JFABNRGR said:

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ABATTBQ11 said:

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Gordo14 said:

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They still have to leave shipping lanes open because they need to ship things to southern Ukraine. From Rostov. Not sure how effective these sunken ships will be.

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No, they'd just open and close the booms for vessels.

And to what someone said earlier, a one two punch with a lead USV taking out the boom is possible, but it requires more coordination and gives away an attack. There's no stealthily parking under the bridge with a big ass bomb.

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If Ukrainians are using munitions capable of flying 700km then barges and nets in defense of sea borne weapons is now moot, given the recent attack on orc air base.

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Flying that far with a warhead capable of igniting a fuel depot or plane is different than flying that far with a warhead capable of causing significant damage to a bridge. The seaborne drones are carrying several hundred pounds of explosives IIRC.

2/ Russian opposition media outlets obtained an audio message in which a Wagner representative encourages #Wagner servicemen to look for different work because the Russian MoD is not allowing Wagner forces to fight in #Ukraine, citing recent events.

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) August 31, 2023

4/ ISW has previously assessed that the Russian MoD and the Kremlin have been destroying the Wagner Group since the June 24 rebellion. https://t.co/b9FYxg38ze

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) August 31, 2023

JFABNRGR said:

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ABATTBQ11 said:

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Gordo14 said:

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They still have to leave shipping lanes open because they need to ship things to southern Ukraine. From Rostov. Not sure how effective these sunken ships will be.

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No, they'd just open and close the booms for vessels.

And to what someone said earlier, a one two punch with a lead USV taking out the boom is possible, but it requires more coordination and gives away an attack. There's no stealthily parking under the bridge with a big ass bomb.

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If Ukrainians are using munitions capable of flying 700km then barges and nets in defense of sea borne weapons is now moot, given the recent attack on orc air base.

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Different problems to solve, and good luck getting a kamikaze drone big enough to take out that bridge without getting shot down.

The last couple had 1800 pounds each

ABATTBQ11 said:

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The last couple had 1800 pounds each

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Yeah, I thought they had close to a ton on the last few. Not something they could fly in on a drone.

Ukrainian Counteroffensive Pierces Main Russian Defensive Line in Southeast


After three months of grinding advances in Western-backed operation, Kyiv accelerates thrust along main line of attack

Wall Street Journal By James Marson Aug. 31, 2023 7:25 am ET

Ukrainian forces have penetrated the main Russian defensive line in their country's southeast, raising hopes of a breakthrough that would reinvigorate the slow-moving counteroffensive.

Ukrainian paratroopers are fighting through entrenched Russian positions on the edge of the village of Verbove, a Ukrainian officer in the area said. Ukrainian forces have also reached the main defensive line to the south of nearby Robotyne village, he said. Ukraine's military confirmed advances toward Verbove and south of Robotyne, without giving details.

Describing the advance, the Ukrainian officer held up three fingers representing lines of attack through entrenched Russian positions on the western flank of Verbove, an agricultural village of some 1,000 residents before the war. The significance of the advance is that it marks the first time Ukraine has penetrated the main Russian defensive line, an extensive system of minefields, trenches and antitank obstacles covered by artillery.

Ukrainian forces are now working to expand the cracks in the line to create a hole large enough for Western-provided armored vehicles to push through with sufficient logistical support.

"It's like inflating a ball," the officer said.

WSJ Reports on Uke Victories

“Ukrainian light infantry - likely reconnaissance elements - infiltrated east of Russian field fortifications near Verbove as of August 30.” https://t.co/g1ZoOy66jI

— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) August 31, 2023

😏🦅🇺🇦 "About 5-6 models of drones with a flight range of more than 1000 kilometers are being developed in Ukraine", - The New York Times pic.twitter.com/LOSBtJkt3p

— MAKS 23 👀🇺🇦 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) August 31, 2023

Something tells me the average Russian might be shocked this fall / winter when Russia kicks off their civilian infrastructure destruction campaign and the Ukes suddenly can play the same game.

AgLA06 said:

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Something tells me the average Russian might be shocked this fall / winter when Russia kicks off their civilian infrastructure destruction campaign and the Ukes suddenly can play the same game.

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I really hope Ukraine can build their new missiles in sufficient numbers to be a real problem for Russia. They need to be able to hit targets in Russia if they are going to win this war.

cbr said:

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2wealfth Man said:

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cbr said:

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PJYoung said:

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Oh man this video just popped up on my feed. This is the first I've seen of drones hitting infantry in trenches. Timely. What a nightmare for infantry.

Our 59th brigade Drone guys doing work.
Also they have great taste in music too, not T Swift taste, but still good. pic.twitter.com/xvM2UsZSjS

— Ryan O'Leary (@IhateTrenches) August 30, 2023

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yeah, for crying out loud, you are just a sitting duck at that point. that is unreal. and it is the future for sure.

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need some kind of mass drone "launcher" to just absolutely rake a whole section of trench and /or other positions of interest. Absolutely maddening to defend against.

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i honestly dont know how you'd defend against drone swarms other than EW, if they are susceptible, or smaller more advanced drone swarms of your own.

this is an ugly, ugly future for warfare and humanity... and scary as **** for the '2nd amendment is our last line of defense against tyranny' concept.

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THIS is exactly how you defend against Russian drone swarms in the future

Quote:

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After spending more than two months engaged in a grueling campaign to break the Russian lines around Robotyne, the fighting capability of the units was exhausted, he said.

The local commander asked for permission to restructure the attack force there, choosing 31 soldiers considered to be deeply motivated. A third of them had no combat experience, he said.

Over the course of 40 days, he said, this unit conducted six assaults and two reconnaissance missions. Seven of the soldiers were wounded, he said, including one who stepped on a mine.

"The work of this group made it possible for an entire brigade to attack Robotyne and liberate it after weeks of assaults," he said.

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https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/08/31/world/russia-ukraine-news

PJYoung said:

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Quote:

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After spending more than two months engaged in a grueling campaign to break the Russian lines around Robotyne, the fighting capability of the units was exhausted, he said.

The local commander asked for permission to restructure the attack force there, choosing 31 soldiers considered to be deeply motivated. A third of them had no combat experience, he said.

Over the course of 40 days, he said, this unit conducted six assaults and two reconnaissance missions. Seven of the soldiers were wounded, he said, including one who stepped on a mine.

"The work of this group made it possible for an entire brigade to attack Robotyne and liberate it after weeks of assaults," he said.

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https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/08/31/world/russia-ukraine-news

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I wonder if those 31 soldiers were from that town or at least that region. It's all their country obviously, but fighting in your hometown would be an extra motivating factor as well. Makes it even more personal.

"Free and fair elections" incoming. *Holds elections for Kherson Oblast. Doesn't control Kherson*

The "elections" will finish on September 10

A new layer of occupation administration bureaucracy for Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia

— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) August 31, 2023

Strelkov (Girkin)… prepare to meet window.

Igor Girkin is running for president of Russia from jail

Girkin's manifesto strikes all the right notes for Russian ultranationalists and inherits Yevgeny Prigozhin's mantle

Some more details /1

— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) August 31, 2023

I'm sure that's exactly what those people wanted when they invited Russia to liberate them from the Ukrainian overlords.

You'd think that these folks would have learned a lesson from the previous Ukrainian collaborators that Russia used up and left hung out to dry but I guess there will always be another opportunist who thinks that THIS time will be different. Oh, and watch out for the partisans.

If Ukrainian reconciliation with Russia was once possible, that moment is long gone. There will be generations of hatred courtesy of Putin's utterly unnecessary war.

So much pain.

The amount of suffering russia has brought to Ukraine can’t be justified and forgiven. pic.twitter.com/yfLPchivTQ

— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) August 31, 2023

Ukraine forms world's first explosive naval drone unit. This element of warfare is just getting started......

USV

#BREAKING Politico: A group of 200 Ukrainian soldiers has wrapped up training on operating and maintaining US M1 Abrams tanks in Germany.

Tanks will arrive in Ukraine in the fall. pic.twitter.com/7VdLYtGmg8

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 31, 2023

"Wagner group is essentially over," @PentagonPresSec Pat Ryder says.

— Jared Szuba (@JM_Szuba) August 31, 2023

The Wagner Group is now recommending its fighters find other jobs, given that it can no longer participate in Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. https://t.co/Q66avtsmSi

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) August 31, 2023

Zelensky announced that Ukrainian domestic-produced long-range weapon managed to hit a target located 700km away.

Presumably, he was talking about loitering munitions which attacked the Pskov Air Base or R-360 Neptune cruise missile which was modified for ground attack role,… pic.twitter.com/6yvICIy17t

— Status-6 (@Archer83Able) August 31, 2023

Quote:

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Mayor of Moscow: works to improve Oryol airfield to launch interceptors against drones on the way to Moscow are almost completed

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https://liveuamap.com/en/2023/31-august-mayor-of-moscow-works-to-improve-oryol-airfield

Hit those too

LMCane said:

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cbr said:

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2wealfth Man said:

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cbr said:

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PJYoung said:

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Oh man this video just popped up on my feed. This is the first I've seen of drones hitting infantry in trenches. Timely. What a nightmare for infantry.

Our 59th brigade Drone guys doing work.
Also they have great taste in music too, not T Swift taste, but still good. pic.twitter.com/xvM2UsZSjS

— Ryan O'Leary (@IhateTrenches) August 30, 2023

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yeah, for crying out loud, you are just a sitting duck at that point. that is unreal. and it is the future for sure.

---

need some kind of mass drone "launcher" to just absolutely rake a whole section of trench and /or other positions of interest. Absolutely maddening to defend against.

---

i honestly dont know how you'd defend against drone swarms other than EW, if they are susceptible, or smaller more advanced drone swarms of your own.

this is an ugly, ugly future for warfare and humanity... and scary as **** for the '2nd amendment is our last line of defense against tyranny' concept.

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THIS is exactly how you defend against Russian drone swarms in the future

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Not just in the future, it seems, according to the wording used near the end. What are the chances some of these are already in use in Ukraine?

Russian air defense attrition:

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-redeploying-air-defenses-kuril-203000939.html

Quote:

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Moscow is pulling its anti-aircraft missile systems from two of the Kuril Islands, presumably to deploy them in the war against Ukraine, Japanese outlet Kyodo News reported on Aug. 31.

This report cites a statement made by Professor Yu Koizumi of Tokyo University.

The expert has analyzed satellite images of the area which show a significant amount of anti-aircraft missile systems have been removed from the islands of Iturup and Kunashir.

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Rossticus said:

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Strelkov (Girkin)… prepare to meet window.

Igor Girkin is running for president of Russia from jail

Girkin's manifesto strikes all the right notes for Russian ultranationalists and inherits Yevgeny Prigozhin's mantle

Some more details /1

— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) August 31, 2023

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That might not be the best idea.




Oops.

Don't you know that this is simply misguided Russophobia kindled by the CIA? These are brotherly nations who belong as part of the motherland and have merely been manipulated and bamboozled by the evil west and forced to join NATO (which is a clear violation of Russia's inalienable right to control their sphere of influence, ie be surrounded by puppet nations; the lack of said sphere presenting an existential security risk and demonstrating NATO's plan to invade Russia and commit genocide on the Russian people)!!!

Did I miss anything? :p

This is downright disturbing… Completely in line with what some Russian forces have demonstrated since the beginning of the war but disturbing nonetheless. Add in the participation of Phillips and… well…

It is clear that @GrahamWP_UK is NOT a journalist & is instead an enemy combatant.
His work for the Russian state has made him party to violations of the Geneva convention &, as the tweet below points out, war crimes.@metpoliceuk @CPSUK must issue an international arrest warrant https://t.co/Y9LXGwlB1V

— Macer Gifford (@macergifford) August 31, 2023

Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in western #Zaporizhia Oblast and reportedly advanced on August 31. Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces have advanced closer to the western outskirts of #Verbove and near #Robotyne.🧵 https://t.co/PSJyTwGqFy https://t.co/1oPfi6HPAf pic.twitter.com/IhLIKY8n63

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 1, 2023

3/ The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian forces repelled five Ukrainian assaults near Verbove in what several Russian sources described as reconnaissance-in-force operations.

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 1, 2023

5/ Other milbloggers claimed that UKR forces advanced in an unspecified forest area near Robotyne but maintained that RU forces still hold positions in its southern portions. Another source claimed that UKR forces bypassed Robotyne and attacked in the direction of Novoprokopivka.

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 1, 2023

7/ A Russian milblogger claimed that the current composition of the Russian multi-echeloned defensive layer does not allow RU forces to conduct counterattacks against the flanks of UKR advances as quickly as they could when defending further northwest of their current positions.

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 1, 2023

From inside Russia. Love it, even if it's disinfo for the purpose of further setting Russia on edge.

Great scoop from @haltman https://t.co/B8pLzQm43i

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) September 1, 2023

2/ A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces are attempting to capture a foothold on Nestryha island southwest of #Kherson City and may have succeeded in doing so. pic.twitter.com/Gz4nHEJ5BT

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 1, 2023

4/ Russian milbloggers also claimed that small Ukrainian groups continue to operate on the left bank near the Antonivsky bridge and are continuing efforts to gain a foothold northeast of Pidstepne (17km east of Kherson City). https://t.co/PSJyTwGqFy

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 1, 2023