Here we go again-Ukraine once again

[Jimbuna]

Olaf Scholz under pressure to release Leopard II tanks to Ukraine after Poland and Finland pledge

Pressure is building on Germany to release Leopard II tanks to Ukraine after Finland and Poland pledged to send Europe’s most fearsome tank to fight the Russian army.

Germany manufactures Leopard II tanks and also holds the export licence for them, meaning Berlin must approve any shipment of the tanks to Ukraine or elsewhere.

After both the Finnish and Polish governments signalled their desire to send Leopard II vehicles to Ukraine, Lars Klingbeil, a German MP and part of the ruling coalition, said the government wouldn’t be bounced into a deal and that no countries “were yet delivering heavy battle tanks” to Ukraine.

Guy Verhofstadt, a high-profile MEP and a former Belgian prime minister, said that pressure was building on Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, to approve a deal.

“There is nowhere for the German Government to hide. Mr Scholz must act to authorise Leopard tanks to Ukraine, as the European Parliament has requested,” he said.

The Leopard II tank is one of the most feared tanks in the world because of its high mobility and armour. Analysts have said that it would give Ukraine an edge in battles as it outclasses Russia’s T-72 tanks and is close to being the world’s “gold standard” tank.

Earlier this week, France and Germany pledged to send fighting infantry vehicles to Ukraine as well as a Patriot air defence system but analysts have said Ukraine requires the Leopard II tanks to defeat Russia.

Earlier this week, Volodymyr Zelensky pressed for Western tanks to be handed over to Ukraine.

“There is no rational reason why Ukraine has not yet been supplied with western-type tanks,” said the Ukrainian president.

Mr Scholz has previously allowed Leopard II tanks to be given to countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic to replace Soviet-era T-72 tanks they gave to Ukraine earlier in the war.

But Slawomir Debski, director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs, said that European governments effectively now had to wait for permission from Mr Scholz before they could supply Ukraine with Leopard II tanks.

“Germany has to green light it and that would mean that they cannot stand by while other allies supply Ukraine with German tanks,” he said. “That’s the reason why Scholz has been blocking the idea so far.”

The Leopard range of tanks was first developed in the 1970s in Germany by the Munich-based manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and is now widely used by European armies, although not by the British Army,

It was specially designed to combat Russia’s T-72 tanks on the wide open plains of eastern Europe and it quickly gained a reputation for being both tough and destructive.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...22c3bbd1e2ae8e

[Jimbuna]

UK considering supplying Ukraine with Challenger 2 tanks to fight Russian forces

As many as 10 of the vehicles - enough to equip a squadron - could be on the table, with hopes it could prompt other allies to do the same.

The UK is considering supplying Ukraine with British tanks for the first time to fight Russia's invading forces, Sky News understands.

Discussions have been taking place "for a few weeks" about delivering a number of the British Army's Challenger 2 main battle tank to the Ukrainian armed forces, a Western source with knowledge of the conversations said.

Such a move would mark a significant step-up in Western support to Ukraine and could help prompt other NATO allies, in particular Germany, to follow suit.

"It would encourage others to give tanks," a Ukrainian source said.

No final decision has yet been made by Rishi Sunak's government, but if the UK did sign off on such a delivery it would become the first nation to respond to pleas from Ukrainian leaders to equip their military with powerful Western tanks.

A US-led grouping of some 50 nations - including the UK - that is delivering military support to Ukraine is due to hold its next meeting on 20 January. Any announcements about new assistance, such as tanks, could be made to coincide with the Contact Group gathering.

One source suggested Britain might offer around 10 Challenger 2 tanks, enough to equip a squadron.

The source said this in itself would not be a "game changer" but it would still be hugely significant because the move would breach a barrier that has so far prevented allies from offering up Western tanks to Ukraine for fear of being seen as overly escalatory by Russia.

That could in turn prompt other allies to do the same, sources said.

"It will be a good precedent to demonstrate [to] others - to Germany first of all, with their Leopards… and Abrams from the United States," the Ukrainian source said.

Ukraine has long requested the mass-produced, German-made Leopard II tanks, used by several European allies, including Germany, Poland, Finland, the Netherlands and Spain.

Warsaw and Helsinki have already signalled a willingness to supply their Leopard tanks to Kyiv but this requires approval from Berlin because Germany holds the export licence.

Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, has adopted a more cautious approach to equipping Ukraine with weapons than other countries such as the UK and the United States.

But he has slowly been ramping up his country's assistance.

Last week, Berlin and Washington said in a joint statement that they would supply Ukraine with armoured combat vehicles in an important policy shift. For Germany, this means the Mardar infantry fighting vehicle. For the US, it comprises the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Over the weekend, the economy minister said that Berlin cannot rule out the delivery of Leopard tanks, which are heavier fighting vehicles than the Mardar. But a German government spokesperson on Monday said it has no plans to send tanks.

The UK's Ministry of Defence would neither confirm nor deny that the British government was considering supplying Ukraine with tanks.

A spokesperson said: "The government has committed to match or exceed last year's funding for military aid to Ukraine in 2023, and we will continue to build on recent donations with training and further gifting of equipment.

"We have provided over 200 armoured vehicles to Ukraine to date - including Stormer vehicles armed with Starstreak missiles.

"We have also donated tens of thousands of items including helmets and body armour, mobility and logistics vehicles, anti-tank weapons, air defence missiles and systems, winter and medical equipment."

Last year, the UK sent 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Poland as part of a deal to help Ukraine by freeing up capacity for Warsaw to supply its Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Kyiv.

In service since 1994, the Challenger 2 tank weighs 62.5 tonnes and is armed with a 120mm rifled gun and a 7.62mm chain gun.

A squadron of Challenger tanks is in Estonia as part of a NATO mission in eastern Europe to deter Russian aggression. The Challenger 2 has previously been deployed in Bosnia and during the 2003 Iraq war.

Colonel Hamish de Bretton Gordon, a former commander of 1st Royal Tank Regiment, said the introduction of Western tanks could "tip the balance" on the battlefield in Ukraine's favour.

"Strategically this sends a very firm message to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that nothing is off the table," he said.

"Challenger 2 and Leopard II are modern tanks. They are much better protected, more reliable, quicker," he added.

By contrast, Ukraine's military is operating Soviet-era tanks like the T-72, including some that have already been supplied by partners that also use them.

Russia's military has also largely been relying on tanks manufactured during the Cold War.

The UK's Challenger tanks - while modern by comparison - were last updated in the 1990s and are themselves in the process of being upgraded again. Ukrainian soldiers would need to be trained up on how to operate and maintain them.

Russia said on Monday that new deliveries of Western weapons to Kyiv would "deepen the suffering of the Ukrainian people" and would not change the course of the conflict.
https://news.sky.com/story/uk-consid...orces-12783107

[Jimbuna]

Poland can transfer only few Leopard tanks to Ukraine, up to ten, - Duda’s adviser

At this time, Poland can transfer to Ukraine a symbolic number of Leopard tanks - up to ten units.

This was announced by Jakub Kumoh, adviser to the President of Poland on foreign policy, Censor.NET reports with reference to LIGA.net.

According to him, the issue of the transfer of Leopard to Ukraine is under consideration - he noted that it is about symbolic support in several pieces - up to a dozen.

He noted that Polish President Andrzej Duda will hold a meeting of the National Security Bureau where this issue will be discussed.

"We need to determine what exactly our allies want to do. How many Leopards will Poland supply? Absolutely not all of them. It is absurd to talk about the fact that Poland will give several hundred units. Poland will not do anything on its own," Kumoh said. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392105

Stoltenberg does not rule out transfer of Abrams or Leopard heavy tanks to Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg does not rule out the possibility of supplies of heavy tanks to Ukraine by the member states of the Alliance.

The Secretary-General stated this in an interview with the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper, Censor.NET informs with reference to RBC-Ukraine.

Responding to a journalist's question whether Ukraine can get American Abrams or German Leopard tanks, Stoltenberg said: "I don't rule it out. But I won't promise anything either."

Also, according to the NATO Secretary General, the war in Ukraine should end at the negotiating table, but it will take a lot of time before that. And during the period of hostilities, the West should support Ukraine with weapons.

At the same time, Stoltenberg believes that the allies should continue to increase military aid to Kyiv.

"I see the need to increase ambition. We must do more," he said. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392139

Germany does not plan to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine yet, government spokesman said

The spokesman of the German government stated that Berlin currently does not plan to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

As Censor.NET informs, this is reported by "Euro Integration" with reference to Sky News.

The statement came after German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that Berlin could not rule out the delivery of Leopard tanks.

Last week, Germany said it was sending Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv in response to calls for more heavy weapons to fight back against Russian forces.

As reported, the deputy speakers of the Bundestag, Katrin Goering-Eckardt and Wolfgang Kubicki, advocate the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeev, said that the German government's decision to supply Marder infantry fighting vehicles could lay the groundwork for the provision of Leopard 2 tanks. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392163

[Skybird]

Woohaaa!
Der Tagesspiegel:
------------------------

According to reports of the TV channel "Sky News" and the "Spiegel", Great Britain is considering the delivery of battle tanks to Ukraine. Up to ten Challenger 2 vehicles could be delivered to the country to defend against Russian attacks, the sources said on Monday, citing their own information. According to the report, discussions on the matter have been underway for weeks.
Such a move would also encourage other states to supply battle tanks, Sky News quoted a "Ukrainian source." The British Ministry of Defense did not initially comment on the report. The U.K. has so far supplied more than 200 armored vehicles to Ukraine, including Stormer air defense systems, it said.

----------------------


Only disadvanatge: another specialised logistics supply chain needs to be opened and maintained by the Ukrainians. Then SEVERAL ONES (!!) for the Leopard-2s, if they come from various countries, they are not all the same, even within the same version number. And one for possible Abrams tanks and their hungry turbines.

Better, though unrealistic, it would be to have just one or two versions of the Leopard-2.

[Jimbuna]

EU is ready to take leading role in restoration of Ukraine, - European Commission

The official representative of the European Commission, Ana Pisonero, declared the readiness of the European Union to play a leading role in the restoration of Ukraine’s infrastructure.

This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.

"The European Union is fully ready to play a leading role in calling for the restoration of Ukraine," Pisonero said at a briefing in Brussels. She reminded that the G7 countries agreed to coordinate activities on this issue.

"The Commission proposed to take over the secretariat of this structure. The long-term needs of recovery will be enormous. It will be necessary to coordinate the efforts of all participants: the European Union, member states, European financial institutions, and international organizations. And the private sector will also be invited," the EC representative said.

"We need to start planning our work today. This is important," Pisonero continued, noting that the EU's attention was currently focused on helping Ukraine to meet the country's basic needs and the most urgent financial needs.

She explained that macro-financial support was provided for this, but "it is clear that within the framework of long-term recovery, it is time to get to work." The press secretary emphasized a number of conferences held for this purpose, in particular, the one in Berlin, which took place recently. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392233

Ukraine-EU summit will take place in Kyiv, said Danielsson, ambassador of Sweden

The permanent representative of Sweden, which currently chairs the EU Council, to the European Union, Lars Danielsson, said that the Ukraine-EU summit will take place on February 3 in Kyiv.

He said this during a meeting with journalists in Brussels on Monday, Censor.NET reports with reference to "Euro Integration".

Danielsson said that "Ukraine and military aggression against Ukraine will dominate everything that Sweden will do during its presidency" in the EU. Stockholm intends to contribute to Kyiv's "strong desire" to move closer to EU membership.

According to him, the European Union has already done a lot to support Ukraine, "however, more must be done so that the process of support - humanitarian, financial, military - does not stop."

The diplomat also said that Sweden will look for ways to prosecute those who committed war crimes in Ukraine and to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine's infrastructure and economy.

Earlier, the press secretary of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel Barend Leits, reported that the Ukraine-EU summit should be held in Brussels, and Volodymyr Zelensky received an invitation to it.

But later it became known that the European Union has not yet confirmed that the summit will take place in Kyiv, not Brussels.

The place of the summit is still not indicated on the website of the European Council.

According to the Association Agreement, the Ukraine-EU summit is an annual event. The last, the 23rd summit, took place in October 2021 in Kyiv.

It was planned that the 2022 summit would take place in December, and it was supposed to be in Brussels. On the Ukrainian side, there were preliminary announcements regarding its holding. However, in the end, it was decided to postpone the summit to early 2023.

According to the media, among the reasons for the postponement was the lack of real results of such a meeting; in particular, as is known, the EU side had problems until the last moment even with the approval of the package of macro-financial assistance promised within the framework of the G7 in the amount of 18 billion euros. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392216

[Jimbuna]

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Defenders in a difficult situation. Der Tagesspiegel reports:
----------------------------
Fighting in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine has left defenders in the Soledar area in a difficult situation, according to Kiev. "At the moment it is difficult in Soledar," Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar wrote on her Telegram channel on Sunday. Soledar, like Bachmut, which has been contested for months, is part of Ukraine's defensive wall in front of the agglomeration between Slowyansk and Kramatorsk.

Taking the agglomeration would be almost tantamount to conquering the Donbass - one of Russia's publicly stated goals at the start of its war of aggression. In front of Soledar, the Russians would have concentrated large forces. The attacks involve not only regular units of the Russian army, but also mercenary troops, Maljar wrote.

In fact, in the area around Bachmut and Soledar - both towns are only 14 kilometers apart - the mercenaries of the "Wagner" force, considered well-equipped, are attacking. Russian military blogs had recently reported a breakthrough of the defense lines in Soledar, this has not yet been officially confirmed by Moscow. According to information from Kiev, Ukrainian troops continue to hold the city under control.

---------------------------------------

If Russian forces and Wagner troops seize Soledar, Prigozhin and the Russian military will lose strategically due to committing their best forces to an attrition battle. Russian forces continued counterattacks to regain lost positions along the Svatove-Kreminna line on January 8. Luhansk Oblast Head Serhiy Haidai stated that Russian forces transferred several battalions from the Bakhmut area to the Kreminna area.

[Jimbuna]

[Dargo]

Ukraine reports that Russia has carried out heavy attacks on the city of Soledar, in the east of the country. "After a failed attempt to take Soledar in the Donetsk region, the enemy regrouped, changed tactics and launched a new fierce attack," writes Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Maljar. "The enemy is literally advancing over the corpses of its own soldiers, massively using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and mortars."

[Jimbuna]

Britain plans to reach or exceed last year’s level of military assistance to Ukraine in 2023

Britain has declared its unwavering military support for Ukraine in 2023.

According to Censor.NЕТ, this was stated by Ministry of Defense of Britain.

"Our commitment to Ukraine remains unwavering, and in 2023 we will reach or exceed last year's military support," the ministry said in a tweet.

The UK Ministry of Defense also noted that to date they have provided Ukraine with more than 200 armored vehicles, including Stormer, armed with Starstreak, Husky, Wolfhound, Spartan, Mastiff and M113 missiles.

Earlier, Sky News, citing sources, reported that the British authorities are considering sending Ukraine Challenger 2 - the main battle tanks of the British Army. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392254

Czech Republic is preparing to transfer new tanks to Ukraine

The Czech government is preparing to transfer a new batch of tanks to Ukraine. One of them was signed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

This is stated by Censor.NЕТ with reference to the message of Fiala in Twіtter.

The Czech Prime Minister noted that T-72 tanks would be sent to Ukraine.

"On the T-72 tank, which will go to Ukraine, I wrote a short message to the brave Ukrainian defenders. I believe that Ukrainians will win the fight against the Russian aggressor," he wrote.

Fiala also added that Ukraine will be provided with a TREVA 30 evacuation vehicle.

"During my visit to the Excalibur arsenal, I also had the opportunity to bless the new TREVA 30 evacuation vehicle, which may help Ukraine in the future," he wrote. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392252

Arms supply to Russia makes Iran complicit in war crimes in Ukraine - Sullivan

The United States will consider Iran involved in war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine for supplying Russia with weapons.

This was stated by National Security Advisor to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to the Voice of America.

"Their weapons are being used to kill civilians in Ukraine and to try to plunge cities into cold and darkness, which, in our view, puts Iran in a place where it could potentially be an accomplice in large-scale war crimes," Sullivan said during US President Joe Biden's visit to Mexico.

To recall, the United States imposed sanctions against companies and individuals involved in the Iranian drone program. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392255

[Jimbuna]

Britain says Russian forces may control most of eastern Ukraine's Soledar

(Reuters) - Russian and Wagner forces are probably in control of most of the small town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine after tactical advances in the last four days, the British defence ministry said in a regular intelligence update on Tuesday.

Officials in Kyiv have said Moscow stepped up a powerful assault on Soledar in the industrial Donbas region, forcing Ukrainian troops to repel waves of attacks led by the Wagner contract militia around the salt mining town and nearby fronts.

Soledar is a few miles from Bakhmut, where troops of both sides have suffered heavy losses in some of the most intense trench warfare since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 11 months ago.

"Russia’s Soledar axis is highly likely an effort to envelop Bakhmut from the north, and to disrupt Ukrainian lines of communication," Britain added in its intelligence update.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...a1c225f18a34a6

[Jimbuna]

Russia's leading rocket specialist becomes the fourth key defence official to die in three weeks

Russia's leading rocket specialist has died, the fourth key defence official to perish in less than three weeks.

Pavel Kamnev, 85, was the scientific director of the Almaz-Antey Aerospace Defence Concern and the expert who developed deadly Kalibr missiles deployed by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

He was responsible for more than 20 weapons inventions and co-author of over 300 scientific and technical reports.

'He took an active part in the development of many missile systems,' said an Almaz-Antey spokesman.

He worked until his death as scientific director of arms giant Almaz-Antey and chairman of Novator experimental design bureau where Kalibr missiles were created.

A video shows him being made a Hero of Labour by Vladimir Putin in 2016.

He lauded Putin for the 'highest appreciation' of his missile-making work 'so that our country can live in peace and security'.

He spoke before his Kalibr missiles were used to decimate infrastructure and civilian targets in Ukraine.

Last week the inventor of 'world's best' Angara rockets Vladimir Nesterov died aged 74.

He was the brains behind Putin's dreams of the Russian exploration of the moon and outer space.

He was chief designer for the light and heavy versions of the Angara but for the later years of his life was dogged by a criminal case launched by Putin's authorities into alleged fraud and embezzlement of more than £57 million.

He hailed the Angara as the 'world's best' rocket system, and he was seen internationally as a leader in his field.

Nesterov's loss followed the 'sudden death' of Alexander Buzakov, 65, director general of Admiralty Shipyards, in charge of building new submarines armed with deadly Kalibr missiles.

And on December 25 General Alexei Maslov, 69, former commander of Russian ground forces with close ties to Ukraine, died 'suddenly' the day after Vladimir Putin abruptly cancelled a trip to the tank enterprise where he worked as an international sales ambassador.

Buzakov had been healthy the day before he died, and 'nothing had been heard about Maslov's health problems' before he died, said Telegram channel Redacted number 6.

At NATO, Maslov worked alongside Dmitry Rogozin, an official close to Putin who was abruptly removed in the summer as head of the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos.

Putin had been due to fly to the Uralvagonzavod plant in Nizhny Tagil - which has been criticised by the Kremlin for failing to produce sufficient new tanks for the war in Ukraine.

However, the Russian president aborted the December 24 trip 'at the last minute' with no explanation, according to local reports.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...d2f36ba47d8406

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Dargo

If Russian forces and Wagner troops seize Soledar, Prigozhin and the Russian military will lose strategically due to committing their best forces to an attrition battle. Russian forces continued counterattacks to regain lost positions along the Svatove-Kreminna line on January 8. Luhansk Oblast Head Serhiy Haidai stated that Russian forces transferred several battalions from the Bakhmut area to the Kreminna area.

They advance, slowly, and at high costs, but the Ukreainians bleed, too, thats what atrition war is about, and the Russians, for mad reaosns or not so ma dreaosns, are willing to pay the price.
Most of Soleda seems to have fallen to the Russians now. That incoldues logn tunnels of salt and gypsium mines that both sides fear could be used for infiltration.
Jim beat me to it:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64219979

[Jimbuna]

It is necessary to increase production of weapons to protect NATO countries and help Ukraine, - Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the arms stocks of the alliance countries and the EU have really run out, so it is necessary to increase production in order to ensure the protection of its territory in the future, as well as to have opportunities to help Ukraine.

He stated this at a press conference today, Censor.NET informs with reference to "Interfax-Ukraine".

"Allies from NATO and EU countries have exhausted their reserves because they want to provide support to Ukraine. And this was the right decision because this is also a matter of our security," Stoltenberg said.

He noted that NATO and EU countries managed to provide an "unprecedented volume" of aid to Ukraine for several months.

"But, of course, when stocks are depleted, there is only one long-term solution - to produce more. And that's why NATO defense ministers, during a meeting last fall, decided to increase our stockpiles of weapons and equipment," the NATO Secretary General added.

According to him, it is necessary to ensure that "stocks are sufficient both to protect our own territory and to provide assistance to Ukraine." Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392391

Meeting in format of "Ramstein" will take place next week, we will discuss the provision of weapons for Ukraine, - Stoltenberg

The meeting of the contact group on the defense of Ukraine will take place next week.

This was reported by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Censor.NET reports with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.

"We will meet next week in Ramstein, in the US-led contact group that provides support to Ukraine. There we will meet with the Ukrainian Minister of Defense to discuss what specific type of weapons are needed and how the Allies can provide these weapons," said the Secretary General of the Alliance.

Also remind, that earlier the Ministry of Defense of Germany informed that the next meeting of the "Ramstein" format will take place on January 20. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392381

Soledar is actually destroyed, enemy is trying to advance despite colossal losses - Cherevaty

During the day, Soledar and its surroundings were hit by 86 artillery strikes, and the city was practically destroyed.

This was reported by the spokesman of the Eastern Group of the AFU, Serhii Cherevaty, Censor.NET reports with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.

"Only during this day, 86 shellings by various artillery systems were carried out on Soledar and its surroundings.
The President again yesterday emphasized that the city was actually destroyed, and their (the occupiers. - Ed.) logic of the war was not understood, because to capture the ruins, as it happened before in Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, placing countless of their troops, is in the military art, and especially modern, 21st-century art, is very strange," he said.

Cherevaty noted that the Russians' main method of storming the city now is the use of attack systems, MLRS, barrel artillery, and, at their expense, the advancement of small groups of infantry.

In the area of Bakhmut-Soledar, as emphasized by the AFU, the enemy has concentrated its best specialists, in particular, special forces of the "Wagner" PMC with the support of the regular Russian army.

"It is Soledar's fighters who are holding the city, now they are gaining time and opportunities for the entire defense. Therefore, the enemy suffers huge losses there, but despite this, they still try to move forward, because for them even a small tactical advance is considered a great achievement," he said. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3392373

[Skybird]

So far in this war, Ukrainian claims and numbers given on battle events have shown to be closer to reality than Russian claims which almost every time border and overstep the line to surrealism and the bizarre. But intensive artillery use, as the Russian now use on many fronts, cannot be endured by Ukrainian forces without suffering signficant casulties themselves, which is imo one of the two main reasons why the Russians are pressing these kind of mass-suicidal attacks (the other is that every information that moves upwards in the hierarchy gets beautified and doctored more with every step until it reaches the top decision makers who then base necessarily on wrong information that is more fiction than fact). They advance over the corpses of their flalen, becasue their troops are such that they do not revolt but let this beign done to them. A mentlaity problem. In Russia the state educates citizens to be servile servants from the cradle to the grave. The Russian military is known to practice this mindset in extremis. Human drones prodcued by a totalitarian society in which the state is everything and the individual is nothing.



I take it as granted that the Ukrainian losses are much higher and more significant than the Ukrainian speaks tell the world. Thats why the Russians keep pressing, even at high own cost.



The demogroahic cost to Russian societ yin comind deacdes will be enormnous, all thes enow dea dmen and those that still will get killed, will not found families and raise chidlren and will not work in employment and will not produces incomes for the - limited - social supply system. Those who sruvive, will to large degrees be traumtiozed, will by posychic wrecks, and bring a lot of vilance and drug abuse back into families, whioch affects social life and fmailies and kids oin these social contexts.


Russia is an a diabolic spiral down to the bottom. I now tend to think of chances being 50:50, growing, that it will completely break apart in coming years. And with its shadow vanishing, i wonder what will happen in the periphery states of former sovjet vasalls and provinces. Its not as if these all are perfect democracies are friends amongst each other.



Its not relevant with what formal result the Ukraine war ends: Putin is the gravedigger of the concept of a Sovjet Russia that he wanted to rebuild. Irony of history.