(Image by NEIVANMADE)
I am completely fried, so just a brief by the numbers update tonight. I will try to get to Ms. D. Ranged question tomorrow night.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
Everyone must work for the victory, for the protection of people and Ukraine – address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
3 August 2023 – 21:45
I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!
There were many meetings today. Different ones. International work, internal security, defense of the state.
The meeting on the Crimea Platform – the content of the summit, the international presence at the summit, its impact on our ability to keep up the pressure for the liberation of Crimea – we are working on the details. And we are already preparing not only the Crimea Platform Summit at the level of leaders in August, but also the parliamentary dimension of the Crimea Platform, which will be held in the autumn.
Today is the second day of an important meeting with the ambassadors of Ukraine in Zakarpattia region.
Yesterday and today we had the highest political and highest military levels of communication. The ambassadors had very substantive conversations with the Minister of Defense, the Commander-in-Chief, Commander of the Air Force, Vice Admiral Neizhpapa, the Commander of the Naval Forces, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Lytvynenko, and NSDC Secretary Danilov. All of them. I specifically asked Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny, the commanders and Mr. Kuleba to hold such a meeting to discuss the key things that our warriors and defense forces need so much, so that they could convey all this to the ambassadors.
Prime Minister Shmyhal, Yulia Svyrydenko, Stefanishyna, Kubrakov also attended the meeting today. There was also a meeting between the ambassadors and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk on parliamentary diplomacy, which can be very effective if it is fully consistent with our overall state strategy.
It is important that the ambassadors of Ukraine are fully informed about every need of Ukraine in great detail. Weapons, equipment, munitions, finances, specific political decisions… I thank everyone who was active at this meeting in Zakarpattia, and I thank Zakarpattia for such a welcome.
Today, there were reports from Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Malyuk and Minister of Internal Affairs Klymenko. In particular, one of the issues is the inspection of the “military commissars”.
We talked in detail. The inspection reveals many abuses. Frankly disgusting ones. All the facts revealed by law enforcement officers will be presented to the public and investigated in the framework of criminal proceedings. The conclusion is obvious: the recruitment system needs people who understand the value of defending Ukraine. The value, not the price of decisions. People who have seen the war and gone through it should work in the “military enlistment offices”. There are those who, unfortunately, lost their limbs, but did not lose their dignity and did not lose Ukraine. I am grateful to them.
Minister Klymenko reported separately and in detail on the training of our National Guardsmen – the provision of ammunition and equipment is a priority. He also spoke about the protection of critical facilities, including nuclear power plants. We discussed the situation in the regions after the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, and the provision of all necessary supplies to people. The Minister also reported on measures taken to combat crime. There were informative reports on the entire range of work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
And, of course, the frontline.
The battles are tough, the occupiers are trying their best to stop our guys. The assaults are very fierce. Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Maryinka, Avdiivka directions. Southern directions. It is difficult everywhere. But no matter what the enemy does, it is the Ukrainian force that dominates. And I am grateful to everyone on the frontline for this!
Today I would like to recognize the warriors of the 15th operational brigade of the National Guard. Melitopol direction. Thank you, guys! I would also like to mention the warriors of the Izmail border guard detachment who, together with the maritime units, counter Russian “Shahed” attacks.
In total, the terrorists have already launched at least 1961 “Shaheds” against Ukraine, and a significant number of them have been shot down. Unfortunately, not all of them. We are working to shoot down more – to shoot down as many as possible. We are working to have more air defense systems. In particular, this is a task for each of our ambassadors, all representatives of Ukraine.
Everyone must work for the victory, for the protection of life. The lives of people and the protection of our beautiful Ukraine! We will definitely win.
Glory to Ukraine!
Kherson:
Happy Watermelon Day!
Greetings from Kherson. pic.twitter.com/DFPzp3Z1s6— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 3, 2023
Another insidious attack by russian terrorists on Kherson.
This time, the 18th-century St. Catherine's Cathedral and public transportation were targeted.
Three people were injured.
The russians deliberately fired at the cathedral for the second time while the rescuers were… pic.twitter.com/FRycodeMs8— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 3, 2023
Another insidious attack by russian terrorists on Kherson. This time, the 18th-century St. Catherine’s Cathedral and public transportation were targeted. Three people were injured. The russians deliberately fired at the cathedral for the second time while the rescuers were putting out the fire. Four of them were injured.
Center of Kherson. Russians shell a supermarket tonight. Over the past few days, the Russian army shelled a hospital, a church and a library in Kherson. And now a supermarket (video from Kherson telegram channels) #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/DGcJMW4YXA
— Kristina Berdynskykh (@berdynskykh_k) August 3, 2023
This is Kherson cathedral, built by Potemkin; he was buried there too. The Russians took his bones with them when they left Kherson last autumn. Now they are shelling it. https://t.co/RWg77NuuzF
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) August 3, 2023
Kyiv:
The Ukrainian air defense did a brilliant job. On the night of August 3, russian terrorists attacked the capital with 15 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs. All of them were shot down on the approach to Kyiv, without victims and destruction.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 3, 2023
Novoselivske:
As promised yesterday, I am showing you the first russian tank destroyed yesterday in Novoselivske.
Please listen to the voice-over message from one of their drone pilots regarding the drones.
Russians attacked Novoselivske with an armored formation that included at least 4… pic.twitter.com/k142UA8hsf
— ✙🍒 Constantine 🍒✙ (@Teoyaomiquu) August 3, 2023
As promised yesterday, I am showing you the first russian tank destroyed yesterday in Novoselivske.
Please listen to the voice-over message from one of their drone pilots regarding the drones.
Russians attacked Novoselivske with an armored formation that included at least 4 tanks and an evacuation vehicle. The 32nd brigade needed more drones to continuously monitor for enemy activity.
However, with your help, @LibertyUkraineF team passed 2 more drones to them just in time to repel this attack and repel.
Yesterday you saved the lives of Ukrainians and my friends.
Today we need to reinforce them more. The drones are finally in stock, and the return on investment from these drones is beyond expectations. It’s saved lives and destroyed russian tanks that cost millions of dollars.
Please donate via this link: paypal.com/pools/c/8WoEyu We will purchase 4 daylight drones and 1 thermal drone for the brigade.
The second video will probably be published later. I have it, but I am not allowed to post it yet.
Southwestern Russia:
Russian local authorities have begun distributing machine guns to civilian forces in the south-west of the country for the first time since the Ukraine war began
I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
with @courtney_ft https://t.co/dhWkvWfWXB
— Anastasia Stognei (@NastyaStognei) August 2, 2023
That’s all I’ve got the energy for for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
There’s a new Patron slide show at his official TikTok page. As the slide shows don’t embed, click across to watch it.
Open thread!
Jay
https://nitter.net/Reuters/status/1687167699154350081#m
and,……. in regards to arming the Ruzzians,…… in Ruzzia,…….
https://nitter.net/victoriaslog/status/1686818390222979080#m
trollhattan
@Jay: Good god, the story of the four sappers returning from their day via the route they had just cleared, all stepping on mines…I can’t even.
Bill Arnold
Context for the (apparently) exploding watermelon head?
Did some notable Russian recently die from a head shot?
Yarrow
Thanks, Adam.
Well, that just screams confidence by Russia that things are going well. What could possibly go wrong indeed.
Ken B
@Bill Arnold: Kherson is famous for its watermelons.
Last year during the Ukrainian offensive, a lot of Ukrainian soldiers posed with, or were filmed eating them.
Jay
https://nitter.net/MykolaKuleba/status/1687130773206269953#m
GENOCIDE, #RUZZIA IS A TERRORIST NATION
AJ of the Mustard Search and Rescue Team
Thanks Adam, hope your stuff is going alright.
wombat probability cloud
Thank you, as always, and may you unfry well.
Sparkedcat
Thank-you Mr. Silverman for these updates. It is so difficult to watch the slow grinding advance of the Ukrainian military. Slava Ukraini!
Jay
https://nitter.net/GlasnostGone/status/1687056981016629248#m
Alison Rose
Shelling a cathedral. Definitely the best way to show you have the moral high ground. I’m sure God is super pleased with that.
Really liked this quick YouTube short of Zelenskyy greeting an exuberant crowd in Zakarpattia. He gets Obama-levels of love everywhere he goes :)
Thank you as always, Adam. Hope you get a good night’s sleep.
Alison Rose
@Bill Arnold: I’m assuming that’s putin being hit with it, and that it’s sort of a fuck you for what they did to Kherson today. As Ken B notes, the region is known for its watermelons.
Jay
@Alison Rose:
they already stole Potemkin’s bones, from the cathedral, along with many other relics, so there is nothing there for the Orc’s to value any more.
Such stalwart “defenders of the Christian Faith”.
Bill Arnold
@Alison Rose:
You’re right. I didn’t fullsize the image. Definitely a watermelon hitting Putin in the head. That’d hurt if it was just fast enough to break the melon, and kill if it was faster.
Bex
@Alison Rose: Thanks, I hadn’t seen that video. He has been wearing a bracelet on his left arm lately. Do you know what it signifies?
MagdaInBlack
@Alison Rose: It’s Putin. See how he’s gripping the table?
Alison Rose
@Bex: I don’t. It looks like a simple black cord of some type. I wonder if it was given to him by a soldier? The way they give him their chevrons. Maybe it was made from something for him?
Jay
@Bill Arnold:
It’s a parachute cord bracelet. Kevlar cord, with a nylon sheath.
With the cord expanded, 3-4 feet in length.
Great for first aid.
I wear one, also have 150 feet in a parachute weave in my pack. Takes up no space. Good for a 350lb load.
https://www.101knots.com/paracord-knots
Gin & Tonic
@Alison Rose: As I think I mentioned around this time last year, the arrival of the first Kherson watermelons in Kyiv is a cause for celebration. Farmers would fill their car and drive up.
Chetan Murthy
This is interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F45i0v_u6s&t=3250s
Evaluation of Russia by Finnish Intelligence Colonel (English audio) | December 3, 2018
Carlo Graziani
@Chetan Murthy: That was an extraordinary, and prescient lecture.
Chetan Murthy
@Chetan Murthy: i should have mentioned I found it over at the Great Orange Satan.
HumboldtBlue
HumboldtBlue
YY_Sima Qian
@HumboldtBlue: The ship is listing very badly.
YY_Sima Qian
@YY_Sima Qian: Video from the drone as it motored toward the Russian landing ship. Does not look like the ship’s crew standing watch saw the drone, there was no small arms fire to try to hit it.
Bex
@Jay: Thanks for the info. I learn something new here every day!
HumboldtBlue
@YY_Sima Qian:
Oh my, yes it is.