Interesting thread from Tom Nichols, on why Russia is acting the way it is.

For those who keep asking why some of us are so worried about the risks of escalation, you have to understand that NATO and Russia have now switched the positions they had during the Cold War. NATO is now the dominant conventional power; Russia is the weaker power. Short 🧵
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— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) March 25, 2022

Since this story yesterday, other Russian soldiers who refused to invade Ukraine and were fired have appealed to human rights lawyer @pchikov. He says he’s received messages from men in Crimea, Novgorod, Omsk, and Stavropol. https://t.co/q8Mzg5THFl https://t.co/FMg9xEuJvh

— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) March 25, 2022

I think this is 100% accurate. They're going to adjust their operational goals to take the southern two Oblasts along with as much of Donetsk and Luhansk as they can get and trade their held land for the other pieces that they don't hold.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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#Russia' Defence Ministry @mod_russia claims that its main objective in #Ukraine is "complete liberation of Donbas", and its offensives on other cities were aimed at diverting Ukrainian forces from #Donbas.

Looks like Kremlin is reducing its appetites.https://t.co/EqvMvDwmEC

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) March 25, 2022

Russian army says the first stage of its military operation are "completed", and that troops will now focus on the "liberation" of Ukraine's Donbas regionhttps://t.co/hg7dGzKbuz

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 25, 2022

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Talking about moving goalposts.

Here is the translation:

Quote:

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The possibility of storming the cities blocked in Ukraine is not ruled out, but the main goal of the Russian military is the complete liberation of Donbass, said Sergey Rudskoy, head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

According to him, Russia did not initially plan to storm these cities in order to "prevent destruction and minimize losses among personnel and civilians."

"Although we do not exclude such a possibility, however, as individual groupings complete the tasks set, and they are successfully solved, our forces and means will be concentrated on the main thing - the complete liberation of Donbass," Rudskoy said.

Military operation in Ukraine. Online
Politics
He added that Russia was considering two options for conducting a special operation: within the borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, enshrined in their constitutions, or throughout Ukraine. However, in the first case, the Ukrainian authorities would constantly feed their military group, "involved in the so-called operation of the combined forces," said the head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff.

"Therefore, the second option was chosen, providing for actions throughout the territory of Ukraine with the implementation of measures for its demilitarization and denazification," he said.

According to Rudsky, "the course of the operation" confirmed that the decision was correct. "[The special operation] is being carried out by the General Staff in strict accordance with the approved plan," he added.

According to the head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, from the beginning of the special operation, the Russian military blocked Kyiv, as well as the cities of Kharkov, Chernihiv, Sumy and Nikolaev. Under full control are Kherson and most of the Zaporozhye region, he added.


Russia launched a military special operation a month ago, on February 24th. President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was forced to take such a step by creating a "real threat" near its borders. He called the goals of the special operation the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine, as well as the protection of the civilian population of Donbass from "genocide" by the Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine broke off diplomatic relations with Russia after the start of the special operation. On February 24, martial law was declared in the country. Later, President Volodymyr Zelensky extended it until April 25.

:
https://www-rbc-ru.translate.goog/politics/25/03/2022/623dbdcc9a79476daf5857fa?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

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ATX_AG_08 said:

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#Russia' Defence Ministry @mod_russia claims that its main objective in #Ukraine is "complete liberation of Donbas", and its offensives on other cities were aimed at diverting Ukrainian forces from #Donbas.

Looks like Kremlin is reducing its appetites.https://t.co/EqvMvDwmEC

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) March 25, 2022

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At this point I think I would agree to that and put political pressure on them to give it up later. The "Russians" in those regions hate Russia now anyways. Good luck even occupying that little region (much less all of Ukraine which will never happen)

...And, at this point the Russians should do this sooner rather than later before their army is dead.

MeatDr said:

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MeatDr said:

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BREAKING: A Russian brigade commander has been killed deliberately by his own troops after his unit suffered many losses in Ukraine, a western official said.
Colonel Medvechek, commander of 37 Motor Rifle Brigade, was run over by his soldiers, the official said

— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) March 25, 2022

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Actually this may be the same guy we heard about yesterday.

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Same one.

ATX_AG_08 said:

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#Russia' Defence Ministry @mod_russia claims that its main objective in #Ukraine is "complete liberation of Donbas", and its offensives on other cities were aimed at diverting Ukrainian forces from #Donbas.

Looks like Kremlin is reducing its appetites.https://t.co/EqvMvDwmEC

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) March 25, 2022

Russian army says the first stage of its military operation are "completed", and that troops will now focus on the "liberation" of Ukraine's Donbas regionhttps://t.co/hg7dGzKbuz

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 25, 2022

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Until Mariupol falls, they probably still see nazis. They won't stop till that is done.

Quote:

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At this point I think I would agree to that and put political pressure on them to give it up later. The "Russians" in those regions hate Russia now anyways. Good luck even occupying that little region (much less all of Ukraine which will never happen)

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Was just thinking the same. How well will they be able to "hold" it?

This is supposedly him after getting his legs run over.

Ramzan Kadyrov posted a video on March 11 showing Chechen Rosgvardia troops evacuating Medvedev. I haven’t seen his death announced from Russian sources yet. https://t.co/8cpeTG8GdAhttps://t.co/Kgm4FmpVzv https://t.co/x1YIfEjXyK pic.twitter.com/GExEfUycKk

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) March 25, 2022

Ag In Ok said:

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ATX_AG_08 said:

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#Russia' Defence Ministry @mod_russia claims that its main objective in #Ukraine is "complete liberation of Donbas", and its offensives on other cities were aimed at diverting Ukrainian forces from #Donbas.

Looks like Kremlin is reducing its appetites.https://t.co/EqvMvDwmEC

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) March 25, 2022

Russian army says the first stage of its military operation are "completed", and that troops will now focus on the "liberation" of Ukraine's Donbas regionhttps://t.co/hg7dGzKbuz

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 25, 2022

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Until Mariupol falls, they probably still see nazis. They won't stop till that is done.

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Ukraine can't let Mariupol fall.

If it does, Putin gets the land bridge from Russia to Crimea he's wanted, and Ukraine is denied access to the Sea of Azov.

If he achieves that strategic prize, he'll never relinquish it.

Crimea was already connected to Russia by land

Reports that General Rezantsev based out of Kerson was killed.

that would make 6 General officers taken out by the Ukes:

The action will be over soon

2)
-UKR forces, territorials & citizen militias attacking RU forces defending east bank of Bug River in the S, near Mykolaiv
-fighting by UKR territorial forces against RU troops in Kershon
-Refugee movement out of Mariupol
-RU reactions to attack in port of Berdyansk 2/

— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) March 25, 2022

The Ukes clearly have the initiative at the moment and If I was Zelensky, I am pushing the russians all the way back to russia. If there happens to be some piece of dirt I didn't want anyway, I might concede that along with some other bs concessions.

He did not lay out specifics of what Liberate means and this lays some rhetoric groundwork, to later being able to tell their own russian people that the nazis were all killed and we have been able to bring our enslaved people back home. This allows them to save face (in their own minds) and allows them to negotiate release of sanctions in exchange for leaving Ukraine intact. This of course assumes they continue getting pushed back and are running out of long range weapons.

74OA said:

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Ag In Ok said:

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ATX_AG_08 said:

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#Russia' Defence Ministry @mod_russia claims that its main objective in #Ukraine is "complete liberation of Donbas", and its offensives on other cities were aimed at diverting Ukrainian forces from #Donbas.

Looks like Kremlin is reducing its appetites.https://t.co/EqvMvDwmEC

— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) March 25, 2022

Russian army says the first stage of its military operation are "completed", and that troops will now focus on the "liberation" of Ukraine's Donbas regionhttps://t.co/hg7dGzKbuz

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 25, 2022

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Until Mariupol falls, they probably still see nazis. They won't stop till that is done.

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Ukraine can't let Mariupol fall.

If it does, Putin gets the land bridge from Russia to Crimea he's wanted, and Ukraine is denied access to the Sea of Azov.

If he achieves that strategic prize, he'll never relinquish it.

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Looking like a foregone conclusion at this point. Russians are steadily advancing block by block. They captured the city administration building yesterday and have just about split the pocket of defenders in two. Kiev has been pretty clear that no attempt to break the siege will be made. Which is convenient for the administration because they benefit from the defenders tying up Russian troops for a while and their Azov optics problem gets solved.

2/ After a month of war, the Kremlin has faced the reality that their invasion has failed and it is time to retool their war effort for a more protracted conflict, this is according to the head of Pres. Zelensky’s office, Myhailo Podoiyak. https://t.co/Qxxe8LGMOV

— Jomini of the West (@JominiW) March 25, 2022

Died on Tuesday.

⚡️Russian colonel killed in fighting in Ukraine.

Alexei Sharov, colonel of the 810th Separate Guards Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, was killed by a Ukrainian sniper, according to Russian authorities. pic.twitter.com/VftgiUmI9i

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 25, 2022

This is currently circling around pro-Russian telegram channels. A Russian soldier destroys a soldiers memorial plaque in Eastern Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/gJEpxUTzHp

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 25, 2022

I wouldn't be surprised if Russia starts moving more assets to the southeast since their invasion of Kyiv has failed. They probably thought they could roll through Ukraine and take both but their main objective was taking the Donbas region. From the maps Ukraine will have to put on a significant counter offensive to take back Mariupol

So my updated scorecard is 8 generals, 16 colonels, 15 lt. colonels and 16 majors. 55 field grade officers dead in a month. That's just a brutal loss to an officer corps. For reference 20 US generals died in the whole of WWII.

Why is Russia so much more successful in the Donbas? I wonder if the Ukes will counterattack there and take it back.

Waffledynamics said:

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Why is Russia so much more successful in the Donbas? I wonder if the Ukes will counterattack there and take it back.

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I think the ability for them to use ships as they have bombed the living heck out of the area and then their marines moved in. They also have the ability to supply the region by land and sea, as you saw in the north their logistics was cut off since it was land only

P.U.T.U said:

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Waffledynamics said:

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Why is Russia so much more successful in the Donbas? I wonder if the Ukes will counterattack there and take it back.

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I think the ability for them to use ships as they have bombed the living heck out of the area and then their marines moved in. They also have the ability to supply the region by land and sea, as you saw in the north their logistics was cut off since it was land only

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Is that ship advantage really still there in Donetsk and Luhansk? I can see that in places like Mariupol, but much of the region would seem (to my non-expert knowledge) out of effective range.

Rossticus said:

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This is currently circling around pro-Russian telegram channels. A Russian soldier destroys a soldiers memorial plaque in Eastern Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/gJEpxUTzHp

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 25, 2022

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Does he not have more important things do?