I don't care about the veracity of the number itself, but about the trends that they indicate. That they focus on invader artillery is undeniable. There's also been plenty of video evidence of that, so the true number of destroyed Russian artillery is still greater than zero, no matter how much you wish it weren't.
Attached: 1 video The destruction of Russian BM-21 GRAD continues in the Bakhmut direction. Work of the 26th Artillery Brigade.
mstdn.social
Attached: 1 video Outside of Bakhmut, in Zaitseve and Bakhmutske, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian forces from the 43rd Artillery Brigade conducted effective counterbattery fire, destroying a Russian 2S1 Gvozdika, Bm-21 Grad, and 2S5 Giatsint-S with drone-spotted HIMARS fire.
mstdn.social
Russian artillery is the number one problem for them. Remove the artillery and a path can be cleared safely through the minefields. Clear a path through the minefields and fortified positions can be bypassed and surrounded by mechanized assault.
Still, they make good progress. They move forward much faster than the Russian did; despite Russia retaining air superiority and having a massive artillery advantage. As a reminder, the
only place where Russia has been able to advance at all this past year has been Bakhmut and that was thanks to Wagner's veteran NCOs (something the Russian army itself doesn't really have) and a large number of disposable convicts for endless meat assaults.
In order to cut off the land bridge, the UAF has to physically occupy Berdyansk.
Not necessarily. First, getting the road under fire control is enough to interdict Russian logistics. Second, there's Molochny Lyman next to Melitopol, that pinches the landbridge at this point. There's less than 75 km between Tokmak and the shore of Molochny Lyman, so you can cover any moving column with GMLRS.
Basically, if Tokmak falls, then pretty quickly the entire Kherson/Zaporizhzhia area can be liberated as Russian logistics get cut and they can't reinforce the western frontline anymore.
Wagner is expected to climb back up to 25 to 40k troops.
With what people? Are they gonna start recruiting in Mali and in CAR? Their recruitment offices in Russia have been closed down, and it was already hard to get the numbers they could get before the fall of Bakhmut when they were allowed to empty Russian prisons...
And also, with what money? Prigozhin's industrial empire is getting dismantled so it's not with the profits from Concord or RIA FAN that he'll maintain these troops. There's still all the mines he controls in Africa, but will they suffice? He may also be getting funds from Belarus now, in exchange for training the Belarussian troops, but that country does not have the primary resource wealth of Russia.
The UAF fought for Bakhmut and Soledar, but the Russians are not trying to hold these villages.
LOL yes they are. Bakhmut is
the single victory Russia has to crow about for the last year. Losing it would be a tremendous blow to Russian morale both on the frontline and in the country. It's Russia's Stalingrad.