Russia Ukraine Update Thread - part 2

a reply to: Xcathdra

It (unfortunately) looks like they’ve learned from their mistakes as well and have become a more formidable enemy.

Article is using info from Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate

Russia-Ukraine War: More Russian soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine - GUR

The Russian army is reportedly seeing a rapidly growing number of refusals to serve in the military amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate (GUR) claimed on Monday.

The report claimed that in several units, specifically in the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Army of the Southern Military District, soldiers refusing to serve amounted to as much as 60%-70% of all soldiers.

This has become an issue for the Russian army, with commanders and officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) urging refusing soldiers to reconsider, with the GUR claiming they go so far as to threaten to kill the relatives of refusing soldiers.

If all measures fail, their refusal is noted in their personnel file.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: Xcathdra

It (unfortunately) looks like they’ve learned from their mistakes as well and have become a more formidable enemy.

We shall see how things go for Russia, especially since they are operating under a required time frame.

* - Mykolaiv, Mykolayivska Oblast(05:05). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Chernihivska Oblast(02:01). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Poltavska Oblast(01:36). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Dnipro, Dnipropetrovska Oblast(01:34). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Kyiv(01:32). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Ochakiv in Mykolaiv region was shelled with MLRS Uragan with cluster ammunition

* - Odeska Oblast(01:21). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Mykolaiv, Mykolayivska Oblast(01:21). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Odesa(01:18). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Huliaipole in Zaporizhiye region was shelled with incendiary ammunition* -

* - Izyum(00:29). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Heavy shelling from Russian positions in multiple areas of Donetsk region

* - Kharkiv, Kharkivska Oblast(23:41). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Poltavska Oblast(23:41). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Dnipro, Dnipropetrovska Oblast(23:39). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Kyiv(23:28). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - resident Volodymyr Zelensky says the Battle for Donbas had began

* - Explosions in Mykolaiv as result of heavy shelling

* - Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 4 Russian attacks today

* - Luhanska Oblast(21:24). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Kryvyi Rih, Donetsk Oblast(21:21). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Ukraine cyber defenders will take part in NATO's annual cyber exercise. Organised by ⁦@ccdcoe⁩, LockedShields is the world's biggest live cyber exercise & brings together experts from NATO allies & partners adult

* - Chernivetska Oblast, Ternopil, Ternopilska Oblast, Khmelnytska Oblast, Sumska Oblast, Kharkiv, Kharkivska Oblast(21:16). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Mykolaiv, Mykolayivska Oblast(21:19). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Volynska Oblast, Lviv, Lvivska Oblast, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ivano-Frankivska Oblast, Rivne, Rivnenska Oblast, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyrska Oblast, Vinnytska Oblast, Kyiv Oblast, Chernihivska Oblast, Cherkaska Oblast, Kirovohradska Oblast, Odeska Oblast, Zaporizka Oblast(21:20). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Russian plane shot down near Balakliya - head of Kharkiv regional administration Oleg Sinegubov

* - Poltavska Oblast(21:17). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Dnipro, Dnipropetrovska Oblast(21:18). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Kyiv(21:16). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Bakhmut, Kostyantynivka(20:49). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Russian troops already in Zarichne

* - The European Union condemns the Russian bombing of civilians in Ukraine

* - The US Treasury: In the next stage, we will focus on pursuing those who try to violate sanctions against Russia

* - Ukraine's armed forces command says it sees signs that Russia is beginning its new offensive in eastern Ukraine- Reuters

* - The U.S. official says the United States has no evidence that the sunken Russian warship had nuclear weapons when it went down. (contrary to Twitter gossip)

* - First flights carrying $800 million worth of weapons arrived Sunday and will be delivered to Ukraine: U.S. senior defense official

* - Russia now has 76 battalion tactical groups in Ukraine now, a slight increase in recent days, a senior U.S. defense official says

* - Donetsk Oblast(18:55). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Commander of large landing ship Caesar Kunikov 3rd rank captain Aleksander Chirva has died in hospital of his wounds

As a reminder

Just so people know and understand. Information from war zones can become confusing as there will no doubt be info released from the players (on both sides) involved that might not necessarily be true.

As such take everything as a possibility and NOT as absolute truth.

The very first casualty in a war is the truth and all warfare is based on deception

Resources - Where most of the updates come from.
* - Flightradar24 - tracks flights worldwide
* - Live Ukraine control map 1 - updates on the ground
* - Ukraine Control Map 2
* - Ship radar
* - Military vessel tracker
* - Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Youtube resources -
* - Speak the Truth
* - War in Ukraine
* - Artur Rehi - Estonain soldier
* - Daily Report

Social media resources -
* - Twitter - Jomini of the West - Battlefield Maps

"Russian military was tasked to occupy the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by Easter, thus making a gift to their Fuhrer," he wrote.

LOL

Situational awareness-- Pascha (Orthodox Easter if I am correct) will be on 24 April.

Cheers

18 April update

Russian forces began a new phase of large-scale offensive operations in eastern Ukraine on April 18 likely intended to capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russian forces have been concentrating reinforcements—including both newly-deployed units and damaged units withdrawn from northeastern Ukraine—to the Donbas axis for several weeks. Russian forces conducted large-scale assaults focused on Rubizhne, Popasna, and Marinka with heavy artillery support on April 18 after previously conducting only localized attacks and shelling along the line of contact.

More at URL above.

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

The Russian offensive in the east is unlikely to be dramatically more successful than previous Russian offensives, but Russian forces may be able to wear down Ukrainian defenders or achieve limited gains. Russian forces did not take the operational pause that was likely necessary to reconstitute and properly integrate damaged units withdrawn from northeastern Ukraine into operations in eastern Ukraine

Are the Russians really this stupid? Talk about treating your military like s**t and then expecting them to die because a date is more important than doing things right.

* - Kharkiv, Kharkivska Oblast, Donetsk Oblast(10:59). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - 3 wounded as result of shelling in Golovchino village of Belgorod region - governor

* - Blackout in Luhansk region after power lines were damaged in shelling

* - Russian army is shelling the villages of Staromayorske, Makarivka, Storozhevo, Neskuchne, Remivka, Priyutne, Vyshneve, Malinovka, Poltavka, Novodarivka, Novoukrainske, Stepove with tanks, MLRS GRAD, attacking with armored personnel carriers, infantry, missiles

* - Orlan-10 drone shot down over Odesa this morning

* - Produce store destroyed as result of Russian shelling at Saltivka

* - Widespread damaged in Mykolaiv after shelling overnight

* - Drone footage overlooking Azovstal iron and steelworks plant from this morning shows a very battered Mariupol

* - Clashes ongoing at Polohy district of Zaporizhzhia region on the Huliaipole-Pokrovske direction

* - Ukrainian military repelled Russian advance attempts near Oleksandrivka of Kherson region

* - Photos: damage in Golovchino village in Grayvoron district of Belgorod region as result of explosions

* - Ukrainian military foiled 2 Russian advance attempts in Avdiyivka area. As result of artillery shelling 1 civilian killed, gas pipe and several houses damaged

* - Russian troops continue shelling at Maryinka, Avdiyivka and Ocheretyne directions in Donetsk region

* - Destruction in Kharkiv as result of overnight shelling

* - Russian troops shelled Orikhiv, Preobrazhenka of Polohy district with MLRS Grad. 14 years old girl wounded. Russian artillery shelled Stepne and Malokaterynivka villages of Zaporizhzhia district

* - Russian troops shelled Zelenodolsk community with MLRS Grad, only material damaged

As a reminder

Just so people know and understand. Information from war zones can become confusing as there will no doubt be info released from the players (on both sides) involved that might not necessarily be true.

As such take everything as a possibility and NOT as absolute truth.

The very first casualty in a war is the truth and all warfare is based on deception

Resources - Where most of the updates come from.
* - Flightradar24 - tracks flights worldwide
* - Live Ukraine control map 1 - updates on the ground
* - Ukraine Control Map 2
* - Ship radar
* - Military vessel tracker
* - Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Youtube resources -
* - Speak the Truth
* - War in Ukraine
* - Artur Rehi - Estonain soldier
* - Daily Report

Social media resources -
* - Twitter - Jomini of the West - Battlefield Maps

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

Russian authorities face mounting unwillingness to fight among both conscript and contract personnel

Gee, I wonder why...

* - Prime Minister @MorawieckiM in Lviv: I appeal to the European Commission for the solidarity fund for Ukraine to start working and for new money to appear. There is nothing to wait for. No more crimes should be allowed to occur. Today, sanctions must be as strong as possible

* - Russian drone was found in Chernihiv district

* - Missile launch at Zhdanivka

* - Hungary doesn't support gas and oil sanctions against Russia: Hungarian Foreign Minister

* - Poltavska Oblast(12:49). Red Alert: aerial threat. Sirens sounding. Take cover now!

* - Parts of Russian missiles have fallen on the zoo in Mykolaiv

* - This event is known propaganda, displayed for awareness
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov announced that the next stage of military operation in Ukraine begun

* - Suspected tripwire bomb found in Kyiv

* - Russian army shelling Saltivka district in Kharkiv

As a reminder

Just so people know and understand. Information from war zones can become confusing as there will no doubt be info released from the players (on both sides) involved that might not necessarily be true.

As such take everything as a possibility and NOT as absolute truth.

The very first casualty in a war is the truth and all warfare is based on deception

Resources - Where most of the updates come from.
* - Flightradar24 - tracks flights worldwide
* - Live Ukraine control map 1 - updates on the ground
* - Ukraine Control Map 2
* - Ship radar
* - Military vessel tracker
* - Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Youtube resources -
* - Speak the Truth
* - War in Ukraine
* - Artur Rehi - Estonain soldier
* - Daily Report

Social media resources -
* - Twitter - Jomini of the West - Battlefield Maps

Russian offensive going 'very cautiously', Ukrainian presidential adviser says

KYIV (Reuters) - Russia's new offensive in eastern Ukraine is going "very cautiously" and will fail because Moscow's forces lack the strength to break through Ukrainian defences, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said Rusisan forces were trying to find "sensitive spots" in Ukraine's defences but added: "Their offensive will fail - I give you a 99% guarantee - they simply do not have enough strength."

"The battle for Donbas, which was announced and apparently began yesterday, is under way and is going very cautiously. The battle will not go in Russia's favour," he said on national television.

Latest U.S. weapons assistance arrives in Ukraine

The first shipments of the latest round of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, which includes heavier weapons systems, started arriving in the region over the weekend, according to the Pentagon.

The recently approved $800 million in security assistance includes Howitzer artillery systems, 40,000 artillery rounds, armored personnel vehicles and other weapons.


.....According to Kirby, the training isn't expected to take long since the Ukrainians already know how to use artillery systems and merely need to familiarize themselves with the American systems. The Ukrainians use 152mm artillery systems, and the U.S. is providing 155mm artillery systems.

a reply to: Xcathdra

The whole emergence of Ukraine as a national security threat to Russia, the build-up of Russian forces, and the invasion had the feel of being rushed and forced.

Someone is in a hurry. Who, and why?

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

I mean I dunno about the rushed troop build up part. They started placing the equipment in as early as April of 2021 in Belarus and Crimea with full troop build ups/deployments starting in earnest in October of 2021. That's almost or just over 4 months until time of invasion. As well, I've read a few things that says that this invasion was planned as far back as late 2020 after the US election, but have not read anything concrete on that point, just some rumours and some circumstantial stuff.

It really makes the performance of the Russian military to this point even more poor as they did have this invasion planned for almost a year at the very least, imo at least.

a reply to: GAOTU789

I understand your take. To clarify, I was thinking that Ukraine had existed independently for some 30 years, but now, for some reason, it is an emergency for Russia.

I am just guessing, but it feels like a schedule was changed to make things happen sooner. Or, perhaps, it was decided that other measures like economic pressure would not achieve the desired results.

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2


Completely agree with the schedule change comment. It does seem like very odd timing, particularly if you include they decided to invade in late winter. I mean, that was something the Soviets used to great advantage to beat the Nazis. Why didn't they remember that lesson and wait until about now or early next month? It's almost like Putin wanted large scale losses on the Russians side. Or he truly believed they would be met with open arms.

I was thinking that Ukraine had existed independently for some 30 years

I've been contemplating a thread on this actually and how this has been an over 100 year fight by Ukraine for independence. The geography of the country has changed in that time, including being given Crimea and parts of the western half. I don't direct this at you but people aren't truly aware of the complexity of the relationship between Ukraine and Russia. I've studied this stuff way back when in uni and kept up with as well as I could with current events since '91

Freedom is never free and sometimes those fights can last generations. Since 1991, Ukraine has turned into one of the most corrupt countries in the world with it's independence but there were signs of a shift towards more transparency, albeit slowly. The place is a major part of human trafficking networks from east to west as well as a major hub for drug trafficking.

Reply to: Xcathdra

originally posted by: [post=26458010]


* - The U.S. official says the United States has no evidence that the sunken Russian warship had nuclear weapons when it went down. (contrary to Twitter gossip)

But I heard a rumor that the Russkies had missiles onboard the KOSKVA that could be fitted with tactical nuclear warheads.

And I also heard a rumor that the KOSKVA had at least two nuclear warheads onboard, when it sank.

Smoke Rises Above Mariupol's Last Stronghold Against Russian Forces, Azovstal Steel Works

originally posted by: Erno86

Smoke Rises Above Mariupol's Last Stronghold Against Russian Forces, Azovstal Steel Works

Russia needs to be stopped.

Ukraine is bravely "saying" this -- and so far, mostly, holding their ground.

Why can't more be done, to stop Russia?

Guess I don't understand the "rules of war" -- NATO

Ukraine Land Forces Carry Massive Artillery Attack Against Russian Troops In Kharkiv Region

a reply to: GAOTU789

I think that would be an interesting thread.

A lot of the Ukraine-Russia border seems, from the standpoint of political geography, made for trouble. Other than rivers (and those meander), there are not many obvious aspects of physical geography to indicate different countries. Add in the Russian minority population, and the stage is well set for disputes.

I also find it notable the renewed interest of the Vatican in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Whether one is Christian or not, the timing of that event (25 March) was curious.

Regarding people's lack of knowledge, it pretty much is the same for all of Europe east of Germany and south of the Alps and Pyrenees. I recall Norman Davies making a point of that when he wrote his work, "Europe".

Cheers