Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

A consequence of cucumbers

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

The words do not have to be perfect.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

T R E 4 5 O N

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

This fight is for everything.

I really should read my own blog.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 407: A Quick Thursday Night Post

War for Ukraine Day 407: A Quick Thursday Night Post

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(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:

The defense and protection of our people, the support of warriors is the number one issue at all negotiations – address by the President of Ukraine

6 April 2023 – 22:13

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, I’m already in Ukraine, in Kyiv, here, on Bankova the whole day. A day of internal meetings and preparations for events planned for the coming weeks.

I held a meeting with Prime Minister Shmyhal. More on current issues. Coordination of state actions, decisions.

A meeting on the security situation, the work of law enforcement agencies.

Our international agenda – the preparation of meetings, negotiations, appeals.

As always, I was in touch with the military: everything related to the hottest areas of the frontline.

It is very important that the content of the visit to Poland, the work of our delegation in Warsaw and in constant communication with Polish partners should be tangible for our front.

Defense and protection of our people, maintenance of our resilience, primarily the resilience of warriors, is the number one issue at all negotiations and meetings.

Exactly defense – weapons for Ukraine, ammunition for Ukraine, new defense systems for Ukraine.

And I thank Poland, I thank our partners for making this visit truly meaningful.

I would like to separately mention the meeting that took place very late yesterday evening, almost at night. Meeting with mayors of Polish cities, rescuer cities for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Rzeszów, Przemyśl, Lublin and Chełm. We met precisely in Chełm – together with Mr. Morawiecki, the Prime Minister of Poland.

I thanked the entire community of rescuer cities, everyone who helped Ukrainians, who really proved in the very first days of a full-scale war that there are no barriers, borders, obstacles between Ukrainian and Polish hearts.

Ukraine knows how to be grateful. Grateful for such solidarity – historical solidarity.

Today, as always, there are some of our divisions worth celebrating.

Paratroopers of the “Eightieth” and fighters of the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade… the 30th separate mechanized brigade… The firmness of your defense, guys, and resilience are inspiring. Powerfully inspiring. Inspiring the world not to lose momentum in supporting Ukraine. Thank you, warriors!

The 35th and 36th separate marine infantry brigades, warriors of the “Zaporizka Sich” 55th separate artillery brigade… As always, well done. As always, they strive for greater results. Thank you!

I’m grateful to the special purpose unit of the 1st main center of the Main Intelligence Directorate who are fighting in Bakhmut. Well done, guys!

Bakhmut and Maryinka, Avdiivka and our entire Donbas, our east, Zaporizhzhia and our Azov region, our Kherson region – I thank everyone who fights for freedom of our country, freedom of our people.

Thank you to everyone who will definitely drive the Russian army out of Ukraine!

Glory to our warriors!

Glory to Ukraine!

Here is a machine translation of the Ukrainian MOD’s most recent operational update:

Ministry of Defence Ukraine✔

Operational information as of 6:00 p.m. 04/06/2023 regarding the Russian invasion
Glory to Ukraine! The four hundred and seventh day of large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against our state continues.

During the day, the enemy carried out 4 missile and 7 air strikes, carried out more than 10 attacks from rocket salvo systems on the positions of our troops and the civilian infrastructure of populated areas.
The probability of launching missile and air strikes remains high throughout the territory of Ukraine.

The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiiv and Marin areas. During the day, thanks to the courage of each soldier, more than 20 attacks of invaders were repelled. The most intense fighting continues for the settlements of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka.

In the Volyn, Poliske, Siversk and Slobozhansk directions, the operational situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of offensive groups of the enemy have been detected.

The enemy will continue to maintain certain units in the Kursk and Belgorod regions bordering Ukraine.
During the day, the enemy shelled the settlements of Leonivka in Chernihiv region, as well as Veterinarne, Neskuchne, Ohirtseve, Tykh, Bochkove, Chugunivka, Zarubinka, Staritsa, and Kolodyazne in Kharkiv region.

On the Kupyansk direction, Topoli, Figolivka, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Liman Pershiy, Krokhmalne, Berestov in Kharkiv region and Novoselivske in Luhansk region came under enemy fire.

On the Lymanskyi direction, the enemy carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of ​​Spirny. Nevske, Dibrova, Belogorivka in the Luhansk region and Terny, Spirne and Rozdolivka in the Donetsk region were hit by artillery fire.

In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy continues to conduct offensive actions, tries to take full control of the city of Bakhmut, fierce battles continue. During the day, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the areas of Orihovo-Vasylivka and Bohdanivka settlements. The units of the defense forces repelled about 10 enemy attacks on the indicated section of the front. More than 15 settlements located in the area of ​​the combat clash were affected by enemy shelling, among them: Vasyukivka, Orihovo-Vasylivka, Novomarkove, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Diliivka, and Shumy of the Donetsk region.
The enemy was conducting offensive operations in the Avdiiv and Marin directions in the districts of Novokalynovoy, Severnoy, Pervomaisky and Maryinka, he had no success. The fiercest battles in the indicated area continue for Maryinka, where 13 enemy attacks were repulsed. At the same time, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Maryinka and Pobyeda of the Donetsk region were shelled.

During the day, the enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Shakhtarsky direction. He shelled the settlements of Vugledar, Prechistivka and Velika Novosilka of the Donetsk region.

In the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson directions, the enemy continues to build up defensive lines and positions in terms of fortification. Fired more than 15 settlements. Among them are Vremivka of Donetsk region; Gulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Gulyaipilske, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, Novoandriivka and Kamianske of the Zaporizhzhia region, as well as Kherson.

The Russian occupying forces continue to suffer huge losses in manpower, local medical facilities in the temporarily occupied territories are fully loaded. In one of the settlements of the Simferopol district of the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a tent town for wounded Russian invaders was noted. As of April 4 of this year, there are about a hundred enemy servicemen undergoing rehabilitation in the mentioned field camp.

During the day, the Air Force of the Defense Forces carried out 6 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the occupiers, and units of rocket troops and artillery hit 2 areas of concentration of enemy manpower, 2 warehouses of fuel and lubricating materials and an enemy electronic warfare station.

Support the Armed Forces! We will win!

Glory to Ukraine!

The Ukrainian Air Force knows what it wants!

 

Here is former NAVDEVGRU Squadron Leader Chuck Pfarrer’s most recent assessment of the situations in Avdiivka and Bakhmut:

 

Bakhmut:

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov did an interview with The New Voice of Ukraine.

Here are some machine translated excerpts:

Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov reveals maps of the army’s food, demonstrates faith in supporting allies, and names the types of shells that the enemy already lacks.

The country is meeting with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov NV in anticipation of the counteroffensive, which is also waiting for the country. Thus, the conversation with the official is about the purchase and supply of specific weapons, as well as the attitude to Ukraine in Europe and the United States in the run-up to the election and the minister’s own predictions about the duration and end of the war. The Minister answers all questions from NV sincerely and verbally.

— Let’s start by managing the expectations of war. Telemarathon The only news, part of the media, part of the speakers from the authorities draw a picture for society in which we «ot-ot» will win. On the one hand, it allows society to be united and focused on aid, on the other hand — greatly reduces the motivation for mobilization. War again«somewhere out there, far », «what to mobilize if all is so good ». What should be this balance between our success and our sense of threat?

— And during the war it is very difficult to keep a balance. Constant bad news destroys people’s morals and internal resilience, which means that the resilience of defense is collapsing. In order to win, this sense of the unity of society is superimportant, and the enemy is trying to destroy it in the first place. This faith has already saved us, because even our partners did not believe us, they believed that Kyiv would fall in 72 hours, the government and the president will run away, the parliament will run away, well, in three weeks the whole country is occupied.

The rest is, unfortunately, behind a paywall.

Before someone posts it in a comment, I’m saving Tatarigami’s most recent deep dive thread for tomorrow night or Saturday.

That’s enough for tonight!

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Reader Interactions

32Comments

  1. 1.

    Argiope

    Bat signal for Adam! FTFNYT breaking news alert that US/Ukraine offensive plans were posted online inflating Ukraine casualties and downplaying Russian.  Biden admin calling it a leak.  Posted on Twitter and telegram (ptoooey, on both).

  2. 2.

    Another Scott

    I’ve watched FlightRadar24 off and on for many months.

    I’ve never seen anything like this – a Lufthansa Cargo plane made a sharp left turn and seems to be heading over the Crimea bridge. It’s supposed to be going to Tokyo. Seems like a weird way to go. I’ve not seen anything fly so close to Crimea ever.

    I’m no expert though.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  3. 3.

    Argiope

    @Argiope: Mind you, it may already have been covered here & I missed it.  This place scooping the NYT would not surprise me.  (Thanks for all the updates, Adam).

  5. 5.

    Another Scott

    @Argiope:

    KyivIndependent.com:

    “No more than five people” are filled in on Ukrainian plans for a counteroffensive operation in the next few months, National Security and Defense Council head Oleksii Danilov said on April 6.

    “Information on when the military actions might begin will be known to a limited number of people,” Danilov said in an interview with RFE/RL, adding that Ukrainians will find out when the offensive actually begins.

    Danilov also stressed that people should be cautious of statements made by other commentators without real knowledge of the plans.

    […]

    Slava Ukraini!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  6. 6.

    Argiope

    @Another Scott: That’s reassuring.  Apparently the leaked plans were from March 1 so not exactly current.  The concern is how they were obtained, I imagine.

  7. 7.

    Another Scott

    @Another Scott: Interesting, the Lufthansa flight suddenly jumped south to the highway in the sky that all the other big planes take.  Some sorta glitch I guess.  But very strange to watch!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  8. 8.

    Alison Rose

    Whoever chose the music for the beginning of that Avengers video, A++ my friend.

    I just…wtf are the orcs even doing in Bakhmut? Every day as their attacks keep being repulsed and keep failing, they look more and more pathetic. But I guess in their upside-down world, they actually look strong by constantly having their asses handed to them.

    Hey, for anyone who knows people in Kyiv with reporting, photography, video, etc experience. The Kyiv Independent has numerous open positions. Seems like a great newsroom to be part of.

    Thank you as always, Adam.

  9. 9.

    Roger Moore

    @Argiope:

    One thing you always have to consider with leaks like this is that they might be part of some kind of information warfare.  There’s a long history of trying to deceive enemies by letting them capture fake plans.  Even if they don’t fall for the fake, there’s a good chance they’ll wind up ignoring genuine plans the next time they happen to get them.

  10. 10.

    Argiope

    @Roger Moore: Certainly possible.  The story speculates it’s part of a 🇷🇺 disinformation campaign based on the changed casualty numbers.  And of course that makes sense also given where the info got disseminated, though that’s something I know from reading this series, not the FTFNTY.

  13. 13.

    Jay

    @Alison Rose:

    I just…wtf are the orcs even doing in Bakhmut? Every day as their attacks keep being repulsed and keep failing, they look more and more pathetic. But I guess in their upside-down world, they actually look strong by constantly having their asses handed to them.

    One of the things that many “experts” have pointed out is that the Soviet/Russian system of command and control is inflexible and very slow to adapt. The UA has the same problem in some areas, despite NATO training.

    Lindybeige has interviews up with a former Royal Marine, current International Legion combatant, who pointed out that one of the 3 “Commanders” that the Legion had in the first year of the continuation of the war, staffed his HQ with family members, and stole everything not nailed down.

  14. 14.

    Wombat Probability Cloud

    @Another Scott: The one I see headed NE across the Black Sea all by itself is AFR 116, an Air France flight to Shanghai. Is that the one you were following?

  15. 15.

    Redshift

    The Kyiv Post claims they were tipped off about the Tatarsky assassination before it happened:
    Kyiv Post Tipped Off About Assassination In Russia

    One day before the assassination of pro-Kremlin activist, Vladem Tatarsky, a Kyiv Post journalist was contacted by Ilya Ponomarev, a Kyiv-based Russian opposition leader who has previously spoken on behalf of the National Republican Army (NRA).

    Ponomarev claims the NRA is a Russian group dedicated to the overthrow of the Putin regime, that the woman arrested isn’t the one who did it and the police know it (a “usual suspects”arrest.) Kyiv Post doesn’t claim to be able to verify any of this, other than that he did tell them about the assassination the day before.

  17. 17.

    Geminid

    @Alison Rose: Russian forces are actually advancing in Bakhmut, in fits and halts. They have made the city a “prestige” objective and are suffering exorbitant losses to take it. Ukrainians are punishing them for every block taken, and the Wagner Group and regular Army formations have a lot more blocks to take before they push Ukrainian forces out of the city, if they can push Ukrainian forces out.

  18. 18.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Redshift: They correctly write his assumed name as “Vladlen” — not sure how/why your blockquote has “Vladem.”

    “Vladlen” is a made-up name, from Vladimir Lenin.

  20. 20.

    Marc

    @Another Scott: Likely active Russian GPS spoofing/jamming, several other planes over the south part of the Black Sea are not reporting valid ADS-B position data. GPS spoofing can cause a plane to appear to be many miles off course.  Commercial aircraft do not need GPS to navigate.

  22. 22.

    Redshift

    @Alison Rose: It seems to me that since it became clear they weren’t going to take the whole country, and then failed to take all of the Donbas, all of the remaining RU goals are symbolic ones, not strategic ones. Just guessing here, but maybe symbolic goals are harder to give up. If you have a strategy, you can cut your losses in one place and try a different way to achieve it. But if you only goal is “we’re gonna capture this not especially strategic place to prove we’re not hopeless losers,” giving up on that and trying somewhere else undermines the intent.

  25. 25.

    Anoniminous

    @Alison Rose: ​
     

    wtf are the orcs even doing in Bakhmut?

    Dying and being wounded for no particular reason. Bakhmut is a classic fight-to-the-death for ground of no military value.

  26. 26.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, Bibi is Prime Minister, so it’s time for another “little” war. AlJazeera:

    Israeli forces launch air strike on Gaza, explosions reported

    The military attack, announced on Twitter, was followed by reports of warplanes and explosions across the Gaza Strip.

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  27. 27.

    lee

    Getting some reports that armed conflicts between Russian troops and folks in Ingushetia (Russian Republic) . If true my guess is those fellas like their chances against the Russians more than the Ukrainians.

  28. 28.

    Another Scott

    @Mallard Filmore: Thanks for the pointer.

    That kinda makes sense – the plan was to encircle Bakhmut, continue west, take the other cities, and work toward the administrative areas in the west.  And do “mop up” operations to take care of the remaining resistance in good time.

    The fact that they couldn’t even do the baseline goal – encircle Bakhmut – shows how broken VVP’s military is.

    The part about the Soviet defensive doctrine and how Ukraine knows the books backwards and forwards is interesting as well.

    Lots of good people are going to suffer and die in the coming weeks and months because of VVP’s monstrous actions.  But Ukraine is in a good position to prevail.

    Slava Ukraini!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  30. 30.

    Bill Arnold

    @Another Scott:
    These usually are launched when BN is having political difficulties and seem to (essentially always) involve a provocation that can be expected to cause a kinetic/violent reaction of some sort from Gaza or elsewhere. Itamar Ben-Gvir is a new useful hyper-eager tool. (And sadly, BN has allies in Gaza who bail him out on demand. It would be reasonable to suspect that they have a formal relationship of some unseemly sort.)
    Israelis know the pattern.
    Cynical? Yeah. Here’s the spread that the Netanyahus served Japanese PM Abe (he who posed grinning for a photo in an aircraft numbered 731). Everyone heard about the shoe dessert and how it was kinda culturally insulting in any normal context. But see e.g. the Womans’ Brains dish. Twitter thread. (There might be some trolling involved by the chef. :-)
    .

    The prime minister of Japan was just hosted for a state dinner by the Netanyahus. Is it just me or does it seem culturally insensitive to serve dessert out of a… shoe? pic.twitter.com/IWlPTIyPvM
    — Amy Spiro (@AmySpiro) May 2, 2018

  31. 31.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Another Scott: The fact that they couldn’t even do the baseline goal – encircle Bakhmut – shows how broken VVP’s military is.

    It might also show how tough the Ukrainians are.

  32. 32.

    AWJ

    @Argiope: ​Vatniks on Twitter are currently jumping up and down and crowing over the casualty figures quoted in that NYT article, despite them being both completely implausible (e.g. Russia losing only 15 aircraft and 600 ground vehicles) and obviously crudely Photoshopped, as you can see from this tweet.

Comments are closed.