations of corruption and other impropriety have surfaced repeatedly during Paxton’s career. The Republican-majority Texas House voted to impeach him in 2023 over allegations that he abused his office to aid a campaign donor, which he denied. The Texas Senate acquitted and returned him to office after a two-week trial. “

    ...

    “The Paxtons now own at least 11 residential properties around the U.S. with an assessed value of $7.5 million.”

    Just 11 properties around the US. No corruption there.

    At least his wife will take 1/2 of the pot in the divorce.

    https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/texas-ken-paxton-attorney-general-millionaire-a3be9c94?mod=hp_lead_pos10

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    10/07/2025 7:40:24 AM PDT · 20,476 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo; PIF; blitz128; FtrPilot

    A Happy Ending.

    “Russia attempted a massive mechanized assault in the Kostyantynivka direction!

    The Russians hoped to use that worsening weather conditions to carry out a mechanized offensive. Ukrainian units destroyed 5 tanks, 8 armored fighting vehicles, 2 BMD-4s, and 3 BMPs.”

    https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1975244496897253838

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    10/07/2025 7:36:36 AM PDT · 20,475 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo; PIF; FtrPilot; blitz128

    https://x.com/Jonpy99/status/1975566578235416680/photo/1

    Update on RuZZian tanks in storage.

    1700 of the 2800 are T54/T55/T62/T64.

    6 years and 4 months of war to go.

    3 years and 1 month til the next election.

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    10/06/2025 8:18:12 AM PDT · 20,436 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to PIF

    I thought it was Nazis and biolabs. But COVID was to blame.

    After nuking RuZZia, lets nuke Merkel.

    “”Putin attacked Ukraine because of the actions of Poland, the Baltic states, and the COVID-19 pandemic.” - said former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

    She stated that Poland’s refusal to support the Minsk agreements pushed Putin toward invasion, and that the quarantine prevented EU leaders from negotiating with him in person.”

    https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1975167876387459107

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/23/2025 3:01:23 PM PDT · 20,091 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to blitz128; BeauBo; PIF; FtrPilot

    Lets Nuke Moscow first. Then St. Petersburg. Then Kazan.

    Everything after that can be at random.

    “Reporter: “Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?”

    Trump: “Yes, I do.””

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/23/2025 2:56:28 PM PDT · 20,089 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to blitz128; PIF; BeauBo; FtrPilot

    Seems like an easy deal. Deal in 24 hours.

    “”I think Orban will stop buying Russian oil if I talk to him. I’ll talk to him.” - Trump.”

    https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1970544233691127810

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/23/2025 2:53:23 PM PDT · 20,088 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to blitz128; PIF; BeauBo; FtrPilot

    A month instead of 2 weeks? Maybe teleprompter got messed up.

    “When asked by a journalist whether he still trusts Putin, the U.S. President said he would reveal the answer in a month.”

    https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1970545349417685263

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/23/2025 2:50:09 PM PDT · 20,087 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo; PIF; blitz128; FtrPilot

    Did Michael McCaul get a hold of Trump’s twitter account? Going to miss him.

    https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1970567099581186329

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/18/2025 7:49:52 AM PDT · 19,904 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo; PIF; FtrPilot; blitz128

    “Trump says Putin has ‘really let me down’”

    Sanctions in 2 weeks!

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/16/2025 3:55:20 PM PDT · 19,875 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo; PIF; FtrPilot; blitz128

    Only took 8 months.

    “Exclusive: Trump administration clears first Ukraine arms aid paid for by allies, sources say”

    “The Trump administration’s first U.S. weapons aid packages for Ukraine have been approved and could soon ship as Washington resumes sending arms to Kyiv - this time under a new financial agreement with allies - two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

    This is the first use of a new mechanism developed by the U.S. and allies to supply Ukraine with weapons from U.S. stocks using funds from NATO countries.”

    https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/trump-administration-clears-first-ukraine-arms-aid-paid-by-allies-sources-say-2025-09-16/

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/15/2025 7:35:19 AM PDT · 19,859 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to PIF

    Lets just Nuke RuZZia and get it over with.

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/15/2025 7:34:47 AM PDT · 19,858 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to AdmSmith

    “President Donald Trump finally labeled Russia the aggressor in the war against Ukraine”

    Sanctions in 2 weeks!!!

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/04/2025 7:23:54 PM PDT · 19,618 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo; PIF; blitz128; FtrPilot

    Shocked. Oh wait, I’m not.

    “Axios reports Trump clashed with European leaders during today’s call, raising his voice and shifting responsibility onto Europe to pressure Putin. EU capitals no longer expect him to impose sanctions on Russia. After the call, Trump even posted a photo with Putin from Alaska.”

    https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1963714785331065144

    “European leaders had a “heated conversation” with Trump, they do not expect him to impose new sanctions against Russia, — BILD.”

    https://x.com/JayinKyiv/status/1963701996692582609

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    09/01/2025 4:42:25 PM PDT · 19,570 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo

    “Tomorrow (27 August) is the day that additional 25% tariffs go into effect on Indian exports to the USA, to discourage their purchase of Russian blood oil. “

    Trump didn’t chicken out.

    2 weeks til bone crushing sanctions on RuZZia?

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    08/12/2025 7:24:15 AM PDT · 19,093 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to blitz128; PIF; BeauBo; FtrPilot

    Brutal WSJ story. But rings 100% true.

    “Russia Has High Hopes for Trump-Putin Summit. Peace Isn’t One of Them.”

    “Expectations in Russia are running high ahead of Friday’s planned summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Trump.

    Moscow sees an opening to reset relations with Washington, with Kremlin officials hinting at the potential for deals with the U.S. on infrastructure and energy in the Arctic and beyond, as Russia’s state media plays up what it bills as a looming entente between two equal great powers.

    “Neocons and other warmongers won’t be smiling” when the two leaders meet, said senior Putin aide Kirill Dmitriev. “The Putin-Trump dialogue will bring hope, peace and global security.”

    Though the “Ukrainian question” has been declared to be the main item of the agenda, “much more important global issues” would be raised in Alaska, including ambitious plans for economic and infrastructure cooperation in the Arctic, senior Russian lawmaker Sergey Gavrilov said.

    Alexander Yakovenko, a former ambassador who headed Russia’s foreign-service academy until last year, wrote in an op-ed for the state RIA news agency that “settling the war in Ukraine, which has been lost by the West a long time ago, has become a secondary issue in relations between the United States and Russia—nothing more than an obstacle to normalization that we must overcome together.”

    Ever since the summit was announced, Russian media has been replete with stories about special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Dmitriev sharing fried dumplings at a restaurant in the Russian capital, and about the site of a future Moscow hotel, described as a possible Trump Tower Moscow, that the two men visited last week.

    But when it comes to Ukraine, where Europe’s bloodiest war in generations has raged for more than three years, there has been little indication that Putin intends to make a meaningful compromise. The Russian president’s offer, as relayed by Witkoff, is a cease-fire if Kyiv agrees to give up territory—including major urban areas that Russian forces have been unable to capture.

    Western diplomats and Russian analysts say that Putin thinks he is winning on the battlefield and that his original goal of replacing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with a puppet regime in Kyiv might finally be within reach now that Washington has stopped paying for Ukrainian weapons.

    “To avoid having a clash with Trump, he may agree to secondary concessions—but he won’t end the war,” predicts Russian political analyst Abbas Gallyamov, a former Putin speechwriter who now lives abroad and is a critic of the Kremlin.

    “The ideal scenario for Putin would be to divorce the issue of relations with America from the issue of Ukraine, hoping that other political and economic matters would make Ukraine of little relevance to Trump,” Gallyamov said.

    The very fact of the summit with Trump—and in the U.S., no less—is already a win for Putin, helping restore the international standing of a man treated as a pariah in much of the West and facing an arrest warrant on war-crimes charges from the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

    “He can say: ‘Look, you have tried to isolate me, but I am meeting with the American president while you Europeans have to crawl on your knees and call him ‘Daddy,’” said Sergey Radchenko, a Cold War historian at Johns Hopkins University.

    “The image of standing tall and proud on equal terms with the United States,” Radchenko said, “that’s what Russia has always wanted, and that’s what is really important to Putin.”

    Trump has let his self-imposed deadline on sanctions against Russia lapse ahead of the summit, a move European diplomats fear signals to Russia that no serious additional U.S. pressure will be placed on the Kremlin whatever happens with Ukraine.

    “Putin is absolutely convinced, as the General Staff continues to tell him, that with a little more pushing, the Ukrainian front will collapse,” said Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and a former adviser to Russia’s central bank.

    That doesn’t mean that Russia will oppose a pause on its own terms, such as a stop to weapons supplies for Ukraine, that would make its next round of offensives easier, she said.

    One possible concession in Alaska, some Moscow-based analysts indicated, would be for Putin to offer a limited cease-fire in the air, ending missile attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians in Ukrainian cities in recent months. Such a move would be in Russia’s interest because Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks have caused significant damage to Russian oil refineries and military industries, while also disrupting Russian civil aviation.

    Air attacks could resume once Russia stockpiled enough missiles and drones and repaired the damage.

    Russian troops this summer have stepped up a ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, aiming to encircle the towns of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. Meanwhile, protests against attempts to curb Ukrainian anticorruption authorities have also shown widespread discontent with Zelensky.

    Still, total Russian advances over the past two years account for less than 1% of Ukrainian territory. No strategic breakthroughs have been achieved, and the much-heralded Russian offensive earlier this year on the northern region of Sumy has collapsed with high losses.

    The Russian proposal ahead of the Alaska summit, as relayed by Witkoff to European leaders and Ukraine, calls for Kyiv to surrender to Russia the heavily fortified northern part of the Donetsk region in exchange for a cease-fire. That is an area larger than the entire West Bank, with big industrial cities.

    Zelensky has rejected the demand, saying he won’t give away Ukrainian land and pointing to Russia’s long history of violating cease-fires and diplomatic agreements. European leaders backed Kyiv, saying any territorial concessions must be reciprocal and accompanied by security guarantees.

    Trump said Monday that his meeting with Putin is meant to “feel out” whether a peace deal was possible. Trump threatened to abandon the negotiations if he sensed no agreement could be made. “I’m going to go and see the parameters now,” he said. “I may leave and say, ‘Good luck,’ and that’ll be the end. I may say this is not going to be settled.”

    He added that he will seek a Russian withdrawal from some occupied parts of Ukraine. They have occupied some “very prime territory,” he said. “We’re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.”

    What the Russian public has been told to expect is a Ukrainian surrender rather than a cease-fire, let alone a Russian withdrawal.

    Alexander Sladkov, a top war propagandist on Russian state TV, wrote on Telegram that any cease-fire with Kyiv would last six months at most. “After that, there will be more war, with a stronger and rearmed enemy,” he said. “A victory of Russia in the special military operation is inevitable.”

    Such declarations seem to reflect the dominant message on Russian TV screens. “We need to win. To win. A horrible war is under way, and it won’t end with the meeting in Alaska,” Vladimir Solovyov, one of Russia’s top TV personalities, said in a recent broadcast.

    Kirill Fedorov, a Russian military analyst, agreed. “The special military operation is a zero-sum game, and it can only be concluded with total victory,” he wrote on Telegram. “Both the Zelensky folks and the Kremlin understand that—while Trump is a 1990s businessman in a president’s chair, so he just keeps imagining deals.””

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    08/11/2025 3:13:44 PM PDT · 19,089 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to blitz128; BeauBo; PIF; FtrPilot

    Sounds like Tulsi has been briefing the President again.

    Maybe next briefing, she can tell him it could have been 2 hours if the RuZZians didn’t stop for coffee on the way.

    “Russians would have been in Kyiv in 4 hours if they had taken the highway. But the Russian general decided to go through the farmland. — Trump”

  • Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

    08/09/2025 5:59:03 PM PDT · 19,062 of 20,972
    SpeedyInTexas to BeauBo

    “So yes, President Trump did do what he had threatened, and did it before the deadline. So far, it seems to be working, with Indian companies now substituting Russian oil supplies for other suppliers.”

    My friend, no sanctions against India for buying RuZZian oil has gone into effect. Lets talk again at the end of the month. I’ll believe it when it happens...

    “On Wednesday, Donald Trump doubled US tariffs on India to 50%, up from 25%, penalising Delhi for purchasing Russian oil - a move India called “unfair” and “unjustified”. The tariffs aim to cut Russia’s oil revenues and force Putin into a ceasefire. The new rate will come into effect in 21 days, so on 27 August.”