Machine gunner of the 1st battalion of the 82nd assault brigade of military unit A2582 Gusak A.S.
Mobilized 2 weeks ago, sent to the front. Was armed with a Belgian machine gun. The only one who survived after the assault on Ukrainian positions by units of the Armed Forces of Russia in the Korenevsky district.
Two majors
Zelensky dismissed the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Oleshchuk (https://t.me/dva_majors/51037).
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces admitted the loss of an F-16 aircraft during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine on August 26
"During the repelling of a missile attack from Russia on the territory of Ukraine, F-16 fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were used together with units of the anti-aircraft missile forces.
During the approach to the next target, contact was lost with one of the aircraft. The aircraft crashed, the pilot died."
As it became known later, the F-16 aircraft transferred to Ukraine was shot down by the Patriot anti-aircraft system transferred to Ukraine.
Vicktop55
Our take on Kursk.
For the Ukrainians: Prior to Kursk, two choices remained. One, dig in and negotiate for better terms. Two, go on the offensive in Russia and try one last time to drag the west along. Maybe seize the nuclear power plant to gin up the fear.
Digging in and getting better terms was never going to be palatable to the far right that is in control in Ukraine, so offensive it was. Ukraine abandoned Donbass to make this offensive happen.
For the Russians: Prior to Kurst, they were running out of Russian annexed territory to kick Ukraine out of. The Donbass is nearly cleared. Once these Annexed territories are fully under Russian control, the legal standing that the Russian action ascribes to begins to vanish. If you have complete control of the stated area of dispute, how can you continue advancing? If Russia continued west, past its annexed territories. it begins to look like Poland really could be next. You then become subject to new pressures to negotiate.
Having Ukrainian forces in Kurst is a blessing for Russia. It gives them all sorts of new legitimacy to continue advancing across the entire front. It also opens new avenues for building Russian forces, and shoring up domestic support. Don’t expect Kurst to be free of Ukrainians soon.
What is the longer term?
The absolute minimum border for Russia will be the Dnieper river. Currently, the bridges over the Dnieper are mostly open. Ukraine depends on them to supply the front in the east. It can be considered certain that when Russia reaches those bridges, Ukraine will drop them. Meanwhile, Russia allows them to stay up. Why? Firstly, to demilitarize, Russia needs Ukraine to send its troops to the east. Fighting in the west is far more difficult logistically. Secondly, once demilitarization is done, they need a buffer. As Russia plows westward, the population from these towns are displaced (nothing remains to support them). They either go east or west. If you remove that route west, you end up taking care of a population that hates you (insurgents).
The area between the Dnieper and the current annexed territories will more than likely be empty and leveled. It will become the buffer zone, devoid of sanctuary, services, and people. It will be mined, heavily surveilled, and remain empty.
Our guess on the maximum border for Russia remains as was in this article.
