• Ukraine says it has liberated four villages in the south-east, calling these the first settlements won back from Russia since Kyiv’s counter-offensive began
  • On Monday morning, officials reported that “the national flag is once again waving” over Storozhove, in the Donetsk region
  • A day earlier, footage showed Ukrainian troops celebrating in Blahodatne and Neskuchne - and a minister said nearby Makarivka was also taken
  • The settlements are relatively small - and Moscow is yet to confirm any retreat
  • The Institute for the Study of War backs up Kyiv’s claims, saying Ukraine captured “multiple settlements” along the frontline over the weekend
  • On Saturday, President Zelensky acknowledged that the long-awaited counter-offensive was under way
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    1 year ago

    It’s shit like this that makes this one of the hardest wars to follow. Before that, it was Syria.

    The Russian commanders, who were wrong to invade, have learned a lot since the initial invasion. It’s the same reason that Assads army was much better after they lost a lot of their soldiers. When you have a lot of your army die, on average, the ones remaining are the ones who managed to stay alive who, again on average, are now much more experienced combat troops.

    The Russians did exactly what Ukraine did during the Russian offensive. They pulled back behind their minefields, and then used artillery to drop more mines on the assaulting force that was in the process of clearing mines. This was the same tactic that the Ukrainians used to great success that caused a bunch of Russian tanks to be blown up in columns in Vulhedar.

    Remember, good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. If the basis of your view of why you think a given side is losing is because you don’t like them, then you aren’t actually interested in the war. Just in cheerleading your team.

    Honestly, I can’t understand the strategic goal of how the Ukrainians are running this particular offensive. It truly seems to be to spend as much Ukrainian blood to secure western financial and logistical support. Not to actually gain territory they can hold. At least, that’s my best guess with articles like this in the American media: Politico