Россия invades Україна | UPDATE (20 Apr 2024) - US House passes military aid bill for Ukraine

[CitizenVectron]

 

[CitizenVectron]

 

[CitizenVectron]

 

[CitizenVectron]

Good interview with a Ukrainian soldier.

 

 

 

[Jason]

Russian state TV comforts viewers on nuclear war: "We all die someday"

WWW.NEWSWEEK.COM

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"But we will go to heaven, while they will simply croak."

 

[PaladinSolo]

4 hours ago, Jason said:

Russian state TV comforts viewers on nuclear war: "We all die someday"

WWW.NEWSWEEK.COM

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"But we will go to heaven, while they will simply croak."

 

Rejoice at Atom's coming!

[PaladinSolo]

 

[PaladinSolo]

Ukraine is camping.

[Air_Delivery]

The Chechens are the Ben Simmons of the Russian military.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

ISW analysis for 27 April 2022:

 

 

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 27 | Institute for the Study of War

WWW.UNDERSTANDINGWAR.ORG

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Russian forces made minor but steady advances both from Izyum and in continued assaults along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine on April 27. Russian forces took several small towns directly west of Izyum in the past 24 hours. While this line of

 

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Russian forces made minor but steady advances both from Izyum and in continued assaults along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine on April 27. Russian forces took several small towns directly west of Izyum in the past 24 hours. While this line of advance takes Russian forces away from their main objective of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, they likely intend to outflank Ukrainian defensive positions on the highways to Barvinkove and Slovyansk. Russian forces made several small advances in eastern Ukraine; Russia’s increasing concentration of artillery assets is likely enabling these tactical advances. Russian forces are advancing methodically in several sectors but have achieved no notable breakthroughs. The capability of Russian forces to encircle large groups of Ukrainian forces remains in doubt.

 

The Kremlin continued to prepare for a likely false-flag missile attack against the Moldovan territory of Transnistria, which is illegally occupied by Russian forces. Russian proxies in Transnistria falsely claimed Ukrainian forces are preparing to attack Transnistria, and Ukrainian intelligence reported Russian forces are preparing to conduct a missile strike on Transnistria and blame Ukraine. Russian and Transnistrian forces also increased their readiness for possible operations in the last 24 hours. Russia may intend to involve Transnistria in the war in Ukraine to utilize Transnistria’s (limited) reserve forces or to launch attacks and shell Ukraine from Transnistrian territory. The Kremlin may alternatively seek to destabilize Moldova itself to raise tensions in Moldova and neighboring Romania and put additional pressure on NATO, possibly seeking to reduce Western military support to Ukraine either by diverting NATO forces to Romania or threatening a wider escalation.

 

Russian forces are stepping up “filtration measures” in occupied territories and abducting Ukrainian citizens, likely for use in future prisoner exchanges. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported on April 27 that Russian forces are conducting large-scale “filtration measures” in Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk Oblasts.[1]. The “filtration” targets men of military age, former military and law enforcement personnel, and pro-Ukrainian activists for interrogation, torture, and possible execution. The GUR reported Russian forces are additionally shipping Ukrainian hostages to Crimea to “replenish the exchange fund,” seeking to exchange Ukrainian civilians for Russian military prisoners in future prisoner swaps. The GUR additionally speculated that Russian forces may be preparing to use Ukrainian civilians to portray Prisoners of War in May 9th Victory Day celebrations, noting that Russian forces conducted similar propaganda efforts in Donetsk in 2014.

 

Ukrainian forces likely conducted drone or possibly missile strikes on Russian logistics centers in Belgorod and Voronezh on April 27. Russian sources and social media reported multiple explosions early on April 27, which Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mikhail Podolyak later euphemistically confirmed were Ukrainian strikes, stating Russian cities cannot “sit out” the invasion of Ukraine and “the disarmament of the Belgorod-Voronezh warehouses is a natural process.”[2] Ukrainian forces will likely conduct further cross-border strikes to disrupt Russian logistics, which the Kremlin will likely falsely frame as an escalation or somehow a war crime.

 

Key Takeaways

• Concentrated artillery is likely enabling limited Russian advances in eastern Ukraine, though Russian forces continue to struggle to break through prepared Ukrainian defenses.
• Russian forces funneled additional reinforcements and tactical missile units into the Izyum front and made minor advances. Russian forces are likely attempting to bypass Ukrainian forces on the road to Barvinkove by advancing directly west before pivoting southwards in the coming days.
• Heavy Russian bombardment and continued assaults failed to make headway against Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol’s Azovstal plant, even as Russian forces reportedly prepared to stage a press tour in the occupied areas of the city on April 28.
• Russian forces around Kherson are likely preparing for a renewed push to capture the entirety of Kherson Oblast in the coming days but Ukrainian counterattacks continue to disrupt Russian operations in the area.
• Russian occupation forces continued preparations to announce the creation of a Russian proxy “Kherson People’s Republic” (KNR) amid widespread Ukrainian resistance.
• The Kremlin may be preparing to either bring Transnistria into the war in Ukraine or destabilize Moldova itself to put additional pressure on NATO.

 

 

 

[CitizenVectron]

Ukraine took out a rail bridge in the south that the Russians were using to transport gear/supplies from Crimea to the south and east:

 

 

[CitizenVectron]

 

 

That's a lot of money.

[CitizenVectron]

 

[CitizenVectron]

Mass kidnapping and human trafficking:

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

The Russians hit Kyiv with a couple of cruise missiles while the UN Secretary-General was in the city.

[Link200]

9 hours ago, CitizenVectron said:

 

 

That's a lot of money.

Gotta use large numbers to get GOPers to give you what you want. My guess is Biden/Zelenskey expect to get far less once the GOP get their hands onto the legislation.

[Anathema-]

6 hours ago, CitizenVectron said:

Mass kidnapping and human trafficking:

 

 

 

That's genocide. 

 

[CitizenVectron]

Footage today of Russia taking food and grain from storage in southern Ukraine and shipping it out by truck to Russia. They did the same thing in the 1930s during the Holodomyr, killing millions in Ukraine. They are likely going to try it again to starve out the south and eastern regions they control.

[CitizenVectron]

 

tl;dr:

 

Ukraine is fighting for as long as possible in an area, then slowly pulling back, over and over, extracting maximum damage on Russians. It's expected that this will stop in a key urban area that Ukraine is preparing to hold even more strongly than Mariupol.

Russia doesn't have the resources to take that area, and Ukraine is mostly stalling for time until their hundreds of thousands of new troops are fully trained (which started at the beginning of the war), allowing for a counter-offensive.

[CitizenVectron]

More than I expected.

 

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Jomini of the West's "intelligence briefing" for Days 58-64:

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

ISW analysis for 28 April 2022:

 

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 28 | Institute for the Study of War

WWW.UNDERSTANDINGWAR.ORG

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Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine made minor advances on April 28. Russian forces attacking southwest from Izyum likely seek to bypass Ukrainian defenses on the direct road to Slovyansk. Russian forces continued shelling and minor attacks

 

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Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine made minor advances on April 28. Russian forces attacking southwest from Izyum likely seek to bypass Ukrainian defenses on the direct road to Slovyansk. Russian forces continued shelling and minor attacks along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine but did not secure any gains in the past 24 hours. Additional Russian reinforcements continue to deploy to Belgorod to support the Izyum advance. Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol’s Azovstal Steel Plant continue to hold out against heavy Russian artillery and aerial bombardment, including the likely use of multi-ton “bunker-buster” bombs against a Ukrainian field hospital.

 

Ukrainian news outlet Defense Express reported on April 27 that Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov will take personal command of the Russian offensive in the Izyum direction.[1] Citing unspecified Ukrainian military sources, Defense Express stated that Gerasimov is already in-theater and will command the offensive “at the operational and tactical level” and claimed the Russian military failed to create a single command structure under Southern Military District Commander Alexander Dvornikov. ISW cannot independently confirm this report. However, ISW previously assessed that Dvornikov’s appointment as overall commander in Ukraine would not solve Russia’s command and control challenges and likely strain his span of control.[2] If confirmed, the appointment of Russia’s senior general officer to command tactical operations indicates both the importance of the Izyum drive to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the breakdown in the Russian military’s normal chain of command.

 

Key Takeaways

• Russian strategic bombers likely targeted a Ukrainian field hospital in the Azovstal Steel Plant. The remaining Ukrainian defenders are likely running low on supplies.
• Russian attacks southwest of Izyum likely seek to outflank Ukrainian defenses on the direct road to Slovyansk and have made tactical gains in the last 24 hours.
• Russian forces continued tactical ground attacks and shelling along the entire line of contact in eastern Ukraine but did not secure any major advances.
• Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Head Denis Pushilin stated that the DNR will postpone local Victory Day celebrations planned for May 9 until “the complete victory and the expansion of the DNR" to control Donetsk Oblast, though the Kremlin remains likely to attempt to claim some sort of victory on May 9.
• Russian forces conducted several locally successful attacks from Kherson toward Mykolaiv.
• Russian and proxy forces continued to mobilize in Transnistria and set conditions for a false flag attack.

 

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Ukraine launches hunt for Russian soldiers accused of Bucha war crimes

WWW.BBC.COM

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The 10 Russian soldiers are wanted for alleged war crimes - but at home, they have been hailed as heroes.

 

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Ukraine has launched a hunt for 10 Russian soldiers accused of war crimes in Bucha - the town outside of the capital Kyiv where civilians were tortured, raped and murdered.

 

The Ministry of Defence - which shared pictures of the soldiers - described them as "the despicable 10".

 

Prosecutors say they are being investigated for "premeditated murder".

 

They are also accused of holding innocent civilians hostage, beating them and looting homes.

 

 

[Chris-]

15 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Ukraine launches hunt for Russian soldiers accused of Bucha war crimes

WWW.BBC.COM

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The 10 Russian soldiers are wanted for alleged war crimes - but at home, they have been hailed as heroes.

 

 

What’s ‘wrath of god’ in Ukrainian?

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

2 minutes ago, Chris- said:

What’s ‘wrath of fox’ in Ukrainian?

 

I'm afraid I don't know that specific reference.

 

Do you mean Operation Wrath of God?

[Chris-]

Just now, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

I'm afraid I don't know that specific reference.

 

Do you mean Operation Wrath of God?

Autocorrect did me dirty. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Take this with a mountain-sized grain of salt, but there is a report today from a Ukrainian source that the Chechens and the Buryats (a Mongolian people from Siberia) got into a firefight with each other over sharing the spoils of war (aka, "looted goods").

[Jwheel86]

 

[CitizenVectron]

52 minutes ago, Jwheel86 said:

 

 

Yeah, and those leaders were typically already experienced tactical commanders. Like, if Major Winters in late-WWII had to swoop in and take command of a platoon or company, or something, then I'd be like, yeah, that could work. A man who has avoided combat his whole life, and has purged the experienced military leaders around him? No.

[CitizenVectron]

Incredible video of the outside and inside of an air defense battery taking out a Russian jet. Really interesting to see the screen zoom in and watch the missile track the evading aircraft, and then hit.

 

 

 

 

[CitizenVectron]

Slovakia may be giving all of their MiGs to Ukraine in exchange for Polish air patrols:

 

 

 

Crazy to see the nations of central and eastern Europe working together like this.

[Kal-El814]

1 hour ago, CitizenVectron said:

Yeah, and those leaders were typically already experienced tactical commanders. Like, if Major Winters in late-WWII had to swoop in and take command of a platoon or company, or something, then I'd be like, yeah, that could work. A man who has avoided combat his whole life, and has purged the experienced military leaders around him? No.

 

Maybe his plan is to put polonium in every teacup in Ukraine, or convince every Ukrainian soldier to stand on a balcony and have someone push them off?

[CitizenVectron]

This shit has left the surface:

 

 

Probably propaganda for May 9, but still

[CitizenVectron]

Hmm for some reason Russia is missing a bunch of their best gear.

 

 

 

[Uaarkson]

1 hour ago, CitizenVectron said:

Slovakia may be giving all of their MiGs to Ukraine in exchange for Polish air patrols:

 

 

 

Crazy to see the nations of central and eastern Europe working together like this.

It would be nice to know what nations they’re talking about without having to google a bunch of fucking flags