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/

War for Ukraine Day 827

Iryna Tsybukh, combat medic, dies.

Five-story residential building hit. “There is a fire. There may be people under the rubble.”

Zelenskyy annoyed by Biden’s decision to attend a fundraiser on June 15^th rather than Ukraine’s Peace Summit. Xi Jinping won’t attend either. Washington DC concerned over Ukraine’s attack on two Russian early warning radar systems. Washington is very concerned over Russia’s reaction. Ukraine doesn’t want to expand their army still further, but is facing pressure to.

“Zelenskyy ‘thinks they want the war to go away before the [US] election’”

“Biden loves Israel more than Netanyahu does.”

Secretary of State Blinken promises to “’adapt and adjust’ its position on Western weapons strikes against targets on Russian territory.” Okay, but Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying every day that the US takes to adapt. Meanwhile, Israel does as it pleases.

The US has allowed a marginal change in how Ukraine can attack its attackers.

“Ukraine, however, is severely restricted by the Biden administration in how it can fight an existential defense against a genocidal re-invasion.”

Danish will permit F-16s to be used on Russian territory.

A Russian self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher,full of ammunition, gets hit.

Ferries crossing the Kerch Strait are hit with ATACMS.

Russia is now using mechanized attacks to attack Chasiv Yar

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/05/30/war-for-ukraine-day-827-kharkiv-is-under-attack-again/

War for Ukraine Day 823

 

There are several corpses burned beyond recognition after Kharkiv is bombed. 8-year old Mykhailo gives DNA so that they might be able to identify if one of them is his missing father.

An 80-year old picture of a toddler handing another child a flower as they're in line to be gassed. Unfortunately, this resembles many, many other children in today’s world, living life while not realizing their circumstances.

A 12-year old girl finds her father dead in the hospital after Kharkiv is hit with nearly two dozen bombs.

Zelenskyy puts out a film where he asks whether Russia desires to negotiate.

“Ukraine has the world’s greatest experience of deception by Russia in negotiations. Deception, which, in particular, was Russia’s cover for the preparation of this war.”

Sweden gives Ukraine permission to use its weapons to directly strike Russia. US and Germany now have to either follow or get out of the way. The British realize: “International law is quite clear- Ukraine has a right to defend itself & that includes striking cross border”

Baltic countries and Poland will send their troops to Ukraine in the event of serious successes of the Russian military at the frontlines

Biden is engaging with both Russian and Israeli aggression “with only the most tepid and minimal pushback.” Putin is “probing with bayonets. Other than the Ukrainians themselves, he has yet to find steel.”

Sumy Oblast struck with 28 separate attacks.

Somehow, Russia considers itself entitled to have a safe zone.

Short film clip of a scene inside a home when a Russian missile strikes nearby.

Battle assessment.

Tatarigami and his Frontelligence Team have published a new investigation into Russian missile manufacturing.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/05/26/war-for-ukraine-day-823-the-butchers-bill-for-kharkiv/

War for Ukraine Day 818

 

Tucker Carlson now has a show on “Russia 24.”

Kharkiv is being pummeled by missiles. Ukraine’s soldiers tell me that they cannot adequately fight back without striking inside Russia.” US refuses to permit Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia. We’re essentially asking Ukraine to fight with one hand tied behind its back.

Zelenskyy is getting impatient. Says weapons are arriving, but too late.

Small weapons deliveries have allowed the Russian foe to adapt to Western aid.

The Russian advance toward Kharkiv has slowed down. Detailed summation of what the advance has been able to achieve.

“Here is Tatarigami’s take on The Economist reporting above” What Russian strategy suggests is that they wanted to get within artillery rance of Kharkiv and to reduce the city.

Short film clip demonstrating effect of glide bombs.

Woo hoo! Another Russian ship, a Corvette, converted to a submarine!

Ukrainian naval drone launching unguided missiles in the direction of Russian positions on the Kinburn Peninsula, Mykolaiv/Kherson region.

Russian authorities have made a unilateral decision to change the sea borders of Russia with Lithuania and Finland in the Baltic Sea.

Now we wait to see what Lithuania and Finland do.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/05/21/war-for-ukraine-day-818-kharkiv-is-bombarded-while-the-biden-administration-equivocates/

War in Ukraine 6May2024

 

Wow! Zelenskyy in Easter outfit! So rare to see him in anything but Army green. “We pray for all our cities and villages, that should feel the Lord’s grace, not the constant terror of evil, and which have black clouds hanging over them, and bombs and missiles coming from those who belong in hell, not in the Ukrainian sky.”

Russia hits Kharkiv with glide bombs, hitting the city center and apartment buildings. Sumy suffers massive fires.

Drones used to send Easter cakes to front-line troops.

A while ago, Russia was jamming GPS signals so that planes couldn’t safely land in the Baltic States. Seems that Russian sabotage is spreading. European intelligence agencies, especially those of Sweden, Germany and the Czech Republic, report an increase in Russian sabotage activity. “Russia has attempted to destroy the signalling systems on Czech railways, the country’s transport minister told the FT last month.” and “Putin is currently feeling “emboldened” and will seek to push lines as hard as he can in Europe”

Again, our blogger feels World War III began in 2007, it’s just mostly been a “non-kinetic” war. General Hodges examines things that the West fears about there being an active World War. First thing to understand is that deescalation has been tried and has decisively failed. Russia is “a militaristic adventurous regional power.”

The Russia Black Sea Fleet was dealt with, not through diplomacy, but by force. Force worked and that fleet is not a threat today. Let us not overstate Russia’s willingness to use nuclear weapons. NATO nuclear deterrence appears to be working fine.

Russia doesn’t ratchet down operations for Easter.

Pictures of what used to be the city center of Bakhmut.

Russians do their best to destroy n M1A1 Abrams tank. The tank went down fighting and “went out like a warrior!”

Russian approaching strategic highway.

Easter celebrated on the front lines.

Russian AFVs stored in an open field. The vehicles are more or less outdated and useless.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/05/05/war-for-ukraine-day-803-russia-bombards-continues-its-bombardment-of-ukraine-despite-the-holy-day/

Battling ignorance

 

So here’s the initial (ridiculous) claim:

 

I replied:

 

Someone else tried to get al scientifikul on me:

 

 

He never responded.

Another guy cast doubt on what China and India are doing.

 

 

https://e360.yale.edu/features/china-renewable-energy

And no, this guy never responded, either. 

As I copied this stuff down, I noticed there was yet another response, so I referred this other fellow to  https://350.org/science/