Check out this interesting video of a Ukie battalion commander. His frustrated speech clearly shows the following:
1) The basic Ukie tactic: choose a spot on the map, hammer it with artillery fire for a few hours and then send in soldiers as canon fodder to “mop it up”. What is important to understand here is that well-trained military forces know how to dig in an protect themselves from artillery fire. Proof: the Ukies surrounded by the Resistance in the “southern cauldron” managed to survive *weeks* of very heavy Novorussian and Russian artillery fire and survive (even if with lots of casualties). So if *weeks* of artillery fire cannot wipe out a force in more or less open terrain, a few hours will not wipe out a well-entrenched force. Another example? The long stance of the Resistance forces in Slaviansk. The fact is that in an urban environment you need to send in very well trained urban assault teams. Just bombing will not do the trick unless you use FAE (fuel-air explosives) munitions, heavy flame-throwing systems like the TOS-1 or tactical nukes. What the Ukies do seems to shoot enough artillery to kill civilians, but not enough to meaningfully degrade the Resistance forces, and then send in the infantry to supposedly “mop-up” an urban area which is full of well-entrenched high-quality Resistance forces. Hence the huge losses on the Ukie side.
2) Noticed his comment about the BMP’s main gun stopping after 15mins? The BMP’s gun is one of the most trustworthy ever made and there is only one thing which can explain that kind of occurrence: gross neglect of even minimal maintenance. That is also telling of the condition of most Ukie equipment: old and not maintained.
3) Morale: in such circumstances it is not surprising at all that Ukie morale is at rock-bottom. Nobody wants to die in stupid operations, under-trained, under-fed, under-protected – neither conscripts not pros. I have yet to see a video showing some good morale on the Ukie side. Conversely, I have yet to see a single video showing poor morale on the Resistance side.
Botton line: the Ukies are in a terrible situation which is only getting worse.
See for yourself this interesting video:
Posted on RT,as censored on The Guardian:
It is good that Germans are involved in the peace talks, because they are the source of the problem.
The German Leadership have been by stealth looking after among other ex-Nazis, the Galician Nazis.
Some German banks have been paying people in Ukraine to demonstrate in the “colour” revolutions, inclusive of the Yanukovych ousting Maidan demos.
Some of their leaders do still harbour grudges against Russia for the defeat of the Nazis at their hand.
N.B.This comment was censored by the UK Newspaper: The Guardian, a Russophobe, pro-Nazi newspaper.
A ultranationalist speaking clear Russian witout dialect?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5veOECY0tKQ&list=UUdnB82ob_V7EXwwcCtB1vUg
Saker
Your comment:
the “southern cauldron” managed to survive *weeks* of very heavy Novorussian and Russian artillery fire
Is it established that Russian artillery fired for weeks across the border?
I suspect it happened, but did it? And I’m damn glad if it did. But then the West’s complaints of it were accurate.
I’m not complaining. Just wanted to know if that was established as factual.
Also, do you have proof that S-300/400’s were used to shoot down the ballistic missiles the Ukies fired?
Mr. Saker said,
”Botton line: the Ukies are in a terrible situation which is only getting worse.”
Thank you for this summary. Very balanced
By US/EU media wouldn’t think so, the rebels are being routed “Ukraine is winning and have moved into Rebels stronghold; regained territory.”
REUTERS>
Ukraine says its troops make breakthrough in rebel stronghold
“Ukrainian forces have raised their national flag over a police station in the city of Luhansk which was for months under rebel control, Kiev said on Sunday, in what could be a breakthrough in Ukraine’s efforts to crush pro-Moscow separatists.
Ukrainian officials said however the rebels were fighting a desperate rearguard action to hold on to Luhansk – which is their supply route into neighbouring Russia – and that the flow of weapons and fighters from Russia had accelerated.”
[.]
~ ~ ~
But seessh, we won’t report that Ukraine has asked NATO for help or that some NATO members are actively aiding Kiev. Is Ukraine a NATO member?
If you are winning, no need for NATO’s help.
Someone should make an effort to recruit this fellow and his men to the pro federalist side, he seems capable and caring.
Busses and cars? This is the army? The Natonal Guard? A unit hired by some oligarch?
@Larchmonter445: Is it established that Russian artillery fired for weeks across the border? I suspect it happened, but did it? And I’m damn glad if it did. But then the West’s complaints of it were accurate. I’m not complaining. Just wanted to know if that was established as factual.
I don’t think I am compromising operational security if I say that this one one fact which is pretty obvious. Not only did the Ukie side report these strikes many times over, they also report Russian special forces infiltrations just for a couple of clicks inside Ukieland. Then I posted a video clearly filmed on the Russian side with the guys filming clearly stating that what was shown were Russian MLRS strikes on Ukie forces. I don’t have a handwritten letter of Shoigu fessing up to this, but I have very little doubt that this happened and is probably happening still. I also suspect that Russian Air Force fighters did cross the border on a couple of occasions. Finally, I would bet that there are Spetsnaz GRU amongst the Resistance Forces. Since none of that is provable, and since these accusations have been made many times, I don’t see the point of denying it. After all, that is just my subjective and uninformed opinion :-)
Also, do you have proof that S-300/400’s were used to shoot down the ballistic missiles the Ukies fired?
Juan made that claim. I have never heard it made elsewhere nor do I have proof for it. All I can say that that the Tochkas are well within the kind of missile types which the S-300 can shoot down. By the way, yesterday the Resistance discovered the engine of a Tochka in a no-mans-land. Nobody know where the warhead went. Could have been be shot down too.
Cheers,
The Saker
@Anonymous 22:13 – It’s a civil war; you improvise, yuo make do with what you have, you look like a local, not a mailitary column, etc.
*
@Frances 21:59 Yes, he seems a decent, reasonable, and intelligent man who would be a valuable soldier and comrade in any army…maybe he can be convinced to join the NAF.
Is this fottage of a psychotic war tourist on safari?
http://www.kontrtube.ru/videos/3469/inostrannye-naemniki-na-ukraine-fuck-they-shotting-back/
Well, if the things are so bad for Banderaites, how come that the unoccupied Novorussia is shrinking by the day in front of our very eyes, soon to vanish altogether?… All the “YouTube” theatre notwithstanding… We also can see, hear, think and make conclusions, you know.
In my country (one of the 5 eyes) a popup ad hovers over the English captions – equally effective to blocking the video
Why is he speaking russian?!
Sad to see this worst kind of war taking place, a civil war, brothers killing brothers…
Anonymous said…
A ultranationalist speaking clear Russian witout dialect?
17 August, 2014 21:10
Interesting point. I wouldn’t know given my very limited Russian. If so, it is my understanding about 30-40% of Ukrainians speak Russian as their first language. This speaker is obviously an officer and much older then your usual recruit. He has probably served in the UA for many years (15? 20?). He obviously feels more loyalty to the lives of his men than he does to the goals the Galician fanatics that want to conquer Donbas.
I think he made a very clear defense of his decision to not follow some stupid orders. UA soldiers that lack the zeal of right sector voluteers from western Ukraine are already being charged with failure to carry out orders, so it sounds like he is establishing a political defense against such a charge.
Anyway, if this is just actor pretending to be a Ukrainian officer, we might hear about that shortly. As it is, his is one powerful statement.
This is the commander/one of the commanders of “Shahtersk”a mercenary battalion full with nationalists and neo-nazis.He is already notorious in russian sites for his statement-better destroy everything(and kill all civilians in process) instead loose a single of his precious boys.I can imagine NAF will be please to have a talk with him-but not for recruitment.”Deeds”of Shahtersk/Azov/Aidar/Donbas/Dnepr etc mercenary batalions are well-known amongst NAF and shelling of civilian population is least of their crimes.Btw few days ago 1 more such battalion starting with G… was destroyed during fight in southern area of DNR/LNR,also another batallion(Yarosh brother is part of it) also suffered heavy casualities.Cant remember now was it this same Shahtersk or another unit.
What this commander found so reasonable to expect is that civilian areas get flattened by artillery first (meaning phosphorous, GRADS, heavy arty etc) and that his boys can go in and “mop up” as soon as they assume that “there’s nobody left”.
Very humane isn’t it.
I thought this guys face looked familiar
http://novorossia.today/publications/world/novorossiya-support/ukraine-taps-volunteers-fueled-by-anger-.html
Ruslan Abalmaz
Mr. Putin, can you hear me?
You must stop the indiscriminate shelling of civilians and life sustaining infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk as you have the power to.do.so. You must declare and enforce a no – fly zone over these territories. This should be done for humanitarian reasons.
Don’t worry about them. They are terribly clever and thus will seize the opportunity to foam at the mouth with moral outrage. VIpers. Hypocrites.They want a global caste system which places them.at the top. They cannot include Russia. Who would be their great adversary? What of your brothers?
Doing the right thing matters. Do it.
He is a rational man, criminal, sociopathic willing to mop up civilian areas as long as no militia is there.
So, the mop up?
Children, women (to rape), old folks.
Mop. Term of art for the brave storm troopers of Maidan (a democratic cabal, probably eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize).
Would have been hard for him to mop up without the gun on BMP. He wanted three of them to do the job.
And when is the war over? When the mopping is done.
Fuck this nice man who came to kill innocents with a hundred men. A few snipers held off 100 men. That’s good resourcing from the militia.
Next time, he ought to bring the Poles and Lithuanians. Or do they only bomb from planes?
Rabid dogs, all of them.
@ Petar said…
“Well, if the things are so bad for Banderaites, how come that the unoccupied Novorussia is shrinking by the day in front of our very eyes, soon to vanish altogether?” Petar, Reuters and the Ukie propaganda machine made much of the ‘we placed our flag on the police station in Lugansk’. But it wasn’t exactly in Lugansk, it was on the outskirts, and nobody either at Reuters or in Banderastan wants to report what happened to that group of Ukie ‘volunteer battalion’ next…they probably got slaughtered. So no the territory of Novorossiya is not ‘shrinking by the day’ nor is Ukie victory and successful conquest of Donetsk or Lugansk a foregone conclusion, since neither has been cut off from resupply and as long as there are well-trained forces in either city with sufficient supplies the Ukies will keep getting slaughtered trying to enter those cities. Indifference to massive casulties (Reuters and the entire Western MSM basically refused to cover the Southern Cauldron and the slaughter of the 79th, 72nd and 25th brigades there with the deaths of several thousand Ukrainian soldiers) plus fanatical willpower can only get an army so far. Hitler proved that at Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk. I expect Donetsk to become the Ukies Stalingrad as they die there in droves and leave behind so many bodies even the Western MSM reporters in the city will HAVE to cover the carnage rather than downplaying both the civilian death toll and the Ukies’ losses as they’ve relentlessly done.
Larchmonter,
“F— this nice man who came to kill innocents with a hundred men. A few snipers held off 100 men. That’s good resourcing from the militia.”
@ 18 August, 2014 00:43
My sentiments exactly about the Ukie National Guard officer Gleb Blazov translated the interview with from a couple of weeks ago. Any Ukie officer who admits the Maidan ‘Heavenly Hundred’ deaths at the hands of snipers was probably a false flag by the new authorities but still wants to fight ‘for a united Ukraine then deal with the criminals in Kiev later’ deserves whatever they get. Especially when he says ‘an order is an order’ regarding his obedience to the Yanukovich government while admitting the same people who support his Nazi Guard battalion now were killing his buddies with pistols, shotguns and Molotov cocktails when they were in the Berkut just seven months ago. WTF? Only someone with the Nazi idea of total unthinking obedience to authority could engage in such doublethink. It’s exactly the attitude of the Nazi officers at Nuremberg ‘yes I knew about the kommissar orders and the Jews, but an order is an order and I was just following orders’. May these Nazi filth all perish and their names be blotted from memory.
Saker
Your comment:
the “southern cauldron” managed to survive *weeks* of very heavy Novorussian and Russian artillery fire
Is it established that Russian artillery fired for weeks across the border?
I suspect it happened, but did it? And I’m damn glad if it did. But then the West’s complaints of it were accurate.
—–
Weren’t the 4 ballistic missiles intercepted by batteries firing from Russia?
#Ukraine parliamentary speaker #Turchinov urged soldiers on social media to “stop crying and die with dignity” pic.twitter.com/pdJsSAYtw6
He supposedly fired the official who sent his/ son a draft notice
Let someone else’s kid die for fascism
Saker
“Proof: the Ukies surrounded by the Resistance in the “southern cauldron” managed to survive *weeks* of very heavy Novorussian and Russian artillery fire and survive (even if with lots of casualties).”
Are you saying the Russians have been attacking the bandera nazis with artillery? I’ve seen nazi and zionist propaganda claiming this, but nothing credible from humans. Care to provide this “proof” of Russians using artillery?
вот так
@ American Kulak
Perhaps, I am a pessimist … while you are an optimist… I do wish your prediction turns correct. As for the facts, however, I merely look at the map, and the unoccupied Novorussia today appears to me much (!) smaller than it did a couple of months ago. To see exactly what I mean, just take look at, e.g., https://slavyangrad.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/map31.jpg …………………………………………………..
Interesting that you mention Stalingrad. There is a recent excellent analysis on that subject, titled “Novorussia is our Stalingrad!” («Новороссия – это наш СТАЛИНГРАД!», автор Александр Айвазов): http://www.warandpeace.ru/ru/exclusive/vprint/92687/ .
The battle for Novorussia is the crucial battle for Mother Russia.
Anunnaki
Are you serious, Israeli? Is that the best you can do? :D
вот так
Saker —
Thought you should see this, filmed by British RT stringer Graham Phillips who went into Novorossiya on his own apparently after being an involuntary ‘guest’ of the SBU twice and being expelled from Ukraine for three years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhBfnNB6Occ#t=15
Novorossiya fighters commemorate the feast day of the Dormition (Heavenly Bodily Assumption) of the Mother of God on August 15, 2014. For those Saker readers that don’t speak Russian the priest makes some remarks about the situation including mention of Washington and the Kiev fascists, then begins the Prayers to the Mother of God with the ‘Our Father’.
I’m not sure where Mr. Phillips filmed this.
@Bot tak 2:23
I don’t understand your comment
There was a video yesterday on one of the sources I go to each day that depicted a column of Ukies moving in cars and the an APC (from which the video was being shot). They traveled out down a long dirt road into an ambush. The big shot in the APC backed out of there hell bent for safety, leaving the poor suckers, his troops, to fight the ambush, getting blasted in and around their civilian cars.
Finally he got turned around and ran into an ambush going back to base. It ended there as mortars continually hit the road he needed to get home.
It was Ukie military/Nat’l Guard whatever in action.
Clearly, the only thing saving the army from total destruction in one week of militia advance and saving Kiev from its own military defeat and destruction is the massive artillery the Ukies possess.
They can’t fight. Are not lead. Are frightened of combat (as am I) and seem to have no knowledge of small unit tactics, much less a strategy that befits calling them an army.
They merely are uniformed killers of civilians who stumble into firefights with a militia that whips them day and night most everywhere they match up.
They remind me of the US Calvary against the plains Indians. They could massacre villages of old men and women and children (often waiting until the men were gone hunting before attacking), but whenever they met on a battlefield they were outfought. They were not as good horsemen and certainly were not as good warriors. But they could kill and kill. And when they got Gattling guns, everything changed. The final two decades of wars in the Southern and Northern Plains were under devastating howitzers and Gattlings. Firepower and ethnic cleansing of the various tribes’ homelands won the day for the US military.
Sound familiar?
When you study American Military history, the Indian Wars a big part of the training for US officers. They study Indian tactics. But they assert American firepower and the doctrine of Attrition—destroying the civilian base for the army they face.
@вот так 02:14:
I agree. Engaging in military hostilities in such a lackadaisical manner does not seem to be Putin’s style.
Keeping the border porous so that rebels can get supplies is one thing; shelling soldiers on the territory of a neighboring country is quite another. There must be an understanding between the RF and the rebels that for the time being, Russia is not going to join them in shooting at Ukes. This seems to be an all-or-nothing proposition to me.
@Larchmonter445 03:19:
When you study American Military history, the Indian Wars a big part of the training for US officers. They study Indian tactics. But they assert American firepower and the doctrine of Attrition—destroying the civilian base for the army they face.
Wow, that’s quite a revelation. So that’s were the American way of war comes from. That should have been obvious to me.
In the context of Novorossiya, I think this is reassuring. It suggests that the Ukes’ US military “advisers” are never going to be able to explain to them how to win this war.
As for Ukes being “frightened of combat”. (I saw that video, too.) Since the breakup of the USSR, Uke culture has been based on a fabricated history, in other words, lies. Uke draftees (as opposed to Right Sector fanatics) must realize on some level that all they are fighting for is a bunch of lies. That makes it difficult to have a good “fighting spirit”. For the rebels in contrast, it is very clear what they are fighting for: they have been put in the position of having to defeat racist fascists a second time.
American Kulak said….
>>>>>>>>>>>Novorossiya fighters commemorate the feast day of the Dormition (Heavenly Bodily Assumption) of the Mother of God on August 15, 2014.
Brother, the Orthodox Feast of Dormition (the Falling asleep of the Mother of God, i.e. Успение Богородицы or Κοίμησις τῆς Θεοτόκου) will be in ten days, i.e. on August 15, 2014 according to the Orthodox Church (i.e. Julian) calendar (August 28, 2014 on the secular calendar). Preceding this feast there is a two week fast period, during which special prayers are directed to her. The priest is just reading prayers over the troops.
NO sense ..Russia is not shelling the Ukie soldiers at the borders..
Russia have Lazer precision artillery and there will be no hole on the ground they could dig to escape. Russia also can fly drones or hellicopters on their side and direct with very accurate precision where to hit the Nazi army. IF Russia army was helping the rebels with its own artillery long time ago the ukie army will have been wiped.. No chance to a couple of hours under high precision shelling or under Thermobaric Munition that burn the ground for hours. The Rebels artillery all comes from the Ukie army.
Larchmonter445,
Yup. Ethnic cleansing is ethnic cleansing is ethnic cleansing. The AZ Empire began with Cromwell and the Irish, got really good here, transferred quite nicely to the Boer Wars, was involved indirectly in both World Wars, then Palestine (64 years officially but started waay before that), Yugoslavia, most of the Middle East… I’ve really only touched on a couple of areas; the list is too long and too depressing to enumerate in full. But the idea was always territory and resource extraction — people Just. Never. Count. And innocents are so easy to slaughter, if you’re into that. What utterly amazes me is that so many people are.
I did hear a slight Ukrainian accent (“soft” Gs) in that video. That’s the same thing as the southern Russian accent though. Many millions of Russians in Russia have it.
Nora @ 18 August, 2014 13:18
Perhaps amazement is a way of deflecting the whys.
Likely to investigate the whys would be operational intelligence with contingent risks.
What a fantastic guy…its insane that we are fighting with guys like that…if it wasn’t so serious it would be a hilarious comedy…
Until great people realize that they (the bad guys) are using us (the good guys) everywhere in the world…until this is realized the insanity will continue.
Saker, do you honestly think (not believe) that the Russians are shelling Ukrainian forces near the border regions?
Given the level of surveillance of the region what makes you think (not believe) that they could get away with such activity?
What benefit do you think (not believe) accrues to Russia from taking such a huge risk?
Assuming that the shelling takes place why on earth would those who are keeping the area under surveillance not tell the world?
So far we have the OSCE, the Vienna Open Skies observers, The UN and even Ukrainian observers telling us that there are not border violations on behalf of Russia. The US and Ukraine (at least) have satellites overflying the region all the time and not even they are backing up such claims.
I am not a military bloke, but I know people. In a situation such as this, where they are under stress, being beaten, forced to rethink their preconceptions there is a strong tendency to promulgate the idea of an outside force that shifts the odds against them – that’s what magic and, in large part, religion do. It is why the guy beaten up often overstates the scale of his opponent(s). These guys do not want to be seen as weaklings, as cowards and so they make up (and come to believe) a mythology that justifies their failures and modifies weakness into strength against over whelming odds.
To those who say ‘evidence’ I say – human history and the way we behave provides ample evidence of this. On the other hand there is no evidence of Russian intervention into Ukraine with artillery. My only caveat is the issue of the first Tochka firings and here, Saker, I tend to agree with you – however that rather supports the point about non-intervention at other times. ;)
Anonymous 23:49,
Psychopaths.
Ann,
At first I was wanting to agree with your last paragraph, but when you think about it, there aren’t ever enough great people to get the job done. It’s kind of up to us ordinary people, don’t you think, to get more ordinary people to push maybe-not-great-but-still-ok people and work together to stop this insanity. A great man can do nothing if everyone is either against him or asleep.