Russia, Ukraine and the West

[Vangelovski]

For the first time, someone with direct knowledge of casualties has spoken up.

Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed during an interview with Russian political strategist Konstantin Dolgov on May 23 that Wagner lost 10,000 convict recruits and 10,000 full-time professional Wagner fighters killed in action over the course of the Battle for Bakhmut.[1]

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-24-2023

[Risto the Great]

I can see motivation for Wagner money people using casualties as an excuse to justify more payment for future campaigns. Similar stuff is on CNN. I doubt we'll ever know the true statistics on both sides.

[Carlin]

https://twitter.com/NinaByzantina/status/1661749861967073281?cxt=HHwWgsDQwb6s3I8uAAAA

According to polisci scholar John Mearsheimer: “The Russians are going to win the war. They’re not going to win a decisive victory, but they’re going to end up conquering a huge chunk of Ukrainian territory beyond what they already have.”

[Carlin]

Adolf Heusinger:

1944: Hitler's Chief of Staff
1961: Chairman of NATO

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Heusinger

[Vangelovski]

Adolf Heusinger:

1944: Hitler's Chief of Staff
1961: Chairman of NATO

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Heusinger

Is the insinuation that NATO is a nazi organisation? If so, does this make Russia a nazi state?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Osoaviakhim

[Risto the Great]

I'd say your Russian example is similar to operation paperclip. But ruling organisations that are supposed to support the free world isn't anything the Russians allowed. They aren't that stupid or hypocritical.

[Karposh]

The latest US politician to visit Kiev, Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham, has infuriated Moscow with his disgraceful comments during a meeting with Zelensky recently. While expressing his support for Ukraine's resistance, he can be heard congratulating himself on behalf of the US for supplying Ukraine with NATO weapons. "And the Russians are dying. Best money we've ever spent," Graham can be heard saying before proceeding to shake hands with an approving Zelensky as they both smirk over what has just been stated. The optics paint an ugly picture indeed. He tried to explain away the comments by saying he was taken out of context. If there is another context which excuses taking pleasure in wishing the death of fellow human beings, I'd like to see it. Trump said it best in a recent Town Hall meeting (that was hosted by CNN of all networks) when he said that it was a tragedy that many young men are being killed on both sides, Russian and Ukrainian.

The demonisation of the Russian people by the western media and western governments is a disgrace.

[Phoenix]

The latest US politician to visit Kiev, Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham, has infuriated Moscow with his disgraceful comments during a meeting with Zelensky recently. While expressing his support for Ukraine's resistance, he can be heard congratulating himself on behalf of the US for supplying Ukraine with NATO weapons. "And the Russians are dying. Best money we've ever spent," Graham can be heard saying before proceeding to shake hands with an approving Zelensky as they both smirk over what has just been stated. The optics paint an ugly picture indeed. He tried to explain away the comments by saying he was taken out of context. If there is another context which excuses taking pleasure in wishing the death of fellow human beings, I'd like to see it. Trump said it best in a recent Town Hall meeting (that was hosted by CNN of all networks) when he said that it was a tragedy that many young men are being killed on both sides, Russian and Ukrainian.

The demonisation of the Russian people by the western media and western governments is a disgrace.

Idiot politicians like Graham and media clowns like Sean Hannity are destroying the conservative movement in the US.
The Republicans have too many of those types in the party to clearly make a point of difference from the lunatics on the Left.

[Vangelovski]

Seems like the counter-offensive is beginning. But the more interesting story might be Russia's inability to stop two small paramilitary groups from causing havoc inside its own territory.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/features/2023/6/6/dead-zone-how-the-ukraine-war-moved-inside-russia

[Carlin]

Seems like the counter-offensive is beginning. But the more interesting story might be Russia's inability to stop two small paramilitary groups from causing havoc inside its own territory.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.alj...-inside-russia

It's going rather well. The Nova Kakhovka dam has been blasted:

https://twitter.com/MikaelValterss1/status/1666000240657219584?cxt=HHwWgIC2wYuZ6Z4uAAAA

https://twitter.com/Trollstoy88/status/1666100366163984386?cxt=HHwWhIDS1ZTdlp8uAAAA

[Carlin]

There is a large battle underway along the contact line south of Orikhiv. This is not a probe, it is not reconnaissance in force - the AFU is attacking in force attempting to breach towards Tokmak. HIMARs is active on the Ukrainian side. Russian air assets are airborne.

https://twitter.com/witte_sergei/status/1666577877293465602?cxt=HHwWhIDQ6fvv76AuAAAA

[Carlin]

There is a large battle underway along the contact line south of Orikhiv. This is not a probe, it is not reconnaissance in force - the AFU is attacking in force attempting to breach towards Tokmak. HIMARs is active on the Ukrainian side. Russian air assets are airborne.

https://twitter.com/witte_sergei/sta...DQ6fvv76AuAAAA

Same twitter channel:

"Overnight, the AFU assaulted Russian defenses south of Orikhiv with a large mechanized package including about 150 armored vehicles. There are no breaches, the Russian defense is fully intact, and AFU losses are substantial. Ukraine continues to pull forces in to attack."

[Carlin]

The Ukrainians are apparently determined to continue feeding their men and NATO's armor into this new Zaporozhye meat-grinder. And, as widely predicted by many, neither the German Leopard 2A6 nor the American M2 Bradleys are a match for Russian firepower. This is a massacre.

https://twitter.com/imetatronink/status/1667160501955231744?cxt=HHwWgIDU6Zfp-KIuAAAA

[Vangelovski]

Early reports of the first liberated village of this counter-offensive. Still unconfirmed geolocated images in Blagodatne, south of Velika Novosilka.

https://twitter.com/Deepstate_UA/status/1667825494090211331?cxt=HHwWhoCzqemcp6UuAAAA

And the video footage.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1667828097293402113/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1667828097293402113&currentTweetUser=NOELreports

Reports that fighting has moved further south over a 20km front.

Edit: Neskuchne and Novodonets'ke had already been liberated before Blagodatne, making it the third village.

[Vangelovski]

As expected, the Ukrainians are moving fast. Still to be confirmed but a few more towns have been added to the list.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1667868077436928001?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Compare this to Russia's "achievement" of four towns in total over its four month winter offensive that included Bakhmut. Which they had been trying to capture since February last year.