Ukraine is making significant gains against Russian forces, pushing them back at multiple locations.

In an intelligence update this morning, the British Ministry of Defence said:

  • Ukrainian counter-attacks, and Russian Forces falling back on overextended supply lines, has allowed Ukraine to re-occupy towns and defensive positions up to 35 kilometres east of Kyiv.
  • Ukrainian Forces are likely to continue to attempt to push Russian Forces back along the north-western axis from Kyiv towards Hostomel Airfield.
  • In the south of Ukraine Russian Forces are still attempting to circumvent Mykolaiv as they look to drive west towards Odesa with their progress being slowed by logistic issues and Ukrainian resistance.

Yesterday, At around 07:45 local time (05:45 UTC), an explosion occurred on board a Russian Navy Alligator-class landing ship while the vessel was berthed in Berdiansk. An image of this is shown at the top of the article.

Ukrainian forces have claimed that they hit the ship with a Tochka ballistic missile, but the cause of the explosion has yet to be verified. The two other landing ships accompanying the vessel quickly left the port (one of them on fire), and it is currently unknown whether they sustained any damage during the explosion and subsequent fire onboard Orsk.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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185 COMMENTS

  1. I wonder if the USA has considered giving recently retired equipment to Moldava & Eastern Europe NATO nations? Thinking of the AH-1W attack helicopter, MRAPs & M777 155mm artillery.

    • I had not heard that the US was abandoning the M777, a great British gun that we don’t even have in service yet!
      I read that they are selling a number to India. [www.military today – ‘As of the recent deal to sell 145 M777s to India for $750 million’].
      Good idea for US to sell or gift recently retired equipment to eastern European countries.

          • I have never heard of any difficulty supplying artillery rounds to any type of British guns in any theatre of war. Mostly delivered by RLC in large trucks (DROPS or similar) – they used to use the term Artillery Support Regiment RLC – probably called something different now.
            Ammo can be delivered by helo as an underslung load, but its a very expensive way to do it and there are other disadvantages – helo gives away the gun lines position, they need fair weather and light to do the job etc

          • Daniele will be over shortly, to hand our spankings. 😉

            Apparently, we are just a tad short in the logistics department at the moment and 155mm ammo is a bit bulkier than 105.

            And I was corrected elsewhere when I suggested that given the lower thermal signature it might be an option over SPGs for the Ukrainians; we live and learn.

          • RLC (and before it the RCT) has been delivering 155mm shells to gun lines/artillery regiment echelon since at least 1965 when we fielded the 155mm M109, if not long before that.
            We also had the 8″ Howitzer and the 175mm M107 in service aeons ago – so RLC/RCT are well used to delivering heavy ammunition.

          • I’m not disagreeing, the issue is the logistics chain.

            As to M107, my father served on them. The American ‘key’ holder could be a pain apparently.

          • David, I said that we have the logistics chain to supply 155m shells and have had forever.

            I mention M107 as a historic point of course and to emphasis that we had a logistics chain to supply 175mm shells to the gun lines. The US key holder was a nuclear thing – no such bureaucracy when they fired conventional shells.

      • Will the India sale still go through? India is playing a dangerous game doing deals with Russia to help them while under sanctions. The rupee-ruble deal amongst a host of others.
        I get that India sells things to Russia and doesn’t want to miss out but they are really going against western world. But disappointed to be honest at India.
        if everyone shut the door on Russia it may help speed up a withdrawal. If Russia is to have sanctions lifted as soon as it withdraws this may help matters. Sanctions back to pre invasion if it stays in Crimea and Donbas.

        • Russian withdrawal from Crimea would be highly unlikely. But they should certainly NOT be rewarded for their invasion by ceding them the Donbas or any part of Eastern Ukraine. Sanctions or not. It’s alos clear that Ukraine could still give the Russians a good smacking if they persisted in staying in Donbas.

          IMHO the citizens of Donbas should be given a referendum (supervised, of course by a neutral body) and anyone voting in favour of Russian occupation should immediately be given a Russian passport and be free to go east to Putin’s utopia.

          I’ll get my coat…

          • Great Idea , Putins utopia one can only dream more like Paridise lost , oh bugger I’ll get my coat as well

          • Hope the Ukrainian forces can have push into Crimea, blow the Krech bridge up and reclaim their access to the Asov sea. If Mariupol has been flattened the Russian forces there must be standing out in the open with a nice big “Z”, all ready to be targeted! Hope Ukraine has a good quantity drones to cause some real damage and seize any advantage there is!

          • Jeeze oh the quality of posts in this site has dropped. The chance of Crimea , the DPR and the LPR being Ukrainian again in our life times is zero.

          • Best cede ’em to mad old Vlad then . Perhaps as a reward for his decision not to flatten Kyiv…very generous of him I’d say, wouldn’t you agree?

    • Hi John ,I mentioned on one of these threads when Poland wanted too arm Ukraine with Mig 29s Via Germany too swap for American fighters America would gift the migs too the Ukraine Unfortunatly seen as a Nato sleight of hand , My thought was why didn’t Poland gift those Migs to Molova who would then pass them on to Ukraine for either aspeedy membership of the EU and later maybe Nato ?

      • Why would Moldova agree to it, as you say, they aren’t a part of NATO and are probably worried about Russia striking them in retaliation.

          • I am referring to the final point made about Poland using Moldova as a go-between to pass jets onto Ukraine. Moldova is very unlikely to agree to it.

          • Poland is too scared to do it themselves, why would any other country take the risk. Even the US considered it too risky.

        • Chris ,I posted the above Idea at the beginning, of Putins crazy liberation operation when Nato was running round without any real idea on how too equip Ukraine, and Poland put foreward the Idea of the Mig29 swap which Sleepy Joe put the dampners on ,At the same time Moldova eas taking in Ukrainian Refugees and crying out for immediate ability to join the EU that would and could have been a good reason for them too be the go between for the transfer of the Mig29 from a Nato country Poland to a Non Nato Country Moldova, onto another Non Nato Country Ukraine

          • The idea was floated, that if Turkey gave its S400 SAM to Ukraine, then USA would let Turkey have F-35 stealth fighters. Will be interesting to see if this happens or is quietly dropped.

          • JohnTurkey could well be seen as an Agent pravocature, in Putins mind as they have been a main cause of such destruction too his Convoys and Tanks with those hastily delivered Drones ,Putin must be fuming at Turkey Shame that they also hold the key to the Black Sea though the last time Turkey cerluded with Amerca in such an under the table way was the Cuban missile crisis , When the West hooted that they had made Russia climb down when really it was a draw Russia removed missiles from Cuba ,America removed missiles from Turkey

        • Thanks David I Realise that the Northeastern area of Moldova is being contested as another breakaway Putin enclave ,so a country at war within its borders is a Non starter for Nato membership that saying they have requested a formal approval for membership to that all powerful beauracratic red-tape European Union at least by the time they are allowed to join the EU will have its own Defence force kinda like watching paint dry or as you put it he’ll freezing over

          • So if I read this right what we are saying is that all Putin needs to do to stop countries joining NATO to prevent him invading is to fuel some insurgency (however small) in that country and voila thay are banned from joining.
            So in order to join NATO to stop Putin invading they have to stop Putin on their own…..mmmmmmmmmm

          • Where too next Grizzler, Putins probably going too play the next card trick with any ethnic Russians living in Finland and at this present time ,theres a hell of a lot of Russians legging it over to Finland because of Ukraine, they don’t want too be Conscripted a bit of a stretch but who knows what he’s thinking especially when Finland and fence sitting Sweden eere both pondering the thought of joining Nato Putins Stalin paranoia would go through the Dacha Roof

    • The problem id that any equipment the West gives must be usable – in other words it cannot involve lots of training to use it or introduce parts and ammunition that they are not familiar with….

      • That is true for Ukraine as they are in the middle of a war, but I was talking about Moldova & Poland, Slovakia & other NATO Eastern States. They still have time for training.

        • John The lads who where over in the Ukraine training up their troops ,prior too Putins Operation ,had put alot of emphasis on insurgency tactics ,such as Ambush, and Roadside IEDs The Ukrainians have been well trained for the long game so too speak and their putting it too good use now

          • Repeat, talking about Western Equipment, not in Ukraine’s armoury. Like the AH-1W attack helicopter. It could go to a Country not at war(yet), as there is still time for training.

          • Okeedoke John , sorry ,got the wrong end of the Pace stick , was on about ,our lads training the now battle hardened Ukrainians Not the equipment I suppose Moldova is the only feasible Non Nato country if they could at least be tempted with their desire too Join the EU in return for access too training area’s ?

          • Ssssh walls have ears, another viable option , Putins already had a go at them ,so I think that they would love some payback if not too Russia then most definitely too her military John

          • Fair point. But the T34 was the first production tank with a Diesel engine and sloped armour. Until the introduction of the Panther it was by far the most advanced MBT in the world. It’s only weakness was intercom and radio. Everything else was way ahead of anything else anyone else had.

          • The T-34’s only advantage besides sloped armor was in its mass numbers. 34 = 1934 the year it first appeared. Or possibly like T-72 the year the west first noticed it.

          • Thanks David ,I only mentioned the T34 as a gentleman on a history programme spoke about the vast amount of Russian Atmour ,and that they had churned them out by unskilled workers that the Amount was phenoninal a case of Quantity over Quantity hence the term “Quantity has a Quality of its own “

  3. Poor military Russia with a deluded Putin calling the shots China in reality another extremely poor Military.

    • With a lot more money and people.

      They also have a tech industry.

      i agree that as they mostly use Russian garbage things won’t be a lot better but the basics Ike using encrypted digital radios they will do from indigenous production.

  5. Its not really gone to plan for Putin has it. I suspect there are quite a few generals etc putting the Moscow telephone directory down the back of their breeks ahead of the canning they’ll be in for.

  6. I wonder if China are now considering turning away from Taiwan for now, and instead focusing on the lost territories on the Amur river: It doesn’t look like the Russians could stop them.

    • Excellent point.

      Chinese businesses have been buying up land on the other side of the border over recent years and transplanting Chinese citizens there to develop it.

      If I recall correctly, there have been a few, albeit minor, confrontations in recent years between the border guards on both sides.

      With Russia slowly but steadily breaking it’s land forces in the west, there won’t be much left to defend the east in China decided to make an incursion.

      I don’t however see that happening. China has Russia by the nut’s and it will shortly by one of a handful of export markets for it’s energy exports and will be supporting financially for the foreseeable future, some territorial concessions on Russia’s part might be a price worth paying for Russia and from China’s point of view, represents the path of least resistance.

        • It depends what your expectations are of them. China has a massive defence budget and will only get better with time. Loads of new kit, new training methods and loads of manpower,
          Hard to compare with Russia. Russia had vast forces and equipment but has been on a downward spiral for years. While China is going the other direction.
          China would eat Russian forces in the east for breakfast.
          China’s bad points used to be tech and effective training. They have been trying to fix that for years now.

          • China lacks recent combat experience. My guess is that China might take advantage of Russia being stuck in Ukraine, & move into the ‘stans. One unspoken reason Putin sent troops to Kazakhstan, was to prop up a pro Russia dictator & keep China out.

      • Any PRC takeover is likely to be economic rather than military with boith having nukes. PRC probably best allowing Russia to become economically reliant on PRC, granting them more influence.

        But 2 neighbouring major powers with imperial ambitions is not a recipe for peace long term.

        • That’s pretty much much what I suggested, combined with a small territorial ‘gift’ that relates to borders from, without looking, to @Ian Skinner’s comments, reference the Amur river, back to pre WWI or possibly further.

          • BBC reporting that PRC has made an agreement with the Soloman Islands to base police, troops ships & service its ships in the Solomans, much to the consternation of Australia & NZ. Only crumb of comfort is it removes the doubt of PRCs ambitions & threat amongst those who doubted. NZ must up its game as it’s virtually defenceless atm.

          • New Zealand has it made. All they have to do is convince the Chinese that white wine is best with lamb chops.

    • You do run out of things if you fire them off all over the place in an ill disciplined manner.

      Also doesn’t help when the inventory is a % of what was paid for due to the kleptocracy taxes.

        • They are not hinds. They are ka52 havocs. Yes armoured. Id think the manpads must have had faulty proximity fuses or didnt arm correctly.
          An air defence bloke I know said a MANPAD roughly has a 33% success rate. So that fits with what you see in the video. If it is real and not a fake. Looks real enough to me.

        • The Hinds do also have armour but more limited.

          It depends on where you hit and the angle of incidence.

          Helicopters are quite curvy so the chances of a glancing blow are quite high.

          As Mr Bell says below it will depend on wether the proximity fuze etc was arming right as there should be a pre charge to breach the armour in most modern systems.

          Older systems rely on brute kinetic force.

    • If that ia real then the Russians just lost to Ka52 havoc attack helicopters. These are Russia’s best attack helicopter.
      Why 4-5 were flying in such close proximity I dont know.
      Where was the pilots evasive action when stingers or other Manpads are flying passed the cockpit.
      Agree no chaff or IR flares fired. Result 3-4 helicopters chalked.

      • It must then be a composite – the camera work is very poor for any video game I’ve seen. Can one impose one over another easily? My only doubt is that the helicopters showed no response to colleagues detonating around them – by manoeuvring violently.

        • It benefits by being a night time video so low light levels obscure texture on the models. Also the smoke trails from helos that get hit (i.e. puffs of smoke rather than a continuous trail) and the similarity of the explosions are exactly what you get in a game. I admit to having played too many over the years to be taken in by this one, even with decent graphics. Taking nothing away from the Ukrainians in real life but this is a fake. That it appeared apparently on mainstream media….well, they should check their sources more carefully.

          • Many thanks for taking the trouble to make reasoned reply. I have come round to your opinion. We had to get by with comics in my youth .,..

  8. I had expected the Ukraine Army and the ‘civilain militia’ to stand and fight well with defensive weapons, but to take to the offensive is surprising, impressive and seems mostly successful. This war will go on and on, I fear.

    • Well they fought Mad Vlad’s army to a standstill with all its hypersonic and wonder weapons. So the psychology is good.

      Also the **know** that in certain situations they can pick of armour and helicopters at will.

      Much helped by NATO ELINT I suspect they **know** exactly where to find bite sized chunks to take out where they are no cross defended assets.

      The key thing for them is to keep taking out bite sized chunks without getting sucked into a full on battle.

      • Exactly Bloke. Don’t go toe to toe ever. Another factor brought out by Gen. (retd.) David Petraeus is the Soviet – sorry! – Russian communications have been effectively jammed and spoofed. I imagine all those pre-conflict flights by U.S.-U.K. snoopers gained a complete picture of Russian communications and this is being exploited by the Ukrainians. Russian troop morale is apparently rock bottom. How long before we see a whole formation surrender and jack it in? I dare to wonder.

    • No bias in that article at all! Referring to NATO as NATOstan pretty much summed it up for me. Is the Azov battalion far right and racist, yes. Does it have undo influence over Ukraine’s politics, no. It was thrust in conflict as Ukraine’s regular army wasn’t up to it in 2014. Since then the influence of the far right has waned with many recruits not joining because of ideology but because that group was the most combat ready. I’m not excusing their views but to say Ukraine as a whole is Nazified is incorrect. Russia and many other countries have similar groups unfortunately. Putin just used this as a pretext for a war he has always wanted regardless.

      Posting stuff like this with no balance does little for your cause on this site.

        • The difference is that Nazis are just random nutters in Russia (and in the EU & Uk & US) but in Ukraine they are organised into the military and armed and paid (very well) by the Ukrainian government that they are also embedded into. The Nazis run children’s camps akin to the Hitler Youth, and it’s the Nazi battalions that have formed the core of the Ukrainian forces in the East facing the Donbas. Mariupol has been their personal fiefdom since 2014.

          The western media has been hanging on about Ukrainian Nazis for 8 years and now suddenly tells us … the Nazis are the hood guys.

    • We know the background. But for slow learners here’s the thrust.

      Angry, vengeful Russian leader, having enriched himself and a coterie of cronies starts becoming fearful of democratic institutions edging closer to Russia.
      Angry , vengeful Russian leader jails or kills opposition and closes down all dissent.
      Posing half naked on horseback, or fishing he becomes a delusional narcissist and thinks he’s a ‘Strongman ‘
      Filled with contempt for neighbouring countries he begins armed and hostile campaigns against them.
      Fearful of his own population seeing the benefits of democracy and freedom he sets about attacking their institutions and conducts chemical and radiological attacks on dissidents.
      Using evidence of democracy and freedom and a desire to co-exist peacefully in Europe as somehow proof of Naziism he launches an invasion into Ukraine.
      His military are so incredibly incompetent that they fail in their objectives , revert to type and commit wholesale war crimes against civilians.
      A few idiots in the west are taken in by his Nazi ideology and try to gaslight and deflect away from the facts.

      Fixed it for you.

          • 😂👍! Interesting still pics on YouTube from 03/03 with 5 Russkie VDV lads using a lift during whatever Job they were on, to go up a building. Kitted up to the nines, lift operator turned the lift off, they got stuck!!!! Dunno what happened to them but they looked shit scared, but if not dead hope never to show their faces again!!!! FFS what dross are the Russians churning out pretending to be soldiers!!!!

    • lol you are turning out to be a right Russian peasant aren’t you Johnski ,having to go to the bottom of the barrel analyst’s far far
      away to get some one on your side a bit like RT did since 2014, OSINT analysts just simply out match you poor inadequate Russian trolls with real time info.

    • Oh FFS more total chuff from trollskie boy! Give it a break as the main Nazi to be concerned about is your head shed Putin! Ever heard the phrase pissing in the wind…that’s you and your desperation!

    • I hope the west gets as many civilians out as it can and as much equipment in as possible in the shortest time. The consequences for Ukraine aren’t to be thought about – horrific destruction. But Putin must not win this one.

  11. I’m surprised we haven’t heard more about Zaporizhizha, it’s an important rail hub for the south, I can’t see any way of getting a freight train from Crimea to Russia without going through it.

    Considering the sunk costs I doubt Putin will want peace until he’s 100% secured Crimea, Donbas and the shale gas fields that come with them as that’s the closest thing he’s got to a win to show the audience at home.

    So he’ll need the North Crimea Canal supplying fresh water to Crimea and he’ll need the rail network. Both sit on the Dneiper so it could be possible for Ukraine to deny these to Russia.

  12. At Staff Colleges in the future they will run courses entitled: Ukraine 2022, how NOT to run an invasion.

    Firstly you signal your intent by having your army camp around the chosen targets borders all through winter so that your vehicles and manpower are attrited by the freezing winter weather. Next you carefully time your attack to coincide with the thaw so that all off road movement is impossible. You base your logistics upon the presumption that it will all be over in three days and issue rations, fuel and ammunition on that basis. You plan your logistic support up single roads which must pass through easily defensible bottlenecks. You plan to use your large air force in small penny packets so that no overall air superiority plan is discernible. Next you disperse your ground combat power along various different axis so that you are weak everywhere and strong nowhere. Briefings as to objectives are limited to senior officers so that the rank and file actually have no idea what they are doing. Once the invasion begins you use unrestrained fire power in built up areas so that the local population, even if they are ethnic Russians, despise you. All the while you pretend to your own public and the world that nothing is going on so that there is no honest relationship between those doing the fighting and those paying for it in terms of both blood and treasure. Lastly you ensure that your tactical commanders have no ability to use their initiative to shape the plan to the battlefield realities.

    Outcome: Complete cluster!

    • Very good and succinct. Putin set out to divide N.A.T.O. and end its ‘creeping influence’ on his country by waging a conflict he repeatedly claimed would never happen. By so doing he has achieved something no U.S. President since Eisenhower up to Biden had ever been able to do. Western European countries are stampeding to re-arm and almost all will increase national spending on defence including a formerly pacifistic Red-Green Alliance in Germany. Two hitherto firmly neutral countries close to Russia, Sweden and Finland will join N.A.T.O. No, it makes no sense at all. But in all this we must no forget the dead – Russians as much as Ukrainians. Pointless and cruel.

    • And don’t put four Generals on the front line – they are liable to be killed (apparently one of them by his own troops but not verified).

  13. If we look at our own history or the US, the way wars like ww1/ww2/vitanam/Korea etc were fought was to level civilian areas to the ground. Effectively fighting the civilian will to support the war, which is something unfortunately is needed in a big war. We kinda brush over the history of mass bombings of civilians by the allies, not a pleasant part of our history.

    Russia hasn’t really started doing that yet, it seems civilian hits are exception and not the rule (hard to tell, it seems like their initial approach was the try and capture the cities in tact), or the media would have got bored of reporting about it. You know when crime is an issue in your town when the local rag stops talking about minor punch ups/fights on a weekend.

    I fear Russia will move into more traditional warfare tactics, of leveling cities soon, which means massive loss of life. All depends how determined Putin is.

    Let’s hope the west /Ukraine gives him an exit ramp, a way to end the war without losing too much face, as it’s the only way this is going to end without a shed load more deaths.

    • Putting aside Blair knew they didn’t have WMD, having chemical/biological weapons is big difference from Russia and having thousands of nukes.

      If Russia was to nuke Ukraine, the west would do nothing, what could they realistically do. Go to war with Russia and end the world, isn’t really a viable tactic.

      NATO made its decision not to get involved prior to the war starting, when it could have prevented it from happening, now they are stuck watching from the sidelines.

      • The trick is to be vague. Tell Putin that if he uses WMD, then all NATOs self imposed restraints will be dropped. Let him try to work out what that means.

      • No sorry the whole point of MAD is that both sides must believe the other side will retaliate IN KIND or its pointless.
        Putin is dictating this purely because we have allowed him to do so.
        NATO/UN/AMERICA (perm any one from three) should unequivocably tell Putin if he launches ANY nuclear strikes in UKRAINE then RUSSIA will be ejected from the UN Security council and we will retaliate..no ambiguity.
        I honestly believe that is required- now, before its too late…again.

      • Not for war criminals who break treaties, invade & annex neighbors, murder civis indiscriminately, threaten to use nukes, lie massively & spend their peoples lives recklessly. Putin’s gone way too far & cannot be allowed any “face”.
        We can deal respectfully with a contrite Russia but Putin has burnt all his boats. If we appease, we store up far worse for later.

    • You’re failing to take in to account that what was lacking during all those campaigns was precision fires. It’s nothing to do with traditional warfare, it was the application of what was available at the time. Although they still have their place on the modern battlefield, Western militaries are now favouring precision effects over traditional field artillery. Is this yet another example of Russia claiming huge capability whilst the reality being that they lack that capability in any real numbers or that it just doesn’t function as claimed.

    • Well Steve I think we (the West) really need to give Poo Tin an escape route too. Failure to do so pretty much guarantees further, very dangerous, escalation. Poo Tin can’t withdraw because that is the end of his regime and he can’t go for a long term attrition strategy because the Russian people won’t wear it so the more successful the Ukrainians are the more likely he does something really nuts. BTW, not a political thing, but I wish Johnson would mind his language very carefully. All this talk of punishing Poo Tin and making him fail plays straight into his hands as it makes Russians think we are the aggressor. Yes we should be supporting Ukraine but we don’t have to make such a noise about it.

      • Fully agreed, there needs to be a way crafted to let Putin get out of the war whilst saving face. The issue is it can’t happen without Ukraine playing ball.

        There is a lot of news stories that Boris has been marginalised by the other world leaders over Ukraine, and that the US are not happy with our government. However it’s impossible to know if it’s true or just anti Boris news stories. We do know that the US secruity services considered Boris as a secruity threat, as that came out during the FBI investigation into russian influence in the US elections.

        • It works both ways. Yes, give Putin an off ramp, but does he really want it? Also, Putin would have to offer a reasonable deal to Ukraine. Perhaps, both sides giving way a little & agreeing not to crow about the deal afterwards.

          • The other issue is the western media. The only way it works is if it is perceived by the Russian media (or more likely the oligarch) that Putin has won a victory over the west, which means western leaders having to accep tthey will take a polictical hit, which i just can’t see happening. Can you imagine Boris accepting to lose votes for the greater good. Biden would be in the same boat, whilst he probably isn’t going to run for a second term at his age, his party will want to.

          • If the war on ukraine is basically a way to make the oligarch’s richer, then unfreezing their assets and russia keeping parts of Ukraine might be enough, as long as its parts that are wealthy.

            After all there is no reason to believe russia operates any different than the US did when it decided to go to war with Iraq, which was almost certainly all about the oil and afgan was heavily about the gas pipes.

          • They will it’s just a matter of whether it happens soon or years time. Russia will slowly keep slogging it out and over time their larger miltiary should start sorting itself out and taking more of Ukraine. If it becomes a multi year war then Ukraine will loose tens or hundreds of thousands of its citizens. Russia isn’t going to completely retreat.

          • Saying that the news that the Russian defence minister has said their main objective of taking control of the break away regions is almost complete, would suggest that maybe Russia is accepting defeat and trying to find its own way of saving face.

            Could also be disinformation, to divert defenders away from the capital

          • With you Jay, be a firm wall against Putin. Will send a message to other like types around the world too. He “personally” needs to be held responsible for this invasion and all its murder and destruction and quite frankly should be “pushed off a ramp”… Can’t believe he’s even been invited to the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia and accepted it…yeah, right…

          • Maybe it’s a Ploy too get Putin out of his Ivory tower and whilst in Indonesia is arrested for War Crimes Quentin

          • John I doubt if Putin if a deal could be made would pay War reperations for the damage he has caused as the Ukrainians would be pushing for Putin is a person who cannot be seen as losing at anything his not even worried about the threat of War crimes ,He really thinks that he is untouchable Fingers crossed he’s Not

          • The Cuban missile crisis, in part ended, because there was a public part of the deal, & a private agreement, that only came out years later. There may be parts of a Ukraine deal, that one or both sides, cannot accept publicly, but might agree to if kept secret, at least for a few years. Russia has frozen assets in the West. Russia might agree in private, that those assets be used to rebuild Ukraine, as long as its kept quiet. That, way Putin can claim not to have given any money (directly) to Ukraine.

          • Quite agree with you on that ,John Putin wouldn’t like too be seen to lose Face having too admit to the Russian public that his Liberation of Ukraine wasn’t a victory and unfortunately he’ll live too cause more trouble down the line

          • Then there will never be peace, in these types of things peace only happens if the defender concedes territory. Not saying it’s ideal, but it’s going to have to happen.

          • so he gets rewarded then – we tried this in 1939 it didnt work , we tried it again in 2014 …funnily enough it didnt work again …so you are suggesting we try it again …3rd time lucky hey.
            He cannot be allowed to keep any part of Eastern Ukraine.

    • And yet India fails to condemn the Russian invasion, because of their historical relationship and arms dependency! The next time China nibbles on India’s boundaries, let them turn only to Russia.

        • Boris sees himself as a strongman Churchillian type, so it’s double delusions all round. Just grandstanding hoping people forget all his failures so far.

        • Good spot John. Our current ‘global UK’ diplomatic approach seems to be based on the Raj strategy of using India as an outpost of the British Empire to constrain the Russian empire at North West Frontier. Modi is taking India in the wrong arrogant, regressive introspective direction. We ought not to look to India to save us from Brexit, which we must be careful to use in the spirit as the French say of ‘reculer pour mieux sauter’. China is using its economic power to extend the reach of its influence and may well turn out to be the winning horse. Ukraine has made ‘playbooks’ fashionable; China is following the British Empire playbook. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Trump stood up for US workers and reset trade relations with China but Ukraine is clarifying to China that Chinese prosperity is linked to the west not Russia. It will distance itself from Russia, respectfully of course 😂

          • China is in an interesting financial position. A vast pile of gold, 20k to 30k tons, on one hand. Huge local government debts $4 to 8 trillion, high speed rail $950 billion, Evergrande $300 billion + Hainan Airline group & large numbers of other debtors, on the other hand. How that debt plays out, will be interesting.

          • As a generality I see China as a more outward looking, flexible and pragmatic culture; one that you can do deals with. Small examples are the recent realisation that zero covid lockdowns can’t be sustained, the reluctance to support the Russia line against Ukraine and the strategy of ‘Sinisation’ of Christian churches rather than outright proscribing. Contrast this with Modi’s attachment to a Hindu national monoculture. Plus China makes things we actually want to buy.

          • So Tibet, Hong Kong , The Uyghurs , they mean nothing as long as China makes things we in the West want to buy- oh thats alright then

          • Checkout how dhskits, Christians and Muslims are doing in India these days. Modi’s Hndhu nationalism can teach the Chinese a thing or two about nastiness.

      • India is going to be manufacturing Starstreak under licence, has French Rafael’s and subs, US Seahawk’s, P-8s, 155mm artillery and other Western weaponry and has a very mixed bag of supplier relationships. I think the West needs to work at keeping India more in our camp as possible to counter Russia-China as everyone is pushing around their military-economic-political influences and naturally enough we want more of our “freer and democratic and political values” to spread. Plus don’t forget the all important (a)political game of cricket 🏏…we can’t have a world without Indian cricket!!! Lol. 😏. Hmmm, I wonder if the Chinese will ever take up cricket?🤔 As a side note, it will be interesting to see if Russia gets banned outright from the 2024 Paris Olympic’s and beyond. I can’t see Putin being invited (if he is still alive then) to attend.

  15. Sky News are saying the Colonel commanding the Russian 37th Motor Rifle Bde of the 36th CAA which is north of Kyiv has been killed by his own troops. They are saying he was run over by a tank on purpose. The 37th MR Bde has taken heavy casualties and was part of that notorious column. Maybe Russian morale is about to snap? It certainly seems that the Ukrainians are threatening a large encirclement of Russian forces north of Kyiv.

  16. Just watched Sleepy Joe Biden making a speech in Poland , I don’t know if my Ears deceived me but Joe Biden said a deal with the EU for Liquefied Natural Gas , from the States except Good old Sleepy Joel did not say LNG he said we will supply OMG whoops time for a nap

    • Turkmenistan has 4th largest deposits of natural gas. Their only pipeline goes to China. Turkmenistan now wants a new mini pipeline across the Caspian, to link with the Azerbaijan pipeline, that runs through turkey to the South of Italy. That would let Europe ditch Russian gas.

    • “Sleepy Joe” is one of those childish insults the MAGA loonies throw around. You should be careful not to become associated with those idiots.

      So long as he’s doing the right thing, who cares if he makes the occasional tongue slip. Wouldn’t be the first world leader.
      As for taking naps, Churchill continued to take his midday nap throughout WW2. Maybe more world leaders should 🤷🏻‍♂️

      • Throwing insults is often used as they don’t have a better idea. It’s easier to insult and belittle than to argue a point of view. Main thing is to try and not be to personal. Attack the policy not the person so to speak.
        Now if only I could use my own advice all the time😂😂
        People will always be on multiple side of the fence and for some they just can’t see the others point of view.
        Joe Biden does have his gaffs but it shows he is a human. We all make mistakes. Trump and bush made gaffs as well, fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice……. One of my favourite bush quotes.

      • Sorry Sean ,I do realise that Mr Biden is seen as the leader of the free world but he does seem too have the ability to not only confuse his audience but also tongue ties himself As for Sir Winston Churchill taking naps ,our country was at war grab it while you can and he did

        • Getting tongue tied isn’t a capital offence, as I recall we had a wartime king who had a stammer. So long as he gets the decisions right I don’t mind him confusing the occasional audience.
          Churchill’s midday naps were a habit long before and after the war. Nothing to do with disturbed sleep due to the Blitz or whatever. His daily consumption of alcohol possibly was contributory, and yet he steered this country to its greatest victory.

          There’s a reason why the church only declares someone a saint after they die. Because nobody is perfect.

          • The Church in Rome does I’m not aware that the Church of England goes into the act of making Saints my Ancestors never bowed too Henry VIII and we were persecuted for many a century The most senior Duke who deals with State funerals such as Churchills is The Duke of Norfolk a Catholic one of his ancestors was Philip Howard who in 1971 was made a Saint by Rome I attended his namesake School
            in Barnham along from their Seat at Arundel . A bit off track but it’s Friday night Sean and Chnl 5 has a good programme on Sundodgers sorry Submariners

          • As a fellow left-footer I’d have to say is there any other real church except for Rome? 😉
            No worries, it’s the start of the weekend, so everyone is allowed to go off track, it’s been a tough week.

      • Didn’t like Trump much but Biden has sent all the wrong messages to Russia. Being far more ambiguous about US’s response and being unclear if US advisers have left or not could well have changed Putins calculations. Biden’s clarity on US’s position may well have cost a lot of Ukrainian lives and caused a lot more to flee than necessary.

        Look at the Mig deal with Poland, even supplying those Migs a spares could have helped, Romania returned an SU 27 to Ukraine without issue at the start of the war. Some lame excuse that NATO pilots would have to fly them into Ukraine has been debunked as Ukrainian pilots could fly them from Germany, US defence expert have said sanitising Stingers for use in Ukraine is a more complex task than removing the NATO IFF systems.

        He’s certainly not doing the right things. However, as per our last election the US voters had to vote for least worst option.

        • I agree it was a big mistake for Biden to say US forces would not intervene, no matter what. It gave Putin the green light to escalate at will. Biden should have been vague. He usually does that well.

    • 7 generals so far, and reports are that a Colonel Yuri Medvedev of the 37 Motor Rifle Brigade has been killed by his own troops who were unhappy about their high losses.

      • Yeh they are saying he got run over by a tank, not a nice way to go. That says a lot about what Ivan thinks about their leadership and what they are being asked to do. Morale is a very brittle thing and it could be about to snap.

  18. Going by the map above let hope that the Ukrainian forces, if they have the arms and strength to push the Russians back east and into sea, reclaim Mariupol and the surrounds and access to the Adov sea and the coup de grace, reclaim Crimea and blow up the Kerch bridge. Strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦 and its people and its fighters!

  19. Where are the many Russian trolls who post on UKDJ telling us how strong the Russian armed forces are . I think it’s going to take some serious fake news and propaganda to gloss over this disaster .

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