NBC’s Richard Engel bought an unclassified look on the standing map at a Ukrainian headquarters. Click on the hyperlink for the complete video, however right here’s a screenshot of the map itself:
For all of the discuss Ukraine encircling the Russian spearhead at Bucha, northwest of the town, it’s really the northeastern aspect of Kyiv the place counter-attacks are having essentially the most success. Right here’s @War_Mappers latest map of the realm, up to date final night time:
Each of those maps have Bohdanivka, simply northeast of Brovary, in Russian fingers. However take a look at the skinny tendril supplying it within the official HQ map. Some studies declare that these provide strains have been minimize. Actually wouldn’t take a lot. The HQ map additionally appears to have cleared the availability routes to Chernihiv of all Russian forces (all that orange within the second map), and that essential freeway that runs north of Nizhyn. With Russians out of the way in which, supples can now move extra simply into embattled Chernihiv.
NASA’s forest hearth satellite tv for pc FIRMS is clearly exhibiting the frontlines:
That whole decrease tendril ending at Bohdanivka is underneath assault. Based on the Pentagon, that line has now collapsed:
Bohdanivka is 40 kilometers (26 miles) away from Kyiv, so this could imply it’s been cleared of Russian troops. But there may be no video affirmation anyplace that this has, certainly, occurred. So take with an enormous grain of salt. Equally, Bucha is 32 kilometers away from central Kyiv. Is that this Pentagon official suggesting Russians have been cleared from Bucha, Irpin, and Hostemel airport? There may be zero indication this has occurred. So let’s simply assume one thing was misplaced within the translation, as a result of the Pentagon (just like the Ukrainian Ministry of Protection) have each been conservative when discussing territorial positive aspects and losses. [See update below, that reporter misreported the briefing.]
The Pentagon has been bizarre the final couple of days, like this:
Russia has been attempting to encircle Ukraine’s important preventing drive on the Donbas entrance strains as a result of it might isolate and doubtlessly destroy a 3rd of Ukraine’s armed forces. That’s a heck of a prize! It has nothing to do with “reinforcing cities,” since Russia has proven zero skill to take any cities. It nonetheless hasn’t managed to take Mariupol, regardless of having surrounded it from the start of the conflict, remoted, starved, and pounded to oblivion. A Ukrainian retreat from their ready trench defenses, over open, flat land, can be a turkey shoot for Russian forces, artillery, and air drive. The truth that Russia has been unable to dislodge the defenders from these positions speaks to their efficacy.
Ukraine has loads of defenders of their cities, and Russia severely lacks the troops to make a severe push into most of them. Certainly, it’s this confidence in territorial protection forces and ready city defenses that has given Ukrainian excessive command the boldness to go on the offensive round Kyiv and Kherson within the south.
Yesterday, Russia destroyed a key rail junction supplying Ukrainian forces on the Donbas entrance. If you happen to’re questioning why Russia didn’t try this on day one, that’s a wonderful query. It took them a month, however they lastly wised up. And that’s the purpose, to starve these troops of meals and ammo, in order that they will both immediate their give up, or hold hitting them till they run out of ammo and don’t have anything left with which to battle again.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, these promised Syrian troopers ain’t coming.
On March 22, a gathering was held between the commander of the eighth Brigade within the southern Syrian province of Dera, Colonel Nasim Abu Irra, and Russian Armed Forces Normal Alexander Zhuravleov (performs the operate of the commander of the Russian group within the southern provinces cíyah of Syria).
Through the assembly, the Russian common made a transparent demand to formulate and supply a listing of names and private data of militants from Abu Irra items and the Syrian Protection Forces able to take part within the conflict towards Ukraine.
The Syrian colonel didn’t present a transparent reply. As an alternative, he promised to get in contact after session “with different representatives of the administration staff of the eighth brigade”.
“I’ll get again to you,” is hilarious. Similar to Belorussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Who would need to ship troops, realizing Russia would simply feed them into the wooden chipper? Russia doesn’t even deal with its personal troops nicely.
It is a plea from the Ukrainian authorities to the interest drone producer DJI. Regardless of how the textual content might make this sound, it’s not about these drones getting used to hold Russian weapons. It’s not even about these drones getting used to spy on Ukrainian positions. It’s about one thing constructed into these drones that known as “AeroScope.”
AeroScope is a sign that every drone provides off. It was designed to fulfill the wants of presidency businesses world wide to find drones that enter restricted airspace, like that round airports. DJI will promote to “reliable” purchasers, like authorities businesses and police forces, each short-rage and long-range instruments for detecting these AeroScope alerts. Encoded within the alerts is each the situation of the drone itself, and the situation of the drone operator on the bottom.
Amongst these reliable purchasers of the AeroScope system have been Russian businesses and Russian police. Now they’re utilizing the AeroScope sign to find Ukrainian drone operators. And kill them. Generally that is troopers utilizing the DJI drones for reconnaissance. Generally these are youngsters taking part in with a birthday reward.
Based on Ukrainian officers, 100 kids have already died from this technique. They, understandably, for each humanitarian and army causes, need DJI to show off AeroScope.
Nonetheless, there is a matter. DJI is a Chinese language firm. China has offered a token quantity of humanitarian assist to Ukraine (far much less, and that is true, than Day by day Kos readers). Nonetheless, it has not taken any place in help of Ukraine’s army. In actual fact, there continues to be an opportunity it would help Russia in some kind. So getting AeroScope turned off appears unlikely.
Ah, okay, that tweet above was incorrect.
That makes extra sense. Russians are nonetheless comparatively shut in NW Kyiv and digging in, however have been pushed method again on the japanese aspect.
·
kos
Good things is going on around Mykolaiv:
The 4 city I circled have been liberated by Ukraine over the previous 24 hours. Actually seems to be like Ukraine is attempting to chop off provides to the north, together with the skinny tendril reaching for Kryvyi Rih to the northeast of this map. We’ll know or certain in the event that they proceed pushing towards Snihurivka, on the suitable finish of this map. Russian morale on this space is continually assessed to be the worst in your complete conflict, so it may not take a lot to interrupt them. Russia might haven’t any alternative however to tug again to Kherson.
Be aware additionally, these offensives are all comparatively small pushes. Ukraine doesn’t have air superiority, so it will possibly’t launch huge assaults with out placing quite a lot of their troops and tools in danger. So the technique is smaller in scope—choosing up cities on the sides, then consolidating for a couple of days. Certainly, there’s an excellent likelihood Ukraine didn’t have to battle for these cities. They might be opportunistic pickups as Russia consolidates its forces.
·
Mark Sumner
The primary tranche of the most recent $800m bundle of help that President Biden signed final week started arriving in Ukraine in the present day. So the potential of seeing a Switchblade in motion towards Russian artillery may turn out to be a actuality very quickly.
