Yves right here. For many who comply with Alexander Mercouris, the submit additional down from John Helmer could appear a tad redundant, since Mercouris learn from it at some size in his Thursday presentation. Nonetheless, I’m including some extra commentary on the Helmer piece.
The overarching problem is what Russia does in regards to the US’ and NATO’s professed timeless enmity for Russia. Russia can not depend on hope, as in that Donald Trump will win within the US this fall, or that there can be sufficient regime change in European capitals to fracture European unity. Putin has commented repeatedly about how totally different US presidents have made commitments to him, solely to have them be walked balk. He has attributed that to the existence of a everlasting US paperwork which follows its goals regardless of whoever is within the White Home.1
And even when most European capitals finally settle into what Aurelien has known as “epic sulking,” Poland and the Baltic states look decided to maintain whipping up anti-Russian fervor at each flip.
In different phrases, one in every of Russia’s goals had been a impartial Ukraine. Russia was decided to cease NATO perched on its borders. That had been agreed within the draft phrases within the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in March 2022.
However now no matter is left of Ukraine can be smaller than the Ukraine that nearly agreed to phrases in 2022. And Russia continues to be confronted with the query of how you can safe the neutrality of a rump Ukraine, as within the elements of Ukraine that Russia doesn’t occupy and finally reach having be part of the Russia Federation. Recall that the method used with the Crimea and the 4 newly adopted oblasts was a referendum. Having gone that route twice, every other means would look illegitimate. Putin additionally mentioned on the very begin of the SMO that Russia didn’t need to go the place it was not welcome. He and certain the remainder of the Russian management doesn’t intend to garrison hostile territory; it’s pricey and corrupting.
So how does Russia safe the neutrality of what is going to be left of Ukraine, which is presently within the fingers of an acutely hostile authorities and nonetheless has Europe and the US eager to help it any means they will? Even when NATO is militarily impotent when it comes to floor assault,2 it might nonetheless set up boatloads of long-range launchers that would conceivably throw nuclear weapons.3 And nearer to the Russian border on this context is clearly much less fascinating.
I’ve some quibbles with the Helmer submit beneath. He makes it clear that substantial parts come straight from a single supply. Single sources are problematic except you may confirm what they mentioned (and even when they supply paperwork, these will not be full sufficient to inform the total story).
Helmer does take problem with armchair generals who don’t learn or converse Russian and try to supply fight assessments on a present foundation. Right here I believe he takes purpose at Simplicius the Thinker, who Russia-fluent readers have criticized for drawing incorrect inferences from machine-translated materials. I’ve individually discovered him to be iffy when he will get out of his lane of army evaluation and speculates about politics.
Nonetheless, Helmer’s supply is mostly on the identical web page as Simplicius on the present Russian method, which is to press into Ukraine forces at many factors on the prolonged entrance line. Simplicius depicts Russia as shifting the depth of assault to pressure Ukraine right into a “plugging holes within the dyke” scrambling. That could be true however recall that Ukraine can be restricted to arial
forces in that method; infantry can’t be repositioned that quickly.
This submit opens with Ukraine’s failure any severe defensive strains behind those Russia is within the means of breaching, and the impossibility of developing something that may meaningfully impede Russian forces, each given deadlines and Russian capacity to make long-distance strikes. That allegedly (and really credibly) has Ukraine and US/NATO leaders in a lather. The US has publicized that Ukraine will run out of air protection missiles by the tip of March and is projected to deplete its artillery by someday in June. The lack of air defenses appears significantly essential, since which means Ukraine can be open to assault even in previously supposedly pretty-well protected areas akin to Kiev.
The half I take problem with is how Helmer’s supply depicts Russia as having baited the West by pulling out of Kherson and Kharkiv as an excellent misleading ruse. There was an outbreak of revisionist historical past in depicting Russian shortcomings, akin to its failure to counter the Western propaganda narrative of how across-the-board horrible Russia is (no good army, falling aside financial system, pervasive corruption, demoralized residents) as deliberate, in order to additional dupe the West. Actually, Russian residents complained about how Russia appeared to be doing nothing within the reality of the persevering with barrage of denigration of Russia, when the truth is there was realistically nothing Russia might do to penetrate the Western media bulwark. And bear in mind the Collective West was additionally strategically motivated to maintain touting the inevitable Ukraine victory. Alexander Vershinin (of the famed Return of Industrial Warfare paper at RUSI) burdened how the truth that the West was working a coalition conflict imply that managing the coalition, as within the politics of collaborating states, was key component of the mission. Therefore the seemingly weird Western fixation on narrative administration was the results of a design constraint.
Equally, Putin has described how the West dominates the knowledge area, as if that’s one thing Russia has to endure, no less than for now.
Actually, Russia has accomplished one thing extra far spectacular than these revisionists recommend, which is reveal outstanding bureaucratic adaptability within the face of antagonistic developments. The best profile show was the way in which Russia responded to the gut-punch of the shock and awe financial sanctions. It was gorgeous to see Russia contend to the lack of SWIFT and restricted entry to the Mastercard/Visa community, the lack of many EU and US retail institution operators (even when arguably not important to the financial system, the potential job loss can be vital) and the lack of many Western suppliers. Western economists have refused to acknowledge that Russia was in a position to improvise on this scale and with such success, shifting its commerce focus from the West to China and the International South, having native operators step as much as fill the gaping chasms left by the lack of US and European suppliers, and turning to China, India, Turkiye and different international locations the place that was a greater sourcing possibility.
With the Kherson/Kharkiv pullouts, Russia clearly by no means meant to grow to be as overextended alongside the road of contact because it grew to become. The technique was to ship in a pressure clearly too small to threaten Ukraine however sufficiently big to show the tide within the Donbass, in order to pressure Ukraine to barter . That occurred with spectacular pace.
However when the West kicked over that desk, Russia dithered. It didn’t legally have a prepared technique to beef up its forces in Ukraine (Russian legislation limits the usage of pressure outdoors Russia; I’ll skip over the particulars). It had a sophisticated and arguably unwieldy command construction. And it hadn’t anticipated the Ukraine response, backed by the US and NATO, can be as decided because it proved to be.
Regardless that the Kherson and Kharkiv retreats have been army sound and effectively executed, they have been politically pricey. They created excessive alarm within the Donbass, in that residents within the deserted areas, significantly officers, have been topic to reprisals. How might they be certain Russia wouldn’t abandon them too? Russian residents additionally nervous that these setbacks might be a harbinger of worse to return.
So Russia was successfully pressured to shortly acknowledge the 4 oblasts that Russia had entered as Russian territory, launch its partial mobilization, qnd make much more concerted efforts to ramp up army manufacturing and enhance its weaponry.
Right here Russia bought fortunate. The West merely refused to imagine, regardless of clear Russian plans, that Russia might meaningfully strengthen its army. Russia wound up having ample time to retrain reservists and convey new enlistees as much as fight functionality. However the truth that Russia succeeded in rising its fight functionality as quickly because it has continues to be very spectacular.
By John Helmer, the longest repeatedly serving international correspondent in Russia, and the one western journalist to direct his personal bureau impartial of single nationwide or industrial ties. Helmer has additionally been a professor of political science, and an advisor to authorities heads in Greece, the USA, and Asia. He’s the primary and solely member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to ascertain himself in Russia. Initially revealed at Dances with Bears
The collapse of the Ukrainian military following the battle of Avdeyevka, and its disorganized retreat, have accelerated Russian army pondering of how far westward the NATO allies will resolve that the Ukrainian statelet could be defended in opposition to the anticipated Russian advance – and how briskly new NATO defences could be created with out the safety of ground-to-air missile batteries like Patriot, long-range artillery just like the M777, and cellular armour just like the Abrams, Bradley, and Caesar: all of them have already been defeated within the east.
Briefly, there isn’t a longer a NATO-command line of fortification east of the Polish border which deters the Russian Normal Workers. Additionally, no bunker for the Zelensky authorities and its NATO advisors to really feel safe.
Slicing and pasting from the Russian army bloggers and the Moscow analytical media, as a handful of US podcasters and substackers are doing as usually as their subscribers require, is the Comfortable-Armchair technique for getting on the reality. Studying the Russian sources immediately, with the understanding that they’re reporting what their army and intelligence sources are saying off the file, continues to be armchair generalship, however much less comfortable, extra credible.
Offence is now the order of the day up and down the contact line. The every day bulletin from the Ministry of Protection in Moscow calls this “enhancing the tactical state of affairs” and “taking extra advantageous positions”. Previously three days, Monday by way of Wednesday, the Protection Ministry additionally reported the every day casualty price of the Ukrainian forces at 1,175, 1,065, and 695, respectively; three M777 howitzer hits; and the primary Abrams tank to be destroyed. As a result of this supply is blocked in a number of of the NATO states, the Russian army bloggers, which reproduce the bulletins together with videoclips and maps, could also be extra accessible; additionally extra swiftly than the US-based podcasters and substackers can sustain.
Moscow sources verify the plain: the operational goal is to use increasingly more strain at increasingly more factors alongside the road, in as many sectors or salients (“instructions” is the Russian time period) as potential concurrently. On the similar time, air assault, plus missiles and drones, are putting all rear Ukrainian and NATO airfield, highway, and rail nodes, ammunition storages, automobile parks, drone manufactories, gasoline dumps, and different provide infrastructure, in order make reinforcement and redeployment tougher and dangerous.
What can’t be seen are the Russian concentrations of forces aimed within the north, centre and south of the battlefield. As a substitute, there may be what one supply calls “an informed guess is that when the principle blow comes, will probably be North, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov, Poltava, or Centre, Dniepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, or each concurrently.” For timing, the supply provides, “after the Russian election.”
That’s now lower than three weeks away, on March 17. President Vladimir Putin will then reform his new authorities inside 4 to 6 weeks for announcement by early Might. Ministerial appointments delicate to the Normal Workers’s planning are the Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is anticipated to stay in place; and the Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov, who might retire.
Following the decision of French President Emmanuel Macron for the “chance” of French floor pressure deployment to the Ukraine battlefield, and the following clarification by French Protection Minister Sébastien Lecornu, the Russian evaluation has been derisory. “As for Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the potential for sending NATO troops to Ukraine,” replied Overseas Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova, “I want to remind you that only a month in the past, the French Overseas Minister denied Paris’s involvement in recruiting mercenaries for the Kiev regime, and known as direct proof ‘crude Russian propaganda.’ There’s a sturdy impression that the French President is, in precept, not conscious of what his subordinates say, or what he says himself. And now I need to remind Macron of the historical past of France. That’s totally different. In April 1945, Berlin was defended by the French SS division often called Charlemagne, and a variety of others. In addition they immediately defended the Fuhrerbunker — Hitler’s bunker. They have been among the many final to be awarded the Nazi Order of the Knight’s Cross within the Third Reich. The French SS males from Charlemagne grew to become the final defenders of the Reichstag and the Reich Chancellery. Emmanuel, have you ever determined to prepare the Charlemagne II division to defend Zelensky’s bunker?”
The view in Moscow is that there’s now as a lot indecision, vacillation, and chaos between the Elysée and the Hexagon Balard in Paris as there may be in Washington between the White Home and the Pentagon, over what final stand NATO could make within the Ukraine, and the place to place it — east of Kiev, or east of Lvov and the Polish border area.
The Moscow supply once more: “the NATO fortress and bunker plan for the Ukraine is proving a failure, and the Ukrainians are falling again on the outdated Wehrmacht tactic of advert hoc battlegroups with rising percentages of unit leftovers and low-quality conscripts appearing as hearth brigades to plug holes within the strains in order to delay the Russian advances. However what’s the bunker fallback plan alongside what strains – is the plan to attend till the People, French, Germans or Poles present up? That is the stuff of Nazi goals. It’s too late.”
A western army supply feedback: “I’m not so certain, as among the Russian milbloggers are, that the broad entrance method [Russian General Valery] Gerasimov is taking heralds a brand new method to trendy warfare – or operational artwork, in the event you like. The push at totally different factors, conserving males and materiel in favour of firepower is being accomplished as a lot, or extra out of political issues, which embody these of a home character (Putin’s public help, home stability); and in addition the army goal since Day One of many Particular Navy Operation — to attract in and destroy as many and as a lot of the US-NATO manpower and gear within the Ukraine as potential.”
“The Russian ‘retreat’ carried out in Fall of 2022 was a part of the plan and struck me as being impressed by the Mongol tactic of attacking, making an enormous present of working away, solely to show to pursue after which destroy the enemy. The Ukrainians and their NATO handlers fell for it hook, line and sinker. Now they don’t have the forces wanted to take care of their fortress technique, not to mention conduct a lot in the way in which of counter-attacks. It was on this style that Gerasimov gained the higher hand within the two-front conflict – the one on the Ukrainian battlefield and the one on the Russian residence entrance.”
“Deep battle continues to be the Russian doctrine. Its kind and parts might change, however the idea stays the identical. The artwork is in determining the place and when the holes drilled within the different facet’s army, financial, and political buildings will line up, and current the trail to be exploited by Gerasimov. We will guess he’s recognized for fairly a while.”
Two translations comply with of present Russian army analyses. The primary is by Boris Rozhin, whose Colonel Cassad Telegram platform is likely one of the main army blogs in Moscow. The second is by Yevgeny Krutikov who publishes lengthy items in Vzglyad, the semi-official safety evaluation medium in Moscow, and quick items in his Telegram account, Mudraya Ptitsa (“Clever Chicken”).
The interpretation is verbatim and unedited. Maps and illustrations have been added.
Supply: https://t.me/s/boris_rozhin -- posted on February 27, 2024 – 20:25. Half II has not been revealed but.
February 27, 2024
The operational disaster of the Armed Forces of the Ukraine – Half 1
By Boris Rozhin (“Colonel Cassad”)
The successes of our troops strengthen religion in a collective victory. Nonetheless, it’s essential to soberly assess the three elements that make up the operational state of affairs on the entrance:
— our forces and materiel – the forces and materiel of the enemy;
— the ratio between them;
— the operational surroundings.
The state of affairs during which the enemy is now on the defensive could be known as an operational disaster. For 4 months, the Armed Forces of the Ukraine [VSU is the Russian acronym] command concentrated their reserves in Avdeyevka and Chas Yar, weakening different sectors of the entrance (specifically, Kupyansk and Zaporozhye). Having failed to make sure a vital preponderance of forces, in opposition to the background of a rise within the media significance of Avdeyevka, the enemy misplaced the operational initiative and is now pressured to withdraw to order linesof defence. However they don’t seem to be totally operational.
The switch of reserves of the VSU is carried out underneath the rising assaults of our aviation and high-precision assaults on key railway nodes (for instance, Pokrovsk and Konstantinovka). Many VSU items have to be withdrawn for reformation, which is at the moment unattainable. Subsequently, they’re outfitted on the expense of mobilized residents with low motivation and fight coaching.
LARGE MAP OF OPERATIONS AS OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024
Supply: Rybar. Click on on unique to enlarge view: https://t.me/s/rybar -- February 29 00:42.
By creating an offensive initiative west of Avdeyevka, our items have disadvantaged the enemy of the chance to achieve a foothold there. In line with the Bakhmut situation in the summertime of 2023, when attacking close to Kleshcheyevka and Berkhovka, the VSU created a hotbed of stress, forcing us to carry giant forces in place. Immediately, the Armed Forces of Ukraine would not have the chance to totally regroup, so they’re withdrawing troops in key operational areas: Zaporozhye (Orekhov) and Slavyansk-Kramatorsk (taking into consideration our positions within the Avdeyevka and Bakhmut preliminary areas).
The brand new [VSU] commander-in-chief, [General Alexander] Syrsky, is confused about precisely the place to pay attention his forces. In circumstances of simultaneous motion of our formations alongside the whole entrance line: within the Zaporozhye, Donetsk, Lugansk (the Svatovo-Kremennaya line) and Kupyansk operational instructions, the focus of forces and materiel in a selected space will inevitably create circumstances for a breakthrough of the Ukrainian defence.
The advance of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation within the Maryinsk-Ugledar operational and tactical route and within the space of Novomikhailovka creates circumstances for squeezing the enemy west of the Marinka-Ugledar freeway and within the route of Kurakhovo, which within the foreseeable future will grow to be a key node within the VSU defence on this space. The state of affairs is creating in an identical means within the Konstantinovsky route, the place our troops are having success at Chas Yar, advancing for the time being with protection to Ivanovskoye, the biggest defensive position in entrance of the Chas–Yar fortress space.
MAP OF THE CHAS YAR OPERATIONS AS OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024
Supply: Rybar. Click on on the unique to enlarge view: https://t.me/rybar/57610
Regular strain is recorded within the space of Yampolovka and Ternov, the Serebryansky forest, in addition to on the left financial institution of the Seversky Donets, the place an offensive is underway in opposition to Belogorovka to be able to attain Seversk. Positional battles proceed south of Seversk within the Razdolovka–Veseloe strip. Our items are transferring alongside the railway line, though the tactical circumstances of the terrain should not conducive to a fast offensive there. The state of affairs is extra difficult within the Kupyansk route. Nonetheless, regardless of the difficulties of advancing and the altitude variations, we’re managing to include giant enemy forces on each banks of the Oskol.
A possible situation for the event of the state of affairs is that throughout the coming month the VSU will proceed the gradual withdrawal of troops to new strains alongside a rear echelon from 15 to twenty kilometres again, whereas concurrently making an attempt to interact us in battles in areas the place terrain circumstances and defensive fortifications will enable us to carry positions: these are Chas Yar–Konstantinovka, the southern approaches to Seversk (Rayaleksandrovsky fortress space), the Marinka– Kurakhovo–Ugledar line (Donetsk route), and Rabodino–Orekhov (Zaporozhye).
In the meanwhile of withdrawal from a selected space, the enemy will switch his forces from website to website to be able to inflict most injury to our advancing group. The VSU doesn’t think about every other possibility, for instance, to counterattack, for the reason that focus of troops required for that dangers taking the form of the Avdeyevka situation, with the actual prospect of falling right into a котёл [trap].
Left, Boris Rozhin; proper, Yevgeny Krutikov.
Supply: https://vz.ru/
February 28, 2024
How Russian troops are shifting Ukrainian defenses after
Avdeyevka
By Yevgeny Krutikov
The advance of Russian troops to the West after the liberation of Avdeyevka has not been stopped in any respect. The Armed Forces of Ukraine haven’t been in a position to achieve a foothold on any defensive position for a lot of days, and furthermore, this is applicable not solely to the Avdeyevka route. What is going on on the road of contact within the particular operation zone and what would be the goal of the Russian military within the coming weeks?
After the liberation of Avdeyevka the items of the Russian Armed Forces maintained a excessive price of advance on this part of the road of contact. The enemy rapidly tried to create new strains of defence to the west of the town alongside the Stepovoye–Berdych-Orlovka–Lastochkino–Tonenkoe–Severnoye line. However by Tuesday, February 27, Russian assault items had occupied the primary line (Stepovoye, Lastochkino, Severnoye) and commenced operations to occupy the second line.
In some cases the enemy merely deserted their positions, unable to face up to the blows of bombs and assault actions. The open areas (fields, forests, and gullies) west of Avdeyevka got here underneath the management of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation virtually and not using a struggle.
There’s an evidence for this. To begin with, the group of defence on new frontlines is extraordinarily pricey and time–consuming; it requires an enormous quantity of apparatus and specialists, and most significantly, time. It’s exactly this time which the Russian troops are seizing to consolidate their positions, denying them to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and continuously placing strain on them, primarily with long-range weapons.
The VSU, because it now seems, weren’t ready in any respect for the fast abandonment of Avdeyevka. As well as, evidently the enemy can not face up to a direct conflict with Russian troops outdoors of positions they’ve fortified prematurely. The VSU can cling to long-term fortified areas which have been ready for a very long time, however with the fixed tempo of the Russian offensive, they’re pressured to withdraw even from these positions.
Behind the brand new line of defence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which has developed within the Avdeyevka space for the time being (provisionally round Orlovka), an empty area has opened up during which there aren’t any pure obstacles able to supporting new defensive fortifications. There’s nothing like this as much as the following main settlements of the Donbass, primarily Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsky). The enemy has not strengthened the small villages there in any means, pondering it wouldn’t be essential.
MAP OF AVDEYEVKA AREA OPERATIONS AS OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024
Supply: Rybar. Click on on unique to enlarge view: https://t.me/rybar/57677
The one limitation on the Russian forces for transferring ahead on this route would be the outdated positions of the VSU on the flanks. For instance, Kurakhovo is deliberate to be one other “fortress”, which by the actual fact of its existence creates a flank risk to the advance of the Avdeyevka grouping of the Russian forces.
The state of affairs in one other part of the contact line, west of Artemovsk, is indicative on this regard. The enemy’s positions in entrance of Chasov Yar within the villages of Krasnoe (Ivanovskoye) and Bogdanovka have appeared to be very sturdy. However the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation started to maneuver there not head-on, however from the north, pushing by way of and bypassing the fortified areas of the VSU. Because of this, by Tuesday, the assault teams had superior virtually to the centre of the village. On the similar time, a number of heights have been occupied, opening the way in which additional to the west.
This manoeuvre is clearly seen on satellite tv for pc photos of the realm the place the strains of the enemy’s trenches south of Krasnoe are seen. Apparently, the VSU was afraid of the motion of Russian assault plane from this route, from Kleshcheyevka. The ruins of Kleshcheyevka themselves are virtually surrounded for the time being, however this route has grow to be secondary to motion on Chasov Yar.
The primary districts of Chasov Yar – east of the canal, the place the VSU items are situated – at the moment are being continuously shelled by Russian artillery and bombs [ФАБ], which make it unattainable for the enemy to manoeuvre their reserves and rotate.
The enemy transferred a lot of the reserves obtainable initially of February to Kupyansk. In Kiev this stabilization of the entrance close to Kupyansk is taken into account an excellent achievement. The Kiev command is motivated to hold stubbornly on to the zone round Kupyansk by the conclusion that in the event that they lose this node, that may result in the redeployment of elements of the Russian forces all the way in which as much as Kharkov.
However an important factor that the intelligence and management of the VSU are at the moment doing is making an attempt to find out the place the brand new predominant blow of the Russian offensive will happen after Avdeyevka. The actual fact is that the Russian armed forces at the moment are sustaining an operational tempo alongside the whole line of contact. There isn’t a part of the entrance line the place profitable assault operations wouldn’t be famous. This “a number of bites” [множества укусов] technique at the moment being undertaken by the Russian forces has led to the disorganization of enemy behaviour and the dispersion of its assets.
For instance, the primary assault detachments of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on Tuesday evening already entered the settlement of Terny within the Limansky route and gained a foothold in it. The motion to Terny had not halted even for a day over a number of weeks, remaining within the shadow of the larger-scale occasions within the Avdeyevka route and round Rabocino. However rapidly now it has turned out that on this space, items of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have entered fully new positions, threatening to maneuver additional west to the Liman and looming over the enemy’s Seversk grouping.
In Kiev, there’s a well-founded worry that these new landmark breakthroughs by Russian items might typically result in the collapse of Ukrainian defence and the transition of army operations to the extra western areas of Ukraine.
Furthermore, virtually the whole line of contact, aside from the Chasov Yar space, is now so fragmented that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have the chance to enter the operational area in a number of instructions directly. Even the western press is now actively writing that the Russian forces are able to offering assault operations concurrently in two or three areas. Nobody is aware of which one in every of them will find yourself being the principle one.
It’s potential that there can be no “predominant” route of influence, no less than within the classical understanding of this idea. The brand new army actuality additionally supplied by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is a novel tactic: the motion of small assault teams with highly effective help from artillery and heavy aerial bombs. Thus, the occupation of enemy strongholds is ensured, and solely then are giant open areas cleared with the assistance of tanks.
In different phrases, comparatively giant settlements, was strongholds by the enemy, grow to be one thing like a basic route, a vector of motion. For instance, Pokrovskoye (Krasnoarmeysk) is situated 40 kilometres west of Avdeyevka. That is clearly the following goal for Russian troops. However the motion in direction of this purpose needn’t be direct, however could also be guided by the requirement to bypass and destroy the enemy’s defence strains.
At Chasov Yar, motion that was not in a straight line turned out to be efficient for the Russian forces, bypassing from the flanks the enemy’s fortified areas south of Krasny. Operations to carry down the enemy are carried out in Kupyansk in a straight line, whereas surprising assault actions on the outskirts of this part of the entrance (the identical Terny) result in new threats of the encirclement of the defending items of the VSU.
Maybe within the coming days we are going to see the following offensive operations of the Russian forces in line with a linear scheme: the encirclement of Kurakhovo by way of the occupation of Krasnogorovka, entry to the heights south of Chasov Yar, motion to Seversk, entry to the provision strains of Ugledar, forcing the channel in Terny, breaking the enemy’s defences west of Avdeyevka, and rather more.
None of those areas would be the “chief” or “predominant” one, however every of them will create the preconditions for the additional liberation of the Donbass.
[*] The lead image is reproduced by Boris Rozhin for instance his battlefield report of February 28, at 19:17, indicating the disorganized retreat of Ukrainian forces west and south alongside the Berdych-Orlovka-Tonenkoe line within the central sector. “Immediately, the enemy has really misplaced this line. Orlovka is within the means of coming underneath the management of Russian troops. Within the subsequent 24 hours, we should always anticipate the looks of movies with flags in Orlovka. Berdych is subsequent. An advantageous and ready line of defence didn't final lengthy. The enemy will retreat to the west with subsequent makes an attempt to make use of pure water obstacles and terrain to compensate for the dearth of ready engineering buildings.”
____
1 Putin described this phenomenon in his interviews with Oliver Stone; he extra just lately has depicted the “deep state” or Blob as a power, which is an acknowledgement that America sticks to the identical insurance policies regardless of modifications within the political climate. I took that additional to imply that it makes America a resolute opponent.
2 Particular forces should not an alternative choice to a military. Douglas Macgregor has repeatedly described how weak NATO militaries are. The US is unable to fulfill recruitment targets and its military is already smaller than on the time of Desert Storm. Russian submarines can stop the US sending troops and supporting provides. The UK’s military is so small it gained’t fill a stadium. France’s is just match, as Macgregor put it, for safari. Poland’s is the very best but it surely couldn’t start to face as much as the Russians.
3 Forgive me for having lower than full recall of particulars (and that is the issue with commentators preferring YouTube to print), however former CIA analyst Ray McGovern has described greater than as soon as how the West’s latest installations characteristic launchers which can be designed to cover the kind of missle loaded in. He depicted that as one of many causes for elevated Russian nervousness.
