Ukraine's Counteroffensive Forces Face Mobilized Inmates and Drones

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

BAKHMUT, Ukraine — In battlefields in the rolling hills of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, and near the Black Sea in the south, Ukrainian troops have stubbornly tried to inch forward without losing control of territory, facing an opponent whose forces have been bolstered by inmates-turned-fighters and by Iranian drones.

“Perhaps it seems to someone now that after a series of victories we have a certain lull,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said in his nightly address Sunday. “But this is not a lull. This is preparation for the next sequence.”

Over the weekend, Ukraine’s Army built up the pressure in the country’s south, with forces striking Russian military strongholds and targeting sites used by local officials loyal to the Kremlin. They are also continuing to hit the supply lines for thousands of Russian soldiers on the western bank of the Dnipro River. Ukraine’s strikes in the important Russian-held city of Kherson seemed to rattle security there, with firefights and broad disorder reported.

But farther north and to the east, in the city of Bakhmut in the Donbas region, advancing Russian forces made their presence known as the sound of artillery rang out on Sunday, highlighting an important location where Ukrainian control may become tenuous as Russian forces press from the east and southeast in an attempt to cut off the country’s supplies.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/18/world/europe/ukraine-war-drones-inmates.html

[The Magistrate]

1. Convicts Make Damned Poor Soldiers, Sir

[brooklynite]

3. it worked in THE DIRTY DOZEN and GARRISON'S GORILLAS...

[Aristus]

14. In World War II, the Soviet Union used them not so much as soldiers,

but as minefield-clearing devices.

The commander of a penal battalion even said, out loud, that his method of clearing a minefield was to run a unit of infantry through it.

[Warpy]

2. Those Iranian drones are kamikaze drones

that are designed to spot something, bash into it, and blow it up, no more drone. So I hope they're prepared to buy a lot of them at whatever price the Mullahs think they can get. And even at that, reports say they're very glitchy and the Ukrainians are building mockups of targets, so there's no telling whether they're on target or aimed at scrap lumber.

As for the Ukrainians, they're continuing to go after Russian bases, supply lines and ammunition dumps. There was a rocket attack inside Russia last week that seemingly did some real damage.

[KS Toronado]

9. They should make some blow up tanks like we used

in England in WWII. Park several together real close, make the drone operator think he's
going to get several with one drone, and all he'll get is hot air.

[blue-wave]

4. What a great way for Russia to clean out their

prisons. They are using prisoners because they have no reserves to call upon. See link.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217170587

And I've read somewhere that those Iranian drones have quality issues. That's not to say it won't be difficult for the Ukrainians. But remember the first day of this war? Almost everyone thought it was over for Ukraine. They could never withstand the "mighty" Russian military onslaught. No one predicted the Russians would be pushed back from Kyiv and Kharkiv within 6 months.

[Igel]

5. Ah. Yes. Stance-based reporting.

BAKHMUT, Ukraine — In battlefields in the rolling hills of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, and near the Black Sea in the south, Ukrainian troops have stubbornly tried to inch forward without losing control of territory, facing an opponent whose forces have been bolstered by inmates-turned-fighters and by Iranian drones. [ And by the best forces from the NE, inmates or not. Disinformation = truth + not-truth, not just "not truth". ]

“Perhaps it seems to someone now that after a series of victories we have a certain lull,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said in his nightly address Sunday. “But this is not a lull. This is preparation for the next sequence.” [ You take over territory, you make sure it's okay. Fortified. Mopped up. But former English majors would miss this. ]

Over the weekend, Ukraine’s Army built up the pressure in the country’s south, with forces striking Russian military strongholds and targeting sites used by local officials loyal to the Kremlin. They are also continuing to hit the supply lines for thousands of Russian soldiers on the western bank of the Dnipro River. Ukraine’s strikes in the important Russian-held city of Kherson seemed to rattle security there, with firefights and broad disorder reported.

But farther north and to the east, in the city of Bakhmut in the Donbas region, advancing Russian forces made their presence known as the sound of artillery rang out on Sunday, highlighting an important location where Ukrainian control may become tenuous as Russian forces press from the east and southeast in an attempt to cut off the country’s supplies. [ Cut off the country's supplies. From where? Are we failing at saying "surround"? NYT. Ever beNYTed.

[Grokenstein]

6. Trading in competence* and experience for disposability and brutality.

Not a winning strategy, just desperation.

*remember, all things are relative

[Martin68]

7. Ukraine has always faced drones. And untrained losers who have no dog in the fight.

Why would a released inmate risk his life for Russia?

[Postal Grunt]

10. Here's the deal..

It's not a great deal but look at where these guys are at. If they enlist, they fight until they die or their six month contract is finished at which time they are free from the prison system. If someone had the next ten years or so to look forward to in a Russian prison, fighting in a war might seem like a better choice.

[Martin68]

15. I agree entirely regarding their reasons for enlisting. My point is that faced with the choice to

die or run away, you can bet they will choose the latter. They didn't agree to exchange a prison sentence for a death sentence. I also assume their training is minimal at best. They are thrown into the front lines unprepared and unmotivated. That's a recipe for failure.

[Jarqui]

8. This tweet got to me today

Link to tweet

[Postal Grunt]

11. Ukraine must have some great florists

It seems like all the clips that feature such happy reunions show returning soldiers with great bouquets for the families.

[Grins]

12. Using prisoners! Can't get any more Russian than that!

And who wouldn’t want to fight alongside of a convict, there to just get out of prison and who may kill you?

There’s another story there.

[niyad]

13. Slava Ukraini! Thank you for the update.