News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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July 23, 2025
Ukraine Open Thread 2025-165
Comments
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 24 2025 15:32 utc | 99
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Americans are given exposés and conspiracies to keep people confused and paranoid.
Most movements (post-Vietnam) have been started by the state.
How do I know that? I apply a simple heuristic. If I were trying to protect/maintain a system, I would get potential opponents to waste energy on endless dead ends, which also allows me to gather intelligence on the ground and to find competent revolutionaries before they can become a problem.
The best battles are won before they have to be fought. Like allowing Trump to be re-elected.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 24 2025 15:51 utc | 101
Posted by: snake | Jul 24 2025 13:15 utc | 87
“The USA court system is difficult..”
The courts have been weaponized against Trump. It’s one of the last weapons that the Left has to use against Trump once they found that shooting at him doesn’t seem to work.
Posted by: Paranaense | Jul 24 2025 15:55 utc | 102
interesting Karline Keavitg replied to a q…that DT as commander in chief has resrved for himself tgeright to impose sanctions,after talking to to others…. that implies that he thinks that Lyndsey Graham is getting rather ahead of himself and trying to take lead over DT….interesting…kind of confirms a bit of a sit and that DT opinion that z is a scrounger and fraudulent is more important then Lyndsey wanting to blasting Russia to hell????DT does not want to be prematurely drawn into and jump in immediately into a nato conflict by others enviglements- well not at this moment anyways, perhaps after the 50 days?????.Because there are some talks and DT will minimally claim credit for those occuring?
Posted by: Jo | Jul 24 2025 16:01 utc | 103
Ahenobarbus@99
WELL STATED. Progressives need to realize that the democratic party is our enemy, including Obama, Biden, and Harris. Sanders put up some resistance to the democratic party, while AOC did for a while but now has completely capitulated.
We are now in the phase of divorcing ourselves from the democratic party. The next phase is where do we go from here, and what kinds of tactics might have effects. For the most part though, it is time for us to lay low as we reorganize and rejuvenate ourselves.
Posted by: Woke American | Jul 24 2025 16:14 utc | 104
partnership now broken?
Posted by: Jo | Jul 24 2025 15:41 utc | 100
That was never a “partnership,” at least not for the US!
Zelensky may have thought it was one for the first few months…even the English have become suspiciously quiet, since they’re usually the ones who back the idiot Zelensky…
Did London get a warning shot from Trump? Rather improbably, London is home to its greatest enemies.
Posted by: Genesiss | Jul 24 2025 16:18 utc | 105
”…if those signs are written in any language other than English, no one in the western audience would give a rats ass…”
And why should anyone in the West give a rats ass about what is supposed to be an internal issue in somebody else’s country? Why is it so important to the ”protestors” that Americans be involved in a domestic issue in their country?
Reaching out for foreign interference in domestic affairs is arguably treason.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 24 2025 15:02 utc | 97
Yet, if China has a real comintern, Many a wage slave would gladly reach out to them for help in toppling our Imperialist duopoly.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 24 2025 16:18 utc | 106
partnership now broken?
Posted by: Jo | Jul 24 2025 15:41 utc | 100
That was never a “partnership,” at least not for the US!
Zelensky may have thought it was one for the first few months…even the English have become suspiciously quiet, since they’re usually the ones who back the idiot Zelensky…
Did London get a warning shot from Trump? Rather improbably, London is home to its greatest enemies.
Posted by: Geniss | Jul 24 2025 16:21 utc | 107
Posted by: Eighthman | Jul 24 2025 10:27 utc | 82
—-
You forgot to mention Moldova and Azerbaijan.
Posted by: pepe | Jul 24 2025 17:28 utc | 108
I think Ukrainian people lost any will at all. They staying home in case of TCC. But all nation going outside to streets in support of foreign control services.
Posted by: Forowell DEATH | Jul 24 2025 18:28 utc | 109
partnership now broken?
Posted by: Jo | Jul 24 2025 15:41 utc | 100
I do so enjoy it when the Warpig-in-Chief has a bowel movement.
Of course Miss Lyndsey worked tirelessly to patch things up….
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jul 24 2025 19:30 utc | 110
@ Spiridon | Jul 24 2025 10:47 utc | 84
Apologies from me for jumping in prematurely; the handle “Anonymous ” has some history here, which is why I piled in as I did.
Welcome aboard and don’t be shy about commenting under your adopted screen name, don’t let sarky old gits like me put you off.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 24 2025 20:16 utc | 111
Starlink’s reportedly down worldwide. Probably not the Russians since it’s night time in 404 and a bad time to take advantage of the confusion.
A great lesson on over-reliance on foreign-based systems for your ongoing war though.
Posted by: boneless | Jul 24 2025 20:27 utc | 112
Ukraine Is Target Practice At The End of The Road – New Nima Podcast
https://johnhelmer.net/ukraine-is-target-practice-at-the-end-of-the-road-new-nima-podcast/
“The third round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul came and went in just one hour, and the Russian plan to continue the meeting on Thursday was dropped.
Manoeuvres there were: surprises there were not…”
‘Who’s Not Jumping is a Moskal’ – Again
https://x.com/OlgaBazova/status/1948140266281660475
“The Ukrainians are jumping and screaming ‘Who’s Not Jumping Is A Moskal1’ again. Ukrainianism is not an identity, it’s a disease and it’s incurable.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 24 2025 20:59 utc | 113
Ikr, Ukrainians supposedly are ok with a possibility of being kidnapped on the streets and sent to die on the front but the moment Western assets are touched, only then they go protest. I swear, Ukraine is the western equivalent of North Korea, possibly even worse.
Posted by: Messier | Jul 24 2025 21:31 utc | 114
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 24 2025 15:32 utc | 99
I’d love to hear your solution, I can guess, but I’d like to hear your plan to realistically implement your preferred manifesto. Alternatively, which side are you taking in the Democrat’s much-delayed civil war, or are you just sitting piously on the side-lines telling everyone who will listen how right you were….again?
Posted by: Milites | Jul 24 2025 21:59 utc | 115
Posted by: Messier | Jul 24 2025 21:31 utc | 114
Best guess, putting on my armchair psychologist hat … they realize their country is a hopeless shithole of corruption, and they long to simply give up their sovereignty to a foreign power that will clean everything up (the foreign dick we don’t know will fuck us kinder and gentler than the local dicks.)
Basically they’re a bunch of bitches with no balls to take back their country for themselves.
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jul 24 2025 22:13 utc | 116
@ Spiridon | Jul 24 2025 10:47 utc | 84
Apologies from me for jumping in prematurely; the handle “Anonymous ” has some history here, which is why I piled in as I did.
Welcome aboard and don’t be shy about commenting under your adopted screen name, don’t let sarky old gits like me put you off.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 24 2025 20:16 utc | 111
if he’s not the one
https://maratkhairullin.substack.com/p/brief-frontline-report-july-24th
1285 casualties, couldn’t find tass, mil rus still down, refuse to keep DS count, pure prop
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 24 2025 23:56 utc | 117
Posted by: Avtonom | Jul 24 2025 12:18 utc | 86
Personally, I think there is no doubt. The photos of very orderly, obviously well organized & very young people with a striking similarity to the Georgian crowds recently, and not the least, the content of the “protests”, all of this point to CIA et al.
Reading the various comments, I must concur that the anti-corruption protests have been orchestrated by foreign interests rather than by the people’s sentiment of justice. They’ve maintained a very focused message protesting the law that took away NABU’s independence, and there weren’t any other grievances (“Down with Z” or “Stop the war” or “No to TCC” or “Higher wages”) as it is likely to happen in an “organic” uprising driven by the people’s sense of oppression. Nor were there any snippers taking out random protestors nor any arrests aimed at quelling the unrest/weaken the opposition. The whole unrest was as inconsequential as a flea’s fart in a hurricane. In essence, foreign interests were unable to persuade a meaningful number of locals to protest ending up tipping their hand regrding their presence in Ukraine and the level of control (or lack thereof) they have on the locals; and Z wisely didn’t supress the unrest to avoid further antagonizing said interests.
Posted by: Spiridon | Jul 25 2025 11:08 utc | 118
Ikr, Ukrainians supposedly are ok with a possibility of being kidnapped on the streets and sent to die on the front but the moment Western assets are touched, only then they go protest.
Protests need to be organized, which is difficult, expensive and sometimes dangerous. The US has an efficient and experienced apparatus with sufficient funds. It can trigger assets en masse, easily lifting the subject over the threshold of attention and complacence.
Also, western propaganda is scientifically precise and effective. Unless you spend time and energy on analyzing and comprehending it’s methods, you will never know how ubiquitous it is and how much it shapes your worldview. Spreading that gained knowledge is very difficult. You have no authority, the leitmedien have it, they are credible in the eyes of the non-enlightened. There is also inertia and fear of being nonconformist.
In the 1988 movie ‘They Live’ there is a five minutes scene of two guys knuckle fighting, because one guy wants to enlighten the other, but he rejects the attempt, rejects enlightenment itself. This iconic scene drastically illustrates our attitude towards any new information that is contrary to our biases, our comforft zone, our conformism.
Posted by: Hamburger | Jul 25 2025 11:26 utc | 119
Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update, 25th July 2025: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-and-world-affairs-weekly-279
Posted by: The Busker | Jul 25 2025 11:52 utc | 120
Chinese-made engines are being covertly shipped via front companies to a state-owned drone manufacturer in Russia, labelled as “industrial refrigeration units” to avoid detection in the wake of Western sanctions, according to three European security officials and documents reviewed by Reuters. … Chinese technology, including L550E engines made by Xiamen Limbach Aviation Engine Co. (Reuters)
Remember the Volkswagen Beetle car? The engine this Reuters article talks about is a Volkswagen Beetle engine, invented almost 100 years ago in 1930’s Germany. The Iranian Shahed 136 uses a similar “Beetle” engine. What roams Ukrainian skies are cheerfully chugging Volkswagen Beetle cars.
Posted by: Passerby | Jul 25 2025 12:13 utc | 121
Daily update 1.255 AFU casualties, 1 AD component
“Over the week, four launchers of the Patriot surface-to-air missile system and an AN/MPQ-65 multifunctional radar of US manufacture were destroyed,” the ministry said.”
For those counting that makes 624
weekly details
https://tass.com/politics/1994279
Plenty of maps on S’s latest
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/zelensky-rolls-back-anti-corruption
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 25 2025 12:50 utc | 122
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 24 2025 23:56 utc | 117
……………………………….
if he’s not the one
https://maratkhairullin.substack.com/p/brief-frontline-report-july-24th
1285 casualties, couldn’t find tass, mil rus still down, refuse to keep DS count, pure prop
still superficial and even false statements !!!
Even during the inquiry from b regarding the unavailability of the MOD website, it was pointed out that Russian MOD is still accessible via its Telegram address (and even with a “public” address). !!!
Posted by: ghiwen | Jul 25 2025 13:32 utc | 123
Even during the inquiry from b regarding the unavailability of the MOD website, it was pointed out that Russian MOD is still accessible via its Telegram address (and even with a “public” address). !!!
Posted by: ghiwen | Jul 25 2025 13:32 utc | 123
then please post it, I don’t use Telegram but if there is a public/web address I’d appreciate your sharing
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 25 2025 15:33 utc | 124
Alexander Mercouris, John Mearsheimer & Glenn Diesen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDTreGI5wKE
“Ukraine war will now be resolved on the battlefield. ‘Material conditions and psychological condition of Ukrainian troops combined make this a hopeless situation for the Ukrainians.”
Deterioration and imminent collapse looming.
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 25 2025 17:05 utc | 125
Ukrainian losses for the week July 19th to July 25th, as reported by the Russian defence ministry:
– Kursk & Kharkov fronts: 1,150 troops, 2 tanks, 6 LAV/HMV, 37 motor vehicles, 29 artillery pieces, 2 EW systems.
– Zapad Group (Luhansk area): 1,610 troops, 9 LAV/HMV, 97 motor vehicles, 9 artillery pieces, 20 EW and CB systems.
– Yug Group (Donetsk north): 1,135 troops, 1 APC, 13 LAV/HMV, 24 motor vehicles, 9 artillery pieces.
– Tsetr Group (Donetsk south): 2,975 troops, 1 APC, 22 LAV/ HMV, 55 motor vehicles, 30 artillery pieces.
– Vostok Group (southern front): 1,360 troops, 21 LAV/HMV, 62 motor vehicles, 15 artillery piece, 4 EW and CB systems.
– Dnepr Group: 420 troops, 37 motor vehicles, 9 artillery pieces, 33 EW and CB systems.
In total: 8,650 troops – a very slight uptick from the previous week (37,483 per month, with undercounting probably around 40,000).
2 tanks (2 in Kursk/Kharkov), 0 IFV, 2 APC, 71 HMV/Light Armoured Vehicle (6 in Kursk/Khakrov), 312 motor vehicles. Only 2 tank losses and no IFV and 2 APC. An uptick in HMV/LAVs losses and a fall in motor vehicle losses.
Slight rise to 101 artillery pieces (29 in Kursk/Kharkov), plus also 0 MLRS; 438/mth, about 45% of the peak loss rate.
Plus 59 EW and Counter Battery systems, the Russians are having a lot of success wiping out the Ukrainian EW and CB capabilities; especially in the Dnepr group area that encompasses Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas.
Armoured vehicle losses, including tanks, remain at a low level. A casualty rate of only 8,650 as the Russians are making successful breakthroughs does seem to confirm the reports of a lack of Ukrainian troops.
Posted by: Roger Boyd | Jul 25 2025 17:31 utc | 126
@ Newbie | Jul 25 2025 15:33 utc | 124
This website also posts some data: https://mskvremya.ru/article/2023/1520-poteri-ukrainy-za-vremya-spetsoperatsii
It’s in Russian, but you can translate the whole website to the language of your choice (ctrl a, then right click and translate). Translation is not perfect, but good enough to get the facts.
Posted by: NoName | Jul 25 2025 17:53 utc | 127
“We have to lie to hide our mistakes”: the Ukrainian Armed Forces are getting worse with unreliable reports to the command
The commander of one of the regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that there is total window dressing in the Ukrainian army. Often, unit commanders significantly downplay problems in their reports to the leadership in order to avoid accusations of incompetence.
At the same time, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces regiment commander, the situation with false reports that do not reflect the real situation at the front is currently only getting worse and has become significantly worse over the past year. This is due to the fact that the more mistakes a commander makes, the more he has to deceive his superiors, trying to embellish the results of his incompetence.
“Our idiocy is our main enemy at all levels”
— the Ukrainian officer summed up.
At the same time, the considerably “embellished” reports that are systematically sent from local commanders to the top leadership of the Ukrainian army do not allow an objective picture of the situation on the line of combat contact to be formed and subsequently lead to even greater problems. In addition, unreliable information often reaches the Western curators of the Kyiv regime, thus distorting their understanding of the situation in Ukraine.
The words of the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense Andrey Belousov come to mind: “You can make mistakes, but you can’t lie.” The head of the Ukrainian defense department and his subordinates seem to share somewhat different convictions.
https://en.topwar.ru/268657-prihoditsja-obmanyvat-chtoby-skryt-svoi-proschety-v-vsu-usugubljajutsja-problemy-s-nedostovernymi-dokladami-komandovaniju.html
Wouldn’t knowingly misleading your commanding officers be a court-martial offence?
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Jul 25 2025 18:14 utc | 128
Even though Russia is clearly mass-producing its Geran-2 drones, they are still essentially assembled by hand.
There is no proper rolling assembly line, no robotic automation. Russia never developed this type of industrial base, and isn’t building it now.
This places tremendous strain on manpower, both within and beyond its defense sector, and remains highly inefficient.
Posted by: FR Hoffmann | Jul 25 2025 19:38 utc | 129
Posted by: FR Hoffmann | Jul 25 2025 19:38 utc | 129
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Inefficient compared to whom?
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 25 2025 19:44 utc | 130
This website also posts some data: https://mskvremya.ru/article/2023/1520-poteri-ukrainy-za-vremya-spetsoperatsii
It’s in Russian, but you can translate the whole website to the language of your choice (ctrl a, then right click and translate). Translation is not perfect, but good enough to get the facts.
Posted by: NoName | Jul 25 2025 17:53 utc | 127
I already use numbers from that site (and see their map), advised it and defended it against comments that it’s not mil ru proper
ghiwen was saying there is a (working ) access to mil ru, I was calling him out
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 26 2025 0:38 utc | 131
why would the US need a color revolution to get rid of Z? unless there are other purposes to it of course.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Jul 24 2025 7:42 utc | 80
It’s not about getting rid of Z … it’s about finding someone to blame for the defeat. Everyone who paid the slightest attention has known about the corruption for years … this part is nothing new. The protesters merely give a plausible reason for news reports to start drawing attention to the situation and undermining the current leadership.
The Dems have it all lined up to blame Trump for not sending enough weapons … then Trump points the finger at Europe and says, “It’s your problem!” Who is Europe gonna blame?
Posted by: Tel | Jul 26 2025 2:44 utc | 132
August 02, 2024
Ukraine SitRep: Catch up
To the north west of Donetsk city Russian forces made huge progress towards Pokrovsk city, one of the main road and rail crossings in the region. Pokrovsk is already in normal artillery range and the Ukrainian forces defending its approaches seem to be utterly worn out.
North east of the Pokrovsk front Russian forces are in the process of taking the New York agglomeration of several cities from the north as well as from the south.
Russian forces made “huge progress towards Pokrovsk city” – on August 2, 2024!
It has taken Russian forces a still year beseiging Pokrovsk – and still haven’t taken it!
Snails pace indeed.
Posted by: Julian | Jul 26 2025 14:52 utc | 133
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 25 2025 15:33 utc | 124
Even during the inquiry from b regarding the unavailability of the MOD website, it was pointed out that Russian MOD is still accessible via its Telegram address (and even with a “public” address). !!!
Posted by: ghiwen | Jul 25 2025 13:32 utc | 123
then please post it, I don’t use Telegram but if there is a public/web address I’d appreciate your sharing
oh .. lazy
it was posted during the inquiry from b
https://t.me/s/mod_russia
Posted by: ghiwen | Jul 27 2025 4:26 utc | 134
Snails pace indeed.
Posted by: Julian | Jul 26 2025 14:52 utc | 133
And? Ukraine will still lose this war. Eventually they will lose that city and a lot more of their territory. But of course you know that, you‘re just here for trolling.
Posted by: NoName | Jul 27 2025 11:32 utc | 135
oh .. lazy
it was posted during the inquiry from b
https://t.me/s/mod_russia
Posted by: ghiwen | Jul 27 2025 4:26 utc | 134
Much appreciated , missed it at the time (and MoA search is what it is)
And yes lazy, but not here as a rule . Do my part
Have a nice weekend and thank you once again
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 27 2025 12:03 utc | 136
Sunday Wire: Ep #556, with Patrick Henningsen
https://x.com/21WIRE/status/1949500552397881586
“Downfall’ – Arnaud Develay.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 28 2025 8:49 utc | 137
CrossTalk: Protesting Zelensky
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/622055-kiev-regime-decay-zelensky-scared/
“Ukraine front and center: Are we witnessing regime decay in Kiev? Is Zelensky now more afraid of the West than the Russians? And six months in, Trump’s foreign policy is in tatters. Why has it gone so badly? CrossTalking with Tarik Cyril Amar and Dmitry Babich.”
Posted by: JohnGilberts | Jul 28 2025 9:25 utc | 138