Ukraine Conflict - "A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny"

[Malcador]

17 hours ago, Lexx said:

Apparently there is rumors about tactical nukes being transported to crimea. How much truth is in it, who knows.

Haven't seen those. Apparently lots of armor leaving Crimea though, Kherson I guess?

[xzar_monty]

I suppose there's rumours about everything. I'm reminded of an exchange of words from the Sandman (comic). "Only a fool listens to rumours." "Only a fool ignores them." I'd have to concur with both.

 

And in other news, this: https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/08/28/russian-war-correspondent-dmitry-litovkin-dies-suddenly/

There are plenty of other sources for this, too; please don't read this as an endorsement of this particular outlet. I don't know what to make of this news, but there sure are plenty of deaths like this these days.

Edited August 28, 2022 by xzar_monty

[xzar_monty]

According to British intelligence, Shoigu has been sidelined. That's an interesting development, if true.

Not uncommonly for a current Russian leader, Shoigu has no real expertise in his field: he has mostly worked in construction and the Ministry of Emergency Situtations.

[Lexx]

Meh, whatever they say. I still remember when everyone said he was dead.

[xzar_monty]

I never saw mention of his death in any credible media; not even his two heart attacks (which probably never happened) were mentioned in credible media, at least in the credible media that I read.

So "when everyone said he was dead" is a bit hyperbolic. But yeah, talk of his death falls into the category of "there's rumours about everything" (see above).

 

AND TWO HOURS LATER: apparently Ukraine has started its counteroffensive in the south. This may be big news.

Edited August 29, 2022 by xzar_monty

[Mamoulian War]

Big news from Kherson Oblast.

So far only mention by a Czech journalist on his Facebook, but I will post any credible link as soon as I find it:

 

"Ukrainians broke through the Russian first line of defense near Kherson a few minutes ago. From the pieces of messages you can guess that it is definitely not a small thing.

 

- Ukrainians have hit several Russian bases, rallies and supply routes since morning (N. Kakhovka, kherson, Beryslav... ).

- They also hit several bridges at the same time and destroyed one, including a Russian column.

- The Kherson Occupation Administration called on the city residents this morning to build supplies and prepare shelters.

- For the first time ever, Ukrainians used HIMARS at night to hit the front line, instead of firing at the tile.

- Now the Ukrainians made a large combined strike (airforce, artillery, tanks and infantry) on the front line of defense on the Kherson front.

- As a result of the strike, part of the Russian defense line collapsed, 109. a regiment of Donetsk separatists, which defended the section, left their positions and the Russian VDV, who were supposed to support the defense allegedly fled the battlefield.

- on Kherson and N. More and more explosions continue in Kakhovke."

Edited August 29, 2022 by Mamoulian War

[Mamoulian War]

So far I have found this news: Ukrainian General Valerii Zaluzhnyi has confirmend one liberated village near the Inhulets river bridgehead.

CNN, at the end of the "full conversation, you can find link to their article:

 

Russian RIA Novosti has informed, that people are evacuating from workplaces into shelters in Nova Kakhovka.

And the spokeperson of Ukrainian army has confirmed, that UA has launched offnesive on several directions in Southern Ukraine.

https://t.me/hromadske_ua/24348

And here is the article in Ukrainskaya Pravda about the breakhtrough mentioned in my previous post, but their sources confirmed it only at some places:

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/08/29/7365196/

EDIT: And personal opinion of one of the war correspondents from Kyiv Independent:

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Mamoulian War

[Malcador]

Guess it's finally happening.

[rjshae]

Talk about telegraphing their punches. I guess it's hard to hide preparations given all the recon technology these days.

[Malcador]

30 minutes ago, rjshae said:

Talk about telegraphing their punches. I guess it's hard to hide preparations given all the recon technology these days.

Ukraine's OPSEC (writing that makes me feel like the equivalent of a military full kit wanker) has been pretty good.

This is all "battlefield shaping" apparently, though.

[Zoraptor]

Their OPSEC has been pretty rubbish, which is why Zelensky fired a bunch of Intelligence people a few weeks back and why they banned photographing military equipment earlier than that. They just haven't been posting detailed plans to Twitter. They also have an inexhaustible horde of people willing to explain how every move is genius- eg the July Kherson offensive didn't fail, it was just to divert Russian resources.

Guess at some stage they're actually going to do something in Kherson, but we're near the Isonzo River number of battles, on social media. eg, the August offensive (1st, twitter, when they recaptured '20 villages'; not 2nd, ongoing)

8 August 2022, after the 1st August Ukrainian offensive (twitter)

22 August 2022

I don't think anyone believes the Russians actually recaptured all that land.

[Mamoulian War]

If you want to look at some good map of the gains and loses, I recommend this one:

https://deepstatemap.live/en#12.25/47.3020/33.7324

much less bull**** than on the other available maps.

Also more reports from today emerged. The explosions are reported all over the Kherson Oblast in the right bank of Dnepr. There are also reports of simultaneous local counteroffensive in Zaporizhia Oblast, where some villages might have been liberated as well, and a lot of explosions also happening in Melitopol, with partisan doing their job. Russians fled/abandoned the military hospital in Melitopol among the expolsions and attacks.

Biggest success so far near Inhulets bridgehead, 3 villages liberated for now, but the situation is still considered fluid and this might change during the night. Another reported big success is in the north of Kherson Oblast, where one of the main Russian fortifications in the town of Arkhangelske allegedly fallen, and it is rumoured, that this town was liberated as well. This one is for me a little bit to good to be true news, so we’ll see in day or two. Also small village of Zolota Balka in northern Kherson close to Dnepr might have been liberated as well. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Mamoulian War

[Malcador]

So Kherson retaken by Friday ?

32 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

They also have an inexhaustible horde of people willing to explain how every move is genius

Kirby's always amusing. 

https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-08-29-22#h_e3689c316a46e6ec6d7bd5352ce23da8

Also amusing is that Russian report on what Ukrainian equipment they took out.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Malcador

[BruceVC]

8 hours ago, Malcador said:

So Kherson retaken by Friday ?

Kirby's always amusing. 

https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-08-29-22#h_e3689c316a46e6ec6d7bd5352ce23da8

Also amusing is that Russian report on what Ukrainian equipment they took out.

I find Kirby to be reasonable and not prone to hyperbole most of the time 

He has a long history of being a spokesman for numerous US military institutions and he use to often appear on CNN  during Trumps presidency as a guest to give his opinion on military developments and explain things to viewers 

 

[BruceVC]

So artistic and brilliant 

 

Edited August 30, 2022 by BruceVC

[xzar_monty]

21 minutes ago, BruceVC said:

So artistic and brilliant 

Sorry for not taking humour as humour, but it's neither artistic nor brilliant. You do recognize, of course, that the same dehumanizing rhetoric is used on the Russian side, too? So where's the difference, then? There isn't one.

Another example of the same phenomenon would be an American Democrat dehumanizing an American Republican with the same vitriol that the Republican uses to dehumanize the Democrat. Once you sink to that level, it doesn't matter which side you're on, because the problem is in the fact that you sank to that level.

[Mamoulian War]

Found this tweet yesterday, UA government continues to ride the troll wave against Russia, which they used on numerous occasion before. Made me chuckle little bit 

 

[BruceVC]

37 minutes ago, xzar_monty said:

Sorry for not taking humour as humour, but it's neither artistic nor brilliant. You do recognize, of course, that the same dehumanizing rhetoric is used on the Russian side, too? So where's the difference, then? There isn't one.

Another example of the same phenomenon would be an American Democrat dehumanizing an American Republican with the same vitriol that the Republican uses to dehumanize the Democrat. Once you sink to that level, it doesn't matter which side you're on, because the problem is in the fact that you sank to that level.

I hear you but its still funny, I guess I have sunk 

[xzar_monty]

10 minutes ago, BruceVC said:

I hear you but its still funny, I guess I have sunk 

A conversation between two Russians on a Russian street during this war:

"What's your favorite brand of car?"

"Lada."

"Lada? You're crazy! Clearly you don't know cars."

"I do know cars, but I don't know you."

 

I found that funnier.

Edited August 30, 2022 by xzar_monty

[Gorth]

A slightly more serious insight into life in Russia at the moment... People are tired of this "Special Military Operation"

 

[Mamoulian War]

More info on what was going on yesterday…

And as they say, rats flee the sinking ship always first…

 

Edited August 30, 2022 by Mamoulian War

[BruceVC]

1 hour ago, Gorth said:

A slightly more serious insight into life in Russia at the moment... People are tired of this "Special Military Operation"

 

Another great video from Natasha, keep them coming. You can learn more from these honest opinions on life in Russia and how the propaganda machinery works and has been implemented than many established news  channels who dont have this level of visibility and connection to Russia

It also reminds us how many Russians are opposed to Putins War but they cannot do anything about it because in an autocratic state with no freedom of speech or right to protest you are limited 

I am just genuinely worried about her freedom, I hope she doesnt get arrested ?

[Malcador]

2 hours ago, Gorth said:

A slightly more serious insight into life in Russia at the moment... People are tired of this "Special Military Operation"

 

Shame she's planning to leave, was interesting to see things about Khabarovsk and the east part of Russia. If she ends up in the US, not much point watching.

[Mamoulian War]

More trolling by Ukrainian Government 

 

[Sarex]

1 hour ago, Malcador said:

If she ends up in the US, not much point watching.

You mean in Serbia?