Here we go again-Ukraine once again pt2

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Russia is executing soldiers who try to retreat from a bloody offensive in eastern Ukraine, the White House has said.

According to the US, some of the casualties suffered by Russia near Avdiivka were "on the orders of their own leaders".

Russian and Ukrainian troops have been locked into a fierce battle for the frontline town since mid-October.

Russia is thought to have suffered "significant" losses in this time.

Ukrainian estimates put the number of Russian casualties in Avdiivka at 5,000, while the US says that Russia lost "at least" 125 armoured vehicles and more than a battalion's worth of equipment.

A Ukrainian army spokesperson said that Russian troops were refusing to attack Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka because of heavy losses and that there had been mutinies in some units.

"Russia's mobilised forces remain under-trained, under-equipped and unprepared for combat, as was the case during their failed winter offensive last year," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing on Thursday.

He said that the Russian military "appears to be using what we would call 'human wave' tactics, just throwing masses of these poorly trained soldiers right into the fight."

"No proper equipment, no leadership, no resourcing, no support. It is unsurprising that Russian forces are suffering from poor morale," Mr Kirby added.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67234144

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Vladimir Putin's 'rapists and killers going on rampage' after returning to Russia

Murderers and rapists freed by Vladimir Putin in exchange for serving in Ukraine are now wreaking havoc as they return to Russia, an expert has said.

Emily Ferris, a Research Fellow in the International Security Studies department at UK think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), also warned the Russian mindset was such that its people were willing to accept massive casualties as a consequence of Putin's war - resulting in what she called the "meat grinder" narrative.

Ms Ferris was speaking after reports indicated the Russian army was recruiting from jails across the country, following the example of the private military company the Wagner Group last year.

Despite a lack of official confirmation, there is multiple evidence to suggest convicts are being sent to a unit known as Storm-Z, the Z being a reference to Putin's so-called special operation, the BBC reported.

One former prisoner speaking to US-funded website Sever Realii said little regard was given to the safety of the men in the outfit, which he described as "a total meat grinder".

Ms Ferris, who specialises in Russian domestic politics, said: "One of the serious problems Russia is having is that its reliance on convicts has had negative social implications back in Russia.

"Once discharged from frontline duty they are, as according to their contracts, released from prison and their sentences are considered served, even if they're serving time for serious crimes like murder.

"There have been a lot of alarming reports coming out of Siberian towns and villages particularly where recently demobilised men have been returning to villages and are engaging in the same crimes that they were convicted of, mainly theft, murder or sexual assault."

There was not enough "psychological evaluation" of these people to determine whether they were fit to be released back into society, Ms Ferris pointed out.

Neither was there adequate social help available to combat issues such as PTSD sustained on the battlefield, all of which makes it very difficult for them to reintegrate anyway.

Assessing the implications of Putin's decision to continue recruiting from prisons, Ms Ferris continued: "There is I suppose the broader Russian military approach to mass casualties."

Referring to a comment piece which she and her colleague Dr Sarah Ashbridge had written for RUSI's website, she continued: "Essentially this is explaining why the 'meat grinder' analogy has been a part of how Russia does warfare for centuries, and how this has permeated down to society.

"Although that's not to say people are completely fine with it, the mindset in a lot of Russians is that people are being killed in service of a greater cause, and that they have to accept a great deal of sacrifice to win the war.

"This, and because the Russian Ministry of Defence doesn't release accurate figures of those killed in battle, is why you don't see a huge amount of protests from regular people about military deaths."

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin spearheaded a brief rebellion against the Russian military establishment in the summer.

After Prigozhin's subsequent death in a plane crash exactly two months later, Putin signed a decree ordering Wagner Group fighters to swear an "oath of allegiance" to the Russian state.

Russia has now named a replacement for the former head of the country's Aerospace Forces, who was dismissed in the wake of the apparent mutiny, according to information on the Defence Ministry website.

The website on Friday showed Colonel General Viktor Afzalov, who reportedly had been acting head of the air force since mid-August, was given the full post. He replaces General Sergei Surovikin.

The ministry's intent to make the appointment was reported last week by state news agencies.

Surovikin was believed to have had close ties with Prigozhin, who accused both Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief of staff Valery Gerasimov undermining Wagner forces who were key fighters in eastern Ukraine.

After the uprising disintegrated, Surovikin was not seen in public for months. Reports of his dismissal came one day before Prigozhin and several top lieutenants died in the private plane crash, regarded by many as an assassination by Putin operatives.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...1aa34adf&ei=11

[Skybird]

Disillusionment is spreading. The predicted collapse of morale on the Russian side has not materialized, and will not materialize. The Ukrainian offensive has been unsuccessful in strategic terms. Russia has regained the momentum, and withheld ammunition to give the Ukrainian critical infrastructure a hot winter. Western analysts have made far too many mistakes about Russia.



https://www-zeit-de.translate.goog/p..._x_tr_pto=wapp

[Reece]

Well that news sucks!!

[Jimbuna]

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Reece

Well that news sucks!!

Rest ashore that Ukraine may not have gain much land in their offensive as expected, but they have inflicted huge loses on the Russian side when it comes to manpower and material.

Markus

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Reece

Well that news sucks!!

Read the article it is not all doom and gloom Russia does it worse than Ukraine.

This does not mean that Ukraine is in danger of defeat. It is not possible to conclusively judge the war situation and progress based on the area of ​​liberated territory alone. The Ukrainian troops have been able to inflict significant losses on the Russian occupiers in recent months. Russia is still losing more artillery, more technology and more soldiers than Ukraine. Ukraine, for its part, was able to save some of the technology supplied, such as Abrams and Challenger tanks, for future operations. The successful strikes against Russian airfields or naval bases in recent weeks could also prove to be important preparatory work for future offensives. It is more than just a symbolic success that Russia had to largely withdraw its Black Sea fleet from Crimea after Ukrainian attacks. Only then can cargo ships return to the port of Odessa and load goods such as grain or iron ore

Russia’s mobilized forces remain undertrained, underequipped, and unprepared for combat. As was the case during their failed winter offensive last year, the Russian military appears to be using what we would call “human wave tactics” just throwing masses of these poorly trained soldiers right into the fight, no proper equipment, no leadership, no resourcing, no support. Russian loss rates around Avdiivka seem to be running around 40 percent higher than in the war in general. This might not seem like a lot, but it's extreme in war, in which attrition is so important. Ukraine can hope that Putin is so desperate to take Avdiivka that he keeps this up for months. The Russian presidential election takes place in just over 4 months (March 2024). If the Russians are determined to destroy their forces until then good for Ukraine.

[mapuc]

It doesn't matter if Russia lose 50-100-150.000 men in their effort to encircle Avdiivka if they have success in doing so.

It's like Bakhmut 100.000 or more soldiers on Russian side, mostly from Wagner group lost their life in the taking Bakhmut.
Still they see it as a victory.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Putin ally Lukashenko turns on him and urges fighting in Ukraine to 'stop' immediately.

Vladimir Putin's close ally Alexander Lukashenko has made a huge intervention after warning Russia and Ukraine are locked in a "serious stalemate" as he called for sit-down peace talks and an end to the brutal war.

The Russian and Belarusian presidents have been close allies for several years, with territory in Lukashenko's neighboring country used as a launch pad for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They have also held regular meetings since the start of the war.

In June, Belarus started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in a chilling new development in the seemingly blossoming relationship between the two allies.

But the stunning new U-turn from Lukashenko is the first time he has come forward seeking a truce in the conflict.
He said in a question-and-answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA: "There are enough problems on both sides and in general, the situation is now seriously stalemate - no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position.

"They're there head-to-head, to the death, entrenched. People are dying. We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement.

"As I once said - no preconditions are needed. The main thing is that the 'stop' command is given."

Lukashenko added Ukraine's demands for Russian troops to leave its territory in the ongoing and brutal war needs to be resolved to ensure that "nobody dies".
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...0495fdf8&ei=11

[Aktungbby]

...now we'll see how long LukaBBY lasts??!