The War in Ukraine

[jesmu84]

Marie Callender should shut her damn mouth

Lol

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Long, detailed series of posts on the current Ukrainian counteroffensive. The HIMARS have had major, major impact on erasing Russia's artillery advantage.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/9/4/2120770/-Ukraine-Update-Russia-culminates-Ukraine-advances-on-all-fronts

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Long, detailed series of posts on the current Ukrainian counteroffensive. The HIMARS have had major, major impact on erasing Russia's artillery advantage.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/9/4/2120770/-Ukraine-Update-Russia-culminates-Ukraine-advances-on-all-fronts

HIMARS O'clock.

[MU82]

As the war in Ukraine lurches toward the 200-day mark, Russia is turning to global pariah state North Korea to purchase Soviet-era weapons, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence report.

Moscow is preparing to buy "millions of rockets and artillery shells" from Pyongyang, a U.S. official told The Washington Post on Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity about the declassified intelligence, which was first reported by the New York Times.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/06/north-korea-russia-weapons-ukraine/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F37d90bd%2F63176f6cab732227d01038c8%2F5f8d147cae7e8a56e5b732a4%2F15%2F72%2F63176f6cab732227d01038c8&wp_cu=b1005792a416de1fbe1f17e5cf366b7d%7CB1FF71CA724A36FAE0530100007F88D6

[TSmith34, Inc.]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/9/7/2121408/-Ukraine-Update-Ukraine-rushes-toward-Kupiansk-Russia-s-logistical-hub

"Things are moving quickly in Ukraine, so you guys get a bonus update. Even better, it's all great news! My Sunday update covered the first big moves of Ukraine's multi-front counteroffensive, which I saw as the long-awaited culmination of Russia's war effort. Mark Sumner mapped many of the changes on Tuesday, and this morning he updated big overnight advances. Since then, Ukraine has punched through Russian lines in the Kharkiv front and is romping in their rears. That is what prompted me to do a second Wednesday update.

To recap, Ukraine spent months talking about going on the offensive around Kherson. It was obviously a trap, so much so that the linked story is literally headlined "Russian lines recede south of Izyum as Russia rushes to potential Kherson trap." The Kherson region is bound by several large rivers to the Russian-occupied south and east, with few bridges providing access.

It behooved Ukraine to draw as many Russian soldiers and equipment into Kherson oblast, to then trap them by taking out those few bridges. Russian forces would quickly run out of artillery shells, small ammo, food, water, spare parts, and fuel. Their fighting power diminished (especially with artillery), they would end up easy pickings for Ukrainian liberators.

Ukraine's intent was obvious, everyone saw it coming, yet stupidly, Russia bought into the scheme hook, line, and sinker. It's like a bad horror movie, where stupid teens make every obvious bad decision, and the audience thinks "no one is that stupid!" Russia is that stupid.

To be fair, Russia was in a bad place. Without Kherson, Russia would lose the only regional capital captured since the February 24 invasion. It would shatter Vladimir Putin's grandiose notions of stretching the Russian empire all the way to Moldova. It would be a public relations catastrophe, betraying Russia's weakness and inability to hold territory it considered part of Russia itself.

Reinforcing Kherson made sense, but here is where Ukraine caught the biggest break possible: No one expected Russia to send all their troops to Kherson."

[Hards Alumni]

Cautious optimism, though.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Cautious optimism, though.

LOL, yes, I admit to selective bias here.

Setting aside the tone of the article and even the words themselves, however, the maps alone map a pretty compelling argument, and those are sourced from multiple places. Still, yes, a grain of salt might be wise.

What I wonder about is, what is Putin next move at being pushed backwards?

[Hards Alumni]

LOL, yes, I admit to selective bias here.

Setting aside the tone of the article and even the words themselves, however, the maps alone map a pretty compelling argument, and those are sourced from multiple places. Still, yes, a grain of salt might be wise.

What I wonder about is, what is Putin next move at being pushed backwards?

You ever see an animal backed into a corner?

[The Sultan]

Well the whole thing has become a complete sh*tshow for Putin. To the point that any victory, if it means lopping off a piece of Ukraine, is going to be completely pyrrhic in nature.  In just a matter of months, he has managed to get the US re-engaged in Europe's defense, get two longtime neutral countries to join NATO, turn Ukraine solidly pro-Western, and get western Europe to explore ways to not be dependent on Russia's only valuable export.

Great work Vlad.

[tower912]

When you start sourcing military equipment from North Korea....

[jesmu84]

Can we stop sending US money yet?

[jficke13]

Can we stop sending US money yet?

US government spending is imaginary. There is no functional difference between the US being $30T in debt and $30.1T in debt. Spend it all, let God sort 'em out.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

You ever see an animal backed into a corner?

Exactly.

[Hards Alumni]

Can we stop sending US money yet?

This is the absolute cheapest way to weaken Putin until he has left the earth.  And then hopefully Russia can move on from it's last 23 years.

Well the whole thing has become a complete sh*tshow for Putin. To the point that any victory, if it means lopping off a piece of Ukraine, is going to be completely pyrrhic in nature.  In just a matter of months, he has managed to get the US re-engaged in Europe's defense, get two longtime neutral countries to join NATO, turn Ukraine solidly pro-Western, and get western Europe to explore ways to not be dependent on Russia's only valuable export.

Great work Vlad.

Vova is short for Vladimir, Vlad is short for Vladislav.   

[Billy Hoyle]

Can we stop sending US money yet?

Nope. Ukraine is on its way to being our 52nd state after Israel. Of course, there doesn't seem to be any accounting for how the money is being spent but a sketchy leader, but that's not our problem; just keep sending money. This "war" seems to be going the way of Iran/Iraq. It will be going well into the future.

[The Sultan]

Nope. Ukraine is on its way to being our 52nd state after Israel. Of course, there doesn't seem to be any accounting for how the money is being spent but a sketchy leader, but that's not our problem; just keep sending money. This "war" seems to be going the way of Iran/Iraq. It will be going well into the future.

LOL, why are you putting "war" in quotation marks?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

LOL, why are you putting "war" in quotation marks?

Like father, like son.

[tower912]

Nope. Ukraine is on its way to being our 52nd state after Israel. Of course, there doesn't seem to be any accounting for how the money is being spent but a sketchy leader, but that's not our problem; just keep sending money. This "war" seems to be going the way of Iran/Iraq. It will be going well into the future.

You have reached roqqet levels with this one.

[Uncle Rico]

You have reached roqqet levels with this one.

...not so fast toewwr ukraine had hunters labtop and the "big guy" had ice creem freeZer brain but go ahead and watch the view

[The Sultan]

...not so fast toewwr ukraine had hunters labtop and the "big guy" had ice creem freeZer brain but go ahead and watch the view

8 out of 10.

[jesmu84]

This is the absolute cheapest way to weaken Putin until he has left the earth.  And then hopefully Russia can move on from it's last 23 years.

Why are we worrying about weakening Putin?

[Hards Alumni]

Why are we worrying about weakening Putin?

So he doesn't invade more former Soviet states.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Why are we worrying about weakening Putin?

Because it is his goal to destabilize Western democracies? Because another goal is to reassemble the Soviet Union regardless of what the people the former Soviet bloc countries have to say about it? Because as part of the above, his goal is to destroy NATO?

[The Sultan]

Because it is his goal to destabilize Western democracies? Because another goal is to reassemble the Soviet Union regardless of what the people the former Soviet bloc countries have to say about it? Because as part of the above, his goal is to destroy NATO?

Right. You either stand up to him now or deal with him later. And to get all realpolitik about it, standing up against him in Ukraine is a perfect place to do so. You don't have to go to all out war like you would if he invaded a NATO country. But he invaded a hornet's nest and we are just providing money and arms. And when this thing inevitably ends, we will provide money for Ukraine to rebuild.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

At the risk of falling for propaganda...

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1568319528232181761.html

"Addition: This is almost moving faster than I can write it. There are now (thank you to those who directed me to them) reports that UAF units are hitting Izium from the south with heavy fighting within the city limits. The entire tenor of the war in the east has changed."