Russia presses along Ukraine front after reports of Bakhmut slowdown

Is this battle still going on? What happened to mighty Russia?

I really pray that this bloodshed will end soon. With peace and Ukraine’s victory.

russia, go away

putin is evil

"...It is sad to see how people survive there who do not want to leave, they are mostly elderly people."

So Putin does not like elderly people?

For once, and I admit I might be loosing my mind, I'm overall agreeing with China's 12 points peace plan, but I strongly disagree with 2 points, ie lift sanctions, and abandon cold war mentality.

These two points shows just how brain damage China is given China pursues these at every chance, but ask its adversaries to abandon them. Hypocritical narcussustc brain damage has no place in the rest of the world

So, after pretty much pausing for the winter (enough pressure to keep Zelensky firing everything Biden could scrape out of NATO's weapons lockers, and beg, borrow or steal everywhere else, not so much that the Allied forces would have to chase retreating squads of deserters or feed and provide heat to a mass surrender) to see if Biden would allow Zelensky to accept UNSC 2202 limits on his regime, the Allied forces are limbering up to establish those limits by force.

The question is does Russia have a contingency plan for Zelensky's regime collapsing.

Putin and his dwarves are like those kids at school who ruined it for everyone. With their tantrum. Class was going swimmingly, all was well, but there was always one to ruin it. Sour eyed and snotty cheeked. They were made to sit on the stool outside until they’d calmed down

Zelensky's regime collapsing.

There's a much bigger chance of Putin's regime collapse than Zelenskiy's.

In any case, the war is now at an impasse, no clear winner will emerge, only civilian sufferings. Is Putin willing to go down in history as a dictator hellbent on punishing Ukrainian AND Russian civilians because they don't agree with him?

RichardP.

President Zelenskyy's (mind the spelling and title) government, freely elected by the people of Ukraine, will not collapse, rest assured! Before that would happen - PUTAin will take a jump out of a window - which is more likely!

Concerning the fighting - I am waiting for Ukraine's counter-offensive to begin very soon. Russians are leaving Crimea alread - take a wild guess why.

Is this battle still going on? What happened to mighty Russia?

Russia's main goal is not to gain territory, but rather to weaken Ukraine's military, which it has been very successfully doing.

Russia's main goal is not to gain territory, but

lol One of it's main goals certainly was to gain land. That's why they tried to illegally annex Ukrainian lands.

rather to weaken Ukraine's military, which it has been very successfully doing.*

lol I'd say Ukraine has been pretty successful at weakening what was once the world's second most powerful army. Pretty embarrassing they can't defeat a much smaller Ukraine.

In any case, the war is now at an impasse, no clear winner will emerge, only civilian sufferings. Is Putin willing to go down in history as a dictator hellbent on punishing Ukrainian AND Russian civilians because they don't agree with him?

The impasse is temporary. Ukrainian forces are completing their training on new weapons and returning with these new systems, including Patriots (apparently the Ukrainians learned the system faster than anyone anticipated and the units will be rushed to Ukraine earlier than planned). Their tank crews are just about finished training on Leopard IIs in Poland and will bring those back to Ukraine. Former Polish and Slovak MiG-29s have just arrived in Ukraine to reinforce their air force. In a few more weeks those worn down Russian troops are going to be confronted by freshly trained, freshly armed with modern western equipment and very determined Ukrainian forces with mobility and the capability for high tempo combined arms assaults.

Russia's main goal is not to gain territory, but rather to weaken Ukraine's military, which it has been very successfully doing.

A very large proportion of the Ukraine military has been training on new western arms. What has been happening over the winter and now the early spring is a holding action by remaining units until these units that have been in training return with their western equipment to mount a combined arms counter assault on the Russians using NATO tactics. The Russians are worn out and going to be handed their backsides.

As if it were about territory. Look, they have already both plenty of territory on this globe. You can calculate both population densities yourself, there almost isn’t any. It’s just like with all big global powers, US, China and in this case Russia, that they don’t tolerate opposition in their neighborhood. If the Ukrainians want it more silent or peaceful they have to abide to that only. Not neutrality, not EU or NATO membership, no, Russia will only accept completely silent (Baltic) or devoted regimes (like Belarus) as direct neighbors. Otherwise they are occupied or forced to regime change.

Russia will only accept completely silent (Baltic) or devoted regimes (like Belarus) as direct neighbors. 

Baltics are in NATO and not especially silent. Also, the US is a neighbor of Russia and we are not going to be silent either. Russia needs to grow up and learn how to deal with differences, as do we all. Who does Russia think they are?

Long Live Democracy, Freedom, and Ukraine.

Down with putin.

in Ukraine's eastern Donbas

Factually, after a referendum with 96% agreement and Russian Federation acceptance, it is no longer Ukraine. US backed Ukraine is invading Russia, killing many civilians and demanding the deployment of cluster munitions that kill and main children. Also depleted Uranium weapons that will effect civilians for decades.

There's a much bigger chance of Putin's regime collapse than Zelenskiy's.

Can you point to any evidence of that?

But the chance Zelensky's support is dropping:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday suggested a role for diplomacy in determining Ukraine's future borders, while reaffirming that any peace decisions were for Kyiv to make.

Followed by:

"I think there's going to be territory in Ukraine that the Ukrainians are determined to fight for on the ground; there may be territory that they decide that they'll have to try to get back in other ways,"

A clear departure from no negotiation until Russia leaves all occupied areas including Crimea.

Factually, after a referendum with 96% agreement and Russian Federation acceptance, it is no longer Ukraine. US backed Ukraine is invading Russia, killing many civilians and demanding the deployment of cluster munitions that kill and main children. Also depleted Uranium weapons that will effect civilians for decades.

Those referendums were conducted at gunpoint and are a very clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

According to Radio Free Europe YouTube report dated March 25th, 2023 The Ukrainian military is stating that ""Most of the parts that are used in Iran made drones were imported from Japan, China, and the United States.""

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD4UCMX93sA

@desert tortoise

you seem to speak like a military specialist. But reality is reality. Russia can mobilize over 10million active fighters. Already training is part of school lessons so the number could reach 18million.

Russia is only using, use by date weapons.

They have the most advanced conventional and unconventional weapons in the world, including in the space realm.

People should respect Mr Putin. He is not unleashing genocide, world destruction or nuking every major EU or US city with hypersonic

multiple warhead, glide ICBMs that can’t be intercepted.

Only option is for Ukraine to accept a peace deal. In exchange, all top Ukrainian government officials should get immunity and visas to live in their Mediterranean villas. Life back to normal.

There's a much bigger chance of Putin's regime collapse than Zelenskiy's.

Can you point to any evidence of that?

I think Russian history favors that argument. Tsar Nicholas lost a war with Japan and soon after lost in WWI. He was deposed and killed. The Soviets fought a failed war in Afghanistan for ten years and shortly after they withdrew the Soviet Union collapsed. Alternatively he may end up like Mikhail Gorbachev or Nikita Khrushchev deposed from within. Failed leaders of dictatorships do not often last very long after their failures as it exposes weakness. Once a strongman like Mr. Putin is seen to be weak and ineffective others smell the blood and pounce.

Come on Ukraine!

Everybody who’s against naked aggression and being invaded is pulling for you!

Those referendums were conducted at gunpoint 

According to western media complicit in the backing of Ukraine in the proxy war against Russia to protect USA world dominance perhaps.

(love to hear your views about the civilian massacre in Bucha after Russian forces retreated as a good will gesture for peace talksNo Russians were present and all tortured were supporters of Russia. Azov and special Ukrainian forces immediately were there. No Russians and all Western diplomats are forced to visit in a media photo-shot).

No shortage of weapons or people willing to engage in war, after all its BIG business, that's the real point.

Putin now officially regarded as the world all-time greatest weapons proliferator. Iran, NK, China all busy accepting his missile, hyper sonic missiles, rockets, subs, drones, nuclear etc. weapons technology, repaying in kind with especially munitions, drones, etc. Virtuous circle for anyone in this biz, naturally such a conflict's a real engine for military innovation as well.

Exact same can be said for NATO and ilitary industrial complex, your taxes are funding this enormous biz chance, while Exiled Oligarchs seek to 'replace' Putin with one of their outsiders, just like in Ukraine. That'll never happen of course with his approval rating and nuclear war chest, but that won't stop them from trying!

Any surprise world has so many problems?! This great proxy war's greatest weapons proliferation catalyst EVER, making EVERYONE far LESS safe EVERY day.

MILLIONS globally now needlessly starving to death because of this conflict's impact on food inflation, lack of fertilizers, lack of food production, poor crop yields etc.

Rather than idiot rahrah for your 'team' in this eastern Ukraine hellhole, understand we're all just ONE happy trigger finger from the apocalypse, the Iran and NK are eager to become proxies for their overlords after all and will happily pull asystematical WMD triggers!

Russia faceplanted in Bakhmut and now is trying to bring their tattered army elsewhere. Bakhmut holds and Ukraine prevails.

you seem to speak like a military specialist. But reality is reality. Russia can mobilize over 10million active fighters. Already training is part of school lessons so the number could reach 18million.

No they can't. You saw the exodus during the "partial mobilization". Even as the USSR with double the population there was no way they could muster 18 million into their army. Russia cannot even provide basic equipment like tents, sleeping bags and first aid kits for the soldiers they have. They confiscate civilian trucks because their conscripts lack the skills necessary to maintain specialized military trucks.

Russia is only using, use by date weapons.

That's what they have. They never built large numbers of their newest weapons because they don't have the money or manufacturing capability. I was laughing the other day at a photo of Mr. Putin in a helicopter factory. Behind him you could see Mi-8s being assembled. That is an early 1960s design but they still build it because Mil Design Bureau doesn't have the engineering talent to build something comparable to even the UH-60 or NH-90, much less advanced designs like the Sikorsky S-97 or advanced tilt rotors like the Bell-Boeing V-22 or V-280.

They have the most advanced conventional and unconventional weapons in the world, including in the space realm.

How many Russian aircraft have you seen? How much actual Russian military hardware have you seen apart on the bench? Ever test aim and dry fire a Russian MANPAD? I have. And Stinger too. Their stuff is crude. Even the SU-27 and MiG-29 are not flush riveted and the paint looks like it was slopped on with a paint brush. A lot of their stuff still uses vacuum tube electronics. I have been on a couple of their Cold War ear subs and they had plywood interiors between the watertight bulkheads. US Navy WWII subs were better made. Only three toilets on the whole boat and no fresh water showers. When their Slava class cruisers like the Moskva that was sunk by the Ukrainians visited San Diego and Norfolk our people were amazed to see no damage control equipment inside. No fire hoses, none of the shoring, pugs, fire axes, applicators, breathing apparatus and the like that line the passageways of US and Japanese warships. It is no wonder they lost Moskva (consider that USS Stark a frigate half the displacement of the Moskva was hit by two Iraqi Exocet missiles (by "mistake"), the crew put the fires out and the ship returned to the US under its own power.. I have seen enough Russian equipment up close and personal. It is over rated.

So, after pretty much pausing for the winter (enough pressure to keep Zelensky firing everything Biden could scrape out of NATO's weapons lockers, and beg, borrow or steal everywhere else,

Ukraine didn't have to go to North Korea and Iran for supplies.

not so much that the Allied forces would have to chase retreating squads of deserters or feed and provide heat to a mass surrender)

Celebrate warcrimes much?

to see if Biden would allow Zelensky to accept UNSC 2202 limits on his regime, the Allied forces are limbering up to establish those limits by force. 

Nobody is pressuring Zelenskyy to do anything. UNSC 2202 was about elections only, not gifting things to thug Russia and Russia couldn't even pause its warcrimes long enough to make that happen.

The question is does Russia have a contingency plan for Zelensky's regime collapsing.

Russia hasn't taken a single major city and there have been zero demonstrations in Kiev but sure, keeping hoping Nazi Russia will prevail.

According to Radio Free Europe YouTube report dated March 25th, 2023 The Ukrainian military is stating that ""Most of the parts that are used in Iran made drones were imported from Japan, China, and the United States.""

Yep. Never a shortage of people willing to sell their nation down the river for a buck.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-03-03/two-americans-arrested-on-charges-of-selling-tech-to-russia

 If the Ukrainians want it more silent or peaceful they have to abide to that only. Not neutrality, not EU or NATO membership, no, Russia will only accept completely silent (Baltic) or devoted regimes (like Belarus) as direct neighbors. Otherwise they are occupied or forced to regime change.

What makes you think the world will tolerate this from a regional power (Russia)?

According to Radio Free Europe YouTube report dated March 25th, 2023 The Ukrainian military is stating that ""Most of the parts that are used in Iran made drones were imported from Japan, China, and the United States.""

If you are using radio free Europe as a source then might as well ask the Ukrainian propaganda ministry directly.

Radio free Europe has about an 80% failure rate on its war reports

I have seen enough Russian equipment up close and personal. It is overrated

What about EMP weapons ONLY they've used in actual warfare? Russia's LOVING this status quo stalemate, their goal as world's inflation continues destroy the global financial system and Ukraine enters the dark ages again.

Madness is false hope that military solution exists, exiled oligarchs busy buying thermonuclear bomb shelters and specialty submarines as Armageddon approaches!

love to hear your views about the civilian massacre in Bucha after Russian forces retreated as a good will gesture for peace talks

Are you for real, sir? Russia is going to be good willed all the way back to its 2014 borders at this rate.

Nobody's winning, we're ALL losing as Putin now officially regarded as world all-time greatest weapons proliferator. Iran, NK, China all busy accepting his missile, hyper sonic missiles, rockets, subs, drones, nuclear etc. weapons technology, repaying in kind with especially munitions, drones, etc.

How does above result in a good outcome? We'll have hypersonic missile tests over Tokyo any day now, naturally easy make them nuclear armed with Putin's help!

No they can't. You saw the exodus during the "partial mobilization".

You saw that with your own eyes?

Or did you see what MSM and pro USA/Ukraine news was telling you.

Now according to Ukraine 500,000 left Russia, according to the USA 200,000 left ( that is Men and women and children) so we can deduce that both the Ukrainian and USA are as is expected exaggerating, so it means actually perhaps 100,000 and again with women and children.

But believe the propaganda if that makes you feel better

Does anyone realize BOJ will print 25% of GDP this year in order to help 'assist' Ukraine. BOJ balance sheet probably if 'marked to market' has FAR greater losses than ENTIRE Japanese economy.

Meanwhile Russia has Fortress economy, almost no debt, BENEFITS from global inflation etc.

As the west's debt ridden toxic markets and central banks collapse, fueled by money printing, trust me, you're not winning NOTHING but GREATER risk for the Armageddon as WMD weapons proliferation accelerates to all corners of the globe, what a great outcome.

Rather than idiot rahrah for your 'team' in this eastern Ukraine hellhole, understand we're all just ONE happy trigger finger from the apocalypse

as Armageddon approaches

trust me, you're not winning NOTHING but GREATER risk for the Armageddon

Sounds like a new actress trying to impress. The director is making gestures to tone it down a bit.

Or did you see what MSM and pro USA/Ukraine news was telling you

You keep posting things like this without posting what we should be reading to be as informed as you.

Finally do us the favour of posting the links

We can’t discuss this without having shared facts.

Woah with the doom and gloom.

Why do you expect the inflation from last year to continue indefinitely? Isolating Russia does not drive inflation year over year. How could it? Inflation is already subsiding as markets have adjusted.

Armageddon... You believe that is more plausible than Putin being defeated (internally or by Ukraine)?

> What about EMP weapons ONLY they've used in actual warfare? Russia's LOVING this status quo stalemate, their goal as world's inflation continues destroy the global financial system and Ukraine enters the dark ages again.

Madness is false hope that military solution exists, exiled oligarchs busy buying thermonuclear bomb shelters and specialty submarines as Armageddon approaches!

Nobody can answer this simple question, how is it so many smart educated Russians support Putin? And not just now but for DECADES.

How is it Xi supports him along with leaders across the globe including ALL OPEC member states?

It's clear this is not such a simple conflict, rather a crazy proxy war being led by madmen trying to seek their revenge upon Putin. It'll just never work is the ONLY small problem.

Russia prior to the invasion had incredibly prosperous growing long term peaceful relations with its other European neighbors, especially Finland, Sweden, Norway, etc. One has to ask what happened to Ukraine?

Imagine it's you or your child in this hellhole conflict in Eastern Ukraine? I'm quite certain most here have not bothered to really imagine...

You keep posting things like this without posting what we should be reading to be as informed as you.

No actual I have posted plenty of neutral sources did so again today.

The fact You chose to ignore that fact isn't my problem.

What about EMP weapons ONLY they've used in actual warfare? Russia's 

The Russian system is short range fired from a mortar allegedly used against the Chechens circa 2012. The US system is mounted on a cruise missile

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/us-air-force-confirms-boeings-electromagnetic-pulse-weapon

China supposedly has something similar.

The Russian EMP system is short range fired from a mortar allegedly used against the Chechens circa 2012. The US system is mounted on a cruise missile

MANY ways exist to deploy these EMP weapons, including balloons! The point is ONLY Russia has ever done so in combat. They could CHOOSE to do so anytime and 'win' in Ukraine, but that's not their preferred strategy for reasons I mentioned above, especially "INFLATION"!

One must understand the TRUE economic cost of this inflation is HUNDREDS or even THOUSANDS of times the cost of the financial support to Ukraine, RUSSIA is EXPORTING THIS COST TO US RIGHT NOW

This is why the world's financial system is freezing up

You think the Russian military isn't one of the most powerful anymore because they're using up old ammo and weaponry.

The Russians have shot a lot of Caliber cruise missiles. That is a modern system. They've shot a few of their Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles recently but in the whole Russian Air Force there are only a very small number, less than a dozen, MiG-31s that can fire them. They only have nine of their Beriev A-50 AWACS and one is now out of commission thanks to a raid by a quadcopter. Here is a video showing how easy it is to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoqX8YRJb4

No actual I have posted plenty of neutral sources did so again today.

lol Yeah. You posted "weeb union." I'm very curious how "weeb union" collect's it's information. Do they have reporting on the ground?

it's a SAFE bet NK and Iran now have EMP weapons as well, quid pro quo/weapons payment traunche etc.

UN reported Ukraine also executed POWs just like Russia was rightly condemned for doing.

Comparing the Ukrainian military without getting the assistance it's received , to the Russian military is an ant to a boot !

I'd say that boot is a couple of decades old with a few holes in it.

You think the Russian military isn't one of the most powerful anymore because they're using up old ammo and weaponry.

Yes. I mean they aren't one of the most powerful because it is corrupt country, too.

How do you imagine that Russia can cause global inflation for as long as they like? It's pure fantasy.

MANY ways exist to deploy these EMP weapons, including balloons! The point is ONLY Russia has ever done so in combat. They could CHOOSE to do so anytime and 'win' in Ukraine, but that's not their preferred strategy for reasons I mentioned above, especially "INFLATION"!

Nobody can answer this simple question, how is it so many smart educated Russians support Putin? And not just now but for DECADES.

Even smart people do dumb things/fall under the sway of Nazism.

How is it Xi supports him along with leaders across the globe including ALL OPEC member states?

140 countries told Russia to get out. 7 said you go Russia. I can't speak for OPEC but that isn't exactly a human rights upholding collection.

It's clear this is not such a simple conflict, rather a crazy proxy war being led by madmen trying to seek their revenge upon Putin. It'll just never work is the ONLY small problem.

If you can't add Putain to the list of madmen you are truly deluded. His whole life is centered around revenge.

Russia prior to the invasion had incredibly prosperous growing long term peaceful relations with its other European neighbors, especially Finland, Sweden, Norway, etc. One has to ask what happened to Ukraine?

Committing crimes has a way of losing you friends. 

One has to ask what happened to Ukraine?

A criminal tried to rub them out.

Imagine it's you or your child in this hellhole conflict in Eastern Ukraine? I'm quite certain most here have not bothered to really imagine...

I wouldn't want my child growing up under the Russian boot.

Bloody senseless war and ongoing fighting in Ukraine is worse than zero sum, true black hole with no benefit and crazy escalating global costs.

Please try to imagine those getting slaughtered in eastern Ukraine or starving to death were your relatives?!

Loss of life, injuries, financial and mental health ruin, economic and infrastructure destruction of Ukraine, inflation like a cancer spreading globally and destroying asset values, destroying credit markets, starvation of MILLION starving globally due to damage to crop yields due to shortages of fertilizers that were mainly sourced prior to the invasion from these two countries and high food prices, destabilizing financial markets, weapons proliferation, RISK of WWIII/escalation etc.

Where is all this going? It's a true blackhole, quite a cost for Ukranian NATO Membership, isn't it?! NATO with all its nuclear weapons hardly needs Ukraine from the standpoint of a defensive alliance.

None of it makes sense, EXCEPT for those outsider oligarchs who HOPE to seize control of Russia, that's game folks, everyone knows it, especially President Xi!

Insanity likely leads to Armagedón, that's the last stop, this is not WWII folks, we won't get lucky this time

Please try to imagine those getting slaughtered in eastern Ukraine or starving to death were your relatives?!

Don't use the passive voice. Tell us who is slaughtering the Ukrainians.

Tell us who is slaughtering the Ukrainians.

We're ALL getting slaughtered in some sense, senseless risky costs and NO BENEFIT, I choose not to dehumanize, innocents are everywhere, especially the helpless starving to death so some SLOB Oligarch can pursue fanatical Kremlin power agenda and put EVERYONE in GRAVE danger of Armagedón.

Putin, Xi, they're simply responding to this threat to their sovereignty, these proxy war facilitators, and that's how THEIR supporters overwhelmingly feel too. Hence, this situation's spinning out of control, this ain't WWII, no I'd say unfortunately we don't have a moral high ground and it becomes clearer every day.

It's clear Ukraine's leadership's not fiduciary in nature, any normal fiduciary leadership would have pursued friendly model of all its neighbors regarding Russia, practical, neutral, engaged, but cautious, that's history now!

Crazy, multi-polar world's happening faster than ever now, as most like Xi understand the real power agenda, this calculated proxy war of choice that destroying innocents EVERYWHERE.

We're ALL getting slaughtered in some sense

I'm talking about in a very specific sense.