What's going on in Ukraine?

[Flockwitt]

So Major General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, is stating Ukraine has enough weapons to start an offensive. How much of this is smokescreen who knows.

[dkm57]

Watched a bit of a video recently when I was following down a rabbit hole that suggested that rather than the one massive rolling offensive most are expecting that a number of smaller offensives (4 I think were proposed) would be more effective.

[Hellraiser]

So Major General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, is stating Ukraine has enough weapons to start an offensive. How much of this is smokescreen who knows.

He's been trolling the Russians pretty hard the last few weeks. Just last week in an interview he casually said Russia's census figures were bullshit and the actual population is 110m.

[petej]

So Major General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, is stating Ukraine has enough weapons to start an offensive. How much of this is smokescreen who knows.

He's been trolling the Russians pretty hard the last few weeks. Just last week in an interview he casually said Russia's census figures were bullshit and the actual population is 110m.

He's clearly enjoying himself. Wasn't expecting the day trips over border into Russia but an excellent way to make Russia move resources away from southern Ukraine.

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[tabascoboy]

Leader of cross-border raid warns Russia to expect more incursions

NEAR THE RUSSIAN BORDER, Ukraine, May 24 (Reuters) - The Russian commander of a militia that conducted a raid on a Russian border region this week said on Wednesday his group would soon launch more incursions into Russian territory.

Denis Kapustin, who described himself as the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), spoke to reporters on the Ukrainian side of the border with Russia a day after Moscow said it had repelled the raid on the Belgorod region.

Kyiv has said the attack was carried out by Russian citizens, casting it as homegrown, internal Russian strife. Two groups operating in Ukraine - the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and Freedom of Russia Legion - have claimed responsibility.

The Russian military said it had routed the militants, who carried out their attack using armoured vehicles, and pushed those who survived back into Ukraine.

Kapustin said two of his fighters had been "lightly wounded", and that total losses on his side for the operation were two killed and 10 wounded. Moscow claimed it killed over 70 'Ukrainian nationalists'.

Kapustin also said the fighters had taken a Russian armoured vehicle and anti-drone gun as trophies.

"I think you will see us again on that side," said Kapustin, who introduced himself by his call-sign White Rex. "I cannot reveal those upcoming things, I cannot even reveal the direction. The ... border is pretty long. Yet again there will be a spot where things will get hot."

He was asked repeatedly about Western media reports that his militia had used U.S. military equipment that was meant to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's invasion, but declined to answer directly.

"I know exactly where I got my weapons from. Unfortunately not from the Western partners", he said.

He also suggested that Western military equipment had been captured by Russia in the battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and that such equipment could be bought on the black market.

"I think I explained that the Western military aid unfortunately goes back and forth, being raided. In Bakhmut for instance I know that a lot of armoured vehicles, American armoured vehicles, got raided by the Russian forces," he said.

Kapustin said Ukraine only supported the RVC with information, petrol, food and medicine.

"And, of course, the Ukrainian military took our wounded. But anything more than this would make things difficult."

"Every decision we make ... beyond the state border is our own decision. Obviously we can ask our (Ukrainian) comrades, friends for their assistance in planning," he said.

The RVC says it is made up of Russians fighting for Ukraine, and against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Our future plans are new territories of the Russian Federation, which we will definitely enter... You should be a just a little bit patient, and wait just a couple of days," Kapustin said.

The U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League has described Kapustin as "a Russian neo-Nazi who lived in Germany for many years".

Kapustin said his group was right-wing, and when asked if he was minded being labelled a Nazi, he said he didn't "think it's an insult."

But he added: "I have my set of views, it's a patriotic set of views, it's a traditionalist set of views, it's a right-wing set of views. You know, you'll never find me waving a flag with a swastika, you'll never find me raising my hand in a Hitler sign. So why would you call me that?"

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/le ... 023-05-24/

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Good to know Warstache is both still alive and currently invading Russia! An amusing an intriguing character, keeps surviving and popping up in interesting places.

His name is Igor Yankov (hence the call-sign "Yankee"). Was one of the pro-democracy protesters who had to flee Belarus after the post 2020 election crackdown. Had no military experience prior to February last year.

I recently joined his Telegram channel and note that he was awarded a medal "For Courage When Performing Special Tasks" in April . Interestingly it's a HUR award bearing Budanov's signature. And now the last few days it emerges he took part in the Belgorod raid. Seems fairly clear that the Belarusian Volunteer Corps is under HUR command and the reason why Yankov fell off social media for many months was he was undergoing SOF training.

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[Glaston]

Any one have a clue as to what the Wagner group might be doing in the Chatham Islands?



This is in reference to the Wagner activity map that has been inadvertently leaked



"But in addition to African countries, white markers are also on Myanmar, Ecuador and New Zealand's Chatham Island. The activity of Prigozhin's political strategists in South America or Southeast Asia was not previously known."


Prigozhin might just have been trolling

[tabascoboy]

Any one have a clue as to what the Wagner group might be doing in the Chatham Islands?



This is in reference to the Wagner activity map that has been inadvertently leaked



"But in addition to African countries, white markers are also on Myanmar, Ecuador and New Zealand's Chatham Island. The activity of Prigozhin's political strategists in South America or Southeast Asia was not previously known."


Prigozhin might just have been trolling

Someone suggested it might be a mistake for the Cook Islands which is a tax haven, though they are a long way from Chatham Island - or someone randomly left a pin there!

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Another 106 AFU prisoners released, 68 had been listed MIA.

[tabascoboy]

Seems like another "friendly fire" incident for an SU-25

[laurent]

looks like they hit another boat

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[Flockwitt]

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This Wagner supposed pull out will be worth watching... if it does actually happen. It's a significant chunk of Russia's most effective troops which need to be infilled. The scene is being set for the counter-offensive and this is a major piece.

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[Flockwitt]

^ I'd want my money back if it didn't

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There is an increasing possibility that the Ivan Khurs has been sunk.

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I was kind of wondering why the Ukrainian MOD decided to place an order for T-84 Oplots in the last week given the future of Ukrainian MBTs appears to be primarily German IP, but I'm less surprised now that I've found out it has four reverse gears and a max reverse speed of 35km/hr. That's unique among all ex-Warsaw Pact tanks, including the T-90. Could easily see it fulfilling a light/medium tank or assault gun infantry support role, like the Leopard 1A5, as long as the optics and gun stabilisation are up to scratch.

[Enzedder]

looks like they hit another boat

Yanks were supposedly just watching it all go down

[Slick]

Is that not quite a wee boat or have I misunderstood something

[PornDog]

Yanks were supposedly just watching it all go down

That map doesn't make any sense to me! 1 what is a small communications/intelligence gathering vessel doing that far south and 2, how the hell is a suicide drone boat going to get that far south?

Edit: I'm sure the flight happened as displayed - I just don't think it's purpose was to observe the alledged attack on the Russian ship.

[Brazil]

Is that not quite a wee boat or have I misunderstood something

Its' two different vessels. The second one is a warship. Not a massive one by any means.

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[Slick]

Ahh, the second one was a "suicide boat" on the larger ship

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[tabascoboy]

Funny, some vatnik posted a pic yesterday of a ship on approach to Sebastopol claiming it was the Ivan Khurs undamaged and under its own power. But it was a minesweeper.....

[Brazil]

Yanks were supposedly just watching it all go down

That map doesn't make any sense to me! 1 what is a small communications/intelligence gathering vessel doing that far south and 2, how the hell is a suicide drone boat going to get that far south?

Edit: I'm sure the flight happened as displayed - I just don't think it's purpose was to observe the alledged attack on the Russian ship.

The plotting on the chart opens up all sorts of questions. That's very far south and north of 45 is still ostensibly blockaded, plus Ukrainian Naval capability is effectively nil. So either they've got more than people realised, the drones have a greater range than at first suspected, or the charts are wrong and it was actually closer to Crimea. Also, I thought the Russians had pulled the fleet out of Sevastopol after Moskva went down?

[tabascoboy]

30 convicts deserted Wagner PMC, go on the run and start killing spree...

Local reports say:
30 former prisoners from "Z Company" (Z Division) deserted from the position with weapons.
During the desertion, the criminals killed three servicemen and two civilians, and also stole a KamAZ and Mitsubishi L200.

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