"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (6 Viewers)

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Hamas, via Iran, is taking pressure off of Putin ... same thing with Kim.
Editorial opinion in Israel's left-liberal newspaper would not agree with some opinions here.
The Pals will never disappear ... and Israel, as a democracy, will now decide if Zionism can be reformed.
 
All interesting comments. Additionally, I wonder why the Hamas led attack is described as one by 'militants'.... it looks like a well co-ordinated attack by professional soldiers that 'forgot to dress uniformly' so that they would not be easily distinguished.

Israel is in an unfortunate dilemma of a constitutional Parlimentary position of both defending a hard position on a class of people living under intolerable authority, while striving to survive against relentless attack by other countries determined to exterminate them.

Logically, the most obvious retaliation focus on a nation state, is Iran - but presents the conundrum of not solving the problem even if Israel could exterminate Iran.

Right now, 'We" have internal influencers in power that strive to identify MAGA supporters as domestic terrorists and offer 're-education to imprisonment to extermination' by the most virulent spokespersons. Is there a parallel to Israel/Palestine when all citizens are not accorded with respect despite politically different POV?

I know and accept that the above statements are 'political' in nature - but ALL the conflcts are about the acquisition, conrtrol and exercise of Power to impose will, the very definition of politics and root cause of violence.
 
You are forgetting that "we" cannot take any Congressional action on the Israeli debacle because "we" have shut down the whole Congress by allowing one ratbag who cares nothing about the US and everything about his own personal power and grudges to do so by removing the third in line for the Presidency in times of emergency.
 
The problem with "Palestine", is that it's a region. It was never a "nation".
Palestine was a British territory with defined territory. Mandate for Palestine - Wikipedia That's how most other ex-British territories upon becoming nations defined their borders. For example, Jamaica was never a nation, but a region in the West Indies, until it was independent of Britain and then the same borders that denoted the colony now defined the nation. So, yes Palestine was a region that became the nation of Israel.
 
Actually I'm pretty sure I said I was surprised they wouldn't have figured that out.
Well, this what you and Beez said"

Beez:

This is what Ukraine is missing, that sense that the Russians are not coming for land, but for blood, and that the nation must be defended at all and total cost.
You:
"I'm surprised the people of Ukraine haven't figured that out. It seems the Russians have been carrying out counter-value (albeit conventional) strikes aimed at little other depopulating zones held by ethnic Ukrainians. It stands to reason that the purpose is to eradicating the Ukranians with the hope that the Russian remainder will accept annexation."

Jim
 
Nah, Clancy was always too full of fantasies where every Western gadget always worked perfectly the first time. RSR was better than HFRO and the rest of his hero worship books but still bore very little resemblance to what reality might have been.
I agree. But this chapter by chapter video narration of Red Storm Rising is still pretty cool.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iCIhyeEMcdE
 
Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations near Bakhmut and marginally advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast on October 8. Geolocated footage published on October 8 shows that Ukrainian forces made limited gains north of Novoprokopivka (14km south of Orikhiv), and a Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces also advanced near Kopani (10km southwest of Orikhiv).[7] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces achieved partial success northeast of Andriivka (7km southwest of Bakhmut), and Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces continued attacks near Andriivka, and Kurdyumivka (11km southwest of Bakhmut).[8] Russian and Ukrainian sources reported that deteriorating weather conditions are impacting both Russian and Ukrainian operations across the theater. Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun stated that Russian drone and aviation activity has decreased in the past few days due to poor weather.[9] Russian milbloggers claimed that deteriorating weather conditions in the Bakhmut and Zaporizhia directions are impacting Ukrainian offensive operations as well as Russian aerial reconnaissance operations.[10] Ukrainian Eastern Group of Forces Spokesperson Captain Ilya Yevlash reiterated that poor weather may impact drone and aviation operations but that the weather will not halt Ukraine's counteroffensive.[11]

Russian forces are intensifying mining efforts in the Robotyne-Verbove area and seek to fix Ukrainian forces on areas of the front away from western Zaporizhia Oblast. Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces have begun remining previously cleared areas on the Robotyne-Verbove line (10km south to 18km southeast of Orikhiv) to achieve tactical surprise.[12] The milbloggers claimed that heavy Russian mining and remining efforts have disrupted the movement of heavy Ukrainian cargo and equipment in these areas in recent days. A prominent Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed that Russian forces intensified tactical offensive operations in several areas of the front beyond Zaporizhia Oblast in order to stretch Ukrainian defenses and divide Ukrainian attention.[13] Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun stated that Russian forces are trying to fix Ukrainian forces in the Avdiivka and Marinka directions and prevent them from deploying reserves to the Zaporizhia direction.[14][/ii]


 

Twice as many Ukrainians say they want Kyiv to keep fighting the war against Russia's invasion, rather than negotiate to end the war sooner, according to a Gallup poll published Monday.

The survey, conducted July 27–Aug. 3, shows 60 percent of Ukrainian residents said Ukraine should continue fighting until it wins the war, compared to 31 percent who said the country should seek to negotiate an ending to the war as soon as possible, and 7 percent who said they don't know.

The results represent a slight dip from support measured last year, in September 2022, when 70 percent said Ukraine should keep fighting, 26 percent said Ukraine should negotiate an end as soon as possible and 3 percent said they didn't know.

Still, Ukraine residents remain committed to the cause, which is critical as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive against Russia, nearly 20 months after Russia first rolled tanks across the border.

Support in the United States has also been declining across the political aisle, according to recent polls. An anti-Ukraine-aid faction of the GOP conference has also emerged in the House, posing a challenge to lawmakers as they work to approve new funding requests from President Biden to aid Ukraine.


 
Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations and reportedly advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast and near Bakhmut on October 9 amid reports of deteriorating weather conditions in Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff and Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun reported that Ukrainian forces achieved partial success west of Verbove (18km southeast of Orikhiv), and near Klishchiivka (5km southwest of Bakhmut) and Andriivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut).[6] Russian milbloggers claimed that rainfall has worsened visibility in southern Ukraine, hindering Russian and Ukrainian reconnaissance drone operations.[7] One Russian milblogger claimed that the ground has become muddy and obstructs tracked vehicle movement, though another milblogger claimed that the ground has not yet become muddy enough to inhibit vehicle movement.[8] Exact conditions likely vary along the frontline, though weather conditions are generally worsening. Ukrainian Eastern Group of Forces Spokesperson Captain Ilya Yevlash reported that Russian forces are relying less heavily on aviation and drone activity in the Kupyansk-Lyman direction due to heavy rainfall.[9]

Russian forces reportedly launched localized offensive operations south of Hulyaipole and may have reorganized the Southern Grouping of Forces, likely in an attempt to further defend against Ukrainian counteroffensive operations. A Russian milblogger and a Ukrainian military observer both independently reported that elements of the Russian 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade (35th Combined Arms Army, Eastern Military District) advanced several hundred meters in a contested "gray zone" in the Marfopil-Chervone (6km southeast of Hulyaipole) direction on October 9.[10] Russian forces reportedly attacked at the battalion level or less, indicating that these operations are likely tactical and aim to draw and pin Ukrainian forces south of Hulyaipole rather than further west in Zaporizhia Oblast.[11] The Ukrainian military observer reported that the Russian military command recently reorganized the Southern Grouping of Forces to operate in two directions: the Mariupol direction in the western Donetsk Oblast; and the Berdyansk direction in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area, where Russian forces have concentrated the most and highest quality forces.[12] The observer reported that this grouping contains mostly motorized rifle units; the Eastern Military District's (EMD) "most powerful" army, the 5th Combined Arms Army (CAA); the EMD's two "least powerful" armies, the 29th and 36th CAAs; the Black Sea Fleet's 40th and 155th Naval Infantry brigades; and the Pacific Fleet's 336th Naval Infantry Brigade.[13] The military observer reported that the Russian military command has prioritized allocating additional new forces and means to the Southern Grouping of Forces over other force groupings in the theater.[14]


 
Russian forces launched localized offensive operations in the Avdiivka area of Donetsk Oblast and southwest of Orikhiv in western Zaporizhia Oblast on October 9, which are likely intended to fix Ukrainian forces away from the Robotyne area. Russian forces intensified offensive operations northwest of Avdiivka near Ocheretyne, Tonenke, and Berdychi and southwest of Avdiivka on the Vodyane-Opytne line.[1] Russian forces also attacked southwest of Orikhiv on the Pyatykhatky-Zherebyanky line, and Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced up two kilometers in the area.[2] The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed up to three Russian battalions conducted an attack in the Avdiivka direction, and ISW has observed footage of fighting in the area, but ISW has not observed any confirmation of these claimed Russian advances as of this writing.[3] Russian milbloggers are largely portraying the Avdiivka-area operations as a significant offensive effort aimed at encircling the Ukrainian force grouping in Avdiivka and capturing the city.[4] A successful encirclement of Avdiivka, one of the most heavily fortified areas of the Donetsk Oblast front line, would very likely require more forces than Russia has currently dedicated to the Avdiivka-Donetsk City effort. Russian forces have largely deployed irregular forces along this frontline, primarily elements of the 1st Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) Army Corps and additional volunteer formations that have largely suffered from poor and abusive command culture and tensions with regular Russian units.[5] ISW has observed no recent Russian deployments to this line. Russian forces have also conducted grinding offensive operations for relatively minimal territorial gains near Avdiivka for the past year and a half of the war, and the Russian military command is likely aware that an effort to capture Avdiivka would require more and higher-quality units than those currently deployed in the area.[6]

The increased Russian offensive operations in the Avdiivka and Zherebyanky areas coincide with other localized offensive efforts in Luhansk Oblast and eastern Zaporizhia Oblast, all likely aimed at fixing Ukrainian forces and preventing Ukrainian command from transferring reserves to critical areas of the front in western Zaporizhia Oblast.[7] Ukrainian officials have made a number of statements within the past few weeks to this effect, particularly noting that Russian attacks along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line are meant to prevent Ukrainians from transferring forces to Zaporizhia Oblast.[8]

Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations near Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhia Oblast and made confirmed advances in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area. Geolocated footage published on October 9 indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced northeast of Mykilske (3km southeast of Vuhledar and about 30km southeast of Velyka Novosilka).[9] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces achieved partial success near Andriivka (7km southwest of Bakhmut).[10] A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces advanced west of Novofedorivka (15km northeast of Robotyne and 6km northeast of Verbove).[11]

Russian military leadership may have once again replaced the commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army (CAA), suggesting ongoing pervasive Russian command and control issues in western Zaporizhia Oblast. A Russian insider source claimed on October 9 that the Russian command removed Lieutenant General Denis Lyamin from command of the 58th CAA, after Lyamin replaced former commander Major General Ivan Popov on July 13.[12]



 
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday directly lobbied dozens of Western defense officials for more military aid, assistance that is sure to stretch thin following an ever-widening conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Zelensky's attendance at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a meeting of more than 50 defense leaders in Brussels, is the first time the Ukrainian leader has attended such a gathering.

The event offered a gain for Kyiv, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announcing that the U.S. will send another $200 million in new weapons and equipment to Ukraine. That package includes munitions for air defense systems, anti-tank and anti-drone weapons and various artillery rounds.

But Austin also signaled that the Defense Department was preparing to offer more support to Israel in its war against Palestinian militant group Hamas, telling reporters that it "stands fully ready to deploy additional assets if necessary" — even as he assured that Washington could aid both countries.

"Make no mistake, the United States will remain able to project power and to direct resources to tackle crises in multiple theaters," Austin said following the meeting. "So we will stand firmly with Israel as we continue to support Ukraine.

And as the gathering kicked off, Austin, flanked by Zelensky, said U.S. support for Israel will "remain ironclad."

The meeting comes as Ukraine hopes to gain more Western weapons for its fight to reclaim territory from Russian troops ahead of winter. Political infighting in Congress, however, has slowed approval for new Ukraine aid, with opposition to any assistance coming from far-right GOP lawmakers.

There are also signs of the Western world growing weary of continuous funding for Ukraine as the country has only made minimal progress in its counteroffensive launched earlier this spring.

Zelensky's attendance at the meeting Wednesday appeared to try to counterbalance that fatigue.

There is a "very understandable volume" of lethal aid that the West can give, Zelensky said when asked if he was concerned Ukraine may receive less assistance due to the war in Israel.

"Of course, everybody's afraid" of diminishing Western assistance with the Israel and Hamas conflict, he said at a press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. "And I think also Russia's counting on it, on dividing support."



The media's attention has clearly shifted. It appears that attention here has shifted as well. We cannot forget these folks.
 
I've never lost interest. If anything, I've been following the Russian Ukraine war more closely. The front lines are easier to follow. This is turning into a global war against everything I hold dear. I have more fear of Russia catching a break and consolidating while the West loses interest. I'm surprised that Israel might need more ammo as I thought Israel was fully stocked. Ukraine must be supplied and resupplied. I'm not one for conspiracies but there must be a link to Putin's war and the Hamas attack.
I've also been trying to contain my rage.
 
Israel getting attacked has taken ALL attention in the West away from this WAR. Even this forum has apparently lost interest. COME ON, we can't let up now. Is Thump the only one still following this?
Agreed. And Israel doesn't need any weaponry from the West, they've got plenty enough to stomp Hamas. Let's not let up on the throttle in Ukraine.
 

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