Ukrainian army marching further into Russia

[Merrill]

I certainly did not see this coming. The situation is so dire for Russia right now that Putin is moving troops from Kaliningrad to Kursk to help support the forces there

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-keeps-pounding-kursk-incursion-biden-calls-real-dilemma-putin-2024-08-14/

 

[Goonie]

I certainly did not see this coming. The situation is so dire for Russia right now that Putin is moving troops from Kaliningrad to Kursk to help support the forces there

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-keeps-pounding-kursk-incursion-biden-calls-real-dilemma-putin-2024-08-14/

Astonishing when you invade a country, they will strike back?!! Tell me it isn't so.

 

[Offline4Better.]

When will this war end? It has been 2.5 years.

 

[public hermit]

I certainly did not see this coming. The situation is so dire for Russia right now that Putin is moving troops from Kaliningrad to Kursk to help support the forces there

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-keeps-pounding-kursk-incursion-biden-calls-real-dilemma-putin-2024-08-14/

I think the US (and other supporting countries) are a large part of why this seems unexpected. We have placed limits on our support by basically dictating how they can fight the war with whatever we give them. Presumably, it is all in order to avoid a larger war. I think that has loosened up a bit. We were not going to give them jets, and now we have given them jets. I can only guess the US gave a go ahead on this. If not, the US is not pushing back as if it goes against US guidance. And, (hopefully) our intelligence is supporting them, but who knows?

 

[mindlight]

I think the US (and other supporting countries) are a large part of why this seems unexpected. We have placed limits on our support by basically dictating how they can fight the war with whatever we give them. Presumably, it is all in order to avoid a larger war. I think that has loosened up a bit. We were not going to give them jets, and now we have given them jets. I can only guess the US gave a go ahead on this. If not, the US is not pushing back as if it goes against US guidance. And, (hopefully) our intelligence is supporting them, but who knows?

This is a shift in US Policy that does not bode well for the Russian war effort. If Ukraine can wage asymmetric warfare across the whole Russian landscape then Russia cannot concentrate its forces in the way it has been doing to try and win every inch of territory possible in the key areas.

But the real question here is the US election. Trump has suggested that he plans to undermine the Ukrainian war effort and bring peace. Ukraine is unlikely to accept such deals with Putin but they may well be a degrading of the resources available to Ukraine after January if Trump wins

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I certainly did not see this coming. The situation is so dire for Russia right now that Putin is moving troops from Kaliningrad to Kursk to help support the forces there

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-keeps-pounding-kursk-incursion-biden-calls-real-dilemma-putin-2024-08-14/

Good, Putin gets what they deserve.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Russia ‘suffering 2,000 casualties a day’ as Kursk counter-offensive falters​

I heard Russia is sending its drone operators in as infantry.
Maybe the social media trolls will be next, now that AI can do it better and cheaper.

 

[rambot]

If putin is worried about declining birthrates in Russia he should stop sending Russian men out to die by the thousands.

 

[Petros2015]

Russia ‘suffering 2,000 casualties a day’ as Kursk counter-offensive falters

I'm amazed that force is still alive, surely it's got to be difficult to keep it supplied, unless they are scavenging from Russian troops they destroy...?
They must be pretty tough, or maybe Russia has already depleted most of their experienced troops and they are fighting basically waves of drafted convicts now. Probably a little of both. I would think Russia would just fly in from air and wipe it out, but that hasn't happened.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

I'm amazed that force is still alive, surely it's got to be difficult to keep it supplied, unless they are scavenging from Russian troops they destroy...?

"Kursk offensive" is a bit of a misnomer - the offensive is in the Kursk region, but they haven't taken Kursk, or even really gotten that close to the city. They're not cut off or anything either - they've just pushed the line into Russia:

They must be pretty tough, or maybe Russia has already depleted most of their experienced troops and they are fighting basically waves of drafted convicts now. Probably a little of both.

Little of both - Ukraine used some of their best/most experienced troops for the offensive, and Russia has had a shortage of elite soldiers for the past year at least.

I would think Russia would just fly in from air and wipe it out, but that hasn't happened.

They're still well within the range of Ukrainian air defenses.

 

[essentialsaltes]

I assume Putin badly wants it back (and fast) so that when Trump enters office and 'ends the war' by calling for a ceasefire with current borders, there won't be Russian territory in Ukrainian hands, only Ukrainian territory in Russian hands.

 

[DaisyDay]

I'm amazed that force is still alive, surely it's got to be difficult to keep it supplied, unless they are scavenging from Russian troops they destroy...?
They must be pretty tough, or maybe Russia has already depleted most of their experienced troops and they are fighting basically waves of drafted convicts now. Probably a little of both. I would think Russia would just fly in from air and wipe it out, but that hasn't happened.

Russia is importing North Korea cannon fodder now.

 

[Petros2015]

Russia is importing North Korea cannon fodder now.

That might be a recipe for wackiness and miscommunication... how many Russian troops speak Korean? How many Korean troops speak Russian? I think part of the reason the Wagner mercenary company turned around and marched on Moscow was they were angry about being shelled with friendly fire more than they were being supplied. Lots of things were in play there, but similar stuff can happen with the foreign troops as well, they won't be well treated I'm sure. Ukraine could probably exploit that with the language differences if they put some effort in, send false communications and orders.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Lawsuit says Russian officials stole millions meant to fortify border region attacked by Ukraine​

A lawsuit filed by the office of Russia's Prosecutor General orders the head of the Kursk Regional Development Corporation, his deputies and a number of businessmen to repay more than 3.2 billion roubles ($32.7 million) allegedly embezzled from the regional defence budget, state news agency RIA reported.

In the two years prior to Ukraine's attack, the governor in charge of Kursk at the time had repeatedly told the public that Russia had boosted its fortifications along the region's 150-mile (240 km) border with Ukraine.

It may take weeks for America to catch up to the advanced kleptocracy of Russia.