Ukraine - Russia Conflict


According to Ukrainian military source Lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, call sign “Alex”, reports Ukrainian advances near the village of Shakhtars'ke, northwest of Vuhledar. He adds that securing these gains remains uncertain, but that this local advance is crucial for improving operational positioning.
 
Footage of Russian servicemen inspecting a Ukrainian armored vehicle "Kozak-5". The armored vehicle "Kozak-5" got stuck in a swamp during the retreat of Ukrainian units from the Kursk region of Russia. Ukrainian armored vehicles "Kozak-5" have been produced by the Kiev company NPO "Praktika" since 2016. Ukrainian units damaged the front axle of the armored vehicle and abandoned it, but it remained on the move. Russian units pulled out the armored vehicle "Kozak-5", but after evacuating it to the rear, its gearbox and driveshaft broke. Now the vehicle has been sent for restoration. The armored vehicle "Kozak-5" is built on the chassis of the American SUV Ford F-550. The armored vehicle "Kozak" is the first Ukrainian armored vehicle protected from a mine explosion, it can withstand an explosion of up to 3 kilograms of TNT. The Kozak-5 armored vehicle can carry up to 8 people and reaches speeds of up to 120 km/h.

 
'Crumbling' is the better word. 21% interest rates, 9+% inflation, 26% inflation on butter, falling ruble, falling revenues. It's slowly happening but it is happening. People said that inflation would correct, it hasn't. The target inflation for this year was 4.0%, Russian couldn't even achieve 2x that figure despite almost tripling interest rates since last summer (7.5% to 21%). The Russian Bank is already warning of more interest rate rises with no limit. They can't stem inflation and people don't want to lend them money even at 21% because there is a growing belief that Russia is printing money into existence and fiddling the figures.
OK, but Russia has not a huge debt (as France, or Italy...) and is full of raw materials. They are not in a financial hurry.
I don't see russia collapsing.
 
OK, but Russia has not a huge debt (as France, or Italy...) and is full of raw materials. They are not in a financial hurry.
I don't see russia collapsing.
Russia's true debt is unknown because it's not all recorded under the IMF and their debt would likely be much higher if they weren't printing money into existence. They wouldn't need to have 21% interest rates to keep inflation down if they were healthy.
 
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Ukrainian media published a video allegedly showing North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia. It is unknown who is actually shown in the video, perhaps this is trolling Russian soldiers. It is reported that DPRK soldiers in Russia are taught mine-explosive work and the basics of the Russian language.

 
Four Ukrainian kamikaze drones attacked the Russian city of Kaspiysk in Dagestan today, the video was published by local eyewitnesses. Some of the ships of the Russian Caspian Flotilla are stationed in Kaspiysk. Presumably, Ukrainian kamikaze drones of the A-22 "Flying Fox" aircraft type were used, the drones are based on the Aeroprakt A-22 aircraft. Some of the drones were shot down with small arms. Judging by the video, one of the drones presumably exploded near the decommissioned Russian missile boat "Stupinets" of Project 12411T, another drone exploded near a small missile ship of Project 21631. Presumably, Russian electronic warfare was operating in the port area, distorting the GPS signal, which is why the drones missed. At the moment, it is unknown whether the ships were damaged or not.

 
An episode of the assault on a stronghold of the Ukrainian army in the border part of the Kursk region of Russia. A group of Russian soldiers in a BMP-2 advanced to the stronghold and landed troops. The assault on the stronghold was carried out from the flanks, the BMP-2s provided fire support and suppressed the work of the stronghold's firing points. Artillery also worked. The dead soldiers are hidden in the video.

 
Part 10 of my blog series on the Ukraine war.
In this, I validate previous manpower assumptions and cite the Kiel report which looks at Russian armament production compared to losses.
Ukraine war - part 10. Prelude to the winter offensive

I've provided a detailed rebuttal of this, with my own estimate of Russian losses, in parts 8 & 10 of my ongoing blog series on
the Ukraine war.
Ukraine war - part 10. Prelude to the winter offensive

Ukraine war - part 8. Casualties, force generation and recent operations
 
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Video of the use of the Russian FPV drone "Prince Vandal Novgorodsky" in Ukraine, controlled via fiber optic cable. In the video, the FPV drone "Vandal" pursues and attacks a Ukrainian BMP-2 of Soviet manufacture, they are also used by the Russian army. Note that the driver-mechanic noticed the drone and is trying to take the combat vehicle away. The BMP-2 has a net as protection from drones on top, but the drone attacks the BMP in the stern. As a result of the drone attack, the BMP was destroyed, the fate of the crew is unknown. The video was filmed in the Pokrovsky direction.