And So It Begins …

[ichkeria]

Following on from the Nova Kakhovka thread below, it was pretty obvious things were moving today and here is some sort of media conformation.

https://kyivindependent.com/western-media-ukraine-launched-its-long-awaited-counteroffensive/

Mr Prigozhin, who may be a warmongering criminal but has been pretty frank in his assessments over the weeks, is admitting huge Russian casualties.

[William51]

Come on Ukraine and give them a hiding, we are with you!.

[Khandro]

Cheers! Are you moving any new information you have for us to this thread now?

Btw. I have just learnt that Ukraine applied to join NATO in 2008 at a meeting in Bucharest, guess who turned them down ?

Non other than my bete noir, Angela Merkel !!

If she hadn't this wouldn't have been taking place.
God, I hate that woman, history will show that she has been the greatest disaster for Europe since uncle Adolf!

[ClareTG0ld]

// God, I hate that woman, history will show that she has been the greatest disaster for Europe since uncle Adolf!//

That's frankly a disgusting comparison.

[ichkeria]

I’ve been saving this :-)

I’m glad I’m not the enemy of the bloke with the beard

[ichkeria]

I wouldn’t compare Merkel to Hitler, but when it comes to appeasement of Russia …
In fairness her position as Europe’s most powerful leader meant that anything she did or did not do was bound to have an exaggerated influence.
And I also get the German complexes post WWII.
That had to change tho and luckily it has :-)
Schroeder is the REAL bad lad of course

[ichkeria]

As for information , there’s a lot of misinformation and hype. Much of it from the Russians, oddly enough but also there’s bound to be overexcited pro-Ukrainian OSINT, so I’ll try to be careful.

[ichkeria]

As far as I know France also opposed Ukraine joining NATO. The UK was one of the few W European members I think who supported it

[anneasquith]

Amen, thanks ich.

[jourdain2]

Thanks Ich. Come on Ukraine, we're rooting for you and you are not short of courage.

[lankeela]

Very little mention of it on the Beeb news tonight.

[ichkeria]

I’m relaxed about that :-)

[Khandro]

Ichi //As far as I know France also opposed Ukraine joining NATO. The UK was one of the few W European members I think who supported it//

At that time she had a lot of clout (& dosh!) Sarkozy did what Merkel said, & as far as I know it was the two of them that blocked the application.

She was brought up under communism in the former GDR - & I believe deep down she always was inclined so, hence her globalist & open border ideologies. She was pally with Putin & speaks Russian, I'm sure he had some influence in that decision.

[ichkeria]

Indeed khandro.
Shroeder was Putin's big pal tho.
You probably know the story of how Merkel is afraid of dogs, and Putin would make sure there was a dog around when they met on his territory.

Anyway, the latest number of Russian losses as recorded by Ukraine's defence ministry, shows 1010 "liquidated personnel" - this highest for months, and continuing the trend since June 6, when the daily numbers jumped from 400-500 to 800+.
And 37 destroyed artillery systems. These figures appear to confirm the analysis that Ukraine is hitting Russia's dug-in defences hard. There are reports that they broke through the first line of defence at one point in Zaporizhzhya: breaching the so-called "dragons teeth" obstacles which frankly Tora could probably flatten in his jag (I realise there is a bit more to it than that!)

[youngmafbog]

Going to be a difficult month.

Who knows what Putin will do when he realizes there are big problems and he does seem keen on scorched earth polies too so what will Ukraine inherit?

[lady-janine]

The Russians have long been in favour scorched earth policy.

[ichkeria]

Putin wants to destroy Ukraine: he has always want to do that.
It would explain perhaps why, having actually - despite what some claim - achieved one apparent aim of occupying territory in SE Ukraine all the way to Crimea, he did not try to halt it there and declare "peace".
It's why they must be driven from the terroritory of Ukraine asap.
The dam was a contingency they had up their sleeve for months and the decision to blow it was probably a political one, as it has apparently hit their own military quite hard (it also means that upstream, the falling water levels on the Dnipro will make it easier for the Ukrainians to cross (!). There is also the contingency of the Enerhodar NPP, whoch has also apparently been mined, although it is unclear exacyly what the consequences would be if that was destroyed. Not good certainly, but it would have environmental repercussions for Russia too.

[ichkeria]

Bill Browder, the US businessman and the author of "Freezing Order" has embarked on a legal process to release 350 billion dollars of Russian money held abroad.
Tha

[ichkeria]

oops ..
that would certainly help ...

[ichkeria]

There is one city in Ukraine which might become as well known as Bakhmut soon: Melitopol. If Ukraine can retake that, Russia is finished in Ukraine because it's the point at which all Russia's supplies go east and west. The land bridge will be severed and Crimea cut off.

[ichkeria]

According to Bild, Ukr forces are advancing from Orikhiv towards Tokmak, a strategic rail hub in central Zaporizhzhya, on the way to Melitopol and the Azov sea.
According to Russian sources Ukr launched a major offensive in the S Donetsk area of the front.
Pretty clearly and inevitably, heavy losses occurring on both sides but way more on the Russian. According to Bild (I know …)