๐ฅ Battlefield update: Same directions, same sides, same success. Both sides are accumulating power. Not expecting changes for next days, perhaps weeks.
๐ฅ Kriminna: ๐ท๐บ attempted 2 counterattacks, no success
๐ฅ Bakhmut: Attacks from north by new recruits of Akhmat regiment (Kadyrovytes), from east by Wagner and drafted prisoners.
Most modest estimates are that ๐ท๐บ is loosing a company (75-100 solders) per day there, new waves coming over bodies of fallen. This area has two layers of barrier troops to prevent deserting.
๐ฅ Avdiivka: unsuccessful ๐ท๐บ attempts at north and south.
๐ฅ Marinka, Novomykhailivka: same routine ๐ท๐บ attempts
๐ฅ Kherson: fire exchange, ๐บ๐ฆ fires more, hits on warehouses and 2 concentrations of newly mobilized troops (approx. 150-200 killed).
๐ฅ Mobilized: There is huge amount of mobilized everywhere (by announcement of Putin - 30k). New attack waves are related to mobilized troops, they are not only used for defense.
๐ฅ Weather: There is more impact from rain, than from snow, however frozen ground and rivers would increase passability for vehicles and infantry. About 2 weeks until rain season starts.
๐ฅ Drone attacks:
Today 36 out of 62 drones destroyed.
First wave on Kyiv 23 out of 28 destroyed, second wave all 16 destroyed. Right now another wave of 8 on Kyiv, launched from Crimea. Drones have range of 1000+ km. ๐ท๐บ also launched 16 missiles today, some 2-3 did hit their targets.
This uses air-defense missiles a lot, such usage is not sustainable in long term. ๐บ๐ฆ needs more AA guns, like ๐ฉ๐ช Rheinmetall has. Even 10-15 shells from AA gun are cheaper than drone they destroy, while missiles are much more expensive.
๐ท๐บ has 2400 such drones, if using 100 per day, they can continue for a month, more realistically some 2-3 months with some pauses. If they are used in front-line, it will be complicated.
๐ฅ Iran:
Rumors of ๐ฎ๐ท Iran preparing to supply ballistic missiles with range of 500-800km to ๐ท๐บ. Some information of Mohajer-6, similar to Bayraktar TB2, being sent to ๐ท๐บ.
๐ฎ๐ฑ Israel, ๐บ๐ธ U.S. , ๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabia have means to destroy ๐ฎ๐ท warehouses and factories, but unlikely they are prepared to start large scale conflict with ๐ฎ๐ท. So far all nations participating in ๐ฎ๐ท nuclear hold-off deal have avoided escalations.
๐ฅ Second phase of war:
๐บ๐ฆ was somehow relaxed, now enemy has found means to cause significant problems, doing mobilization. Next phase is not going to be easy.
If ๐ท๐บ mobilizes million solders, ๐บ๐ฆ will need to mobilize their own citizens, that's why borders remain closed for males.
๐ฅ Girkin:
Reports of Igor Girkin being assigned in ๐บ๐ฆ. Reward for his capture is being increased by crowdfunding.
He understands war, and likely will find a way out. If not, he would probably do suicide, before getting captured. However front-line is perfect place for his enemies to kill him, without raising suspicion.
๐ฅ Prisoner exchange:
108 women released from ๐ท๐บ captivity in exchange to ๐ท๐บ sailors from arrested ships.
๐ฅ Belarus:
Lukashenka is forced to maneuver in his speech, however the louder his announcements, the less actions he takes.
Announcement of new battle group consisting of 170 tanks and 100 howitzers, which is very unusual ratio. Normally in ๐ท๐บ model for 100 vehicles there would be 250-300 howitzers.
This group is created with intent to endanger Kyiv, and at some conditions it could be sent into battle and destroyed, but still would cause problems for ๐บ๐ฆ.
๐ฅ G20 summit:
Putin would want to create maximally favourable position before summit - which means maximum damage to ๐บ๐ฆ energy infrastructure, minimum gas suppleis to ๐ช๐บ, possibly conquering new territories and attack attempt on Kyiv.
War might be longer, and have higher cost, but Putin has already lost.
๐ฅ Xi speech:
๐จ๐ณ Xi Jinping wants to see bi-polar world, which means there is no place for ๐ท๐บ influence, and definitely no place for nuclear war.
๐บ๐ฆ has successfully repealed Russian attack on Kharkiv region from the Belgorod province. This was meant to force ๐บ๐ฆ to allocate forces to the north of Kharkiv & delay the ๐บ๐ฆ counteroffensive in the direction of Svatove.
๐ฅSvatove-Kreminna
Minor attempts by ๐ท๐บ to counterattack and test UA defences. ๐บ๐ฆ successfully repealed Russian attack on Bilogorivka.
๐บ๐ฆ continues targeting ๐ท๐บ positions, reporting several hits on ๐ท๐บ army personnel & military equipment in Kherson & Melitopol.
๐ฅSvatove-Kreminna
๐บ๐ฆ & ๐ท๐บ forces clash in Kupyansk-Kreminna direction.
๐ท๐บ forces appear to construct anti-tank defences and prepare to defend Lysychansk. To illustrate ๐ท๐บ defensive efforts, ๐ท๐บ showed pictures of Nazi Germany anti-tank defence positions from 1942.
๐งต An interesting analysis of the ๐ท๐บ logistics in the south by the ๐ท๐บ military researcher Atomic Cherry. They show that ๐ท๐บ relied heavily on the Crimean bridge and the damage to it will have long-lasting consequences given the lack of alternatives to supply south:
"The story with the Kerch bridge has a more complex background than it seems at first glance, with much more long-term consequences that can have a direct impact on the course of hostilities.
What is this about? Itโs about logistics.
What do we know about the structure of Russian military logistics? It is customary to compare it with Soviet logistics, but this comparison is deeply erroneous.
No major changes in the frontline with both sides are occupied with local, positional clashes.
๐บ๐ฆ continues to hit ๐ท๐บ army positions in Kherson & Zaporizhzhja, decommissioning on average 1 BTG per day. Smoking accidents in ๐ท๐บ continue. ๐ท๐บ has problems with replenishing its forces & starts to experience lack of trained personnel, e.g. pilots.
๐บ๐ฆ returned more ๐บ๐ฆ POWs in a recent prisoner exchange.
๐ฅ Svatove
๐ท๐บ tries to conduct counteroffensive actions near Svatove. ๐บ๐ฆ is building up resources & trying to occupy better positions to resume the counteroffensive.
๐งต Summary of Arestovych and Feygin daily broadcast for 8 October. This update was provided by Stepan: twitter.com/childsacrifice1
๐ฅ Crimean bridge:
2 parts of the bridge collapsed and the railroad part of the bridge is partially damaged.
Heavy vehicles such as tanks will not be able to cross the road part of the bridge. This imposes difficulties on the supply of the southern group of Russian forces. It is unknown how the bridge will react to heavy cargo being transported over it.
the capacity of the bridge has been halved for at least 10-14 days. We now know how the bridge reacts to explosives and it is weaker than the Antonivsky bridge. Arestovich says that the Antonivsky bridge has been hit with 120-140 HIMARS missiles.