Russia invades Ukraine {2022-02-24} (Part 2)

[aceplace57]

The Ukrainian counter offensive made s mall gains on several fronts. More details are in the ISW report.

Link Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 13, 2023 | Institute for the Study of War

• Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least two sectors of the front on August 13 and reportedly advanced in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast area and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• ISW has not observed confirmation that Russian forces have completely withdrawn from Urozhaine and Russian forces likely currently maintain positions in at least the southern part of the settlement.
• The Russian information space is seizing on Ukrainian gains in Urozhaine (in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area) to highlight poor Russian morale and command challenges in the area.
• Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove line, near Kreminna, near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast, and reportedly advanced in several areas.

[PatrickLondon]

Long piece in the Guardian about the difficulty for the Ukrainians of dealing with so many land mines:

Ukraine desperate for help clearing mines, says defence minister

[Love_Rhombus]

On the financial side, the ruble has lost nearly 40% of its value this year. I’m no monetary student, indeed quite the opposite, but this seems bad. I hope it’s at least giving Putin some ulcers.

[aceplace57]

Ukraine needs another donation of Patriots to protect Odessa. But that still leaves a lot of undefended cities.

The Guardian feed

Ukraine’s city of Odesa has endured another night of Russian drone and missile attacks, the latest of which have left at least three people injured, according to local officials.

The governor of the region on the Black Sea said falling rocket fragment had resulted in fires breaking out.

“Windows in buildings were blown out by the blast wave,” Oleh Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine’s armed forces command in the south said that its air defence forces destroyed all 15 drones and eight Kalibr-type sea-based missiles that Russia launched at the port.

The nearby port city of Mykolaiv was also targeted, with air alarms sounding throughout the night.

Odesa, Ukraine’s largest port and naval base, has been repeatedly attacked with missiles and drones since Moscow last month pulled out of a UN backed agreement that allowed grain to be safely shipped from Ukraine’s ports.

[aceplace57]

Ukrainian forces are using drones with thermal imaging to see land mines. Mines heat up during the day, in the sun and can be seen at dusk.

Video: How thermal imaging is helping Ukraine clear mines from the battlefield...

[Magiver]

@txtumbleweed

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1644669039095037953

Europe doesn’t need a country attacking other countries which would be… Russia. Europe doesn’t need Russia.

[What_Exit]

Moderating:
You just responded to a post from April 10th in a breaking news thread. Please don’t do that.

[aceplace57]

The war would ground to a halt without the people retrieving and repairing batle damaged equipment.

I remember there was concern last year whether the Ukrainians could quickly learn how to use and maintain NATO equipment. It sounds like this unit is doing a great job.

Link Ukraine’s Unseen Army: The Mechanics Who Keep the Tanks Rolling – DNyuz

We were ready for damaged equipment — it’s war,” said Ihor, 57, deputy commander of weapons and maintenance, who uses the call sign Blago and gave only his first name for security reasons.

He walked a team of journalists from The New York Times around the camp, which was divided into separate areas for repairing armored vehicles, tanks and artillery pieces. There was also a testing track.

Some of the vehicles were beyond repair, their wheels and engines mangled from mine explosions and their bodies ripped open by rocket and artillery fire. But Ihor said that his teams had managed to repair over 40 NATO armored vehicles and eight tanks in the camp in the past month, often taking parts from destroyed ones.

Critically, the swift repairs were keeping the NATO vehicles in use, Hammer said.

“The Russians can’t understand what’s going on,” he said. “A few days and the vehicle is back on the battlefield. In this way, they become indestructible.”

[EllisDee]

In this way, they become indestructible.

“He is like an iron bar.” - Ivan Drago

[gnoitall]

@aceplace57

Ukrainian forces are using drones with thermal imaging to see land mines.

Ok, that’s utterly fucking BRILLIANT. Battlefield demining has always been such a hit or miss thing. Being able to spot the mines helps so much.

I hope the Russians take a good long time figuring out how to counter this.

[Chronos]

It’s probably not hard to counter. In fact, there are probably a lot of mines out there where circumstances have accidentally countered this method. It’s a good tool to have in your toolbox, but you want to have a bunch of other mine-detection techniques as well.

Myself, I’m fond of the one where you train bees to find mines.

[PatrickLondon]

Or -probably not in an active combat area - plants:
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/12/magazine/landminedetecting-plants.html
.

[smithsb]

US Aid package 14 August 2023.
Drawdown of existing stocks.

The capabilities in this package, valued at up to $200 million, include:

1. Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems;
2. Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
3. Mine clearing equipment and systems;
4. 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
5. 120mm tank ammunition;
6. Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
7. Javelin and other anti-armor systems and rockets;
8. 37 tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment;
9. 58 water trailers;
10. Over 12 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades;
11. Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; and
12. Spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment

[smithsb]

Swedish military aid package to Ukraine.
15 August 2023.

Defence Minister Pål Jonson said the military aid package, Sweden’s 13th to Ukraine, would include ammunition and spare parts valued at around 3.4 billion kronor ($313 million).

The ammo and parts would be for CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), Archer artillery systems (155mm SP howitzer) and Leopard 2 tanks.

It will also include mine clearing equipment and ammunition for air-defence systems – which Jonson said were crucial to prevent Russia from achieving air supremacy in Ukraine

[aceplace57]

How long before they’re clear of the most dangerous area? I hope it’s being escorted by Turkish ships.

Why was it stuck in port since 02-2022? The shipping agreement was in place (until recently) and there were no incidents.

Guardian feed

Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, said the Hong Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte left on Wednesday morning from the port of Odesa – one of three ports that participated in the now-scrapped grain export deal.

The Joseph Schulte is the first vessel to sail from the port since 16 July, according to Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister. It had been stuck in Odesa since February 2022.

The Joseph Schulte is carrying more than 30,000 tons of cargo, with 2,114 containers, including food products, according to Kubrakov. The vessel is the highest value ship of the 60 still stuck in Ukraine since the war began, according to John Stawpert, senior manager of environment and trade for the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents 80% of the world’s commercial fleet.

[Fiendish_Astronaut]

Not sure if this is the first time the USD has approved F-16s supplied by allies, but anyway it looks like the Ukrainians will have F16s soon, albeit not a huge number I’d imagine.

US approves sending F-16s to Ukraine from Denmark and Netherlands

[Mops]

@aceplace57

How long before they’re clear of the most dangerous area? I hope it’s being escorted by Turkish ships.

Why was it stuck in port since 02-2022? The shipping agreement was in place (until recently) and there were no incidents.

The shipping agreement covered grain exports by bulk carriers, not shipping in general. The ships trapped in Ukrainian posts since the beginning of the war would have been ships other than bulk carriers. It would have made sense for Russia to not grant safe passage to these because it discouraged other maritime trade with Ukraine.

[aceplace57]

Thank you @Mops

I had misunderstood the shipping agreement.

[Love_Rhombus]

Lithuania is getting more tactical vehicles. I hope they’re able to really beef up their military enough to keep themselves safe.

More disturbingly, Russia’s Lavrov is talking about their nuclear weapons again. I know it’s (hopefully) probably partly saber-rattling but still scary.

[Mr.Duality]

Putin wants to rebuild the old Russian empire. After a nuclear war there would be nothing. Any talk of nuclear weapons is just saber-rattling.