What's going on in Ukraine?

[sturginho]

Meh, number 3 would get it.

we're gonna need access to the other photos to make a fair judgement

[tabascoboy]

Not exactly "news" but a confirmation of something strongly suspected

[tabascoboy]

RU forces have been engaged in the centre of Bakhmut although they do not have control of the city as yet. Meantime, a cold snap hit the area though it should be short-lived and only add to the mud very soon

[Hellraiser]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... re-tactics

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In 2022 Ukrainian troops unearthed the remains of 1,700 Wehrmacht soldiers while digging trenches.

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[tabascoboy]

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[tabascoboy]

As usual info is mostly speculation but the hit could be FSB / FSB false flag / factional infighting - take your pick

- Participated in the Donbas war since 2014.
- A criminal, was in prison for bank robbery.
- A self-proclaimed "writer" (I haven't read anything).
- Since Feb 2022, been on and off in the Donbas, often traveling back to Russia.
- Definitely felt very comfortable in the war.
- Had a sizeable TG following, was posting "Evening Vladlen" summaries to his channel every night, in addition to opinions and suggestions.
- Close associate with a number of Rascists, including RSOTM admin (Wagner group). He was indeed very close with Wagner.
- In recent months, began hosting an irregular show on Solovyev's channel together with the creator of Rybar.
- Essentially, he was a minor superstar in the z-world, everyone knows him. While his death may not trigger a physical response, it will have a massive effect on the Russians. It already does.

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Also in a surprise to no-one, the RU winter offensive failed to achieve its goals

[Hellraiser]

[Uncle fester]

So Russia are going to pull troops away from Ukraine to mind their border with Finland? For real?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... er-warning

Happy days if so.

[Uncle fester]

The threats are all so ludicrously empty now. At this stage it looks like it could end up like the Greco-Persian wars for Russia. Tey just seem to have no exit strategy worth talking about. I presume they were going to try after gaining ground in the Winter period but that's all fucked on them now. Europe needs to do a proper bit of flexing now.

He's just playing for time and hoping US and maybe a few European elections go his way. Reckon it's all he's got left. If the west pulls it's support, Ukraine will struggle to take ground back.

[Uncle fester]

All the Finns are incredibly anti-Russian and the anti-EU party will wind their necks in on doing stuff that Putin would like to see happen.

[tabascoboy]

Article from the independent Moscow Times

Member of Kremlin Guard Flees Russia, Details Putin’s Secret Life

An officer responsible for providing encrypted communications to President Vladimir Putin said he has fled Russia over the war in Ukraine and disclosed details about the Russian leader in an interview with the Dossier Center investigative website Tuesday.

Gleb Karakulov had served as an engineer in the Federal Guard Service (FSO) presidential communications unit and accompanied Putin on more than 180 trips over the past 13 years. The unit ensures that Putin and his prime minister are provided with 24/7 encrypted communications.

Karakulov told the Dossier Center he managed to flee with his family to Turkey while accompanying Putin on a visit to Kazakhstan for a summit in mid-October 2022.

Whole item at https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/ ... ife-a80699

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[tabascoboy]

[Guy Smiley]

Here's a long read that offers more than the daily hits of sensation as a product of war and explores some of the meaning behind it... a sort of commentary on what drives Putin and brings Trump into the frame....

Putin, Trump, Ukraine: how Timothy Snyder became the leading interpreter of our dark times

Historians aren’t supposed to make predictions, but Yale professor Timothy Snyder has become known for his dire warnings – and many of them have been proved correct

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... mp-ukraine

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[Flockwitt]

I hope that woman with the shop in the front lines of Bahkmut who refused to evacuate got out. You might trust the Ukrainian soldiers there would have made sure of it.

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[tabascoboy]

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Trouble in Ingushetia

[fishfoodie]

Poor Ambassadors were clearly too far away to be able to tell if he'd stopped talking bullshit.

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Estimated remaining Russian tanks in storage that can be brought back into service.

[fishfoodie]

Estimated remaining Russian tanks in storage that can be brought back into service.

That they're bringing back the T-5*'s before the T-72s tells me that the notional number of T-72s that can be re-activated is total & utter fantasy !

The T-72 had shit that could be looted, & was, & now the Orcs don't have the capacity to even replace 70's era technology, because WTF is still making vacuum tubes ?; while the T-55s are easier to re-activate, because they're just mechanical systems & there's zero electronics.

Just draw a line at the T-72's & above, & expect them to be able to maybe rob Peter to pay Paul, & get ~10% of the notional available tanks there back in service, & that just leaves them to find crews ................................................. & ammo ....................................................

I'm so glad I invested in Saab's Defense wing

[tabascoboy]

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https://english.nv.ua/nation/russian-mi ... 16533.html

This is genuinely hilarious. A straight 70km long west-east trench.

[tabascoboy]

[fishfoodie]

That's a lot of unclaimed Ladas !

[laurent]

That's a lot of unclaimed Ladas !

They can't make enough of them without Renault's help.

[fishfoodie]

That's a lot of unclaimed Ladas !

They can't make enough of them without Renault's help.

Sure they can !

They just adapted their production line to remove luxuries like, ABS, Cats, Electronic engine management, Radios ..... it's basically the same car .....

[Flockwitt]

An updated map on the Russian fortifications. Says a lot... while they have a double line on the Zap front once it's breached it's breached as it were, the whole Kherson region becomes untenable if the Ukrainians can drive to the Sea of Azov as predicted, though it's clear the Russians are intending to try to hold the Melitopol line with the long estuary there.

You'll see how they're making the crossing into Crimea pretty difficult by direct assault.

https://twitter.com/bradyafr/status/164 ... 84/photo/1

[Flockwitt]

The big bang theory:

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/16 ... 3834315779

[Hellraiser]

Another prisoner exchange today, including Azovstal defenders - 24 National Guard/Azov, 22 Border Guards, 22 Marine Infantry, 21 Army, and 11 TDF.

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Denmark is preparing to hand over about 100 Leopard 1 tanks and 19 CAESAR 8×8 self-propelled guns to Ukraine by the summer, — Acting Minister of Defense of Denmark.

"We will start supplying Leopard tanks to Ukraine by the summer. And I hope, looking six months ahead, that it will be possible to hand over about 100 Leopard 1 tanks. This would be a significant help to the Ukrainian army in the fight for freedom. We can also discuss the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks ," said Acting the minister during a briefing in Odesa.

Also, Denmark hopes to send within a month the CAESAR artillery systems, on which the Ukrainian military is currently training at the Danish training grounds.

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The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense confirmed the fact of negotiations on the transfer of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, subject to the receipt of more modern combat aircraft from Western partners.

In total, Bulgaria has 16 MiG-29 fighters, 6 of them are in working order. Due to EU sanctions against the Russian Federation, Bulgaria can no longer receive technical assistance from the Russian side.