re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Hopefully it makes a difference and they use those shells wisely since I’m not sure they will get more of them. They can burn through 100,000 shells without blinking so if they are planning a big move in one sector they should conserve them for that maneuver. Clusters are about the best thing Ukraine can have to clear the Russians out of their defense lines. They are taking the hills outside of Bakhmut so they will have fire control over the city with regular artillery. Clusters probably aren’t needed there. I would guess they will be used in the Tokmak direction. If they can get to Tokmak they will have the Russians in a very vulnerable state.

We have a lot more of them than that and scheduled by Obama EO to be destroyed at a cost.

ISW Update

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Key Takeaways:

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin and Wagner forces are not in Belarus as of July 6, indicating that Prigozhin may be failing to uphold the deal Lukashenko mediated between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin following Wagner’s armed rebellion on June 24.

Russian sources also indicated that Prigozhin is in Russia, although ISW cannot confirm Prigozhin’s whereabouts at this time.

Lukashenko appears to be distancing himself from the deal he reportedly mediated while continuing to tout his ability to mediate between Putin and a formerly loyal lieutenant in the first place, thus still highlighting Putin’s weakness.

Prigozhin’s ability to freely operate in Russia suggests that Prigozhin is still protected by some security guarantees and/or that the Kremlin continues to prioritize undermining his reputation in Russia over targeting Prigozhin physically or legally.

Select Russian ultranationalists criticized Russian state propaganda for attempting to villainize Prigozhin, however, suggesting that the Kremlin’s attempt to alienate the ultranationalist community from Prigozhin is not succeeding.

Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on July 6 and are continuing efforts to gradually degrade Russian manpower and logistics assets.

Ukrainian and Russian officials largely de-escalated their rhetoric regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on July 6.

Russian political actors continue attempts to court or control Russian milbloggers, indicating that many view the milblogger community as a critical constituency.

Russian opposition media outlet Vertska reported that Russian forces and occupation authorities are conducting a campaign of systematic religious persecution in occupied Ukraine.

Russian milbloggers claimed that aspects of Russian defensive operations in southern Ukraine have severe limitations and may not be as effective as Russian sources have previously portrayed them.

Russian and Ukrainian forces conducted ground attacks along the Svatove-Kreminna line.

Visual evidence confirms that Ukrainian forces have advanced southwest of Bakhmut as of July 6.

Russian forces continued ground attacks in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka-Donetsk City areas.

Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations along the administrative border between Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

Russian officials continue efforts to create territorial defense units in Russian border oblasts.

Occupation officials continue efforts to forcibly assimilate Ukrainian legal and cultural traditions into the Russian system in occupied territories.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed on July 6 that Russia will transfer all planned tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus by the end of 2023, if not earlier.

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They will meet in a month or so and hash out the new currency that bric's with use exclusively. Gold backed

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Ahahahahaha.

The E.U., consisting of relatively more similar countries and all contiguous with each other, in peacetime, has had a somewhat difficult time making the Euro work as a common currency (almost-Grexit, anyone?), given the economic, fiscal, and monetary differences among the members. How could any sane person with half a clue about economics think that, in wartime and with major international economic sanctions against Russia, BRICS could make a common currency work?!

P.S.
No apostrophe, but yes all capitalization, i.e., not "bric's" but BRICS.

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Clusters are about the best thing Ukraine can have to clear the Russians out of their defense lines.

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I have never seen the shells but I have seen cluster bombs (Rockeye) dropped by fast movers during a "Million Dollar Minute" (never in combat) and those things are fricking terrifying. I understand the idea of not using cluster munitions due to the long term effects of the duds but existential crises is thrown around a lot but it is pretty accurate for Ukraine currently.



If you wanna see some babushkas explaining the economics of BRICS here is a 1:28 minute video that starts with one crumpling a dollar and later stomping on more. They suggest Kresnodar (their city) be the financial hub for the currency. Babushkas are the scariest old school hardliners left in Russia.

Twitter

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If you wanna see some babushkas explaining the economics of BRICS here is a 1:28 minute video that starts with one crumpling a dollar and later stomping on more. They suggest Kresnodar (their city) be the financial hub for the currency. Babushkas are the scariest old school hardliners left in Russia.

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Apparently the main speaker in your video is a expert on how to destroy tanks too - at least in the below video she only has one line so doesn't need to keep looking off centre for prompts.

https://twitter.com/MercuryBarbora/status/1623600913943302146 - Video

British Defence Intelligence
INTELLIGENCE UPDATE
UPDATE ON UKRAINE 07 July 2023

On 1 July 2023, the Russian Navy established a new Azov Naval District, headquartered in the occupied Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.

Subordinate to the Black Sea Fleet (BSF), the district will reportedly command eight warships including three modern, Karakurt class corvettes which can launch SS-N-30A Kalibr cruise missiles.

The Azov Sea is a vital maritime area for Russia because it links its inland waterways to international maritime routes. In the context of the war, it also offers an alternative military resupply option should Russia's over-land routes to southern Ukraine be disrupted.

The Azov Naval District will likely focus on supporting logistical and counter-partisan tasks, freeing up the main BSF to concentrate on long range strike operations and projecting maritime power further abroad.

So, the US has a total stockpile of 4.7 million cluster munitions of various types. We are now pledging only to send those with dud rates below 2.3%, but the testing to determine those dud rates is classified, so we don't know exactly which munitions could be sent, or how many.