ALERT RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread

Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
jward said:
hmm.

Ragıp Soylu
@ragipsoylu


Erdogan ally Bahçeli says if the pressure to accept Sweden and Finland into NATO becomes unbearable, Turkey must consider leaving NATO. He says Turkey shouldn’t approve their bid until they take steps on PKK “We haven’t been created by NATO and we won’t disappear without it.
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As my cousin's Southern Grandmother used to say: "Don't let the door hit ya on the way out..."
 
R

raven

TB Fanatic
vector7 said:
SOROS: “The best and perhaps only way to preserve our civilization is to defeat Putin as soon as possible”

This is a bizarre time to be alive.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529161178252967936
View: https://twitter.com/w3sst3r/status/1529161178252967936?t=L9RKovGz9uYfIu7xr44hMQ&s=19

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529153262733168641
View: https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1529153262733168641?t=VCCBm9hMAKRM51pWoIoXPQ&s=19
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A man can become a woman simply by declaring it.
A woman can become a man simply by declaring it.
Our borders are open to every manner of beast without question.
The currency is worthless.
The law is an infinite shade of gray.

There is no civilization to preserve.
Open society is not civilization.
 
WTSR

WTSR

Veteran Member
t.me

Intel Slava Z

Epic shots of artillery preparation before the attack on Krasny Liman. The grouping of the Brave continues to drive the enemy out of the city.
t.me t.me

Massive rocket and Artillery in Ukraine.
 
wait-n-see

wait-n-see

Veteran Member
and then we now see this from the western MSM ....

Air Force Times - Russian troops plunge through Ukraine lines in Donbas as fighting enters decisive week

Neil Hauer
Tue, May 24, 2022, 12:55 PM


SOLEDAR, Ukraine — A month into Russia’s Donbas offensive, Moscow’s troops were still searching for a breakthrough. That may have finally arrived.

On May 18, Russian forces broke through Ukrainian lines west of the town of Popasna. Russia massed units there after capturing the town on May 8, preparing for a larger assault to drive into the open terrain to the west. Their primary objective appears to be cutting the highway leading from Bakhmut to the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, the last remaining Ukrainian outposts in Luhansk Oblast and the scene of fierce urban fighting for weeks.
The situation on the ground indicates they are close to achieving this goal and the coming week will be pivotal.

As recently as Friday, the Pentagon still believed Russian successes have been limited, with small towns and villages changing hands every day in the Donbas.
“The Russians are still well behind where we believe they wanted to be when they started this revitalized effort in the eastern part of the country,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters.

But the feeling of approaching war was evident on the outskirts of Bakhmut on May 20. On the city’s northern approaches, checkpoints had recently been strengthened, and additional ones set up. Soldiers at the post guarding the road heading north tell travelers that they may cross, but their safety cannot be guaranteed.

This point is immediately driven home by the van slowly trundling up to the checkpoint from the north. It is barely moving: one of the front tires is flat, and two others have been completely shredded away, leaving the vehicle driving on rims. More concerning are the bullet holes across the van’s windshield and left side, indicative of having taken Russian small arms fire somewhere up ahead.

The town of Soledar, some seven kilometers north of Bakhmut, is nearly a frontline at this point. A press officer for Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, fighting in the area, confirms that Russian forces are less than five kilometers from the town, and the road. On the outskirts of Soledar, the Knauf plant, a massive housing materials factory, has been hit by an airstrike and lies half-destroyed. Any further up the road, survival is pure luck: a point illustrated grippingly by a video from an AFP photographer on May 23, as he and his team are forced to abandon their vehicle and wait for shelling hitting perhaps 100 meters away to cease before continuing on.

Those few travelers who do make it down the road in one piece are visibly traumatized by the experience.

Back at the Bakhmut north checkpoint, one car pulls up, a white Lada full of civilians who have just braved the highway. The woman in the front seat is near-hysterical, shrieking at the soldier nearest her, who tries ineffectually to calm her with words of, “don’t worry, you’re safe here now.”

A conversation reveals they have just left the town of Zolote, now nearly surrounded by recent Russian advances to the northeast.

Other soldiers at the checkpoint also admit the momentum is on the enemy’s side.

“The situation is difficult,” says Artyom, a soldier standing guard. “The shelling is very close now. We are preparing now in Bakhmut,” he says.

Those preparations are visible. Between Bakhmut and the town of Konstantinivka to the west, new trenches and earthworks are being established. Near the northern outskirts of Bakhmut, concentrations of Ukrainian armor are hidden in the tree line: tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and self-propelled howitzers.

The road itself is a no man’s land. A few Ukrainian military vehicles still use it: a T-64 main battle tank rumbles slowly along just ahead, the lack of any soldiers sitting on its chassis (as is commonly seen these days) another indication that the section up ahead is an active combat zone. The road is broken up by the craters of fresh shellfire — soldiers at the checkpoint confirm that the road is now under direct Russian artillery fire.
This section of the road is still flanked by trees, providing at least some cover. A few kilometers further, the trees break, leaving nothing but open fields in either direction. Artillery fire, always audible, is now much closer.

That does not bode well for the fate of those outposts further north. With Russian forces advancing to cut the main supply line to Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, Ukrainian troops are now forced to rely on a single alternate route that crosses further to the west.

Any further Russian advances might make it necessary to abandon the two Luhansk cities entirely, lest the experienced and valuable forces there be cut off.

In the meantime, Russia continues to press its offensive all across the Donbas. This week will be a decisive one for Ukraine’s prospects of holding the region — and Russia’s chances of seizing it.

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said in recent days that his country’s goal is to reclaim Crimea and eastern territories seized by Russia in 2014. But it remains unclear if the Ukrainians — even when armed with new U.S. artillery tubes and other Western weapons — can achieve such a position and avoid a diplomatic settlement.

Senior U.S. military officials said Monday that the end-state of the war will have to be defined by the Ukrainians.

“Our effort is to do everything that we can to strengthen Ukraine’s hands on the battlefield, and also at the negotiation table,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Pentagon reporters. “We’re going to stick with doing everything we can to make sure that they achieve their objectives. At the end of the day, you know, what this looks like, what the end state looks like, will be defined by the Ukrainians, and not by us.”
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Posted for fair use.....

Institute for the Study of War

Russian forces have likely abandoned efforts to complete a single large encirclement of Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine and are instead attempting to secure smaller encirclements—enabling them to make incremental measured gains. Russian forces are l
www.understandingwar.org www.understandingwar.org

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, MAY 24
May 24, 2022 - Press ISW
ISW%20LOGO%20FINAL%20ACRONYM%20%20%20NAME_ISW%20LOGO%20FINAL%20ACRONYM%20NAME%20CMYK_435.png


Kateryna Stepanenko, Karolina Hird, and Mason Clark
May 24, 7:00 pm ET​
Russian forces have likely abandoned efforts to complete a single large encirclement of Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine and are instead attempting to secure smaller encirclements—enabling them to make incremental measured gains. Russian forces are likely attempting to achieve several simultaneous encirclements of small pockets of Ukrainian forces in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts: the broader Severodonetsk area (including Rubizhne and Lysychansk), Bakhmut-Lysychansk, around Zolote (just northeast of Popasna), and around Ukrainian fortifications in Avdiivka. Russian forces have begun steadily advancing efforts in these different encirclements daily but have not achieved any major “breakthroughs” or made major progress towards their stated objectives of securing the Donetsk Oblast borders or seizing all of Donbas. Luhansk Oblast Administration Head Serhiy Haidai reported that Ukrainian forces only controlled approximately 10 percent of Luhansk Oblast as of May 15 (compared to 30 percent prior to the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022).[1] Russian forces have secured more terrain in the past week than efforts earlier in May. However, they have done so by reducing the scope of their objectives—largely abandoning operations around Izyum and concentrating on key frontline towns: Russian performance remains poor.
Russian forces will additionally likely face protracted urban combat if they successfully encircle Severodonetsk (as well as in other large towns like Bakhmut), which Russian forces have struggled with throughout the war. Russian forces are committing a significant number of their troops, artillery, and aircraft to defeat Ukrainian defenders in Luhansk Oblast and are likely pulling necessary resources from the Izyum axis, defensive positions around Kharkiv City, Donetsk City, and the Zaporizhia area. Luhansk Oblast Administration Head Serhiy Haidai has previously compared Ukrainian forces in Luhansk Oblast to the previous defenders of Mariupol, which aimed to wear out Russian forces and prevent further offensive operations.[2] The UK Defense Ministry also noted that a Russian victory over Severodonetsk will only worsen Russian logistical issues and extend Russian ground lines of communication (GLOCs).[3] Russian forces are making greater advances in the past week than throughout the rest of May—but these advances remain slow, confined to smaller objectives than the Kremlin intended, and face continued Ukrainian defenses; they do not constitute a major breakthrough.
Senior Kremlin officials are increasingly openly admitting that the Russian offensive in Ukraine is moving slower than anticipated and are grasping for explanations to justify the slow pace. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu claimed that Russian operations in Ukraine are progressing slowly because Russian forces want to afford civilians the opportunity to evacuate, though Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian civilians throughout the war and repeatedly denied Ukrainian attempts to negotiate humanitarian evacuation corridors.[4] Shoigu’s statement is notably his first admission that Russian forces are behind schedule and is the first official statement on the pace of the war since Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that the operation was “dragging” on May 4.[5] Russian milbloggers are criticizing Shoigu’s claimed consideration for civilians and claimed that Soviet troops would not have cared if “Nazi” civilians evacuated, part of the growing Russian nationalist reaction that the Kremlin is not doing enough to win the war in Ukraine.[6] Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin stated that the ultimate goal of the Russian offensive is to ensure “Nazism” is “100% eradicated, or it will rear its head in a few years, and in an even uglier form.”[7] Naryshkin and Shoigu’s statements indicate that Russian officials are likely setting conditions for a protracted war in Ukraine in order to justify slower and more measured advances than initially anticipated.
Forcefully mobilized servicemen from the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics continued to protest the Russian and proxy military command. Servicemen of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the 105th Infantry Regiment from the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) recorded a video appeal to DNR Head Denis Pushilin wherein they claimed they were mobilized on February 23 and that they have been forced to actively participate in hostilities despite their lack of military experience. The battalion stated that they served on the frontlines in Mariupol and have been redeployed to the territory of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) with only 60% of their original personnel and are now dealing with severe morale issues and physical exhaustion. The battalion notably claimed that the servicemen did not go through routine medical inspection prior to service and that many are suffering from chronic illnesses that should have rendered them ineligible for service. The video appeal is consistent with numerous reports from Ukrainian and Western sources that proxy forces are largely forcibly mobilized, poorly trained, and suffering from declining morale, but is notable due to the willingness of the DNR servicemen to publicly express their discontent.[8]
Key Takeaways
  • Russian forces have likely abandoned efforts to encircle large Ukrainian formations in eastern Ukraine and are instead attempting to secure smaller encirclements and focus on Severodonetsk.
  • This change in the Russian approach is enabling gradual advances—but at the cost of abandoning several intended lines of advance and abandoning the Kremlin’s intended deep encirclement of Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine.
  • Ukrainian forces are likely conducting a controlled withdrawal southwest of Popasna near Bakhmut to protect Ukrainian supply lines against Russian offensives in the southeast of Bakhmut.
  • Russian occupation authorities in Mariupol announced that they will hold war crimes trials against Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol in a likely effort to strengthen judicial control of the city and support false Kremlin narratives of Ukrainian crimes.
  • Russian forces are attempting to retake Ternova in northern Kharkiv Oblast and seek to stabilize defensive positions near the Russian border against the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
  • Russian forces are forming reserves and deploying S-400 missile systems in northwest Crimea to reinforce the southern axis.
  • Several DNR servicemen openly released a video appeal to DNR leader Denis Pushilin stating they have been forced into combat operations without proper support, indicating increasing demoralization among Russian and proxy forces.

We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because those activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting. We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas. We utterly condemn these Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict, Geneva Conventions, and humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports.
  • Main effort—Eastern Ukraine (comprised of one subordinate and three supporting efforts);
  • Subordinate main effort—Encirclement of Ukrainian troops in the cauldron between Izyum and Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts
  • Supporting effort 1—Mariupol;
  • Supporting effort 2—Kharkiv City;
  • Supporting effort 3—Southern axis.
Main Effort—Eastern Ukraine
Subordinate Main Effort—Southern Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk Oblasts (Russian objective: Encircle Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine and capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas)
Russian forces did not launch offensive operations south of Izyum on May 24 but continued to reconnoiter Ukrainian positions in the region.[9] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces are likely preparing to resume an offensive toward Slovyansk and deployed additional artillery units to southern neighborhoods of Izyum.[10] Izyum City Council Deputy Maxim Strelnik claimed that over 20,000 Russian personnel in what he reported are 25 battalion tactical groups (BTGs) are preparing to resume a large encirclement of Ukrainian troops from the north.[11] ISW cannot independently confirm these Russian troop numbers or their unit structure, and Strelnik may be referencing a Ukrainian General Staff report from April 22 that twenty-five Russian BTGs were operating around Izyum.[12] The Russian units around Izyum are likely heavily degraded and it is highly unlikely Russia is operating twenty-five full strength BTGs (at 800-900 personnel per BTG, this would be 20,000-22,500 personnel in total). Many Russian personnel on this axis are likely in rear areas or not combat effective. Moreover, poor Russian tactics largely nullify the weight of numbers on this front, as Russian forces remain confined to launching narrow attacks down major roads that often do not employ more than a single BTG—at most—at a time.

Russian forces continued to prioritize attacks against Lyman rather than Slovyansk on May 24, likely to support a shallow encirclement of Ukrainian troops northwest of Severodonetsk. Pro-Russian military Telegram channels also noted that Russian and proxy forces have adopted a new strategy abandoning attacks toward Slovyansk and Barvinkove in favor of the Battle for Severodonetsk.[13] ISW previously forecasted that Russian forces would scale down their initial objectives of reaching the Donetsk Oblast border in favor of securing the Luhansk Oblast borders.[14] Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Head Denis Pushilin announced that Russian forces began an assault on Lyman but claimed to have only seized the northern half of the settlement.[15] ISW cannot independently confirm Pushilin’s claims. Geolocated social media videos showed that Russian forces heavily bombarded Lyman on May 23, likely in preparation for an assault on the town.
Russian forces launched ground assaults on settlements approximately 20 km southwest of Severodonetsk, but have not reached the city.[16] The UK Defense Ministry noted that Russian advances towards Severodonetsk from Rubizhne and advances from the southwest remain separated by approximately 25 km, and Russian forces may be able to encircle Severodonetsk in the coming days.[17] Russian forces will likely struggle to capture the city itself, however, and Russian assaults on major urban terrain have been unable to quickly take ground throughout the war.

Continued.....
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Continued.....

Ukrainian forces likely conducted a controlled withdrawal southwest of Popasna to defend Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) in Bakhmut against Russian offensives. Russian forces seized Svitlodarsk, approximately 21 km southwest of Popasna, after Ukrainian forces retreated and damaged a bridge and dam over the Myronivskyi Reservoir on May 23.[18] Ukrainian forces previously targeted the reservoir on May 14, likely in preparation for a gradual withdrawal from the area.[19] Russian forces continued to advance just northeast and east of Popasna, with social media footage showing the arrival of reinforcements to support the push toward the Lysychansk and Bakhmut highways.[20] DNR sources also claimed that Russian forces are attempting a shallow encirclement of weakening Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka, but ISW cannot confirm these claims.[21]

Supporting Effort #1—Mariupol (Russian objective: Capture Mariupol and reduce the Ukrainian defenders)
Russian and proxy forces continued to “restore” Mariupol on May 24. Troops focused on demining the ruins of the city, the port, and the sea.[22] Head of the Russian National Defense Control Center Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev claimed on May 24 that Russian forces will open a humanitarian “green corridor” in the Black Sea to allow the safe exit of foreign ships from the Port of Mariupol on May 25.[23]
Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Denis Pushilin stated that the DNR is developing rules and procedures for tribunals in Mariupol to try and punish Ukrainian soldiers for war crimes.[24] Pushilin’s statement notably comes the day after the first Russian soldier was found guilty in a Ukrainian war crimes trial. Mariupol’s occupation administration will likely use such tribunals to enforce their rhetorical agendas and strengthen judicial control over Mariupol and other occupied areas.
Supporting Effort #2—Kharkiv City (Russian objective: Withdraw forces to the north and defend ground lines of communication (GLOCs) to Izyum)
Russian forces continued to focus on maintaining and improving their positions north of Kharkiv City on May 24. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces are conducting ground assaults on the outskirts of Ternova, a village recaptured by Ukrainian forces in early May in the far north of Kharkiv Oblast and 5 km from the international border.[25] A Russian Telegram channel claimed that Russian forces have restored control over the entirety of Ternova, and while this claim cannot be confirmed at this time, it indicates that Russian forces are focusing on retaking control of settlements near the border.[26] Russian troops additionally shelled Kharkiv City and its environs.[27] Sentinel satellite imagery from May 24 notably showed a Russian rear base constructed in Belgorod Oblast in early April within 15 km of the Ukrainian border.[28] Russian forces are likely using this and other rear bases to support operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast and seek to screen them from Ukrainian shelling.

Supporting Effort #3—Southern Axis (Objective: Defend Kherson against Ukrainian counterattacks)
Russian forces continued to reinforce their positions on the Southern Axis but did not make any confirmed advances on May 24.[29] Russian troops are reportedly strengthening their grouping in Vasylivka and Kamyanske (both south of Zaporizhzhia City) in preparation for offensives to the north.[30] The Ukrainian General Staff noted that Russian troops in Crimea are forming reserves and a spokesman for the Odesa Military Administration stated that Russian forces are reportedly deploying S-400 missile systems to northwest Crimea. Russian milblogger Alexander Zhuchkovsky, however, called the situation on the Zaporizhia frontline of the Southern Axis “deplorable,” and indicated that Ukrainian artillery pressure has been effective in slowing Russian troop movements.[31] Zhuchkovsky noted that Zaporizhia Oblast is not a priority for Russian command and much of the Russian grouping in the area is comprised of reservists. His assertion is corroborated by the fact that Russian forces continued to shell Ukrainian positions in Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts on May 24, but did not engage in any active ground attacks.[32]

Continued.....
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Continued.....

Recent Ukrainian partisan actions in Zaporizhia Oblast continue to pressure Russian occupation forces, which are continuing actions to strengthen administrative control of occupied areas.[33] Occupation authorities in Kherson, Berdyansk, and Melitopol stated that both cities will be included in the ruble zone.[34]

Immediate items to watch
  • Russian forces are likely reinforcing their grouping north of Kharkiv City to prevent further advances of the Ukrainian counteroffensive toward the Russian border. Russian forces may commit elements of the 1st Tank Army to Northern Kharkiv in the near future.
  • The Russians will continue efforts to encircle Severodonetsk and Lysychansk at least from the south, possibly by focusing on cutting off the last highway connecting Severodonetsk-Lysychansk with the rest of Ukraine.
  • Russian forces in Mariupol will likely shift their focus to occupational control of the city as the siege of Azovstal has concluded.
  • Russian forces are likely preparing for Ukrainian counteroffensives and settling in for protracted operations in Southern Ukraine.
​
[1] Сергій Гайдай/ Луганська ОДА (ОВА)
[2] Сергій Гайдай/ Луганська ОДА (ОВА)
[3]
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1528965159460425730
View: https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1528965159460425730/photo/1

[4] https://www dot kommersant.ru/doc/5367364
[5] https://www dot kommersant.ru/doc/5340565
[6] Стрелков Игорь Иванович
[7] https://ria dot ru/20220524/spetsoperatsiya-1790331445.html
[8]
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1525762742610804736
View: https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1525762742610804736
; https://www.facebook.com/DefenceIntelligenceofUkraine/posts/311906081120...
https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/314771530835932
View: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/314771530835932
;
https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/323526419960443
View: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/323526419960443

[9]
https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/324283196551432
View: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/324283196551432

[10]
https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/324283196551432
View: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/324283196551432
;
https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/323858359927249
View: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/323858359927249

[11] https://www dot objectiv.tv/objectively/2022/05/24/v-izyume-sosredotocheno-okolo-20-tysyach-rossijskih-voennyh/
[12] https://news dot liga.net/politics/news/rf-styanula-25-btgr-pod-izyum-sem-pod-harkov-i-pytaetsya-idti-na-donbasse-svodka-genshtaba
[13] Стрелков Игорь Иванович
[14] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-ass...
[15] Военный Осведомитель https://www dot interfax.ru/world/842646; Readovka Vоенкор Котенок Z Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война)
[16]
https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/323858359927249
View: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/323858359927249;
Сергій Гайдай/ Луганська ОДА (ОВА) Сергій Гайдай/ Луганська ОДА (ОВА) Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война) https://armyinform dot com.ua/2022/05/24/boyiv-u-syevyerodoneczku-nemaye-misto-pid-povnym-kontrolem-ukrayiny/
[17]
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1528965159460425730
View: https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1528965159460425730/photo/1

[18]
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529104615219798017
View: https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1529104615219798017;
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529103582531883009
View: https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1529103582531883009
;
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529045890694057985
View: https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/status/1529045890694057985
; https://iz dot ru/1339054/2022-05-24/na-zdanii-merii-svetlodarska-podniali-flag-rossii; Политика Страны; https://tass dot ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/14709087; Политика Страны Военный Осведомитель Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война)
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529097948038152193
View: https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1529097948038152193
;
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529094643824091141
View: https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1529094643824091141
;
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1528822549693575170
View: https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1528822549693575170;
https://twitter.com/GuinieZoo_Intel/status/1528625456001556480
[19] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign...
[20] https://twitter.com/Militarylandnet/status/1529008368102297601; https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1529098813364920320; Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война) Log into Facebook
[21] Политика Страны Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война); https://tass dot ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/14712851; https://twitter.com/bamr69/status/1529037655572418560; Стрелков Игорь Иванович
[22] Народная милиция ДНР ; Vоенкор Котенок Z; Поддубный |Z|О|V| edition Readovka Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война) Vоенкор Котенок Z; Vоенкор Котенок Z; Поддубный |Z|О|V| edition
[23] https://riafan dot ru/23454938-rossiya_planiruet_otkrit_koridor_k_chernomu_moryu_iz_mariupolya_25_maya
[24] Военный Осведомитель
[25] Log into Facebook
[26] Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война)
[27] Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война) Log into Facebook; https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1529101263010508801
[28] https://twitter.com/COUPSURE/status/1529068877556199433
[29] Log into Facebook; Log into Facebook
[30] Log into Facebook Запорізька обласна військова адміністрація https://twitter.com/DefMon3/status/1528833764083879947
[31] Александр Жучковский
[32] ⚔️БРАТЧУК Валентин Резніченко/ Дніпропетровська ОДА (ОВА) Валентин Резніченко/ Дніпропетровська ОДА (ОВА) Валентин Резніченко/ Дніпропетровська ОДА (ОВА) Микола Лукашук – голова ДОР https://twitter.com/2022Donetsk1/status/1528811326201647105; Политика Страны Микола Лукашук – голова ДОР; Запорізька обласна військова адміністрація Log into Facebook; Log into Facebook
[33] https://sprotyv dot mod.gov.ua/2022/05/24/u-melitopoli-diyi-partyzaniv-vyklykaly-paniku-v-okupaczijnij-administracziyi/; Поточна оперативна обстановка на півдні України: опівдні 24.05.2022 https://youtu.be/XP5tqY-mbqc Обстановка на лінії зіткнення в Миколаївщині та Херсонщині - стабільно напружена. Ворог облаштовує оборонні рубежі і не намагається рушити вперед. Артилерійсько-мінометний вогонь, яким рашисти накривають наші позиції і мирні населені пункти від низки сіл непідконтрольної нам території лишили самі руїни. Продовжуючи адміністративно-поліцейський терор на окупованих територіях колобаранти від самопроголошеної влади, побоюючись за свою зрадницьку долю, закликають "могутнього брата" розташувати на Херсонщині військову базу рашистів. ⛴️ В корабельному угрупованні, в Чорному морі, змін не відбулось. Під загрозою ракетних ударів з моря Україну тримає 2️⃣ ракетних корабля, підтверджено присутність і десантних. Ситуація на Одещині та, зокрема, у прикордонні - під контролем сил оборони. ☝️Пам'ятаємо, що для забезпечення безпеки і оборони нашого регіону, всієї України, вжито виключних заходів. І від кожного з нас залежить, чи встоїмо ми. Тож давайте триматися, а на пляжах полежимо після... - Оперативне командування "Південь"/Operational Command “South”| By Оперативне командування "Південь"/Operational Command “South”
[34] Политика Страны https://ria dot ru/20220524/kherson-1790295658.html; Политика Страны; Readovka Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война) Поточна оперативна обстановка на півдні України: опівдні 24.05.2022 https://youtu.be/XP5tqY-mbqc Обстановка на лінії зіткнення в Миколаївщині та Херсонщині - стабільно напружена. Ворог облаштовує оборонні рубежі і не намагається рушити вперед. Артилерійсько-мінометний вогонь, яким рашисти накривають наші позиції і мирні населені пункти від низки сіл непідконтрольної нам території лишили самі руїни. Продовжуючи адміністративно-поліцейський терор на окупованих територіях колобаранти від самопроголошеної влади, побоюючись за свою зрадницьку долю, закликають "могутнього брата" розташувати на Херсонщині військову базу рашистів. ⛴️ В корабельному угрупованні, в Чорному морі, змін не відбулось. Під загрозою ракетних ударів з моря Україну тримає 2️⃣ ракетних корабля, підтверджено присутність і десантних. Ситуація на Одещині та, зокрема, у прикордонні - під контролем сил оборони. ☝️Пам'ятаємо, що для забезпечення безпеки і оборони нашого регіону, всієї України, вжито виключних заходів. І від кожного з нас залежить, чи встоїмо ми. Тож давайте триматися, а на пляжах полежимо після... - Оперативне командування "Південь"/Operational Command “South”| By Оперативне командування "Південь"/Operational Command “South”; Сводки ополчения Новороссии Z.O.V. (ДНР, ЛНР, Украина, Война); Бердянск. Официально




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jward

jward

passin' thru
Watch This Switchblade Suicide Drone Attack A Russian Tank In Ukraine
The drone camera footage is among the first recorded instances of an AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munition being employed by Ukrainian forces.


krainian Special Operations Forces have released a video of what is reported to be the U.S.-supplied AeroVironment Switchblade miniature loitering munition striking a Russian T-72B3 main battle tank. Which Switchblade was used to carry out the attack is unclear, and both the status of the tank and the crew currently remains unknown.
In the video, footage recorded by the Switchblade's handheld control unit shows the Russian tank stopped at an undisclosed location in the middle of a field. As the Switchblade nears at dash speed, the tank’s crew comes into view sitting atop the T-72 and then the video cuts off. It is at this point that Switchblade often loses its line-of-sight control and the special autopilot takes over to complete its terminal run. You can read more about how the system works in this previous feature of ours.
Ukrainian SSO (SOF) published rare footage of a kamikaze drone in action, which we identied as a US-supplied Switchblade 300 - hitting a Russian T-72B3 tank with its crew on top. The tank is unlikely to receive any serious damage, which cannot be said about the crew.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1529003245296922627
View: https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1529003245296922627?s=20&t=X1hqu1ixrylr1EPVf6WPNQ


The Switchblade loitering munition was originally developed by California-based manufacturer AeroVironment for the U.S. Army to help troops stationed in Afghanistan at the time better address enemy ambushes. To meet those operational requirements, the U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a contract for the rapid fielding of a number of Switchblades in July 2011. The name was later changed to Switchblade 300 once the company decided to unveil its anti-armor variant, the Switchblade 600, in 2020. As of today, over 700 Switchblade 300s have been sent to Ukraine by the United States as part of an $800 million aid package that was launched in March.
2021_SB600_2400x1600.jpeg

Artist's rendering of the Switchblade in action. AeroVironment
It should also be noted that the warhead that arms the Switchblade 300 munitions is much smaller than the anti-armor warhead of its Switchblade 600 counterpart, leading many who have viewed the video to assume that the 300 was the weapon used. The 300s are ideally equipped for taking out lighter vehicles and personnel, which could imply that this particular attack was meant more for the crew positioned atop and around the tank rather than the armor itself. Although, it is still possible that the tank may need a number of repairs. This would coincide with what is regarded as a “mission kill”, wherein the damage severely limits the vehicle's functionality or even renders it unusable until repairs can be made.

In a Facebook post shared by the official Ukrainian Armed Forces account, which includes the footage, the caption details that “the Russian occupiers were quietly drinking alcohol at one of the positions, sitting on the armor of their tank.” Because of the Russian soldiers’ exposed position, it is possible that their location was spotted by Ukrainian forces using the surveillance capability offered by the Switchblades, and the attack that followed was a mission predominately intended to eliminate the people rather than the tank.
Switchblade300_02-1024x512-1.jpeg

Artist's rendering of the Switchblade. AeroVironment
According to AeroVironment, the Switchblade 300 is intended to be easily transported and rapidly deployable from a variety of platforms, as well as a single soldier. It can be remotely controlled from a little over six miles away but has a limited endurance of about 10 minutes because of its compact size. It can be reused multiple times, including for reconaissance, before it is employed as a kinetic weapon.

In a Q&A with AeroVironment Chief Marketing Officer Steve Gitlin published by The War Zone that you can read here, Gitlin also explains that the systems are “transported in the tube that they fire from. The tube is set up like a little mortar on the ground. And using the ground control system, the operator launches it. It exits the tube. Its wings spring open. Its propeller spins up, and it starts flying in the direction the operator wants it to and streaming live video back to that operator, viewable on the screen in the middle of that hand-control unit.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for loitering munitions like Switchblade that could provide Ukrainian forces with a big advantage on the battlefield. This is true not just for 'over the fence' reconnaissance, but also by providing small ground units the ability to deploy their own equivalent of precision fire support or close air support.
While it is clear that the anti-tank derivative of the Switchblade would have been a more effective weapon to utilize in this scenario if the goal was to destroy the armor, it remains difficult to determine for sure if the weapon used in the video was either a 300 or a 600. Although, the 300s’ presence in Ukraine has been established. In early April, it was reported that the United States would be training a select number of Ukrainians on Switchblade 300s and the munitions were confirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense to have reached the country. However, it is unclear whether or not Switchblade 600s have yet to arrive in Ukraine, and when they do they will be extremely limited in number.
Earlier this month, another graphic video began circulating around social media showing the Switchblade 300 in use against a Russian machine gun position.
Rob Lee
@RALee85

Reportedly the first video of a Switchblade loitering munition strike on Russian troops by Ukraine's 53rd Mechanized Brigade. https://facebook.com/53brigade/vide
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1522573394855743488
View: https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1522573394855743488?s=20&t=Nf4mHStJV-UTDhYBh_hPiw


Although we only have a handful of use cases to examine at this time, and there have been unconfirmed rumors of Russian jamming interfering with some deployments, it looks like the Switchblade 300 is shaping up to be a fearsome capability on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Contact the author: Emma@thewarzone.com

www.thedrive.com

Watch This Switchblade Suicide Drone Attack A Russian Tank In Ukraine

The drone camera footage is among the first recorded instances of an AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munition being employed by Ukrainian forces.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com
 

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Tom McDowell

Tom McDowell

BAMN
Led to this movie by some war focused website.

For those who've not seen the movie...

...It's a couple of hours long, 1939 set in Galatia, Poland.

Polish film; English sub-titles, kinda explains the who, what, where, and, when, of current day Ukraine (formerly part of Poland).

The following description of the movie does not begin to encompass the myriad of beliefs, culture, and divisiveness, of the parties portrayed. However, it does lead one into the fractured psyche of survivors.

Current conflicts have roots in age old animus and butchery, some of which are still in living memory. Europe is fraught within the historical context of savagery and blood lust. We are witness to this continuation.

The Slavs are no different from what was the majority of Americans, the main difference is the European descendants who emigrated, mostly did so to escape.

Americans have the luxury of a non-complicated sense of right or wrongs. The Blood Lands have many different versions.

Viewing might be worth your time.

RT 2:01:12
====

Hatred (Wolyn) - The year is 1939 set right before the outbreak of World War II in a small village in Volhynia which is settled by Ukrainians, Poles and Jews. Zoysia Glowacka a young Polish girl falls in love with a young Ukrainian boy named Petro from the same village. Yet her parents marry her off to a much older Polish widower who is also the village administrator, Maciej Skiba. Once the war begins Maciej is recruited into the Polish Army to fight against the Germans. When the campaign is lost Maciej and other survivors journey home but are captured by the local Ukrainians, tortured and killed. In the meantime Zozia, alone and pregnant is forced to flee the overtaken village to save the life of herself and her children.

===

.
 
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jward

jward

passin' thru
The Kyiv Independent
@KyivIndependent
4h

Russia offers unblocking Ukrainian ports in exchange for lifting Western sanctions. Russian Deputy FM Andrey Rudenko said Moscow wants the removal of sanctions on Russian exports and financial transactions in exchange for a corridor for Ukraine to be able to export grains.
 
R

raven

TB Fanatic
jward said:
The Kyiv Independent
@KyivIndependent
4h

Russia offers unblocking Ukrainian ports in exchange for lifting Western sanctions. Russian Deputy FM Andrey Rudenko said Moscow wants the removal of sanctions on Russian exports and financial transactions in exchange for a corridor for Ukraine to be able to export grains.
Click to expand...
and civilization would be saved.
no need to defeat Russia

but the Sky screamer liberal woke won't negotiate
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
wait-n-see said:
“The Russians are still well behind where we believe they wanted to be when they started this revitalized effort in the eastern part of the country,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters.
Click to expand...
And exactly how does Kirby know exactly what/where Russia wanted to be?

Inquiring minds want to know. Zoom call with Putin?
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
O i dunno. Perhaps the M/MIC has overflowed it's coffers and has enough sales commissioned that we will be allowed to draw down- when the head ghoul himself (soros) began making noise about the dire possibilities, I started to hope
:: shrug ::

raven said:
and civilization would be saved.
no need to defeat Russia

but the Sky screamer liberal woke won't negotiate
Click to expand...
 
R

raven

TB Fanatic
jward said:
O i dunno. Perhaps the M/MIC has overflowed it's coffers and has enough sales commissioned that we will be allowed to draw down- when the head ghoul himself (soros) began making noise about the dire possibilities, I started to hope
:: shrug ::
Click to expand...
It seems obvious, at least to me, that Soros, Schwab, and the rest of the WEF have a lot invested - too much to lose - in Ukraine. Enough that they are willing to go "all in" with global nuclear war. They apparently are willing to kill all of you to get what they want - does not cost them anything.
 
WTSR

WTSR

Veteran Member
jward said:

Kevin Rothrock
@KevinRothrock
48m

I sometimes see commentators suggest that Russia’s high troop losses will ensure Moscow’s defeat in Ukraine, and I wonder if they’ve ever read about how Russia won its past wars.
Click to expand...

I am hearing rumors of up to 30,000 Ukrainian POWs at this point and the Russians are launching massive artillery and MLRS on the Dug in Ukrainians who can't move as it appears they have a lack of armor and vehicles. So when they talk about Massive Russian losses how does it compare to Ukrainian.
 
Grumphau

Grumphau

Veteran Member
Interesting analysis of fighting going on in Ukraine's Eastern Front. Looks like the Russians are getting their **** together. The Russians have obtained a breakthrough at a town called Popasna and Ukraine forces are seriously threatened in multiple areas.

View: https://youtu.be/0nKidMrwhME

RT: 17:45
 
WTSR

WTSR

Veteran Member
Grumphau said:
Interesting analysis of fighting going on in Ukraine's Eastern Front. Looks like the Russians are getting their **** together. The Russians have obtained a breakthrough at a town called Popasna and Ukraine forces are seriously threatened in multiple areas.

View: https://youtu.be/0nKidMrwhME

RT: 17:45
Click to expand...

The amount of Missiles and Artillery has suffciently softened up the Ukrainian forces is probably more accurate.

t.me

Военный Осведомитель

Работа ССО России по предотвращению попытки прорыва в населённом пункте Павловка, что у Донецкой области. 8 мая 2022 года. Удар был нанесён с помощью БЛА-камикадзе «Куб», объективный контроль ведётся с БПЛА «ZALA», потери противника составили 9 человек. В последствии украинская сторона была...
t.me t.me

Russian Kamikaze drone.

The work of the MTR of Russia to prevent an attempted breakthrough in the village of Pavlovka, near the Donetsk region. May 8, 2022. The blow was delivered with the help of the Cube kamikaze UAV, objective control is carried out with the ZALA UAV, the enemy’s losses amounted to 9 people.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian side was driven out of the village. The number of the enemy during the offensive attempt was up to 150 people from volunteer battalions.
 
von Koehler

von Koehler

Has No Life - Lives on TB
OldArcher said:
Never, EVER, forget his brood of evil children! Four sons and a daughter- ALL AS EVIL OR WORSE THAN HIM!!!

OA
Click to expand...

Yes, I happened to watch a short video of his son and realized he was as evil as his father.

Humanity is in an all or nothing struggle with backers of the Great Reset.

They are playing for all the marbles.
 
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Grumphau

Grumphau

Veteran Member
WTSR said:
The amount of Missiles and Artillery has suffciently softened up the Ukrainian forces is probably more accurate.

t.me

Военный Осведомитель

Работа ССО России по предотвращению попытки прорыва в населённом пункте Павловка, что у Донецкой области. 8 мая 2022 года. Удар был нанесён с помощью БЛА-камикадзе «Куб», объективный контроль ведётся с БПЛА «ZALA», потери противника составили 9 человек. В последствии украинская сторона была...
t.me t.me

Russian Kamikaze drone.

The work of the MTR of Russia to prevent an attempted breakthrough in the village of Pavlovka, near the Donetsk region. May 8, 2022. The blow was delivered with the help of the Cube kamikaze UAV, objective control is carried out with the ZALA UAV, the enemy’s losses amounted to 9 people.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian side was driven out of the village. The number of the enemy during the offensive attempt was up to 150 people from volunteer battalions.
Click to expand...
What I thought was interesting was that the Russians seem to be better at urban combat, while the Ukrainians do better in the countryside/treed areas.

The Ukrainians are determined defenders fighting on home ground but now the Russians have been blooded. The next few months should prove interesting.
 
M

mecoastie

Veteran Member
Grumphau said:
Well that seems fast.
Click to expand...
Turkey got their F16s and probably a couple of Kurdish terrorists.
Grumphau said:
What I thought was interesting was that the Russians seem to be better at urban combat, while the Ukrainians do better in the countryside/treed areas.

The Ukrainians are determined defenders fighting on home ground but now the Russians have been blooded. The next few months should prove interesting.
Click to expand...

I think its harder to shoot and scoot in an urban setting. The Russians can just rain down the artillery on the city and turn it all to rubble and the defenders have no where to go.

The outcome of this was never in doubt. If Russia is willing to pay the blood and treasure they will get what they want.
 
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