Russian special military operation in Ukraine #10

Serberus wrote:


Even the same Azov and Aidar Nazis - you can see by the interviews of the captives, that they're mostly just a bunch of drunks or bums, who simply wanted a paycheck, and those tattoos were their initiation rituals. Some of them are local. Yes there were crimes and tortures of civilians, over 1500 civilians in Mariupol alone have disappeared since 2014 - but that was done by the SBU or certain sections within Azov.

I think those marines surrendering may have had something to do with getting the TOS treatment rather than not being able to because of their commanders or whatever their story was.

flamming_python wrote:Although from the military point of view, the Iraqi army actually did a very good job with the brisk takeover of Kuwait. You can't say the same here.

Serberus wrote:
Azovstal getting pounded
https://t.me/swodki/63331
Is there Information on many Russian and DNR troops are committed to the Mariupol area of operation?

flamming_python wrote:

Serberus wrote:
Azovstal getting pounded
https://t.me/swodki/63331
Is there Information on many Russian and DNR troops are committed to the Mariupol area of operation?

At least one of the Russian Marine battalions, the DNR's own forces (including their own Marines and the Sparta battalion at a minimum, as well as some of their Spetsnaz units), and various Chechen forces (Rosgvardia, MVD Spetsnaz, plus some ex-rebel veterans who volunteered).

Most of the forces who were earlier engaged in Mariupol have now been redeployed to the Donbass front up north or recuperating. I'd say there are maybe 3-4k Russian and pro-Russian forces left in the city. Enough to finish the job against an entrenched enemy who probably has no more than 1500 troops left in the fight, and to prevent any breakout attempts.

franco wrote:
It was reported that it will free up 20,000 Russian / DPR forces when it is cleared. To handle a force in urban fighting you would need a 3-4:1 ratio to clean up so...

ALAMO wrote:

Mir wrote:

flamming_python wrote:Although from the military point of view, the Iraqi army actually did a very good job with the brisk takeover of Kuwait. You can't say the same here.

Kuwait vs Ukraine for your convenience

(It's that tiny grey spot in the middle of the map just in case you missed it )

Remind me, how long it took the coalition to reconquer it, having approx. 700k troops?

Dr.Snufflebug wrote:Some small pockets of Azovites are still around, it's a building-for-building thing going on in central-south-west Mariupol, but it's being cleaned out in good pace.

The ones holed up in Azovstal, which Basurin said could number in the thousands (I highly doubt it, 1k tops, probably less though) could be facing actual Russian destruction. It's funny in a way how propaganda has been yelling about Russian "bombings of Ukraine" etc when there in fact hasn't been any at all save from a few spots on the outskirts of Kharkov, Yet.

I was under the impression two weeks ago that Mariupol was seconds from "falling" but I'll admit I was wrong. The aforementioned building-for-building thing has become... Well, the thing. And again, that says a lot. The Russians could have shelled and bombed the place into dust if they wanted to, but they haven't.

Azovstal seems to be a different matter. Rumors have it that the VKS is planning on finally using heavy aviation, to drop a few very large bombs on Azovstal and call it a day. Last time FAB-3000/5000/9000 were used was in Afghanistan in the 1980's, but many remain in stock and await decommissioning. They are reportedly considering saving a lot of time and paperwork, so to speak.

The "FOAB" thing from like a decade and a half ago could have done wonders here, but I doubt that it was ever properly "weaponized". It was never dropped from a Tupolev bomber at any rate, that was a sham.