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Russia Has Gained More Territory This Year Than Ukraine

NYT reports that despite nine months of heavy fighting, only about 500 square miles have changed hands in Ukraine this year

by Dave DeCamp

Posted on

September 28, 2023

Russian forces have gained more territory in Ukraine this year than the Ukrainian side despite the Ukrainian counteroffensive that was launched in June, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

The report noted that despite nine months of heavy fighting in Ukraine, only about 500 square miles of territory have changed hands this year. Russia has gained 331 square miles while Ukraine has gained 143, a difference of 188, which amounts to Russia’s net gain in territory so far this year.

Most of the fighting in the first half of the year focused around the Donbas city of Bakhmut, which Russia fully captured in May after a brutal battle that started in August 2022. Ukraine’s counteroffensive has focused on the south, but fighting has continued near Bakhmut and across the entire eastern front.

The Times quoted Marina Miron, a postdoctoral researcher in war studies at King’s College London, who said Russia appears to be comfortable holding the territory it currently controls rather than seeking rapid gains.

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/09/28/russia-has-gained-more-territory-this-year-than-ukraine/

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• The Russian army repelled two attacks of the 127th and 128th Territorial Defence Brigades of the AFU near Rovnopol and Priyutnoye;
• The Russian army repelled attacks of the 65th mechanized brigade of the AFU near Rabotino;
• Russian artillery shelled AFU positions in Novopokropovka;
• The Russian army repelled Ukrainian attacks near Staromayorske and Urozhayne;
• The Russian Army repelled Ukrainian attacks near Maryinka;
• Russian forces destroyed 30 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armored vehicles, 3 motor vehicles, M119 towed howitzer, FH70 artillery system, 2 D-30, 1 Msta-B howitzers in the Zaporozhye region;
• Russian forces destroyed 40 Ukrainian servicemen, as well as three motor vehicles in the Kherson region;
• Russian forces shot down Ukrainian Su-25 near Novodanilovka;
• Russian Su-35 was shot down by friendly fire near Tokmak
• Russian strikes destroyed an ammo depot of the AFU near Shlyakhovoye;
• Russian forces captured two Ukrainian servicemen prisoners on the Kazatsky island;
• The AFU rotated their forces on the Alekseevsky and Aleshkinsky islands;
• Russian artillery struck AFU positions near Kherson;
• The AFU attempted a landing operation west of Kosachi Laheri;
• The AFU shelled Russian positions in Nova Kakhovka;
• The AFU shelled Russian positions in Gola Prystan;
• Artillery duels between the AFU and Russian forces continue near the Antonovsky bridge;
• Russian forces destroyed 40 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles in the Kherson region.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

• Military Situation In Ukraine On September 30, 2023 (Map Update)
• Military Situation In Donbass On September 29, 2023 (Map Update)

https://southfront.press/military-situation-in-southern-ukraine-on-september-30-2023-map-update/

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October 1 is celebrated annually in Russia as the country's Ground Forces Day. First celebrated in 2006, the holiday commemorates the creation of the Streltsi regiments by Russian Tsar Ivan IV in 1550, considered the first regular army in Russian history.

Formed in 1992 after the dissolution of the Soviet armed forces, the Russian Ground Forces are the most numerous, complex and diverse branch of the Russian military.

The Ground Forces of the Russian Federation stand as a formidable shield, comprising armored forces, artillery, infantry, air defense, logistic forces, and specialized units like hazmat and electromagnetic warfare forces. They are ever prepared to counter any land-based threat with unwavering resolve, ensuring Russia's safety.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has given a significant boost to the modernization of weapons for ground forces. Retiired Gen. Vladimir Boldyrev, former commander of this particular branch of the Russian Armed Forces, stated that at the moment there are quite powerful weapons in all ranks of the troops.

According to Boldyrev, the armaments of Russia’s Ground Forces are some of the best in the world, with the T-90 main battle tank practically being unmatched on the battlefield.

Boldyrev suggests that while the T-14 Armata can be seen as the "tank of the future," Russia should prioritize increasing production of older models such as the T-90 main battle tanks, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, and BTR armored personnel carriers. Additionally, there should be a greater focus on producing more advanced multiple launch rocket systems like Tornado-S and Uragan.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231001/ground-forces-the-core-of-russias-military-1113829832.html

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has lost up to 690 soldiers both killed and wounded in six directions over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"The enemy's losses in this [Donetsk] direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 430 Ukrainian servicepeople killed and wounded, four armored combat vehicles and two cars. In the course of counter-battery fighting, a US-made M777 howitzer, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer were hit," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, in the South Donetsk direction, Russian forces repelled two attacks by Ukrainian forces, destroying 120 servicepeople, two pick-up trucks, a US-made M777 howitzer and a Polish-made self-propelled gun-howitzer Krab, the ministry said.

In the Zaporozhye direction, Kiev lost up to 30 servicepeople, the ministry said, adding that a US-made M119 howitzer, a UK-made FH70 howitzer, as well as two D-30 howitzers and one Msta-B howitzer had been hit.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230930/ukraine-loses-up-to-690-soldiers-over-past-24-hours-1113823836.html

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A major Ukrainian ammunition stockpile has been destroyed by a high-precision air strike in Kherson Region, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

The depot, located near the village of Kiselyovka, was hit by a cruise missile on Monday. The stockpile contained over 3,000 tons of ammunition, according to the Russian military’s estimates.

Footage of the strike released by the military on Tuesday shows the depot being obliterated by a massive secondary detonation, with burning debris scattered in a large radius. All in all, 12 hangars with ammunition were completely destroyed in the strike.

https://www.rt.com/russia/583655-ukrainian-ammo-depot-strike/

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President Joe Biden has welcomed a bipartisan short-time budget deal that will keep the US government open for the next 45 days, but was disappointed that none of the billions of dollars in various aid to Kiev that he had requested made it to the final bill.

“We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” Biden said in a brief statement on Saturday night, shortly after the Congress passed the measure.

Biden had requested an additional $24 billion for Ukraine in order to ensure an uninterrupted flow of aid to the country, but critics argued that Washington has more important priorities and should have stronger safeguards against the misappropriation of the aid it sends to Kiev.

The US leader, however, blamed “extreme House Republicans” for causing a “manufactured crisis” and “demanding drastic cuts that would have been devastating for millions of Americans.” 

“I fully expect the Speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment,” the US president added.

https://www.rt.com/news/583843-biden-ukraine-aid-interrupted/

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British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has acknowledged that backing Ukraine is “tough and painful.” He cautioned NATO allies against wavering, however, as turning their back on Kiev would cause greater problems down the line.

In an interview with The House media outlet on Saturday, Cleverly was asked to comment on “growing anti-Ukrainian sentiment” in some Western nations. He admitted that helping Kiev was “tough and this is painful,” with the conflict generally “putting pressure on countries all over the world.”

However, the foreign secretary insisted that “if we don’t stick with our support to Ukraine, if we send the signal that aggressors can prosper, then all the problems that we are currently facing … will just get worse.”

He urged Western allies to address fatigue, which has become a “big thing.”

https://www.rt.com/news/583815-uk-foreign-secretary-ukraine-aid-painful/

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WE KNOW THROUGH THE ZELENSKY STINT IN CANADA THAT THE WEST SUPPORTS NAZISM… WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT?

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The newly-appointed Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, has unveiled ongoing discussions about expanding the UK-led training program for Ukrainian troops and potentially relocating British instructors into the country itself, as well as offering Kiev unspecified naval support in the Black Sea.

“I was talking today about eventually getting the training brought closer and actually into Ukraine as well,” Shapps told The Telegraph after a visit to a Salisbury Plain training ground, on Friday.

During his trip to Kiev earlier this week, the new defense chief, who got his post in a government reshuffle a month ago, apparently saw an “opportunity” to “bring more things in country.” Shapps explained he meant “not just training,” but also weapons manufacturing, as he praised the British arms giant BAE Systems for its plans to localize in Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/news/583840-uk-troops-uk-training/

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The Slovak Social Democracy (SMER-SD) party has taken a major lead in the parliamentary elections held on Saturday, with official results from most of the districts showing it over 6 percentage points ahead of its liberal pro-Western rival Progressive Slovakia.

The SMER-SD party is led by the former Prime Minister Robert Fico, who vowed to end military aid to Ukraine and publicly criticized the European Union's sanctions on Russia as ineffective and harmful. 

“We are a peaceful country,” Fico declared at a rally last week, adding if his party wins it “will not send a single round [of ammunition] to Ukraine.”

The Progressive Slovakia party, a staunch supporter of EU policies, is a runner up with just over 17 percent of the vote, with 95 percent of the ballots counted. It's 39-year-old leader Michal Simecka, a Vice-President of the European Parliament, campaigned on promises to continue Slovakia’s support for Ukraine.

The HLAS (Voice) party, is polling third just short of 15 percent. It's leader Peter Pellegrini called it a victory and has not ruled out a possible coalition with Fico.

With no party set to win a majority of seats, Slovakia would need to form a coalition government. Other parties that made it over the threshold include the conservative Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), as well as a conservative coalition of the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OL’aNO) with the Christian Union and For the People party.

https://www.rt.com/news/583844-slovakia-parliamentary-elections-results/

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The West continues to push Ukrainians into battle, arming them with old scrap metal from its warehouses. Scandals about the frequency of faulty weapons to Kiev are breaking out with enviable frequency.

Deputies of the parliamentary defense commission in Bulgaria voted for transfer of faulty missiles for S-300 anti-aircraft systems and decommissioned ammunition for assault rifles to Ukraine. Bulgaria has no means to repair faulty 5B55P anti-aircraft guided missiles for the S-300 without endangering the life and health of its personnel, but Kiev is happy to deploy them with its forces. The repair of missiles requires considerable time, effort and funds, which Kiev does not possess.

Bulgarian MPs believe that faulty missiles will “serve the needs of Ukraine’s air defense in protecting civilian infrastructure,” but in fact unguided ammunition poses threats to the Ukrainian military and civilians. Many Ukrainians have already died at the hands of unprofessional Ukrainian servicemen armed with faulty air defense systems, including not only old Soviet systems, but also, for example, American Patriots in Kiev.

Just a couple of days ago, German Foreign Minister Baerbock bluntly stated that some of the German weapons sent to Ukraine were old and did not work. Berlin knew and warned about this. Moreover, Baerbock clarified that Germany has not yet sent long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to the need to ensure their proper functioning. Germany reportedly has about 600 Tauruses, but only 150 are ready for use.

A week earlier, Der Spiegel reported that Ukraine had not accepted ten old Leopard 1A5 tanks from Germany due to their poor technical condition. The German Ministry of Defense promptly sent technical experts to Poland to check and maintain the tanks.

A few months ago, Kiev complained that none of the 20 self-propelled howitzers provided by Italy to Ukraine were ready for combat.

Washington is also not far behind in the recycling of scrap metal in Ukraine. In the summer, The American Conservative revealed that some of the military equipment in Ukraine is in disrepair, and poses a threat to Ukrainian soldiers. According to the report of the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense, the 401st Army Field Support Battalion and the military contractor Amentum Services maintained their six M777 howitzers stored in Kuwait so poorly that the shutters of four guns could not be locked. Also, various malfunctions were recorded in 26 HMMWV cargo vans.

The West supplies Kiev with outdated and faulty weapons, because it is cheaper than decommissioning them on its territory. Military supplies also bring political perks and demonstrate NATO’s commitment to supporting Kiev. In fact, Ukraine is a black hole where NATO is getting rid of obsolete weapons, freeing up its military depots for more advanced weapons needed to prepare for war against Russia.

https://southfront.press/ukraine-is-black-hole-of-nato-military-scrap-metal/

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MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

EASY.

THE WEST KNOWS IT.

SEE ALSO: https://yourdemocracy.net/drupal/node/43171

SEE ALSO: https://yourdemocracy.net/drupal/node/47225

SEE ALSO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdYj_4CwOqg

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