Thanks Tom! Yes I’m sure that there are lots of POWs but not so excited about this. You can photo them once captured in the bushes, then boarding a truck and finally in some storage facility. Not saying that this is the case but could be. I’d prefer to see more photos of captured vehicles or hear about more strikes in different directions. Anyway, so far so good. First we take Orel, then Voronezh
If the Ukrainian reports about numbers - and nature - of the Russian POWs would be 'unimportant' or 'dubious', then Moscow wouldn't be in a rush to negotiate for their exchange.
I’m sure that there are lots of POWs but just think that the situation is getting exaggerated. At least it will be good if the guys from Mariupol can be exchanged for all these FSBshniks
The Financial Times says 2,000 Russian POWs have been taken in the last two weeks. Ukraine said they took 1,000 in the first week. I've certainly seen a thousand laying on the ground in all the videos I've seen in both weeks, and not everything is filmed.
Additionally, capturing enemy troops is better than killing them. In the mofern age you then have videos of them surrendering and in captivity to show their fellows who are still fighting but perhaps wondering if they really want to die for 'the Motherland...'
It is also a indicator that enemy morale is at least shaken if not broken for at least some soldiers and even units.
And if nothing else, the ammunition that would have been expended to kill them is available to use on those who haven't surrendered...
One also though with POWs doesn't have to deal with those with long memories who may well look for retribution.
My ancestors were from the Balkans where memories of of past 'wrongs' can be held fresh for centuries...
Besides, the dead still have to be dealt with or one will be dealing with potential disease and other problems. Collecting and burying or otherwise disposing of corpses also involves 'logistics.'
That photo of the UA T-72 motoring down the road with a road sign is just art. I mean, that is truly every Private's Dream, to acquire the ultimate room decoration: A road sign from your enemy's territory.
You will see more pics with ZSU units carring such “strange things”. Explanation is quite easy: such signs, tables, flags and decoration elements will be sold on auctions and money collected will be used for unit’s urgent needs: FPVs, equipment etc.
so russkies were to see with TVs, carpets and tea spoons for their families or for pawn shops (to buy vodka and drugs then). Ukrainians are looting russians in order to kill more russians
I have been watching the fight to the west of Avdiivka, and I am wondering about the UA setting the board here. They could have easily turned and forced north or south much sooner and that would have had a major effect. But somehow the UA can hold the flanks but just keeps getting pushed in the center? That just seem very, opportune, to me. Nothing like a nice big bulge in the lines to attack once your enemy runs out of men and materials.
He's implying the opposite. When hard-pressed by Hannibal in the Appenine peninsula, Romans sent Scipio to Africa. It effectively ended Hannibals rampage because the Carthaginian elites demanded from Hannibal to immediately return home to defend Carthage.
I think you are skipping some years of warfare there. Cannae was in 216 BC. Hannibal was recalled in 202 (and then fougth and lost the battle of Zama ) at a time when Rome definetly was the stronger part. But the idea you imply is sound. And Rome allways fougth in other theatres than Italy, no matter where Hannibal rampaged. So, yes.
Still can't understand why at such a critical point in war US and UK are still being so incredibly short-sighted or should I say dumb, to not finally allow Ukraine to strike anywhere in Russia with MLRSs, ATACAMs and Storm Shadows. I can't see any arguments in favour of Ukraine not using those on Russian soil. Any. Especially now.
They're not short sighted, they're doing exactly what they need to achieve their own goals.
Zelensky said US and allies don't want Russia to lose. He also said they don't want Ukraine to lose either.
Ex head of Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Masrk Milley said this war will probably go for 10 years.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin both said the goal was to reduce Russia's offensive capability. Austin literally said the goal was to bleed Russia.
SO US/NATO DOES NOT WANT UKRAINE TO WIN IN SUCH A MANNER THAT RUSSIA WOULD BE PERCEIVED TO HAVE LOST.
Their main stated objectives are to bleed Russia. That means a long war (10 years as Milley said).
If they gave Ukraine all the help they really needed, the war would be short and Russia defeated quickly and less painfully for Russia than a long period of military conflict and economic sanctions.
Ultimately US/NATO doesn't care about Ukraine. Remember they too invade countries illegally (eg Iraq), illegally destroy countries with military means (eg Libya) or support other allies in illegally attacking or sewing discord in other countries (eg Saudi Arabia in Yemen, Turkey in Syria and Iraq or Saudis/Qataris etc in Syria, Libya etc)
Ukraine is a chess piece. US/NATO are happy to bleed Russia to the last Ukrainian.
These Russian "battalions," "regiments", "brigades" and "divisions" - are they really at the strengths they're meant to be?
Eg even a Russian infantry battalion should be around 540 men. But in Chechnya, Georgia and Ukraine, Russian battalions seem really weak - often 200 men and often less (a reinforced company at best).
Same for regiments (2000 men) and brigades (3000-4500). But in just about every war since 1991 Russian regiments have often had only 1-2 understrength battalions (400 men).
Brigades and Divisions are harder to determine but these should be potent formations with 3000-4500 (brigade) and 10000 men and huge amounts of vehicles and materiel.
But it doesn't matter which war we look at (Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine), Russian brigades and now divisions are pitifully weak, small and incapable of mass combined arms.
Eg before Ukraine, your average Russian brigade could only deploy 1 or 2 battalion tactical groups which had a 200-ish infantry, 1-2 tank companies (22 vehicles) and 12-18 artillery with limited IADS, EW, recce or AND NO LOGISTICS.
BTGs are now gone for most part and Russians are meant to have created full size units.
Yet it still appears your average battalion is 200-ish men and you're average regiment is 400-ish.
IS THIS A CASE OF GHOST SOLIDERS AND SELF AGGRANDISMENT?
Eg Ghost Soldiers: Russian commander claims he has 540 men when in fact he has 200 men. But he still collects salaries for 540. And Russian command assumes his unit is fully combat capable and send them into attack when they're only barely fit for static defense.
Eg Self Aggrandisement: Russian command keeps creating new units so the army looks like its growing. You end up with lots of hollowed out unit with little of no value but it looks impressive on maps and orbats.
Germans did this at the end of the world - eg Panzer Division Muncheberg which was really a brigade size unit and a couple of weak companies of armoured vehicles and most of the SS divisions from 21st SS Division onwards.
So, even if we don't all know the ZSU's true goals in Kursk, are you of the opinion that the goals achieved there so far have been worthwhile compared to the losses in the Donbass?
Secondly, manpower is what Russia lacks the least, so these many prisoners are "nice to have" and good for PR, but not in a military sense for Ukraine, right?
Thirdly, from afar and with only limited information, I have the impression that Putin and Co. don't want to defend the Kursk region all that vigorously, do they? A lot is said, but in reality I have the impression that only the most necessary personnel are being sent there to keep the Ukrainians busy, but beyond that, in Moscow, people are of the opinion that the ZSU can let off steam a bit and the Russians will continue to pursue their goals in the Donbass. What do you think about that?
Russia has been burning up all its available recruiting capacity, about 30 000 men per month. Now, with high losses in the new region and hundreds of kilometers of the border to defend, they simply don't have the reserves, and they cannot recruit faster than they do now.
One of the proofs is that they promise a payment of 2 000 000 rubles to recruits in Moscow, up from about 200 000 a year ago. Another proof is that they are both moving in units from the combat areas of Ukraine and are using conscripts.
FSB is intelligence services. They don't fight, they try to cheat their way through if it is a fight. Normally they ate just beating people up that are weaker.
Well, somehow their counterparts from SBU are the ones capturing lots of POWs from field fortifications... Probably also involved some "cheating", but who cares if it works? :)
ICBMs - maybe, but there were reports about navy personnel 'retrained' as land troops, and submarine crew is exactly about goin' unnoticed so I have some doubts about that part...
I sure hope you can expand on this in the coming days.
If JDAM and HAMMER targets are pre-input before a mission, that's a very tight spot-strike loop. Sucks Ukraine lost another MiG pilot though. And here the Pentagon is dangling JASSMs, starting that cruel little game up again...
And the Pentagon dangling with JASSMs... 'typical Pentagon'.
I'm sure you know, there's no way the People in Need of Fresh Air might let the 'pesky Ukrainians install pesky EU-pean Storm Shadows on "their holly" F-16s...'
Be kind of amusing when old Mirage 2000s show up to launch freshly-made SCALPs.
Meanwhile Americans experten be all "oh no, if UKR gets D model AMRAAMs then we won't have enough to fight China and they'll learn all our secrets too!"
Interesting that the Pentagon jumped to flashy JASSM (let's not get into how that sounds to an American ear if said in a certain context) and not the humble but plentiful JSOW.
To be defeated in battle is one thing. To be defeated in battle on your home turf, another. To be defeated on your home turf AND captured in large numbers AND some of those captured to be amongst your best or at least important troops...that's very bad indeed. It goes beyond embarrassing. Excellent, and I shall admit, most pleasing reporting 👍.
Also you should understand the context - to be defeated on hume turf by khohkols, that's humiliating blow to Russian supremacists (and their Great Captain Pudding).
Thanks for the update. You wrote that the current law prohibits the deployment of recruits outside Russia and that a mass of scared teenagers may soon be used by the indifferent FSB to prop up the gaps. I wonder if killing callow recruits might be one of the Ukrainians objectives. Nobody in Russia cares how many of the volunteers are killed but if young middle class ethnic Russian recruits are killed things may start to change
Getting conscripts killed or captured does seem bad, but I'm not sure about its overall effect, at least not at this early point. As far as I know, better-off Russian families usually manage to avoid their son being conscripted altogether - they may have the money or connections to get a medical waiver, for example. In Soviet times, it was also customary to get them in the KGB, which was not a military agency but still considered service. Not sure if the FSB still does it, but in any case, if you get conscripted into the army as a middle-class youth, you're considered to be a loser.
«All well-to-do Russian families arrange that their sons never serve in Russian army. Only poor serve» – The same applies to wealthy Ukrainian families who buy their relatives out of military service.
As in all post-Soviet countries, the current system of oligarchs and looters is the embodiment of this corruption. This system actually creates corruption and leads it. Give you specific examples? For example: this "Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine" was created by the system of oligarchs to control themselves. In fact, the system put its own people in this public council. All those who should control the Ministry of Defense belong to specific oligarchs. There is a certain Dana Yarova in this public council, she is related to the corrupt Serhiy Pashinsky, who in turn won 22 tenders for the supply of weapons and food. The famous scandal involving the purchase of "eggs for 17 hryvnias" is his business. Pashinsky owns the company "Ukrainian armored vehicles". Pashinsky himself works with you know who? Yes, he is related to Powder (Waltzman). Dana Yarova, in turn, pretends to be a volunteer, but receives a salary from the state for this. Yarova also supplies the army with military uniforms from its sewing enterprise. Yarova was also part of Poroshenko's screen party "Democratic Ax" created by Oleksandr Noynits. Neunitz worked for Yanukovych and worked for the FSB in Russia.
You see, I'm just as weird as Tom. I have been following everything that is happening in Ukraine and the world since 2014. I have a certain accumulated background and therefore it is very difficult to deceive me. I can easily prove the connection between Trump, Poroshenko and Putin based on concrete facts.
In your opinion, exposing looters and their looting schemes is all sorts of nonsense that should not be paid attention to? Hmm... I understand where this logic is coming from. You just need to not pay attention to anything, but hope for a bright future in the “brave new world.” Right? Our elites are protecting us. They are like angels descended from heaven. Holy and immaculate. Under no circumstances should you criticize them. Right?
Compared to most news outlets, the best take on the operation by far.
It also seems to me that Russia' greatest weakness in Kursk is "group cohesion"--the invisible links that tie men and units together up and down the chain. It involves trust, common operating procedures, and a common will to win.
But someone like Dyumin is probably the least likely person to understand this. He'll just assume the units posted on his map will behave like he tells them. And when they don't, neither he nor Putin will understand the real problem. People like Gerasimov and Lapin aren't geniuses, but they do know basic soldiering.
So Russia will continue to lose in Donbas--while Putin will be listening more and more to military quacks.
Ah, I’m delighted to see you’ve abandoned your futile attempts at sarcasm, so evident in your previous article. For example, not providing a map of the Ukrainian forces’ withdrawal from the Kursk region really undercut the joke’s impact, just as everyone anticipated. The good news? I never expected sarcasm from a German. And yes, according to all Easterners, Austrians are 90% German and 10% under the delusion that they’re different.
Naturally, we all know that Germans are genetically incapable of joking. Should they even attempt it, the heavens would open and divine punishment would befall the foolish German who dared to defy the world’s logic. What more proof does one need to confirm that Tom isn’t sarcastic? After all, he remains in good health and has not yet been smitten by the heavens.
Like
Thanks Tom! Yes I’m sure that there are lots of POWs but not so excited about this. You can photo them once captured in the bushes, then boarding a truck and finally in some storage facility. Not saying that this is the case but could be. I’d prefer to see more photos of captured vehicles or hear about more strikes in different directions. Anyway, so far so good. First we take Orel, then Voronezh
If the Ukrainian reports about numbers - and nature - of the Russian POWs would be 'unimportant' or 'dubious', then Moscow wouldn't be in a rush to negotiate for their exchange.
I’m sure that there are lots of POWs but just think that the situation is getting exaggerated. At least it will be good if the guys from Mariupol can be exchanged for all these FSBshniks
The Financial Times says 2,000 Russian POWs have been taken in the last two weeks. Ukraine said they took 1,000 in the first week. I've certainly seen a thousand laying on the ground in all the videos I've seen in both weeks, and not everything is filmed.
Additionally, capturing enemy troops is better than killing them. In the mofern age you then have videos of them surrendering and in captivity to show their fellows who are still fighting but perhaps wondering if they really want to die for 'the Motherland...'
It is also a indicator that enemy morale is at least shaken if not broken for at least some soldiers and even units.
And if nothing else, the ammunition that would have been expended to kill them is available to use on those who haven't surrendered...
Dead or captured is irrelevant really. Lots of dead is certainly easier to manage logistically as you don't have to look after them.
One also though with POWs doesn't have to deal with those with long memories who may well look for retribution.
My ancestors were from the Balkans where memories of of past 'wrongs' can be held fresh for centuries...
Besides, the dead still have to be dealt with or one will be dealing with potential disease and other problems. Collecting and burying or otherwise disposing of corpses also involves 'logistics.'
Hello, Tom. Thanks for the update! Can you give a link or some more info about the urgent exchange negotiations?
Thank you. Hopefully, this is the last effort of the Russian Armed Forces
That photo of the UA T-72 motoring down the road with a road sign is just art. I mean, that is truly every Private's Dream, to acquire the ultimate room decoration: A road sign from your enemy's territory.
You will see more pics with ZSU units carring such “strange things”. Explanation is quite easy: such signs, tables, flags and decoration elements will be sold on auctions and money collected will be used for unit’s urgent needs: FPVs, equipment etc.
so russkies were to see with TVs, carpets and tea spoons for their families or for pawn shops (to buy vodka and drugs then). Ukrainians are looting russians in order to kill more russians
Already using them as prizes for donations, etc.: https://www.youtube.com/live/hCpv2q6Qbnk?feature=shared
Exactly what i have ment!
I have been watching the fight to the west of Avdiivka, and I am wondering about the UA setting the board here. They could have easily turned and forced north or south much sooner and that would have had a major effect. But somehow the UA can hold the flanks but just keeps getting pushed in the center? That just seem very, opportune, to me. Nothing like a nice big bulge in the lines to attack once your enemy runs out of men and materials.
Perhaps the Genstab-U has someone who has been reading a history of the Second Punic War and a biography of Hannibal???
They sure have. Thats the problem. Every general has wet dreams about reenacting Cannee. Rarely happened.
He's implying the opposite. When hard-pressed by Hannibal in the Appenine peninsula, Romans sent Scipio to Africa. It effectively ended Hannibals rampage because the Carthaginian elites demanded from Hannibal to immediately return home to defend Carthage.
I think you are skipping some years of warfare there. Cannae was in 216 BC. Hannibal was recalled in 202 (and then fougth and lost the battle of Zama ) at a time when Rome definetly was the stronger part. But the idea you imply is sound. And Rome allways fougth in other theatres than Italy, no matter where Hannibal rampaged. So, yes.
Thanks Tom another interesting report, lots of information to digest
Still can't understand why at such a critical point in war US and UK are still being so incredibly short-sighted or should I say dumb, to not finally allow Ukraine to strike anywhere in Russia with MLRSs, ATACAMs and Storm Shadows. I can't see any arguments in favour of Ukraine not using those on Russian soil. Any. Especially now.
They haven't just been short-sighted at this critical point in the war, but all the others before, as well.
Its not shortsighted. As mentioned above it's deliberate. TL'DR Zelensky said west doesn't want Russia to lose, nor does it want Ukraine to lose.
They're not short sighted, they're doing exactly what they need to achieve their own goals.
Zelensky said US and allies don't want Russia to lose. He also said they don't want Ukraine to lose either.
Ex head of Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Masrk Milley said this war will probably go for 10 years.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin both said the goal was to reduce Russia's offensive capability. Austin literally said the goal was to bleed Russia.
SO US/NATO DOES NOT WANT UKRAINE TO WIN IN SUCH A MANNER THAT RUSSIA WOULD BE PERCEIVED TO HAVE LOST.
Their main stated objectives are to bleed Russia. That means a long war (10 years as Milley said).
If they gave Ukraine all the help they really needed, the war would be short and Russia defeated quickly and less painfully for Russia than a long period of military conflict and economic sanctions.
Ultimately US/NATO doesn't care about Ukraine. Remember they too invade countries illegally (eg Iraq), illegally destroy countries with military means (eg Libya) or support other allies in illegally attacking or sewing discord in other countries (eg Saudi Arabia in Yemen, Turkey in Syria and Iraq or Saudis/Qataris etc in Syria, Libya etc)
Ukraine is a chess piece. US/NATO are happy to bleed Russia to the last Ukrainian.
A 10 years war in that style and that is the end of the
Russian population. Quite terrible as well for Ukraine.
Well the US was the most powerful when the rest of the world was laying in ashes.
These Russian "battalions," "regiments", "brigades" and "divisions" - are they really at the strengths they're meant to be?
Eg even a Russian infantry battalion should be around 540 men. But in Chechnya, Georgia and Ukraine, Russian battalions seem really weak - often 200 men and often less (a reinforced company at best).
Same for regiments (2000 men) and brigades (3000-4500). But in just about every war since 1991 Russian regiments have often had only 1-2 understrength battalions (400 men).
Brigades and Divisions are harder to determine but these should be potent formations with 3000-4500 (brigade) and 10000 men and huge amounts of vehicles and materiel.
But it doesn't matter which war we look at (Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine), Russian brigades and now divisions are pitifully weak, small and incapable of mass combined arms.
Eg before Ukraine, your average Russian brigade could only deploy 1 or 2 battalion tactical groups which had a 200-ish infantry, 1-2 tank companies (22 vehicles) and 12-18 artillery with limited IADS, EW, recce or AND NO LOGISTICS.
BTGs are now gone for most part and Russians are meant to have created full size units.
Yet it still appears your average battalion is 200-ish men and you're average regiment is 400-ish.
IS THIS A CASE OF GHOST SOLIDERS AND SELF AGGRANDISMENT?
Eg Ghost Soldiers: Russian commander claims he has 540 men when in fact he has 200 men. But he still collects salaries for 540. And Russian command assumes his unit is fully combat capable and send them into attack when they're only barely fit for static defense.
Eg Self Aggrandisement: Russian command keeps creating new units so the army looks like its growing. You end up with lots of hollowed out unit with little of no value but it looks impressive on maps and orbats.
Germans did this at the end of the world - eg Panzer Division Muncheberg which was really a brigade size unit and a couple of weak companies of armoured vehicles and most of the SS divisions from 21st SS Division onwards.
So, even if we don't all know the ZSU's true goals in Kursk, are you of the opinion that the goals achieved there so far have been worthwhile compared to the losses in the Donbass?
Secondly, manpower is what Russia lacks the least, so these many prisoners are "nice to have" and good for PR, but not in a military sense for Ukraine, right?
Thirdly, from afar and with only limited information, I have the impression that Putin and Co. don't want to defend the Kursk region all that vigorously, do they? A lot is said, but in reality I have the impression that only the most necessary personnel are being sent there to keep the Ukrainians busy, but beyond that, in Moscow, people are of the opinion that the ZSU can let off steam a bit and the Russians will continue to pursue their goals in the Donbass. What do you think about that?
Russia has been burning up all its available recruiting capacity, about 30 000 men per month. Now, with high losses in the new region and hundreds of kilometers of the border to defend, they simply don't have the reserves, and they cannot recruit faster than they do now.
One of the proofs is that they promise a payment of 2 000 000 rubles to recruits in Moscow, up from about 200 000 a year ago. Another proof is that they are both moving in units from the combat areas of Ukraine and are using conscripts.
Putin sent with Dyumin basically his own to fix it. That is definitely very important to him.
it will be VERY interesting to see FSB facing off battle-hardened veterans from Ukraine
FSB is intelligence services. They don't fight, they try to cheat their way through if it is a fight. Normally they ate just beating people up that are weaker.
So yes, plenty of POW are waiting to be taken.
Well, somehow their counterparts from SBU are the ones capturing lots of POWs from field fortifications... Probably also involved some "cheating", but who cares if it works? :)
Thanks for the update!
That long list of unit pieces... Does Russia even has anything left what's more or less whole?
Submarines and the troops for the ICBMs I guess.
ICBMs - maybe, but there were reports about navy personnel 'retrained' as land troops, and submarine crew is exactly about goin' unnoticed so I have some doubts about that part...
Plenty of Russian submarines are armed with nukes. That's why I picked rhem and not the navy as a whole.
Now some Russian channels inform about a second column near Korenevo being cooked a la Rylsk
Some 8-9 columns were 'cooked' that way - but all by JDAMs and/or HAMMERs.
I sure hope you can expand on this in the coming days.
If JDAM and HAMMER targets are pre-input before a mission, that's a very tight spot-strike loop. Sucks Ukraine lost another MiG pilot though. And here the Pentagon is dangling JASSMs, starting that cruel little game up again...
I am intending to do so, yes.
And the Pentagon dangling with JASSMs... 'typical Pentagon'.
I'm sure you know, there's no way the People in Need of Fresh Air might let the 'pesky Ukrainians install pesky EU-pean Storm Shadows on "their holly" F-16s...'
Be kind of amusing when old Mirage 2000s show up to launch freshly-made SCALPs.
Meanwhile Americans experten be all "oh no, if UKR gets D model AMRAAMs then we won't have enough to fight China and they'll learn all our secrets too!"
Interesting that the Pentagon jumped to flashy JASSM (let's not get into how that sounds to an American ear if said in a certain context) and not the humble but plentiful JSOW.
A little correction: ATB is not a little shop network, is THE SHOP NETWORK of Ukraine
A big network of small shops 😂
Evidently you have never seen a ATB-shop.
Oh, beleive me) 90% of their trade premises are 500-600 m2. That is precisely “small shop” format or магазин-у-дома (corner store)
Funny thing is, I don't recall ever seeing one from the inside either. Silpo, Novus, Furshet, Fora, Auchan - yes, sure. ATB? Never...
To be defeated in battle is one thing. To be defeated in battle on your home turf, another. To be defeated on your home turf AND captured in large numbers AND some of those captured to be amongst your best or at least important troops...that's very bad indeed. It goes beyond embarrassing. Excellent, and I shall admit, most pleasing reporting 👍.
Also you should understand the context - to be defeated on hume turf by khohkols, that's humiliating blow to Russian supremacists (and their Great Captain Pudding).
Thanks for the update. You wrote that the current law prohibits the deployment of recruits outside Russia and that a mass of scared teenagers may soon be used by the indifferent FSB to prop up the gaps. I wonder if killing callow recruits might be one of the Ukrainians objectives. Nobody in Russia cares how many of the volunteers are killed but if young middle class ethnic Russian recruits are killed things may start to change
Getting conscripts killed or captured does seem bad, but I'm not sure about its overall effect, at least not at this early point. As far as I know, better-off Russian families usually manage to avoid their son being conscripted altogether - they may have the money or connections to get a medical waiver, for example. In Soviet times, it was also customary to get them in the KGB, which was not a military agency but still considered service. Not sure if the FSB still does it, but in any case, if you get conscripted into the army as a middle-class youth, you're considered to be a loser.
All well-to-do Russian families arrange that their sons never serve in Russian army. Only poor serve.
«All well-to-do Russian families arrange that their sons never serve in Russian army. Only poor serve» – The same applies to wealthy Ukrainian families who buy their relatives out of military service.
I see that the aim of your activities is to present Ukraine as an embodiment of vice and corruption.
As in all post-Soviet countries, the current system of oligarchs and looters is the embodiment of this corruption. This system actually creates corruption and leads it. Give you specific examples? For example: this "Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine" was created by the system of oligarchs to control themselves. In fact, the system put its own people in this public council. All those who should control the Ministry of Defense belong to specific oligarchs. There is a certain Dana Yarova in this public council, she is related to the corrupt Serhiy Pashinsky, who in turn won 22 tenders for the supply of weapons and food. The famous scandal involving the purchase of "eggs for 17 hryvnias" is his business. Pashinsky owns the company "Ukrainian armored vehicles". Pashinsky himself works with you know who? Yes, he is related to Powder (Waltzman). Dana Yarova, in turn, pretends to be a volunteer, but receives a salary from the state for this. Yarova also supplies the army with military uniforms from its sewing enterprise. Yarova was also part of Poroshenko's screen party "Democratic Ax" created by Oleksandr Noynits. Neunitz worked for Yanukovych and worked for the FSB in Russia.
You see, I'm just as weird as Tom. I have been following everything that is happening in Ukraine and the world since 2014. I have a certain accumulated background and therefore it is very difficult to deceive me. I can easily prove the connection between Trump, Poroshenko and Putin based on concrete facts.
You would better improve your English instead of writing all sorts of nonsense.
In your opinion, exposing looters and their looting schemes is all sorts of nonsense that should not be paid attention to? Hmm... I understand where this logic is coming from. You just need to not pay attention to anything, but hope for a bright future in the “brave new world.” Right? Our elites are protecting us. They are like angels descended from heaven. Holy and immaculate. Under no circumstances should you criticize them. Right?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/world/europe/ukraine-arms-dealer-serhiy-pashinsky.html
«Дана Ярова на посаді заступниці Умєрова буде працювати на Пашинського – ЗМІ»
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.lenta.ua/dana-yarova-na-posadi-zastupnitsi-umerova-bude-pratsyuvati-na-pashinskogo-zmi-145564/
Thanks Tom.!
Compared to most news outlets, the best take on the operation by far.
It also seems to me that Russia' greatest weakness in Kursk is "group cohesion"--the invisible links that tie men and units together up and down the chain. It involves trust, common operating procedures, and a common will to win.
But someone like Dyumin is probably the least likely person to understand this. He'll just assume the units posted on his map will behave like he tells them. And when they don't, neither he nor Putin will understand the real problem. People like Gerasimov and Lapin aren't geniuses, but they do know basic soldiering.
So Russia will continue to lose in Donbas--while Putin will be listening more and more to military quacks.
Who will just make things worse...
Dyumin probably also believes that when the military assigned him a unit its fully staffed and equipped.
Lets hope so.
Ah, I’m delighted to see you’ve abandoned your futile attempts at sarcasm, so evident in your previous article. For example, not providing a map of the Ukrainian forces’ withdrawal from the Kursk region really undercut the joke’s impact, just as everyone anticipated. The good news? I never expected sarcasm from a German. And yes, according to all Easterners, Austrians are 90% German and 10% under the delusion that they’re different.
Naturally, we all know that Germans are genetically incapable of joking. Should they even attempt it, the heavens would open and divine punishment would befall the foolish German who dared to defy the world’s logic. What more proof does one need to confirm that Tom isn’t sarcastic? After all, he remains in good health and has not yet been smitten by the heavens.
But those 10 percent… they do make a difference…
> Austrians are 90% German
You have no idea about us Austrians, but that's what the typical German immigrant believes until he or she is confronted with daily life in Kakanien.
Austria and Germany are separated by the same language, as Karl Kraus has put it.