Ukraine Invasion: Part 32

[MagicFox]

Gosh, that last one filled up quick! Welcome to 32, all 🇺🇦

How quickly could Russia realistically rebuild the bridge? If Ukraine want to take back Crimea they might need to act quickly. Although that seems rather unlikely considering Russia have taken control of large sections of Ukraines border, surely all their military force needs to go into pushing them back?

They could just take out another span though couldn’t they? The bridge can’t realistically be defended and it’s never going to feel safe again.

Just saying now on Sky News that the Zaporizhzia power plant has lost its last remaining power source due to renewed shelling. I'd this the revenge for the bridge? What will that mean?

I think they need power in order to maintain the temperature of the fuel rods. I hope there's not a nuclear accident.

I hope not too but if there is it will affect Putin’s own troops as much as Ukrainians. In fact probably more because they are less likely to have places to shelter.

I doubt it’s revenge for the bridge, it’s just business as usual for Russia in this invasion.

They're just relying on diesel generators for power and the IAEC are negotiating with Moscow for a demilitarised zone around it to stop shelling. If it goes into a meltdown situation, it'll be another Chernobyl.

It seems very likely. We will just have to handle it - or at least, Biden and Stoltenberg and the West will.

We always knew that the more Putin is driven back, the more volatile and dangerous he would become. If he won, he'd be calmer and more dangerous (he's said he wants to invade more of the old Soviet countries).

Either way there is danger from Putin. We can't magic it away. We do however have a measured, careful and thoughtful response from Biden and the other Western leaders, whom I suspect are working very hard indeed to 'manage' Putin's danger levels.

I hope not too but if there is it will affect Putin’s own troops as much as Ukrainians. In fact probably more because they are less likely to have places to shelter.

He doesn't care even about his own troops. They are nothing but meat to him.

Someone whose husband is a nuclear scientist has said that this NPP won't be the same as CHernobyl, if it goes. It's designed differently. Not that that makes it ok, but it's not going to be another Chernobyl.

They had to temporarily use the diesel generators yesterday too due to damage. Sounds quite serious this time though as their 'last remaining power source' has gone. Emergency diesel generators can only last so long, what happens then?

Glad to hear this.

roundup from Telegram:

⚡️ Japan imposes new sanctions against Russia, its proxies.

⚡️ Ukrainian think tank receives Nobel Peace Prize, splits it with Russian organization, Belarusian activist. [which has not gone down well in Ukraine!]

Media: Putin no longer tells ministers about his plans, faces criticism in inner circles.
Putin is making all critical decisions himself after a brief discussion with the leadership of special services personnel and law enforcement agencies, according to Meduza.

⚡️ Ukraine's IT services export 16% up in 2022.

⚡️ Iran claims it never supplied kamikaze drones to Russia ... Over the last weeks, Russian troops have regularly used Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones to attack Ukrainian cities.

⚡️ Update: Death toll of Russian Oct. 6 strike on Zaporizhzhia rises to 12.

⚡️ SBU charges 26 collaborators with treason for organizing sham ‘referendums’ in Donetsk, Luhansk oblasts.

⚡️ Financial Times: Ukrainian troops report Starlink outages, hindering counteroffensive.
Ukrainian troops have encountered issues with their Starlink communication devices on the frontline, leading to a “catastrophic” loss in communication, reports the Financial Times, citing unnamed Ukrainian officials.
The outages were reported in eastern and southern Ukraine, especially in Russian-occupied parts, where Kyiv is conducting its counter-offensive.

⚡️ Macron: France creates 100-million euro fund for Ukraine to purchase weapons.

⚡️ Zelensky: IMF executive board approves $1.3 billion package.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Oct. 7 that the allocation was approved under the International Monetary Fund’s Rapid Financing Instrument.

⚡️Russian union of insurers estimates damage from Crimean Bridge explosion at 200-500 million rubles ($1.4-3.6 million).

⚡️Ukrainska Pravda: SBU behind explosion at Crimean Bridge.

⚡️Kremlin spokesman: No forecasts on when Crimean Bridge will be restored.

⚡️Ukrposhta announces new postal stamp featuring Crimean Bridge.
Smelyansky said they have been preparing the stamp for a long time and plan to sell 7 million such stamps for Hr 18 ($0.48) each.

⚡️PM: Allies have provided Ukraine with $20 billion since Feb. 24.

🇳🇴 Norway will restrict the passage of Russian fishing vessels to its ports, they will only be able to enter three specific ports

📍 Near the liberated Lyman, the headquarters of the occupiers with important documentation was found
Lists of prisoners and those illegally arrested were found in the building. Among other things, documents containing the data of persons and profiles of candidates for positions who decided to work for the occupiers at the captured enterprises and organizations were seized.

📉 The car market of the Russian Federation for three quarters fell by 60%, – the Russian Media

💥 19 Ukrainian servicemen are being instructed on the use of the Aspide Skyguard anti-aircraft system

🤝 Estonia is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine – with ammunition and winter gear — Prime Minister Kaja Kallas before an informal meeting of EU leaders in Prague

🌐 The Ukrainian IT Army hacked the website of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and wished Putin a "comfortable" trip to The Hague

📉 Russia's international reserves fell by almost $25 billion in a month — the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

📌 President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine had nothing to do with the murder of Russian propagandist Daria Dugina

Hmmm let's see

I’m not convinced that would be a bad thing, and a possible off-ramp considering the narrative that Russia is at War with the West. I’ll not hold my breath though.

@Igotjelly there with you 🙏

The fire is mostly out. Both spans are down and the rail section is heavily damaged. Here's a view of what it looks like now.

twitter.com/KevinRothrock/status/1578638533446709248

Russian opsec is awful. Civilians are providing free, real-time bomb damage assessment to the Ukrainians and NATO.

I'm sure everyone recalls the Ukrainian attacks on the bridges around Kherson. This is more of the same. No petrol, ammo, food, or reinforcements can enter Crimea, and the Russians can't move heavy equipment out. They can fly in and out, but that will provide only a fraction of the logistics capability of the bridge.

⚠️ Zaporizhzhia NPP is completely de-energized due to enemy shelling
Diesel generators were turned on automatically, and fuel reserves for their operation in this mode will last for 10 days, Energoatom reported.

📡 Starlink began to malfunction on the front lines — Financial Times, citing Ukrainian military and officials
In some cases, it led to a "catastrophic" loss of communication, as it also happened during fierce battles when our soldiers were liberating Ukrainian territories. In particular, the Kharkiv region.
According to Roman Sinitsyn, coordinator of the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, SpaceX is blocking Starlink on purpose so that the Russian military does not use it.

‼️After the liberation of Lyman in the Donetsk region, a mass grave was discovered there: 180 bodies were found in one of the graves. Among the inhabitants of the city killed by the Russians were small children.

💡Newly mobilized forces in Russia with little motivation and limited equipment are unlikely to allow Putin to stop Ukraine's advance on the battlefield – Bloomberg, citing US and EU authorities

📍In the temporarily occupied Ilovaisk, Donetsk region, powerful explosions also thundered at night, after which the railway fuel depot caught fire

✅ Ukrainian defenders captured a rare armored vehicle AMN-590951, of which the Russian army has only a few pieces — Ukraine Weapons Tracker

🛳 The launch of the ferry crossing is impossible due to the lack of ferries in Crimea
The ferries that carried passengers before the construction of the Crimean bridge, for the most part, left the water area.

‼️The death toll from a rocket attack on Zaporizhzhia on October 6 rose to 17, the State Emergency Service said. 21 people were rescued, and 12 of them are in the hospital.

Not sure why I’m so obsessed but does anyone know if Xi ever did wish Putler a happy birthday? 😂🎂

I know that China, alongside others, voted against a UN resolution around investigating Russian war crimes but I think that’s more to do with their domestic concerns and Xinjiang.

No he never did! But he did wish the president of Kazakhstan happy birthday on his 70th 😂

Sorry Tajikstan

Also no birthday wishes from Modi, on that point

Ah he’ll be weeping over his Belorus tractor…

Let’s not forget it was a voucher. He’ll be weeping over a voucher 😂

Omg Lukashenko didn’t even bother to go to the tractor shop?!

The Times today showed a painting of Putin he has been given. It shows him cuddling a dog against a background of daisy-like flowers, like something from the summer of love. Bizarre.

You'd think someone could have sent him some novichok chocolates or something wouldn't you?

To Vladimir
Lots of Love 'n' Kisses
President Assad xxx 😘💖💝

Sort of thing.