Crosswords1 min ago
Ukraine’s Victory Is Closer Than Ever
Superb, upbeat article in today's Telegraph which closes;
Russia seems to be in the grip of a mass psychosis – a regression to a mythical past that increasingly collides with the reality of violent death on an industrial scale. Few return from the killing fields of Ukraine to tell the tale, but defeat on the battlefield is an incontrovertible argument.
If the Russians cannot hold the line in Zaporizhzhia, they could well suffer a rout – as happened last year near Kharkiv. This time, however, the Ukrainians are far better prepared to exploit a localised collapse to drive a wedge between Russian occupiers in Donetsk to the east and the Black Sea coast, including Crimea, to the south.
The war seems to be approaching the point that the First World War reached on August 8, 1918. This has gone down in history in General Ludendorff’s phrase as “the black day of the German Army” – the day the Allied tanks broke through at Amiens and began a 100-day campaign that ended the war.
Ukraine has the tanks, it has the men and it has Zelensky too. This battle-hardened but by no means war-weary people, its national identity forged in adversity, is fighting to liberate all of its land – Crimea included.
With or without Western support and sanctions, Ukraine will fight on until Putin’s evil empire is defeated.
Russia seems to be in the grip of a mass psychosis – a regression to a mythical past that increasingly collides with the reality of violent death on an industrial scale. Few return from the killing fields of Ukraine to tell the tale, but defeat on the battlefield is an incontrovertible argument.
If the Russians cannot hold the line in Zaporizhzhia, they could well suffer a rout – as happened last year near Kharkiv. This time, however, the Ukrainians are far better prepared to exploit a localised collapse to drive a wedge between Russian occupiers in Donetsk to the east and the Black Sea coast, including Crimea, to the south.
The war seems to be approaching the point that the First World War reached on August 8, 1918. This has gone down in history in General Ludendorff’s phrase as “the black day of the German Army” – the day the Allied tanks broke through at Amiens and began a 100-day campaign that ended the war.
Ukraine has the tanks, it has the men and it has Zelensky too. This battle-hardened but by no means war-weary people, its national identity forged in adversity, is fighting to liberate all of its land – Crimea included.
With or without Western support and sanctions, Ukraine will fight on until Putin’s evil empire is defeated.
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When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812,he stated that the war against Russia would be a massive victory for the French people.(Hundreds of thousands of dead Frenchmen proved him wrong).When Hitler invaded Russia in 1941,he stated that it would be a six weeks war and was akin to"Kicking the door in".(Millions of dead Germans proved him wrong).Putin,like Napoleon and Hitler before him thought that his war against the Ukraine people would be over in a few weeks.(Hundreds of thousands of dead Russians haved proved him wrong also).
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“Ukraine has the tanks, it has the men and it has Zelensky too”
If only it had all the western tanks it had asked for. Not to mention the planes.
This has slowed the progress of the counteroffensive but the breakthrough in Zaporizhzhya seems confirmed - having penetrated those ridiculous minefields they now enter territory which necessarily has clear passages for the enemy itself to move through.
It also enables them to fork out laterally behind other defences and attack them from the rear.
And this is where the stupidity of the Russian tactics may become apparent: they’ve never done a strategic retreat but have allowed their forces to be attrited in forward areas. So they will have a tough time reinforcing their numbers as they are forced to retreat
If only it had all the western tanks it had asked for. Not to mention the planes.
This has slowed the progress of the counteroffensive but the breakthrough in Zaporizhzhya seems confirmed - having penetrated those ridiculous minefields they now enter territory which necessarily has clear passages for the enemy itself to move through.
It also enables them to fork out laterally behind other defences and attack them from the rear.
And this is where the stupidity of the Russian tactics may become apparent: they’ve never done a strategic retreat but have allowed their forces to be attrited in forward areas. So they will have a tough time reinforcing their numbers as they are forced to retreat
Interesting Statistic here;
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and further from that splendid article of yesterday;
'Putin leaves the melodramatic braggadocio to his puppet Dmitry Medvedev, who posted a literally apocalyptic warning last week on Telegram, quoting the Book of Revelation, Lenin and Khrushchev (“We will bury you”).
But the truth is that the fears inspired by nuclear blackmail in the West – including, it would seem, in the Biden administration – have been shown to be baseless.
Every time Ukraine destroys targets inside Crimea or Russia, it is crossing Putin’s red lines. Yet from the Kremlin there has only been conventional – never any sign of nuclear – retaliation.
According to Secretary of State Blinken, Western intelligence has so far found no indication that Russia is preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, let alone to fire missiles at Nato countries.
The Kremlin had warned that for the US to supply F16s to Ukraine would carry a “colossal risk” of nuclear escalation. Yet Biden has allowed Nato allies to do just that, with no sign of serious retaliation.
However, there are still signs of caution within the White House. The President is still insisting that Ukrainian pilots training in the US won’t be ready to fly these planes for another year. Veterans who have flown the F-16 dispute this claim, but the nuclear threat is still inhibiting the White House. As the 2024 election looms, Biden won’t be seen to take any risks.
American isolationists claim that too much money and kit is going to “Zelensky”, while disaster-hit Hawaii is neglected. It’s nonsense. In terms of blood and treasure, no GIs are getting killed and just 4 per cent of the US defence budget is being spent on Kyiv. Compared to Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan, Ukraine’s a bargain.'
https:/
and further from that splendid article of yesterday;
'Putin leaves the melodramatic braggadocio to his puppet Dmitry Medvedev, who posted a literally apocalyptic warning last week on Telegram, quoting the Book of Revelation, Lenin and Khrushchev (“We will bury you”).
But the truth is that the fears inspired by nuclear blackmail in the West – including, it would seem, in the Biden administration – have been shown to be baseless.
Every time Ukraine destroys targets inside Crimea or Russia, it is crossing Putin’s red lines. Yet from the Kremlin there has only been conventional – never any sign of nuclear – retaliation.
According to Secretary of State Blinken, Western intelligence has so far found no indication that Russia is preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, let alone to fire missiles at Nato countries.
The Kremlin had warned that for the US to supply F16s to Ukraine would carry a “colossal risk” of nuclear escalation. Yet Biden has allowed Nato allies to do just that, with no sign of serious retaliation.
However, there are still signs of caution within the White House. The President is still insisting that Ukrainian pilots training in the US won’t be ready to fly these planes for another year. Veterans who have flown the F-16 dispute this claim, but the nuclear threat is still inhibiting the White House. As the 2024 election looms, Biden won’t be seen to take any risks.
American isolationists claim that too much money and kit is going to “Zelensky”, while disaster-hit Hawaii is neglected. It’s nonsense. In terms of blood and treasure, no GIs are getting killed and just 4 per cent of the US defence budget is being spent on Kyiv. Compared to Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan, Ukraine’s a bargain.'
From Ukraine’s defence spokesperson Oleksandr Stupun re Zaporizhzhya:
“The enemy has allocated resources. If we count the three lines as 100%, it is 60-20-20. That is, the first line of defense was densely mined, with concrete fortifications and a large number of anti-tank weapons.
The second line also cannot be discounted and said to be different. There are also fortifications here - quite powerful, quite competently built, but here we have the opportunity to maneuver equipment and troops," explained the spokesman for the joint press center of the Tauride Defense Forces.
It will not be easy.”
“The enemy has allocated resources. If we count the three lines as 100%, it is 60-20-20. That is, the first line of defense was densely mined, with concrete fortifications and a large number of anti-tank weapons.
The second line also cannot be discounted and said to be different. There are also fortifications here - quite powerful, quite competently built, but here we have the opportunity to maneuver equipment and troops," explained the spokesman for the joint press center of the Tauride Defense Forces.
It will not be easy.”
ichi; I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be easier & cheaper, instead of shelling them, simply give them free crates of vodka which they wouldn't be able to resist, it would then be an easy matter to walk over & gather them up. :0)
Do the Ukrainians drink as much as the Russians who have such a reputation for it?
The Germans have a marvelous expression; 'Er war betrunken wie tausend Russen' (He was as drunk as a thousand Russians !)
Do the Ukrainians drink as much as the Russians who have such a reputation for it?
The Germans have a marvelous expression; 'Er war betrunken wie tausend Russen' (He was as drunk as a thousand Russians !)
Ukraine has been running an “I want to live” initiative aimed at Russian military personnel. Russians are invited to make contact to surrender to avoid almost certain death. Some who have surrendered have asked not to be exchanged back!
Russia appears new to be running a campaign to tempt Russian nationals in Kazakhstan to sign up for a down payment and an annual salary.
And there are reports of migrant Uzbek workers in Mariupol having their passports confiscated and being made to sign up too.
Anything but bring mobilisation and death to the home population.
Sheer evil
Russia appears new to be running a campaign to tempt Russian nationals in Kazakhstan to sign up for a down payment and an annual salary.
And there are reports of migrant Uzbek workers in Mariupol having their passports confiscated and being made to sign up too.
Anything but bring mobilisation and death to the home population.
Sheer evil
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Very disturbing short vox pop interview in a Moscow street the other day. An elderly but very sharp Russian lady was asked if Putin should withdraw. Simple question. Her reply was also simple, she said that if they withdrew NATO would invade Russia. She really has swallowed the party line and I have no doubt millions of other Russians also.
How does one combat such blind support?
How does one combat such blind support?
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