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Ukraine Invasion: Part 37

997 replies

MagicFox · 14/01/2023 15:52

Welcome all to thread 37. Thanks to everybody contributing to the backbone of these threads (extra hat tip to Ducks and Desdemona for posting daily updates) and to all lurkers too.

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Skidamarinkadinkadink · 04/02/2023 17:18

A lurker on this thread, I was very anxious during points of this war and this thread has provided me with a lot of comfort.

I have a question for you guys, I’m hearing some rhetoric about an escalation on the 24th Feb, what does that mean? Should I be worried? What impact does the balloon in the states have?

Greenshake · 04/02/2023 17:22

I’m not sure the ballon has any relevance at this point. It all seems very odd though.

Igotjelly · 04/02/2023 17:33

Skidamarinkadinkadink · 04/02/2023 17:18

A lurker on this thread, I was very anxious during points of this war and this thread has provided me with a lot of comfort.

I have a question for you guys, I’m hearing some rhetoric about an escalation on the 24th Feb, what does that mean? Should I be worried? What impact does the balloon in the states have?

I was reading escalation as a potential offensive from the Russians, probably combined with a significant set of air strikes etc just for fear value.

Its important to remember that the Russians, and in particular Putin love symbolism so dates such as anniversaries carry a great deal of weight. On the other hand Russia’s ability for escalation is actually really limited.

Igotjelly · 04/02/2023 17:34

As for the balloon probably nothing particularly to do with the Ukrainian war but equally it’s a distraction for the US at a critical juncture and further sours relations with China.

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 04/02/2023 17:52

Day 342, January 31st. Summary of Arestovych and Feygin broadcast
Posted on 01 February 2023

Fighter jets:
The situation is exactly the same as with Stingers, Javelins, HIMARS, and tanks – at first no, then suddenly – they are already in use. F-16s are in use by multiple nations, and any one of them can supply aircraft to 🇺🇦 Ukraine. Arestovych is 100% sure that aircraft will be supplied earlier than everyone expected. Until there is a united position, all officials will try to avoid the question, deny, or reply that they don’t know.

⚡️ Battlefield update:
In the last 3 days, the enemy did a significant amount of bombings on 🇺🇦 Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.

Kherson: 🇺🇦 GUR published a video of a nightly raid across the Dnipro river, destruction of enemy headquarters. Kherson was shelled 42 times in the last 3 days – including harbor, hospital, school, bus station, bank, and apartment buildings. 3 killed and 8 wounded yesterday.

Vuhledar, Kurakhove, Avdiivka, Chasiv Yar, Toretsk: multiple bombings at civilian buildings, 3 killed.

Vuhledar: enemy tried to attack, but failed. The Recon unit of the 155th brigade was destroyed. Some reports, that 🇺🇦 Ukraine even recaptured some areas.

Marinka: the enemy attack has ceased, with no movements, same locations for 3 weeks.

Avdiivka: enemy attacks near Opytne were unsuccessful, the same at the north. Some movements near Krasnohorivka.

Bakhmut: movements from Klishchiivka are uncomfortably close to the road. deepstatemap.live does show a pretty accurate situation. The enemy wants to encircle Bakhmut, unsuccessful at the north due to terrain disadvantage.

Blahodatne: enemy announced capturing it already twice. 🇺🇦 Ukraine’s official position is, that Blahodatne has battles ongoing.

Soledar: Enemy movements to the north, in direction of Kryva Luka, to encircle Siversk. That would remove problems with Kreminna, and create the possibility of reaching Lyman. This tactic has been seen many times.

Kreminna: Traditional location of clashes, both sides claim attacks near Chervonopopivka.

⚡️ Russian future plans:
The overall enemy is working on encircling 3 small locations – Avdiivka, Bakhmut, and Siversk with a later goal on Chasiv Yar, Yampil, and Toretsk, and then Sloviansk, Konstantynivka, Kurakhove and then Pokrovsk, Sviatohirsk, Kupiansk again. This is what Gerasimov is reporting as the maximum possible with 200k soldiers. The contingency plan for 🇺🇦 Ukraine’s counterattack is drafting more soldiers.
Multiple 🇺🇦 Ukrainian sources have confirmed that end of February and March are going to have heavy battles in Donbas. Everybody has everything clear. However there will be attempts to persuade of possible attacks in other directions – Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odesa – it might be hard even for the military to distinguish them from the truth. There are currently no hidden signs of attacks from other directions.

⚡️ Iran:
There is currently only one confirmed target – Isfahan air base. The attack method is unknown, and no victims reported. Another attack yesterday on a convoy in 🇸🇾 Syria – 🇮🇶 Iraq route, which is used by 🇮🇷 Iran to bring weapons to 🇸🇾 Syria.
🇮🇷 Iran has had more serious attacks, for example in 2021. Iran is keeping quiet on damages, there have been explosions, but drone factories haven’t been damaged – manufacturing and storage happen underground.
Even a precise strike can’t neutralize their weapons and potential. Those strikes likely won’t affect weapon supplies to Russia.

⚡️ Ukraine strikes:
In the last couple of days 🇺🇦 Ukraine made several very successful strikes at enemy headquarters. Unverified information of 70 killed in just one of the enemy headquarters.
There was a strike at Volnovakha which is a very important rail hub for supplying the southern front – Vuhledar, Makiivka.
More strikes at warehouses in Luhansk and Donetsk districts.

⚡️ PMC Wagner:
Various sources are reporting, that there are less of Wagner mercenaries near Bakhmut. There is a version that this is due to Gerasimov trying to phase them out. Only in a couple of weeks at Soledar they had 4k killed and 10k wounded. In this month their losses are more than before because they changed tactics to infantry assault due to a shortage of tanks and artillery.
There are reports of Wagner leaving the Donetsk district, and separate cases of their mercenaries seen in the Zaporizhia district, but that is not systematic.
Systematic actions are seen regardless of how well they are attempted to be hidden. After such intense battles, any military structure needs a pause.

⚡️ Saakashvili:
Mikheil Saakashvili is reported to be in intensive care. Preparing for protests on the 20th of February in European countries, in front of government buildings, as 🇬🇪 Georgian embassies aren’t interested to help. It’s time to start acquiring permits where it’s necessary. We are defending a person who is being killed. Nobody should stay indifferent.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 04/02/2023 18:26

Skidamarinkadinkadink
Should I be worried? What impact does the balloon in the states have?

The balloon seems to me to be part of surveillance of every power by every other power that has been going on pretty-much since the invention of the balloon. Well, maybe the invention of the jet plane. The USA certainly does the same thing the entire time with its satelllites and its U2s; Britain ditto; I'd be astounded if China didn't.

blueshoes · 04/02/2023 18:30

Desdamona, thanks for the broadcasts. Glad to see that Arestovych is still around.

⚡️ Iran:
There is currently only one confirmed target – Isfahan air base. The attack method is unknown, and no victims reported. Another attack yesterday on a convoy in 🇸🇾 Syria – 🇮🇶 Iraq route, which is used by 🇮🇷 Iran to bring weapons to 🇸🇾 Syria.
🇮🇷 Iran has had more serious attacks, for example in 2021. Iran is keeping quiet on damages, there have been explosions, but drone factories haven’t been damaged – manufacturing and storage happen underground.
Even a precise strike can’t neutralize their weapons and potential. Those strikes likely won’t affect weapon supplies to Russia.

How disappionting. Interesting to read that manufacturing and storage are underground. That must be expensive to build but maybe it is easier to dig down into the sand. I guess Iran has to anticipate bombing attacks from Israel.

MagicFox · 04/02/2023 21:37

The US has shot the balloon down now. This is just me interpreting apropos of zero knowledge, and I've not seen anybody else say this, but rather than the balloon itself I've been most unnerved by the optics of this happening close to the one year anniversary of the invasion. The Sino-Russian relationship feels like a key flashpoint and it's hard not to think about everything in that specific context.

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Greenshake · 04/02/2023 21:43

Sky news have a good analysis on the balloon and what it may/may not mean. Some good points about the PRC potentially wanting to build on their relationship with the US.

MagicFox · 04/02/2023 21:47

Yes, from that piece:

"According to Professor Clarke, the use of these balloons, if indeed they were launched by China, will likely have been a message to the US following its decision to open new military bases in the Philippiness_.
"I think it's a challenge," he said.
"They (China) are signalling that if the US is going to come closer to them then they will be more aggressive with their surveillance."

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MagicFox · 04/02/2023 21:48

I get the Philippines thing, but ... there's an even wider context right now isn't there?

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MagicFox · 04/02/2023 21:52

Greenshake, would be great to see those comments re the PRC building on the US relationship - could you link, I'm missing it. Thanks!

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Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:08

One sec 🙂 I am not very tech savvy!

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 04/02/2023 22:10

MagicFox · 04/02/2023 21:48

I get the Philippines thing, but ... there's an even wider context right now isn't there?

There is a wider context, but not everything comes down to Russia-Ukraine. Which lets face it, however you see it, has led to Russia being far less globally important economically and militarily.

The two big players are the US and China. the US is not that interested in expanding its influence at this point, whereas China notably is. I don't think the balloon has anything to do with this conflict but a whole load to do with future friction points.

Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:11

Best I can do, sorry!

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:12

Two

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:13

Three

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:13

four

Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:13

Four

Ukraine Invasion: Part 37
MagicFox · 04/02/2023 22:13

I do agree but doesn't Russia-Ukraine bolster China's
performance of influence at the moment? At least because China's support or lack thereof is playing into the discourse around it? I do take the point: I see everything through the Ukraine lens

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MagicFox · 04/02/2023 22:14

Thanks Greenshake!

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katem98 · 04/02/2023 22:14

Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:13

Three

Here it is in link form for those who struggle to see images on here. @Greenshake, join the non tech savvy club!

news.sky.com/story/chinese-spy-balloons-the-puzzling-theories-and-why-none-bode-well-for-us-china-relations-12802738

Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:16

@katem98 thank you, you have thoroughly shown me up 😂😂

katem98 · 04/02/2023 22:17

@Greenshake 😂. Funnily enough, I only managed as I was literally reading through the article as you were posting about it!

Greenshake · 04/02/2023 22:19

Between us, we got there in the end 😊