dan/california

Allow me to take this opportunity to repeat the greatest quote of Von Runstedt's career " Make peace you fools", It was good advice then, and it is good advice now.

Of course that how this inconvenient little problem came to be. A lot riding on whether Xi is actually smart, or has just had a good run of luck at the poker table. He can double down on a losing hand and do a great deal of damage. Or he can fold on a pair of deuces, and start wait to play a new hand. Hopefully he has at least found Putin's experience with flipping over the table and starting an ugly brawl instructive. It isn't like Russia has a CAA sitting around to take advantage. It would be bad for about 8 hours until the first wave of NATO cruise missiles hit the first 200 targets on a continuously updated list that lives on a computer at Ramstein. The the actual planes show up...

From ISW Ukrainian military officials also noted that Ukrainian ballistic missiles and aviation struck two Russian ammunition depots, an unspecified command post, and key positions of a Russian platoon. From me Some platoon drew a VERY short straw...

It looks like a captured Lieutenant General, If I was Ukraine I would demand all of The Azov guys back for him. Anything less and he can rot in prison for any or all of his several thousand crimes.

Best version EVER!

I think the U.S. ambassador should show a live stream of Abrams being loaded on a sip with nice new Ukrainian flags on the turrets, maybe a little thank you message from Zelensky. Oh, and ATCAMS, can't forget those.

Fingers crossed the Ru Nats try a coup, fail messily, and the both the Russian army and the L/DPR descend into utter chaos. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of bleepers.

How long before little green men with Hanzi writing on their uniforms start showing up in the Russian far east? You have to be pretty sure you are exploiting and not fighting. Oh goody! That wasn't a floorboard that was the hull planking, and the pump is busted, and there is a storm blowing up.

This much good news with my coffee could kill a person.

Greedy, but it would be GLORIOUS.

There has now...

This might be a real problem for an army that seems too literally be motivated/paid by looting, and even less pleasant activities. There is no reason to bypass a town and give the second echelon the privilege of sacking it. Seriously, not joking, the Mongols were better led and disciplined, at least at the peak of their power. They wouldn't take the place apart until they were told too.

Excellent post Outstanding post GrigB your contribution is nearly priceless Steve, can we please get more likes? This much amazing stuff requires more likes.

The hardest thing to comprehend in terms of western sensibilities is rock sold nerve it to hold, and hold , and hold, with anywhere between 50 and 200 kia per day. It one thing to do the cold, cruel math of war, it another to tell brave men to go out and die because that is what the math said. The AFU waited until they had enough trained people and enough equipment at the schwerpunkt to drive it home. Just unbelievable generalship, I assume every member of AFU senior staff will be able to spend the rest of their lives lecturing at western staff colleges. The top tier can probably raise a lot of money for veterans and such giving corporate speeches.

Half of third Corps is south of Donetsk, and the other half is halfway Kherson. AFU didn't plan this much this well to miss a trick about screwing with rail lines and even road bridges to make that the longest trip possible. I also think there is great chance that the Russians will panic so badly they feed their reserves in in little pieces. They don't have the sense to pick a line they can actually hold, too worried about political consequences.

Maybe just a brief visit to burn the place down?

Kupyiansk?!

Not all of the opening pushes in Kherson went well. This guys unit was probably one of the ones that hit a competent Russian unit and stalled. Happily they weren't all that good. Edit:n Meant to quoter Beleg85

Hopefully the AFU can fight them while sitting on their fuel and ammo supplies.

Is this the worst day the Russians have had?

Not many first line troops on that list, not sure how many second line troops are on that list.

Or at least say they did...

At this point they have probably been turned around for the third time as the Russian command panics. Given the units nonexistent experience and training I expect them to get so spread out, and have so many maintenance problems we might never notice as they are committed in penny packets to little or no effect.