Русский корабль - иди нахуй

[Parliament 14128]

Kinda sounds like the good guys are getting some traction? 

[Chad Fuck 17556]

Just now, Parliament said:

Kinda sounds like the good guys are getting some traction? 

And so too, apparently, Russian wounded.  

It's like it never stopped being 1915 for them. 

[Schulz2.0 28764]

1 hour ago, Gatorubet said:

Like using AMX-10s in frontline assaults. 

I doubt they would have tried it had we delivered more MBTs.

[BamaATL 16592]

1 minute ago, Chad Fuck said:

And so too, apparently, Russian wounded.  

It's like it never stopped being 1915 for them. 

Twitter is a fucking mess, but I just read that the Ukrainians are moving forward across the south and at the bridgehead in Kherson (according to EuroMaidan Press).  However, the Russians are moving forward in the East according to their reporting as well.  Hopefully the offensive losses for the Ukrainians are light while the Russian advances are causing catastrophic loses for them.  

[atomheartbevo 89408]

3 hours ago, Rimbo said:

 

[bolverk 29397]

40 minutes ago, KYHorn said:

 

This is a good thread. Here's a link for those who don't have an account.

[Nivek 16852]

1 hour ago, Gatorubet said:

The Kasserine pass debacle can be attributed mostly to bad leadership and tactical strategy.......Stupidity in tactics will almost always result in disaster. 

Kind of why I wrote that part about adapting tactics.  I seem to recall the short barrel had to do with making it easier to ship them not someone just being a jackass for jackass sakes.  As for the ammo, I don't know about that, but I have to imagine there was a reason for it.   

[Chad Fuck 17556]

25 minutes ago, BamaATL said:

Twitter is a fucking mess, but I just read that the Ukrainians are moving forward across the south and at the bridgehead in Kherson (according to EuroMaidan Press).  However, the Russians are moving forward in the East according to their reporting as well.  Hopefully the offensive losses for the Ukrainians are light while the Russian advances are causing catastrophic loses for them.  

I this vein, I noticed that the https://liveuamap.com has not been as good of late.  Not sure if it's because twitter is sucking, maybe they've lost sources?  In any case, they don't seem to be as on top of it as in the past.  

 

[bolverk 29397]

Nightmare fuel.

 

 

 

[bolverk 29397]

Lovely song

 

Combat medic Iryna Tsybukh and bandura (national Ukrainian instrument) player Krut somewhere in the fields of Donetsk. Iryna's team works on the first line of evacuation, closest to the frontlines.

They are singing a poem by Ukrainian poetess Lesia Ukrainka. The poem is called "Contra spem spero!" ("Hoping without hope" - in Latin). 

Some lines from this poem: 

No, I want to smile through tears and weeping.,
Sing my songs where evil holds its sway,
Hopeless, a steadfast hope forever keeping,
I want to live! You thoughts of grief, away!

On poor sad fallow land unused to tilling
I'll sow blossoms, brilliant in hue,
I'll sow blossoms where the frost lies, chilling,
I'll pour bitter tears on them as due.

And those burning tears shall melt, dissolving
All that mighty crust of ice away.
Maybe blossoms will come up, unfolding
Singing springtime too for me, some day.

Glory to Heroes! It will all be Ukraine!

 

[Dahobbs 17437]

2 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

I hear that happen fairly frequently with native Russian speakers. They aren’t used to the “w” sound and practice a lot and get reminded to use it. And then they end up over correcting and putting it where it doesn’t belong.

The “w” is not a super common sound worldwide. 

Now that's a farmer's fun fact that I did not know. Plus rep. 

[bolverk 29397]

 

 

[Rimbo 25772]

58 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

[BamaATL 16592]

22 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

How'd you get a gif of my wife when I say I'm going golfing?

[B00M 6280]

2 hours ago, bolverk said:

This is a good thread. Here's a link for those who don't have an account.

Good thread for sure. It says that as of a few years ago, 30% of Russian hospitals had no water. 

Edited July 2, 2023 by B00M

[Schulz2.0 28764]

A US citizen was killed in the June 27th bombing of the pizzeria in Kramatorsk.

https://theatlasnews.co/conflict/2023/07/02/marine-veteran-kia-in-ukraine/

[Rimbo 25772]

1 hour ago, Schulz2.0 said:

A US citizen was killed in the June 27th bombing of the pizzeria in Kramatorsk.

https://theatlasnews.co/conflict/2023/07/02/marine-veteran-kia-in-ukraine/

let's make Moscow glow in the dark

[Scheiss Meister 8399]

Semper Fidelis, brother.

[BamaATL 16592]

9 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

let's make Moscow glow in the dark

If it makes you feel any better (and I'm sure it doesn't), my first instinct was to say think we should sink the Black Sea fleet.  

[Rimbo 25772]

2 minutes ago, BamaATL said:

If it makes you feel any better (and I'm sure it doesn't), my first instinct was to say think we should sink the Black Sea fleet.  

that's a good start

2 minutes ago, BamaATL said:

If it makes you feel any better (and I'm sure it doesn't), my first instinct was to say think we should sink the Black Sea fleet.  

[statsman 5421]

7 hours ago, SL Xpress said:

Air Force and Army just need to watch how the Navy does it. The Gerald Ford has been a piece of cake. Seamless development and deployment schedule. Seamless, I say. 

So,…when was the last Navy fighter configured by NAVAIR, soup to nuts?

[RDCanecutter 26249]

7 hours ago, Rimbo said:

Counterpoint: It's in the two most commonly spoken languages in the world, English and Mandarin, making it a very super common sound.

Entre toi et moi, it's pretty common in French, except they don't necessarily need to write a w to pronounce a w.

Shows up in Spanish and Italian in combo with other consonants, but I bet if you get a couple of drinks in them the g starts to elide, ay que weeenoooo weyyyy

Edited July 3, 2023 by RDCanecutter
Or a drink in me.

[Gatorubet 30083]

6 hours ago, Nivek said:

Kind of why I wrote that part about adapting tactics.  I seem to recall the short barrel had to do with making it easier to ship them not someone just being a jackass for jackass sakes.  As for the ammo, I don't know about that, but I have to imagine there was a reason for it.   

I’m sure it made transportation easier. And I’m not saying that someone did not think they had a good reason, I’m just saying that the person who made the decision had almost no real world experience in what the people using the equipment would be facing. 

And I’m not gonna say that tungsten was so readily available that we had it coming out our butts, but if you had to choose between creating and transporting an entirely new MBT (in the Pershing) to handle the Panther menace - versus diverting some tungsten to be used in anti-armor shells - it seems to be a no-brainer to give the existing tanks armor piercing shells that will work significantly better.

My dad was in the Ninth Armored  Division, CCB, which took the Ludendorff bridge at Remagen.  They had just been given some Pershing tanks, and while they appreciated their increased fire power, the damn things were too big to go over the bridge once they captured it.  The brilliance of the Sherman tank was that it was simple, reliable, and could be loaded on railway cars and shipped all over the place.   That characteristic let my dad walk in front of his Sherman and guide it across the damaged floor of the bridge at Remagen and set foot in Germany.  They didn’t need the giant damn Pershings so much as they needed better armor piercing ammo.

[Gatorubet 30083]

[BamaATL 16592]

33 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

I saw a clip of Fareed Zakaria going over some statistics about Russia in relation to this.  The average 15 year old male in Russia now has the same life expectancy of a male of the same age in Haiti.  There are several other sobering statistics in this:

 

 

[elfenix 34171]

10 hours ago, Scheiss Meister said:

The current F-18s

are a completely different airplane that looks kinda the same as the old one and sold as not-quite-replacement for the F-14

(one night this led me down a rabbit hole of potential F-14 upgrades that didn't happen)

[956 Worldwide 34422]

26 minutes ago, elfenix said:

are a completely different airplane that looks kinda the same as the old one and sold as not-quite-replacement for the F-14

(one night this led me down a rabbit hole of potential F-14 upgrades that didn't happen)

They kept the name and F/A-18 designation to sell it to Congress as a derivative and not a new aircraft. 

[956 Worldwide 34422]

An American was killed in the strike on a pizza restaurant.

 

[956 Worldwide 34422]

Shit…early morning. She isn’t American but was well known. 

[atomheartbevo 89408]

1 hour ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Shit…early morning. She isn’t American but was well known. 

There was an American Marine who was killed there as well - happened to be eating there while on break and not out fighting.  Probably why the mixup.

[956 Worldwide 34422]

Not quite war-related but there’s some shit brewing in Czech Republic between Roma and Ukrainians

It started last month when a dispute between two young Roma men and a Ukrainian at a tram stop ended with one of the Roma guys stabbed to death. Conflicting accounts of how it all went down, with some bystanders alleging that the Roma guys were harassing people including the Ukrainian and a young woman. What is clear is that later, a planned memorial service turned nasty with white extremists (who usually hate Roma) helping to organize and call for Ukrainians to be kicked out. And the second Roma dude showed up high grabbed the mic, and lamented that the deceased was a great guy who had mentored the living on how to (idiomatically) “cook up the dope and then go out and fuck white (lit. “not-Roma”) bitches.” 
 

Things seemed to settle down and then this weekend cops had to intervene in a different small town into a brawl between 15 Roma and 3 Ukrainians. The main result being one of the Roma going to the hospital with a knife wound to the face. There was another big protest, the Interior Minister warned that the people stoking this shit don’t like either Roma or Ukrainians, and said the protest was illegal. Lots more hate speech against Ukrainians. I’ll post the link below, you’ll have to google translate. 
 

Lots to unpack. Socially— the Czech moderate and liberals who are usually sympathetic or fighting against the very real social discrimination against Roma are basically all “Team Ukraine.” The neo-Nazis and right wankers who usually dogwhistle against Roma are now acting like they’re concerned. 
 

It’s unusual to see the Roma community this agitated, they usually don’t really organize. And a bit of realism— lots of young Roma men have a difficult time with social norms and interpersonal relations with the majority population, to say the least. But Czechs are for the most part a fairly chill and non-confrontational bunch especially when it comes to useless fights and they definitely choose just to ignore antics and insults on public transport. 
 

Worth noting that in both cases outnumbered Roma ended up far worse off, some real Fuck Around and Find Out vibes here. Insulting strangers and trying to pick fights farther east  (Ukrainians, Poles, etc.) has a high chance of ending up this way for anyone. 
 

https://www.idnes.cz/pardubice/zpravy/demonstrace-pardubice-potycka-romove-ukrajinci-incident-sobota.A230702_130445_pardubice-zpravy_vank

[RPM 26215]

5 hours ago, elfenix said:

are a completely different airplane that looks kinda the same as the old one and sold as not-quite-replacement for the F-14

(one night this led me down a rabbit hole of potential F-14 upgrades that didn't happen)

The F-18 started out as the YF-17 in direct competition with the F-16 for the AF contract. The F-16 won, but the YF-17 intrigued the Navy. Small, nimble, twin engine, sturdy airframe, able to carry insane amounts of ord. What didn't work for the AF was a perfect fit on a carrier.

[SL Xpress 7505]

Article about assault brigades in the Bakhmut area.

It's interesting to follow the assaults in the south with all their western kit and then compare them to Bakhmut area with their Soviet era kit. Regardless, the obstacles faced on both sides are similar, although the south faces a lot more opposition from the air from what I can tell. Also, the south has better access to armor. Not actually meaning to state this factually. Just what it looks like anecdotally and from what the soldiers say. But regardless of where the attacks are, assault teams consistently want more tanks. 

‘It’s a lottery’: How Ukraine’s assault brigade counterattacks near Bakhmut (kyivindependent.com)

Spoiler

‘It’s a lottery’: How Ukraine’s assault brigade counterattacks near Bakhmut

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by Asami TerajimaJune 30, 2023 11:09 PM9 min read

/content/images/2023/06/GettyImages-1361433960.jpg

A Ukrainian soldier with the 57th Motor Rifle fighting on the Bakhmut front walks near his position in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, on June 28, 2023. (Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Listen to this article

 

 

0:00 / 11:22

1X

BeyondWords

This audio is created with AI assistance

Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent spent a day with soldiers from the 80th Separate Assault Brigade in June, and the story is comprised of interviews with them about their experience near Bakhmut. The soldiers are identified by their names or callsigns, and their deployment locations are not revealed for security reasons due to the nature of their job.

DONETSK OBLAST –  About 20 soldiers with Ukraine’s 80th Separate Assault Brigade struggled to drive through the narrow streets on an infantry armored vehicle as they headed to the training.

“There are no (cars)!” one of them yelled to the driver before turning right at the start of the half-an-hour drive. “Go, go, go!”

After returning from their intense assault operations near Bakhmut, the soldiers are training every day to recover and prepare for further deployments in the same area. More than a month after Bakhmut’s fall to Moscow, Ukraine continues to launch counterattacks on the southern and northern flanks of Bakhmut – forcing Russia to be on defense.

The costly operation near Bakhmut is one of the three axes in Ukraine’s much-awaited counteroffensive that kicked off in June. Three weeks after its launch, Ukrainian defense officials say the reported progress is only a preparatory step for the main operation.

Preparations are underway for further counterattacks near Bakhmut, according to 24-year-old Deputy Battalion Commander Ruslan. Many units across various brigades deployed near Bakhmut are training as Ukraine braces for a season of offensives.

A platoon commander whose callsign is “Matvey,” named after his nephew, explained that everything – from psychology training to shooting sessions and movement practice – is aimed at increasing the soldiers’ chance of survival.

“The harder it is in the training, the easier it will be on the battlefield,” Matvey said. “We are constantly learning because the enemy is also learning, and we need to adapt to its tactics.”

Psychology is a key factor that often defines the success of the assault operation, according to the soldiers. Since they work in small groups, it’s crucial that every member can carry out their tasks even under extremely difficult circumstances – such as when under heavy shelling or seeing comrades killed.

But no matter how much they practice before heading back to the front line, luck is still the major factor on the battlefield, the soldiers say. Even though close-proximity shootouts are common in assault operations, shrapnel wounds account for most injuries.

While working in the gray zones and stepping into Russian-held positions, Matvey says he has a personal goal in mind: To pass down a story to his eight-year-old nephew and godson.

“If god willing and I stay alive, he will know about me just the same as I enjoy listening to the stories of my grandfather, who told me about how it was in World War II,” Matvey said.

“I just want to give him this experience, so it’s my gift for him.”

A view of the 57th Motor Rifle Brigade as it fires artillery on the Bakhmut front in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, on June 28, 2023. (Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

How assault operations work

Enormous planning takes place before every assault operation to ensure minimal casualties, according to Matvey.

After analyzing the drone-collected intelligence data across the Bakhmut front, the General Staff identifies weak points in Russia’s defense and lays out plans for assaults in that area.

The plans are then passed down to the assault troops, who carry out the assigned tasks. Matvey explained that the tactics are constantly adjusted because Russian forces get used to them after a while.

The assault is led by a small group of fewer than 10 people, slowly and carefully moving forward across the mined field under heavy shelling. They get sappers’ help when running into explosive items and blow them up if needed.

No matter how quietly the soldiers try to move forward, it’s nearly impossible to mute the sound of their footsteps because they are walking on leaves and through the bushes. Russian air reconnaissance drones flying across the Bakhmut front can spot them as well.

Everything needs to be done as quickly as possible, the assault soldiers say. The longer they take to reach Russian-held positions, the higher the chance that Russian mortars and artillery would target them.

Inside Ukraine’s costly mission to grind down Russia near Bakhmut

But navigating through the field is difficult because there are also explosive objects, such as shells that haven’t blown up yet, on their path. Russian forces have also laid anti-personnel and anti-tank mines to bolster their defense.

“The most difficult thing is overcoming one’s own fears – this is work, this is preparation,” Matvey said.

Reservist soldiers and a medic team are following the leading assault group in each operation, a 31-year-old squad commander whose callsign is “Skif,” told the Kyiv Independent.

Skif said that his group works in a forest, so the bushes and trees make it hard for the Russian drones to spot them.

But it also means they are advancing forward almost blindfolded, making them more prone to Russian grenade attacks – which can be thrown from 20 meters away, according to Skif. Ukraine also struggled to gather aerial intelligence in the forestry field, making it more difficult to plan operations, he added.

How quickly Ukrainians can capture the positions often depends on Russian soldiers’ motivation and artillery support, according to Matvey. The Russians can flee, leaving behind a lot of weapons and ammunition, or fight back – in which it all comes down to decisive close-range shootouts over their position.

“They (Russian forces) shoot as best they can, knowing that it’s either you shoot, or you get shot at,” Matvey said. “And it’s the same for us.”

“If the person there is stronger than me, then most likely they will win, not me – I should never underestimate the enemy.”

A Ukrainian soldier of the 57th Motor Rifle Brigade is seen inside a tank near the Bakhmut frontline in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, on June 28, 2023. (Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

‘Brain and luck’

The success of an assault operation is defined by two factors – whether the set goal was achieved in relation to the casualties, according to Matvey.

“Justified and not justified loss – this is what determines our success,” he explained.

Bohdan, a 43-year-old taxi driver-turned-soldier from Kharkiv, for example, told the Kyiv Independent that his first day on the battlefield was especially brutal. He said that his group had to pull back because many soldiers were killed and wounded on that April day.

“It was really tough,” but he went back to the battlefield after a day of break as planned, Bohdan said.

There is enormous stress on the medics, too. Front-line medic Natalia said that she felt that there weren’t enough medics on the Bakhmut front, and it was extremely difficult to keep up with the evacuation of the wounded.

There are also days when evacuation is not possible due to heavy shelling or fighting, and it’s “morally tough” when she can’t help the wounded, Natalia said. And evacuating the wounded when she knows that they might not make it is painful, she added.

“It’s very difficult morally, but I try not to cry so others can continue laughing,” Natalia said. “(Sometimes) there was no hand, no leg, and no head, and there was a lot of work.”

Artem, a 30-year-old machine gunner from occupied Luhansk who first joined the army in 2014, said that what helps in war is “brain and luck.”

Many of his comrades, who he says were stronger and faster than him, were killed, but he survived to this day because it all depends on where Russian shells fall.

Skif, who leads an assault team despite only joining the army four months ago, estimated that about 80 percent of the casualties for assault troops are due to shrapnel. He said they are under constant heavy shelling during their assaults.

A lot of testing and consideration goes into forming assault teams because not everyone can handle the stress, he said. It wasn’t just once when he had to calm his comrades and do their tasks, as well as his own, complicating the already high-stakes operation.

“We must know them 100% to be confident in our comrades because each member is very important,” the soldier from a now-occupied town near Berdiansk said. “Not everyone can withstand this stress since you see corpses and blood, and this is no one’s fault.”

Skif admitted that he was an unusual example, but he said he accepted death because it's inevitable, whether in the army or in peace life. “I haven’t met a person like me yet, and no one can understand why I’m like this,” he said.

“(Working carefully) doesn’t give a 100% chance that you will stay alive, but this increases this chance by a few times,” Skif said. “I just understand this is a lottery –  you can be lucky or unlucky.”

Soldiers with Ukraine's 80th Separate Assault Brigade train at a secret location in Donetsk Oblast on June 2, 2023, before returning to the Bakhmut front. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Battle for Bakhmut

On a warm day in June, soldiers took turns shooting with AK-47 rifles and checking whether they hit their target about 100 meters away. The goal is for soldiers to improve their aim so they can shoot better, even with quick movements during assault operations.

Another group of infantry practiced throwing hand grenades into the distance. Loud blasts from hand grenades – used during assault operations and cracks of gunfire spread across the hilly slopes at a secret location in Donetsk Oblast.

“We are always training when there is an opportunity,” said Okhtyrka-native Deputy Battalion Commander Ruslan, who, unlike many others, has been shooting for more than 10 years.

Captain Ruslan said the soldiers weren’t shooting at the level he would have wanted, but “there is no choice,” and they are soon to be sent back to the front, again near Bakhmut.

Ruslan believes Russia’s infantry is rather weak overall, and it doesn’t have the capability to advance further after capturing Bakhmut at a high cost, but its incessant artillery poses the biggest threat.

No matter the intensity of the shelling, assault soldiers should complete their tasks and not think about fear, Ruslan said.

“Better is possible, worse is impossible, and that's it. You should never pity your life.”

“It is not a shame to die for your country,” Ruslan said as he began walking back to correct the shooting techniques of assault soldiers.

 

[SL Xpress 7505]

Russian tank driver charitably clearing their own mines:

 

 

[SL Xpress 7505]

Intense fire fight. 3rd assault brigade, so Bakhmut direction. I didn't see a grenade, but according to the comments the Russian POW had a grenade and at the 2:53 mark he FAFO.

No subtitles. No embedding because of its graphic nature.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1675815854494154753?s=20

Edited July 3, 2023 by SL Xpress

[SL Xpress 7505]

Ukrainians making notable progress on three fronts. By notable, I don't necessarily mean a breakthrough is imminent. Just that it's enough to cause concern for the Russians. 

Around Bakhmut Ukrainian forces are close to taking control of "The Ledge" an area just north of Bakhmut. Forces there keep making incremental gains along both the north and south of Bakhmut, as well as some advances farther north of the area in what appears to be an effort to encircle the entire area. 

Along the axis to Tokmak battles are raging in Robotyne (also called the Orekhov axis because that's the main town along the original front line the recent Ukrainian counteroffensive originated from). This is a very defined part of the first line of defense for Russia along the southern front. Break through here and it puts severe pressure on Russia along their entire first line of defense, since it opens up the lines of defense to flanking and attacks from the rear to both the east and west. Currently Ukrainians are fighting for control of the village itself. 

Meanwhile, the Tokmak fortress is one of the most heavily defended locations in all of the southern area of occupation, as well as one of the most critical to hold for Russian forces. 

The third area that's notable - not necessarily for long term success, but for opening up another critical axis of attack - is on the left bank of the Dnipro river across from Kherson. Ukraine managed to get a force across using barges and boats. I had read they had 3 tanks in the area, but I don't know if they're still operational or not. Lots of Russian artillery and even an Iskander missile launched on Ukrainian positions. 

I don't understand completely what the long term goal here is. It's going to be extremely difficult for Ukraine to supply positions on the left bank even now. But if the Russians are completely unable to dislodge Ukrainian forces there - and so far that appears to be the case after almost a week - it makes them vulnerable in the entire area all the way down to the Black Sea. The Russians simply don't have the defenses in terms of men, material, or the kind of hard fortifications that exist further east. Hence the desperation to push the Ukrainians back across the river, to no avail so far. 

My apologies for not citing sources, and for insulting the intelligence of people who are following all of this as closely or closer than I am, but I figured this might be helpful for folks who find it confusing to follow what's going on exactly.

There's another Ukrainian line of attack from the Velyka Novosiika area aiming to eventually make it down to Mariupol. That one is wider than deep. I don't know of any significant gains in the area lately, which doesn't mean there aren't any.

Also, Russian troops are trying to assault Ukrainian positions in the north east of the front by Kreminna. From what I've gathered they've had extremely limited success. Mostly it's considered an attempt to relieve pressure on Bakhmut by forcing Ukraine to send more support for defenses in the region. 

Again, apologies for a lack of citations. Mostly I just wanted to give a bit of an overview for people who are clicking the thread for updates.

[BamaATL 16592]

1 hour ago, SL Xpress said:

Ukrainians making notable progress on three fronts. By notable, I don't necessarily mean a breakthrough is imminent. Just that it's enough to cause concern for the Russians. 

Around Bakhmut Ukrainian forces are close to taking control of "The Ledge" an area just north of Bakhmut. Forces there keep making incremental gains along both the north and south of Bakhmut, as well as some advances farther north of the area in what appears to be an effort to encircle the entire area. 

Along the axis to Tokmak battles are raging in Robotyne (also called the Orekhov axis because that's the main town along the original front line the recent Ukrainian counteroffensive originated from). This is a very defined part of the first line of defense for Russia along the southern front. Break through here and it puts severe pressure on Russia along their entire first line of defense, since it opens up the lines of defense to flanking and attacks from the rear to both the east and west. Currently Ukrainians are fighting for control of the village itself. 

Meanwhile, the Tokmak fortress is one of the most heavily defended locations in all of the southern area of occupation, as well as one of the most critical to hold for Russian forces. 

The third area that's notable - not necessarily for long term success, but for opening up another critical axis of attack - is on the left bank of the Dnipro river across from Kherson. Ukraine managed to get a force across using barges and boats. I had read they had 3 tanks in the area, but I don't know if they're still operational or not. Lots of Russian artillery and even an Iskander missile launched on Ukrainian positions. 

I don't understand completely what the long term goal here is. It's going to be extremely difficult for Ukraine to supply positions on the left bank even now. But if the Russians are completely unable to dislodge Ukrainian forces there - and so far that appears to be the case after almost a week - it makes them vulnerable in the entire area all the way down to the Black Sea. The Russians simply don't have the defenses in terms of men, material, or the kind of hard fortifications that exist further east. Hence the desperation to push the Ukrainians back across the river, to no avail so far. 

My apologies for not citing sources, and for insulting the intelligence of people who are following all of this as closely or closer than I am, but I figured this might be helpful for folks who find it confusing to follow what's going on exactly.

There's another Ukrainian line of attack from the Velyka Novosiika area aiming to eventually make it down to Mariupol. That one is wider than deep. I don't know of any significant gains in the area lately, which doesn't mean there aren't any.

Also, Russian troops are trying to assault Ukrainian positions in the north east of the front by Kreminna. From what I've gathered they've had extremely limited success. Mostly it's considered an attempt to relieve pressure on Bakhmut by forcing Ukraine to send more support for defenses in the region. 

Again, apologies for a lack of citations. Mostly I just wanted to give a bit of an overview for people who are clicking the thread for updates.

As to the left bank of the Dnipro is one of two.

1.  Its a feint of sorts to get Russian reserves stuck in limbo from the main attack in the south.

2.  If they can gain a foothold and get heavy armor in there, it's more lightly defended and could allow them to punch thru in behind the lines in the south.  (this would be an enormously difficult task in my opinion).  

 

I think it's one, but the Ukrainians have continually surprised. 

[Schulz2.0 28764]

A Russian MP is claiming that Russia actually forcibly deported 700,000 children into Russia from Ukraine. The previous estimates were 260,000.

[BamaATL 16592]

4 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said:

A Russian MP is claiming that Russia actually forcibly deported 700,000 children into Russia from Ukraine. The previous estimates were 260,000.

I saw that but I took it to mean that he was referring to the territory seized ("liberated") to include those numbers.  Perhaps it was that?

[BehoId, The Underminer! 11668]

4 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said:

A Russian MP is claiming that Russia actually forcibly deported 700,000 children into Russia from Ukraine. The previous estimates were 260,000.

That’s seems unlikely. 

[KYHorn 16857]

8 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

An American was killed in the strike on a pizza restaurant.

 

 

6 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

There was an American Marine who was killed there as well - happened to be eating there while on break and not out fighting.  Probably why the mixup.

A reporter from the British Telegraph had just left minutes earlier (and unexpectedly due to a last minute interview opportunity). He said the restaurant is frequented by military, but just like any restaurant would be in an area that has an ongoing war. The Ukrainians arrested a guy they said was taking pictures of the location and sending it to the Russians.

[Schulz2.0 28764]

25 minutes ago, BamaATL said:

I saw that but I took it to mean that he was referring to the territory seized ("liberated") to include those numbers.  Perhaps it was that?

Possibly

[Schulz2.0 28764]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/07/02/ukrainian-engineers-are-recovering-the-25-vehicles-ukraine-lost-in-a-russian-minefield-starting-with-an-american-made-m-2/?sh=17a3b0645923

[SquishMitten 10398]

On 6/30/2023 at 9:29 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

I'm torn. On one hand I do enjoy seeing invaders being blown to bits, but on the other I still feel sad for humanity. I have to think not all of the men getting wasted want to be there but have the only choice to either be shot from the front or from the back. 

I say fuck em. Sure, some of them don’t personally want to be there. But most of those guys just wish it were someone else there rather than them.

[Pato del Muerto 52338]

1 hour ago, BehoId, The Underminer! said:

That’s seems unlikely. 

Are you accusing a Russian of lying or spreading disinformation?  

[JesusSweatDuck 17780]

5 hours ago, SL Xpress said:

Russian tank driver charitably clearing their own mines:

 

 

Don't worry, it'll buff out.  

 

That half of a track flying off to the side.  I'm surprised they actually were able to get out of the tank after that.

[Texzilla58 4717]

I’m sure it made transportation easier. And I’m not saying that someone did not think they had a good reason, I’m just saying that the person who made the decision had almost no real world experience in what the people using the equipment would be facing. 
And I’m not gonna say that tungsten was so readily available that we had it coming out our butts, but if you had to choose between creating and transporting an entirely new MBT (in the Pershing) to handle the Panther menace - versus diverting some tungsten to be used in anti-armor shells - it seems to be a no-brainer to give the existing tanks armor piercing shells that will work significantly better.
My dad was in the Ninth Armored  Division, CCB, which took the Ludendorff bridge at Remagen.  They had just been given some Pershing tanks, and while they appreciated their increased fire power, the damn things were too big to go over the bridge once they captured it.  The brilliance of the Sherman tank was that it was simple, reliable, and could be loaded on railway cars and shipped all over the place.   That characteristic let my dad walk in front of his Sherman and guide it across the damaged floor of the bridge at Remagen and set foot in Germany.  They didn’t need the giant damn Pershings so much as they needed better armor piercing ammo.

The unsung story of the allied victory is the massive superiority of our logistics, service and repair capabilities, simplicity of our equipment, and designs made for expediting the task.

The Nazis had such great tanks but if it broke down or was damaged it usually was abandoned. Even in occupied France and the north where they had been for five years they didn’t build shit for mobile services, parts supplies, mechanics or field depots. Your Sherman breaks down and it was repaired roadside or hauled into a shop. They could swap a motor in a few hours. And while blitzkrieg was brilliance in combat, logistically the Wehrmacht was still highly dependent on horses for supplies and troop movements. Allies we’re 100% mechanized except for narrow specific horse ranger needs. The personal accounts of soldiers in France talk about the carnage in Nazi horses, which was shown as rarely as combat human bodies.

They told Nimitz the Yorktown would take 6 months minimum to be seaworthy after coral Sea. He gave them three days to get her ready to sail for Midway. She sailed from Pearl and fought gamely. ‘Merica by damn.

[MillerEP 30339]

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/volodymyr-zelensky-happy-birthday-america-ukraine-freedom-fourth-of-july-24bafddf

Volodymyr Zelensky: Happy Birthday, America
Ukraine is grateful to the U.S. for providing both support for and an example of liberty.
By Volodymyr Zelensky
July 2, 2023 3:42 pm ET

Kyiv, Ukraine

America’s Founders upended history when they forged a republic based on individual freedom and political pluralism, pledging to live as “free and independent states.” It was, and is, the greatest attempt in history to rid mankind of tyranny. They broke with centuries of subservience to create a new type of nation, one where all are equal and live free.

This majestic reality was created on July 4, 1776. On Feb. 24, 2022, we Ukrainians made the same choice. The American people stood with us and, I am sure, will stand with us to the end. Today, as Americans celebrate their freedom and independence, we celebrate with you and envision the day when every inch of Ukraine is free of the cruel tyranny that seeks to extinguish us.

A decade ago the current boss of Russia wrote that “America is not exceptional.” What he did later shows what he really meant. Many tyrants in human history have claimed global influence, but none of them could inspire the rest of the world to strive for the best in human nature. That’s why today’s Russian tyrants, like all tyrants, are fundamentally weak and their regime will crumble over time. When any tyrant hates America and denies its exceptional role in the struggle for freedom, he recognizes his own inevitable defeat. To Russian tyranny I say the world needs more, not less, American exceptionalism.

When Ukrainians took to the streets in 2014 to oust the Russian-backed dictator, they did so because they desperately wanted to be free—to be part of the West, governed by the ideals forged during the American Revolution, the idea “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

When Russia fully invaded Ukraine in 2022, it was an attempt not only to bring the Ukrainian people under Vladimir Putin’s dictatorial rule, but also to extinguish the ideals that inspire people to be free. Since Ukraine gained independence, Ukrainians have always supported democracy, defended the dignity of every person, and strived to live in a free world together with other European nations.

Russian tyranny sees that it is not eternal and not sustainable when it looks at Ukraine—free, independent Ukraine; strong, democratic Ukraine leading to true democracy and freedom spreading here on the eastern flank of Europe, and especially to Russia. Ukraine integrated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the West is a guarantee that freedom will continue to win and peace will triumph.

Russian tyranny is desperately trying to attract other enemies of freedom, in particular the Iranian regime, which tries to threaten free nations all over the world and provides weapons to Russia that kill innocent Ukrainian civilians on a daily basis. If—God forbid—Russia were to succeed in Ukraine, it would further embolden countries like Iran to take up arms against free peoples elsewhere in the world. It would encourage Russia to invade deeper into Europe, bringing it into direct confrontation with NATO.

All such scenarios can be stopped only by the steadfast defense of freedom, those who aspire to freedom, and the alliances created to protect freedom. We Ukrainians and you Americans will never give up on freedom.

[KYHorn 16857]

I assume we'll provide clusters and ATACMS before announcing it...

 

[bolverk 29397]

Translated version of the footage of the Ukrainian capture of a Russian position SL Express posted earlier. It helps to explain the situation with that one Russian lying on the ground with the grenade. Also, the way they treat/talk to that itty-bitty Russian guy makes me think they realize he probably has some intellectual challenges.