Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
February 4, 2024
Ukraine Open Thread 2024-040

Only for news & views directly related to the war in Ukraine.

The current open thread for other issues is here.

Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.

Comments

At least 28 people died when shelling hit a bakery in the Russian city of Lysychansk
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-lysychansk-bakery-shelling-war-61ce6fc809bd73ac0fa994e8b7e84286

Posted by: Apollyon | Feb 4 2024 14:17 utc | 1

Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (for the period from January 27 to February 3, 2024)
In the period from January 27 to February 3 of this year, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 37 group strikes with precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on decision-making centers, objects of the military-industrial complex, military airfield infrastructure, arsenals and fuel bases of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In addition, the locations of units of the armed forces of Ukraine, formations of nationalists and foreign mercenaries were affected.
All assigned objects were hit.
In the Kupyansk direction, units of the Western Group of Troops liberated the settlement of Tabayevka in the Kharkiv region and continued to improve the situation along the front edge in some areas. During the week, Russian troops repelled 41 attacks by assault groups of the 30th, 32nd, 44th, 60th mechanized, 57th motorized Infantry, 25th Airborne, 95th airborne assault brigades and 103rd Air Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Tabayevka, Kharkiv regions, Novoselovskoye of the Luhansk People’s Republic and Terny of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The enemy’s losses amounted to over 750 military personnel, a tank, nine armored combat vehicles, 21 vehicles, as well as eight field artillery guns.
In the Krasnolimansk direction, units of the Center group of forces, with the support of aviation and artillery fire, occupied more advantageous positions and repelled 19 enemy attacks. Clusters of manpower and equipment of the 60th, 63rd mechanized brigades, the 12th special purpose Brigade and the 13th brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Kirovsk, Yampolovka of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Chervonaya Dibrova, Kuzmino of the Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as the Serebryansk forestry.
The enemy lost up to 1,825 soldiers killed and wounded, six tanks, 13 armored combat vehicles, 36 vehicles and six field artillery guns.
In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern Group of Troops competently improved the situation along the front edge and repelled 22 enemy attacks. Air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flamethrower systems defeated the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Verkhnekamenskoye, Artemovskoye, Krasnoe, Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka, Andreevka, Belogorovka, Perezdnoye and Georgievka of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the specified period amounted to more than 2,245 servicemen, five tanks, 19 armored combat vehicles, 63 vehicles, 28 field artillery guns and two MLRS Grad combat vehicles.
In the South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok group of forces jointly repelled nine attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, in the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Konstantinovka, Ugledar, Staromayorskoye, Makarovka of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Priyutnoye of the Zaporozhye region, units of the 58th, 72nd mechanized, 79th airborne assault brigades, as well as the 127th and 128th air defense brigades were defeated.
The enemy’s losses amounted to up to 735 soldiers, two tanks, six armored combat vehicles, 17 vehicles, 12 field artillery guns and two MLRS Grad combat vehicles.
In the Zaporozhye direction, units of Russian troops repelled an attack by an assault group of the 108th Air Defense Brigade in the area of the settlement of Lugovskoye and defeated the manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Workino, Nesteryanka, Pyatikhatki, Kamenskoye, Malaya Tokmachka and Orekhov of the Zaporozhye region.
The enemy lost more than 385 servicemen, a tank, 10 armored combat vehicles, 19 vehicles, 15 field artillery guns and a Grad MLRS combat vehicle.
In the Kherson direction, as a result of preemptive actions by Russian troops, air strikes and artillery fire, the manpower and equipment of the 35th, 36th, 38th Marine brigades, 121st, 123rd and 124th air defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Nikolaevka, Tyaginka, Ivanovka, Tokarevka, Antonovka, Yantarnoye, Kherson region.
The enemy lost up to 290 soldiers killed and wounded, four tanks, two armored combat vehicles, 26 vehicles, 11 boats and 12 field artillery guns. During the week, 26 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered.
Over the past week, seven launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems, including five S-300, SAMP-T made in France, as well as IRIS-T made in Germany, were hit by operational and tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of groups of troops.
In addition, three radar stations of the Norwegian-made NASAMS anti-aircraft missile system, two radars of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, one radar station of the IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by Germany, as well as six ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit.
Aviation and air defense systems shot down 20 aircraft guided missiles during the week, including four HARM anti-radar missiles, a JDAM guided aerial bomb, 53 HIMARS, Uragan and Alder multiple launch rocket systems, as well as 423 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (as of February 4, 2024)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation.
In the Kupyansk direction, the active actions of units of the “Western” grouping of troops, air strikes and artillery fire repelled four attacks by formations of the 30th, 32nd mechanized and 25th airborne brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Kharkiv region and Terny, Donetsk People’s Republic.
The enemy lost up to 30 soldiers, two armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system and an M777 artillery system manufactured by the United States.
In the Krasnolimansk direction, the coordinated actions of the units of the Center group of forces have improved the position along the front edge.
Air strikes and artillery fire repelled three attacks by assault groups of the 60th Mechanized Brigade and the 12th Azov special Purpose Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Yampolovka of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Chervonaya Dibrova of the Luhansk People’s Republic.
In addition, the enemy’s manpower was defeated in the areas of the Torskoye settlement of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Serebryansky forestry.
The losses of the Armed Forces amounted to 120 soldiers, two armored combat vehicles and four vehicles.
In the Donetsk direction, units of the “Southern” grouping of troops, with the support of aviation and artillery, repelled two attacks by formations of the 112th Air Defense Brigade and the 24th mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Krasnoe and Leninskoye of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Also, the manpower and equipment of the 22nd, 93rd mechanized and 80th airborne assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Bogdanovka, Novy, Kleshcheyevka and Shumy of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The enemy’s losses amounted to 380 soldiers, two infantry fighting vehicles, three Kozak armored vehicles and six pickups.
During the counter-battery struggle, the following were hit: a self-propelled artillery installation “Gvozdika”, as well as two howitzers: D-20 and D-30.
An ammunition depot of the 47th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed near the settlement of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
In the South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok group of forces, in cooperation with army aviation and artillery, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 72nd mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 1st Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Ugledar and Urozhodnoye of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to 115 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, three cars, two self-propelled artillery installations “Acacia” and a D-20 gun.
In the Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian group of troops, with the support of artillery, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 33rd, 65th, 118th mechanized and 128th mountain assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Workino, Verbovoye, Nesteryanka and Shcherbaki of the Zaporozhye region.
The enemy lost up to 45 servicemen, two vehicles, a D-20 cannon and a Grad MLRS combat vehicle.
In the Kherson direction, the active actions of units of Russian troops, air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flamethrower systems defeated enemy concentrations of manpower in the areas of the settlements of Ivanovka, Tyaginka, Kazatskoye and Zolotaya Balka of the Kherson region.
The losses of the Armed Forces amounted to up to 30 servicemen, three vehicles, the M777 artillery system and the D-20 cannon.
Operational and tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery groups of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed the fuel depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as defeated the manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 124 districts.
Air defense means shot down 97 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of the settlements of Veliky Vyselok, Kharkiv region, Golikovo, Belogorovka, Luhansk People’s Republic, Tokmak, Novoye, Ocheretovatoye and Chistopolye, Zaporizhia region.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 568 aircraft, 265 helicopters, 11775 unmanned aerial vehicles, 462 anti-aircraft missile systems, 14904 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1216 multiple rocket launchers, 7963 field artillery and mortars, as well as 18230 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

Posted by: rumod reports | Feb 4 2024 14:26 utc | 2

Russia continues exhausting the Collective Waste. No money will ever change the outcome in the battlefield. Russia is fully committed ‘all the way’ to achieve all her goals which were clearly stated back in February 2022.

Posted by: AI | Feb 4 2024 14:43 utc | 3

China is doing a good business in Ukraine.

machine translated
Military uniforms with the symbols of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were found at the railway checkpoint “Zabaikalsk” in a freight train that was transiting through China to Poland.
Everyone is beautiful – both Chinese comrades and customers.

https://t.me/s/obrazbuduschego2/16455

Posted by: too scents | Feb 4 2024 14:47 utc | 4

The post shows a burned out Caesar howitzer with what appears to be an intact barrel and largely intact recoil mechanism (i.e the heaviest and most expensive “hardware”). So long as immobilised equipment isn’t wrecked with followup strikes, Ukraine will continue to exploit economically viable salvage.
https://t.me/ZandVchannel/98846

🏴‍☠️🇫🇷 The destroyed French 155-mm Caesar howitzer, which ukros decided not to throw, but to take away.
In terms of evacuation of damaged equipment, the situation is interesting. Ukros evacuates literally everything.
Even downed planes and helicopters they try to collect and drag away.

Posted by: anon2020 | Feb 4 2024 14:48 utc | 5

China is doing a good business in Ukraine.

Posted by: too scents | Feb 4 2024 14:47 utc | 4
Probably, but here we have …

territory containers with uniforms for Ukrainian troops that were on a TRANSIT ROUTE THROUGH China to Poland.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/russian-customs-officers-impound-containers-transporting-ukrainian-military-uniforms/3125779
Producer and sender are not known.

Posted by: 600w | Feb 4 2024 15:26 utc | 6

Ukraine Weekly Update, 2nd Feb 2024: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-weekly-update-cf4

Posted by: Dr. Rob Campbell | Feb 4 2024 15:33 utc | 7

Posted by: AI | Feb 4 2024 14:43 utc | 3
The EU 50 billion money has very little effect on anything. It is mostly sent to pay Ukraine’s bills to the IMF, which helps keep the western financial system afloat to a degree, and to pay bills to Lockheed and Raytheon. Of course, the regime officials will stuff some in their pockets to buy more real estate in Croatia and Switzerland, as well.
Furthermore, we heard from the insider channel that the most important condition for giving money to Ukraine was the condition of forcing through the new mobilization law, and harvesting as many people as possible into the infantry force. Who cares if there’s no ammo, weapons or supplies available, which is a secondary issue.

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 4 2024 15:46 utc | 8

It seems that all the NAZI’s can do now is murder as many innocent Russian civilians as possible until their suicide mission on behalf of the Empire of death, deceit, and delusions is complete.

Posted by: Robert Hope | Feb 4 2024 15:50 utc | 9

It seems that all the NAZI’s can do now is murder as many innocent Russian civilians as possible until their suicide mission on behalf of the Empire of death, deceit, and delusions is complete.
Posted by: Robert Hope | Feb 4 2024 15:50 utc | 9
——————
Of course, that was true all along. They shelled Donesk in a similar fashion because they’ll never get it back. It’s all hateful spite.
I’ve said before the reason Ukraine turned to NATO/EU cargo-cultism, by way of Bandera.
Is because deep down they know what f**ked up abortion of a country “independent Ukraine” has been since 1991. And that unlike Russia it has no future.
Makes the Ukro-Nazi worse in that sense, than the OG Nazis. Who only turned from imperialist genocide to suicide-genocide after they knew the war was lost.
Ukraine started out that state. Their demographic prospects alone, tell that grim story.

Posted by: Urban Fox | Feb 4 2024 17:06 utc | 10

Tragedy hits again…….
because of Putin 5d sitting on his hands, the bakery demands the removal of the entire command of Russia. I know strelkov would demand so too.
I don’t know why the entire federation of soviets are not demanding that iskanders and kinzhal warheads with nuclear devices are not heading towards at least Berlin. We know that I care so much about that bakery because having heard that they make their own patriotic sourdough borodinsky there, as I do myself when I’m in the shadow banning myself while beating my yeast slowly. along with my echo chamber of pathetic pro putina lovers here. So why not be realistic and just withdraw from crimea already because as we know it Russia lost already?

Posted by: Jason | Feb 4 2024 18:01 utc | 11

… Furthermore, we heard from the insider channel that the most important condition for giving money to Ukraine was the condition of forcing through the new mobilization law, and harvesting as many people as possible into the infantry force. …
Posted by: unimperator | Feb 4 2024 15:46 utc | 8

I noticed that claim, too.
The wilful disregard for Ukrainian life has always encouraged the suspicion that their deaths are a feature of western designs on Ukrainian territory and resources, not a side effect of desperation or incompetence.

Posted by: anon2020 | Feb 4 2024 18:06 utc | 12

Apollyon | Feb 4 2024 14:17 utc | 1
Perhaps the surprise war pig nuland was referring to.

Posted by: Divadab | Feb 4 2024 18:08 utc | 13

11
Agree!
The death toll for a so called SMO among civilians & soldiers is breathtaking.
Chessmaster is a master of desaster!
He is the perfect eastern partner for destroying Russian lifes!

Posted by: SlowSoft | Feb 4 2024 18:58 utc | 14

@ Jason | Feb 4 2024 18:01 utc | 11
“federation of soviets”? Exactly which century are you inhabiting? Obviously not ours.
The test of your comment was no better.

Posted by: malenkov | Feb 4 2024 18:59 utc | 15

Well the Hungarian PM Viktor Orban eventually succumbed to pressure from the Italian and French presidents to sign-off on the EU’s funding for Ukraine, their was talk that the EU was going to try impact upon the Hungarian economy reducing it somehow, but now Orban has signed-off on the huge 50 billions Euro budget for Ukraine that plan might not happen now.
I feel sorry for the ordinary citizens of the EU their governments have put their needs to the back, whilst the needs of Ukraine are at the fore, its as if they don’t care about their own citizens, they are in government and they’ll do what they want with the taxpayers cash.
The poor farmers of Europe springs to mind.

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 4 2024 18:59 utc | 16

As in my name I’m just a pilgrim and my first post. there is so much wisdom here and I am grateful to all. From a couple of articles on gateway pundit…. a chicago city council member ask the board why was the immigrants in his city receiving 9K worth of free stuff every month and the other article was about citizens complaining at the airport how immigrants got vip escourt around security. I am Texas born and raised and know the border crisis. My question is does anyone else think the usa is buying mercs to send and fight Russia ? Kinda makes Bidens off the wall comment about funding take a different view ….. fork over the money or we’ll send daddies and sons. If true how will this effect me and my family ?

Posted by: Pilgrim | Feb 4 2024 19:20 utc | 17

by Republicofscotland | Feb 4 2024 18:59 utc | 16
It all depends from where one observes Orban from.
He did the best thing he could – negotiated that 50 bil. Euros are to be divided over 4 years, that audit and a control is obligatory on that spending, that the part of the total sum aka the share that Hungary is giving to Ukraine is used for a civilian purposes only, and saved Hungarian piece of cake that is given by EU, although it sums it up to just 2% of Hungarian total GDP. Also he saved numerous Hungarian businesses.
Varoufakis when he was Greek Economy Minister tried and went through the same racket, blackmail and a pressure. Still had to yield and was bragging that Mafia are amateurs in comparison.

Posted by: whirlX | Feb 4 2024 19:26 utc | 18

Posted by: whirlX | Feb 4 2024 19:26 utc | 18
Well, there is pretty much nothing Orban can do. He held out for pretty long.
This open ended money black hole will be the end of EU, as witnessed now through farmer uprisings all across central and western Europe. The only thing they have left is launch a crazy war with Russia, which is the dilemma of a cornered rat. Scary times.

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 4 2024 19:47 utc | 19

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 4 2024 19:47 utc | 19
and the sad thing is, they were given so many opportunities to just stop their madness, but they simply refused to listen, to look, to talk.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Feb 4 2024 19:59 utc | 20

by unimperator | Feb 4 2024 19:47 utc | 19
This money goes nowhere. 50 bil EUR over 4 years is nothing when Ukraine needs around 4.5 bil. EUR per month, just to function as a state.
It was just a show to put Orban in line, but EU failed even that.
Fico from Slovakia is the next.

Posted by: whirlX | Feb 4 2024 20:00 utc | 21

The €50 billion allocated by the EU for 4 years is fueling the appetites of Ukrainian officials. Former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Melnyk, who was transferred as ambassador to Brazil after a series of scandals, demands that Europe allocate 1% of EU GDP to Ukraine. According to his calculations, this amount should amount to €160 billion annually. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the German government had agreed to arm Ukraine for only €7 billion.
https://pravda-en.com/world/2024/02/04/300629.html

Posted by: Apollyon | Feb 4 2024 20:13 utc | 22