[kellyhound]

The Ukrainian air assault forces finally have deployed their most powerful unit. The 2,000-person 82nd Air Assault Brigade, which is stacked with Marder and Stryker fighting vehicles and Challenger 2 tanks, rolled into action around Robotyne, in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast, apparently in the last few days.

The deployment is good and bad news for Kyiv’s long-anticipated counteroffensive, which kicked off with a series of coordinated assaults across southern and eastern Ukraine starting on June 4.

The 82nd Brigade and its sister air-assault unit, the 46th Brigade, were some of the last major units that the Ukrainian general staff was holding in reserve. In finally sending those formations into battle, the Ukrainians could significantly boost their firepower along one of the main axes of the counteroffensive—the one stretching 50 miles from Russian-occupied Robotyne to occupied Melitopol, just north of the Black Sea coast.

But no brigade can fight forever. When the 46th and 82nd Brigades pull back for rest, reset and repairs, there might not be any equally powerful fresh brigades to fill in for them. The counteroffensive could lose momentum.

This neither is a new problem, nor one that’s unique to the Robotyne axis. The Ukrainian marine corps, which has focused its efforts along the Mokri Yaly River Valley, 50 miles to the east, has deployed all four of its front-line brigades at the same time along a 10-mile-wide sector.

The concentration of marine forces along the Mokri Yaly River has paid off for Kyiv. The division-size marine force has liberated a chain of settlements on the road to occupied Mariupol, on the Black Sea coast 50 miles to the south. Most recently Urozhaine, where marine gunners firing American-made cluster shells massacred retreating Russian troops this weekend.

But the marines eventually will need rest. And it’s not apparent which forces can fill in for them. While Ukraine still has uncommitted territorial and national guard brigades, these formations generally lack the firepower and training that make marine brigades so effective.

The same clock is ticking over in Robotyne, as a powerful Ukrainian air-assault force assembles outside the town. A Russian drone strike on one of the 82nd Brigade’s American-made Stryker wheeled fighting vehicles, apparently earlier this week, places the 82nd Brigade within a mile of the Russian 1430th Motor Rifle Regiment’s positions inside Robotyne.

Russian drones have spotted at least one of the 82nd Brigade’s 90 Strykers as well as one of its 40 German-made Marder tracked fighting vehicles. The Russians apparently haven’t located the brigade’s 14 ex-British Challenger 2 tanks. But we know the 69-ton tanks are inching toward the line of contact.

The most recent photo of a Ukrainian Challenger 2 to appear online depicts the tank with a turret-mounted cage that the crew clearly hopes will help to protect the vehicle from drone strikes. These “cope cages” are a battlefield expedient that brigades tend to install on their own as they’re getting ready to enter combat.

If the Ukrainian marines’ experience in Urozhaine is any indication, the surge of air-assault troops around Robotyne could result in rapid gains for Kyiv’s forces. The Ukrainians already were probing, and attempting to flank, the Russian garrison in Robotyne. Now they’ve got two more brigades—and especially heavily-armed ones—to bolster their efforts.

If the Russians in Robotyne can hold their ground, and endure what is likely to be a major but temporary surge in Ukrainian combat power, they might eventually find themselves in a position to strike back at the Ukrainians—once the surge brigades rotate off the front line without replacement.

[WonderMomma]

"President of Poland Andrzej Duda honored the memory of the soldiers of the Ukrainian People's Republic who died in the battles against the Red Army at the Orthodox cemetery in Warsaw.

On August 13-15, 1920, a decisive battle of the Polish-Bolshevik war, known as the "Miracle on the Vistula," took place on the outskirts of Warsaw. Together with Polish soldiers, the soldiers of the Ukrainian People's Republic inflicted a crushing defeat on the Red Army.

This battle determined the preservation of Poland's independence and stopped the Bolshevik revolution from spreading to Western Europe."







"NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov assures that international partners are not pushing Ukraine to "peace talks" with the aggressor state of Russia"



"Warsaw is hosting the largest military parade since the end of the Cold War. Today is Polish Army Day, the 103rd anniversary of Poland's victory over Bolshevik Russia in the Battle of Warsaw.

A column of two thousand soldiers and 200 pieces of military equipment marched through the Polish capital. There were 92 airplanes and helicopters in the sky."

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

"Weapons and ammunition seized by security forces in Miami (USA) and transferred to the needs of the defense forces of Ukraine.

The Cobray CM-11/Nine 9mm carbine, AR-15 rifles (including the Smith & Wesson M&P 15), AK platform rifles and pistols (Glock, HS, Beretta 92FS and others) can be seen."

#smallarms

Attachment 1198953

Attachment 1198954

Attachment 1198955

"Today in Irpin, Ukrainian police received weapons from Miami, USA.

Irpin and Miami are sister cities. Local police seized the weapons from American criminals. Now the handed over pistols, assault rifles and rifles will serve Ukrainian police officers."








"NATO Secretary General's Chief of Staff Stian Jenssen suggested (https://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/i...ato-medlemskap) that Ukraine could become a member of the Alliance in case of territorial concessions to Russia.

At the same time, Jenssen emphasizes that it is up to Ukraine to decide when and on what terms it wants to negotiate."


"The Foreign Ministry rejected proposals to discuss Ukraine's membership in NATO in exchange for territorial concessions to Russia.

"We have always assumed that the Alliance, like Ukraine, does not trade territories. The conscious or unconscious participation of NATO officials in shaping the narrative about the possibility of Ukraine giving up its territories plays into Russia's hands," Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikolenko emphasized."


EDIT: no media
"NATO has called a recent statement by NATO official Stian Jenssen a "mistake," Radio Liberty reports (https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-.../32550901.html).

Jensen said that Ukraine could give up some of its territories in exchange for NATO membership. Ukraine responded by saying that it would not trade its territories. In the morning, Jenssen clarified to VG that his statement "was part of a larger discussion about possible future scenarios in Ukraine.""

[Roosta]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

"The USA announced another package of military aid to Ukraine worth 200 million dollars.

It will include:

✅ Additional missiles for the "Patriot" air defense system
✅ Additional missiles to the "HIMARS" anti-aircraft missile system
✅ Equipment and systems for demining
✅ 155-mm artillery shells
✅ 105-mm artillery shells
✅ 120-mm tank ammunition
✅ TOW ATGM
✅ Javelin ATGM and other anti-tank systems and missiles
✅ 37 tactical vehicles for towing and transporting equipment
✅ 58 water carts
✅ More than 12 million cartridges for various small arms and grenades
✅ Ammunition for demining obstacles
✅ Spare parts, maintenance and other field equipment.

Delivery under the PDA program - from the availability of the US Army."

Attachment 1201428

Video:
"Video from the company tactical exercises of the fighters of the special purpose brigade "Azov", which took place recently."

An early xmass.

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

He is a politician, so in my book, that is an automatic strike against him... but I have never seen any president or leader consistently go to areas on the front line of a war in my lifetime regardless of what country the war was in. And this one is in his own. The guy wears cargo pants and tshirts/hoodies to meetings with world leaders.

I'm sure there are all kinds of reasons behind it and all kinds of theories from pro-Russians. Say whatever you want about Zelesnkyy, the but guy is fucking different from any other politician/president/world leader during war time. I might have an ounce for respect for Putin if he were going around visiting his soldiers on the front line and in hospitals even a quarter as much as Zelenskyy is.

7 different units in one day. Posted 14 August.

#zelenskyy

"Today, the President was at different areas of the front and managed to visit seven different brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine :

⚡️ 22nd separate mechanized;
⚡️ 5th separate assault unit;
⚡️ 80th Airborne Assault Regiment;
⚡️ 57th separate motorized infantry;
⚡️ 92nd separate mechanized;
⚡️ 26th separate artillery;
⚡️ 3rd separate assault unit"

The man has a lot on his plate & does a hell of a lot of work so has every right to dress himself how he wants & he dresses comfortably & why not.

There is also a terminology for the waked out dream on pollies & that is "Suites" & something he is not, besides, you ever tried to sleep in a suite, which I'm pretty sure that he does have plenty of sleepless nights & when tiered just sleeps at the office just in case, but one things for sure, he's certainly giving the orcs the hiding of a lifetime, clothing etiquette or not !

Originally Posted by Guns N' Coffee ↗

That is a real Russian Bio-Robot, just like the kind they have been sending to fight in the front.

That Terminator screen shot that you posted a few days ago is starting to become the new reality, so much so that the price of lithium will be more than gold as the race to be the combat robot king escalates & more battery power & storage becomes an issue but one things for sure, once the genie is out of the bottle, which it pretty much already is, there's no going back from it as the possibilities & adaptions are endless, we just have to remember to install safety measures to control what AI can do as it's slowly but surely taking over our lives, so much so, that ppl can't cope without their phones for 5min.

[kellyhound]

A KA-52 Alligator was downed this morning near Bakhmut.
Also the 47th separate mechanized brigade shot down a Russian Ka-52 helicopter in the Robotyne district of Zaporizhzhia making it a total of 2.

At approximately 07:40, the air defense group and artillery division detected the enemy "Alligator KA-52". One launch from Manpads and the target was destroyed.

This is already the 8th destroyed Ka-52. The cost of one of these is $16 million.
==========================================

The Baltic States and Poland will consider a complete closure of the border with Belarus on August 28, said Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė.
==========================================

Meanwhile at the front the russ are asking for more body bags.

[kellyhound]

The AFU attacks continued throughout the night. Russian positions were taken. Zavitne-Bazhannya and Staromlynivka are under heavy fire from Arty. Possibly preparatory fire. russ soldiers on the ground report that Ukraine has achieved fire control on two roads towards Staromlynivka.

The possibilities for the Russian in Zavitne Bazhannya to retreat are limited unless they repeat the Urozhaine retreat on foot under cluster ammo.

[kellyhound]

Ukrainian equipment losses 16/08/2023.

Russian equipment losses 16/08/2023.

[WonderMomma]

"Are you interested in what SBU surface drones look like? Please - we publish unique photos and videos of "Sea Baby". The course is only forward, to Victory!"

#dronenaval

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by William May ↗

The factory in Lutsk that had the 3 casualties was actually a Swedish ball bearing factory that the Swedes were operating for the Ukrainian government. The Swedes protested the deaths, but the Russians dismissed the place as a military target, and thus a valid target to be hit.

The Swedes are reportedly pissed off, so that will no doubt be bad for the Russians. We can only hope.

"The Russian Embassy in Sweden in a boorish commentary confirmed (https://twitter.com/RusEmbSwe/status...22344900088245) the strike on the Swedish company SKF plant on Tuesday night, saying it was a legitimate military target.

Moscow's mission recalled the Russian Defense Ministry's propaganda statement about the strike on "key military industry enterprises of the Kyiv regime."

"Don't you see the connection? Then let us explain: this plant in Lutsk is part of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, it produced bearings for Ukroboronprom. Naturally, the Swedish press did not mention this fact," the commentary states.

We have not been able to find any information in open sources about the cooperation between SKF and Ukroboronprom. According to the company's official statement, its plant in Lutsk produces tapered roller bearings, "primarily for the heavy civilian automotive industry.""



"Ukraine has not yet been invited to the G20 summit to be held in India on September 9-10.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that Ukraine was not invited because the G20 advocates growth and development, not conflict resolution, which should take place in the UN Security Council.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry noted that it is working with its partners to get an official invitation, as the summit will focus on economic issues, among other things."


VIDEO:
"Instructors from Canada salute a group of Ukrainian servicemen who have completed their training and are returning to Ukraine."

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

the 47th separate mechanized brigade shot down a Russian Ka-52 helicopter in the Robotyne district of Zaporizhzhia making it a total of 2.

A screenshots of the helicopter in Robotyne/Robotine, Zaporizhzhia.