Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Thu 02/24/2022 View Wed 02/23/2022 View Tue 02/22/2022 View Mon 02/21/2022 View Sun 02/20/2022 View Sat 02/19/2022 View Fri 02/18/2022
1
2022-02-24 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Putin attacks all over the Ukraine UPDATED
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 00:00|| || Front Page|| [8 views ]  Top

#1 Set as today’s headline. So much for all the predictions, including mine, that President Putin would settle for making President Biden, et al look like hysterical fools by doing nothing.
Posted by trailing wife 2022-02-24 00:11||   2022-02-24 00:11|| Front Page Top

#2 Reports airborne/SF have taken Kiev airport, full amphibious assault on Odessa. Cruise missile attacks on military and govt comm centers and buildings in mst major cities, cratering at airbases. Also apparent decapitation strikes via spec ops and cruise missiles aimed at military and civilian leaders.

Posted by Greater the Anonymous5721 2022-02-24 00:15||   2022-02-24 00:15|| Front Page Top

#3 Dr. Strangelove and Gen. Buck Turgidson have been notified.
Posted by Bubba Lover of the Faeries8843 2022-02-24 00:23||   2022-02-24 00:23|| Front Page Top

#4 "But I do say no more than 10 to 20 million killed, tops."
Posted by Anomalous Sources 2022-02-24 00:54||   2022-02-24 00:54|| Front Page Top

#5 "There's no fighting in here! This is the War Room!"
Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839 2022-02-24 00:57||   2022-02-24 00:57|| Front Page Top

#6 DW live news on YouTube
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 01:31||   2022-02-24 01:31|| Front Page Top

#7  Al Jazeera with live video in Ukraine
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 01:36||   2022-02-24 01:36|| Front Page Top

#8 Decades of provocative Western weakness have consequences.

Losing a war the West couldn't afford not to win has consequences.

The West shrugged off 9/11, a 21st century Pearl Harbor.

Why should Putin rationally believe this action will have any lasting negative consequences?
Posted by Elmerert Hupens2660 2022-02-24 01:42||   2022-02-24 01:42|| Front Page Top

#9 When will we see US resolve...Elephant Walk the B2s!!
Posted by Waldemar Gromorong9327 2022-02-24 02:52||   2022-02-24 02:52|| Front Page Top

#10 Rudy W. Giuliani
@RudyGiuliani
·
9h
Is it now clear that electing a mentally deteriorating man, who was of limited intelligence even before his dementia, constitutes a ‘CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER” to our safety and security.
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 04:43||   2022-02-24 04:43|| Front Page Top

#11 https://twitter.com/haveVglass/status/1496785984067104770?s=20&t=ltJcs9tz9yTQ9hLISV5c2A

Flight Radar on the web has been taken down
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 05:01||   2022-02-24 05:01|| Front Page Top

#12 On February 24, the day of the Russian operation in Ukraine, France, Germany, Spain and Italy will sign the Eurodrone development contract. First delivery scheduled for 2029 (sic) for a twin-engine drone that will probably be too heavy and outdated
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 05:03||   2022-02-24 05:03|| Front Page Top

#13 Strategic Communications Cell
@CellStrategic
·
31m
#Breaking
Live footage of Missile attack at the Military Airport of Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a city located in Western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and Ivano-Frankivsk Raion.
Western Ukraine also under heavy atack now
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 05:12||   2022-02-24 05:12|| Front Page Top

#14 Boy. Imagine if the US controlled its own border this way...

/sarc (sorta)
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-02-24 05:28||   2022-02-24 05:28|| Front Page Top

#15 Elephant Walk the B2s!!

Frog-march the armchair admirals and generals. Especially the ones in the media.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-02-24 06:11||   2022-02-24 06:11|| Front Page Top

#16 In 3 hours Brent oil went up %8
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 06:38||   2022-02-24 06:38|| Front Page Top

#17 No one will ever give their nukes up. Further, those with the ability to quickly acquire them, will do so. The only viability of those then is if they so declare them.
Posted by Procopius2k 2022-02-24 06:47||   2022-02-24 06:47|| Front Page Top

#18 The battle for the military airfield in Kiev oblast is ongoing. At least one KA-52 gunship has been shot down by US made stinger SAMS ner Kiev. Russians are putting their maximum effort in conducting an air assault on the airfield using what has been termed "dozen of helicopters."
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 07:30||   2022-02-24 07:30|| Front Page Top

#19 
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 07:34||   2022-02-24 07:34|| Front Page Top

#20 
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 07:37||   2022-02-24 07:37|| Front Page Top

#21 v
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 07:46||   2022-02-24 07:46|| Front Page Top

#22 Reports are that Russian mobile units took it hard on the chin in Kharkov.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 07:50||   2022-02-24 07:50|| Front Page Top

#23 Let them fight it out and stay out of it.
Posted by Chris 2022-02-24 08:00||   2022-02-24 08:00|| Front Page Top

#24 Downed aircraft count:

Russia has lost seven
Ukraine has lost two

I suspect most of the Russian losses are from friendly fire/AAA gunfire.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 08:23||   2022-02-24 08:23|| Front Page Top

#25 Judging by the shadows, it appears Russian armor forces got smacked hard near Kherson.

Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 08:30||   2022-02-24 08:30|| Front Page Top

#26 Hopefully the bear's nose gets bloodied
Posted by Frank G 2022-02-24 08:45||   2022-02-24 08:45|| Front Page Top

#27 US stock market swooning early. The gummint may have to decide to point its bazooka at something other than a distant regional conflict before the day is out.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-02-24 09:54||   2022-02-24 09:54|| Front Page Top

#28 Situation at 5 pm.

Despite the massive strikes with rockets and aviation across Ukraine, the Armed Forces are doing an effective resistance. Russians' hopes for the lack of resistance and air force did not justify. Loud statements about the complete destruction of the Ukrainian air defense and air force, simplified by real combat actions.

Our pilots are performing combat flights, and Russian aviation is forced to recognize losses.

On earth Russia is trying to destabilize Ukrainian defense. Separate battalion tactical groups are trying to wage a maneuverable war, to push for maximum distances to disrupt our communications. Russians are trying to avoid contact fights. When they meet the resistance, they try to bypass the knots of resistance.

Key border regional centers of Kharkiv, Sumy, the capital of Kyiv, successfully defeated the first Russian attacks. The Russians are trying to create a threat from the back of big cities, so they are moving fast without covering the flanks. Suddenly the enemy failed to capture these big cities.

This creates an opportunity for defense to attempt by maneuverable combat groups to beat Russian columns that go along the highways.

The most difficult situation is now looking south.

Ukraine receives the necessary intelligence information, military management works.
Russia is trying to destroy all resistance nodes and firearms, ammunition warehouses. They create a threat for Kiev to take hostage the multi-million capital and thus force the leadership to surrender on Russian conditions.

But the desperate resistance of the Ukrainian army gives us time to get new help from our partners.

We are all one today around our state, our army, our Homeland. We will be together in this time.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:06||   2022-02-24 11:06|| Front Page Top

#29 The author is Yuri Butusov, editor at the online publication Tsensor.net
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:07||   2022-02-24 11:07|| Front Page Top

#30 Ukrainian general staff said that four Russian tanks were lit up on the ring road in Kharkov.

Also, it appears RUssian troops took heavy losses in Schastye
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:15||   2022-02-24 11:15|| Front Page Top

#31 Apparently other than the advance on Volodymyrivka, separatist troops are not advancing to the northwest and north of Donetsk city.

It could be the Russians want to maneuver to the rear of Ukrainian forces and capture them without the Ukrainian forces attacking Donetsk city with artillery.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:22||   2022-02-24 11:22|| Front Page Top

#32 Huge column of Russian troops racing down toward Chernobyl and then Kiev.
2 hours away from Kiev.
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 11:23||   2022-02-24 11:23|| Front Page Top

#33 #1 TW, I didn't think that Putin (and Xi) would get so frisky so quickly either. They sensed weakness and opportunity. Currently, we have a feckless leadership of fools in control in DC who spend money until we are broke with no coherent direction guiding them. Our enemies could care less about cimate change, green new deals and "wokeness."
Posted by JohnQC 2022-02-24 11:24||   2022-02-24 11:24|| Front Page Top

#34 The Russian offensive has the earmarks of a punitive operation, and not an invasion. Russian troops are took scattered about. Russian high command has to know that even with all their geographical objectives seized, they still have to mop up. It could be bloody.

I expect that once the territories occupied by Ukraine in Lugansk and Donetsk are captured, Russia's war will end.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:26||   2022-02-24 11:26|| Front Page Top

#35 The Ukrainians are using the Turkish made Bayraktar TB2 drones to some effect on Russian infantry/dismounts.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:33||   2022-02-24 11:33|| Front Page Top

#36 Also from tsensor.net :

A whole reconnaissance platoon of the Russian 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade surrendered near Chernigov.

Chernigov is north of Kiev
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:37||   2022-02-24 11:37|| Front Page Top

#37 Ukrainian interior ministry claims, using US made Javelin antitank rocket launchers, a total of 15 Russian T-72s were destroyed near Glykov, north of Sumy
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:42||   2022-02-24 11:42|| Front Page Top

#38 Still waiting to hear about the "massive groundswell" in American opinion that we should be involved. Not holding my breath.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-02-24 11:42||   2022-02-24 11:42|| Front Page Top

#39 Ukrainian military are hammering Russian Army forces hard.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:45||   2022-02-24 11:45|| Front Page Top

#40 I was wondering how the "upgraded" armor packages the Russians have been buying would work against western anti-tank missiles. The "rack" that some separatist tanks were using to detonate missiles before they hit turned out to not work for shit against the Javelin.

If the reports are correct, looks like the Russians will get a huge bloody nose while taking their objectives.
Posted by DarthVader 2022-02-24 11:49||   2022-02-24 11:49|| Front Page Top

#41 If the Russians take a serious pounding and take their objectives, anyway, would that not be a bigger W?
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-02-24 11:52||   2022-02-24 11:52|| Front Page Top

#42 Ukrainians have taken a pretty good chunk out of the Russian Army so far.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 11:53||   2022-02-24 11:53|| Front Page Top

#43 Sumy, near Kharkov, has fallen,
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 12:11||   2022-02-24 12:11|| Front Page Top

#44 Easy pickin's for the Ukrainians. Just aim for the Z on the vehicles.
Posted by DooDahMan 2022-02-24 12:14||   2022-02-24 12:14|| Front Page Top

#45 I expect that once the territories occupied by Ukraine in Lugansk and Donetsk are captured, Russia's war will end.

No, maybe a ceasefire, but the war will never end. Too much animosity. It's like the old grudges certain tribes nations seem to keep over hundreds of years.
Posted by Procopius2k 2022-02-24 12:22||   2022-02-24 12:22|| Front Page Top

#46 I didn't think he'd do it and then I thought if he did it he would be content with Donbas. Now I can only hope that he is trying to disable Ukraine's military by attacking command and control, communications, intelligence and logistics. Then, when Zelensky hollers uncle, Putin can achieve recognition for the new status of Donbas(Russian annexation of Donbas).

We can only hope.

If the Ukrainian people are as determined to resist as they say they are, Putin will find any attempt to occupy the whole country extremely disagreeable, nasty, ugly and bloody. He might be embarrassed and then he might double down which would get even bloodier.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2022-02-24 12:25||   2022-02-24 12:25|| Front Page Top

#47 journalists have identified a Russian helicopter shot down near Gostomel: the Ka-52 helicopter was probably flown by the squadron commander of the 319th Separate Helicopter Regiment from the Primorsky Krai of the Russian Federation, Джерело:
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 12:38||   2022-02-24 12:38|| Front Page Top

#48 After a huge battle Ukraine lost Chernobyl and state of reactors unknown.
https://twitter.com/ChristopherJM/status/1496900307288272899?s=20&t=ltJcs9tz9yTQ9hLISV5c2A
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 12:48||   2022-02-24 12:48|| Front Page Top

#49 If the Ukrainian people are as determined to resist as they say they are, Putin will find any attempt to occupy the whole country extremely disagreeable, nasty, ugly and bloody. He might be embarrassed and then he might double down which would get even bloodier.

Putin doesn't want to occupy. He wants to upend the Nazi social culture that has taken hold in Ukraine. He wants an independent Ukraine without a military force, that Russia would be as her security guarantor.

It is a complex thing he is trying to accomplish.

We''ll have to see once Russian follow-on forces are committed. We're still in Act I of a multiact play.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 12:49||   2022-02-24 12:49|| Front Page Top

#50 From Walt's link:

Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 12:50||   2022-02-24 12:50|| Front Page Top

#51 I was wondering how the "upgraded" armor packages the Russians have been buying would work against western anti-tank missiles. The "rack" that some separatist tanks were using to detonate missiles before they hit turned out to not work for shit against the Javelin.

Javelin is a top attack missile. Not many ERA packages are configured against that type of attack

If the reports are correct, looks like the Russians will get a huge bloody nose while taking their objectives.

Russian military expects to take losses that would turn other militaries white.

They want their troops blooded. Under Slavic military doctrine, it is the best way to keep troops in combat
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 12:56||   2022-02-24 12:56|| Front Page Top

#52 Javelin can be top down or direct attack, depending on the user selection. They built a steel rack above their tanks to get the charge to go off and explode before it hit the top of the tank. Didn't work, Javelin pierced the steel rack and exploded as designed.

And not a good plan to take heavy losses for whatever reason, especially with Russia's demographic problem.
Posted by DarthVader 2022-02-24 13:02||   2022-02-24 13:02|| Front Page Top

#53 ^ Builds morale

/sarc
Posted by Frank G 2022-02-24 13:19||   2022-02-24 13:19|| Front Page Top

#54 I like the Patton doctrine better.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2022-02-24 13:23||   2022-02-24 13:23|| Front Page Top

#55 badanov -- thanks. That's much better coverage than I can find anywhere else.
Posted by Matt 2022-02-24 13:23||   2022-02-24 13:23|| Front Page Top

#56 Crudely, the Russians have argued for a long time that they were the ones who defeated Hitler because they had the most soldiers killed. I've never understood that argument.
Posted by Matt 2022-02-24 13:27||   2022-02-24 13:27|| Front Page Top

#57 The airport in Gostomel, near Kiev, has fallen.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 13:30||   2022-02-24 13:30|| Front Page Top

#58 Antonov airport, 15 miles from Kiev, has fallen into Russian hand. Russian airmobile troops preparing a perimeter defense. Ukrainian forces are preparing a counterattack.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 13:38||   2022-02-24 13:38|| Front Page Top

#59 From Russian military blogger Andrey Chervonets:

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

At the moment, Ukraine has lost its military fleet, almost the entire air defense system, with the exception of MANPADS. The runways have been put out of action, the “mosquito fleet” has been destroyed, and the information warfare troops have ceased to exist. The Security Service of Ukraine burns documents in a panic, and command and control of the troops is completely disrupted.

But the talking heads in Ukraine still continue to say that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are winning

As a result of Russian strikes, 83 ground facilities of the military infrastructure of Ukraine were disabled, two Ukrainian Su-27s, two Su-24s, one helicopter and four Bayraktar TB-2 drones were shot down, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Confirmed losses in equipment are: one T-80 tank on the district of Kharkov, two to three MTLB armored personnel carriers, two Tigers (T-72) personnel left the damaged vehicles), two Ka-52 (1, 2), one Su-25 (non-combat loss, on the territory of the Russian Federation)

Strength: two dead. Ukrainian media disperse information about the capture of a group of Russian servicemen from a reconnaissance platoon. Well, if they were ambushed, I don’t see anything reprehensible here. The main thing is that they are alive and will be exchanged in any case.

From the last broadcast, the information was confirmed that the North Crimean Canal blocked by Ukraine was unblocked and the water went through the canal to the Crimea. What appeared confirmation video.

The information about the capture of the airfield in Gastomel by Russian troops was confirmed. Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to knock out paratroopers, Ukrainian artillery is working

Sumy apparently became the first regional center occupied by Russian troops. Russian tanks entered the center. In this direction, the Russian units took control of Konotop and Baturin. The further goal is the capture of Poltava and the dissection of the northwestern grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine into two parts.

In Akhtyrka, Sumy region, a convoy of the Russian Armed Forces was attacked from the window of a high-rise building. Waited. I had to fire back. The attackers were destroyed by a point shot.

Russian troops did not take Odessa. Only the port is captured. It can be assumed that a landing of a Russian strike force in the port should be expected at night.

Helicopters fly over Dnepropetrovsk. Whose - is still unknown.

A column of Russian armored vehicles was found on the outskirts of Melitopol (this city from Crimea is "to the right")

Chernobyl under the control of the RF Armed Forces is just the best guarantee of security for both Ukraine and Europe ...

At night, a march will probably take place with the encirclement of large cities and the capture of important objects. Tomorrow we should expect news from Kherson and Kharkov, but denser news about Kiev and the appearance of the first news about Poltava, Nikolaev, Zaporozhye and Mariupol.

Newsweek: US authorities expect the Ukrainian capital to be captured by Russian forces within 96 hours.

The well-known Svidomo and Maidan patriot Aleksey Goncharenko, in order to maintain the low morale of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, is busy spreading outright fakes.

A video about the destruction of a column of tanks from Bayraktar in Syria two years ago, he passed off as "the destruction of tanks of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the Russian Federation from a Ukrainian drone."

At the same time, he knew that this was a fake, since the video was purposefully mirrored horizontally so that there was less likelihood of his identification. But he underestimated the people, they identified.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 14:09||   2022-02-24 14:09|| Front Page Top

#60 In Lugansk, battles are raging into the night around the Serersky Dontesk River, at Staitsiya Luganskaya, at Schastye, and points west, as Russian backed separatists with the help of Russian artillery fire support are attempting to gain control of the left bank of the river.

Curiously, no reports of fighting in Donetsk.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 14:22||   2022-02-24 14:22|| Front Page Top

#61 The Security Service of Ukraine burns documents in a panic

There goes the evidence against the Bidens.
Posted by KBK 2022-02-24 14:36||   2022-02-24 14:36|| Front Page Top

#62 Sumy apparently became the first regional center occupied by Russian troops/em>

There still is live cams up in Sumy that show it as peaceful as last week.
Posted by Slappy 2022-02-24 15:39||   2022-02-24 15:39|| Front Page Top

#63 According to Euromaidan's facebook page Ukrainian forces have retaken the hydroelectric dam at Nova Kakhovka.

Ukrainians are preparing a counterattack at the airfield at Gostomel. They say the Russian paratroopers have been cut off from resupply.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 16:09||   2022-02-24 16:09|| Front Page Top

#64 
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 16:21||   2022-02-24 16:21|| Front Page Top

#65 According to Richard fernandez, on his Facebook page:

The Russian air assault force that seized Gostomel reported nearly taken by 4th Ukr brigade but Russian CAS trying to save the day.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 16:24||   2022-02-24 16:24|| Front Page Top

#66 According to a post by Rob Ski, the Ukrainian interior ministry has been handing out 10,000 AKs for civilian use.

This is the best news.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 16:34||   2022-02-24 16:34|| Front Page Top

#67 I don't understand Putin's thinking. If he just stopped at the point of war he would have split the West in two. Now he has unified the West. He also saved Boris Johnson's career.
Posted by Penguin_of_the_Desert 2022-02-24 16:36||   2022-02-24 16:36|| Front Page Top

#68 According to Tsensor.net the airfield Gostomel is back in Ukrainian hands.

Russian airborne divisions need an airport to hand/deploy their heavy equipment.

But

Russian airborne units have been testng air dropping the BMDs.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 16:47||   2022-02-24 16:47|| Front Page Top

#69 matt, maybe you should go watch some documentaries on WW2 if that's what you think.
Posted by Chris 2022-02-24 16:54||   2022-02-24 16:54|| Front Page Top

#70  AD division moving through Ukraine town
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 17:50||   2022-02-24 17:50|| Front Page Top

#71 
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 17:54||   2022-02-24 17:54|| Front Page Top

#72 
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 18:14||   2022-02-24 18:14|| Front Page Top

#73 President of Ukraine Zelensky states that enemies have identified him as the number one target and want to destroy Ukraine politically.
Posted by badanov 2022-02-24 18:22||   2022-02-24 18:22|| Front Page Top

#74 Russian airborne units have been testng air dropping the BMDs

Anything is airdropable, once.
corollary
Anything is submersible, once.
Posted by Procopius2k 2022-02-24 18:56||   2022-02-24 18:56|| Front Page Top

#75 
Posted by 3dc 2022-02-24 19:14||   2022-02-24 19:14|| Front Page Top

#76 US went into vietnam and Russians supported the north and hurt us at minimal risk/cost.

Russians went into Afghanistan and US supported the Muhajadin and hurt them at minimal risk/cost.

US went into Iraq/Afghanistan and I suspect the Russians helped the other side a bit.

Russia goes into Ukraine...
Posted by ruprecht 2022-02-24 20:11||   2022-02-24 20:11|| Front Page Top

#77 Were only Comrade Merrick here,
He'd make things very clear: "Oh, dear!
Volodya'd never ever bomb!"
Alas, he's gone and pulled a g(r)om.
Posted by Criting Grilet9578 2022-02-24 23:30||   2022-02-24 23:30|| Front Page Top

23:57 JohnQC
23:55 JohnQC
23:36 Skidmark
23:35 Skidmark
23:32 Skidmark
23:31 Skidmark
23:30 JohnQC
23:30 Criting Grilet9578
23:28 Skidmark
23:19 Skidmark
22:27 swksvolFF
22:25 swksvolFF
22:11 Skidmark
22:11 trailing wife
22:08 Skidmark
21:55 Frank G
21:40 ruprecht
21:40 SteveS
21:31 trailing wife
21:25 Frank G
21:24 Frank G
21:24 Frank G
21:08 trailing wife
20:30 Frank G









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com