The Ukraine Crisis Part 2 . The Battle for the Donbas

A Battalion of Russian Mobilized men wiped out in days, survivors claim

An entire battalion of Russian mobilized men was wiped out within days of being sent to the frontline in Ukraine, survivors have told Russian opposition media.

The soldiers had been ordered to the frontline in Luhansk, Donbas, and then told to dig trenches, the Verstka news agency said in an unverified report.

“We had three shovels per battalion and there were no provisions at all. We dug in as best we could and in the morning the shelling started from artillery and helicopters. We were simply shot,” Agafonov, the alleged unit survivor, said.

“When it all started the officers simply ran away.”

 

Politico: Russia hasn’t destroyed single HIMARS in Ukraine:

Politico: Russia hasn’t destroyed single HIMARS in Ukraine

 

Also, russia is now demanding tanks from belarus, after they've exhausted their own tank reserves:

Institute for the Study of War

"Russian forces are likely attempting to exploit Belarusian equipment reserves to compensate for heavy material losses in Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on May 31 that Belarusian forces are moving tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from storage facilities in Belarus to Russia to replenish combat losses.[3] This report corroborates previous reporting that Russian forces have largely exhausted their own reserves and indicates that the Kremlin is still leveraging its influence over Belarus in order to use Belarusian equipment."

 

I follow the war and your accurate explanation and interpretation. So, I would like to know why the war will come to the ceasefire in the winter?

 

While winter might bog down the ground troops it won't stop missile and air strikes.

 

Simply because knowing the area very well ,the winter will be very harsh for both sides and very harsh on equipment like tank engines etc. It will be only a temporary ceasefire with fighting commencing in the spring .

Thats just my view but it is shared by some of the military experts .

 

To add to my view checkout typical winter scenes in the Ukraine. This isnt good for any military operation on the ground

 

Putin made a great mistake to attack Ukraine because he thought the people still are as the same as when communism controlled the people. He never learned from collapsing Communism in the former Soviet Union. He doesn't understand the young Russian generation who doesn't believe in nationalism, communism, socialism, or any other radicalism, but loves freedom, an open society, traveling, and more sympathy and communication with the people outside of Russia.
During the last 30 years since the former Soviet Union broke down, the new generation got understanding the western lifestyle, so gradually they got far distant from the communist lifestyle. On the other hand, mass media communication causes getting together most of the people all around the world and raised resistance against the dictators in many countries like middle east countries, Arabic nations, or even in many other western society in clouding Russia.
The bottom line, the Russian soldiers don't like to fight, they know that they fight for Putin not for Russia, but for the other side, Ukrainian soldiers fight to defend their country. Consequently, my be Putin has to decide about a ceasefire in the coming winter, according to the Capitan Scarlet interpretation.

 

Wives of Russian soldiers showed up at Ukraine border and demanded to take their husbands home

The wives of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine showed up at the border and demanded to take their husbands home, the independent Russian news outlet The Insider reported.

A group of around 20 relatives traveled to a military base in the Russian town of Valuiki on Wednesday night, the outlet reported. Valuiki is around 30 miles (50km) from Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine.

The group, which mostly consisted of women, called for their husbands to be taken out of Ukraine, claiming they had been wounded fighting on the frontline, The Insider said. (The Insider is a Russian news outlet and has no affiliation with Insider.)

"I'm ready to tear them apart," one of the women told officials at the military base, per The Insider. "They have to do something, they have to make a decision, they have to get them out of there."

 

I would agree with that so far but not entirely . However dont listen to biased Western Media . There are areas in the Donbas particularly in the far eastern side who are Russian speaking ,enjoy the Russian culture and therefore wouldnt object in joining Russia . The further West one goes the weaker the Russian connection becomes .

The West seems to forget about history in that Ukraine has been a major part of the Soviet Union for many many years , Hence in the Cold War era Soviet ICBMs were stationed on Ukrainian soils as they were a trusted partner.

For avoidance of doubt ,I am not saying the action Putin has done is correct either but I am just trying to add some balance to the argument .Both sides employ very effective propaganda. .The truth actually lies somewhere in the middle .

 

Massive explosion at dam in Kherson

 

One of the many suburbs of Kherson back in Ukrainian control

 

Occupying an area is much easier than keeping it, so the resistance of local people always causes them to push back the enemy. It has happened throughout history, so fortunately it happened in Kherson too.

 

This could have serious ramifications .

I am quite surprised Western Media are playing this down.

The Polish Security Council are having an Emergency Meeting as 2 people have been killed by this missile

At this point it may be prudent for me to remind everyone about Article 5 of NATO .

Poland is a NATO country and is fully protected by Article 5 which means an attack on one nation is an attack on all .

This needs to be watched for developments