https://hotair.com/allahpundit...e-in-ukraine-n481524

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov announced on July 7 that Russian forces in Ukraine are pausing to rest and regain their combat capabilities, confirming ISW’s assessment that Russian forces have initiated an operational pause. Konashenkov did not specify the intended length of Russian forces’ operational pause. As ISW previously assessed, Russian forces have not ceased active hostilities during this operational pause and are unlikely to do so.

Russian forces still conducted limited ground offensives and air, artillery, and missile strikes across all axes on July 7. Russian forces will likely continue to confine themselves to small-scale offensive actions as they rebuild forces and set conditions for a more significant offensive in the coming weeks or months.

Starvation is coming too — not for Europe but for third-world nations in Asia and Africa, notes Timothy Snyder. Putin is looking to create his own Holodomor for strategic advantage, except this time it won’t be Ukrainians who go hungry. It’ll be populations who depend on Ukrainian grain exports for survival. If Russia succeeds in cutting off the rest of the world from Ukraine’s breadbasket, entire regions could be destabilized. Russia is taking the world’s poor hostage, in other words, in hopes of forcing the compassionate west to meet its war demands.

Time for a Ukrainian offensive.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
Time for a Ukrainian offensive.

Ha! Yeah right.

quote:

Ha! Yeah right.

Wow. Would you care to expatiate on that a bit?

Ukraine – the situation (July 15, 2022)

https://asiatimes.com/2022/07/...uation-july-15-2022/

Summary/Overview

After the UK’s Boris Johnson and France’s Emmanuel Macron, who lost parliamentary elections, Italy’s Mario Draghi appears to be the third victim of unintended consequences of the Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is fast losing allies – to the obvious delight of Russia’s Vladimir Putin. In Germany, Olaf Scholz’s government is teetering as his center-left coalition has lost its 50%-plus majority in recent polls.

Gazprom says the Nordstream 1 pipeline is being repaired but it is unable to forecast when it will resume operations. July 22 is the key date. If it’s missed, Germany must draw down on gas reserves at a time they are supposed to be replenished for the winter. According to an authoritative Forsa poll published on July 14, a majority of Germans now see sanctions causing more harm to Germany than to Russia.

On the ground in Ukraine, the week-long operational pause declared by the Russian Ministry of Defense appears to be ending. Russian forces have surrounded and entered the town of Siversk (Donetsk oblast), the northern anchor of the first Ukrainian line of defense extending down to Fedorivka and Soledar to Bakhmut (see map).



The northern end of the second line of defense from Sloviansk down to Kramatorsk, which is the last line before the Dnepr River strategic defense line, continues to be challenged by Russian artillery.

The Ukrainian ministry of defense says that it has been ordered by President Zelensky to immediately mobilize a force of one million to liberate the south of Ukraine in a concerted counter-attack.

A week ago, Russian President Putin told parliament that Russian troops in Ukraine “haven’t even really started anything yet” and declared that Western expectations that Ukraine can defeat Russia militarily are “absurd and only add to the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

Center/East

As the operational pause winds up, northern anchor positions of the Ukrainian forces in and around Siversk are under massive artillery attack and the Russian infantry has entered the town.

Capture of Siversk would unhinge the Ukrainian defense line down to Bakhmut and expose Ukrainian forces at Soledar and Bakhmut to being flanked while being frontally attacked by Russian forces concentrated in the Popasna region – a tactical repeat of the capture of Lysychansk.

Meanwhile, pressure on Sloviansk from the areas northwest of the city (from Izium) and northeast from Lyman is steadily being stepped up, but without notable territorial gain. The Sloviansk-Kramatorsk line will come under more concentrated attack when the Siversk to Bakhmut line has been secured by Russian forces – probably by the end of July.

A Russian assault on Yakolivka (about 6 kilometers northeast of Bahkmut) was stopped and pushed back by Ukrainian forces, as was an attack on the villages of Vesela Dolyna and Vershnyna southeast of Bahkmut.

South

President Zelensky has declared the liberation of the south to be the primary Ukrainian war aim prior to final victory.

Thanks to units employing some of the four US HIMARS units, Ukrainian artillery continues to strike Russian ammunition depots and with a good deal of success.

Russian forces continue to expand and improve their defensive positions across the southern area of operations. Anecdotal reporting suggests the Russians are putting up defensive positions around the bridges that cross the Dnepr River

Other than artillery exchanges, there’s no evidence as yet of increased activity in the south.

Assessment

While most of the military activity is continuing to be observed in the Center/East region, Ukraine has declared the liberation of the southern areas bordering the Black Sea as the principal goal of its mobilization efforts.

Jouni Laari, security advisor and political officer at EU External Action Service, summed up the situation as of the outset of the Russian operational pause (July 7) as follows:

“Russia has concentrated a total of 60 battalion tactical groups (BTG) in the Izium-Lyman-Bilohorivka-Bakhmut area, 20 BTGs in the Izium and 20 BTGs Lyman and 20 BTGs in the Bilohorivka-Bakhmut directions. The Ukrainians defending the corresponding area have altogether 20 battalions.”

This constitutes the classical 3:1 Russian advantage necessary for successful offensive operations. Unless Ukraine throws substantial additional forces well equipped with artillery into the battle for the Donetsk oblast, we should expect the systematic slow grind of the Russian offensive to continue and establish control over most of the eastern part of Donetsk oblast by summer’s end.

Clearly, Ukraine must guard against any substantial strategic breakout of Russian forces in the direction of the Dnepr line. How, under these circumstances, with its obvious limitations on qualified manpower, Ukraine can mount a major counteroffensive and concentration of troops in the south is difficult to see.

There is incessant talk by Ukrainian military sources of the massive expected force multiplier effect of the promised US, UK and German MRLS units. This is a vast exaggeration and – if anything – resembles the Wunderwaffen faith in the final days of the Hitler regime.

The fact is that only a very small number of HIMARS and similar systems will be delivered and deployed in the short to medium term. All that’s promised for now is a miserable dozen or so systems without adequate air defenses against established unchallenged Russian air superiority.

Moreover, according to an op-ed piece by Jillian Kay Melchior in the Wall Street Journal, “Ukrainian officials say they need about 100 HIMARS units. Meanwhile, a US Senate source told me the tranche that included the first four HIMARS included fewer than 20 missiles per launcher, though a subsequent tranche included significantly more.”

But it’s the manpower equation that matters most. Reportedly, the Kremlin has ordered each of 85 Russian oblasts to provide volunteer battalions for the armed forces, thereby avoiding a centrally ordered general mobilization.

The regions are responsible for recruiting and providing recruitment incentives. Battalions of 400 men each, for a total force of 34,000 soldiers, are to be raised. The Ministry of Defense will pay a minimum salary of 170,000 rubles per month, (US$2,800) and the regions will generate top-up bonuses for enlistment.

These new “volunteer battalions” will readily generate the forces to flesh out the Russian army’s losses. As noted before, if in this manner Russia can handle its manpower problem, and the war further morphs into a straightforward war of attrition, then – notes a US intelligence officer – “Russia can’t lose and Ukraine can’t win.”

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:

quote:

Ha! Yeah right.

Wow. Would you care to expatiate on that a bit?

Sorry, just saw this.

Yeah, Ukraine is in no position to mount an offensive. They're barely holding on as it is.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:

quote:

Ha! Yeah right.

Wow. Would you care to expatiate on that a bit?

Sorry, just saw this.

Yeah, Ukraine is in no position to mount an offensive. They're barely holding on as it is.

But the propaganda will continue as long as the dollars flow

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/art...ture-south-3rhkrhstf

Ukraine has one million ready for fightback to recapture south

Ukraine is massing a million-strong fighting force equipped with western weapons to recover its southern territory from Russia, the nation’s defence minister has revealed to The Times.

In his first interview with a British newspaper since the invasion began, Oleksii Reznikov said President Zelensky had ordered Ukraine’s military to retake occupied coastal areas which are vital to the country’s economy.

Damn. I had to google "expatiate".

^^^ My apologies. I blame Kipling and his "Soldiers Three".

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Yeah, Ukraine is in no position to mount an offensive. They're barely holding on as it is.

That doesn't seem to quite jibe with what's happening on the ground - particularly with a dozen or so Russian ammo dumps being turned into fireworks displays courtesy of HIMARS and Russians being forced to concentrate forces just to pick up a few square kilometers - and then stop for ten days to reorganize remnants and stave off exhaustion.

Three websites. CNN is only posting on weekdays.

https://www.youtube.com/c/UATVEnglish

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/news

https://www.cnn.com/europe/liv...-07-15-22/index.html

Zelenskyy fires top officials for spying for Russia

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/582049

Jul 18, 2022, 5:59 AM GMT+3

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the country's Security Service chief and longtime friend, Ivan Bakanov, as well as his Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova, accusing the two of spying on behalf of Russia.

Fired two spies.
Well good to see that he is taking this war seriously!

Take their pay away, that will teach them not to spy.

I am hoping something was lost in translation.
Spies are typically shot or at least held prisoner during war time.

This is a very good interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5IXIYuHobk

Zelenskyy has a "history" of firing "traitors".
from May 31st.

Zelenskyy says situation in some places tough as he fires top officials

Ukrainian president sacked two senior national security service members, saying they were traitors

https://www.thenationalnews.co...fires-top-officials/

4-1-2022 Traitors': Zelenskyy says he fired two generals for betraying oath to defend Ukraine

https://nationalpost.com/news/...-fires-top-officials



I would guess that Ukraine has imposed it's version of Martial law so whatever Zelenskyy decrees will happen without showing any evidence. Most opposition parties have also been shut down.


Ukraine President Zelenskyy bans 11 opposition parties over alleged Russian links

https://www.opindia.com/2022/0...leged-russian-links/

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has decided to ban the activities of 11 opposition parties, including some with alleged Russian links.

The largest of them is the Opposition Platform for Life, which has 44 out of 450 seats in the country’s parliament, largely from the Russian speaking eastern Ukraine. The party is led by Viktor Medvedchuk, who has friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of Medvedchuks daughter.

Other parties that have been banned include Opposition Bloc, Party of Sharia, Ours, Left Opposition, Union of Left Forces, State, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist party Ukraine, Socialists, and Vladimir Saldo Bloc.

President Zelenskyy spoke about this in a video address overnight Sunday, Ukrinform reports. Ukraine is currently under Martial Law since the Russian invasion, and these restrictions will stay till the Martial Law is in place.

Jordan Peterson gives the best perspective I have heard about Ukraine.

I think Julian Assange had it right.
War is a means for the washing of money, endless wars are the goals of the global elitist.

On a slightly different topic.
Looking at current events, Putin does not seem overly concerned with delivery of weapons to Ukraine from the United States and NATO countries.
This should be concerning.
How quickly can the U.S. and NATO countries replace depleting stockpiles?

Almost appears as if Putin wants U.S. and European countries to deplete stockpiles in a localized area “Ukraine”.

What happens next, I think we all should be concerned.
I don’t believe Ukraine is the end goal.

quote:

Originally posted by kimber1911:
I think Julian Assange had it right.
War is a means for the washing of money, endless wars are the goals of the global elitist.

"Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia."

The Pentagon is reportedly close to securing 375 F-35 stealth fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp., Reuters reported on Monday afternoon, citing three sources.

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday paving the way for the defense budget to exceed $800 billion next year, authorizing $37 billion in spending on top of the record $773 billion proposed by President Joe Biden.

When has the Democrats ever given the Defense department more than requested ? Kickbacks ?
Something coming ?