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Ukraine Invasion Day 557: Russian forces are spreading flammable agents on mined fields [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-09-02
Scorched earth.
The New York Times reported on September 2 citing Ukrainian military personnel that Russian forces are spreading inflammable agents on mined fields and igniting them with drone-launched grenades while Ukrainian forces clear mines from the areas in an effort to hinder Ukrainian mine clearing efforts that have allowed Ukrainian forces to advance in certain areas. [4] Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center Commander Colonel Margo Grosberg reported on September 1 that Ukrainian artillery capabilities are “equal or even better” than those of Russian forces and have been able to push Russian artillery units back from the frontline, preventing them from supporting Russian forces. [5] This observation is not universally true across the frontline, as Ukrainian units regularly report coming under heavy Russian artillery fire corrected by Russian drones. Grosberg also stated that Ukrainian forces have been successful at severely damaging Russian artillery radars since July. [6] Russian sources have repeatedly expressed concerns since mid-July over the lack of Russian counterbattery artillery capabilities, particularly in southern Ukraine. [7]
Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast and reportedly advanced on September 2. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in the Melitopol (western Zaporizhia Oblast) direction. [1] … Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar stated on September 1 that Ukrainian forces have overcome the Russian “first line of defense” in some areas of the Zaporizhia direction, but that the situation remains difficult due to additional Russian concrete fortifications and dense minefields. [3]
2S7 pion (trost) @Trotes936897 The United States supplied 186 M2A2 ODS-SA to Ukraine, 26 of these vehicles were destroyed so far, which would be 13% of the fleet.
This “russia expert” has been wrong about EVERYTHING in this war.
Anatol Lieven said before russia’s full scale invasion that russia wouldn’t invade because “there clearly is a desire in Moscow to pursue a diplomatic path”. He said the world had no options anyway beyond cutting russia off from SWIFT but that russia could easily plunge Europe into a major energy and economic crisis by turning off its gas. When the full scale war began, he said “Russia will do their utmost not to target civilians in Ukraine or Ukrainian cities, because their whole political plan depends on keeping enough of the population on their side.” He also kept claiming that the West had few options and that Europeans would endure rationing and instability even if it just sanctioned russia in response.
At the same time, he has peddled excuses about why the West is also to blame for russia’s invasion as it provided the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU or NATO. He does not stop to think what Ukrainians want for their own country or whether they might be allowed sovereign rights.
Lieven actually wrote an entire book called “Ukraine and Russia: A fraternal rivalry”, unable to detach himself from the russian chauvinist perspective even when thinking up the title.
You may not be shocked to learn that Anatol Lieven is a member of the Valdai Club for russian assets. Lieven has also argued that russia is only “semi-authoritarian”, resorting to whataboutism in its defence.
Now the “expert” wants to tell us russian perspectives on how they’d probably be ok ending their genocidal war with the reward of Ukrainian territory because it’s all getting a bit difficult for those poor mysterious souls.
Most hilariously, he says here that russian liberals are in a dilemma about how to oppose the war without supporting Ukraine. Er, no. They are in a dilemma about how to keep pretending to be liberal without supporting Ukraine.
But it doesn’t actually matter whether he’s right or wrong about what most russians think. We don’t care. Get this into your head, Lieven and other “russia experts”: The world is not interested anymore in russian public opinion. All that matters is victory for Ukraine, Special Tribunal for russia, reparations, and ultimately the defeat of russian imperialism and its cycle of violence.
This is not an offer. You are not gonna get a choice to accept it or not. In the meantime, stop being so self-absorbed and tone deaf, and start helping Ukraine win sooner.
And, to the media, stop giving a platform to these disgraced frauds unless it’s to ridicule their bad takes and highlight the corrupt relationships on which those takes were developed.
There are millions of us, especially in our region bordering russia, that predicted everything russia is doing. We may not have been invited to the Valdai Club or called ourselves experts on russia but that’s exactly why we get it right. Give a platform to more voices from Ukraine (and also the Baltics, Poland, and other countries with experience of russia). We’ll help you understand russia better, but more importantly, help you understand why you don’t need to focus so much on them.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/2/2191230/-Ukraine-Invasion-Day-557
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