re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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Had zelensky fled, Kiev fell and ugly Germans kept the gas flowing a return of the USSR would have been on the table. The jungle always grows back.

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I'm not sure Putin's Russia is better than the USSR, either from a Russian's perspective or from an American's.

isw update

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Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson City is igniting an ideological fracture between pro-war figures and Russian President Vladimir Putin, eroding confidence in Putin’s commitment and ability to deliver his war promises

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Putin is having a harder time appeasing parts of the highly ideological pro-war constituency due to his military’s inability to deliver his maximalist goals of overthrowing the Ukrainian government and seizing all of Ukraine, as ISW has previously assessed

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The ever-increasing doubts among extreme Russian nationalists about Putin’s commitment to Russian ideology reduce Putin’s appeal to the nationalist community, while mobilization and high casualties will likely continue to upset members of Russian society.

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Wagner-affiliated channels are also turning on the Kremlin following the loss of Kherson Oblast, which may further elevate the influence of the siloviki faction

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Russian officials are increasingly normalizing the public and likely illegal deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

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As ISW has noted and will continue to observe, the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia represents a possible violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

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Russian military leadership is trying and largely failing to integrate combat forces drawn from many different organizations and of many different types and levels of skill and equipment into a more cohesive fighting force in Ukraine.

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The lack of structure inherent in the combination of DNR forces, LNR forces, Russian contract servicemembers, Russian regional volunteer servicemembers, Russian mobilized servicemembers, and Wagner Group Private Military Company (PMC) forces creates an environment that fosters intra-force conflict.

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Key Takeaways

Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson City is igniting an ideological fracture between pro-war figures and Russian President Vladimir Putin, eroding confidence in Putin’s commitment to and ability to deliver on his war promises.

Russian officials are increasingly normalizing the public and likely illegal deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

The Russian military leadership is trying and failing to integrate ad hoc military formations into a more cohesive fighting force in Ukraine.

Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in the direction of Kreminna and Svatove.

Ukrainian forces continued to liberate settlements on the right (western) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

Russian forces continued offensive operations in the direction of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Vuhledar.

Russian officials may be trying to avoid providing military personnel with promised payments.

Russian forces and occupation officials continue to endanger residents and subject them to coercive measures.

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The rancor reflected in this remark I don't intend to dignify with comment.

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I was hoping this would play for more laughs than it got as it is a comedy reference:

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Well Putin’s Russia is certainly smaller so if nothing else that tips the scales. I do think the USSR was probably a better steward of their nuclear arsenal than Putin’s band of kleptocrats.

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The lack of an NCO corps is absolutely crippling the Russians on the ground. I say this as an OEF vet. I could suggest 20+ tracked vehicle maneuvers to respond to enemy fire, but yeah, I won’t, because it’s Russia. They will be gutted.

British Defence Intelligence
UPDATE ON UKRAINE 13 November 2022
INTELLIGENCE UPDATE

On 9 November 2022, Education Minister Sergey Kravstov stated that military training will return to Russian schools, beginning in September 2023. This reprises a Soviet-era programme where students had mandatory military training, a programme which ended in 1993. This training included contingencies for a chemical or nuclear attack, first aid and experience handling and firing Kalashnikov rifles.

Russian officials attempted to revive this training in 2014 following Russia's invasion of Crimea. It was hoped that the initiative would improve the quality of conscripts. Eight years later, little has changed, and the quality of Russian conscripts remains poor, with low morale and limited training.

A training programme is currently being drafted and will be completed by the end of 2022. It will then undergo an approvals process. The Russian MOD supports this process, stating that no less than 140 hours per academic year should be devoted to this training.

This training likely intends to prepare students with military skills as they approach conscription age and to increase the take-up for mobilisation and conscription drives. This initiative is also likely to be part of a wider project to instil an ideology of patriotism and trust in public institutions in the Russian population.

It's Sunday. Beginning of a new week. So how many billions, you reckon, Plugs will give Zellenskyy this week?

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1591557930067038208

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Seems like HIMARSes already targeting previously unreachable targets. Strikes reported on Chaplynka airfield area.

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200 or so mainly just to piss you off though. Straight cash on pallets no military hardware so he can invest in FTX and give the rest to the biolab staff bonuses and Hunters 2022 performance bonus

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I went back to look where “put sunflower seeds in your pocket” babuska was from and it looks like she was in henychesk, Kherson Oblast.

Given that I hope Ukraine drives down past Meripol to Henychesk on the off chance she is still alive. I want a liberation video of that crusty broad holding some big sunflowers.