This is a zero sum situation for Putin now. I think he absolutely needs to win.
If China and Germany have really been so taken aback that makes that makes Biden’s approach all the more fascinating by stating its certainty over Putin’s intention so clearly and so publicly. And sticking the course even while being mocked in some quarters, even by Ukraine. Did he US have better intelligence, or did we just have a different interpretation of it…or as you suggest, was it the boy who cried wolf syndrome operating in too much the western world? I can buy that latter argument for Germany, but surely China’s intelligence wouldnt be so influenced by us.
Tonight the Russians stormed Kyiv. Recon groups and Spetznas fought inside the city centre of Kyiv. Heavy shelling, the Russian armoured collumn to support the Spetznas took at power plant north in the city. They attack from north, east and south.
MAJOR EVENT was also the downing of two Ilushyins with paratroopers inside.
In short, the Russians were repelled. They control outskirts of Ktiv and are attempting encirclement , but Kyiv still stands !
@WooltonRed
From the fighting at Kyiv Zoological Garden tonight:
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1497381890386497543?fbclid=IwAR3_AfQHg1rVguLmVAiFogD3_vcGTvIjQIr8G0U6vH5Xh2YLXWBohnbp00k
https://twitter.com/prm_ua/status/1497378867023159303?fbclid=IwAR3640FqmBpauAc1ecQNVVvsKidWkr-0iZS5bb0JJ4kj4KflVigXH5hrzk8
Thank you for the update,Magnus.
Think it’s going to be a hard night ahead again. Russians don’t have anything to gain by allowing city defences time to rest and shore up. Tonight is likely to see all out assault on a massive scale.
I’m willing the Ukrainians to hold fast.
Are the apartment blocks and hospitals, legitimate military targets? The Russian people will not be seeing this footage.
F***in Hell… Putin so in love with himself he married a woman that looks just like him…!
I think targeting will become more and more indiscriminate and violent the longer Ukraine holds and the more Russia gets frustrated.
Destruction of Russian caravan/convoy:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1497575281426681858
Another:
https://twitter.com/NotWoofers/status/1497592145972240387
Graphic, 21+
Summary
These brave Ukrainians are the most inspirational fucking gangsta thing I’ve ever seen. You want to know what true patriotism looks like? Watch what these people are willing to do to defend their sovereignty. Fuck anyone that tells you MAGA is patriotism or Britain for the British is patriotism - it isn’t. Nobody can say a bad word about these amazing and brave people after this, regardless of the outcome.
Not to forget Tsikhanouskaya. She sees her husband get arrested for simply running a campaign against a corrupt leader and her response is to say “well, I guess this is my campaign now.” She herself was then arrested and continued her campaign. Once released there was an official government acknowledgement of a hit being put out on her, and to this day she continues to oppose the corrupt government.
They don’t even need to be. Look what they’ve been doing in Syria these past years.
Is there a chance she could sway Belarusian military to move away from supporting Lukashenko and Putin in this invasion ,potentially pitting the Belarus army against those Russian troops on the Ukraine/Belarus border.
As if it’s not bad enough his city being attacked the poor bloke only had Carlsberg to hand.
Attacks right now from the Krim-front:
Russians got beat back at Kherson.
Meanwhile, in Donbas, some breakthroughs (this is a super-pro Russian source, but his tactical maps are usually decent):
They tried to take it overnight but were repelled.