One correction to the constant misstranslation of the Russian Glide Bomb kit name: UMPK, or Unifitsirovannyi Modul Planirovaniya i Korrektsii.
A proper meaning is Unified Gliding and Guidance Module.
Planing is a nautical English term meaning gliding over the waves efficiently. I think it must be the same in Russian: remember the Ekranoplan ground effect “aircraft” of Soviet times.
“Planning” as it is constantly translated is clearly wrong.

Posted by: JulianJ | Jul 28 2023 7:20 utc | 104

Kiev’s allies are fed up with Zelensky – Centro Latinoamericano de Análisis Estratégico
Ukraine’s allies are tired of Zelensky’s ill-considered actions and the constant defeats of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, CLAE wrote.
“The allies are already fed up with Zelensky’s irresponsible antics,” the material says.
According to journalists, the US and the EU are going through hard times, as the Ukrainian conflict has severely depleted their economies.
Moreover, there is a possibility that the unity of the EU will begin to break down if the crisis drags on, the article notes.

They are looking for a way to let go of Ukraine, but they simply can’t find a way because they bet a leg and an arm on Ukraine. Now Ukraine is clinging on to thm, dragging them into the abyss, they can’t get away.

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 28 2023 8:08 utc | 106

… In the tradition of the AK rifles, RPGs, and GRADs, the Lancet may go down as one of those fairly simple but rugged Russian made weapons that have impacted ground combat for decades.
We’ll see…
Posted by: DakotaRog | Jul 27 2023 20:13 utc | 62
Lancet does appear to have had an outsized impact on, and in advance of, the front line. Part of it is that FPV drones produce their own video footage but Switchblade is essentially the same concept and doesn’t seem to have had anything like the same impact
Specifically why that is I don’t know but probably a mixture of factors like lower cost, greater availability, more rapid evolution of comms, warhead, operational practice, better crews and frontline organisation all around.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jul 28 2023 3:16 utc | 91
Armies can only fight with equipment and practices that are immediately available to them but I think (hope) we’ll see warm bodies gradually pulled further and further back from the front, to be replaced by more air / ground drones, remote sensors and even greater use of indirect fire.
Guys hunkered down in fox holes, hoping they don’t get caught under an artillery shell, waiting for a chance to fire off an ATGM or grenade launcher … if what they’re trying to hit could be spotted by a drone and blasted by rocket artillery then it should be.
I even wonder at the current use of expensive attack helicopters to put warheads on enemy vehicles when those same targets could be hit from a safe distance by rocket artillery. It all looks very different when the enemy can shoot back, we never did get an explanation as to how two jets and two helicopters were downed in an ambush over Bryansk back in May.

Posted by: anon2020 | Jul 28 2023 8:31 utc | 108

Posted by: john brewster | Jul 28 2023 1:01 utc | 83
‘I stopped being a military tech junkie’, never was, I always saw myself as a social historian, fascinated at how weapon systems and doctrines were products of particular paths taken in history and the the lessons learned, or unlearned. This perspective then extended, ‘into the trench, turret or cockpit, to encompass the fleshy things that operated the systems, and how vital their training and experience, both societal products, were. Having said all that though a firm understanding of those platforms is needed, including their economic costs/impact.
NATO defence of W.Europe was shackled to the militarily useless, but politically expedient, forward deployment policy that stated that W. Germany was to be defended from the E-W border. Hence the Bradley’s anti armour role, hence its size, hence the uncomfortable compromises that were made.
BMP-1 was a typically Soviet solution, that again made compromises, but it was markedly superior to the M-113 and the BMP-2 was coming down the pike. So the Bradley was an over-match vehicle that would have been highly effective at its role, in the mid 80’s. Now, less so, especially for what mission it’s being asked to accomplish, with a barely trained crew, c.f the Saudi Houthi encounters for how that worked out v light ATGW weapons.
As you admit, it’s not the Bradley, it’s the concept of the armoured vehicle, especially the IFV, that is being tested by the SMO. All that is playing out is the perpetual struggle between attack and defence, with the usual supporters on both sides.

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 9:10 utc | 110

They are looking for a way to let go of Ukraine
@unimperator | Jul 28 2023 8:08 utc | 106
I don’t think so. The unelected EU leaders have plans and nothing will change them. They’re only starting f16 training in Romania, the first Abrams batch is supposed to arrive in Ukr in Sept. They’re basically preparing DU and clusters for the new regions, nothing more. nato will push harder to force Putin to have the mobilization before elections, not after, so he enters elections with a number of dead amateurs and zero results. If Russia keeps their little useless smo, all regions will receive the Donetsk/Belgorod treatment with various mines, cluster bombs, DU or whatever else nato has that will cause long term or permanent damage. If Russia sends more troops but does not get out of Donbass line, nato will continue terrorism at state level with no problems.
The Arestovich clown now claims that Russia will be forced to negotiate once Ukr destroys the Crimea bridge and that way takes “2m hostages”. That idea, simple terrorism, was part of the plan since 2014. 2022 is 2014 but on a large scale. The smo is so weak and badly managed it has changed nothing, there is no need for a large Ukr army for terrorism, “mercenaries” alone can do it better.

Posted by: rk | Jul 28 2023 9:38 utc | 112

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jul 28 2023 3:16 utc | 91
Agree, the armoured vehicle concept will survive just as long as the doctrine that requires it; however nothing exists, at the moment, to challenge its combination of firepower, manoeuvrability and protection. Perhaps 12m high battlemechs is the solution!
Seriously I see the following adaptions, based on existing and emergent technologies
Anti-drone/mine: using drone technologies and 3d printing, tanks could manufacture task-specific drones. The RN conducted a proof of concept exercise a while back.
Investment in active camouflage and active defence, especially 360 degree, including rapid obscurants and anti-missile/ drone systems, possibly lasers.
Mother hen deployments, where a manned vehicle has a number of robot vehicles under its direct control, both US and Russia trialing these platforms.
Far greater use of unmanned platforms.

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 10:07 utc | 114

Posted by: Nate | Jul 28 2023 1:18 utc | 85
Very interesting, clip three is not a result of ATGM’s, but off-route, or directional anti-tank mines The Russians struggled with these all through the first year and captured thousands of German DM-22’s. The Russians do have a top attack mine, but I’m wondering if evidence of these mines shows they have reverse engineered the German models or perhaps leveraged Iranian technical know how, as with the drones.

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 10:16 utc | 116

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 28 2023 7:47 utc | 105
When you are fully sovereign and the monopoly ISSUER of your own currency and your debt is in your own currency. Money is not an issue you are NOT a currency “user” like a household, business, use the Euro, or a state in the US.
You are a monopoly ” ISSUER ” of your own currency.
What REALLY matters are what skills and real resources you have and your productive capacity. Money and taxes move those skills and real resources around your economy to where you want them.
Ukraine it is said, has had 300 thousand skills killed and god knows how many skills have been wounded.
Their real resources will be exported abroad and their currency will be taken from them. They won’t be able to set their own tax, or spend, or set their own monetary policies, as Brussels will remove all of that via the EU treaties. With their spending and debt rules and the stability and growth pact, the 2 pack and 6 pack and excessive debt procedure. The EU convergence program. The introduction of structural reforms.
Their productive capacity will be destroyed as Brussels will destroy their “fiscal space” by slashing spending and deficit rules. Burden them with even more Euro debt that the ECB will control and simply refuse to buy if Ukraine does not turn itself into a privatised rent seeking economy. Now completely controlled by Wall street, Frankfurt, Paris and the City of London.
The banks, hedge funds will allocate what skills they have left and their real resources. That will generate profits for the new owners, along with interest for the bondholders and the banks that fund it; and also, management fees. Most of all, the privatised enterprises should generate capital gains for the stockholders as they jack up prices for public services.
The war mongers plan for Ukraine:
https://michael-hudson.com/2017/03/why-deficits-hurt-banking-profits/

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jul 28 2023 10:46 utc | 118

Posted by: Echo Chamber | Jul 28 2023 10:46 utc | 118
Yes, I agree money is not the issue. Ukraine can issue as many hryvnia as it likes, but there are no demand of hryvnia outside Ukraine, and increasingly there isn’t even demand inside Ukraine (despite it is the “legal” currency”). Hryvnia need need to be converted to euro to ship in fuel and supplies and luxury goods. Since there is little demand for hryvnia because Ukraine now has pretty much nothing that anyone needs from Ukraine, the hryvnia/euro exchange rate gets worse.
That is the definition of a failed state. The top cream of Ukraine is exchanging all their hryvnia to gold or other currencies (many officials got caught trying to transport large stash of euros and golds and dollars out) or on the flipside of the coin, isn’t even being paid in hryvnia by the empire for their services.
EU is also failing ever so faster by tying itself to this failed state, and due to its own failures in educational policies and energy policies. But that depends on whether they will get anything out of Ukraine by privatization as you said.
My guess is Zelensky regime is aiming for Ukraine to join the euro zone. Well, OK, but that will make them even more subservient, but can destabilize their inflation at the expense of other EU states. Most Ukrainians will simply move to Russia and Europe and whatever is left of Ukraine will be untenable, meaning that it will disappear in all but name.

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 28 2023 11:13 utc | 120

Posted by: spare_truth | Jul 28 2023 11:11 utc | 119
The key thing in both offense and defense is sustainability. AFU had recent successes when measured by land grab:
-they entered Staramayorske from the north
-RU stepped back to the south of the settlement
-RU bomb north of the settlement
-AFU managed to advance in the fields east of Robotino at the cost of massive amount of AFVs and tanks
Ok, sustainability. AFU controls the field east of Robotino. Now the question arises: do they have another similar force to follow up the first force to expand further?
Who is preserving their forces vs. who is spending forces? If RU defense has preserved forces, then this line simply doesn’t matter very much, they could retreat to the next prepared line of defense. It’s always a commanders dilemma whether to commit everything to defend a certain line, and what is allocated as reserves.
Or on the flipside of the coin, whether to commit everything at once to attack vs. retaining a (mobile) reserve to exploit. I’m sure AFU has (had) a reserve, but the question arises did they just use their reserves in this attempt to crash the defense line.
We’ll see.

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 28 2023 11:24 utc | 122

15th column of Wagner just entered Belarus and no indication it’s the last one, that’s a lot of “trainers”. Wagner doesn’t do sitting around in camp doing push-ups and 15k humps with heavy packs. They are there for a fight. Maybe it’s to just scare off a NATO/Polish attack, but when has anyone backed off in this mess? Something big is coming.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 11:38 utc | 124

sln 2002 38
Nato might think twice about leaving its doors open after 18 months of brutal SMO. Opening new embassies in the Pacific could be seen as a retreat to outside Russia’s firing range, into China’s firing range.
You can fool some of the time but not all the people all of the time.
The meaning of China – Russia cooperation is that Nato may in future have to learn the same lessons in the
Pacific that it learnt in Syria , that it is powerless to control events beyond its own firing range , its own island.
The lesson it is learning in Africa and Ukraine, is that in the Internet world everybody now knows what a proxy is and , with that secret out, hiding
behind al shabab or Asov to break International Law will no longer pass muster at the UN.
Better to keep the door firmly locked.
Thanks to Putin and Xi for standing up to the plundering assassins of USUKIS.

Posted by: Giyane | Jul 28 2023 11:42 utc | 126

The Link to Dima is – every day uptodate – pls. don’t call YToube!:
https://rumble.com/c/c-1613003

Posted by: spare_truth | Jul 28 2023 11:52 utc | 128

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 28 2023 9:37 utc | 111
Results of 5D chessmaster Slow & Soft strategy

Posted by: SlowSoft | Jul 28 2023 12:44 utc | 130

LightYearsFromHome@124….Trip Wire Force perhaps.
Cheers M

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jul 28 2023 13:11 utc | 132

unimperator @125: Podolyak just requested 10-12 Patriot batteries to cover Ukraine.”
If I got the numbers right, an individual missile costs around five million, and a fully filled out Patriot battery is a little over a billion dollars. They are a point source defense system, so several batteries would be required to defend a country. Plus they are relatively stationary once set up, and can easily be found once they launch the first missile. Russia has already either damaged or taken out one Patriot battery at no great expense to Russia. Ukraine needs better air defense system, and as of now it appears that we can not produce it.

Posted by: Jmaas | Jul 28 2023 13:17 utc | 134

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 28 2023 11:24 utc | 122
Restarting the clock for the de-valued offensive (I call it this because it’s similar to the reaction governments have regarding currency problems) then we are at D+2, so the initial breakthrough should have occurred with follow on forces already assaulting Tokmak. We were told repeatedly, by Western and Ukrainian sources, that the offensive was to be judged a success in the first 24-48 hours, FP even hyperbolically said it would be the UA’s ‘Longest Day. So, even by the revised timetable’s criterion it’s struggling.
You can bypass settlements like Robotino, but how are you going to supply your spearhead, without constant air and artillery interdiction as your LOS extends and you have not captured any of the road net? You can entrench in Staramayorske but what about maintaining the offensive equilibrium, if no follow on forces pass through and continue the assault? The infantry-centric tactics forced on the Ukrainians mean heavy losses, so who will guard the shoulders and flanks of any penetration (the real death knell for the Germans in Citadel, a lack of footsloggers).
Posted by: anon2020 | Jul 28 2023 11:18 utc | 121
Agree: though no ATGM’s, no tell-tale back-blast signature, perhaps RPG’s, definitely a Lancet and some Krasnopol rounds, once the vehicles are static. Most of the D-AT mines seem remotely triggered (hitting stationary targets after initial mine impacts). The captured Bradley on a previous clip shows distinct signs that their optics, periscopes and vulnerable systems were directly targeted by 50 cal AMR’s, similar to the use of the PTRD in WW2.

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 13:32 utc | 136

Gaelach@123
You should read Daniel Finn’s Sidecar article. It is very much related to your comments.
“In his 1973 essay ‘The Coup in Chile,’ Ralph Milband warned that left-wing movements which did not draw the right lessons from the overthrow of Salvador Allende ‘may well be preparing new Chiles for themselves’. The Tory journalist Peregrine Worsthorne was happy to recommend Chile as a positive model when he enjoyed Pinochet’s hospitality on a tour of the country the following year: if a British equivalent of the Allende government ever came to power, Worsthorne informed his readers, ‘I hope and pray our armed forces would intervene to prevent such a calamity as efficiently as the armed forces did in Chile’. The arch-conspirator in Chris Mullin’s 1982 novel A Very British Coup was called ‘Sir Peregrine’ in his honour.
“During Jeremy Corbyn’s stint as leader of the Labour Party, there was some nervous speculation on the left about the possibility of military intervention if he became Britain’s prime minister…
“…The Starmer leadership is a project of the British state, in a very tangible sense.
“One should not see this in terms of Labour having been infiltrated and sabotaged from the outside. The party itself is an integral part of the state system – it was the leadership of Corbyn, a man who could not be trusted to cover up torture flights and war crimes, that was the exception to the rule. But Starmer himself is unusually attuned to the culture of the state, having served as public prosecutor before he became an MP. With every action he has taken since becoming Labour leader, he conveys the impression of a man who has the state deep in his bones. It suggests a damaging naivety on the part of Corbyn and his allies that they appointed such a figure to superintend Labour’s Brexit policy during the crisis of 2018–19…”
https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/torture-the-evidence?pc=1527

Posted by: bevin | Jul 28 2023 13:57 utc | 138

Remember – banks apply for a licence to issue state money ( what you call funny money )when they lend. Read a bank note.
Echo Chamber | Jul 28 2023 13:25 utc | 135
Bank money and government money is the same money. There is no difference. Money is money is money is money, all the same provided it is denominated in dollars and isn’t counterfeit. Bank notes in the past have been used to over issue currency, but currently, most commonly, a bank customer must have money on deposit in a bank to get a bank note. It is not all that different from a check drawn on a checking account.
Think of it this way. A government (or private industry) spends a billion dollars producing consumer goods. That spending is all income to somebody, including the corporate profits if it is private industry, so there is a billion dollars out there available to be spent. In a free market the value of the goods and the amount available to spend on them is the same. Next the government price fixes the cost of the consumer goods at half the cost of producing those goods. Now there is only a half billion dollars worth of goods and a billion dollars available to spend on those goods. Provided the price fixing holds up, the consumer goods quickly sell out, costing customers a half billion. The other half billion is surplus money because there is nothing available to sell, the store shelves are empty.
In our modern era, governments do not commonly admit to over issuing money, because they don’t want to admit to either causing the inflation that will follow, or causing the need for rationing out of the available goods. That is, overissue is a state secret, making it hard to document what is going on. We know, for example, that East Germany overissued currency because when the united with West Germany, they all had huge savings accounts. Not because they wanted to save money, but because they had nothing they would buy with the money.

Posted by: Jmaas | Jul 28 2023 14:02 utc | 140

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 9:10 utc | 110
it’s the concept of the armoured vehicle, especially the IFV, that is being tested by the SMO.

————
You are correct to focus on the bigger picture, even beyond the strategic level. Piotr Berman says it well:

About armored vehicles: WWII witnessed demise of battleship concept, naval battles were decided by who eliminates aircraft carriers (and aircrafts) of the other side, for all the steel, explosives and blood expended in lesser battles — aircrafts could not be everywhere, and pilot training was a bottleneck (Japanese circumvented it to a degree with kamikaze pilots who required less training).
Drone warfare experiences analogous bottlenecks, but armored vehicles seem like battleships and cruisers of WWII, still needed, but on the way out. That said, the logic of modern warfare is hard to grasp.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jul 28 2023 3:16 utc | 91

Posted by: john brewster | Jul 28 2023 14:33 utc | 142

Posted by: john brewster | Jul 28 2023 14:13 utc | 141
Take a gander at the numerous Soviet era SNAFU’s, especially regarding aviation projects*, or the T-64 v T-80 bun fight and the attempts to build an aircraft carrier. The design and procurement of weapon systems is a process normally accompanied by a institutional bungling, ego clashes and corruption and no country is immune from sipping this heady mixture.
*This YouTuber is the son of a Soviet fighter pilot and it shows!
https://www.youtube.com/@PaperSkiesAviation

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 14:46 utc | 144

Think of it this way.
Posted by: Jmaas | Jul 28 2023 14:02 utc | 140
Probably best not to. That’s about as classic a stock/flow error as you can get.
Money is in units of currency. Spending is in units/day. It’s like miles and miles per hour. Never a good idea to mix them up.
For example, Bill buys from Fred and owes Fred $100, Fred buys from Jim and owes Jim $100, and Jim buys from Susie and owes Susie $100. Susie buys from Bill and owes Bill $100.
That’s a GDP of $400.
Now I give Bill $50 but he only uses $10 to settle with Fred. Fred then settled with Jim, Jim settles with Susie and Susie settles with Bill. The debts have all gone down $10 each and Bill still has $50. Then Bill settles again with $10, and so on until the debts are all repaid. Bill still has the $50 I gave him, and $40 of it never moved at all.

Posted by: The Accountant | Jul 28 2023 15:14 utc | 146

Posted by: john brewster | Jul 28 2023 14:33 utc | 142
Lots.
The change in British/US tank design to emulate the German concept, due to being rough handled by the big cats.
The German development of and doctrinal dominance of the GPMG principle.
The restrictions of the Versailles treaty accelerating the German mission based orders concept that dominates Western thinking (again, a result of post-WW2 analysis showing how effective it was, leading to the idea of the strategic corporal).
The Russian contemporary dominance in AD systems for ground units, due to NATO betting the farm on achieving aerial supremacy and the Soviets realising AD was a cheaper solution. Also Russian units were being hit by ground attack in ‘45 the Allies were using their AD units to support ground units.
The ability of the US industrial sector to allow the US government to even contemplate equipping an entire army with SLR’s, also a testament to superb US logistics, a product of the Civil War lessons learned.
The German insistence on making military platforms that were engineered superbly (over-engineered) because they could not contemplate any other way.
The German inability to not over-engineer platforms, until it was too late, and fascination with wonder-weapons.
The use of the play-station hand controller, as the ergonomic model for the Challenger gunners controls (instantly improving engagement times as the recruits already had muscle memory for set routines).
The dangerous habits MILES training rigs created in soldiers, I.e. concealment equaling cover and ease of engaging fast moving targets due to no need to lead targets. UK troops deploying to NI had to unlearn these habits.
Russia historical reliance on artillery as the cheapest most economical way to use the limited numbers of educated soldiers in a peasant army.
The integral bottle opener on the Galil rifle, because IDF soldiers had used the M-16’s front sights bending them.
The design of the AK fire selector so that a scared soldier that pushes it all the way down selects semi-auto and does not waste ammo.
The RFC early decision to select ‘gentleman horse riders’ for pilots due to their courage and coordination.
UK tanks having a boiler, so the crews can have a brew, showing an intimate understanding of their troops motivators, as is the inclusion of Rolos and Yorkie bars with ‘not for civilians on the wrapper.
The British still training and launching bayonet attacks when deployed.
The Avro Lancaster not having a co-pilot because it doubled the number of available pilots, who were in short supply, same reason Soviets tried to automate combat systems in tanks and submarines.
Just off the top of my head.
‘Tank’ by Patrick Wright is a good start.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tank-Patrick-Wright/dp/0571192599

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 15:37 utc | 148

Posted by: tesla | Jul 28 2023 13:36 utc | 137
He is dealmaker!
Minsk 1+2, NS 1+2,
Grain „deal“,
300bn usd Russian assets abroud on enemies accounts
…….

Posted by: SlowSoft | Jul 28 2023 16:06 utc | 150

Think of it this way.
Posted by: Jmaas | Jul 28 2023 14:02 utc | 140
Probably best not to. That’s about as classic a stock/flow error as you can get.
The Accountant | Jul 28 2023 15:14 utc | 146
>>Money is in units of currency. Spending is in units/day. It’s like miles and miles per hour. Never a good idea to mix them up.
With some frequency when they do economic analysis they assume the velocity of money (spending in Units/day) is a constant. When they calculate the quantity of money and there are financial intermediaries like banks, they can very easily overcount the quantity of money available to spend.
>>For example, Bill buys from Fred and owes Fred $100, Fred buys from Jim and owes Jim $100, and Jim buys from Susie and owes Susie $100. Susie buys from Bill and owes Bill $100…
Unless there is the unstated assumption that Bill had a hundred at the start, the gross quantity of money at the start in your example is not a hundred but $0. Because Fred doesn’t get paid, the gross quantity of money after the transaction is still $0. and so on and so on down the trail of people exchanging merchandise, the gross quantity of money always $0.
A more realistic example would be Bill borrowing a hundred from a bank and giving it to Fred when he makes the purchase. This may increase the money supply depending on how it is computed, but it does not actually increase the quantity of money available to spend because banks are flow through agencies. To lend a bank borrows. If you think otherwise, look up any bank’s balance sheet and notice all the debt they carry. As the money loaned to the bank is not available to spend, the quantity of money available to spend does not actually go up by running it through a bank. The lender to the bank (savings account, checking account, whatever) no longer has the use of the money. The liquidity gets transferred to the borrower from the bank.

Posted by: Jmaas | Jul 28 2023 16:47 utc | 152

“With some frequency when they do economic analysis they assume the velocity of money (spending in Units/day) is a constant.”
Yes. That’s is, to use the vernacular, complete codswallop. It’s simply curve fitting to a belief. Which is why economists are held in the same regard as astrologers.
Reality doesn’t work like that.
“Unless there is the unstated assumption that Bill had a hundred at the start, the gross quantity of money at the start in your example is not a hundred but $0.”
Nope. We all create money all the time. It’s just a manifestation of promises between people. Bags of gold coins only occur in fantasy role playing game.

Posted by: The Accountant | Jul 28 2023 17:01 utc | 154

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 16:56 utc | 153
Possibly the Ukrainian prisoners don’t want to go back, and made agreements with their captors – we’ll surrender if you don’t send us back.

Posted by: Mike R | Jul 28 2023 17:20 utc | 156

@ The Accountant, §149:
The whole Telegraph, not just Hamish are wobbling.
In contrast to their excellent coverage of the corona farce, the DT has doubled down on the government´s Ukraine narrative.
During corona, the DT gave prominent corona-sceptics, like Lord Sumption, a platform which stimulated and informed debate suppressed almost everywhere else, including in Parliament.
Sadly, the DT has not followed this course on the Ukraine and are becoming increasingly ridiculous. The DT has, or had, a reputation to uphold as one of the few places left in British public life where controversial issues could be aired. Needless to say, this is impossible if only one side of the argument is presented.
So the DT is wobbling – and may finally fall due to its unbecoming doctrinaire approach to this issue.

Posted by: John Marks | Jul 28 2023 17:30 utc | 158

Russia Wipes Out ‘3,000 Ukrainian Troops’ In Zaporizhzhia’s Staromaiorske
Historically numbers like this don’t just lead militaries to collapse but regimes to collapse, like the leaders being strung up. I don’t think the MoD makes numbers up I think that if they calculate there are 12 people in a building and hit it a day later when it’s long empty they tab up 12 people cargo 200. Strange war though, Ukraine just keeps on coming, no dissent back home. Maybe it’s like when people go bankrupt, slowly then all at once.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 18:45 utc | 160

Posted by: Gaelach | Jul 28 2023 11:31 utc | 123
Left you refer to = ‘Pseudo Left’

Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jul 28 2023 19:43 utc | 162

We know, for example, that East Germany overissued currency because when the united with West Germany, they all had huge savings accounts. Not because they wanted to save money, but because they had nothing they would buy with the money.
Posted by: Jmaas | Jul 28 2023 14:02 utc | 140
—
The East German currency was a so-called Binnenwährung (domestic currency), intended solely for use in the domestic market, it was by no means a valid international tender. It was simply not convertible in foreign trade and international travel. Why would anyone overissue something like that?
Currency surplus was not sucked off by tax policy, but by price increases for so-called luxury goods, such as cars, motorcycles, color TVs, exclusive fashion items or VCRs, which admittedly were only available to a limited extent for the domestic market, since these were export items that brought the convertible currency into the country that was urgently needed in foreign trade.
The massive savings of East German citizens were mainly due to the fact that they had to pay next to nothing for the costs of basic needs and everyday life. Rents were around 5% of the average income, prices for basic foodstuffs and children’s clothing were subsidized, education and health care system were free, public transport and vacation opportunities were heavily subsidized, nurseries and kindergartens free, etc.

Posted by: Nobody | Jul 28 2023 19:48 utc | 164

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 18:45 utc | 161
“Reportedly”. And I didn’t see the source of the “report” in the video.
Yeah, based on the fact that Ukraine hasn’t collapsed yet, these numbers are wildly off in the estimates. I mean, what where the total losses claimed in loosing Bakhmut? At some point you would think they would reset their calculations but so far, no.

Posted by: Ed4 | Jul 28 2023 19:55 utc | 166

Posted by: John Marks | Jul 28 2023 17:30 utc | 158
Let’s not eulogise over The Daily Telegraph. It is a terrible imperialist rag. Chief cheerleader of Boris Johnson, who was a Telegraph op-ed writer, before they could no longer take his lying and he was offered more money to write for the Daily Mail, an even more chauvinistic rag, similar to the Daily Express which has incorporated a Ukrainian flag into its masthead since February 2022.
These three rags are Conservative Party propaganda outlets edited by MI5 D notices. Apart from the paparazzi driven Mail Online they all make a loss. The Daily Telegraph is having a crisis of confidence now that it’s hero Johnson has lost power and moved on. They’re even contemplating support for Kieth Starmer and his Tory lite pastiche.
It’s all brainless, neoliberal, NATO supporting anti-citizen (subject) garbage including their anti (vulnerable) human campaign to undermine public health measures to control the effects of Sars-CoV-2, all at the behest of their aprslist elites; the same people who are making money from this unnecessary war.

Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jul 28 2023 20:11 utc | 168

I have a question re: Poland for the barflies.
I have read that Putin ‘says’ Ukraine can do anything it wants to with its land. Poland threatens to do something or other with the Ukraine land south of Belarius. Belarius seems to be gearing up to prevent that.
If Poland ‘takes’ the land won’t it be at war with Ukraine too? Or has Ukraine made a deal to let Poland have the area(s)?
Seems to me it is one thing for ‘residents’ to vote to belong to Poland vs being sold or invaded.
Scuse me if this has been discussed somewhere — if so I missed it/

Posted by: ms idaho | Jul 28 2023 20:20 utc | 170

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 18:45 utc | 161
Russian numbers are normally conservative estimates based on the range of casualties their correlation of forces and means calculator suggests, hence the formulation ‘up to x number of casualties’. Having said that they seem pretty accurate, given they seem to have just the right amount of forces to achieve their vital goals, high suggests a quite accurate picture of the current troop levels of the Ukrainians. The fact that Ukraine is on its 8th or 9th mobilisation is also suggestive that they have suffered appallingly high casualties, as does the fact that their losses in IFV’s and armoured carriers numbers in the thousands.
Modern armies rarely capitulate because they run out of troops, well before that is reached, they run out of a desire to fight, or the ability. I’ll always return to WW2 Germany as an example, they’d lost millions, were obviously defeated but still were launching offensives in the last months of the war. It was only when their capital was taken and the troops morale, all but collapsed, did the war end. Same probably here, for similar reasons, too much ideological conditioning, too much at stake, too much hatred.

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 20:46 utc | 172

Having said that they seem pretty accurate, given they seem to have just the right amount of forces to achieve their vital goals

Good point, that Russia hasn’t gone to a full mobilization, still isn’t sending conscripts to fight, parliament recently upped the recruitment age from 27 to 30 would imply the MoD’s numbers regarding AFU causalities are reasonable. From the peanut gallery I see it as PR but obviously from as a military calculation enemy casualties is not something you can afford to get wrong.
Still, the MoD throws around some terribly big numbers, has from the start. I was kid during Vietnam, no one from hippie to conservative believed a word coming out of the Pentagon, at least after Tet. My formative years are that militaries lie. Russia being on the back foot in the global PR campaign might be too intelligent to do that in this case, verisimilitude is really all it has against the Empire of Lies.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 21:10 utc | 174

A question if anyone has a take:
How will Nuland selection as State department top boss affect situation in Ukraine? More broadly, how will it affect what Nato does?
They announced just few days ago that Ukraine will get M1A Abrams tanks next. Is this a Nuland escalation?

Posted by: unimperator | Jul 28 2023 21:31 utc | 176

Video of the wing of the SBU building in Dnepropetrovsk being destroyed by a missile attack and several ambulances at the scene.
https://t.me/intelslava/50230

Posted by: james | Jul 28 2023 21:54 utc | 178

History Legends website that says Russia has made 4 river crossings in Luhansk and has established a large bridgehead.
Website says the Russians have 100,000 men involved in the operation. Also states that Ukraine failed to establish a fortified line of defense in this region and the Russians are getting close to breaching a second line of defense on the Oskol River. Once through there, not much in the way of the Russians for 50 km, and History Channel says they have 2 motorized divisions and 900 tanks ready to go.

Posted by: Perimetr | Jul 28 2023 22:02 utc | 180

@ 179 / 180
i guess that was a pretty fast turn around time from the S-200 in Taganrog. https://t.me/Slavyangrad/57181
i don’t know what time the sbu building was hit, but the taganrog event happened around 4pm local… the difference seems to be ukraine targeting civilians, while russia is targeting legit military buildings… i don’t know the full story.. maybe there is a military building in taranrog the ukees were going for? i doubt it, but i don’t know… anyone else have any ideas?? off for about 3 hours and back later..

Posted by: james | Jul 28 2023 22:23 utc | 182

“… the moment Russia descends to its old Soviet, now shockingly Western, M.O. of out right lying..”
Milites@182
The Soviet Union was much more truthful than the “West” about Vietnam, Korea, Malaya, Suez, the struggle against colonialism in Africa and the risings against imperialism in Latin America.
And the evidence of this is easily accessible.
The notion that the “West” has only recently included lying in its MO is laughable. It lied so much and so often that many otherwise intelligent people took whay it was saying to be true. It wasn’t. The Cold War was a long series of every kind of lie. It cannot, otherwise be understood.

Posted by: bevin | Jul 28 2023 22:35 utc | 184

I’ve started looking at this guy, less histrionics, more relevant clips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVuTgBTqJ4Q
Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 14:01 utc | 139
I agree. They’re very, very limited. They know nothing. Their opinions are no more valid than our own. Their great value is in that purely mechanistic compiling/matching of the data from each side in regard to where strikes/struggles are taking place and extrapolating from that where the front line actually is today.
A machine could do that really. An AI machine definitely.
But what’s happening on the battlefield is perhaps the poorest indicator of the progress of the war.
And which war are we looking at anyway?
The war that is the USA v Ukraine – set to utterly destroy it and then take it for itself? The USA is winning so far, handsomely.
The war that is the USA v Russia – set to cripple and enervate Russia to where it can be disassembled and USA takes it, too? The USA is losing that one.
The war that is the USA and the whole western world of enmeshed hangers on v the rest of the world which wants to grow and be free of the crippling hand of the US economic hegemony? That one is in the balance but I tend to think the world will get free…
and what other wars? I don’t know. I see only those so far. Anyone knowing of any sites which discuss such please inform.

Posted by: arthur brogard | Jul 28 2023 22:51 utc | 186

ms idaho @ 171

I have a question re: Poland for the barflies.

FYI
“The Russian warning, issued last Friday at the Security Council by President Vladimir Putin, is that the Russian Army will defend western Ukraine, known as Galicia, from any attempt at intervention by Polish forces under either a NATO “peacekeeping” formula, or a bilateral defence arrangement between the Kiev regime and Warsaw to slip Galicia under NATO Article Five protection.”
https://johnhelmer.net/the-balloon-goes-up-how-far-will-the-nato-allies-go-to-fight-their-losing-war-in-the-ukraine-how-much-more-will-they-risk-losing-of-their-post-1945-territorial-gains/
For myself I don’t see why RF would want to carve up Ukraine to make Poland bigger and stronger, turn the hyena into a lion. Unless of course Galicia turns out to be a poisoned chalice but that’s a risky gamble on the part of Russia.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 23:08 utc | 188

Reports coming in that something “incredible” is happening near Beryslav. City residents are witnessing a massive black cloud and hearing powerful bomb explosions.
According to locals, Ukrainian Armed Forces were amassing on the right bank of the Dnepr River and were ready to cross it…
Earlier we reported that the Aerospace Forces hit the district with FAB bombs.
Tactical Aviation activity is still reported in the Southern Regions of Ukraine
According to @infantmilitario, several groups of Ukrainian Armed Forces that were transported to Beryslav, were suddenly struck by Russian aircraft using glide bombs [500-1500kg FAB’s]
As a result of the unexpected air strike, a large number of equipment and personnel were destroyed. The wounded are currently being evacuated.
Keep in mind that this is unconfirmed.
——-
“The Russian Aerospace Forces carried out strikes using “smart bombs” on targets in the Berislav district of Kherson Oblast, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have positioned their reserves, equipment, and ammunition depots.
Powerful explosions were reported as a result of the airstrikes.”
——-
According to Turkish reports citing their Ukrainian sources, the urgent call for blood donations in Dnepropetrovsk indicates that the targeted building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) wasn’t entirely empty, and that previous Russian strikes on Ukraine were also successful.
As per their information, after the severe missile strike from Russia a few days ago, medical aviation helicopters and planes flew from Polish bases and back along the Ukrainian border.
With 10 wounded in Dnepropetrovsk hospitals, there won’t be an urgent need for blood donation, and most importantly, there won’t be an urgent evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers and officers abroad.
However, someone might have been evacuated, possibly NATO personnel from underground headquarters or airbases.
The Turks note that significant events are ongoing, demonstrating that the Russian side has significantly strengthened its intelligence capabilities, resulting in serious losses among NATO and Ukrainian military personnel.
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/75038
SBU got hit
https://t.me/two_majors/9977
https://t.me/two_majors/9977

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2023 23:22 utc | 190

NOW SHOWING at a Cinema near you!
Starring Tony “keep a straight face” Blinken, Vikki “fuck the EU” Nuland, Vlod “Gimme” Elenski and Joe “Slo Mo” Biden
“THE MAIN THRUST”
Sequel to the box office hit “The Spring Offensive”
Daily Mail Film Review: “A wonderfully creative film from controverial Director Ben “we aren’t Amazon” Wallace.

Posted by: HERMIUS | Jul 28 2023 23:31 utc | 192

Posted by: watcher | Jul 28 2023 22:58 utc | 188
I’ve worked with Aussies and you’ve got a lot to be proud about, for such a young nation. Don’t let the pusillanimous pricks with their daddy issues, who are running the show at the moment, ever make you forget that mate.

Posted by: Milites | Jul 28 2023 23:40 utc | 194

“The Telegraph is, as you say, an appalling cesspool of Tory lies and propaganda. And it always has been.”
Posted by: bevin | Jul 28 2023 22:38 utc | 186
Which makes it an interesting read. Unless of course you are terrified of getting contaminated.

Posted by: dh | Jul 28 2023 23:57 utc | 196

Re: Posted by: HERMIUS | Jul 28 2023 23:31 utc | 193
ROFL 😂 Excellent!

Posted by: Trubind1 | Jul 29 2023 0:23 utc | 198

Re: Posted by: Apollyon | Jul 28 2023 20:38 utc | 172
Thanks for the post. Have to admit… I’m speechless.
Does “here’s your “negotiation”…. Remember the 2021 December demands we sent you? EU/US?? Sign them… while we work on our Ukraine surrender papers for you to sign”….sound about right?
Again, speechless… Ritter was right about this… Military homocide and should be charged by a military tribunal of Ukraine… including Zelensky et el of course.. but how dare the US…??
Seriously disgusted & speechless I’m so angry.

Posted by: Trubind1 | Jul 29 2023 0:34 utc | 200