Ukraine War. 2022-

The Russian General Staff evaluates the current territorial gains of the ongoing Donbas offensive

 

Reminds me of this:

 

Current status of confirmed Russian losses at Snake Island:
Tor SAM 2x
Strela 10 SAM 1x
ZSU 23-2 1x
"Raptor" fast patrol boat 2x
"Serna" landing craft 1x

There is not the slightest indication that a Russian frigate was attacked/hit/on fire/sunk after NATO reconnaissance aircraft intensively scanned the entire region for it

 

There are clear signs that the Russian flank along the Kharkiv - Izyum line is being slowly but steadily pushed in by continuous Ukrainian attacks.
The lethargy of the RA in this sector is in any case strange, considering the massing of BTGs there.

 

It seems that Russian Guards are legally challenging their dismissal after refusing to enter ukraine.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/vladimir-putin-faces-dissent-russian-26882408

 

As said, Ukraine has a proven penchant for symbolic actions with high propaganda value
The Snake Island saga, chapter 3:

 

They're going to retake that, aren't they?

All the best

Andreas

 

After the "Moskva" sank in a storm for unexplained reasons >cough<, UA eliminated the anti-aircraft capabilities and supporting infrastructure on the island and turned the entire area into a firing range for the TB2 drones.

To me it looks more like UA is playing the tried and tested Chernobaivka Gambit:
RA stations troops
UA bombs them
RA stations troops
UA bombs them
a.s.o.
a.s.o.
a.s.o.

 

T-34-85 in Moscow this morning.

(Sorry. Moskva. Have to follow the lead of TV talking heads)

 

Russian material losses as of today 08/05/2022 compared with those of 8 days ago - 30/04/2022
(aggregate number of destroyed, damaged, abandoned or captured vehicles/weapons according to Oryx - these are just verified losses, real numbers are probably higher):

Now that the frontlines are more static numbers are rising more slowly, probably also because losses behind the russian lines are more difficult to verify.

Total: 3495

Tanks 631 (+36)
Armoured Fighting Vehicles 340 (+21)
Infantry Fighting Vehicles 690 (+52)
Armoured Personnel Carriers 108 (+5)
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles 25
Infantry Mobility Vehicles 103 (+3)
Command posts & Communications Stations 73 (+2)
Engineering Vehicles 127 (+1)
Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Missile Systems 14 (+14)
Heavy Mortars 12
Towed Artillery 59
Self-Propelled Artillery 106 (+3)
Multiple Rocket Launchers 62 (-1)
Anti-Aircraft Guns 6 (+2)
Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns 15
Surface-To-Air Missile Systems 58 (+4)
Radars 10
Jammers And Deception Systems 8
Aircraft 26
Helicopters 41 (+2)
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 53 (+4)
Naval Ships 7 (+3)
Logistics Trains 2
Trucks, Vehicles and Jeeps 914 (+40)
Unknown vehicles 54 (+4)

NB. Oryx stopped the count of Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (76) and Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (24 ); they are no longer listed but the last registered numbers still are included in the total score.

Update 3 May:


Update 7 May:

 

Hmmm...Popasna has fallen. This is bad news. The city (or its remains) is located on a strategically important hill from which the surrounding area is widely dominated.
The final attack was probably entrusted to the Wagner mercenaries. And from what one can see on the not so common channels they have also used Syrians.
It remains to be seen whether the RA will be able to bring in sufficiently powerful forces in this sector to exploit this success.
In any case, the ferocity of the fighting there is breathtaking: from Kharkiv to Izyum and Lyman to Serverodonetsk, a tremendous amount of artillery is in action.

 

An article from the front line in the east by an ex-FT journalist David Patrikarakos: Inside the battle on the Eastern Front

Within the comments is:

Then from a US veteran:

 

Today on the victory parade. Rumored to be the successor to the T-14 Armata due to sanctions.

 

Attenborough goes to war...

 

Don't think they can afford that, and probably still dependent on western gadgets to function.

All the best

Andreas

 

Russian material losses as of today 09/05/2022 compared with those of 1 day ago - 08/05/2022
(aggregate number of destroyed, damaged, abandoned or captured vehicles/weapons according to Oryx - these are just verified losses, real numbers are probably higher):

Now that the frontlines are more static numbers are rising more slowly, probably also because losses behind the russian lines are more difficult to verify.

Total: 3550

Tanks 641 (+10)
Armoured Fighting Vehicles 346 (+6)
Infantry Fighting Vehicles 697 (+7)
Armoured Personnel Carriers 108
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles 25
Infantry Mobility Vehicles 104 (+1)
Command posts & Communications Stations 73
Engineering Vehicles 135 (+8)
Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Missile Systems 14
Heavy Mortars 13 (+1)
Towed Artillery 59
Self-Propelled Artillery 106
Multiple Rocket Launchers 62
Anti-Aircraft Guns 6
Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns 15
Surface-To-Air Missile Systems 59 (+1)
Radars 10
Jammers And Deception Systems 8
Aircraft 26
Helicopters 41
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 54 (+1)
Naval Ships 9 (+2)
Logistics Trains 2
Trucks, Vehicles and Jeeps 937 (+23)
Unknown vehicles 55 (+1)

NB. Oryx stopped the count of Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (76) and Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (24 ); they are no longer listed but the last registered numbers still are included in the total score.

 

The UK Defence Secretary gave a speech today at the National Army Museum, London, on Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. It contains a few snippets that I'd not read about before:

From: Speech by Defence Secretary on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

 

Thank you vP you’re finger licking good


Interesting to see Sweden and Finland are joining NATO

appears they are both joining in today in the NATO exercise “From the high North to the Balkans”

 

Dramatic Footage Of Russian Tank Exploding & Its 12-Ton Turret Rocketing 'High In The Sky' Goes Viral -- Watch