Here we go again-Ukraine once again

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

You really couldn't make this up!

Russian minister who criticised Vladimir Putin over Ukraine war mysteriously dies after falling fatally ill on flight to Moscow
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...fad87b91&ei=16

[Skybird]

15 months after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the Federal Intelligence Service BND has not found any indications pointing to destabilisation of the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite isolated criticism - for example of ammunition deliveries - there are also no signs that the system is tottering or imploding, said the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service. However, he added that this could not be ruled out either.


"Russia is still capable of waging war seen from a long distance" - with soldiers recruited again and again, the BND president told the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) in Berlin. This also applies to the areas of armament and ammunition. In this respect, he said, there is no talk of weakness or of the possibility of activities collapsing. It is true that there are vulnerabilities and surprises - for example, with regard to the performance of the armed forces. But if the West does not support Ukraine in a very organised way and organise resistance, Putin's strategy of relying on the long term and the masses could prevail.


[DW]

[Jimbuna]

Residents in Russia's Belgorod region who have fled their homes due to fighting there have been urged not to return yet.

Russian officials say an armed "sabotage" group crossed from Ukraine and attacked the Grayvoronsky district by the border on Monday.

Moscow has now launched a terrorism investigation as fighting continues.

Ukraine denies responsibility and said Russian citizens from two paramilitary groups were behind the incursion.

[Otto Harkaman]

Pentagon's 3 billion dollar accounting "error"

[Skybird]

World War II

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $4.69 trillion
• Duration: 3 years, 9 months
• U.S. military deaths: 405,399


Iraq War

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $1.01 trillion
• Duration: 7 years, 5 months
• U.S. military deaths: 4,410


War in Afghanistan

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $910.47 billion
• Duration: Since 2001
• U.S. military deaths: 2,285


Vietnam War

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $843.63 billion
• Duration: 17 years, 9 months
• U.S. military deaths: 58,220


Korean War

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $389.81 billion
• Duration: 3 years, 1 month
• U.S. military deaths: 36,574


World War I

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $381.8 billion
• Duration: 1 year, 7 months
• U.S. military deaths: 116,516


Persian Gulf War

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $116.6 billion
• Duration: 7 months
• U.S. military deaths: 383


Aid and goods to Ukraine until mid-May 2023

$ 76.9 billion
Duration: 15 months, counting
U.S. military deaths: 0


American Civil War (Union)

• U.S. war spending (2019 dollars): $68.17 billion
• Duration: 4 years
• U.S. military deaths: 750,000 (North and South)


Sources:


https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/...tory/39556983/


https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much...are-six-charts


The relevant number in red is not the 76.9 bn, but it is the red 0 .

[Skybird]

Moscow released photos that show wrecked Humvees somewhere, and they claim these were located at Belgorod.

Moscow claims the attackers were Ukrianians. Ukraine denies it were involved. Some say it were Russian and anti-Putin renegates, or Russians in Ukrainian service.

Why it matters?

Because if this was a unit under Ukrainian command, somebody must have given them those Humvees. And that then is the display of an awful waste, to put it this way, and I think we should reconsider delivering them stuff if they waste it like this.

If the wrecked Humvee photos given by Moscow were indeed taken at Bolgorod. The claim is so far unconfirmed.

I read nothing on what the use of this light ground attack on Belgorod should have been.

Belgorod lies 60-70 km north of Charkiv, the border runs more or less at half the distance between the two cities.


To be clear: in principle, it is perfectly legitimate to take the war to the aggressor's terrain as well. I only wonder when it is done in a way that causes only costs and losses, but no gains whatsoever.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Skybird]

Switzerland kind of bows to the huge international pressure and agreed to hand back 25 of its Leopard-2A4 tanks to Germany. Which means that from here the can be handed to Ukraione. I assume after the Germans refurbished them a bit.


25 heavy tanks are 25 heavy tanks. Lets speed it up.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

The Kerch bridge has not been bombed, and I think the ukrainians know that if they bomb it and leave russians no way out, they then need to fight them down on Crimea. Thats why I think chances are the bridge will not be bombed any time soon. At some time it will, but possibly not early on. If they strike, then possibly the railtrack bridge, not the car bridge. Military logistics rely more on railway than on trucks, if thinking of quanities of supplies moeved.

[Exocet25fr]

Hungary outraged by leaked Ukrainian plans to blow up vital oil pipeline


https://rmx.news/hungary/hungary-out...-oil-pipeline/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...ked-documents/

[Jimbuna]

Yevgeny Prigozhin in yet another attack on the Russian leader and his conies, but what are his motives?

Vladimir Putin has led Russia to abject failure with his invasion of Ukraine, the head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group has said in an astonishing outburst.

Far from demilitarising Ukraine – Russia's key war aim – Putin's botched strategy has seen Kyiv amass 'one of the world's strongest armies' through massive Western supplies, Yevgeny Prigozhin said.

The Wagner chief was once considered a close ally and confidant of Russia's tyrant and had been nicknamed Putin's 'chef'. But in the latest of his increasingly frequent outbursts, Prigozhin has given a devastating critique of his war strategy.

He then warned of impending 'revolution' in Russia unless changes were made by the Kremlin leadership.

In an astonishing attack on military leaders, he said Russia would restore the death penalty and the guilty – he named defence ministry Sergei Shoigu and chief of the defence staff Valery Gerasimov as responsible for the war crisis – would be 'hanged on Red Square'.

Prigozhin blamed both Shoigu and Gerasimov for losing more men in Bakhmut than in the entire ten-year Soviet war in Afghanistan from 1979-89, which eventually led to the collapse of the USSR.

'So the de-nazification of Ukraine, which we announced – we made Ukraine a nation, known to everyone around the globe,' he said, mocking Putin's warped purpose for going to war.

'They are like Greeks at their peak, or Romans.'

He told interviewer Konstantin Dolgov - a prominent pro-war blogger: 'We legitimised Ukraine, it became a country which is known to everyone.

'As for de-militarisation… [this is] a painful issue indeed.

'So if they had at the start of it 500 tanks – now they have 5,000. If there were 20,000 men who were able to fight – now there are 400,000. So how exactly did we demilitarise it?

'Quite the opposite! We militarised it up to the brim.

'I think Ukrainians today are one of the world's strongest armies. They have high levels of organisation, training, military intelligence.

'They have various ammunition and moreover, they are able to switch between any system - Soviet, Nato, anything at all - with the same success. They take their losses philosophically.

'All they do is to achieve the supreme goal, just like us during the Great Patriotic War [Second World War].'

Prigozhin's armed force of convicts and volunteers – named Wagner private military company – has claimed to have taken Bakhmut but at a devastating toll.

He admitted that in Bakhmut his force had lost 10,000 prisoners freed to fight for Putin, and the same number of volunteers. Many experts estimate the Wagner losses to be higher.

Prigozhin then claimed Ukraine had lost 50,000 with 70,000 wounded.

'During the [special military operation] I pulled out 50,000 inmates from jails,' he said. Twenty per cent of them died.'

Adding to the latest of his outbursts, Prigozhin said he saw Shoigu and Gerasimov as guilty, not least for failing to supply Wagner with ammunition and weapons.

'Without a doubt the death penalty will be brought back, because we are in a state of war,' he said.

And the guilty people will receive their punishment – as a minimum, they'll be hanged on the Red Square.'

He lambasted the comfortable elites in Russia who continued to live normally while cannon fodder troops at the front lost their lives in huge numbers.

Their sons must be forced to the war, he said.

'When you bury them, the rest of Russian parents who receive their kids in zinc coffins would feel that now the situation is right. If this doesn't happen, we risk revolution.'

Prigozhin warned of the real threat of Russia losing the war.

The warlord said he now 'hardly believes' it possible that Russia can see through one of the most optimistic scenarios of holding on to the territory it now has.

The 'pessimistic scenario', he said, is that Ukraine can 'restore the 2014 borders, they will try to attack Crimea, destroy the Crimean Bridge, and cut off routes of supply.

'And most likely the scenario won't be good for us,' he said.

Russia 'must prepare for a heavy war. What must we do – not to lose Russia? Because today we are in a state when we can lose Russia.

'We must introduce martial law. We must call new waves of mobilisation. We must switch everyone to production of weapons.

'Stop building skyscrapers, new roads, new infrastructure – and work only for the war. We must live like in North Korea for several years, and shut the borders.'
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...54fbe48f5&ei=7

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Moscow released photos that show wrecked Humvees somewhere, and they claim these were located at Belgorod.

Moscow claims the attackers were Ukrianians. Ukraine denies it were involved. Some say it were Russian and anti-Putin renegates, or Russians in Ukrainian service.

Why it matters?

Because if this was a unit under Ukrainian command, somebody must have given them those Humvees. And that then is the display of an awful waste, to put it this way, and I think we should reconsider delivering them stuff if they waste it like this.

If the wrecked Humvee photos given by Moscow were indeed taken at Bolgorod. The claim is so far unconfirmed.

I read nothing on what the use of this light ground attack on Belgorod should have been.

Belgorod lies 60-70 km north of Charkiv, the border runs more or less at half the distance between the two cities.


To be clear: in principle, it is perfectly legitimate to take the war to the aggressor's terrain as well. I only wonder when it is done in a way that causes only costs and losses, but no gains whatsoever.

Russia has released footage of captured Humvees from the Bilhorod Raid. The Freedom of Russia Legion claims that there were no losses. These vehicles were most likely previously captured. They were lowered by crane into position, because there are no tire tracks and there is a circular disturbed dirt pattern by one of the wheels, from when it was lowered. The disturbed grass in the background shows a trail that is too large for two Humvees, so the crane approached from the rear. The scene was staged with debris from the building in the background. Building material is littered around the vehicles, but not near the building. The Humvees were dropped into what looks to be an underground shelter that used logs for bracing, not craters. The white cross that was painted on the side of the Humvee seems to have faded due to the elements.

On the driver’s side rear of one of the vehicles there appears to be damage from an explosion. Rust in the non-painted areas suggests the damage is not new. There is also not damage to the dirt area near the vehicle, which would occur from an explosion. It is clear that this vehicle was disabled long before being moved to this location.

If these vehicles crashed into position, you would also expect to see dirt on top of the hood, and damage to the front of the vehicles. All you see is broken glass from what appear to be bullets that impacted after the crash. The debris from a headlight also appears to have landed long after the crash. Again, there does not appear to be any evidence that suggest the vehicles struggles to get out, after being stuck. There is also no blood in the vehicle, which you would expect to see in any accident of this magnitude.

Additionally, on some of the vehicles, the words "For Bakhmut" are written. This occurred recently after Russians claimed to have fully captured Bakhmut. In the midst of staging or embellishing this scene, they appear to be lamenting the Bakhmut experience. When they should be celebrating, they are looking for revenge?

Not very effective propaganda. https://twitter.com/PhotoWander/stat...35659401347074

1) The Russian government released this photo of the alleged Belgorod insurgents vehicles after a battle. I used to be a tow truck operator. This is staged. These vehicles didn’t crash into that trench. I’ll explain why... https://twitter.com/FluteMagician/st...62964261404673

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

This was a raid not meant to keep occupying terrain. The main differences between a raid and other attack forms are the limited objectives of the raid and the associated withdrawal following completion. Raids may be conducted in daylight or darkness, within or beyond supporting distance of the parent unit.