Ukraine war mega thread

[bsnub]

Russia has deployed a regiment of its Aerospace Forces to defend the Kursk region due to a manpower shortage amid Ukraine's ongoing incursion, according to an independent investigative Russian outlet.

President Vladimir Putin's so-called "space troops" have been tasked to push back Ukraine's forces after Kyiv launched a cross-border raid on August 6 in Kursk, seemingly catching Moscow off guard, Important Stories reported on Sunday.

Ukrainian forces have so far seized control of 1,150 square kilometers (444 square miles) of Russian territory and 82 settlements in Kursk, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, said on August 15.

The scale of the offensive is significant—Ukraine is now reported to have seized more territory in the Kursk region in days than Russia has captured in Ukraine since the beginning of the year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's troops are showing no signs of slowing down.

It also marks the first time that foreign troops have seized Russian territory since World War II.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.

Citing a source familiar with the matter, Important Stories said a temporary motorized rifle regiment of Russia's Aerospace Forces has been deployed to Kursk, which borders Ukraine's Sumy region.

The unit, created between May and June, consists of personnel from security and logistics companies, engineers, mechanics, some officers, and servicemen from a Russian spaceport. There are also personnel from special warehouses of the Aerospace Forces and radar stations in Russia's Voronezh region, who were previously in charge of manning Russia's nuclear deterrent.

The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank, said in its latest analysis of the conflict on Sunday that the Kursk incursion is also forcing Russia to redeploy its troops from the front line in Ukraine. The ISW added that "likely subsequent phases of fighting within Russia will require more Russian manpower and materiel commitments to the area."

The think tank cited an article published by The Wall Street Journal on August 17 that reported that some 5,000 personnel had already been redeployed from Ukraine to Kursk by August 13.

That report "partially coheres with a report that Russian forces had redeployed up to 11 battalions to the front line in Kursk Oblast as of August 11," the ISW said.

"Russian forces have redeployed additional forces to Kursk Oblast since the first week of the Ukrainian incursion and have likely redeployed more than 5,000 personnel to Kursk Oblast overall," the ISW added. The think tank said that exact amount of manpower and material Putin will need in Kursk will depend on how heavily Zelensky's troops defend the newly captured settlements.

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-aero...ursion-1940995

[helge]

With small children on their arms, Ukrainians are fleeing their homes in eastern Ukraine: 'The Russians are trying to maintain momentum on the Eastern Front'


Local authorities continue to forcibly evacuate Ukrainians from areas where Russia is gaining ground.







9-year-old Bogdan Scherbyna is being transported to a safe area in the Pokrovsk region after being evacuated with his mother. The picture is from today. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) (Photo: © Evgeniy Maloletka, Associated Press)

Of

Thomas Jorsal

Med sma born pa armen flygter ukrainere fra deres hjem i det ostlige Ukraine: '''Russerne forsoger at bevare momentum pa ostfronten''' | Udland | DR

As Russian soldiers advance in eastern Ukraine, civilians are ordered to evacuate several villages by the local authorities.

Two weeks ago, to the great surprise of the outside world, Ukraine launched an offensive in the Russian region of Kursk. Many have seen it as an attempt to get Russia to move forces from eastern Ukraine to Russia to deal with the situation in Kursk.

But nevertheless, the Russian war machine continues in eastern Ukraine. This is reported by some of the local Ukrainians who have fled.

- It is extremely scary and impossible to sleep at night. There are drones in the air all the time. When we left our home today, there were explosions in the air. We were terrified," Natalyja Ivanjuk told the AP news agency.

For the Russians, it is important to maintain momentum in the war in eastern Ukraine, and therefore they continue to claw there.

This is according to Flemming Splidsboel, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies specializing in Russia.

"The Russians are trying to continue the momentum in eastern Ukraine, and that is important for them, because they have the upper hand, and therefore they will continue to keep pushing.






'Not necessarily a connection'


Civilians from the Pokrovsk region describe the fighting as very violent. Among them is Tetiana Myronenko, who was evacuated from her residence in the Prokovsk region yesterday.

- The situation is very, very difficult, and it has gradually gotten worse over the past week and a half. There are constant explosions.

Flemming Splidsboel also describes the fighting in the east as very violent. But even though the Russians continue to gain ground in eastern Ukraine, he does not believe that it can be said that the Ukrainians' goal of getting Russia to move troops from the area to Kursk has necessarily failed.

- There is not necessarily a connection. For Russia, it is extremely important to continue the momentum in eastern Ukraine, so it would still be necessary for Ukraine with these evacuations.


Last week, a representative from the Ukrainian military's branch in the city of Kharkiv announced that they experienced fewer rocket attacks from the Russian side. You can read more about that here:

Read also: Ukrainian military reports fewer rocket attacks on Eastern Front: 'There used to be 30 to 60 a day. Now it's a maximum of 10'

But Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, is also somewhat further north than Pokrovsk.

Different goals


After several weeks of more questions than answers following the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, the Ukrainian president explained the motive for the Ukrainian offensive the day before yesterday.

"Now our primary task is to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and carry out maximum counteroffensive actions.

- This includes creating a buffer zone on the territory of the aggressor, such as our operation in the Kursk region.

Ukraine has suffered on the battlefield in the east of the country for most of 2024. But with the push in Russia, they surprised everyone and everything. And this has created anger in Russia, where it does not necessarily have the courage to go to war for a number of years. This is Flemming Splidsboel's assessment.

- There is a lot of pressure to be able to end the war, and after August 6 (when Ukraine joined Russia, ed.), that desire has become even more fierce.

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  Mother and son try to keep their spirits high, despite being evacuated from their hometown in the Pokrovsk region of eastern Ukraine. Russia continues its attacks in the area. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) (Photo: © Evgeniy Maloletka, Associated Press)
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  Another mother with her son is forced to flee their hometown due to the Russian aggression in the region. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Malo... (Photo: © Evgeniy Maloletka, Associated Press)
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  A woman has gotten into one of the buses that the Ukrainian authorities have deployed to evacuate the population in the Pokrovsk region. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) (Photo: © Evgeniy Maloletka, Associated Press)

[Norton]

The Kursk operation was a brilliant move. Caught Russia completely off guard and as territory expands daily, Putin has no answer. The US and UK must allow the Ukraine to use longer range weapons to further strike territory inside Russia. Putin's babble about red lines is just that, BABBLE!

[bsnub]

The US and UK must allow the Ukraine to use longer range weapons to further strike territory inside Russia.

This really is a key point now. You can not win a war with a hand tied behind your back. The US would never hold back if it was American boots on the ground.

[helge]

This really is a key point now. You can not win a war with a hand tied behind your back.

You are so close to understanding this conflict right now, but I'll bet, that you can't take the last step.

[helge]

Stop more German aid to Ukraine causes uprising: 'We must be like Denmark, not France'


Germany will halve its military aid to Ukraine next year – and has already paused support







Rows of Leopard 2A tanks produced on German soil. Only a few days ago, three parties in the German government agreed on the main features of next year's budget bill, which included an almost halving of German support for Ukraine. (Photo: © FABIAN BIMMER, Ritzau Scanpix)

Of

DR's correspondent in Germany Steen Nørskov

Jonatan Robbert Larsen

Stop for mere tysk hjaelp til Ukraine skaber opror: ’Vi skal vaere som Danmark, ikke Frankrig''' | Udland | DR






Germany's Social Democratic Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, assures that his country will still help Ukraine 'for as long as it needs to be'

But Scholz must now fight against the impression of the opposite – that his government, despite all promises, is now letting Ukraine down.

The criticism of the chancellor and doubts about the continued German will to be Ukraine's main military supporter in Europe – only the United States supplies more weapons and ammunition than the Germans – have arisen after a revelation over the weekend.

It emerged that Scholz's finance minister - the austerity, liberal Christian Lindner - had informed his ministerial colleagues that he had now closed the coffers for new appropriations to Kyiv.

'No more new money for Ukraine', as the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung summed it up on the front page of its Sunday edition.

The article states that in a letter to Defense Minister Pistorius and Foreign Minister Baerbock – the two ministers who spend the vast majority of German aid of more than 50 billion kroner this year – the finance minister will no longer disburse funds in addition to those already set aside in the budget this year and next year.







The German government consisting of the liberal FDP, the Green Party and the German Social Democrats has not come through its first three years at the helm without friction. Financial support for Ukraine is also viewed differently (Photo: © Kay Nietfeld, Kay Nietfeld/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Waves in both camps


The fact that the government will not spend more money from the budget on military support for Ukraine means "de facto leaving Ukraine in the lurch," is the reaction from the conservative opposition party CDU spokesman Roderich Kiesewetter.

But several of the chancellor's own Social Democratic party colleagues in the Bundestag are also in revolt.

- The Ukrainian army is on the offensive for the first time in months. The country needs the full support of its main military supporter in Europe, Germany, says the Social Democratic chairman of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee, Michael Roth.

Roth believes that Germany should help Ukraine more, not less. He highlights Denmark in an interview with German radio.

"Our role model is not the French, Spanish or Italians, who do relatively little, but Denmark and the Baltic countries, which do significantly more than what the large countries are capable of," the Social Democratic politician told Deutschlandfunk.







Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, in an F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens. In an interview with German radio, the Social Democratic chairman of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee, Micheal Roth, emphasizes Denmark's military support for Ukraine. , Sunday, August 20, 2023.. (Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix) (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix)


It is only a few days ago that the three parties in the German government – the Social Democratic SPD, the Greens and the liberal FDP – confirmed that they agree on the main features of next year's budget and on an almost halving of German support for Ukraine from this year's DKK 54 billion to DKK 30 billion in 2025.

From the letter that Finance Minister Lindner has sent to his colleagues about not coming up with new proposals for support for Ukraine, it is clear where he and the government in Berlin imagine the money for the war against Russia will come from.

Read also: Decades of taboo has been broken: Now Germans are preparing for war

Lindner recalls that at a G7 summit in Italy in June, Germany and the six other richest industrialized countries agreed to allow Ukraine access to some of the Russian National Bank's many billions of kroner that were frozen in American and European accounts when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

But so far, it is only the interest on the enormous Russian fortunes that the countries have been able to agree to send on to Ukraine. This has not happened yet, and the countries have not agreed on how and when it should happen.

As long as it takes?


According to Der Spiegel, the German finance minister's slap in the box means that it is now urgent to find out how to give Ukraine access to new loans and to the interest on frozen Russian assets worth more than 20 billion kroner

Time is short, writes the German weekly magazine, because already at the beginning of September, the EU countries will have to decide how large the EU's own contribution to Ukraine should be, how the EU can help provide guarantees for new loans of 375 billion kroner to Kyiv, and how Ukraine can transfer the more modest 20 billion in Russian interest money.

And all the aid must be in place by November, the leaders of the seven richest countries agreed at their meeting in Italy.

In November, the richest of the countries will elect a new president. After that, it is far from certain whether the willingness to support Ukraine as long as it takes, which Chancellor Scholz now assures Germany still has, also exists in Washington.

[bsnub]

You are so close to understanding this conflict right now, but I'll bet, that you can't take the last step.

Are you fucking serious? No one is more fucking clueless about this war than you vatnik aside from maybe that idiot icebitch. Reinsert putins cock into your mouth.

[cyrille]

Well this thread remains as informative as ever.

[helge]

^ Now with rumours of peace negotiations

[Troy]

The Kursk operation was a brilliant move. Caught Russia completely off guard and as territory expands daily, Putin has no answer. The US and UK must allow the Ukraine to use longer range weapons to further strike territory inside Russia. Putin's babble about red lines is just that, BABBLE!

I'm not sure that it is such a great move, but happy to be proved wrong.

If the intention was to pull Russian troops away from the front line in the Donbass then it hasn't worked. In fact all it has done is remove several thousand needed Ukraine troops from defending said front line. Putin doesn't really have to do anything just yet to defend against these troops. They'll be soaked up into the vastness that is Russia, needing supplies to sustain them and achieving very little militarily. Political gains are nearly always short term and it looks as if Putin has just shrugged them off.

I imagine the Russian war machine will continue their attacks and gains along the main front until winter sets in. Meanwhile the Ukraine incursion will make some small gains and boost Ukraine morale but they'll have a hell of a time keeping that land throughout the winter.

[pickel]

^
Their stated goal is to create a buffer zone. And now, with the bridges blown and Himars being used to attack inside Russia and thwart any attempt at building pontoon bridges, it won't really be that hard to defend.

[helge]

Their stated goal is to create a buffer zone.

Really ?

How wide is this zone then ?

30-40 km ?

They got a bit more of invading to do then

And now, with the bridges blown and Himars being used to attack inside Russia and thwart any attempt at building pontoon bridges, it won't really be that hard to defend.

They'll get some post humous medals, they will.

Don't know if this is done as a moral boost or some negotiations/ultimatum is coming up.

Trump hasn't won yet

[Norton]

I'm not sure that it is such a great move, but happy to be proved wrong.

From a strategic standpoint it was "brilliant" in a couple ways.

The war in the Ukraine was getting near no mention in the news because of the coverage of the war in Gaza and US election coverage. The Ukraine needed and got back in the news big time with this military move.

Even though Putin control of the media plays down what the Ukraine has done it no doubt has Russian folks questioning the need to continue Putin's war. This moves your average Russian to start thinking a deal to end the war by Russia leaving occupied Ukraine territory and Ukraine doing same in occupied Russian territory.

If Putin and his war mongering cronies want to stay in power they better listen to the Russian majority.

[helge]

The Ukraine needed and got back in the news big time with this military move.

Sounds about right

This moves your average Russian to start thinking a deal to end the war by Russia leaving occupied Ukraine territory and Ukraine doing same in occupied Russian territory.

Hmm
Speculating at best.

And shitty deal for now

If Putin and his war mongering cronies want to stay in power they better listen to the Russian majority.

You reckon Putin has gone all ...democratic ?

[Norton]

Speculating at best.

All is until the war ends but,

You reckon Putin has gone all ...democratic ?

Even in Putin's world he needs public support to stay in power.

[helge]

Even in Putin's world he needs public support to stay in power.

Guess you're right

[bsnub]

they'll have a hell of a time keeping that land throughout the winter.

Completely 100% wrong. It is exactly the opposite, if ruzzia does not retake that territory by winter it has no chance of doing so until spring.

[PlanK]

Even in Putin's world he needs public support to stay in power.

It worked for Vietnam. Classic example of a war lost at home rather than abroad. Very different sentiments between the 60's US population and the modern Ruskie peasant but the similarities of losing ground and the continual return of sons and fathers in bodybags is not a small thing that can be easily ignored.

The Russian population has a revolutionary history and Russian generals are not shy of about turns. Putin wouldn't lose politically, but a big-arse army turning up on his doorstep, with the backing of the people who don't care too much about what's happening in the Duma, might be enough to make him reconsider.

[bsnub]

KURSK OFFENSIVE /1830 UTC 24 AUG/UKR forces have initiated contact at Samoryadovo & Kosyrevka,11.5 Km (7 miles) NW of Sudzha. UKR airstrikes SW of Korenevo.

[Molle]

Completely 100% wrong. It is exactly the opposite, if ruzzia does not retake that territory by winter it has no chance of doing so until spring.

Troy is right, Ukraine will lose the advantage of having destroyed the for Russia important bridges when winter comes, Russia will then have thousands of bridges.
That's what ice on the river does.

[bsnub]

Troy is right

No he is not.

Russia will then have thousands of bridges.

Who the fuck cares if they have no men to travel over them.

Watch Belgorod in the coming days. If it is cut off, this war is over.

[Pragmatic]

Watch Belgorod in the coming days. If it is cut off, this war is over.

We can only hope.

[NamPikToot]

If it is cut off, this war is over.

the war is over?

[david44]

Interesting to see the contrast between saving Israel from a few thousand locals and defending a real democracy from a nuclear rogue state and bully.

I am sure China is watching closely in preparation for the "reunificaation" read domination of Taiwan with the alleged motherland.

Of course Formosa (The beautiful in Portuguese) had its own Pacific people before the Portuguese,Mainland Chinese and Japanese and other outsiders arrived. Ownership being 10 parts of the law.

I very much doubt Putin will want to yield strategic Crimea and the forward position that offers and control of the Azov sea. same for Ukraine .

Donbas much more nuanced and complex and devastated by years of conflict,, IMHO had there been better treatment of Russian speakers much needless violence anf fratricide might have been avoided, but that boat sailed a decade ago.

The current vicitms won't forget who murdered their grandparents , raped their women or kidnapped their kids would you? Same in Gaza , Netanyahi can slaughter every adult male Palestinian in Gaza it won't stop the remaining allies or diaspora supporting, funding globally . The 2 conflicts are different but like all others there will have to be negotiations at the end, repatriations, prisoner exchanges,possibly forced removal of some border areas,(unless Ukraine is able to regain 100% of its territory, which is where their occupation even of one house in Russia gives a bargaining chip), graves, reparations and rebuilding.

It is tragic that the Asians and Europeans expect again as always since 1914 the USA tax payers and military to underwrite their failures in di(m)plomacy.Fortunately cash and drones will avoid domestic US casualties bar Islamist terror of course, however young Europeans would be better advised to finance stromg defences rather than a Ukrainian defeat menacing poland the Baltics with thier large Russian diaspora esp Latvia, Transdiniestria etc

P.S. I am not a US taxpayer these days but if I was I would sanction NATO free riders, one policy that Trump may use if, heaven forfend,he is re-elected.

[Norton]

^Green owed.