1/ 🇷🇺🪖 Russian milblogger Romanov writes about the current situation in Russian assault infantry units. Basically, it can be concluded that it's a death sentence.

"So, experts, attention, question: Romanov, why haven't you signed a contract yet? Look, they're offering six million (and In the long run eight million!)!

Because: if I sign the contract, they'll send me to the assault force. Despite the fact that:

- I have a certificate of completion from the Military Medical Academy, a course in 'military medical instructor,' and practical experience working on evacuations and stabilization points, etc.;
- I have experience working with UAVs, making adjustments, and a full set of personal equipment (Mavics, remote control, FPV, and navigation system). 2/

It doesn't matter. Regarding the assaultmen.
Because there really aren't enough assaultmen.
What's lacking is precisely the people who will 'push' the enemy on the ground and hold positions at the frontier.

Why aren't there enough of these assaultmen?
Because commanders view them as expendable.
They'll be given new ones, but the General Staff demands advances. Bonuses for advances. And they still have to earn their "advance payments."

🧵 Translated this interview by prominent Polish defence analyst @konrad_muzyka for RP, which focuses on the current state of the Russia-Ukraine war.

It's long, but very insightful. Many numbers, details and assessments.

1/ - There's the upcoming summit – a meeting between President Trump and President Putin. What do you expect regarding Ukraine?

- I don't have particularly optimistic expectations. It seems that Russia still maintains maximalist goals for Ukraine, assuming its complete subjugation. At this stage of the war, Moscow is in a more favorable position, so Putin will negotiate from a position of strength. Leaks regarding Ukraine's alleged ceding of the remaining part of the Donetsk Oblast have already been denied by Kyiv. Therefore, there is a risk that after the summit, Ukraine will be on a collision course with the United States. However, the negotiation process itself – if it begins at all and includes Ukrainian participation – will likely take months.

2/

🇺🇦🇷🇺 | Polish defence analyst Konrad Muzyka shared his impressions regarding the current state of war following his trip to Ukraine. I've translated the thread into English.

1/12

https://twitter.com/konrad_muzyka/status/1725157813364600855

Let's start with Zaluzhny's article in The Economist. The word stalmate is used in a quite awkward manner (more on that below). But it emphasizes that the counteroffensive has ended. Ukraine currently does not have the potential to conduct offensive operations.

2/12

The wreckage of one of Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets reportedly destroyed as a result of Russian strikes (presumably with ZALA Lancet loitering munition) in September 2023. Kulbakino Air Base, Mykolaiv Oblast.

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*heavy watermark warning*

The second destroyed Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet at the Kulbakino Air Base in Mykolaiv Oblast in Ukraine as a result of Russian strikes earlier this fall.

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This is a very insightful thread about Russian defensive positions in the Robotyne-Novoprokopivka area, Orikhiv sector, Zaporizhzhia front. I translated it to English 👇

1/

https://twitter.com/solonko1648/status/1708204916299170013

"This, dear friends, is one of the most complex strongholds located in the Robotyne-Novoprokopivka area. A complex system of trenches-tunnels, dugouts, firing positions, to which the Russian invaders cling with all their might."

2/

x.com/solonko1648/st…

1/6

There's an insane footage of Ukrainian soldiers defending their positions in the battle for the last road to Bakhmut.

We follow a 🇺🇦 soldier as he jumps into his dugout. He is made aware that his comrade has been killed. Shortly after, the Russians launch their assault. 2/6

The Ukrainians engage the attackers and intense firefight ensues. Russian soldier can be seen throwing a grenade at the defenders.

The Russians attacking from the left side are killed, but another group approach the trenches from the right side.

1/3

On March 15, Ukrainian troops attempted a reconnaissance-in-force on Russian positions south of Novodanylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast of Ukraine.

After reaching the first line of trenches, Ukrainians were targeted by fire from better prepared Russian positions further south. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2/3

The Ukrainians lost at least four pieces of equipment (including a YPR-765 armoured personnel carrier) and several men. They were forced to withdraw.

1/16 🧵 Last Day of Peace: the final 24 hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This is a thread with the timeline of main events that occurred in the last 24 hours before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Provided in local time - Eastern European Time (EET). 2/16 February 23, 2022:

9:53am - Kyiv told citizens not to visit Russia and warn Ukrainians already there to leave immediately;
10:00am - Conscription of reservists from 18 to 60 years of age begins in Ukraine;
10:46am - Documents being burned in Russian Consulate in Lviv.

Russian strike hit the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk Oblast tonight.

Mayor of Kramatorsk Oleksandr Honcharenko announced that the emergency services arrived at the scene of impact, and that a number of people were wounded. The aftermath of a Russian strike in Kramatorsk.

1/

Russian Defense Minister Shogiu chaired a meeting on the implementation of the decision of Putin to increase the number of military personnel in the Russian Armed Forces to 1.5 million.

He mentioned the decisions that are intended to be implemented in the years 2023-2026: 2/

- The creation of two new inter-service strategic administrative divisions of the Armed Forces - Moscow and Leningrad military districts, as well as "self-sufficient groupings" of forces in the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia.

1/4

The new $1 billion US military aid package for Ukraine under the PDA program, as well as $850 million under the USAI program, includes:

🔸PDA package:

- a single Patriot battery & ammunition;
- Ammunition for HIMARS;
- 500 Excalibur 155mm precision guided shells; 2/4

- 10 120mm mortars and 10,000 rounds for them;
- 10 82mm mortars;
- 10 60mm mortars;
- 37 Cougar MRAPs;
- 120 HMMWV;
- 6 armored general purpose trucks;
- HARM anti-radiation missiles;
- JDAM air-to-surface guidance kits;
- More than 2,700 grenade launchers and small arms.

1/15 THREAD (graphic content warning)

On Nov 6, Ukraine's "Kraken" special unit released a massive, 27 minutes-long video material about the liberation of Kupyansk and surrounding areas in Kharkiv Oblast. It took place in September. Here, I provide the breakdown of the footage. 2/15

The first part shows the members of the "Kraken" unit walking down the Svativska street (00:03 - the abandoned Russian T-72B3M tank) in Kupyansk and running through the road bridge on the Oskil river as Grad shelling can be heard and seen nearby.

49.710014, 37.616450

Kremlin spokesman Peskov: Kherson Oblast is a subject of the Russian Federation, this status is enshrined, there can be no changes here.

(RIA) Kremlin spokesman Peskov: Ukraine does not want negotiations, special military operation continues.

(RIA)

🧵 1/6

Polish Defence24.pl portal published a lengthy and insightful interview with a Pole who came to Ukraine as a volunteer paramedic and ended up as an artilleryman, operating the D-20 towed howitzer. I've translated the interview.

defence24.pl/sily-zbrojne/z… 🧵 2/6

The Polish volunteer tells the story clarifying how after initially helping Ukrainians as a paramedic, he ended up in the Donbas region as a part of a D-20 gun crew. He describes how the everyday life at the front-line looked like.

Air raid sirens activated in many oblasts of Ukraine. At least one Russian Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile spotted in the sky over Ukraine, reportedly heading in the direction of Kyiv.

A Russian Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bomber crashed in the residential area of the city of Yeysk in the Krasnodar Krai of Russia this evening. The warplane crashed shortly after take-off during a training flight; both crew-members ejected successfully, Russian Defense Ministry said.

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The Crimean Bridge. The moment of the explosion at the Crimean Bridge captured on CCTV camera.

#BREAKING: An unknown UAV approached Russia's Shaykovka Air Base in Kaluga Oblast and exploded over the runway (Readovka claims it was shot down), reports say.

Shaykovka AB houses the 52nd Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment with Tu-22M3 bombers. It is located over 200km from 🇺🇦. Governor of the Kaluga Oblast: "An explosion occurred at an air base near Kaluga, a drone fell, no one was injured."

t.me/rian_ru/180753

Japan's MoD says that a possible launch of a ballistic missile from North Korea has been detected short time ago. Details to follow.

https://twitter.com/ModJapan_jp/status/1577767854761742336

https://twitter.com/Global_Mil_Info/status/1577770229505044480?t=oM6yibYM48H5j3H40ym5wQ&s=19

There are reports that Iran-made Shahed-136 loitering munitions operated by Russia struck target/s in the vicinity of the city Bila Tserkva in Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine tonight. A significant fire broke out at impact's site. The moment when one of Shahed-136 loitering munitions hit a target in Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine, causing an explosion.

The fire was already underway, so that confirms at least two "arrivals" (three explosions were reportedly heard).

1/

Ukraine's "KRAKEN" special unit released a 9-minutes-long video material from the operation to liberate the city of Balakliya in Kharkiv Oblast, launched on September 6.

It contains some interesting footage, and provides rare insight on how the battle really looked like. 2/

As the first part showed final preparations and initial advances, below we can see the Ukrainians entering a former Russian warehouse and Ukrainian strikes on Russian positions with a wide spectrum of weapons: 82mm mortars, BM-21 Grad MRL, D-30 towed howitzers and a tank.