Ukraine Invasion: Part 33

[MagicFox]

Starting this at 980 on the other thread because it's late and I might miss the tipping point. We're moving fast at the moment, thanks all for the analysis, insight and company

Very good @Fladdermus

Other than my local Ukrainians and hosts I can’t think of anyone I would sooner celebrate the end of the war with.
May it come soon enough that we are all still posting and be positive enough for Ukraine that we will want to celebrate.
🇺🇦

Anyone with more Twitter knowledge than me know if this is a reliable source?

They're saying Russias 'irrecoverable troop losses' are 90,000

meduza.io/en/news/2022/10/12/russia-s-irrecoverable-losses-in-ukraine-more-than-90-000-troops-dead-disabled-or-awol

Even now the volunteers on the ground are sourcing thermal materials and placing large orders for thermal undergarments to be made. They aren't purely relying on the winter clothing donations coming their way. Many have been busy making little stoves for the trenches, I've just had to send 40kg of wax flakes to Ukraine as there wasn't any to buy last week. That and a drop of paraffin will make a lot of stoves. Honestly they are so hardworking, resourceful, brave and resilient. How on earth they keep going is beyond me. But as Winston Churchill said "When you're going through hell, keep going."

That link doesn't load for me, possibly because I'm in the US. The number is plausible, as "irrecoverable troop losses" would include those KIA and those wounded badly enough never to return. In ground combat, you typically see that the number of wounded is two to three times the number killed, but that will vary depending on the level of medical care available at the front lines.

Yes the piece says:

Irrecoverable losses” is a category that includes servicemen who were killed, went missing, died from their wounds or were disabled and cannot return to military service.

That's a lot of troops out of commission.

I believe that is a reliable source. It's proper news outlet made up of Russian journalist who refuse to bow down to the Russian state. They now operate out of Latvia and work hand in hand with other news outlets, like the BBC.

I suspect a number of those posters are like me. I feel I have little to add so check in several times a day to get updates. Happy to join in the conversation when I feel I can but not wanting to distract from the fantastic information being provided.

I hope we haven't lost @BringBackCoffeeCreams after being heckled on the previous thread. Their measured posts have added to the threads.

Rumours that the Ukrainians have taken the last village before Svatove. If thats true they probably now have the ridge and the all important high ground....

@MagicFox count me in for the celebration when Ukraine wins

Still here, have had a massive headache for the past 3 days, so even more irritable than usual.

Hope you feel better soon x
I for one am glad you’re still here!

Thank you for your responses (sorry won't try to list you I'm thick with brain fog from Covid). It has given me a few points to keep to.

Just to say, it's perfectly obvious they shouldn't be there, and never should have been, but to beat the conspiracy theorists it seems more difficult! SU

‘WarMonitor🇺🇦
@WarMonitor3
“10,000 Ukrainian servicemen of the second wave from training in Great Britain are returning back to Ukraine”‘

Good! The difference between them and the Russian conscripts will be enormous.

So they resort to torture as they've no idea what's been fiddled with and why it won't start. If the workers have done this then they are incredibly brave

Thanks for explanation @BringBackCoffeeCreams

As if I don’t already know this, but it is sickening the many and varied lengths that Putin / Russian military goes to sabotage and control Europe.

If it includes MIA and POWs it's probably conservative. For perspective, the entire British Army is a bit smaller than that figure.

The damage is worse than the numbers indicate because Russia invaded with their very best units who took those losses. Their Airborne troops are largely gone. I think there are still some in Kherson where they are surrounded and cut off. Their best armored units, like the first guard's tank army, are no longer combat-effective either. So Russia is left with the junior team at this point.

For perspective, the entire British Army is a bit smaller than that figure.

Wow, that really does put it into perspective. What a pointless waste of young lives.

Here's some good news from my neighbors to the north,

Canada announces new military aid package for Ukraine

It includes 500,000 winter uniforms, which will see good use, eh? 😄

Richard Engel
@RichardEngel
A Ukrainian military officer says hundreds of Russian convicts offered pardons for combat have already showed up on the battlefield in Ukraine, and that some have gone AWOL with their weapons to carry out crimes back in Russia.

Who could ever have imagined this would happen?

It includes 500,000 winter uniforms
And I would suspect that the Canadians know all about serious winters.

Germany donated 100k winter uniforms the other day too.

For a country its size, the UK has a relatively small army and a relatively large navy and air force, which makes sense for an island nation.

It is a terrible waste of young lives. That's how Russia has always waged war.

EdithStourton · Today 18:39
It includes 500,000 winter uniforms
And I would suspect that the Canadians know all about serious winters.

Absolutely. These are as important as guns really.

I wonder how much money we spend on training and equipping each soldier, compared with how much Russia spends per head.

NATO exercises on nuclear response to go ahead despite tensions. Important to note that these are long planned.

Also interesting seeing sir Jeremy Flemming’s speech from yesterday, he was asked if we should be surprised about the lack of cyber attacks from Russia. He responded there has been lots of cyber activity since feb just not the ‘movie armageddon type’