I wonder if they eventually just landed a time bomb on the aircraft.
This might be a little tougher than Putin thought...
- Thread starter Nole Lou
- Start date
A summation of the possibly fake border raid.
Last edited:
In the besieged city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the volunteers collecting the civilian dead risk becoming casualties themselves. “Where? Where?” demands Daniel Wilk, a Canadian driver, in shaky video footage shot recently inside the city and seen by the Guardian.
Wilk proceeds quickly, the anxiety of the situation visible in his movements as he is directed to a fence, cutting an uncertain path across the snow as another voice cries “no, no” repeatedly.
The bodies, when Wilk gets to them, have been cut in half by the force of the explosion that took their lives, and still lie where they fell three days before. Quickly they are bundled up in a sheet to be removed.
People who have managed to reach Bakhmut in the past week use the same word to describe what they have experienced: hell.
As flames and smoke ring into the sky from blazing buildings, the city, almost totally encircled by Russian forces, has been raked by constant gunfire and explosions in recent days. With roads leading to the city under constant fire from two sides, and with snipers in the streets, accessing the city has become ever more perilous for rescue teams, as speculation has mounted that Ukrainian forces will have to withdraw.
“We haven’t been able to reach the downtown area in recent days,” said Olha Danilova, who like Wilk works for a Ukrainian NGO, Dobryi Rukh, which has been working in Bakhmut for all of the seven months of the Russian assault.
“The closest we could get was 500 metres from the city centre. It’s very loud. Everything is being shelled with mortars. It’s inaccessible. We were trying evacuate civilian from down by the river last time. We couldn’t even get close.
“The main road we used to use is being shelled constantly. The 27th [of February] was the worst. That was the hell day. It was the hardest day we’ve had since we’ve been working here. It was a wall of fire. Two walls of fire. It was coming from all sides, and aviation was attacking.”
“It was super difficult,” Wilk added. “If you try go down the main road, someone is going to try and kill you. There are snipers in the street shooting civilians. They don’t give a ****. It’s complete carnage.
“I’ve been all over the city. There are still some bits that almost look normal for a Donbas town. The rest is completely devastated. The last time I drove in, I counted six plumes of smoke. There are fires everywhere.”
In a week in which the situation for Bakhmut’s defenders has become almost untenable, Danilova and Wilk’s accounts, and those of other civilian volunteers who spoke to the Guardian, paint a vivid picture of a city that many fear could soon fall to the Russians.
A bleak tone has crept into the social media updates of even some of the city’s most unflappable defenders, including “Magyar”, a drone unit commander celebrated for his efforts. “All you need to know is as of 1 March, Bakhmut still stands,” he said, his expression flat and exhausted. “The price of holding it is supreme. And it is getting harder and harder to hold it,” he added, mentioning Russian efforts to cut the last supply lines to the city.
In recent days, even amid reports of a surge of Ukrainian reinforcements to the area, forces have struggled to repel Russian advances to the north and south of the city. With supply roads now under heavy fire by Russian artillery, including phosphorus munitions and anti-tank guided missiles, the long, slow encirclement that has cost the lives of thousands of Russian soldiers is choking the last access.
www.theguardian.com
Wilk proceeds quickly, the anxiety of the situation visible in his movements as he is directed to a fence, cutting an uncertain path across the snow as another voice cries “no, no” repeatedly.
The bodies, when Wilk gets to them, have been cut in half by the force of the explosion that took their lives, and still lie where they fell three days before. Quickly they are bundled up in a sheet to be removed.
People who have managed to reach Bakhmut in the past week use the same word to describe what they have experienced: hell.
As flames and smoke ring into the sky from blazing buildings, the city, almost totally encircled by Russian forces, has been raked by constant gunfire and explosions in recent days. With roads leading to the city under constant fire from two sides, and with snipers in the streets, accessing the city has become ever more perilous for rescue teams, as speculation has mounted that Ukrainian forces will have to withdraw.
“We haven’t been able to reach the downtown area in recent days,” said Olha Danilova, who like Wilk works for a Ukrainian NGO, Dobryi Rukh, which has been working in Bakhmut for all of the seven months of the Russian assault.
“The closest we could get was 500 metres from the city centre. It’s very loud. Everything is being shelled with mortars. It’s inaccessible. We were trying evacuate civilian from down by the river last time. We couldn’t even get close.
“The main road we used to use is being shelled constantly. The 27th [of February] was the worst. That was the hell day. It was the hardest day we’ve had since we’ve been working here. It was a wall of fire. Two walls of fire. It was coming from all sides, and aviation was attacking.”
“It was super difficult,” Wilk added. “If you try go down the main road, someone is going to try and kill you. There are snipers in the street shooting civilians. They don’t give a ****. It’s complete carnage.
“I’ve been all over the city. There are still some bits that almost look normal for a Donbas town. The rest is completely devastated. The last time I drove in, I counted six plumes of smoke. There are fires everywhere.”
In a week in which the situation for Bakhmut’s defenders has become almost untenable, Danilova and Wilk’s accounts, and those of other civilian volunteers who spoke to the Guardian, paint a vivid picture of a city that many fear could soon fall to the Russians.
A bleak tone has crept into the social media updates of even some of the city’s most unflappable defenders, including “Magyar”, a drone unit commander celebrated for his efforts. “All you need to know is as of 1 March, Bakhmut still stands,” he said, his expression flat and exhausted. “The price of holding it is supreme. And it is getting harder and harder to hold it,” he added, mentioning Russian efforts to cut the last supply lines to the city.
In recent days, even amid reports of a surge of Ukrainian reinforcements to the area, forces have struggled to repel Russian advances to the north and south of the city. With supply roads now under heavy fire by Russian artillery, including phosphorus munitions and anti-tank guided missiles, the long, slow encirclement that has cost the lives of thousands of Russian soldiers is choking the last access.
Bakhmut burning: fires everywhere as Russians close in on city’s capture
Situation for Bakhmut’s defenders now almost untenable as seven-month assault may be nearing end
Landing on the radar dome and then taking back off!!! What a giant FU to Russia!
" Russia continues to haul old garbage to Ukraine."
"In September, Russian troops retreated from key cities in the northeastern Kharkiv region, including Kupiansk.
Kupiansk is near the frontline in eastern Ukraine and locals fear it could be taken over again.
"Mandatory evacuation of families with children and residents with limited mobility began in Kupiansk community," the Kharkiv regional military administration said on its website.
"The decision was made... taking into account the unstable security situation due to constant shelling of the territory of the community by Russian troops," it added."
Ukraine Orders Vulnerable Residents To Evacuate Frontline City
Ukraine on Thursday ordered the mandatory evacuation of vulnerable residents from the frontline city of Kupiansk and adjacent northeastern territories as fears mount Russia will retake the key city and rail hub.
Drone strike near Moscow
www.republicworld.com
Drone targeting civilian infrastructure crashes in Russia's Kolomna, FSB probe underway
Moscow region Governor Andrey Vorobyov stated that a drone had crashed near the city of Kolomna, with the target most likely a civilian infrastructure facility.
www.republicworld.com
Thing is, Ukraine has to expend assets to blow all this shit up.
But Ukraine is pretty good at blowing up Russian shit.
I like Ukraine's chances.
WOW!
1. They sat that thing down right on the radar dish I assume to provide a precise geo location for a follow on attack.
2. I don’t know the range of that drone, but what are the odds that little thing was launched and recovered inside Belorussian territory?
The tractor on the end will probably be helpful to recover some of the equipment for Ukraine.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonath...-russia-could-run-out-of-money-next-year/amp/
Hmmm. Oleg Deripaska is off the script, and is predicting economic hardship in Russia, and calling for changes to return foreign investment. He made these comments while at a forum in Siberia.
Will Putin tolerate this dissent? Is he losing his grip? Prighozin has been mouthing off, too.
Hmmm. Oleg Deripaska is off the script, and is predicting economic hardship in Russia, and calling for changes to return foreign investment. He made these comments while at a forum in Siberia.
Will Putin tolerate this dissent? Is he losing his grip? Prighozin has been mouthing off, too.
One thing that is indisputable, the Russian military industry, second biggest behind US, will never again have a long list of customers. India and China were among their biggest customers. They must have some serious concerns and remorse. China for sure has been shooketh.
It looks like it was done from there.
"Belarusian partisans transmitted to the SBU a unique video from the same drone that shot down the Russian A-50 anti-aircraft missile at the Machulischy airfield. All the performers of this special operation were able to leave for third countries right under the nose of the FSB, taking with them flash drives with recordings from drones."
"The US Army is currently transporting thousands of military vehicles to Europe via Bremerhaven because of the war in Ukraine. Source: North Sea newspaper"
Tactical withdrawal of at least a little bit.
If we just look at a map....this type of bridging equipment will be critical for any Ukrainian offensive. Lots of rivers....if the Russians started getting their asses kicked they'll be blowing up bridges.
This type of stuff is probably as critical as MBT's.
Coming from Wagner so take it for what it's worth...
CHASIV YAR, Ukraine, March 3 (Reuters) - Russian troops and mercenaries were closing off the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, on the cusp of Moscow's first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war.
The head of Russia's Wagner private army said the city, which has been blasted to ruins, was now almost completely surrounded, with only one route out left open for Ukraine's troops.
www.reuters.com
CHASIV YAR, Ukraine, March 3 (Reuters) - Russian troops and mercenaries were closing off the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, on the cusp of Moscow's first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war.
The head of Russia's Wagner private army said the city, which has been blasted to ruins, was now almost completely surrounded, with only one route out left open for Ukraine's troops.
Russian mercenary boss says Bakhmut practically surrounded
Russian troops and mercenaries were closing off the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, on the cusp of Moscow's first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war.
www.reuters.com
I did not think I would be saying this in early March after breaking 100k on December 23, but the push for a quarter a million is officially underway.
Ukraine has ordered some residents to leave Kupiansk, as Russia seeks to re-take the city it left last year.
Kharkiv's regional authorities said families with children and people "with limited mobility" must leave due to "constant" shelling by Russian forces.
Russia seized the north-eastern city early in the full-scale invasion, with Ukraine recapturing it last September.
Meanwhile, Russian mercenaries say they have "practically encircled" the key city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
The comments were made by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who heads the paramilitary Wagner group.
In its latest news bulletin, Ukraine's military said Russian troops continued their offensive on Bakhmut - but the attacks were "repelled".
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted the situation in Bakhmut - about 130km (80 miles) south-east of Kupiansk - was becoming "more and more difficult".
In Kupiansk, the Kharkiv regional military administration said on Thursday the evacuation order was due to the "unstable security situation" caused by Russian shelling.
Kharkiv's regional authorities said families with children and people "with limited mobility" must leave due to "constant" shelling by Russian forces.
Russia seized the north-eastern city early in the full-scale invasion, with Ukraine recapturing it last September.
Meanwhile, Russian mercenaries say they have "practically encircled" the key city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
The comments were made by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who heads the paramilitary Wagner group.
In its latest news bulletin, Ukraine's military said Russian troops continued their offensive on Bakhmut - but the attacks were "repelled".
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted the situation in Bakhmut - about 130km (80 miles) south-east of Kupiansk - was becoming "more and more difficult".
In Kupiansk, the Kharkiv regional military administration said on Thursday the evacuation order was due to the "unstable security situation" caused by Russian shelling.
Ukraine war: Kyiv orders partial evacuation of liberated city
Families with children and the disabled people are told to leave Kupiansk in Ukraine's north-east.
www.bbc.com
