Russia-Ukraine war and related tensions Megathread

[CumbrianLefty]

Doesn't look like a depopulated husk to me...

That was always a silly claim.

But clearly *some* of the local population were taken against their will, we need to know how many.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I am too heavily focused on the midterm elections to assess what's going on in Ukraine right now in any deep way. What is happening though, it's not good for Russia in the grand scheme of things.

[Frodo]

If Ukrainians are worried about Russians shelling Kherson back into the Stone Age, I am assuming they have already stationed their own artillery on the west bank of the Dnieper to deal with them.  Especially considering their own equipment is considerably more advanced than that of the enemy.  That should be enough to give the Russians pause.  

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

If Ukrainians are worried about Russians shelling Kherson back into the Stone Age, I am assuming they have already stationed their own artillery on the west bank of the Dnieper to deal with them.  Especially considering their own equipment is considerably more advanced than that of the enemy.  That should be enough to give the Russians pause.  

It didn’t give them much pause in Kharkiv prior to the autumn counteroffensive. That city wasn’t shelled nearly as heavily as the “active” frontlines in the Donbas and Russia had more ammunition then, but it was still regularly bombed for months. Infrastructure seemed to remain available for most of that time, though, so “bombed back into the Stone Age” would be an exaggeration.

More concerning for Kherson is how badly their city was plundered prior to the retreat. Russia blew up the TV tower on the way out and the state of electricity/internet/water is an uncomfortably open question. It is possible that weeks of thieving did more comprehensive damage than revenge shelling could. I’m not even factoring in the deportations here, which probably had a disparate impact on children.

[Frodo]

The Antonivskiy bridge (the one closest to Kherson) has been destroyed:

Strategic bridge near Ukraine's Kherson has collapsed - public broadcaster

The Russians probably detonated it after they completed their retreat from the city itself -make it as difficult as possible for Ukrainian forces to cross the river and begin their campaign to retake the rest of Kherson oblast. 

[Virginiá]

That bridge going down was inevitable in a Russian defeat in Kherson, but I don't think it'll have much of an effect on the Ukrainian southern offensive. They always planned to go after Kherson Oblast primarily through Zaporizhzhia since they control both sides of the Dnieper in that region. Fording the river in Kherson would be a secondary support effort once Russian defenses have been sufficiently whittled down along the river.

[Oryxslayer]

The Antonivskiy bridge (the one closest to Kherson) has been destroyed:

Strategic bridge near Ukraine's Kherson has collapsed - public broadcaster

The Russians probably detonated it after they completed their retreat from the city itself -make it as difficult as possible for Ukrainian forces to cross the river and begin their campaign to retake the rest of Kherson oblast. 

The situation is such that there probably won't be offenses from either side across the river until there are soldiers on the other side via attacking from the flank. The front closed besides artillery and skirmishes, time to focus on Melitopol.

[AndyHogan14]

The Antonivskiy bridge (the one closest to Kherson) has been destroyed:

Strategic bridge near Ukraine's Kherson has collapsed - public broadcaster

The Russians probably detonated it after they completed their retreat from the city itself -make it as difficult as possible for Ukrainian forces to cross the river and begin their campaign to retake the rest of Kherson oblast.  

The situation is such that there probably won't be offenses from either side across the river until there are soldiers on the other side via attacking from the flank. The front closed besides artillery and skirmishes, time to focus on Melitopol.

100%. The Ukrainians are already on the east/left bank of the Dnipro just further north in Zaporizhzhia—so just start from there and push towards Melitopol. Trying to cross at Kherson and risk being stuck against the river on the eastern bank would be foolish.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Vladimir Putin never gets tired of winning!

[AndyHogan14]

https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1591100046635929608?s=20&t=M8SDQaX3UfUia...

Party all night in Kherson!

[2952-0-0]

Go straight to the comment section, but make sure you aren't drinking anything.

https://www.rt.com/russia/566351-kherson-region-russia-withdrawal/

[Storr]

More videos from Kherson:
https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1591105306700177408?s=20&t=s2nWIL...

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1591133205985361931?s=20&t=s2nWIL...

https://twitter.com/Militarylandnet/status/1591124002617298944?s=20&t=s2nWIL...

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The videos coming out are reminiscent of the liberation of Paris. An instantly legendary day in military history.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The videos coming out are reminiscent of the liberation of Paris. An instantly legendary day in military history.

The most remarkable and surprising part is that it is not a surprise.

[Storr]

How it started vs. how it ended

March 5, 2022:
https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1591050221844279296?s=20&t=TB-NIAQtz9wDo...

November 11, 2022:
https://twitter.com/WarMonitor3/status/1591063569172680704?s=20&t=s2nWILC2sb...

[John Dule]

I know the liberation of Kherson has been overshadowed by the midterms, but all the events of the past few weeks-- and indeed this whole year-- have made me so optimistic for neoliberal democracy in the world. Not gonna lie, I teared up a little watching these videos. Fascists get the rope!

[Silent Hunter]

Go straight to the comment section, but make sure you aren't drinking anything.

https://www.rt.com/russia/566351-kherson-region-russia-withdrawal/

Site won't load for me.

[Frodo]

Now we just have to hope that Congress will continue to support Ukraine as they have after Republicans limp their way to a nail-bitingly narrow House majority.

[CumbrianLefty]

A tiny GOP majority in the House means the chances of a major tilt towards Russia is nil.

Token changes, perhaps.

[windjammer]

What is next After Kherson ?

[2952-0-0]

Go straight to the comment section, but make sure you aren't drinking anything.

https://www.rt.com/russia/566351-kherson-region-russia-withdrawal/

Site won't load for me.

The top voted comments:

Every single bridge crossing has been destroyed in the Kherson region at 5 am this morning after russian special forces crossed the russian engineers blew the bridges, with the new fortified front line ,Ukraines so called victory is hollow ,they can't advance ,they can't build bridges, there stuck ,no air force for cover ,there sitting ducks in a empty city. 😃

Kherson remains part of Russia... meaning Ukraine is occupying Russian territory.

If it's Russia why do we retire [I suspect this was supposed to mean "retreat", from the French "retirer"]? is it a joke?? then all of europe is Russian even if we don't rule? what is bullsh**t?

Russia will prevail, it is an intelligent move, God bless.

Forgotten Fact :

The Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts Self-Governance Referendums were part of the original Minsk Agreements…

That everybody agreed to...

Including the United Nations!

Ukraine is basically little Israel they’re run by international Jew extortionists who despise Russia and the west

[2952-0-0]

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1591102458256044033

[Virginiá]

What is next After Kherson ?

In terms of next likely liberated areas - Svatove and Kremina.

For Army Group South, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, likely in a push to Melitopol in order to split the southern land bridge between Crimea/Kherson and the Donbas/Russia.

[CanadianDemocrat]

Kherson City is basically a ghost city now. Everything of resource has been stripped, and it's citizens sent to mainland Russia or occupied territory. I would compare it to Moscow/Borodino 1812.

With Russia's last significant logistical strain gone/Dnieper river as cover, it's offensive capabilities are strengthened.

Its not been the best of weeks for you overall, has it? Never mind

Russia has lost the battles of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson. Russia can never push by land to Odessa.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Kherson City is basically a ghost city now. Everything of resource has been stripped, and it's citizens sent to mainland Russia or occupied territory. I would compare it to Moscow/Borodino 1812.

With Russia's last significant logistical strain gone/Dnieper river as cover, it's offensive capabilities are strengthened.

Its not been the best of weeks for you overall, has it? Never mind

Russia has lost the battles of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson. Russia can never push by land to Odessa.

Ah but you see, by declaring occupied Ukraine Russia and then abandoning them, Putin is drawing the Ukrainians deeper into Russia.