A long commentary by Professor Lawrence Freedman titled 'Ukraine's offensive: is it failing? And are the Pentagon's criticism's of its strategy fair? Link: Ukraine's offensive: is it failing?
Then in The Daily Telegraph (behind a pay wall) in an opinion piece a name form the recent past, obscured by a certain man's death in a crash:
Putin is on record as wanting to reinstate the Soviet Union and right now appears to have taken Russia back to 1937.
We are still going through the show trials and the elimination of the officer corps. History repeats itself, first as tragedy then as farce.
Anyone ever seen them in the same room? Just a thought. Resolution of an unfortunate ecumenical matter...
So. Err. Drones. The battlefield has changed, a lot. Remarkable footage of one flying inside a moving lorry. https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1696923734286778786?s=20
Was just thinking of the application of the ultralow cost foamboard versions to the swarm tactic that was being developed by US and UK a few years ago. https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-ev...ies-out-successful-swarming-drone-capability/ Ross
Sketchy footage out there, but it's looking like the first ever battlefield loss of a Challenger 2 by enemy action.
For sometime now there has been limited reporting on the deaths and injuries for the Ukrainian military, though last week a short film clip appeared as front line injuries arrived at a field reception point (not a hospital) and the arrival, every day, of those had died at a coroners facility - the receptionist being a war window. This comment first appeared in 'The Australian' (£££) and then was distributed. The author being: The comment:
Via the Freedman's Substack an introduction to the author: The Substack article is only partly free to read: From: An Interview with Mike Kofman The cited War on the Rocks article is far longer, with much detail, analysis and for the first time significant caveats, if not warnings, e.g.: Link: Perseverance and Adaptation: Ukraine’s Counteroffensive at Three Months - War on the Rocks Short of time? Just read the last paragraph.
From Dr. Jack Watling, RUSI: Russian defences and military adaptations pose challenges for Ukraine's 2023 offensive. The summary: Link: Stormbreak: Fighting Through Russian Defences in Ukraine’s 2023 Offensive
Something something legacy. Something something gas supply. Something something allegory. Whatever. I laughed. Reiterstandbild von Angela Merkel zusammengebrochen
Don't think that sub's getting fixed any time soon, is it. Modern Cruises quite the weapon... Very expensive to press the button. Very very expensive targets, though.
The only fix that sub will see is to be turned into beer cans. If it looks like this on the outside, the inside is going to be a complete mess. All the best Andreas
The Black Sea submarine flotilla only has conventionally powered submarines. A quick look indicates the damaged sub is a Kilo class, with diesel-electric propulsion. It appears the flotilla is all Kilo class and normally six are present. Their operating base is not Sevastapol, but Novorossiysk (some distance away in Russia proper).
