#Ukrainian servicemen

[demiurgeua]

День вшанування захисників Донецького аеропорту 2024

“Сьогодні День пам’яті захисників Донецького аеропорту, героїв, які написали важливу сторінку в історії боротьби за нашу Незалежність. Цей подвиг українських воїнів продемонстрував усьому світові відвагу, мужність та незламність українців. Навіки в нашій пам’яті закарбувалися слова: «Кіборги вистояли, не встояв бетон». Ми дякуємо кожному, хто бився в ДАПі. Ми памʼятаємо усіх, хто віддав життя за…

[folklorespring]

10 years ago Donetsk Airport was closed due to armed clashes with russian subversive groups.

Later the Ukrainian defenders defenders of Donetsk Airport will be called cyborgs, a reference to their invincibility and courage. This name was first used by unknown pro-russian militant while trying to explain why the units of the militia forces could not take up arms at the Donetsk airport, which is protected by several dozen Ukrainian servicemen.

On the night of May 26, 2014, a group of pro-russian forces partially occupied Donetsk airport. It took place as Donetsk city and that part of the wider region were already under russian occupation. The airport was the last Ukrainian stronghold in the city.

The defense of Donetsk airport lasted 242 days.

The ruins of the airport, 24 December 2014

[tomorrowusa]

Putin is trying to pass off North Korean troops fighting in the Russian army as members of the Buryat ethnic group in Siberia.

It's already suspected that Putin is giving North Korea missile technology in return for ammunition and other military supplies. Apparently troops from North Korea are also part of the deal. Unfortunately for Putin, they seem to be as useless as his own troops.

The Suspiline report citing Ukrainian intelligence sources says that 18 North Korean soldiers fled their positions somewhere on the border between the Bryansk and Kursk regions of Russia, just 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) from the state border with Ukraine. The source said the reason for them absenting themselves is not known but it said Russian forces were currently hunting them while the commanders in the area were trying to cover up the incident and to hide it from higher command. The incident comes just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a request to ratify the treaty for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the Russian Federation and North Korea, which had been signed on June 19 during Putin’s visit to the DPRK.

Claiming that North Koreans are actually Buryats is quite a stretch. Buryats have a generally East Asian appearance which might fool people in Europe. But once they speak or write, the similarity disappears.

Buryat is related to Mongolian and uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Korean is rather unique and uses its own homegrown phonetic script. They don't sound or look anything alike.

The report of these soldiers being absent without leave (AWOL) also coincided with other intelligence reports that up to 3,000 North Korean combat troops were being trained to form a “special Buryat battalion” at the base of the 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Russian army at Sosnovy Bor near Ulan Ude in Buryatia. The reports say the unit is currently being provided with weapons and equipment. A Ukrainian milblogger, Igor Sushko, said on X / Twitter on Tuesday that the North Korean troops were being issued with Russian military identity cards identifying them as Buryats. The Buryatia Republic is situated in eastern Siberia, where its indigenous people have an Asian appearance. Andrei Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering  Disinformation, commented that integrating North Korean military personnel into Russian forces was likely to be complicated by the language barrier: “Less than 1% of the cadre officers in the North Korean army are proficient in Russian. Understanding this is crucial for examining the potential future involvement of these troops with the Russian armed forces. “Although Russia might utilize North Korean soldiers initially in the Kursk region, there’s a possibility that several tens of thousands could eventually be deployed to Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories alongside Buryat counterparts,” Kovalenko added.

It would be interesting to hear how the Buryats and North Koreans are getting along in Russia. The Buryats have every right to resent that Putin is trying to pass off North Koreans as Buryats.

The attempt to include North Korean troops with the Russian forces in the Ukraine invasion is another indication that Russia is getting short of troops.

New York Magazine recently featured a lengthy interview with Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Institute called Ukraine War: Why Russia is in More Trouble Than It Looks.

A relevant excerpt...

Russia’s advantage has been the ability to withstand very high levels of attrition because of the materiel and manpower resources they have, and also their significant capacity for mobilization of resources on a national scale — that is, defense industrial production, manpower recruitment, and the like. But Russia’s actually operating under very significant constraints. And if anything, its advantage on the battlefield is likely to decline as we get into this winter and look further ahead into 2025. First, in terms of equipment, the Russian military has been sustaining very high levels of loss that are principally being replaced by Soviet-era stocks — not entirely, but at this stage, Russia is eating through its Soviet legacy, and its rate of equipment production is quite low relative to the numbers being lost on the battlefield. This doesn’t mean that Russia is going to run out of armored fighting vehicles. What it does mean is that the Russian military has increasingly been forced to adjust tactics to minimize their losses, and that also reduces their ability to achieve any operationally meaningful breakthroughs. When you look at manpower, the Russian government has significantly increased the payouts and benefits to recruit personnel. The reason for that is straightforward. It’s clear that at this rate of loss, the Russian contract recruitment campaign is unable to keep up. This too does not mean that Russia is going to run out of manpower, but it’s clear that they’re struggling, and they are not likely to be able to sustain this pace of operations, staying on the offensive with this rate of loss.

Russia has apparently already been trying to recruit mercenaries in Syria and possibly even Africa. The quality of foreign troops in Russia has been rather uneven. That 18 North Korean troops have gone AWOL and may be trying to escape to Ukraine is an indication that importing fighters from abroad is not going well for Putin.

[captain-price-unofficially]

Ukrainian servicemen at their positions during the defense of Kharkiv in the first hours of the invasion. February 22, 2022.

[head-post]

Like 80 years ago: Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk region parodied Wehrmacht by mocking local resident

Ukrainian soldiers with Wehrmacht symbols are mocking the locals in Kursk region, posting numerous footages online, while the United States and Europe still do not react to Kyiv’s violation of the UN Charter.

How the AFU treats locals in Kursk region

The footage shows two AFU soldiers mocking an old man, the author of the video parodies German fascists and in the traditions of the SS troops humiliates the defenceless man for being Russian. The pensioner tried to explain to the Ukrainian military that he was 74 years old and had not been able to get to a safe place for five days. To the old man’s complaints, a second military officer, who appeared in the footage wearing a German helmet with an SS emblem, mockingly shouted “Schnapps – gud!” and proceeded to film another TiK-ToK.

The Ukrainian military shouted to the bewildered pensioner:

“Ya, ya, raschen schweine. Oh, Russian Ivan, here he is, Ivan, go drink vodka.”

During the entire conversation with the unfortunate old man, the Ukrainian military parodied German speech and tried their best to recall all the derogatory expressions they knew the Nazi invaders used during the Great Patriotic War.

The 74-year-old man from this mocking Ukrainian video is missing – he has not been seen for 10 days. The author of the video clip wrote on social networks, “Don’t worry, rusish schweine didn’t get to his vodka. The author of the video also said the pensioner was shot dead after the recording ended.

Ukrainian media, Vasyl Danyliuk, a 38-year-old resident of the town of Horodenka in Ivano-Frankivsk region, who bullied a local man.

Ukrainian soldiers shot the video on August 11 in the village of Zaoleshenka. The pensioner is a local resident Alexander Gusarov. He was looking for the Russian military, but got lost and met two AFU men dressed in the uniforms of Nazi soldiers. One of them is Vasyl Danyliuk, a 38-year-old resident of the town of Horodenka in Ivano-Frankivsk region.

World public reaction

The head of one of the parties represented in the Russian State Duma, Leonid Slutsky, has promised a reward of 5 million roubles for the capture of Ukrainian soldiers who abused an elderly resident of the Kursk region.

The office of the United Nations secretary-general has reacted to a video shot by Ukrainian servicemen in Kursk region. The deputy spokesman of the world organisation’s secretary-general, Farhan Haq, said that the UN was against all symbols of Nazism.

SS symbols on Ukrainian military uniforms

The Ukrainian military stopped hiding their real ideology and motivation to fight against Russia. Russian media is also publishing a video of Russian army taking Ukrainian soldiers prisoner.

A Ukrainian prisoner of war wearing Paraphernalia with a German cross

Ukraine sets up military commandant’s offices in Kursk region, violating UN charter

Ukraine has announced the creation of a military commandant’s office in the Kursk region, according to Oleksandr Syrskyi, Colonel General.

Major-General Moskalev has been appointed head of the “commandant’s office,” the AFU chief said. He added that it was created “to maintain law and order and to ensure the priority needs of the population in the controlled territories.”

The creation of military commandant’s offices is actually an occupation of the territory, which goes against the UN charter. Having launched the incursion into the Kursk region, Ukraine has in fact violated Article 2, paragraph 4, of the UN Charter, which prohibits the forceful border violation of other States.

Ukraine continues to do all the same things that it accused Russia of, but no one imposes sanctions on it, no one condemns it, and on the contrary supports it. Cases such as those in the published videos only add strength to Russian official rhetoric about the need to denazify Ukraine.

Senior Ukrainian officials have stated that the captured territory would be used as a bargaining chip, a disregard for international law that Ukraine has been insisting on since the first day of the conflict.

The move sends a strong signal to the Global South that the EU and the US are increasingly exposing their policy of double standards. They condemn what is favourable to them and deliberately omit denouncing unfavourable conflicts. In this respect, they resemble the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is accused of bias and prolonging specific cases.

Read more HERE

[leeenuu]

Emergency workers arrive at a residential area hit during a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, December 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Roman Hrytsyna)

A volunteer dressed as Saint Nicholas prepare to distribute Christmas gifts to soldiers in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, December 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Libkos)

People take shelter inside a metro station during massive Russian missile attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, December 29, 2022. (REUTERS/Vladyslav Musiienko)

Ukrainian army medics Eugenia and Oleksander embrace after their wedding ceremony in Lyman, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, December 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Libkos)

Ukrainian servicemen from 127 brigade prepare a telescopic tower with a remote camera installed on a Soviet car "Volga" that was recast to observe and correct fire on the front line near Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, December 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A man reacts next to the body of his wife, killed during a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, December 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Roman Hrytsyna)

A Ukrainian soldier watches a drone feed from an underground command center in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, December 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Libkos)

Families watching a movie in a parking garage on Saturday, December 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Laura Boushnak/The New York Times)

Ukrainian servicemen with the Dnipro-1 Special Tasks Patrol Police regiment Raphael Karapitian, 45, walks with with weapons beside a decorated Christmas tree in the trenches on the front line on Christmas Eve in Bakhmut, Ukraine, Saturday, December 24, 2022. (REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)

Ukrainian soldier Vasyl Khomko, 42, carries flowers as he waits for his wife and daughter at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, December 31, 2022. Khomko's wife and daughter have been living in Slovakia due to the war but returned to Kyiv to spend New Year's Eve together. (AP Photo/Roman Hrytsyna)

[beardedmrbean]

Ukrainian forces have struck North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region, marking a new phase in the war.

A Ukrainian official said the troops were wearing Russian uniforms and hit by an artillery strike.

He said that since the first attack, there had been daily battles around Ukrainian-held Sudzha.

A Ukrainian official gave Business Insider further details about the first clashes between Ukrainian and North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a cross-border counteroffensive in August.

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, said on Monday that "the first North Korean troops have already come under fire in Kursk Oblast."

This was later confirmed by Ukraine's defense minister, Rustem Umerov, who called it a "small engagement." Rustem said the skirmish signaled decisively that North Korea had joined the conflict.

In remarks sent to BI, Kovalenko gave more details about the attack.

"It was an ordinary combat engagement in the Kursk region," he said, describing how Ukrainian forces conduct reconnaissance, identify enemy positions, and launch strikes.

He said Ukrainian forces knew that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms had been distributed across various Russian army units in the region for training under combat conditions.

"An artillery strike was launched against a position where Russians and North Korean military personnel were located," he said.

Kovalenko added that it wasn't an isolated incident.

He said "daily battles" were now occurring in the area around Sudzha, a Ukraine-held town at the center of its push into the region.

"Of course, shelling of the positions occurs daily," he said.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said North Korean soldiers — which Ukraine says number 11,000 — had already suffered losses in Kursk.

Kovalenko said the North Koreans were being given "a few weeks" of training before being sent to live combat positions.

He said they posed "a serious threat that requires additional resources from our forces."

He also said some were being given training in using reconnaissance and strike drones, skills that present a future risk to South Korea.

Once back in North Korea, they could use their new drone know-how "for future terrorist actions in the border areas with South Korea," he said.

BI was unable to independently confirm Kovalenko's account.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian intelligence has shared details of the military equipment it says Russia has issued to North Koreans, including mortars, rifles, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles.

North Korea experts told BI the military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang was a win-win for both countries. But on a practical level, they also spoke of the logistical difficulties of combining two militaries.

This includes the conditions the troops will probably be cooperating under — including language issues, strains of racism from some Russian troops, as well as close supervision from North Korean officials to make sure they don't desert.

Ukrainian intelligence also recently shared what it said was intercepted audio of Russian servicemen discussing the coming Korean troops in a conversation that suggested a chaotic start to North Koreans joining Russia's fight.

[ukrainianfellow]

The story of a Ukrainian gay sniper couple

When Russian aggression began, almost all Ukrainian citizens stood up for their country regardless of age, gender, political beliefs or sexual orientation. There are a lot of LGBT representatives in the AFU. The rainbow flag has spread much wider across Ukraine.

Homophobia was a traditional value among Ukrainians before Russian aggression. However, it is widespread among only a part of the population now. Moreover, it is associated with soviet totalitarianism, and the homophobia-tolerant stratum of the population is actively expanding.

It is noted that the number of LGBT servicemen and homosexual couples in the ranks of the AFU has increased significantly.

Pavel Legoyda, an anti-aircraft gunner in the 112th separate brigade of the AFU, is an open representative of the LGBT community. He does not hide his orientation and has a love partner. Unfortunately, he has not escaped abuse from his comrades. Not everyone in the Ukrainian army shows tolerance to people of non-traditional orientation. Pavel felt it by himself when he was almost stabbed to death by a soldier returning from the front line.

Nevertheless, it is worth noting that in 2023 the LGBT Military group claimed that around 50,000 LGBT people were fighting Russian occupants.

We've checked some journalists, that are in Ukraine, and had a talk with a gay couple and find out what is it like to defend the Motherland and fight together with a loved one.

Interviewer: “Could you tell a little bit about yourself and how did you realize your orientation? “.

“Anderson“: "My call sign is “Anderson”, I am a former sniper of the 81st Separate Airmobile Brigade. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, I decided to join the ranks of recruits to defend my homeland. At first, I served as a gunner in a motorized infantry platoon. I confess, that even before the service, I had a slight interest in guys. In the army, I made a final decision about my orientation, but I had to hide it from my comrades."

“Heretic”: “Yes, actually he hid it for about six months, maybe a little more. My call sign is "Heretic." I served as a sniper for more than four years. in AFU”

“Anderson”: “Well, I don't deny it – it was hard to hide my identity. It's a very sensitive issue because you have to worry about how your comrades will react on this."

Interviewer: “Yes, indeed, it's a very brave step. Many people still struggles about it. How did you meet each other?”

“Anderson”: “Well, I was quite good at marksmanship and combat actions. Even before the service, I attended individual courses of shooting, and when I had to use my gun in real battle, I immediately realized that not only could I shoot, but kill occupants. The commander noticed my talent and recommended me to snipers. From that on, I became Heretic’s sniper pair.”

“Heretic”: “At first, I thought he was a newbie who had recklessly joined the snipers. That’s why the relationship between us was quite dry and even cold. Of course, over time, the ice began to melt between us. The daily routine and the constant threat to our lives made me realize that I had misjudged him. I thought: “Damn, he's a good guy!.” Training together, escaping artillery fire, resting and living together in the trenches strengthened our bond. One day, I admitted that I was ready to trust my back to my comrade.”

Interviewer: “And how did you realize there something more than simple sympathy or trust?”

“Anderson”: “Well, I don't know exactly when, where or by what circumstances, but one day I suddenly realized that I felt something more than simple sympathy towards “Heretic”. Maybe it was when we wiped out another Russian orcs, maybe it was when we ate in the trenches. I worried that my feelings would be rejected by my comrade, so I didn’t tell him what I felt.”

“Heretic”: "Well, I was in a similar situation. I just realized that was terrified of losing him. And the constant threat to one of us just made feeling worse."

Interviewer: “And how did you decide to confess?”

“Anderson”: “While we were on another combat mission, and stuck under heavy artillery fire. It was so close that there was no chance of survival. Then we revealed our feelings towards each other.”

“Heretic”: “God bless that we had similar feelings!”

“Anderson”: “Unfortunately, we lost our legs and the ability to fight.”

“Heretic”: “At least we survived. We were found by comrades after the bombing was over.”

Interviewer: “Do your comrades know about your relations? What can you say about their reaction?”

“Anderson”: “Yes, they already know about it. After all we’ve been through we decided to reveal our relations to comrades. We talked with brothers after out hospitalization. We didn't care about anyone’s thoughts.”

“Heretic”: “We didn’t even think that our comrades will support our sights. It turned out that we are not the only ones who have such a relationship.”

[warriormale]

Ukrainian servicemen fire in the Kharkiv region on May 15, amid a fresh Russian assault. Roman Pilipey/AFP/Getty Images

Support Ukraine Freedom!

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[workersolidarity]

[ 📹📸 A Russian military transport plane, was in the process of flying 65 Ukrainian POWs to a location in the Bolgorod oblast to facilitate a prisoner exchange when it was shot out of the sky by Ukrainian missile, killing everyone on board.]

🇺🇦⚔️🇷🇺 🚀🛩️💥 🚨

UKRAINIAN MISSILE SHOOTS DOWN RUSSIAN MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANE FILLED WITH ITS OWN POWs

74 are dead, including 65 Ukrainian POWs, after a Russian military transport plane being used to facilitate a prisoner exchange scheduled for Wednesday was downed somewhere over the Bolgorod region of the Russian Federation, near the border with Ukraine. The prisoner exchange has since been called off by Russian authorities.

In an article published by Ukrainian Pravda, a Ukrainian news periodical, a source is cited as saying that the aircraft was downed by Ukrainian forces near the border with Russia's Bolgorod region, however they have since retracted the source, and are now claiming they cannot confirm the news. The Russian authorities have since confirmed that the plane was in fact downed by a Ukrainian missile, likely using either an American Patriot air defense missile or a German-made Iris-T.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Russian authorities say that the crash took place at approximately 11:15am (local time), when a Russian Il-76 military transport plane filled with Ukrainian POWs was downed near the Bolgorod region.

“At about 11:00 Moscow time, an Il-76 plane crashed during a scheduled flight in the Belgorod region. On board there were 65 captured Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, <including> six crew members and three accompanying persons,” the statement says.

In its statement, the Russian Defense Ministry slammed the missile strike, declaring the "Kiev regime committed a terrorist act" in downing the military transport.

According to Russian sources, the aircraft had been en route from the Chkalovsky military airbase in Moscow, and was shot down by air defenses stationed somewhere in the Kharkov oblast in the northeast of Ukraine, killing everyone on board.

The Russian and Ukrainian authorities had agreed to conduct a prisoner exchange later on Wednesday, with the exchange set to take place near the Russian village of Kolotilovka, also in the Bolgorod oblast, close to the border with Ukraine.

A second military transport aircraft carrying some 80 Ukrainian POWs was turned around before reaching the danger area, and was successfully diverted to another airbase after news of the downing reached Russian authorities.

The Ukrainian officials have so far refused to comment on the crash, remaining mum as news of the event spreads, although Andrey Yusov, a spokesperson for the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) confirmed a prisoner exchange had been scheduled for Wednesday, adding that the exchange has since been cancelled.

#source1

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#videosource1

#photosource2

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[divinum-pacis]

Servicemen of the 24th brigade of Ukrainian Army attend the Easter service in an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region. [Genya Savilov/AFP]

[mariacallous]

18 servicemen from North Korea have already fled their positions on the border between the Bryansk and Kursk regions of Russia. This occurred seven kilometers from the state border with Ukraine.

Intelligence sources disclosed this information to Suspilne.

According to the source, the motives for the escape have not been established, and the Russian army has begun searching for them. At the same time, Russian military officials are trying to conceal this information from higher command.

Earlier on October 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has referenced intelligence reports indicating North Korea’s de facto involvement in the ongoing war, after reports have emerged indicating that more than 20 soldiers were killed near Donetsk due to a missile strike on October 3, including six North Korean officers.

[argumate]

The Russian MoD has begun to remove commanders from some of the Russian military’s most combat effective units and formations and appears to be accelerating this effort.

The reported dismissal and arrest of commanders leading combat effective units and formations appears to be associated with cases of insubordination. Popov flagrantly attempted to bypass Russian Chief of the General Staff and overall theater commander Army General Valery Gerasimov and directly bring his complaints about the frontline in western Zaporizhia to Russian President Vladimir Putin. A prominent Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed that Seliverstov’s dismissal was a result of similar insubordination, and Russian sources claimed that Seliverstov had a reputation for speaking up on behalf of his soldiers. Kornev may have voiced criticism of a host of potential issues on behalf of the 7th VDV Division, including the likely failure to be notified beforehand about the Russian destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station (KHPP) on June 6, reported attritional fighting that failed to eliminate a Ukrainian presence near the Antonivsky Bridge, or conditions in western Zaporizhia Oblast similar to those that Popov complained about. Ibatullin’s arrest may be associated with the 90th Tank Division’s resumption of assaults in Luhansk Oblast, where it conducted widespread offensive operations that failed to achieve territorial gains during the Russian 2023 winter offensive campaign. It is unclear why Ibatullin would have been arrested, if, indeed, he was, when the other commanders were reportedly simply removed from their commands.

Insubordination among commanders appears to be spreading to some of their soldiers. Russian milbloggers shared an audio excerpt on July 16 in which the alleged elements of the 7th VDV Division threatened that they would withdraw from their positions in occupied Kherson Oblast if the Russian MoD arrests Teplinsky or threatens his life. The elements of the 7th VDV Division also claimed that they would defend Teplinsky against the Russian MoD and asserted that the high command is targeting Russia’s most combat effective commanders. This audio appeal, if legitimate, is a threat of mass desertion in the face of the enemy on behalf of Teplinsky. Desertion in the face of the enemy is a capital offense in many militaries. The VDV servicemen are blackmailing the Russian MoD to ensure that Teplinsky continues to command troops in Ukraine, despite Teplinsky’s previous affiliation with Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin who had led an armed rebellion on June 24 to overthrow Shoigu and Gerasimov.

The Kremlin’s chronic disregard for the Russian chain of command is likely hindering Shoigu and Gerasimov in their attempts to suppress insubordination and establish full control over the Russian military in Ukraine. Putin consistently bypassed or ignored the established chain of command in hopes of securing rapid successes on the battlefield throughout the war, degrading Shoigu’s and Gerasimov’s authority – especially when military failures on the frontlines also eroded their reputations. Putin had cultivated an environment in which military personnel, officials, and even Russian war correspondents bypassed Shoigu and Gerasimov to present Putin their understandings of the current state of the war and recommendations for what to do. It is unusual but not unique for a commander in chief to solicit views on the war from outside experts. It is more problematic, although still not unique, for a commander in chief to solicit the views of subordinates opposed to senior leadership directly. But allowing a quasi-military commander such as Prigozhin to conduct his own campaign parallel but not subordinate to the one being executed by the formal chain of command is extraordinarily unusual and badly corrosive of the authority of the formal military leadership.

Putin also established the Russian MoD as the scapegoat for all Russian military failures, which saddled Shoigu and Gerasimov with a reputation for incompetence and failure that they are unlikely to repair. ISW previously assessed that Putin regularly grants and withdraws his support for different commanders in hopes generating rapid improvements in Russia’s military fortunes but without always doing so formally. Shoigu and Gerasimov likely expected that Putin would restore their full authority over the Russian military’s decision-making processes given their loyalty to him after Wagner’s armed rebellion on June 24. Putin, however, has clearly not done so.  He has instead followed his normal pattern of seeking to divert backlash away from himself and rotating commanders instead of outright dismissing them. Intensifying insubordination and widespread outrage in response to the ongoing officer purge may force the Kremlin to reconsider its partial backing for Shoigu and Gerasimov in the wake of Wagner’s rebellion.

Russian commanders are likely setting information conditions to prevent the Russian MoD from punishing them for their insubordination by promoting narratives among Russian servicemembers along the front and thereby risking widespread demoralization.

The apparent crisis in the Russian chain of command and the corresponding morale effects it may produce will likely degrade Russian capabilities to conduct tactical offensive operations that are critical to the Russian elastic defense in southern Ukraine.

snippets from recent ISW updates, this isn't even relating to the Ukrainian offensive, it's all Russian-on-Russian violence

[panimoonchild]

The Russians are bloody butchers - the world must see what monsters truly they're

Invaders shot unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war in Krynky, Kherson region.

On 7 April 2024, a video recording was published on a Telegram channel showing the Russian military shooting three captured Ukrainian servicemen. And that is not the first case.

The video shows a representative of the Russian Armed Forces firing several shots at the unarmed, motionless soldiers, presumably with an assault rifle.

The description under the video states that the incident took place near Krynky of the Oleshky community in the Kherson region.

"Once again, representatives of the aggressor country demonstrably ignore the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which indicates support for such actions by the highest command of the Russian armed forces," the Prosecutor General's Office said.

[captain-price-unofficially]

Ukrainian servicemen firing a D-30 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on March 21, 2023.

[darkmaga-returns]

In August 2023, The New York Times quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying that up to 70,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed and 100,000 to 120,000 wounded. in the ongoing war.   Later, a new estimate by a U.S. official in October 2024, put the number of Ukrainian casualties at more than 57,500 killed and 250,000 wounded. NOT EVEN CLOSE!

Below are the number of Killed, wounded Ukrainian troops in the 97 DAYS from August 6 to November 11:

Donetsk direction - 67,370 people - 30% of the total losses; Pokrovskoe direction - 49,715 people - 22% of the total losses Kupyansk direction - 46,270 people - 21% of the total losses Kursk direction - 30,640 people - 14% of the total losses. Average daily losses are: Donetsk direction – 695 people/day; Pokrovskoe direction - 513 people/day; Kupyansk direction - 477 people/day; Kursk direction - 316 people/day; South Donetsk direction - 119 people/day; Kharkov direction - 106 people/day; Kherson direction - 67 people/day. In all directions - 2,293 people/day.

These numbers come from the Russian Ministry of Defense whose specialized teams have to go out after battle and physically clean-out the Dead so disease does not strike their advancing Russian troops.   

It should be taken into account that the Ministry of Defense reflects in its reports the approximate losses of the enemy only on the line of combat contact, not counting the servicemen killed as a result of the use of Russian long-range precision weapons and aviation deep in Ukrainian territory.

Put simply, the situation for Ukraine is NOT that of a "meat-grinder" it is more accurate to call it a "slaughter house."

The average life-expectancy for NEW Ukrainian troops reaching an actual battle with Russian troops, is: 4 hours.