How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?

[Battlefront.com]

An interesting study of the attitude of Russians towards the war.  Three things stand out, all of which we've talked about here:

1.  Russians say "I support the war!" and then most of them say "I support peace negotiations!".  Given that the the war aims Putin has expressed to the population have not happened, the push for peace talks most likely means people understand they are losing the war.

2.  Putin is not ordering another mass mobilization because he fears what it will do to regime stability.  There's lots of evidence for this, and now we have this:

These two polling results, when combined with many other tea leaves, indicates very strongly that Russians are not as supportive of the war as they say they are.  Which means Putin must rely upon volunteers and vulnerable populations to keep units staffed.  And that gets us back to the need to kill as many Russian soldiers as possible in the shortest space of time possible because Putin can't tap into a large pool all at once without risking his regime. 

Whether Ukraine can kill enough soldiers quickly enough to push Putin into another mobilization is unknown.  So far for 2023 the answer has been "close, but not good enough".

Steve

[Battlefront.com]

On 11/28/2023 at 5:02 PM, Haiduk said:

Next Russian general is gone:

Major-general Vladimir Zavadskiy, deputy commander of 14th Army Corps of Northen Fleet coastal forces. Reportedly has blown up by mine on 28th Novemver 2023. 

From 2018 to June 2021 he was a commander of elite 4th "Kantemirovskaya" tank division.

 

 

Russia just confirmed the death of MG Zavadsky.  I think this is the first confirmed death of a general in 2023?

Steve

[Battlefront.com]

And this post because a) it is relevant to the discussion about "Russia is winning", b) because it's been a while since Darth Putin made an appearance here, and c) because I think we can all use a chuckle:

Steve

[dan/california]

 

Quote

 

https://armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2020/0508/102557781/detail.shtml

The Ministry of Defense has signed contracts for the supply of air defense systems "Tor-M2", "Tor-M2DT", "Buk-MZ" and S-300V4

TsAMTO, May 8. In the coming years, the Russian army will receive 18 brigade sets of air defense systems such as "Tor", "Buk" and S-300V4, contracts have already been concluded, said Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Alexei Krivoruchko in an interview with the magazine "National Defense", the May issue of which will be published in the coming years days.

 

Three brigade sets  of late model Buk-M3 delivered, and and least four more on order, if this has any bearing on reality. Irritatingly it doesn't specify how many units a brigade gets. Original article is in Russian BTW. Actual production rate is not given.

[Battlefront.com]

ISW's Nov 29th report had quite a bit to say about the state of Russian forces trying to contain/eliminate the Ukrainian bridgehead.  All of it good for Ukraine   The report outlined:

1. No unified command structure and are unlikely to do so due to the ground forces coming from 3 different fleets, 2 different military districts, and the VDV.  There is no parallel to this sort of thing anywhere else in Ukraine.
2. The lack of a unified command and (I personally suspect) cumulative loss of experienced/trained leadership, plus long standing Russian military deficiencies, has led to chaotic and dysfunctional information sharing.  ISW highlighted friendly minefield locations being "classified" and as a result the 810th Marines suffered 50 casualties to their own mines.  The 810th apparently refused an attack order because there was no friendly artillery support plan included with it.
3. The units under this hodge-podge command are depleted, exhausted, and undertrained.  Some of the units have come fresh from being beaten up elsewhere and told to immediately conduct combat operations.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-29-2023

Steve

[danfrodo]

Goodness, what a rambunctious bunch of folks y'all have been last 24 hours.  Then Steve comes in to save the day w some really good content, thanks much Steve.  

I will go back to my hopium of "if UKR can just kill a few more russians and their fancy gear then ....."

[Aragorn2002]

On 11/29/2023 at 5:00 AM, Battlefront.com said:

I have always wondered why the GUR and Moldova don't team up to get Transnistria back under Moldovan control.  I also would be exploring ways to make Kaliningrad a lot less stable for Russia.  The US and Europeans should be all over the latter.  Russia thinks it is perfectly fine to interfere in the internal order of its rivals, so obviously they think this is a fine way to go about international relations.

Steve

Amen to that.

[Zeleban]

Some sobering news for adherents of the “victory of Ukraine”

The enemy achieved advances in the server and north-west of Bakhmut, knocking out Ukrainian troops from positions near Berkhovka. In addition, the enemy is not abandoning attempts to eliminate the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ bridgehead on the Cherny Zherebets River

1. The enemy, as expected, resumed offensive operations in the Liman direction. In particular:

- in the direction of the village of Terny, the forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked units of the 488th motorized rifle regiment of the 144th motorized rifle division of the 20th combined arms army - to no avail

- and in the direction to the village Yampolevka Ukrainian positions were attacked by units of the 31st and 37th motorized rifle regiments of the 67th motorized rifle division of the 25th army, the enemy had partial success - they ousted our advanced units from one of the positions

- in turn, the 228th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 90th Tank Division continued its attacks southwest of the village Dibrova in the Serebryansky forest, in the direction of the village of Dronovka, but did not achieve success.

As far as I understand, this is the first stage of the implementation of the plan to eliminate the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ bridgehead on the Cherny Zherebets River, the so-called “compression from the flanks.” Actually, as I roughly described it a few weeks ago... It was the 25th Army that started in the general direction from south to north.

Therefore, perhaps, in the near future we should expect attacking and assault actions by the enemy also in the direction of the village. Torskoye and the village of Zarechnoye, the enemy will try to cut the road that goes from Torskoye and Zarechnoye to Yampolevka through Severnaya Street and further along the river. It is obvious...

There is also a high probability that the enemy will bring into battle somewhere in the directions - to Yampolevka, Terny or Torskoye the 19th Tank Regiment of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division.

At least, it is planned to replenish it with T-90M tanks (up to 6 units) in December. At the moment, the 19th Tank Regiment has:

- tanks – 46

- armored combat vehicles (AFV) – 19

- artillery systems (AS) with caliber from 100 mm – 24

- multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) – 4

That is, in essence, this is “one and a half reinforced tank battalions”, and not a full-fledged tank regiment... However, taking into account the additional supply of weapons and military equipment already in the combat area, it is quite possible to expect that these “one and a half battalions” will turn into "two-battalion" tank regiment. The vast majority of the regiment's tanks will be T-72 vehicles of various modifications.

In the future, obviously, the enemy (probably units and formations of the 20th Army) will try to attack in the direction of Makeevka and Nevskoye. That is, carry out the same “compression” of the Ukrainian bridgehead, but from north to south...

Edited November 30, 2023 by Zeleban

[Zeleban]

2. The situation began to escalate for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the city of Bakhmut, where it is obvious that the enemy command is implementing the plan to enter the flank and rear of our group, which is conducting combat operations south of the city. In practice it looks like this...

- in the direction Bakhmut - Ivanovo, units of the 4th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 2nd army corps of the enemy attacked the forward positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, achieved partial success - they ousted Ukrainian troops from one of the positions

- In the direction Bakhmut - Kleshcheevka and Zaitsevo - Kleshcheevka (that is, north and east of the settlement) units of the same 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade + separate units of the enemy’s 88th Motorized Motorized Rifle Brigade attacked - they were also able to achieve success, ousting our troops from five positions

- But the actions of enemy airborne troops to the west and north-west of the city look most threatening. In particular, the 331st Parachute Regiment of the 98th Airborne Division of the enemy managed to dislodge Ukrainian Armed Forces units north of the village of Bogdanovka from one platoon strong point (VOP) and two positions, and the 217th PDP of the same division drove out our units immediately from six positions north of the village of Khromovo.

Thus, it becomes obvious that the enemy is trying to break through between the villages of Bogdanovka and the village of Khromovo into the tactical depth of the defense of the Ukrainian troops towards the town of Chasov Yar using units and subunits of the 98th Airborne Division, in order to create a real flank threat from the north to our units and subdivisions that operate in the area of the villages of Ivanovskoye and the village of Kleshcheevka...

Moreover, the enemy is quite actively counterattacking directly south of Bakhmut. At least the enemy’s 4th and 88th Infantry Motorized Rifles, as well as his 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade, which is tirelessly trying to push our units away from the village of Kurdyumovka north towards Andreevka (so far, however, to no avail).. They are clearly acting in concert with the Russian paratroopers, who are trying to advance from the villages of Berkhovka and the villages of Yagodnoye.

In fact, we are now seeing how the plan of the OSV "Khortitsa" (in the zone of the OSV "Soledar") to "bypass Bakhmut from the south" is beginning to fail...

Therefore, it is worth reminding all those who, a month or a half ago, “squealing,” prematurely shouted on YouTube, on television and other “publics” that “we are about to bypass Bakhmut from the south” and that we are “about” to break through to the automobile roads Bakhmut - Gorlovka and that “Bakhmut is shot through and through”... according to a very good Ukrainian proverb “don’t tell the gop until you jump over”, you should never wishful thinking.

Therefore, in a general sense, I look at what is now unfolding in the Bakhmut area, let’s say, without much optimism... unlike those who are already “bringing Bakhmut back again.”

And we have not yet “deepened” into the situation in the Avdeevka area, where also... events are obviously beginning to acquire a rather “acute” character. But more on that another time...

Edited November 30, 2023 by Zeleban

[Zeleban]

It seems the world is feeling the weakness of the existing world order and more and more old conflicts are starting to resurface

[Holien]

26 minutes ago, Zeleban said:

seems the world is feeling the weakness of the existing world order and more and more old conflicts are starting to resurface

Perhaps keep your posts focused on the theme of the thread?

[Letter from Prague]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/henry-kissinger-war-criminal-dead-1234804748/

Well, no more insane pro-Russia takes from this guy. I'd have a shot if I didn't have to drive to work in an hour.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Letter from Prague

[Zeleban]

Super emotional appeal of the Ukrainian military to the Ukrainian people. In this address, he reproaches the Ukrainian people for completely forgetting about the massacres in Bucha and Izyum and that sooner or later these events will repeat again. He's not even going to say anything about power. Since the authorities have already ruined everything that is possible and all hope remains only with the people. Then he says that with such an attitude towards this war of the people as we have now, we will lose this war and the price of this defeat will be the lives of our children. Then he complains that the number of donations for the troops is very small, that soldiers collect for a month or even two months for drones and cars. He also reproaches that everyone in the rear is now concerned with preparing for the New Year holidays and not with the difficult situation at the front. He then states that at the beginning of the war we were indeed a nation, but now we are no longer a nation, we have turned into ordinary cattle. 

As we see, the situation in the rear is beginning to affect the soldiers at the front

[cesmonkey]

https://t.me/operativnoZSU/125510
 

Quote

Tonight there was an explosion on the Baikal-Amur highway, namely in the Severomuy tunnel named after Bessolov, which is located in Buryatia.

In fact, this is the only serious railway connection between the Russian Federation and China. And currently, this route, which Russia uses, including for military supplies, is paralyzed.

According to our sources, the detonation is another successful special operation of the SBU, although the special service does not officially comment on it.

According to our data, 4 explosive devices went off while the freight train was moving. Now the FSB is working on the spot, the railway workers are unsuccessfully trying to minimize the consequences of the SBU special operation.

 

[LongLeftFlank]

CM worthy. Would I had time....

https://nitter.net/Pouletvolant3/status/1729811441664872892#m

Bakhmut (RU source, via GirkinGirkin below)

 

This is DavidD, so season to taste. But I don't disbelieve it either.

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by LongLeftFlank

[Haiduk]

On 11/29/2023 at 6:00 AM, Battlefront.com said:

I have always wondered why the GUR and Moldova don't team up to get Transnistria back under Moldovan control.  I also would be exploring ways to make Kaliningrad a lot less stable for Russia.  The US and Europeans should be all over the latter.  Russia thinks it is perfectly fine to interfere in the internal order of its rivals, so obviously they think this is a fine way to go about international relations.

Steve

As I know from twiterr hints of some people, connecting with SOF/GUR, GUR has been making offers in this direction. More, Transnistria has on own teritory largest ammo dump in Eastern Europe, with huge amount of artillery shells, which can be useful for us. But... Maya Sandu is very causion in this question. She afraids not only engagement with Transnistrian army, which much stronger, than Moldovian, but also pro-Russian revolt inside Moldova itself and economical consequenses from Russian side. Pro-Russian moods still very strong in Moldova. Except this probably Romania (NATO?) is strictly against, because this can involve it into the war and likely Article 5 will not be activated. 

Also Transnistrian ruling mafia clan created here suitable transition hub for contrabandists, having cover among officials in Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Romania and even EU. Transnistria is a hent that lays golden eggs, so for international illegal business and "grey import schemes" is no sense to cook a soup of this hent. 

One more reason, why Transnistria not finished yet - are possible hidden debates, about territorial belonging of this region after military intervention. Transnistrians have 3-5 citizenships each. Here is a coctail of Moldavians, Russians, Ukrainians, but most of them, especially oler generation identify itself as "Soviet people". Historically this land has changed many masters. Some people say "Ukraine doesn't need this Soviet reservation", other say "Ukrainians live there too and recently Transnistria was a part of Soviet Ukraine, but Stalin "gifted" it to Soviet Moldavia, it's logically if the border passes along Dnister, and because we will have losses, liberating this land we have a right to demand at least a part of this territory". So, Transnistrian question is very complicated and will not have quick solution. But if delivering of artillery shells will be foiled, I think Ukraine will return to this question again.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Haiduk

[Astrophel]

37 minutes ago, Haiduk said:

As I know from twiterr hints of some people, connecting with SOF/GUR, GUR has been making offers in this direction. More, Transnistria has on own teritory largest ammo dump in Eastern Europe, with huge amount of artillery shells, which can be useful for us. But... Maya Sandu is very causion in this question. She afraids not only engagement with Transnistrian army, which much stronger, than Moldovian, but also pro-Russian revolt inside Moldova itself and economical consequenses from Russian side. Pro-Russian moods still very strong in Moldova. Except this probably Romania (NATO?) is strictly against, because this can involve it into the war and likely Article 5 will not be activated. 

Also Transnistrian ruling mafia clan created here suitable transition hub for contrabandists, having cover among officials in Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Romania and even EU. Transnistria is a hent that lays golden eggs, so for international illegal business and "grey import schemes" is no sense to cook a soup of this hent. 

One more reason, why Transnistria not finished yet - are possible hidden debates, about territorial belonging of this region after military intervention. Transnistrians have 3-5 citizenships each. Here is a coctail of Moldavians, Russians, Ukrainians, but most of them, especially oler generation identify itself as "Soviet people". Historically this land has changed many masters. Some people say "Ukraine doesn't need this Soviet reservation", other say "Ukrainians live there too and recently Transnistria was a part of Soviet Ukraine, but Stalin "gifted" it to Soviet Moldavia, it's logically if the border passes along Dnister, and because we will have losses, liberating this land we have a right to demand at least a part of this territory". So, Transnistrian question is very complicated and will not have quick solution. But if delivering of artillery shells will be foiled, I think Ukraine will return to this question again.

On the day of Kissinger's passing I regret the passivity of the current "CIA" establishment.  The war in Ukraine needs distractions for the russian enemy, and there are several possibilities.

Underlying everything negative is the strength of the "russian" belief in their own righteousness.  This belief sustains the continual attacks in Ukraine, despite appalling losses.  Even Serbia, far removed from front lines, has not concluded that russian society is bankrupt on all indicators.  They keep on keeping on!

My belief is that this is first and foremost an idealogical battle.  When the russians stop believing in their cause the battle is won.  Somehow we are failing to wage this war effectively.  Cluster munitions have made a difference and so will F16, but they are not decisive versus a society with a minefield mentality.

My feeling at the moment is that the priority is to preserve every Ukrainian life.  The future still needs building and we need heroes to be alive and not dead.  To win we need to undermine the russian psychology rather than pick our way through their minefields.  We have the the technology to reach into the mind of every russian.  It is beyond time that we use it

Edited November 30, 2023 by Astrophel

[Haiduk]

3 hours ago, cesmonkey said:

https://t.me/operativnoZSU/125510
 

 

This is not BAM (Baikal-Amur Magistral), but TransSib. BAM never connected Russia and China.

Photos of this tonnel (not related to incident). Reportedly a railway tank car either was set on fire or blew up. According to other information four explosives were set in tonnel and activated, when the train passed through tonnel. Still no confirmation.

 

[Haiduk]

1 minute ago, Astrophel said:

To win we need to undermine the russian psychology

Useless. "We are besiged fortress, sell our lives at higher price!" - this is their credo along centuries. All what it needs - to  suffocate money river, flowing to Russia. Without huge money their beggars will not sign contracts by own will. Putin's regime tries to "cosplay" Stalin's one now, but this is even not near. "For motherland, for Putin, beat up fascists!" this will work on relativelyt small part of population. Take back money from Russian servicmen and you will get 1917 throughout several months.

[zinz]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eus-defence-strategy-needs-include-ukraine-von-der-leyen-says-2023-11-30/

Doesn't sound like Ukraine will be left alone by the EU. Sure there are some individuals like Orban that try to prevent that. But overall the behemoth EU is hard to stop when it is put in motion. Would more military help be great? Of course. But besides the military help all the money for keeping Ukraine a functioning country is not to be underestimated. 

[Beleg85]

28 minutes ago, Haiduk said:

Take back money from Russian servicmen and you will get 1917 throughout several months.

It seems this is exactly scenario Washington tries to avoid in this war, fearing instability in Mordor.

 

Lately it seems campaign started in Russia in presidential "elections", planned on March 2024. Putin is active again with more frequent speeches.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/putin-accuses-west-dismember-plunder-russia-ranting-speech-105213082

You can go here to read the transcript: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts

Overall nothing new, except tone openly admitting Ukraine is not the state is now official version (how that overlaps with dozens of tsar's own signatures under treatises with UA is anybody's guess). Every country that was once part of USSR should go back to Motherland; supposedly also Baltics; he doesn't even walks on tips around CEE anymore.

Russian elections naturally are formality, but nonetheless may influence dynamics on the ground significantly. For some reason Putin always treated them like serious popular plebiscite, which is strange given his goons massively manipulate ballots in the same time.

[Zeleban]

Okay, that's enough bad news for today.

A few memories of the battles for Sil station (in the Soledar area), which took place last winter from the company commander:

We fall out of the armored personnel carrier at the burnt-out train station. In the background, the fading sounds of battle. A shootout is going on in the distance. However, this is a constant phenomenon. The main thing is that it is quiet here and now, although the first thought was why was there such a hurry?. I place people on the sides of the station and start unloading property. We are making ammunition storage at the station. Everyone bustles about like ants in the dark. We open the zincs with ammunition in the boxes and slam them back. I call the commander of the 1st platoon:

"The cavalry has arrived."

He is genuinely happy. We are waiting for the guide. When he comes, I go with the first group. At first, we move to their resting point. This is a heated house. I tell my guys it's not for us. Novoselovka has set the bar for shelling, so go to the basement in the neighboring yard. No one is against it. When the village disappears before your eyes, it makes you cautious. Next, we move to point A. This is just a house on a hill. I ask where your positions are. They say that they shot from around the corner. The guys were in character (without equipped positions). I respect that, but war is an art. And art dictates its own rules. The basement can accommodate only up to 6 people, and I brought a dozen more of my own to their group. Shyba's body lies nearby. He was a cool guy. Unlucky. A crazy bullet flew under the bulletproof vest. I say get out of here, we'll just take over your position, and you leave. It makes no sense to gather in one place. I bring the second group to the other end of the village to point B. It turns out such a concave letter v. Quickly realizing that at -15 all we can do is break the ground, I make a request - we need crowbars. The necessary tools are brought by armored personnel carriers who came in the morning to pick up the boys from the 1st platoon.

Next to point B, I find a subdivision in one house. It turns out that I have extra eyes for the north. Cool. I do everything according to the old classics - at each position I assign points for fighters with overlapping sectors of fire. We knock out embrasures with crowbars, making small loopholes. We mask all this and go to the basements. Observers remain at the top. The idea is simple - the battle begins, and our forces are deployed. We have already done this, nothing new.

Around 8 in the morning, Johnny asks if it's not our guys sitting in the nearby forest strip, which is 450m away. I take binoculars - they are enemies. they are walking in droves - 5 men loaded with ammunition. I say drag PKM. Johnny takes the PKM and plans to shoot while standing. I say, take the binoculars and adjust my fire, now I'll show you how we'll work.We open a part of the iron gate and from the middle of the yard, lying down and recovering. Rear sight - 5. I aim below the knee. I start working by cutting the first two. Then he adjusts and I fill the rest with lead. It seems that the bastards, having been kicked at night, when attacking the front, changed the vector of the attack.

Half an hour later, the second group comes out in exactly the same way. I command Murasi to work, Johnny corrects his shooting. These enemies are smarter and some of them lie down. At this time, a fierce wind blows and fragments of phrases fly to us. A couple of shots from the GP-25 did not give results.I transfer the coordinates and call AGS. And I give the command to Jackson to hit there with an RPG. Even he doesn't hit. AGS begins to fall and does not give results. A mortar is connected with the same negative result. I am reporting that all this does not make sense now. ****ing Dombasian wind. A drone hovers over our position on the edge of the village. Jackson sees him and tries to shoot him down, I can't see him but I have a ****ing gun with an eotec. I give him my weapon and he shoots down the drone. The bastards are offended by this fact and they start shooting off-target with the SPG in the area where the drone is hovering.

I left Murahu as senior on point, Jackson and I go looking for a drone. The passage to the garden where he fell is blocked by a wooden fence. We simply break through the bottom of the fence and begin to crawl under the fence, and a grandmother who came out of a half-destroyed house looks at us:

"- We apologize for the fence, we need to pass quickly."

"- It's okay, my son. it's OK."

And the grandmother disappears in the ruins. In the background, the SPG continues to fire.

Muraha makes a report - the bastards are crawling in the grass and are already in the trees, little by little accumulating in the forest. Okay. I have an ace up my sleeve. I'm going to call the ATGM crew. These boys are 20 years old. They've been dragging this **** for more than six months and haven't fired a single shot. We go to the hill and shoot. Three birches are a good reference point. Tom lays a rocket right into a bunch of bastards. At least that's what those who stood at point A say. For a while, the bastards' activity subsides. Jackson at the point says that shooting ATGM at infantry is cool, but it will be difficult for the guys to write off a missile for such a target. Hmm, okay, what won't you do for a chance to kick some bastards' ***. I shout into the radio, “We have detected SPG. Working with ATGM" and they answer "Where's the SPG? - We suppressed him" We are laughing, but we have done our job.

The drone was not found, but that part of the village was scouted normally.

In general, three of our platoons occupied this part of Soledar, nicknamed "Sil". I initiate a meeting of platoon coms at the railway station + I take the guys for additional ammunition. We begin to drag the ammunition to point C. Having met with the Marker and the Archaeologist, we establish interaction. Marker's platoon is scattered between points D and E, the Archeologist holds the northern edge of the village behind the railroad and is a reserve. 

The radio is transmitted to point D. Get ready - the bastards have accumulated a lot, an attack is possible. The SPG continues to fire aimlessly, and since it was possible to try to sneak into the village from the forest strip due to the height difference, I take Jurist's PKM crew from point C and a couple of infantrymen and place an ambush at point G. After an hour or a half at point D, the battle begins.

About an hour later, I hear the bastards in the D1 area on the radio. District D itself was a cluster of three-story buildings and an adjacent depot. D1 is the nearest house to the road along which we carry our ammunition to the position. This is my logistics sleeve. Don't think that this situation will go away by itself. It is clear that when the boys from point D are destroyed, I will be next. I'm gathering a team to attack, a little bit from each point. I and 4 other soldiers sneak up to the depot, they shoot at us a little, but that's okay. Assessed the situation, called the Jurist's crew. I organize classics with maneuver and fire groups. I sat a little longer thinking no, we are too small for such an attack. I also invite the Archaeologist's group. He rolls with another five. We begin the attack on the depot. We are going slowly, clearing the territory. In the course of this, a projectile flies from the tank into the roof of the depot. The depot is collapsing in places, but in general remains standing. Archaeologist attacks and slowly clears building D1. We go beyond the depot and see movement in the house. I'm calling the guys from point D - whose house is D2? This is the house of bastards. Calling Leo, let's hit right away with our coolest thing - a trophy thermobaric shot. "Boss, where should I shoot" he says without fuss. Shoot there, at the window on the second floor. It's a stupid question, and that's where this hellish thing flies. Jackson then fires two more RPG shells into it and one of them launches Leo. I report - 4 charges were fired. Bastards suppressed? You guys hit right on us. ****. A cold breeze ran down my back. Are you alive? So. I say, you idiots, you didn't name the right point. As it turned out, they looked out and went to the neighboring room. Thank God. 

We break into the building. The Archeologist's group breaks through next. Everyone has ice from the water at that moment. The archaeologist brought a backpack with ammunition. Everyone took care of themselves and licked the ice. I put the soldiers at the entrance, I go upstairs to talk to the senior. A battle rages in the building. Talked with the senior at this point - Doc. He complains that they are shooting from the house opposite. I see that he has two PCM loaded with tracers. So that you understand, tracers were loaded with PKM at the beginning of the war because there were no other 7.62x54 cartridges in the warehouses. I understand that they haven't fired since the ****ing beginning of the war. But this is the rare case when it plays into our hands. I suggest he set this house on fire. I run into the next room and start shooting at the next building. The calculation is simple - it will not be possible to shoot from a burning house. PKM jams, I pass it to Jackson, he throws me the second one and I continue. Then I take the first again and continue firing. Soon, the entire third floor begins to burn. The shooting stops from there. Okay, it got easier. I leaned out the front window. I slip on the move and the ceiling breaks through where I was supposed to stand. Lucky There is no reason to hang around. We start throwing grenades from above. Talked to Doc. He asks to attack D3's house as well. We sneak up and start shooting. Jurist starts shooting with PKM while standing. I'm already starting to go crazy. I throw my rifle at him, pick up the PKM. I scream at him what the hell. I lie down and start shooting lying down. I'm sorry, but I think standing shooting sucks and I just went crazy at that moment from the intensity of the battle. Then I tell him to continue. We shoot all the upper floors methodically. Silence. We turn back, the D4 house is on fire. I post two soldiers at the corner of the house to control the entrance to the entrances. All this time the battle continues. Muraha with Johny at point A shoot almost non-stop. During all this, a projectile from our artillery arrives at point A. Muraha was so badly contused that he walks a couple of meters and falls, and Foma, who was covering him with the RPK, is covered with a brick. Before this event, I heard on the radio: "Now, we will strike." I tell them, you hit my boys. They answer - we did not shoot. Of course, damn it. Muraha refuses to evacuate.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Zeleban

[Zeleban]

A map is attached to the description of the battle, but I can't post its version with a translation. Therefore, the spontaneous translation is indicated on this map:

вокзал - station;

депо - depot;

наші контратаки - our counterattacks;

атака бтр - APC attack;

Д - point D;

Г - point G;

А,С, В - corresponding points;

атака птуром - ATGM attack;

зона вогню пкмом - PKM firing zone;

Атака на 1 взвод - Attack on 1 platoon;

Переміщення підарів - Relocation of bastards;

[Zeleban]

there is also a video for this story:

Video 1 - Jackson and I relax while searching for a drone.

Video 2 - Mom, I love Bambas

Video 3 - ATGM attack

Video 4 - relaxing on D2

Edited November 30, 2023 by Zeleban

[billbindc]

1 hour ago, Astrophel said:

On the day of Kissinger's passing I regret the passivity of the current "CIA" establishment.  The war in Ukraine needs distractions for the russian enemy, and there are several possibilities.

Underlying everything negative is the strength of the "russian" belief in their own righteousness.  This belief sustains the continual attacks in Ukraine, despite appalling losses.  Even Serbia, far removed from front lines, has not concluded that russian society is bankrupt on all indicators.  They keep on keeping on!

My belief is that this is first and foremost an idealogical battle.  When the russians stop believing in their cause the battle is won.  Somehow we are failing to wage this war effectively.  Cluster munitions have made a difference and so will F16, but they are not decisive versus a society with a minefield mentality.

My feeling at the moment is that the priority is to preserve every Ukrainian life.  The future still needs building and we need heroes to be alive and not dead.  To win we need to undermine the russian psychology rather than pick our way through their minefields.  We have the the technology to reach into the mind of every russian.  It is beyond time that we use it

Don't regret Kissinger's passing. He was of the realist school and did not hesitate to endorse a breakup of Ukraine and it's consignment into a Russian sphere of influence. He only changed his tune when it became untenable in the face of the unified disgust of the foreign policy establishment in DC. Being Henry Kissinger in the end was a business and Kissinger Associates takes money from everybody. 

I would also disagree that US intelligence agencies are being passive at all but that's not something we will understand fully for a decade or more. We do know right now that Putin certainly wouldn't agree with that depiction.