Day 887 of war for Ukraine

First Olympic gold medal for Ukraine goes to the fencer Olga Kharlan!

Russian drones are going after individual civilians in Kherson. About 50 civilians have died.

the situation in the Pokrovsk direction remains critical, and some areas of defense have started to collapse.

Commanders being threatened with dismissal.

US sends $200 million aid package.

Progress made in French rail saboteurs. Far-left French anarchists are the main suspects, but they’re looking at everyone. Too many attacks to be happenstance. This is a coordinated attack.

Tuareg rebels defeated Russian state-funded Wagner mercenaries, then took picture of themselves with a Ukrainian flag.

The Pokrovsk front is buckling.

Reserves are getting short, so units cannot be pulled out of the line for rest and relaxation. Good news is that Russians are also in poor shape.

Russia has accelerated its destruction of Ukraine’s front-line cities in 2024 to a scale previously unseen in the war using the glide bombs and an expanding network of airstrips

Russian boat with infantry hit by drone. No survivors.

...officials said the Russian government is engaged in a "whole-of-government" effort to influence the U.S. presidential election and that it favored Trump,

Iran is working for Democrats and against Trump.

West looks at Ukraine-Russia situation.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/07/29/war-for-ukraine-day-887-russia-is-using-drones-to-hunt-civilians-in-kherson/

 

Day 872, War in Ukraine

As the blogger says “I have questions:”

Ballistic missiles and glide bombs hit Kharkiv.

Kremlin already exploiting attack on Donald Trump to increase chaos and suspicion. Russian TV: “Today Trump quite literally spilled blood for America.”

Like President Biden, President Zelenskyy shows some class and sympathy for Trump being shot at.

Ukraine signs more bilateral security agreements.

Film of “...the niece of Russian Defense Ministry head Andrey Belousov” urging him not to bomb the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital. Members of his family say that Natalia Vertinskaya is not related to Belousov.

51 Nobel laureates call for peace in Ukraine. Problem is that they’re making a general call to both sides. If Russia leaves Ukraine, the war is over, period. If Russian troops remain in Ukraine, the war will, at best, pause until Russia feels refreshed and relaxed and ready to start it up again. The appeal should be made exclusively to Putin. Instead, they’re “blaming the victim.”

Horrible things will happen if Trump wins in November.

“The special battalion ‘Shkval’, consisting of volunteer prisoners” successfully clears an enemy tree line.

The Battle for Novomykhailivka cost the Russians over 300 armored vehicles.

According to Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Russia has lost almost 560k soldiers. Wounded comes to 1677k. Russia, according to Politico, lost 70k soldiers in just two months, the US lost 58k soldiers from 1955 to 1975, fighting in Vietnam. Where is the Russian peace movement?

Of course, we should be aware that a young Russian woman sent $30 to the Ukrainian military. She’s been sentenced to nine years in prison.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/07/14/war-for-ukraine-day-872-glide-bombs-aimed-at-kharkiv/

 

Day 869 War in Ukraine

 

Since May 10, almost a thousand civilians have either died or have been wounded in Kharkiv.

US intelligence discovered Russian plans to assassinate a German industrialist who was actively supporting Ukraine. Russia has also been carrying out acts of sabotage across Europe. At what point does sabotage and undercover actions become warfare that demands an appropriate response? Further problem with an appropriate NATO response is: Will it deter future action or will Russia be encouraged to commit still more actions or will it start acting in a more restrained fashion?

Interesting. Russia is saying through false news sources “that the Americans are secretly hiring Latin American criminals to fight in Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy again asks that long-range missiles be used to attack targets in Russia. Russians, of course, warn the West against doing that.

Things are better on the battlefield than they were earlier, but Ukraine still has a ways to go.

“Ukraine is very low on ammunition for legacy Soviet systems, whereas Russian drone and missile production rates have increased significantly.” Glide bombs are an increasing problem.

Norway sends air defense system.

“Lithuania's support to Ukraine is long-term & amounts to €1 bn “

Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands all step up to deliver more to Ukraine.

Ukrainians describe being tormented by Russians while they were captives.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/07/11/war-for-ukraine-day-869-russias-wetwork-program/

War for Ukraine Day 865

 

Hmm, a most interesting alliance.

Air raid alerts all over Ukraine.

Zelenskyy and the UK Secretary of State for Defence visit wounded troops in the hospital.

French left wing wins Parliamentary election. Heh! “split-screen of Team Democracy vs the far right.”

Story of a 102-year old French resistance fighter who was selected to carry an Olympic Torch. She’s unhappy about how much of the vote the far right was able to get.

Blogger: “anyone who tells me they’re not going to vote is if that’s the case then you need to read everything you can about the French partisan underground in WW II, the Bielskys, and Bernard Fall’s Theories of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency. Fall was a member of the French partisan underground.”

An Estonian soldier: “the window of opportunity for russia to achieve anything on the front in 2024 is steadily narrowing.” During Speaker Johnson’s blockade of Ukraine aid was Russia’s best opportunity. With aid now arriving, that window is shrinking.

Statistics on horrendous Russian losses. “Russia is strong but also rigid, and no one knows her breaking point — including Putin since his own people lie to him.”

The Ukrainian drone campaign is a thorn in Russia’s side.

A Russian milblogger examines his own social circle since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Most have died or have been incapacitated.

Another Russian Su-25 jet shot down!

Film clip on how many Russian tanks remain. The easily-repaired ones are long since sent to the front. Those harder to repair were left behind, so it’s likely that their reserves will get more and more useless.

9k square meter ammunition depot set ablaze by drones. The ammo dump continued to detonate hours later.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/07/07/war-for-ukraine-day-865-all-of-ukraine-is-under-air-raid-alert-russian-missiles-are-inbound/

War for Ukraine Day 860

 

For taking casualties back for identification and burial.

Zelenskyy discusses Viktor Orbán’s visit to Ukraine.

US supplying lots of air defense goods.

For there to be peace, Ukraine must gt back its 1991 borders and to join NATO to deter future attacks. For Zelenskyy, giving up any territory simply extends the war. Secretary of State Blinken says nothing about Ukraine being free of Russian occupiers. Being told Ukraine can never join NATO presents a real problem. Doesn’t that mean Russia can attack again whenever it pleases? Also, Putin is counting on things like Trump’s coming to power in the US.

Trump’s plans for “peace” are much worse than Biden’s as Trump is just straight-up about Ukraine needs to give up territory and to never join NATO. Neither Trump nor Speaker Johnson have any use for Ukraine.

Orbán recommends “peace” talks with Russia.

Erm, wasn’t that the problem at Pearl Harbor? That planes were just lined up nicely, just waiting to be bombed?

Russia stays on the offensive, making small advances.

Strike on Crimea.

“a detailed thread on Russian armor losses in Ukraine.” Armored transport vehicles are depleting quicker than tanks. Russia should start seriously running low on armored vehicles in 2025 or 2026.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/07/02/war-for-ukraine-day-860-compare-and-contrast/