Thread by @MarkHertling

A short thread on day 24.

UKR Ministry of Defense reports UKR's forces in Kyiv are continuing to engage RU forces in the NW, N and E of the city and have pushed those forces BACK several miles.

Indicates confusion & lack of supplies in RU force. 1/13

edition.cnn.com/europe/live-ne…

UKR Army and territorial forces (& citizens) continue fight against RU forces trying to take/bypass Mykolaiv in the south.

A critical fight. If the RU can't get across the Bug River in this city, it will be tough to link with a proposed RU Navy landing at Odesa 2/

RU continues shelling the once-beautiful city of Kharkiv, but the UKR Army & Territorial Defense fights to block RU ground force advancement. 3/

bbc.com/news/world-eur…

Kherson - the first city to be "captured" by Russian forces - is now contested.

Ukrainian forces staged a daring attack against the Russian base at the international airport in that city with devastating results. 4/

news.sky.com/video/kherson-…

In W. Ukraine, RU attempts to interdict UKR supply lines with precision strikes.

Attacks are attempt to interdict flow from UKR logistics sites & NATO arms transfer points.

Use of precision "Kinzhal" hypersonic missile is interesting, but somewhat irrelevant. 5/

UKR refugee flow continues. A few "safe passage lanes" open this morning.

Citizens continue to be plagued with lack of water, food, heat, electricity.

UKR continues to attrit the RU army; RU army continues to attempt to attrit UKR citizens with illegal attacks. 6/

As noted yesterday, RU not attempting to "maneuver" on most axes of advance. RU has mostly transitioned to hasty defense. Proving they are as inept at defense as offensive operations.

UKR forces continuing their "active defense," picking time and place for attacks. 7/

Other news:

UKR reports the fifth RU general - a three star - has been KIA. No confirmation from RU.

RU reportedly asking for Armenian army assistance in fight; no reports yet of Syrian fighters on the battlefield.

UKR President continues to plea for peace talks. 8/

Both sides now engaged in deadly "battles of attrition."

UKR holds upper hand in force-on-force vs RU troops.

RU holds powerful advantage on attacks against civilians.

Logistics for BOTH sides increasingly critical for this fight to continue. UKR has the advantage here. 9/

In my view, we are seeing the fight between 2 different armies. The kind described in Jean Larteguy's book "The Centurions."

Larteguy described the struggles of French officers regarding expectations in the 1950s & 60s, and it applies today.
10/

"I'd like to have two armies: one for display with lovely guns, tanks, little soldiers, staffs, distinguished & doddering Generals, & dear little regimental officers who would be deeply concerned over their General's bowel movements or their Colonel's piles... 11/

an army that would be shown for a modest fee on every fairground in the country.

The other Army would be the real one, composed entirely of young enthusiasts in camouflage uniforms, who would not be put on display, but from whom impossible efforts would be demanded... 12/

& to whom all sorts of tricks would be taught. That's the army in which I should like to fight."

In my humble opinion, this quote describes the difference I see between RU and UKR forces - and the society they come from - in this fight today. 13/13