FancyCat

Was this posted yet? I can't recall if it's the same footage. Posting it anyway, whyyy are they doing this. The morale of those units must be nothing, no wonder the Kharkov front broke.

A reminder that Turkey also has powerful incentives to not support Ukraine and not stick with NATO and EU line on Russia, Turkey relies as heavily as some European countries for Russian energy, Russian tourism is big money, so Turkey choosing to not sanction or stop Russia should be seen in that context. It is quite nice Turkey keeps sending those TB2s to Ukraine. Well worth letting Russia supply energy to Turkey and not joining broader sanctions. Tho this supports their own armaments industry, I'm sure the order lineup for TB2s is out the door. But just circles back to my earlier posts, a lot of money earmarked for defense for Ukraine basically sorta comes back to the giving country in some form. $40 billion for Ukraine becomes in reality a lot less. A bit of a tangent, one of the reasons money isn't a big deal in this war has to do with how you use it. Money to Russia for energy imports is sorta.....worthless since most Russian weapon and equipment production requires foreign parts, the sanctions preventing export to Russia are a way bigger factor in preventing Russia rearming than the money given for gas. Germany had responded to prior criticism about lack of aid for Ukraine by touting it's monetary package but what use is $500 million if Germany says you can't buy any heavy equipment with the money. It's near worthless. Same **** applies to Turkey. Yes, Russian money still flows to Turkey and Russia gets money from Turkey but the TB2s sinking the Black Sea Fleet are worth more than cutting off Turkish money to Russia.

Mind you, this is just angling for concessions. Money, sanctions relief, etc. For example, there are multiple military-industrial sanctions on Turkey, that they may want repealed. I don't really see the issue in Turkey, a NATO ally, asking her fellow NATO partners who have placed restrictions on it, to repeal them so she can better produce weapons and equipment for Ukraine, oh and some compensation for the market loss previously would be nice. But to answer your question, the Black Sea being locked down to further reinforcement of the Russian Black Sea Fleet basically answers why Turkey was, is and will be in NATO forever.

Mind you, EU is putting up some hefty money for Ukraine as well. But breaking it down, only 8 billion actually goes to Ukraine to be "laundered". Money for weapons and equipment, uh...who's Ukraine gonna buy it from? China? No it's us silly. 9 billion is simply to buy more weapons to replenish our depleted stocks. $5 billion to ensure the supply shortages worldwide due to Ukrainian grain being stolen by Russia don't **** up more countries into instability. (Mind you american grain does exist, so who's gonna benefit from higher grain prices?) Quoted from: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rand-paul-blocks-quick-passage-40-billion-ukraine-aid-package-rcna28648

its not being sent, most of it just gets used to purchase American weapons and equipment to be used by Ukraine. job creation.

Maybe, but I was under impression Russia would try and divide the west into a pro-quick Peace and a pro-hardball with Russia, giving Ukraine a out seemingly while allowing Russia to claim anti-NATO spread success was something that may have garnered some Western support. Instead by cutting off the door to even EU accession, they give up talking points for pro-peace figures to rally around.

So much for compromise.....while I expected Ukraine to harden, looks like Russia has decided to harden as well, for some stupid reason.

73 vehicles, Jesus.

Entirely possible the pin is simply to show the river the Russians are attempting to cross to viewers, and the exactly spot hasn't been disclosed.

I'm quite curious as to how important the loss of the rail line is, and if it's replaceable. Linked is a website detailing Russian rail networks, tho seems dated to 2014 so may be inaccurate. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/ There is a rail line to Kupiansk from Valuyki on the Russian side. Lot of distance to get anything from Belgrod to Valuyki. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/07-06_belgorod.gif Also has a neat map of Ukraine 2014: look at the rail network in Eastern Ukraine, how developed it is vs the rest of Ukraine then. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/ukraine_crimea_moldova_en.html

Was referring to this floating rumor that Russia assembled 19 BTGs to counterattack, which if true would require Ukraine to keep significant forces facing Belograd, but if Ukraine knows that 19 is fake or just skeletons like the 2nd Guards Tank Division, that could barely defend Belograd, certainly they can pull their forces facing Belograd for the east. I definitely think Ukraine shouldn't push into Russia proper.

Take Vovchansk if possible. Ukrainian territory, it forces Russia to relocate tons of units really far to get a frontline. Only issue is the Donets river crossings are probably blown.

This posted yet? Estonian analyst. Belgorod may have nothing, and rear of Russian lines may be very weak. It was really smart of the Ukrainians to push on relieving Kharkov, admittedly I was worried the JFO was gonna break but certainly if they were close but looks like it succeeded.

I reckon it would be easier to reconquer a smaller town along the way to Belograd than Belograd itself. Plus, it causes a bigger Frontline than merely pushing on Belograd.

It's lovely to see Russians helping Ukrainians getting out of the country. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/underground-networks-russians-helping-ukrainian-refugees-2022-05-11/

The engineer says they had one bridge, when the Ukrainians destroyed it, after failing to fix it, they tried another.

Nvm, he deleted it.

Long thread, but goddamn, Russia ain't safe in the occupied territories. Okay, you gotta click on the map image to see it, but its basically east of Mariupol, a town controlled by Russia since 2014.

Another interview with the foreign minister of Ukraine, that's pretty detailed. Looks like Ukraine wants all her land back, Crimea and Donbas. Some major confidence coming from him. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/10/ukraine-foreign-minister-us-weapons-delay-russia-00031493

No infantry mass tho. Well at least the importance of infantry has been reconfirmed in large scale warfare. I wonder aside from thinking of bad Ukrainian morale, maybe they put too much faith that their artillery and armor would run over infantry?

Interesting shift. I wouldn't doubt it is maximal legitimately, but also intended to shift goalposts, instead of a likely peace deal with some Ukrainian territory in Russian hands, the middle position becomes more pre-invasion, and the full territory becoming the maximal objective.

Interesting, the speech by Zelensky, certainly a hardening of the Ukrainian position on future peace, a direct call out to Putin, seemingly in a very 1 to 1 manner in a way. Certainly Zelensky is boasting of his ability to walk the streets of Kiev, and keen to shout out the unity of the anti-Nazi coalition. I think what is mighty insidious and appalling is that Russia has deliberately stolen the victory over Nazi Germany to push a fascist domestic and foreign policy, in effect not just ignoring but also burying the crimes of the Nazis to its own people, and attempting to do the same worldwide (thru their subversive activities, and public statements). Why it is vital to counteract them is because their basis for this war rests upon the victory over Nazi Germany. I have no doubt that Russia's erasure of history has caused deep harm to Ukraine internationally. When it decries Nazism in Ukraine, when it asserts that it is rooting out evil in Ukraine, a huge part of that relies on the narrative that Russia alone is heir to the victory over Nazi Germany, it alone is heir to the USSR's heroic stand against fascism. Removing Russia's narrative requires damaging, in a sense, "the monument to Soviet victory" precisely due to the way Russia has sought to wrap itself in this victory as a defense against all criticism. Something to keep in mind.