Ukraine Invasion: Part 34

[MagicFox]

Welcome all 🇺🇦

I think you mean that they look better for the republicans than for the democrats. Most republicans support aid for Ukraine, as do most democrats.

www.republicanleader.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/mcconnell-statement-on-russian-invasion-of-ukraine

‼️80% of consumers in Kyiv are left without water, - Mayor Klitschko.
The problem is being solved, while people are urged to stock up on water.

I wonder if the very high losses are indicative of the newly mobilized. Though there have been hints that Russia has been heavily attacking some settlements, sometimes being repelled and sometimes not. The losses could be connected with that.

WarMonitor🇺🇦 has been tweeting about Bakhmut daily but this is the first report of it being under Ukrainian control 🤞:

The whole of Bakhmut is under Ukrainian control!

There are no fights in the city!

Bakhmut holds!

twitter.com/warmonitor3/status/1587012916359962624?s=61&t=RHc9SHWc0zWJeh1XfaRN7Q

The Ukrainian-Turkish-UN convoy of 14 grain ships has set sail from Odesa, despite Russia’s renewed naval blockade of Ukraine.

Russia hasn’t commented on whether it will try to stop the ships by force.

twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1587035746552188929?s=61&t=RHc9SHWc0zWJeh1XfaRN7Q

Let's hope Russia don't decide to escalate by attacking the convoy.

I mean the republicans are getting better numbers than they did at the last election.

Which might mean it gets more difficult for support to ukraine, not that it stops.

If every time Biden wants to give more, he gets into a bargining situation with the Republicans, that alone will slow things down and make it more difficult.

Russia announced its intention to supply 500,000 tons of grain to the “poorest countries” following its withdrawal from the deal that allowed Ukraine to export its grain.[29]

would it be the same 500,000 tons of Ukrainian grain that russia had previously stolen from Ukraine?? 🤔

This is excellent news to wake up to (I’m in the US atm). This is another place of special importance to me personally, where my maternal grandmother/ great grand parents were from and I spent a lot of my childhood there. I can not bear the thought of it being under russian occupation.

Two things that mitigate this are the Ukraine Lend Lease Act that passed congress last spring. This gives the president authority to provide equipment through fiscal 2023. The democrats will also very likely pass another large Ukraine spending authorization act after the midterms. Congress doesn't see any changes from the election until next January.

It's not ideal, but I don't think it will have much of a negative impact if republicans take back the House. They won't regain full control of the Senate.

@Mb76, where in the US are you at the moment?

I'm glad to be the second hand bearer of good news Mb76, I hope it's reliable 🤞

This article does a good job of explaining the history and politics of the US funding for Ukraine. There's no paywall, so I won't bother to copy and paste the text.

Biden lost temper with Zelenskyy in June phone call when Ukrainian leader asked for more aid

TL;DR They will try to pass another $50b in aid before the end of the year.

Jimmy Rushton AT JimmySecUK 3hrs ago
I spoke to a Ukrainian commander at the front yesterday.

He said Russian forces in Bakhmut are nearly exclusively using conscripted "Wagner" prisoners in human wave attacks, in an attempt to grind down Ukrainian defenders. Ugly stuff.

Meanwhile in the parallel Russian Universe

Samuel Ramani AT SamRamani2 1hr ago
Yevgeny Prigozhin confirms that Wagner Group PMCs are advancing 100-200 meters a day in Bakhmut

Prigozhin rules out a Wagner Group "Zachistka operation" any time soon, which underscores that the Bakhmut offensive will be a long one

Commercial shipping in and out of Ukraine looks normal today.

Marine Traffic

Russia's position in the Black Sea isn't great. Turkey and other NATO vessels are present, and Turkey isn't allowing any Russian reinforcements in.

@Mb76 soon may the Ukrainians push the orcs back.

mobile.twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1587090567191830531 14 Ukrainian grain ships sail through Russian blockade

@notimagain thanks for explaining. Even if it is training only, it is still a vote of confidence in Ukraine pilots and the continued support by US of Ukraine after the conflict (which will only end in one way 🇺🇦). Ukraine purchasing a few F-16 and F-15s then wouldn't hurt.

Good to hear that the grain is getting through.

I guess Russia would be pretty daft to threaten to attack NATO or Turkish ships or the cargo ships of other countries in the Black Sea. That would be dragging those countries directly into the conflict.

Another example of Ru empty threats.

.

Visiting my mother in Tampa area.

Thank you @Ijsbear Hope so, every day I wake up and hope we are one day closer to Donetsk, Olenivka and the rest of occupied territory being liberated

by the way your ducklings are adorable, I can’t believe how big they have grown already

🙏 hopefully, I haven’t caught up with the news yet, we’ve been busy. I am sorry to side track @DesdamonasHandkerchief just wondering if the War and Peace thread you were on is still going?

Not the Turkey/UN escorted grain convoy I hasten to add but I've seen a few reports of this:

BREAKING: Russia has reportedly fired at a civilian barge transporting grain near Ochakiv

https://twitter.com/samramani2/status/1587122125718142976?s=61&t=P23XMKY9SiIZNUM5YGOvFA

That's lovely, Mb76, and you missed the hurricane. It's a bit too far for you to pop in for a cuppa, unfortunately. 😁

Mb76, the W&P thread is indeed still going strong, only a small band of us hanging on in there and not long to go now!
It seems strange to be reading W&P and sympathising with the Russian's against Napoleonic forces then coming to this thread and hoping the Russian's fail miserably.

Ah yep we don’t venture out too far from here, but at least we are in the same country ☺️
we were lucky to have missed the hurricane indeed