"Russian survivors of the Voznesensk battle left behind nearly 30 of their 43 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, multiple-rocket launchers and trucks, as well as a downed Mi-24 attack helicopter, according to Ukrainian officials in the city." 2/ pic.twitter.com/VfNJSDlnbK

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) March 16, 2022

Rossticus said:

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Zelensky doesn't get his No-Fly Zone but he gets quite a bit:
Biden announces the U.S. will send Ukraine:
-drones
-9,000 Anti-armor systems
- 800 Anti-aircraft systems
-7,000 Small arms, 20 million rounds in ammunition

— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) March 16, 2022

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Click to see full list.

Details of the new aid to Ukraine pic.twitter.com/NI4Hc4CHWH

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 16, 2022

AGHouston11 said:

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If things are so bad how do three leaders announce they are visiting the president a day before and they ride a train to visit the President! I'm just trying to figure out how this works with a city completely surrounded by Russians.

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Kyiv is NOT completely surrounded by Russians

there are Russian forces to the northeast of Kyiv, and to the Northwest of Kyiv.

to the direct north is a body of water

the south entrances are all open

It's Mariupol that is completely surrounded by Russian forces

That's even better

I agree likely a mine, especially given the linear disturbance in the road at the point of explosion where the track touches down. The disturbance is shaped like a cue tip at this angle with one end cut off. The larger end almost centered in the road while the thinner linear going to our right tank left, which could easily be a triggering mechanism that has better chance to catch track, while the larger end in the middle is the bulk of the explosives. To our left the disturbance is more faint like where the dirt being dug out landed on the snow.

The most interesting part for me is the timing of the drone. Most mines are employ and forget, which make them nasty for use with civilians around now or later, but not only is the timing perfect so is framing of the target. I can only think whomever is running the drone also emplaced the mine and is likely very close.

I concur on exhaust with throttling up over the berm.

Of also interest at .25 speed under :01 in there is an explosion at 11:00 also in a ditch and smoke coming from left side of the road the column is on about where the snow on the road ends.

I also questioned why they didn't cover up with snow and can think that they did not have time and possibly knowing the direction of travel they would never see on the backside of the berm like that as this crew knows what they are doing and have done before.

In the video below this may be the very same mine used but on a lighter bottom armored tank.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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Russia doesn't have near enough troops to surround Kyiv. They're too bogged down on every single front. They haven't taken one major city to date, except maybe Kherson, where the ukes destroyed a number of helicopters yesterday in a counter offensive. Russia is getting dominated militarily, so all they can do at this point is continue to terrorize civilians bombing cities.

---

history is replete with examples of attackers attacking on too wide a front and failing.
The Blitzkrieg showed what works - have a powerful force attack on a few/one front and overwhelm the opposition. So did the Israeli air raids during the 6 day war.

The Russians seemed to be ignoring history, including their own.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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Russia doesn't have near enough troops to surround Kyiv. They're too bogged down on every single front. They haven't taken one major city to date, except maybe Kherson, where the ukes destroyed a number of helicopters yesterday in a counter offensive. Russia is getting dominated militarily, so all they can do at this point is continue to terrorize civilians bombing cities.

---

Well to be accurate Mariupol has been taken by the Russkies and had a population of 470,000

which I think could be counted as a major city. Especially that it is a strategic linchpin along the Black Sea coast linking Crimea with the Donbas.

HTownAg98 said:

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Rossticus said:

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Putin appears to attack the oligarchs as a "fifth column." They are fleeing to Tel Aviv and Dubai trying to save themselves. I would expect that Putin's next step will be to condemn them by name & confiscate their companies in Russia. He seems as desperate as the oligarchs.

— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) March 16, 2022

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Bold move Cotton. It would be a shame if he attempts to do that, and a small handful of people with incredible wealth and power decide to turn against him.

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The problem is that, under Putin, this isn't a traditional oligarchy. Putin's power doesn't descend from the oligarchs. They didn't place him in power. Putin chose people who he knew prior to gaining power, installed them as yes-men, and made them obscenely rich. Their power and wealth descend from and are wholly attributable to Putin.

So, they're less likely to move against him than under the standard oligarchal structure.

🇺🇦 says that mayor of Melitopol was released “after a special operation”. Zelensky speaks to him& jokes: “we are happy they took you.. “You seem to have a very lively voice”, he says.
Mayor:”Thank you for not dropping me”.
Z: “We don’t drop our own”. pic.twitter.com/ciOm6NfQMd

— Ani Chkhikvadze (@achkhikvadze) March 16, 2022

Released? somehow I think there were a lot Russians taken out in this "release"

When did Mariupol fall?

docb said:

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Damn. We really need to do whatever it takes to get rid of Putin.

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He needs the czar treatment.

Mariupol is surrounded, not taken. And reports are Russians get decimated every time they try to move in.

Which goes along with exactly what I'm saying. Russia is bogged down everywhere.

deddog said:

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ATX_AG_08 said:

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Destruction of Russian Forces tank after multiple hits by ATGM in Mariupol.
Video from AZOV drone. pic.twitter.com/9B1MCxHEFX

— Aldin 🇧🇦 (@aldin_ww) March 16, 2022

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Looks like that tank crew was lost, on it's own, no infantry

lost in a foreign land, condemned to die by their superiors, and by a maniacal despot.
That sucks for those soldiers and their family

---

They have a tank. It's not like they can't shoot their superiors.

Rossticus said:

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There has been a definite uptick of people starting to discourage foreign fighters and further U.S. assistance via stories like this that conveniently manage to leave out details. Especially since Russia got themselves behind the 8 ball. Did the host press him or just let it go at a statement?

Shelling Russian civs instead of fighting the Russian army that's right there trying to kill them doesn't pass the smell test.

---

The host didn't press but didnt really accept the story either.

The guy kept saying to Google it. I did, the only story I found was from a very pro Russian website claiming the ukes shelled an area in the Donetsk region

Robk said:

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🇺🇦 says that mayor of Melitopol was released “after a special operation”. Zelensky speaks to him& jokes: “we are happy they took you.. “You seem to have a very lively voice”, he says.
Mayor:”Thank you for not dropping me”.
Z: “We don’t drop our own”. pic.twitter.com/ciOm6NfQMd

— Ani Chkhikvadze (@achkhikvadze) March 16, 2022

Released? somehow I think there were a lot Russians taken out in this "release"

---

Probably a lost-in-translation thing.

Released...freed...liberated...rescued.

Ag In Ok said:

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When did Mariupol fall?

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It was the mayor of Melitopol not Mariupol.

Rossticus said:

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The US sent S-300s to Ukraine https://t.co/fIOV5ozDKz

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 16, 2022

---

so this is a great tactical thread discussion - that tweet can't be accurate.

the USA does not make or own S-300 batteries.

the USA is not landing aircraft in Ukraine

Hungary has refused to send equipment to Ukraine

so IF there are S-300 batteries that somehow made it into Ukraine, they had to be driven across the border of Poland or Slovakia

so how is it that "USA is delivering weapons they don't own from territory they don't have"?

Read the embedded tweet.
""NEW -- S-300 air defense systems have been sent into #Ukraine, by U.S. or #NATO allies -- per
@RepMcCaul, the top Republican in the House Foreign Affairs Committee."

deddog said:

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ATX_AG_08 said:

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Russia doesn't have near enough troops to surround Kyiv. They're too bogged down on every single front. They haven't taken one major city to date, except maybe Kherson, where the ukes destroyed a number of helicopters yesterday in a counter offensive. Russia is getting dominated militarily, so all they can do at this point is continue to terrorize civilians bombing cities.

---

history is replete with examples of attackers attacking on too wide a front and failing.
The Blitzkrieg showed what works - have a powerful force attack on a few/one front and overwhelm the opposition. So did the Israeli air raids during the 6 day war.

The Russians seemed to be ignoring history, including their own.

---

The Ukrainians are operating on the defensive using interior lines which make it easy to switch forces as needed and is very logistically economical.

In contrast, the three Russian main lines of advance are not mutually supporting, require ever-lengthening logistics tails and may be approaching their offensive culminating point, particularly in the northeast.

I'm hoping Ukraine has been deliberately husbanding enough offensive capacity waiting for the right moment for a major counterattack.

If they can break into the Russian rear in the northeast with sufficient force the Russians may not now have enough left to forestall a general retreat.

74OA said:

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deddog said:

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ATX_AG_08 said:

---

Russia doesn't have near enough troops to surround Kyiv. They're too bogged down on every single front. They haven't taken one major city to date, except maybe Kherson, where the ukes destroyed a number of helicopters yesterday in a counter offensive. Russia is getting dominated militarily, so all they can do at this point is continue to terrorize civilians bombing cities.

---

history is replete with examples of attackers attacking on too wide a front and failing.
The Blitzkrieg showed what works - have a powerful force attack on a few/one front and overwhelm the opposition. So did the Israeli air raids during the 6 day war.

The Russians seemed to be ignoring history, including their own.

---

The Ukrainians are operating on the defensive using interior lines which make it easy to switch forces as needed and is very logistically economical.

In contrast, the three Russian main lines of advance are not mutually supporting, require ever-lengthening logistics tails and may be approaching their offensive culminating point, particularly in the northeast.

I'm hoping Ukraine has been deliberately husbanding enough offensive capacity waiting for the right moment for a major counterattack in the north.

If they can break into the Russian rear in the northeast with sufficient force the Russians may not have enough left to forestall a general retreat.

---

Seems akin to what happened at Bastogne?

I have translated and added subtitles to the latest video speech by Vladimir Putin from two hours ago. Please don’t let it go in vain - I want everyone to see what a speech of true fascism looks like.

No further comment needed, it’s all here, in his speech pic.twitter.com/QEzsG9BODX

— Michael Elgort 🤍❤️🤍🇺🇦✡️ (@just_whatever) March 16, 2022

74OA said:

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deddog said:

---

ATX_AG_08 said:

---

Russia doesn't have near enough troops to surround Kyiv. They're too bogged down on every single front. They haven't taken one major city to date, except maybe Kherson, where the ukes destroyed a number of helicopters yesterday in a counter offensive. Russia is getting dominated militarily, so all they can do at this point is continue to terrorize civilians bombing cities.

---

history is replete with examples of attackers attacking on too wide a front and failing.
The Blitzkrieg showed what works - have a powerful force attack on a few/one front and overwhelm the opposition. So did the Israeli air raids during the 6 day war.

The Russians seemed to be ignoring history, including their own.

---

The Ukrainians are operating on the defensive using interior lines which make it easy to switch forces as needed and is very logistically economical.

In contrast, the three Russian main lines of advance are not mutually supporting, require ever-lengthening logistics tails and may be approaching their offensive culminating point, particularly in the northeast.

I'm hoping Ukraine has been deliberately husbanding enough offensive capacity waiting for the right moment for a major counterattack.

If they can break into the Russian rear in the northeast with sufficient force the Russians may not have enough left to forestall a general retreat.

---

Ukes have a ton of armor and artillery that we haven't seen. I'm guessing their plan is exactly as you stated. Wait till the Russians are at their weakest and most vulnerable, then they mount a major offensive and steamroll them from west to east.

Wrong thread sorry

ATX_AG_08 said:

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I have translated and added subtitles to the latest video speech by Vladimir Putin from two hours ago. Please don’t let it go in vain - I want everyone to see what a speech of true fascism looks like.

No further comment needed, it’s all here, in his speech pic.twitter.com/QEzsG9BODX

— Michael Elgort 🤍❤️🤍🇺🇦✡️ (@just_whatever) March 16, 2022

---

A nice update on Putin the supposed master strategist.

Slovakia has *preliminarily* agreed to provide Ukraine with S-300 air defense system.

— spook (@spook_info) March 16, 2022

74OA said:

---

ATX_AG_08 said:

---

I have translated and added subtitles to the latest video speech by Vladimir Putin from two hours ago. Please don’t let it go in vain - I want everyone to see what a speech of true fascism looks like.

No further comment needed, it’s all here, in his speech pic.twitter.com/QEzsG9BODX

— Michael Elgort 🤍❤️🤍🇺🇦✡️ (@just_whatever) March 16, 2022

---

A nice update on Putin the supposed master strategist.

---

If this is recent I don't see any truth to any peace in Ukraine from him. He appears to be the true hitler with the objective of a pure unified USSR state which includes taken back all their former states however long it takes. He also just separated himself with the oligarchs while also attempting to separate the mass people from them as well which probably isn't hard to do as only elites like other elites.

Ukrainian Artillery Batteries are continuing to Strike Russian Targets across the Country today, one of the Russian Forces Gather Points in the Chernihiv Region was reported to have been Completely Destroyed by a Ukrainian Artillery Barrage earlier today. pic.twitter.com/yXG67hF3ws

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 16, 2022

Building doesn't even look touched.

Kidnapped mayor rescued.

🇺🇦 says that mayor of Melitopol was released “after a special operation”. Zelensky speaks to him& jokes: “we are happy they took you.. “You seem to have a very lively voice”, he says.
Mayor:”Thank you for not dropping me”.
Z: “We don’t drop our own”. pic.twitter.com/ciOm6NfQMd

— Ani Chkhikvadze (@achkhikvadze) March 16, 2022