Ukraine Update 8/10/23
Before we get to developments on the ground, so to speak, here’s a brief account of the air assault on Crimea by the United States. The Russian account makes a major point of emphasizing how this assault on Russian territory was extensively directed by the US. A time will come when the US will want to come to sort of understanding with Russia, and this won’t help:
-- GEROMAN -- time will tell -
Ukrainian drone raid on Crimea Early in the morning, after a comprehensive reconnaissance by the US Air Force and NATO Air Force, Ukrainian formations again attacked the Crimean peninsula with Mugin-5 PRO drones launched from the Odessa region. As a result of the joint work of units of the 31st air defense division and the electronic warfare calculations of the Russian Armed Forces Armed Forces, 12 targets were shot down: ten were suppressed by electronic warfare at Cape Tarkhankut and Evpatoria, one was shot down by the Tor air defense system over Khersones, and the other on the way to the Novofedorovsky airfield over Sakami by the Pantsir air defense missile system. Unlike previous attacks, the AFU slightly changed tactics: this time the UAVs were launched in small groups from several points, starting from the Shkolny airfield and ending with the jump base in Vilkovo.
The attack was again preceded by active reconnaissance in the Black Sea area. In the southwest and south of Crimea, the French Atlantique 2 base patrol aircraft, as well as three US Air Force MQ-9A Reaper drones, operated. Despite the repulsed raid, the attacks are highly likely to continue. According to some reports, a large batch of drones has been delivered to the Odessa region, which they plan to use in combination with unmanned boats.
Turning to the ground war, briefly, what we’ve been seeing for a week or more is that the Russian forces continue to conduct an “active defense” in the Zaporozhye and Bakhmut regions:
The Department of Defense defines active defense as: "The employment of limited offensive action and counterattacks to deny a contested area or position to the enemy."
The goal, as usual, is to inflict heavy casualties on the Ukrainians. That strategy is now being widely acknowledged in the collective West to be highly successful. A report on CNN, to offer just one example, referred to “staggering losses” for the Ukrainians.
Global Thinker
@talkrealopinion
The Washington Post and CNN are now repeating Russian talking point that Ukraine isn't winning.
Hopefully the FBI conducts serious investigation to find out how this Russian propaganda made it to US media.
9:53 AM · Aug 10, 2023
However, at the same time, the Russian side has taken advantage of the continued Ukrainian attempts to launch an offensive. Russian forces are advancing in the Kharkov oblast toward the town of Kupyansk, which has strategic value for further advances. What follows are some updates on that activity.
This first account is based on Ukrainian sources. Other reports indicate that the Ukrainians are planning on withdrawing from the entire area east of the Oskol river:
-- GEROMAN -- time will tell -
The Russians have created a fist for a breakthrough in the Kupyansk direction, - Syrsky, commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reports. "The goal of the enemy is to break through the defenses of our troops and go to Kupyansk. The fighting is now very intense. Separate positions changed hands several times these days," he said.
The Ukrainians have announced evacuations from numerous villages to the west of Kupyansk, as shown on this map:
A Map showing the Settlements in the Kupiansk District of the Kharkiv Region which have been placed under a Mandatory Evacuation Order by the Ukrainian Government.
Russian forces continue pushing forward. Russian reports state that the momentum is increasing and that Ukrainian morale is low, with increasing surrenders. Ukraine is being forced to shift reserves to the area:
The Russian offensive in the north in the Kharkov region is gaining momentum. The Ukrainian general Syrskyj speaks of a huge group of Russians breaking through the front here.
Slightly southwesterly, the Russian units are already close to Kislovka, a center of concentration of Ukrainian armed forces. Ten Ukrainian bases were captured here yesterday.
As of yesterday, the Ukrainians stopped trying to attack the Russian bridgehead on the Zherebets River. Another Russian offensive is to be expected in the near future. The whole front section from Kupyansk to Svato is in motion, the Russians are increasing the pressure, the Ukrainians are giving way. The Russian artillery and air force are very active in the whole area up to the river Oskol. The Ukrainians are slowly withdrawing, still holding the front, although there have already been cases of panicked desertion. Thus, the units of the 101st Territorial Defense fled from the front.
Finally …
We appear to have documentary confirmation that the US did, in fact, pressure Pakistan to remove its elected president, Imran Khan, for the sin of trying to maintain neutrality in the US war on Russia. Pakistani officials in DC were told that if the vote of no confidence against Khan were successful (wink, wink), “all would be forgiven.” The US and EU would once again smile on Pakistan. Because, democracy!
After a year of denials, evidence finally emerges showing US officials *did* in fact pressure Pakistan to oust Imran Khan because he met with Putin the day of the Ukraine invasion. This was done at the express direction of the White House, the cable claims https://theintercept.com/2023/08/09/imran-khan-pakistan-cypher-ukraine-russia/…
Here are some key excerpts from the leaked Pakistani “cypher”:
I asked Don if the reason for a strong U.S. reaction was Pakistan’s abstention in the voting in the UNGA. He categorically replied in the negative and said that it was due to the Prime Minister’s visit to Moscow. He said that “I think if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the Prime Minister. Otherwise, I think it will be tough going ahead.” He paused and then said “I cannot tell how this will be seen by Europe but I suspect their reaction will be similar.” He then said that “honestly I think isolation of the Prime Minister will become very strong from Europe and the United States.
This revelation will undoubtedly be intensely embarrassing for Pakistan, since it tends to portray this nuclear armed nation as a puppet of the US.
As a commenter on Scott Ritter's blog said, the neocons "can Crimea river".
The fact that Pakistan is a puppet of the US also raises issues about the supposed killing of Bin Laden in Abbottabad. Maybe the official version is true, however, it seems bizarre that the ISI, Pakistan's secret service, knew for years that OBL was there but didn't tell the CIA, about it. The two organisations work very closely together. That "assassination" fell at a very opportune time for Obama.