Richi

Update regarding air defence pledges.

Crimea is touched again. It's like the ZSU is counting coup... 
 

This is the one thing that makes for the best experience in war. Comedy! Black humor or not but to maintain the ability for this creativity is heart warming. We get a laugh out of it but it’s never missed on the guys around. Love his composure in the moment!

Good riddance. 🙃

Hey! I earned my older!! Took a very long time! 🙂
But thanks. Really.

There's a note in yesterday's ISW report, about a UKR attack on the Robtyne-Verbove at least 4 companies, preceded by a massive artillery barrage. I had also noticed reports of this on twitter. There were also reports of a heavy drone wave leading the advance, pinning the RUS in place as the mech inf moved up, then pushing out as the infantry took hold. 
I dont know if the assault pushed much further on (doubt it) after the initial success, and it does appear they were fully successful.
It sounds like one of the larger set-piece assaults in a while, with drones organic to the assault plan and critical for success, not just added as a useful afterthought.
As I understand it the RUS line was fully manned but overwhelmed by artillery, then drones then IFV fires then infantry in a straight up frontal attack.
This implies the ZSU was able to mass, deploy (including clear lanes through minefields), assault and hold without RUS fires impeding any one stage. The scale of the attack implies a very wide blind spot in the RUS tactical ISR, even if only for a while. That's quite a good achievement and suggests we'll see more from this brigade (unfortunately I lost the tweet that has it, perhaps someone knows?).
I'm particularly interested in how they achieved local Drone supremacy.
 

"does not have any concerns regarding territorial claims from the Russian Federation"
See, the destruction of large amounts of Russian army equipment and the death of thousands of their soldiers has a clear benefit to the world: Some countries are no loner concerned about Putin's threats of attack.

Nah, he's always 'ready for talks'. It's just that what he wants the Ukrainians to 'talk' about is how specifically they will surrender their sovereignty, way of life and their women.
Just more garbage vomited out by an amoral human weasel.

A thousand lulz:
 

Lavrov talking about stalemate and being "ready for talks." Makes me think there's something to the breakthrough rumors.

As a DCS player I love this video. Ukrainian pilots using DCS to familiarize themselves with the F-16.
If this is not a testament to the quality of the F-16 module for DCS I don't know what is. Highly recommend trying that module by the way. 😎

Interesting little guy riding the bomb into a Russian BMP.

Thirst for life. Story of a special ops soldier who fell from a boat and spent 14 hours floating in the open sea (Pravda.com.ua)
Just quoting this post again because I read an incredible story of survival from a Ukrainian who involved in this operation. Definitely worth a read if you have some time.

Neat. Nice to see these two posing for a picture together.
Could not resist stealing this meme. 🙂
 

Japan is, as usually, ahead of the game:

Can Canada extradite the Speaker of the House, and the aides that cooked this up, instead? Because I am absolutely certain they deserve it.

My condolences to the RAF for losing that crewed Storm Shadow missile over Ukraine.

He could easily be paralyzed from the waist down. I've watched the video,  he's not exactly lively. 

Looks like hidden anti-Wagner front in Africa is expanding (Budanov activity?)
Reportedly tuareg tribes of Mali, who suffered because of Wagner's violence, came to war with them
And today IL-76, allegedly used by Wagner was crashed or shot down in airport of Mali Goa

Russian TG rumors.
Allegedly number of victims of missile strike on BSF HQ is 34 about half of them were officers. Now it's impossible to say a complete number, because most of bodies are fragmented. 

U.S. will send Ukraine ATACMS long-range missiles for the first time (NBCNews)
 
 

I'm sure our old worthless tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and airframes weren't as much help to Ukrainians as your amazing helmets that you magnificently offered them when we were sending whatever junk we could.
 

Concerning allegedle Ukrainian involvement in attacks on pro-Wagner RSF rebels. Today journalists asked Budanov about CNN article he said nothing about Sudan, but say "We will pursuit Wagners anywere"
The moment of FPV drone under allegedle UKR team control hits at RSF jeep

So if the Russians are down to just cooks and drivers now, who don't want to fight, and they have no ammunition, surely we can expect Ukraine to make big advances around Bakhmut very soon?