I wish we could get an update on how the 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks we shipped over there are doing! Have the Ukrainians finished training in them? What are the logistical challenges? When will they be put into combat?
This might be a little tougher than Putin thought...
- Thread starter Nole Lou
- Start date
You may have already seen this.
"An American-made Abrams tank has been seen on the front-line in Ukraine for the first time, images circulated from Ukraine suggest.
Photos emerged on social media of four Ukrainian soldiers appearing to pose on top of an Abrams painted in green camouflage.
The US delivered 31 M1A1 Abrams to Kyiv in September but they have not been seen in action yet, with lighter Western-donated Bradleys and Leopards being used more often instead.
Ukrainian soldiers have been trained by the US Army to operate the Abrams, which were used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan.
More of the tanks are likely being held back until weather conditions improve, analysts say.
Ukraine has not commented on the photo."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-n...raine-war-latest-news-drone-attack-kyiv-live/
May be a different view of the fire from the other day.
“Our research has shown that Putin’s machismo and his authoritarian personality appeal to:
Yep, that seems to check all the boxes on HORT...
www.colorado.edu
Same characteristics that support Trump.
- people who have more close-minded personalities
- hold traditional values
- and don’t trust science,”
Yep, that seems to check all the boxes on HORT...
Who supports Putin? Men, older generations and traditionalists, study shows
In a new study led by CU Boulder, researchers surveyed more than 8,400 people in six former Soviet Union nations about their support for the controversial Russian leader. In Ukraine, at least, Russia's long and bloody invasion seems to have backfired on the leader.
Same characteristics that support Trump.
WSJ
Dec. 1, 2023 at 8:23 am ET
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the construction of an extensive network of fortifications aimed at holding back Russian forces, signaling a switch to the defensive posture after a monthslong Ukrainian counteroffensive yielded only small gains.
Zelensky’s message in a video address late Thursday is the clearest official acknowledgment that Ukraine faces a hard winter defending the territory it holds, with little immediate prospect of major advances against the nearly 20% of its land occupied by Russia. Instead, as the war approaches a third year, Ukraine is digging in just as winter starts to bite, with Russia pursuing grinding military offensives in the east and northeast.
Zelensky’s announcement came after a day traveling the northeast and southeast for meetings with military commanders and soldiers, as well as a tour of schools operating from underground bomb shelters and subway stations because of the threat of Russian shelling.
One meeting, he said, concerned fortifications “on all the main fronts, where we need to dig in, speed up the pace of construction.” He said the focus would be the east and northeast, where Russia has sought to advance for months, achieving small gains at heavy cost. But he also noted that fortifications should be built in the Kyiv region along with others that border Russia and Belarus, from where Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian summer counteroffensive failed to secure significant territorial gains in large part because of the strength of Russia’s deep and extensive fortifications. Zelensky’s call for improvements to defensive structures comes as Russia steps up its own offensives in the east and amid uncertainty over additional military aid from the U.S., Ukraine’s most important backer.
He called on private companies and donors to get involved in a campaign to finance and build the fortifications, which he described as an “obvious priority,” and thanked all Ukrainians engaged in sourcing and manufacturing the required materials.
Last week, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced the launch of a new department that would work around the clock to oversee the construction of defensive lines and coordinate efforts by the military and local governments aimed at expediting the process.
The fortifications closest to the front line would be built by service members, the ministry said in a statement, while the second and third lines of defense would be the responsibility of agencies under the oversight of the Infrastructure Ministry, with private companies contracted to help with the task.
Zelensky said the areas most in need of fortifying were in the eastern Donbas region, where few rivers and other natural obstacles exist to prevent a possible Russian push. Moscow’s forces have in recent weeks intensified a campaign to seize the Donbas town of Avdiivka, where Ukraine has staged a costly defense effort and says Russia has lost thousands of troops.
Another area that needs fortifying, according to Zelensky, is a possible axis of Russian advance running between the Ukrainian-held towns of Lyman and Kupyansk in the northeast, which were recaptured by Kyiv in a lighting offensive last falland which Russia has been targeting with artillery attacks and assaults ever since.
In the south, Ukrainian forces have established a toehold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River across the water from the regional capital Kherson. Since Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson last fall, the body of water has served as a boundary between the two armies. Zelensky named Kherson as another area that must be strengthened with new defenses.
Ukraine’s push to retake land has stalled amid a shortage of manpower and arms, in particular artillery shells crucially needed to push back Russian forces and serve as cover for infantry assaults. Kyiv has repeatedly called for further weapons supplies from the West, but the conveyor belt of military aid from its allies has significantly slowed amid political deadlock over the aid in the U.S.
Zelensky has voiced concerns that the Israel-Hamas war is also diverting attention from the war in Ukraine, and has sought to keep a focus on his country’s existential fight.
“We didn’t get all the weapons we wanted, I can’t be satisfied,” Zelensky said in an interview with the Associated Press on Friday. He later added: “We wanted faster results. From that perspective, unfortunately, we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact.”
Ukraine’s Zelensky Orders Construction of Defenses to Hold Back Russia
Call to bolster fortifications is the Ukrainian leadership’s clearest public acknowledgment of a defensive turn
By Matthew LuxmooreDec. 1, 2023 at 8:23 am ET
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the construction of an extensive network of fortifications aimed at holding back Russian forces, signaling a switch to the defensive posture after a monthslong Ukrainian counteroffensive yielded only small gains.
Zelensky’s message in a video address late Thursday is the clearest official acknowledgment that Ukraine faces a hard winter defending the territory it holds, with little immediate prospect of major advances against the nearly 20% of its land occupied by Russia. Instead, as the war approaches a third year, Ukraine is digging in just as winter starts to bite, with Russia pursuing grinding military offensives in the east and northeast.
Zelensky’s announcement came after a day traveling the northeast and southeast for meetings with military commanders and soldiers, as well as a tour of schools operating from underground bomb shelters and subway stations because of the threat of Russian shelling.
One meeting, he said, concerned fortifications “on all the main fronts, where we need to dig in, speed up the pace of construction.” He said the focus would be the east and northeast, where Russia has sought to advance for months, achieving small gains at heavy cost. But he also noted that fortifications should be built in the Kyiv region along with others that border Russia and Belarus, from where Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian summer counteroffensive failed to secure significant territorial gains in large part because of the strength of Russia’s deep and extensive fortifications. Zelensky’s call for improvements to defensive structures comes as Russia steps up its own offensives in the east and amid uncertainty over additional military aid from the U.S., Ukraine’s most important backer.
He called on private companies and donors to get involved in a campaign to finance and build the fortifications, which he described as an “obvious priority,” and thanked all Ukrainians engaged in sourcing and manufacturing the required materials.
Last week, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced the launch of a new department that would work around the clock to oversee the construction of defensive lines and coordinate efforts by the military and local governments aimed at expediting the process.
The fortifications closest to the front line would be built by service members, the ministry said in a statement, while the second and third lines of defense would be the responsibility of agencies under the oversight of the Infrastructure Ministry, with private companies contracted to help with the task.
Zelensky said the areas most in need of fortifying were in the eastern Donbas region, where few rivers and other natural obstacles exist to prevent a possible Russian push. Moscow’s forces have in recent weeks intensified a campaign to seize the Donbas town of Avdiivka, where Ukraine has staged a costly defense effort and says Russia has lost thousands of troops.
Another area that needs fortifying, according to Zelensky, is a possible axis of Russian advance running between the Ukrainian-held towns of Lyman and Kupyansk in the northeast, which were recaptured by Kyiv in a lighting offensive last falland which Russia has been targeting with artillery attacks and assaults ever since.
In the south, Ukrainian forces have established a toehold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River across the water from the regional capital Kherson. Since Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson last fall, the body of water has served as a boundary between the two armies. Zelensky named Kherson as another area that must be strengthened with new defenses.
Ukraine’s push to retake land has stalled amid a shortage of manpower and arms, in particular artillery shells crucially needed to push back Russian forces and serve as cover for infantry assaults. Kyiv has repeatedly called for further weapons supplies from the West, but the conveyor belt of military aid from its allies has significantly slowed amid political deadlock over the aid in the U.S.
Zelensky has voiced concerns that the Israel-Hamas war is also diverting attention from the war in Ukraine, and has sought to keep a focus on his country’s existential fight.
“We didn’t get all the weapons we wanted, I can’t be satisfied,” Zelensky said in an interview with the Associated Press on Friday. He later added: “We wanted faster results. From that perspective, unfortunately, we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact.”
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he has told Turkey’s president that “the time has come” to let Sweden become a member of the military alliance.
Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have not yet formally approved Sweden’s accession bid.
Stoltenberg told The Associated Press that he urged Turkey to finalize the process as he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
apnews.com
In a recent interview with Radio NV, Oleksandr Musienko, the head of the Center of Military-Law Researches, shed light on NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s call for Ukraine to fortify its defenses.
Musienko underscored Stoltenberg’s balanced assessment of the Ukrainian battlefield, emphasizing the imperative for the nation to prepare for defense.
news.yahoo.com
Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have not yet formally approved Sweden’s accession bid.
Stoltenberg told The Associated Press that he urged Turkey to finalize the process as he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
NATO chief tells Turkey's Erdogan that 'the time has come' to let Sweden join the alliance
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he has told Turkey’s president that “the time has come” to let Sweden into the military alliance.
apnews.com
In a recent interview with Radio NV, Oleksandr Musienko, the head of the Center of Military-Law Researches, shed light on NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s call for Ukraine to fortify its defenses.
Musienko underscored Stoltenberg’s balanced assessment of the Ukrainian battlefield, emphasizing the imperative for the nation to prepare for defense.
NATO Secretary General urges Ukraine to prepare for defense
In a recent interview with Radio NV, Oleksandr Musienko, the head of the Center of Military-Law Researches, shed light on NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s call for Ukraine to fortify its defenses.
Putin is absolutely counting on a Republican victory next November to win in Ukraine.
I'd monitor GOP campaign donations.
I'd monitor GOP campaign donations.
Putin is counting on representative government being representative.
Majorities of Americans support cease-fires in the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, according to a new poll. The new Economist/YouGov poll found that 68 percent of American respondents support a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, while 8 percent said they would not.
Read the room.
Europe is preparing to continue Ukrainian support without American help, and Ukraine is preparing to continue the war with reduced aid. The same way they are preparing for America withdrawing from NATO if Trump returns to the Whitehouse.
Foreign policy has never been based on public opinion-thank God. The surest way to get involved in a world war, as the past shows us, is to turn isolationist and think we can hide from the rest of the world.
Wall Street financing arms to England and France got us into WW1, that's why we changed the laws to prevent having to bail out Wall Street with a war again.
The Lend-Lease Acts were an effort to get around the inability of England to pay for arms by swapping the responsibility to man British Empire bases onto the U.S. as our payment for sending them weapons.
And while FDR was already in an undeclared shooting war with the Nazis in the Atlantic, the sanctions on Japan are why they attacked.
If we organized an oil embargo on China tomorrow over their treatment of X, Y or Z, I don't think think they'd idly abide it, or bend the knee. I think they'd make a grab on the resources we tried to deny them. Don't you?
If we want a war, there are ways to get into them. It's not like we were twiddling our thumbs before either world war. We had them firmly the on the scale before jumping in.
It's frighteningly familiar.
You absolutely refuse to do it but link?
The news is basically ignoring Ukraine now. 
Yep. Somehow the press has moved on from one of the biggest stories in our lifetime.The news is basically ignoring Ukraine now.
You were a complete bitch about this on Warchant, editing my posts for calling your slack ass lazy for not checking something you were interested in yourself.
Why do you need to be spoon fed when it’s so easy to copy and paste this into a search engine of your choosing and see for yourself?
Here it is on a spoon:
https://thehill.com/policy/international/4335685-most-americans-support-cease-fires-israel-hamas-russia-ukraine-wars-poll/amp/
More from the link:
Similar shares of Democrats and Republicans supported a cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine war, with 67 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of Republicans backing it.
Obviously 2/3rd of Democrats are on Putin’s payroll, amirite?
It should be noted that there were 21 separate cease fires between the 2014 Russian invasion of Crimea and 2022. Russia broke every one. Anyway, neither side is interested in a cease fire right now, regardless of US opinion polls.
Rx
Excellent summary. Succinct and to the point.
I couldn't say this on TOS but you're such a sanctimonious pussy.
I’m just glad you can’t stealth edit people’s posts here.
If you want to be a mod that joins the fray, don’t be a pussy about getting called out for being intellectually lazy and personally too incurious to look up something yourself.
Still can’t understand why you’re incapable of copying and pasting anything into a search engine yourself. Children can do it. What is your excuse?
What a “smarter than everybody” else cad you are. Tiresome.
