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Aug 6, 2023
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Elkekec's avatar

Well, UA manage to attack bridge in Arabat Spit and Chonhar bridge with Storm Shadow missiles today.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F22xG53XEAAmFhc.jpg

Dannylo's avatar

He does speak about ukranian losses, one exemple is the 30 of july post "oldies and boldies"

SK's avatar

UAF still conducts shaping operations - mauling russian units on forward defence postions. There little reason for UAF to advance on well fortified RFAF defence lines, before RFAF runs out of reseves. The only way to see it behind endless cool pics, is go through the list of deployed units and see how they rotated/reinforced. That exactly what Tom Cupper does in most of his posts, lists status of involved units.

BADuBois's avatar

So far, there's never been a weak or ill-sourced posting of yours. Don't know where you find the time!

Denys's avatar

There was a couple of cases when Tom ignored Russian reports about Ukrainian losses in attacks last months.

Marton Sunrise's avatar

Tom has a great bullshit detector.

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Aug 7, 2023Edited
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Marton Sunrise's avatar

Not preachy, pathetic.

Trying to be polite and civil so I chose "pathetic" instead of the word I preferred.

No doubt from the lofty heights of your pulpit you can help me by explaining how to " answer them rationally, based on evidence" when answering to "a couple of cases" without them providing any shred of evidence like date of the claimed losses, where published with date, the location where the losses occurred, which units were involved, etc, etc.

I am not sure which NZZ article you are referring to?

Today they write "The fighting reached Robotine near the small town of Orikhiv, in the south-east Ukrainian troops liberated the village of Staromajorske, and around Bakhmut the Russians had to retreat a few kilometers."

https://www.nzz.ch/international/ukraine-krieg-kiews-offensive-an-der-suedfront-steckt-fest-ld.1749811

Of course, your lack of detail makes it difficult to rationally answer.

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Aug 7, 2023
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Marton Sunrise's avatar

Sadly the truth is not always helpful

Bluebird's avatar

At the beginning of the full-scale war, I read your publication about the number of downed planes. The numbers were very different from ours. It pissed me off. I thought: "He's too picky. This is war, not everything can be identified at once." Then I remembered that it is better to take into account the worst indicators than the best and registered on the website to read you regularly. And she did the right thing. Thank you for your work.

Wen Jian Chung's avatar

The Ukrainian artillery officer known as 'Arty Green' (Yevhen Bekreniev) has stated multiple times that the territory taken is not what is really important in this counteroffensive: it is the ability of the offensive to inflict losses on the Russians while minimising them for the Ukrainians. He compares the situation to that in 1918 for the Imperial German Army, which eventually capitulated in November 1918 despite still holding significant amounts of French territory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrnEPA_Om8g

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Aug 7, 2023
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Wen Jian Chung's avatar

He's not really wrong. The war was won when they failed to take Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa because that means the Russians failed at their war goal of destroying the independent Ukrainian state. Everything after that is gravy.

Sarcastosaurus's avatar

Exactly. At least I can only agree with him.

BTW, as of 2 September 1945, the US-led allies liberated less than 50% of territories captured by Imperial Japan in 1942....

Elena's avatar

It is evidently Putler's order to hold as much of the Ukrainian territory as it is possible regardless of the losses and casualties. From the Soviet sources we know that casualties in the battle for Budapest in WW II amounted to 200 000, and "the liberation" of Berlin took even more. In Russian historical publications of 2000-ies (Utkin, for instance) we find numbers of 5000 000 of the Red Army killed or taken as prisoners during 1941 due to the vain efforts to hold the territory. So Russia will fight for the territory as long as it would be able.

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Aug 7, 2023
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Elena's avatar

Every move of the Red Army was politically determined. Because Stalin personally was never politically or physically responsible for any disastrous military decisions he sent millions to death without hesitation. The details of the WW II may be discussed indefinitely. Concerning the war in Ukraine we can conclude that Putler has no allies, his resources are large but limited, so the West is to blame because of its limited and slow help to Ukraine.

Wen Jian Chung's avatar

He can try like waves against the rocks of the eternal shore. He can crash against them and be broken.

Elena's avatar

Alas Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are killed and wounded. We lose engineers, journalists, actors, IT-specialists and Russia loses mainly convicts and the like. It's a great tragedy of Ukraine.

Jerry Brown's avatar

Thank you for your efforts to inform us about the 2022 Russo-Uko War . Your accounts provide tactical seasonings to the stale propaganda from either side of this conflict.

I think most of your readership understands the strengths and weakness of your product ( a modified form of HUMINT and OSINT). You should not waste your (or our) time writing tirades about the criticism you receive from the Internet of Trolls. If we are reading you, it is because we have drilled down at least two levels of social media commentary to find your writing. If we are casual readers we don’t care about your critics, if we are more focused readers; we understand the limitations of your chosen format. Either way please continue.

One thing that you could do, is cite which maps or charts you are using for your narrative, and a potential source for obtaining such charts. The granularity of your reporting requires a level of cartography that many of us might not have.

Cheers!

JB

James Touza's avatar

Thanks for the review of the mostly ignored Cold War wars in Africa. It’s a good example of what you’re talking about. Russia could sure use the Cubans today.

Alan's avatar

Yes. Indeed with dealing with the prorussian side they live by images only. This most defo doesn't give us the whole story, as well as many edit breaks. Keep doing what you do it's defo a useful view and from what I've seen much is on point where it can be. Great job. 👍

Gary Behrens's avatar

Interesting read Tom thanks

Matus's avatar

I think I got your point already before, but I still appreciate such a clear and detailed example. Thank you.

simon janku's avatar

i enjoyed reading this

Zodiac's avatar

Hello Tom.

Bull's eye about the proliferation on images from the scene. I don't know how many times I've seen western media's image(s) of the destruction of ZSU equipment north of Robotyne first week of the offensive, usually accompanied by harrowing statistics on Ukraine losses in this incident by whose extrapolation one is left to assumed the Ukrainian army will be unquestionability annihilated and the Russian army, led by their assortment of reprieved criminals will be in Kyiv, if not Poland, by Christmas.

Oh well, it's not all that can be found in news organizations referenced and matters with no such graphic presentations can be found depended largely on how earnestly your look. CBS this morning did a nice article on what I would call mass de-mining of an infested area. US army has currently perfected (?) a means of firing a string of munitions over such an area and detonating mines in that field of contact, thereafter proceeding with mine clearing equipment to finish the job for which Ukraine is now employing in "real life" applications. A slow process, but better than trying to locate mines by driving over them.

Another is the new "switch blade" drone. Not something one can stuff in a pack pack, but once deployed, could be extremely effective in taking out enemy mechanized equipment.

Neither of the above techniques is the "magic bullet" unilaterally turning the tide of war, but both may or just may be part of an effective arsenal against the aggressor and more importantly, stem ZSU personnel looses which is apparently of major concern in the Ukrainian press.

Valerio's avatar

Ho, i asked your friendship on FB, why you don't answer?

There're some problems?

Dannylo's avatar

The reason many people monitor the conflict via images and video is becouse they dont have other source, telegram chanels lies, so the only way to monitor for them without access to better sources is that.

Edu Lopez's avatar

Cuito Cuanavale... a good comparison. And something to remind Putin fans:

-USSR (and after that, the RF) fought by proxies whenever it suits them.

-That, in the root of ruZZian invasion are proxy war against Ukrainia in the Donbass.

But today we’re living in a 1sr World images time. Anything that isn’t pictured or videoed “don’t exists”. And people are (be trained to) be lazy, so here is the (des) information’s breeding ground.

Please, Tom, keep both the (clear) info effort, and don’t be timid spicing it with Cold War comparisons. Having a personal interest in Midern African Wars, is a valuable additional benefit.

Michael's avatar

I see the current Ukraine invasion as a proxy was of Russia against the West. Even though Russia itself is in the war the actual troops mainly consist of Ukrainians from the 2014 captured territories, criminals, minorities, political opponents, and other undesirables.

Denys's avatar

They are losing their best equipment and units (VDV)

Vlad's avatar

Great article on the Angola war and its context to the Russian war on Ukraine. History doesn’t repeat but often rhymes...

r3v0lv3r's avatar

Such materials just show me how uneducated i`m about Africa conflict. It`s like Tom giving me piece of detailed information about a battle and i don`t know such war happened.

Michael's avatar

I knew South Africa had troops fighting in Angola but had no idea what it was about.