After abandoning Avdiivka, the Ukrainians retreated westwards but haven't had time to construct defensive positions. Sensing that weakness, the Russians are pushing hard after them. They've taken several villages where the Ukrainians tried to make a stand and have encircled some smallish groups of Ukrainian fighters who stood their ground and were bypassed. Observers think the Russians might be able to advance 20-30 km before the Ukrainian defense solidifies.
The Russians' longer term goal is to capture the portions of Donetsk oblast (province) that they don't already control. (Russia has already annexed Donetsk oblast.) But shorter term, the goal of this latest Avdiivka push is to drive the Ukrainian army back away from Donetsk city, where the Ukrainians have occupied the city's outskirts since 2014.
YazataMar 21, 2024 05:37 AM (This post was last modified: Mar 21, 2024 06:13 AM by Yazata.)
Over the last few days what are said to be Russian dissident forces but widely believed to be Ukrainian military intelligence operatives, have once again penetrated into Russia proper in Belgorod oblast. (They tried it a few months ago and got their noses bloodied.) This time they penetrated about two kilometers into a Russian border village that earlier had most of its civilian population evacuated because of incessant Ukrainian shelling.
This attack seems to have been coordinated with an attempt to insert forces deeper behind the border by helicopter. That helicopter intrustion was defeated by the Russians, who displayed photos of at least one wrecked helicopter. The destroyed helicopter was a US made Blackhawk, which strongly implies that the Ukrainian military was behind the attack, since Russian dissidents wouldn't have access to American aircraft like that.
When their supporting attack failed, the ground forces in the empty village photographed themselves taking down the Russian flag flying at the village secondary school, then returned the two kilometers back into Ukrainian territory.
During and after the ground and airborne attack, Ukrainian artillery has continued to shell the Russian oblast capital of Belgorod city (pop ~ 340,000). A number of buildings have been wrecked and there are civilian dead and injured. Once again, it's the Ukrainian military with the artillery, not ragtag Russian dissidents.
Belgorod (photo by Petr Magera from Wikimedia commons)
The Russians aren't pleased so they are attacking Kyiv with air launched Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missiles as we speak. There are reports from Kyiv of loud explosions and pillars of black smoke rising from multiple places. Car alarms are protesting. Residents are rushing into the subway tubes, something not seen in months.
I'm wondering whats going to happen when there is no Putin. I mean at some point he's going to die and all the empire building crap he's caused is literally going to mean nothing. I mean if there are statues dedicated to him, they'll be pulled down and destroyed. His legacy removed from history as another tyranical dictator that went too far.
Within a year or two of his passing, nobody will care to remember him, including those he currently sees as supporters.
Another even larger wave of Russian missiles inbound into Ukraine in the last hour. Unlike the missile attack on Kyiv, this attack wave seems largely aimed at Ukrainian provincial cities in the eastern half of the country.
The Concert Hall holds 6,000 people and was said to be sold out when the attack occurred. Dead bodies litter the lobby, apparently shot. Terrified crowds of well dressed concert goers trying to escape. There's video of men armed with rifles moving through the largely emptied hall, shooting any stragglers they see. Then the building caught fire and photos show the whole roof engaged. Some reports say the roof has collapsed.
Hundreds and perhaps thousands of police, FSB (Russian equivalent of the FBI) and Rosgvardiya (national guard) are arriving on scene. Video shows a sea of flashing blue lights outside the hall, which is right off a major motorway. Multiple helicopters overhead. Sirens shrieking.
The Moscow city and oblast administrations have banned all large gatherings this weekend, at least until the security agencies get a grip on what's happening.
Still no word on who these terrorists are/were, or on whether any escaped and got away. The Ukrainians have already announced that they had nothing to do with it.
Concertgoers who escaped describe 5-10 terrorists, equipped with bullet-proof vests, military style semi-auto rifles, and sporting big black beards. (The beards suggest radical Muslims.)
The upscale Galeria Shopping center in St. Petersburg is being evacuated as we speak. Video shows no panic, so I assume this is a precautionary measure.
C CMar 22, 2024 10:47 PM (This post was last modified: Mar 22, 2024 10:57 PM by C C.)
(Mar 22, 2024 10:30 PM)Yazata Wrote: ISIS have claimed responsibility.
So they're practicing DEI with respect to their adversaries (diversity, equity, inclusion). Conveying that more than just the West and its degenerate infidels are in their crosshairs.
YazataMar 23, 2024 05:03 AM (This post was last modified: Mar 23, 2024 06:12 AM by Yazata.)
Video of fire crews on the scene and of helicopters dropping water on the fire on the roof. The fire now appears to be out. Reports say that part of the roof has collapsed.
Crews are now inside and bodies are being removed in plastic body bags. There's surreal videos of crews inside the dark lobby interior with flashlights, with water dripping from the ceiling and pools of blood on the floor where bodies were removed.
Reports are conflicting about what happened to the terrorists. ISIS claims they escaped and are planning more attacks. That seems to be the case since the authorities are looking for a white Renault with no license plates that some of the terrorists escaped in.
Russian media says one of the vehicles they arrived in (a small white van) had "old Ukrainian" license plates. Other sources insist that they weren't Ukrainian plates, but rather Belorussian plates. The only video I've seen of that truck had its license plate blurred out. We can be certain the FSB forensics are carefully going over that van looking for clues.
Quote: Russia says it neutralized ISIS cell plotting attack on Moscow synagogue
Reuters
March 7, 2024 at 6:50 AM
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday it prevented an attack on a synagogue in Moscow that was plotted by an Islamic State cell, Russian state news agencies reported.
FSB said that the members of the organization had been planning "to commit a terrorist act against one of the Jewish religious institutions in Moscow", the RIA news agency quoted the report as saying.
The attackers opened fire during the attempted arrest and were "neutralized by return fire", the FSB said.
YazataMar 23, 2024 06:03 PM (This post was last modified: Mar 23, 2024 08:28 PM by Yazata.)
The white Renault was located on a highway in the Bryansk oblast in western Russia by local police. They called for backup and it was chased down. It was found to contain three men, reportedly Tajikistan nationals, in clothing similar to what the terrorists were wearing in the attack. Their appearance and clothing seem to match photos taken right before the attack of the terrorists that were posted by ISIS.
Russia hasn't heard of Defund the Police or Soros prosecutors (or Innocent Until Proven Guilty) and there's video of the FSB cutting off the ear of one of their captives and making him eat it.
I just hope they have the right guys.
The photo in the link below is graphic. It might soon be deleted so look at it while you can.
Mar 3, 2024 08:16 AM
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