Russia Ukraine Update Thread - part 3

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will send 70 personnel to the United Kingdom from January 2023 to assist in training Ukrainian troops as part of Operation Interflex.

Australian personnel will join contingents from Canada, New Zealand and Netherlands for the British-led training program, which is aiming to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days.

Ukrainian forces have praised Australian-built Bushmaster protected vehicles and the Albanese Government has committed an additional 30, bringing the total to 90.

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Australia deploying troops to the UK to train the Ukrainian Army was signalled in advance. Also, dispatching additional Bushmasters is unsurprising, so the focus was on what other equipment Australia might send to Ukraine. I wonder if Ukraine's tactic was to ask for more aid than they would receive with a certain amount of equipment in mind.

26 October Update

Key Takeaways

* A Reuters investigation of Russian documents from Balakliya supports previous ISW assessments about the poor conditions of Russian forces.

* Putin stated that Ukraine has “lost its sovereignty” in an October 26 speech indicating that Russia likely retains its maximalist objectives in Ukraine and remains resistant to negotiations.

* Russian occupation officials in Kherson Oblast are attempting to mitigate the informational consequences of the Russian withdrawal from the west bank of the Dnipro River.

* Russian forces are attempting to fix Ukrainian forces on Ukraine’s northern border.

* Russian officials continued to acknowledge that Russian authorities are deporting Ukrainian children to Russia under the guise of adoption and vacation schemes.

* Yevgeny Prigozhin denied a previous ISW assessment that stated he confronted Putin and other siloviki factions regarding the progress of the war in Ukraine.

* Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations west of Svatove.

* Russian forces continued to prepare defensive positions on the west and east banks of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

* Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces continued to conduct counteroffensive operations in northwest Kherson Oblast.

* Russian forces conducted ground attacks in Donetsk Oblast.

* The Russian military is reportedly attempting to recruit foreigners to support its war effort in Ukraine.

* Russian occupation officials in Kherson Oblast continued to relocate residents from the west bank of the Dnipro River.

More at URL above.

Cheers

a reply to: xpert11

From what I am seeing the Bushmasters are kicking the crap out of Russian tanks. As far as requesting equipment I always thought the mindset was to ask for way more than what you need so when you do get the aid the numbers would be closer to what you actually need.

Japanese knowledge and expertise on how to rebuild after a disaster will be of use to Ukraine when it eventually starts the recovery process from the devastating war with Russia, a group of Ukrainian lawmakers said Wednesday.

Japan successfully rebuilt its cities, towns and infrastructure following defeat in World War II, as well as in the wake of devastating disasters, such as the 1995 Hanshin earthquake and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region.

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An interesting development concerning post-war reconstruction in Ukraine: How language, cultural and financial barriers are overcome in the future is an open book. Still, Japanese expertise in rebuilding Ukraine would serve that country well.

Spam

a reply to: xpert11

The Japanese, like many ancient cultures, have a long memory. They might take a certain satisfaction in rebuilding Ukraine as a way of repaying the Russians for Khalkin Gol, Manchuria, the Kurils etc.

Cheers

a reply to: MetalThunder

Ah, a paid up member of the Russian Propaganda Ministry, methinks? Trying to create a false narrative, even with his twee English looks, English-style cap, and his Unknownshire accent.

The YouTuber clearly has problems accessing sites in the UK, because the new PM Rishi Sunak has definitely committed to supporting Ukraine in speeches. It is well reported that both Biden and Sunak, in their introductory call, also issued statements of their resolve towards Ukraine.

Well, I guess he's pandering to an echo chamber somewhere.

a reply to: MetalThunder

I can tolerate a ruZZian doing what a ruZZian does due to ignorance, lifelong brainwashing, social situation and lack of control in their life...

But when a foreign # who knows better, like this twat, does a video like this... thats straight up lying for a specific narrative goal, in my mind that is what I call real evil, knowing something is a lie, but supporting that lie anyway.

Utter trash of humanity and typically guys like that come to sticky conclusions when wars end.

Figured everyone might want to read this. It is documents that were found in a Russian base that was abandoned. Has several shocking reports about the state of the Russian military. For example, there are units at an 80 percent casualty rate. Should have been pulled long before that. Gave information on the chain of command as well and notice how ineffective it has been after seeing how information has to travel I see why.

One Luhansk corporal was 64 years old. Another fighter was treated for finger wounds after the chamber of his Mosin rifle exploded, a medic wrote. The rifle was developed in the late 19th century and went out of production decades ago, as Reuters reported in April.

Yes you read that right he had a rifle from the 1800s. this was in production from 1882 to 1891.

A spreadsheet at the Balakliia bunker showed a typical Russian sergeant was paid 202,084 roubles ($3,200) a month in salary plus bonuses, while a sergeant in the separatist force received just 91,200 roubles ($1,400). The head of a Luhansk flame-thrower company recorded in one document that eight of his subordinates had previous convictions - including one man for rape and sexual assault.

Wouldnt think a lot of people in Luhansk are going to volunteer to fight unless its to avoid jail.

www.reuters.com...

a reply to: dragonridr

The Mosin mentioned was probably fitted with a scope and being used as a sniper weapon. Regardless, the report illustrates the danger of using older weapons.

Wikipedia claims enough modern Dragunov sniper rifles were produced from the 1960s forward to equip every Warsaw Pact rifle platoon with one each ... which makes one wonder what happened to all of the Dragunovs of the Soviet army, if they have to equip the " people's republic" troops with such old gear like Mosins.

Cheers

27 October Update

Key Takeaways

* Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to reject Ukrainian sovereignty in a way that is fundamentally incompatible with serious negotiations.

* A senior Russian official threatened that Russia could target Western commercial satellites supporting Ukraine.

* Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast and along the Kreminna-Lysychansk line.

* Russian forces are continuing to make defensive preparations along the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

* Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted limited ground assaults in Kherson Oblast.

* Russian forces continued to conduct ground attacks in Donetsk Oblast.

* The Russian military sent mobilization notices to foreign citizens working in Russia.

* Yevgeny Prigozhin‘s Wagner Group may be further developing its air warfare capabilities and fielding more complex equipment on par with the conventional Russian military.

* Russian and occupation administration officials began seizing residents’ cell phones in Russian-occupied territories to support law enforcement and operational security measures.

More at URL above.

Observation. The Wagner Group seems well on the way to becoming the Waffen-SS of Putin's regime, as in the role of ideologically loyal shock troops who will eventually watch over the loyalty of the entire Russian military. More echoes from Hitler's regime.

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

I agree with your sentiment concerning the Wagner Group and the SS. But sometimes, I wonder if the Wagner Group serves Putin until their mutual interests no longer align. Put another way, speculative, does a potential coup against Putin involve the Wagner Group?

a reply to: xpert11

Heh, yeah, the "chef" might serve up Coup de Putin.

Cheers

originally posted by: MetalThunder

That dude bores me, whats the point of his rambling?

Yes you read that right he had a rifle from the 1800s. this was in production from 1882 to 1891.

a reply to: dragonridr

Mosin Nagant was adopted in 1891 and produced in numerous variants until just after WWII

www.youtube.com...

Rather long and detailed

Last variant was Model 1944 carbine with 20 inch barrel and folding bayonet attached to rifle

Several thousand were captured on island of Grenada in 1983 when US kicked out brutal communists dictator ship

At least one of the recent photos released by Russia claiming to be evidence of Ukraines dirty bomb plot has been proven false-its a bag of old smoke detectors in Slovenia from years back-

Russia used 2010 photos of the Slovenian nuclear power plant’s radioactive waste repository to claim Ukraine is planning to detonate a “dirty bomb”.
The government of Slovenia reacted to Russia’s tweet on Ukraine’s alleged preparation for a “dirty bomb” detonation, which was illustrated by photos of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant’s radioactive waste repository.

mil.in.ua...

Here is the image-
mil.in.ua...

Vlad,sack your misinformation team this ain't the first rookie mistake-remember the bridge truck bomb x ray of a different truck with less wheels than the truck on the cctv image..
If you must make up BS,at least don't make it demonstratably proveable as BS.

Articles from The Drive's War Zone

Russian Ka-52 helicopters take heavy losses

In the eight months since launching its all-out invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost more than a quarter of its total in-service fleet of Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters sent to Ukraine for the war, according to the most recent intelligence assessment of the war from the U.K. Ministry of Defense.

Iskander arsenal down to 13% of prewar total

“About 13 percent remains for Iskanders, about 43 percent for Kalibr-PL, Kalibr-NK missiles, and about 45 percent for Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles,” Budanov told the Ukrainian newspaper. “It is generally very dangerous to fall below 30 percent because it already goes [in]to 'NZ' [reserve stocks].

Ukraine moves troops to Belarus border

Concerned about the movement of Russian troops and equipment to Belarus and the continued launching of 'kamikaze drones' from that nation, Ukraine is bolstering its forces along its northern border with Moscow’s client state.

Cheers

originally posted by: xpert11
a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

I agree with your sentiment concerning the Wagner Group and the SS. But sometimes, I wonder if the Wagner Group serves Putin until their mutual interests no longer align. Put another way, speculative, does a potential coup against Putin involve the Wagner Group?

The Wagner Group serves Yevgeny Prigozhin who's the "business man" who set up the operation , Prigozhin is a confidant of Putin but it's believed he has political ambitions of his own.

I suspect the coup will come from within the Kremlin and Prigozhin will likely be part of it.

a reply to: gortex
It's ironic that the Wagner mercenaries includes a group of neo-nazis sent to "de-nazify" Ukraine, called the Rusich. Even the military leader of the Wagner group has nazi SS tattoos:

Russia sends in notorious neo-Nazi mercenaries to Ukraine

The openly fascist and far-Right fighters in the Rusich task force undermine Russia's claims it is fighting to 'de-Nazify' Ukraine...

Rusich has been described by some researchers as a sub-unit of Wagner, whose commander, Dmitry Utkin, bears SS tattoos.

But I'm not sure if they are still trying to de-nazify Ukraine. The Ukrainian civilians said the most often asked question by Russian soldiers was "where are the nazis?" to which they answered they have no idea what they are talking about.

Now Russians are talking about de-satanizing Ukraine. That's even more ludicrous, as I'm sure the satanic cults in Ukraine are even more rare than the Nazis. But the religious overtones of "do it for God" may help the religious people get some sense of purpose.


Vice did a good piece on how much information they are getting about the Russian military falling apart from smartphones which are not allowed, but they are being used anyway.

Inside Russia’s Military Collapse

The smartphones really are a game-changer, giving us access to information we never had in previous conflicts.

I wondered how the Russians can believe such obvious propaganda on Russian state media. This Russian woman who grew up in Moscow tries to explain how it works:
Why Putin's propaganda works, explained by a russian

So it's age restricted now? It wasn't when I watched it. She said she censored a bunch of words to prevent it from getting age-restricted like W*R, but I guess the censoring wasn't good enough? I don't see why it would be age restricted, youtube went a little too far on that.

She says at the end she feels a deep sense of shame for what Russia is doing to Ukraine. She's got access to the internet instead of just the state media so she can see past the propaganda. What she doesn't address that I am curious about is how many Russians use VPNs to bypass the internet restrictions in Russia. I think Russia banned about a dozen VPNs from operating there, but there are way more than that so some are still allowed. As far as I can tell it may still be illegal to use the VPNs that aren't banned, but that law is not strictly enforced so some people use them anyway,illegally. I'm not sure how many. Maybe the hundreds of thousands that fled the country after "partial mobilization" had a clue somehow.

Speaking of "partial mobilization", I've heard at least 300,000 were to be mobilized, maybe up to a million. Here's a source that claims about half a million so far but I'm not that confident in the accuracy...it's apparently based partly on a surge in marriages!

Mediazona: Marriage boom in Russia points to almost half a million mobilized men as of mid-October.

A statistical analysis by Russian independent media outlet Mediazona suggests that around 492,000 men have likely been conscripted into the army since Sept. 21.

I guess the spouses get death benefits but I have my doubts if Russia has enough money to pay all those people, especially since they are taken away from other jobs that were supporting the Russian economy.