74OA said:

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Europe continues to step up.

"Sweden will provide Ukraine with 13.5 billion kronor (US$1.23 billion) in funding and equipment in its biggest military aid package yet, the government said on Thursday."

AID

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More detail: BOATS

Looks like a few more oil refinery hits in the last few days. I think it would do well for Ukraine to really go after those type facilities to further damage the Russian economy.

NK got BTFO

https://t.co/PJ5jA8nTfu

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 31, 2025

"Korth Korean troops are still fighting on the front lines in Kursk, though their activities have been reduced in recent days amid heavy casualties, the head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate told The War Zone exclusively on Friday. Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said media reports that those troops have not been seen on the front lines there in weeks are "wrong."

NK

trip said:

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I don't see how the NK troops can go home. They would spread word of how bad they are led and how far behind they are.

They will totally disappear in a train accident in Siberia.

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That is an interesting take. I've also heard (maybe in this thread) that the open internet and porn was a mind blower. I've always wondered what their diplomats have to be like knowing the truth.

Putin ordering another de facto mobilization disguised as military exercises to replace massive casualties?

"This year's annual military exercises for reservists are taking place earlier than usual in Russia, prompting debate on social media that another mass mobilization could be in the cards."

MANPOWER

Small wonder, considering how brutally Russia treats its own soldiers.

"The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has raised alarm over a sharp rise in the execution of captured Ukrainian military personnel by Russian forces."

CRIMES

74OA said:

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Putin ordering another de facto mobilization disguised as military exercises to replace massive casualties?

"This year's annual military exercises for reservists are taking place earlier than usual in Russia, prompting debate on social media that another mass mobilization could be in the cards."

MANPOWER

---

Related?

Latest Defence intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 02 February 2025.

Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/azFVFxrVV8 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/x6GW1h568J

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 2, 2025

74OA said:

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74OA said:

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Putin ordering another de facto mobilization disguised as military exercises to replace massive casualties?

"This year's annual military exercises for reservists are taking place earlier than usual in Russia, prompting debate on social media that another mass mobilization could be in the cards."

MANPOWER

---

Related?

Latest Defence intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 02 February 2025.

Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/azFVFxrVV8 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/x6GW1h568J

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 2, 2025

---

Theres a video on reddit of it. Those guys are walking/crutching their way to their graves. Interesting to note that these guys dont even have weapons. They get weapons right before they start their march of death. As some people have noted, its probably alot cheaper for them to die on the battlefield and be declared missing than pay out into the pension system for them currently.

Uke ground forces undergoing a MASSIVE organizational shakeup. I don't think it can be understated how big of a move this is. One of the largest issues the Ukes have faced since minute one, is they have no organizational body larger than a brigade. Which during a war of survival is a horrendous problem to have. So instead of having a section of line commanded by a single Corps HQ, it's instead populated with 10-20 brigades that are ostensibly joined together as a "task group" with an ad hoc commander who likely has zero experience trying to wrangle all the independent brigades. In practice this just falls apart over and over. Unit cohesion fails and confusion allows for pivotal mistakes at crucial times. It's a mess and it sorta works until it doesn't, which is often.

Moving to a Corps style system will lock in units around their more experienced brigades and allow for a greater flexibility at the strategic level. It will also do wonders for their logistical roadblocks.

Obviously, this will not be an overnight fix and there will be growing pains and experienced Corps level commanders don't grow on trees. It will also test their fledgling NCO corps to the max. But it is step they need to take and better now than tomorrow sorta deal IMO.

And just as a random shower thought: it will greatly increase interchangeability and matching standards with NATO IF that option ever comes to pass in our lifetimes.

https://militaryland.net/news/ukrainian-army-transitions-from-brigade-to-corps-system/

Drone wars.

Nice!! 💙💛💥 pic.twitter.com/HNgwgheSAv

— Rinne78🌻🌻🌻 корінна (@Rinne2527) February 2, 2025

"World's second army" in all its glory. Rolling back to the times of the Russian Empire - complete with cavalry and drafting representatives of national minorities as cannon fodder.

These soldiers are from the Republic of Sakha, a region incredibly rich in natural resources.… pic.twitter.com/FNFQoioT2S

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) February 4, 2025

All this mayhem is completely on Putin and doesn't even include extensive civilian casualties.

"Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that 45,100 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed defending the country against the Russian invasion since February 2022. Another 390,000 troops have been injured, he said."

TRAGIC

TBF, some of our SF guys had to learn to ride in Afghanistan because it was the best way to get around the terrain in a lot of places.

Eastern Ukraine is pretty flat though. This would fit the New armor - refurbished armor - antique armor - ATV - Lada degeneration of Russia's army.

ABATTBQ11 said:

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TBF, some of our SF guys had to learn to ride in Afghanistan because it was the best way to get around the terrain in a lot of places.

---

I believe horseback riding is now part of SF training. 2001 Afghanistan the Green Berets ODA 595 they got dropped in and horses were by far the best mode of transportation. The original name of 12 Strong was Horse Soldiers.

Out in BFE without a logistics supply chain horses and donkeys can be invaluable.

Trump now at least twice that I have heard with my own ears has stated the casualties on BOTH sides are much higher than what the Ukes and Russkies have admitted to.

Trump claimed 800K for Ukraine
900K for Russia

ABATTBQ11 said:

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TBF, some of our SF guys had to learn to ride in Afghanistan because it was the best way to get around the terrain in a lot of places.

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Yep, but chasing down ragtag terrorists in Afghanistan is not the same as surviving on the modern killing fields of Ukraine.

pagerman @ work said:

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LMCane said:

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Trump now at least twice that I have heard with my own ears has stated the casualties on BOTH sides are much higher than what the Ukes and Russkies have admitted to.

Trump claimed 800K for Ukraine
900K for Russia

---

I have a hard time believing the numbers are that close to each other unless Ukraine's numbers included civilian casualties.

---

I agree

but that's what Trump said last night.

Mirage-2000 jets are in Ukraine!
Welcome to the family!
Thank you, France 🇺🇦🤝🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/xormZMnhYn

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 6, 2025

DETAILS

Good discussion of the complexities surrounding Trump's offer of continued US aid in exchange for Ukrainian mineral resources, followed by updates from the fighting front.

"While Ukraine has trillions of dollars worth of minerals, including lithium and titanium, any such deal would have to overcome the fact that a lot of those resources exist in territory captured by Russia or too close to the front lines to mine."

SITREP

Apparently, crime really does pay. "Russia has been abetted in its theft by geography. A sizeable share of Ukraine's mineral wealth is concentrated east of the Dnipro River. One estimate holds that Russia has captured 33 percent of Ukraine's critical raw materials deposits since 2014. A back-of-the-envelope calculation puts the value of this at $5 to $8 trillion. Among Kyiv's stolen assets are over 10 major mineral sites, including one of the lithium sites eyed by European Lithium and the massive rare earth metals deposit at Novopoltavske. Including stolen fossil fuel deposits, the value of Russian conquests currently exceed $12 trillion."

ROBBERY

A lot of positives in that update. Especially lifting the ban on striking inside Russia with western weapons not just limited to the Kursk region.

What to do with North Korean prisoners?

"It is a huge headache for the Kim government there because the last thing they want is for the troops to come back and talk about it," he said. "North Koreans have not been told that their sons are fighting for Russia against Ukraine, and they will, of course, want to know why. The rumors will only spread, and I think this was a bad error by Kim," Shigemura said, adding that it is possible that Kim over-estimated the abilities of his forces or under-estimated the strength of Ukraine's resistance."

BAD NEWS

74OA said:

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What to do with North Korean prisoners?

"It is a huge headache for the Kim government there because the last thing they want is for the troops to come back and talk about it," he said. "North Koreans have not been told that their sons are fighting for Russia against Ukraine, and they will, of course, want to know why. The rumors will only spread, and I think this was a bad error by Kim," Shigemura said, adding that it is possible that Kim over-estimated the abilities of his forces or under-estimated the strength of Ukraine's resistance."

BAD NEWS

---

The butterfly continues to flap it's wings.

Someone is taking a page out of Israel's playbook to use against Russia.

"Russian officials are investigating a plot that allegedly sent explosive-laden first-person view (FPV) goggles to drone units in the hope they would detonate, killing or injuring the operator."

BOOM

It appears the collapse of Russian Army motor transport is nearly complete and hippo train (mules & horses) are being pulled out of the 19th century for the "2nd strongest Army in the world."

This won't end well for Russia.

A Mule Logistics🧵
1/ https://t.co/Jy2QJJLLPk

— Trent Telenko (@TrentTelenko) February 7, 2025

Quote:

---

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have launched a new offensive in the Kursk region,- According to the President of Ukraine, Ukrainian troops are having success in the Kursk region and have advanced 2.5 kms

---

https://liveuamap.com/en/2025/7-february-20-the-armed-forces-of-ukraine-have-launched-a

number 2 pic.twitter.com/8P4qwxJ3Xe

— david D. (@secretsqrl123) February 6, 2025

Waffledynamics said:

---

Quote:

---

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have launched a new offensive in the Kursk region,- According to the President of Ukraine, Ukrainian troops are having success in the Kursk region and have advanced 2.5 kms

---

https://liveuamap.com/en/2025/7-february-20-the-armed-forces-of-ukraine-have-launched-a

---

OFFENSIVE?

Russia's killer windows strike again.

"Two Russian colonels are reported to have fallen out of windows in the space of two days, adding to a growing list of high-ranking officials who have died in mysterious circumstances since Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine began."

This is the world Putin (and Xi) would give us all.

CLUMSY?

74OA said:

---

Russia's killer windows strike again.

"Two Russian colonels are reported to have fallen out of windows in the space of two days, adding to a growing list of high-ranking officials who have died in mysterious circumstances since Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine began."

This is the world Putin (and Xi) would give us all.

CLUMSY?

---

I know Russia is the king of "If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Even if it's broken.", but you'd think they'd try to vary things up. A nice lost at sea, random mugging, or even a fell asleep in the bathtub, just give a little effort in creativity.

mickeyrig06sq3 said:

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74OA said:

---

Russia's killer windows strike again.

"Two Russian colonels are reported to have fallen out of windows in the space of two days, adding to a growing list of high-ranking officials who have died in mysterious circumstances since Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine began."

This is the world Putin (and Xi) would give us all.

CLUMSY?

---

I know Russia is the king of "If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Even if it's broken.", but you'd think they'd try to vary things up. A nice lost at sea, random mugging, or even a fell asleep in the bathtub, just give a little effort in creativity.

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Not if the murders are intended to send a clear deterrent message to other dissidents. This long string of well-publicized window "accidents" makes the consequences of disloyalty to Putin very unambiguous.