FancyCat

Zelensky honored Zaluzhny and Budanov with the Hero of Ukraine, and Zaluzhny initiated 2 hugs with Zelensky. Does not seem to indicate hard feelings to me at least.

I am reminded of the American Civil War, the criticisms of General Grant (also called a butcher incidentally) and General McClellan. The Army of the Potomac needed multiple commanders cycled in until victory.

One clear feature i hope NATO and EU and our non-NATO allies take from this, military production must be localized again, less relying on American ammo. Gah, where the hell is the American military industrial complex when you need their overarching influence on American politics....

A pox on the Republican Party. Cannot believe we are back to this, how joyful for our enemies to know America is unreliable and unable to muster the bare minimum to ensure Ukraine stays in the fight. Europe needs to start their ammo production and step into some bigger shoes.

Wouldn't be surprised if they were left to die or their comrades already withdrew with the equipment needed to actually defend.

Well, we don't know if Ukraine deliberately stuck civilian targets, or whether it was merely air defense mishaps like we seen before. Two, domestic morale is important too. Belgorod is also a major border city, there was hope that some sort of anti-war sentiment would rise considering the close relations between it and Kharkiv, yet like the rest of anti-war hopes, those never occurred, Kharkiv endures missile attacks from Belgorod many times too fast for warnings I believe? But again, do we have actual evidence this was a deliberate action?

I am unsure how much expertise is needed for minefield laying, maybe Russia's mobilization surge accomplished the mine laying jobs?

Definitely a good outcome for Ukraine, for a country with no navy, to carve out a corridor for 3rd party shipping against what majority opinion considers a powerful country one tier below superpower (public opinion) is a major achievement.

I mean mistakes occur all the time, hardly isolated to the West or Ukraine. Besides, I heard your trains run amazingly well right now.

8 days later, 20 more ships sail through the corridor.

3 days later, another 6 ships. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-18/ukraine-s-risky-bet-pays-off-with-ships-streaming-to-its-ports Article from Bloomberg a few days ago noted a similar volume shipped this month compared with the first month of the UN brokered Black Sea grain deal, and that included at least 9 Panamax vessels, the largest size vessels that normally ship grain, indicating insurance brokers are willing to risk retaliation by Russia.

To compare, 4 days ago there were 21 ships that went thru, with the count being 27 today, in the span of 4 days, 6 ships have transited the corridor. Congrats to Ukraine despite having no navy, and contested airspace, on breaking a naval blockade allowing transit by ships crewed by 3rd party citizens. (the shipping insurers aren't afraid i think this means! not sure how these vessels are chartered for these voyages to Ukraine's ports)

Looks like Russia is doubling down on sustained missile fires on civilians, looks like a apartment block. I swear, whenever Russia gets the idea that Ukraine is closing in on getting new capabilities, they turn on the civilian killing dial in some misguided belief that it dilutes the west from supplying it. Makes no sense, for them to hit apartment buildings, market squares, hospitals literally days after Scholz advises caution and deescalation regarding Taurus missiles. Maybe it's some "Scholz is a lying ****" method of making him look bad cause I really don't understand how images of apartment buildings torn apart does anything except corner the West into supplying missiles.

Ukrainian presidential election was supposed to be in March 2024. Invasion in 2022, consolidation in 23, legitimacy in 2024. 2024, Russia on the up, Trump runs a easy campaign into office on the back of failing Biden including in Ukraine, Putin gets another 4 years to take advantage of American chaos.

The Russians really are something. I expect pressure campaigns on Biden and Scholz to rise and perhaps finally allow ATACMS and Taurus to be sent to Ukraine. Tho I wonder if Biden is holding them back to threaten Russia with them as retaliation for targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure this winter.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anthony-rota-ukrainian-veteran-apology-1.6977117 absolute lack of vetting, idiots.

Tbh pretty sure that's occurred in quite a few countries in the West already. Problematic, but hey, if your American, we still have Confederate statues. And holidays in a few states. Personally, as much problematic stuff I see in Ukraine, the same applies to my own country, and certainly applies to Russia. And luckily, Russia is very kind to emphasize they go beyond problematic.

I stand corrected on the quadbikes. Now, are we talking tanks or tanks and IFVs? (Saw AFV referenced) I can get behind tanks being less useful, nothing I've seen applies to IFVs, and if ISR means everything is seen, better to use a Western IFV to reach the front lines and assault.

Someone correct me if mistaken, but isn't part of the calculus on the part of Ukraine to fight in the face of such human costs against Russia, is based on the idea that Russia, as seen in how it's using and treating it's manpower as ammunition, expendable and worth little, will only subsume Ukraine and Ukrainians for the same purpose if they fold? In any war morale and belief are important, but considering this war's ethos, and the value Ukrainians have in fighting to not become expendable imperial ammunition, are not considerations for losses not simply reality and essential for analysis and in this case, prediction? I mean Russia even with a ability to send soldiers dying in appalling and foolish ways is unable, unwilling to mobilize to 10% (or whatever number) precisely due to social-political concerns. And certainly western countries operate in a reality where the loss of one servicemember can be shocking. So sure we can produce or procure Soviet tanks and IFVs and APCs for Ukraine but the reality is Ukrainian soldiers on the ground want Western IFVs and APCs and tanks because they get higher chances of living with them, and while they cost more, the West has long gone down the route of survivability. (On that note why in God's name is the U.S not providing more Bradleys and armored vehicles? No point in a reserve if we never use it and wasn't the point of them for Europe anyway? Send everything already. Not like a Bradley is much use in Taiwan.)