Comments by "Richard Marsden" (@richardmarsden1897) on "The Telegraph"
channel.
-
47
-
24
-
21
-
Military Situation On Ukrainian Frontlines On August 19, 2024 (Map Update)
Russian strikes destroyed targets in Pokrovsk in the Dnipropetrovsk region;
Russian strikes are pounding the AFU in the Sumy region;
Russian strikes destroyed Ukrainian positions in the Kherson region;
Russian strikes destroyed target in Kyiv;
Russian strikes were reported in the Odessa region;
Russian strikes were reported in the Vinnytsia region;
Ukrainian drones attacked an oil depot in the Rostov region;
According to the Russian MoD, Russian forces destroyed at least 7 Ukrainian UAVs in border regions;
Two civilians were killed and two others were wounded as a result of Ukrainian attacks in the DPR on August 18;
The Russian MoD confirmed control of Vyemka in the Seversk direction;
The Russian MoD confirmed control of Artyomovo (Zalizne) in the area of Toretsk;
Clashes continue in the Kursk region;
Clashes continued in Volchansk;
Clashes continued in Sinkovka;
Russian forces advanced near Peschanoye;
Russian forces advanced near Kleshcheyevka;
Russian forces reportedly captured New York;
Russian forces advanced near Yasnobrodovka;
Russian forces eliminated 170 servicemen, one tank, two infantry vehicles, two armoured vehicles, two motor vehicles, one D-20, one Gvozdika system, two D-30 in the Kharkiv area;
Russian forces eliminated 535 servicemen, two tanks, three infantry vehicles, seven Kazak armoured vehicles, five pickups, one M198 in the Stelmakhovka area;
Russian forces eliminated 570 servicemen, six motor vehicles, one Krab system, M777 and M198 howitzers in the Chasov Yar area;
Russian forces eliminated 495 servicemen, two tanks, one Kazak armoured vehicle, four motor vehicles, one Akatsiya, one Msta-B in the Donetsk region;
Russian forces eliminated 90 servicemen, three motor vehicles, one Bogdana system, one D-30 howitzer, in the Southern Donetsk area;
Russian forces eliminated 75 servicemen, eight motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 howitzer, and one D-30 howitzer in Kherson region;
Russian air defense forces intercepted 49 Ukrainian drones over the past day;
Russian air defense forces shot down one Hammer guided aerial bomb, 26 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles over the past day.
Russian forces took control of New York (Novgorodskoe) and entered Nepilivka;
Russian forces captured electrical substation near Zalizne (Artyomovo);
The Russian MoD confirmed control of Zalizne (Artyomovo);
Russian forces advanced north of Zalizne (Artyomovo);
Clashes continued on the eastern outskirts of Toretsk;
Clashes continued in Druzhba;
The Russian MoD confirmed control of Vyemka;
Russian forces advanced on the southern outskirts of Pereezdnoye;
Clashes continue on the western outskirts of Bilogorivka;
Russian forces advanced north of Mykhailovka and reached Marynivka;
Russian forces secured their positions west of Yasnobrodivka;
Russian forces took control of Krutoy Yar;
Clashes continued in Gordovka;
Clashes continued near Vozdvyzhenka;
Russian forces secured the northern shore of the Karlovsky water reservoir;
Fighting is ongoing in Karlovka.
21
-
15
-
Ukraine would be wise to accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's peace proposal, otherwise Russian troops will press on and make life even more difficult for Kiev, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.
"Frankly speaking, I think that the president has said everything, I mean that the next peace proposal Russia makes will be worse for the Ukrainian authorities, no matter how we treat them. Now they have the opportunity to consider Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin's peace proposal and at least try to make peace and end this part of the conflict," he told reporters.
Otherwise, according to Medvedev, the Russian offensive will continue. "And it will be difficult to say where the lines of the buffer zone that Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned will be. It's very likely that all this will not work to the benefit of the current Ukrainian authorities. So they have to hurry while they still can," he added.
However, according to the official, Kiev has already responded with a refusal at the conference in Switzerland, "rejecting any proposals from the outset, taking the discussion back to the very beginning." "In vain. So it will be worse from now on," he concluded.
On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin made new peace proposals for resolving the conflict in Ukraine at a meeting with Russian diplomats. These include the recognition of the status of Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as part of Russia, the consolidation of Ukraine's non-aligned and nuclear-free status, its demilitarization and denazification, and the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions. The Ukrainian side rejected the initiative. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky called Moscow's proposal an ultimatum, while his adviser Mikhail Podolyak said that the new Russian initiative allegedly does not contain a "real peace proposal."
14
-
12
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
On the night of August 20, Russian forces launched new wave of strikes in Ukrainian rear regions. The targets included fuel depots, military airfields, logistics hubs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine throughout the country.
The Air Force of Ukraine traditionally declared another fake victory against Russian drones and missiles. The air defense force of Ukraine allegedly destroyed 25 out of 26 Russian UAVs, as well as one out of three Iskander-M missiles, two Kh-59 missiles. However, footage of destruction and even official claims by local Ukrainian authorities revealed lies of the Ukrainian military, as always.
At night, a combined Russian attack resulted in large explosions in the Kyiv, Sumy, Ternopil. Dnepropetrovsk, Vinnytsya and Khmelnitsky regions.
A large fuel depot came under Russian attack in the city of Ternopil. The footage shared by Ukrainian sources confirmed large fire at the facility. The concentration of harmful substances in the air in Ternopil is growing. The local authorities asked residents of the city to close the windows.
Russian precision strikes were confirmed in the village of Kotelva in the Poltava region. The footage showed fire at the settlement which was turned into a logistics hub of the Ukrainian military. A series of explosions also thundered in the city of Pokrovsk in the Dnepropetrovsk region. The city is coming under Russian attacks on a regular basis because it is another logistics hub used for military supplies to the Ukrainian grouping operating on the Donbass frontlines.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed that at least two Russian drones struck targets in the Vinnytsia region. That is two times more than the number declared by the Ukrainian military. At night explosions were reported in the city of Vinnytsia and in the town of Tulchin.
Russian drones reportedly targeted the military airfield in the Khmelnitsky region. More strikes were reported in the capital Kyiv, where explosions are reported for the third night in a row.
Russian strikes continue destroying the Armed Forces of Ukraine deployed near the frontlines. Last night, Russian strikes were reported in the city of Kremenchug and throughout the Sumy region, where the Ukrainian military accumulated large forces for attacks on the Russian territory.
9
-
9
-
The Kiev regime and the West have failed to deal a defeat on Russia, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzy said.
"Since the very first days, Russia has been proposing options for settling the crisis diplomatically. These proposals were not about freezing the conflict but about its actual settlement. But after all our initiatives were turned down: the West and Kiev opted to try to deal a defeat on Russia. These attempts have failed," he said.
"Failing on the battlefield, Ukrainian troop are cowardly hunting civilians, ruining residential houses, kindergartens, schools and hospitals," he said. "While Western countries are conniving, ignoring international humanitarian law.".
Nebenzya also said Western countries and the Kiev government will bear the political and moral responsibility for the continued bloodshed if they reject Russiaâs peace initiative.
"If the West and Kiev reject this peace proposal, they will be the ones to bear the political and moral responsibility for the continued bloodshed," he noted.
9
-
8
-
8
-
8
-
8
-
8
-
7
-
7
-
Captured mercenaries of the Georgian National Legion in Ukraine, recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia, have said that they were trained by NATO instructors, including those from Sweden and New Zealand, with the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry acting as the organizer. A video of their testimony has been released by the Federal Security Service (FSB).
One of the POWs said that he had been trained at a base of Azov, a terrorist group recognized as terrorist in Russia. Since 2023 he has been "trained by NATO instructors".
Another prisoner stated that after signing a contract they "went to Liman (in the Nikolaev Region) and a couple of days later they moved to training grounds."
"There were instructors from Europe, NATO instructors - Swedes and New Zealanders - who instructed the trainees in tactics, the operation of drones, how to move about in pairs and groups of three, and assault technique." A female instructor who introduced herself as Shannon, from New Zealand, taught medical skills.
"The training took place in Kiev, a former tractor factory, the ATEF," another POW said. "During the training, supervisors from the Main Intelligence Directorate [of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry] came there periodically. Foreign instructors also came to observed the training process. "I know that I am a Georgian citizen, I am a mercenary, yes, I fought for money," he confessed.
A fourth prisoner said that on Polish territory he failed to join the "international legion" and had to join the Georgian one. The ideology of the Georgian Legion, he said, was Russophobia: "kill Russians and do not to take prisoners."
"They indulged in looting rather than defended positions," he stated. "They gave incomprehensible orders to shoot civilians under the pretext that they were saboteurs, throwing grenades at Azov personnel." According to the POW, when he saw once an Azov officer shoot a civilian, he approached him, but did not see any grenades or weapons on the killed man. He also testified that the chiefs of the Georgian Legion trained their subordinates in reconnaissance and sabotage and promised a cash reward.
7
-
7
-
7
-
7
-
7
-
The highlight of the past 24 hours was the launch by the Russian Armed Forces of the medium-range ballistic missile âOreshnikâ (speed â 10 Mach or about 3 kilometers per second) and the ultimatum addressed by the Russian President Vladimir Putin not only to Ukraine, but also to its Western bosses, who officially authorized the use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory. The Yuzhmash missile factory in Dnepr (Dnepropetrovsk), which has been producing missile equipment since the Soviet era, was hit. Shortly before the strike, Moscow warned Washington about the launch to avoid accidentally starting a nuclear war. From the media perspective, this case was out of the ordinary, and Western politicians, as well as the public, reacted violently to it.
The head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, said a short time later that the strike with the Oreshnik missile was not provoked by any reason and that the Ukrainian armed forces have been using long-range weapons to strike Russia for a long time.
âThis ballistic missile strike against Ukraine today is further proof that Russia definitely doesnât want peace. Putin is lying when he says that Ukraineâs alleged use of long-range weapons was some sort of new thing weâre doing. This is not the first time we have applied those arms. And we have every right to do so with respect to the norms of international law.â â Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian politician.
To be more specific, the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile is aimed at delivering nuclear strikes but in yesterdayâs attack the multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles were equipped with hard steel plugs. The published footage from Dnipro (Dnepropetrovsk) shows the kinetic effect of using such ammunition. It is possible that the missile was fitted with an Avangard-R hypersonic glider.
7
-
6
-
The Russian Armed Forces have continued to single out Western personnel in the Ukrainian theatre in multiple strikes as part of their ongoing war effort, with this recently confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Speaking to local media, Peskov stated regarding Western personnel both providing training and directly taking part in combat operations: "Our military is increasingly effectively carrying out strikes against such targets. This is very good from the point of view the special military operation and achieving the goals that have been set.â One of the most recent strikes launched targeted Western contractors near the settlement of Stetskovka, located north of the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry stated regarding the strike: "Strike on mercenaries ... Stetskovka area (north of Sumy) ... As a result, the missile strike eliminated up to 30 foreign mercenaries and 6 units of hardware in a temporary deployment point.â Drone footage released showed the strike being carried out. Russian state sources have consistently referred to foreign combatants in the theatre as âforeign mercenaries,â although many have been volunteer fighters. The less pejorative term âcontractorsâ is used to refer to equivalent Russian contract personnel such as those from the Wagner Group.
The Ukrainian-led assault on the Russian Kursk region launched on August 6 has notably seen foreign personnel play a significant role, with American Forward Observations Group forces having been pictured operating in the region. Ukrainian personnel involved in the Kursk operation have themselves attested to the presence of Western personnel, with a notable example being the following statement from 80th Airborne Assault Brigade serviceman Ruslan Poltoratsky: "When we crossed the border with Russia, at first I thought there was some line noise. But then I distinguished what they were saying - they were speaking English, Polish, maybe even French. I did not understand anything, I said into the walkie-talkie - 'repeat, repeat,' hearing some gibberish.â "When they had already taken positions [in the Kursk Region], they also went on the air with their superiors, with ours as well, and I also heard them saying something in English and in some other language. Something about houses, chaos," he added. Russian military sources, and civilians in areas held by Ukrainian and allied forces have made a number of separate reports on the operations of Western personnel in Kursk. Major General Apty Alaudinov, deputy chief of the Russian Armed Forcesâ Main Military-Political Department and commander of the Akhmat Special Forces commando unit, stated in mid-August that a large number of French and Polish military contractors were encountered during operations.
Western advisors, logisticians, combatants, and other personnel operating newly delivered NATO-standard hardware have played a central and growing role in the war effort since early 2022, ranging from British Royal Marines deployed for frontline combat operations from April that year at the latest, to SAS advisors who have reportedly provided significant support armoured offensives against Russian positions. Strikes on the positions of Western personnel in Ukraine have been common since the outbreak of hostilities in early 2022, with an early example being the targeting on March 13, 2022 of a military training base in Yavoriv less than 15 kilometres from the Polish border where close to 1000 foreign fighters were based, killing an estimated 180 personnel.
A notable example from early 2024 was a strike on the headquarters of European contractors, predominantly of French origin, on January 16, which caused at least 80 casualties 60 or more of which were killed. Russian state media reported that these personnel were âhighly trained specialists who work on specific weapons systems too complex for the average Ukrainian conscripts,â which âput some of the most lethal and long-range weapons in the Ukrainian arsenal out of service until more specialists are foundâ to replace them. Western personnel have also been singled out for targeting far from their bases, with a notable example being an Iskander-M missile strike against Georgian Legion foreign fighters near the frontlines in late April 2023, destroying 15 vehicles, killing up to 60 personnel and seriously wounding more than 20 more.
Military Watch Magazine
6
-
6
-
6
-
According to the latest update by the Russian Ministry of Defenses, Ukrainian losses in Kursk have so far amounted to over 10,100 troops, 81 tanks, 41 infantry fighting vehicles, 72 APCs, 589 armored fighting vehicles, 325 motor vehicles, 74 artillery guns, 24 MLRS, including seven U.S.-made M142 and five M270, eight air defense systems, two transport-loading vehicles, 17 electronic warfare stations, seven counter-battery radars, two air defense radars, eight engineering vehicles as well as two counter-obstacle vehicles and one UR-77 mine-clearing vehicle.
Kiev forces launched their surprise attack in Kursk on August 6, relying mainly on Western-made weapons and foreign mercenaries. The Russian military halted the attack within a few days. Nevertheless, a counter-attack is yet to be launched.
5
-
5
-
5
-
5
-
The war in Ukraine involves multiple actors, who are fighting not only diplomatically. Together with foreign weapons, dozens of countries are represented by their citizens fighting on the Ukrainian frontlines. The ongoing political developments are of great influence on their number and structure.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that foreign mercenaries from at least 70 countries are fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian army. In total, there are about 3,300 mercenaries. According to the available data, Canadian citizens have the largest representation in the Ukrainian ranks with 719 fighters. Other leaders include 712 mercenaries from Georgia and 694 from Great Britain.
The largest influx of foreign mercenaries into the Armed Forces of Ukraine was recorded at the very beginning of the Russian Special Military Operation. Inspired by Western propaganda, they were looking for cherry pie, but fighting against Russians turned out to be much more difficult than hunting for terrorists on pickups in the deserts. Since then, the number of foreign fighters in Ukraine has significantly decreased.
Starting from summer 2022, the total number of mercenaries is about 3,000 people. First, Polish citizens formed the basis of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion. Very soon, several thousand Polish mercenaries were destroyed in Ukraine and most of them fled back home.
In general, the number of European citizens, who want to fight for the ideals of the Kiev regime, has decreased significantly. This is due to the pure organization of the Ukrainian military and precision strikes of Russian missiles on their hideouts across the country.
According to preliminary reports from the frontlines, Washington began the gradual return of American citizens from Ukrainian units after the launch of negotiations with Russia. This process includes the return of the bodies of dead U.S. citizens and wounded soldiers being treated in Ukrainian medical institutions.
Especially after USAID was closed, some military recruitment centers were left without funds and stopped recruiting US citizens.
US mercenaries were reportedly informed about the need to leave the combat zone. They are recommended to go to the Ukrainian rear areas or even to surrender to Russian forces on the frontlines, where they are reportedly guaranteed safety. Cases of US mercenaries surrendering to Russian forces were already recorded on the battlefields.
The Ukrainian army is suffering heavy losses, which have been exceeding its mobilization for months. The Kiev regime is looking for fresh cannon fodder both in Ukraine and abroad. In February, Ukrainian youth were allowed to join the army. Kiev is also trying to replace American and European mercenaries with fighters from Latin America, in particular from Colombia. Judging by the confirmed reports about their deaths, Colombian fighters are suffering much heavier losses than their European colleagues, because the Ukrainian command is throwing them into the grinder.
5
-
5
-
5
-
5
-
5
-
5
-
5
-
5
-
Russia is open for negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict settlement, but they can be initiated only after the present-day territorial realities are recognized, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told TASS on Wednesday.
âRussia is open to holding a dialogue on Ukraine based on the consideration of our interests,â he said in an interview with TASS. âOur position regarding a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of the crisis remains unaltered.â
âIn order for this to happen, first of all, its original causes must be addressed and modern geopolitical and territorial realities must be recognized,â he continued. âThe West must stop pumping up the Ukrainian military with weapons and the Kiev regime must put an end to its military activities.â
The diplomat added that endless supplies of Western weapons to Ukraine âonly drag out the conflict and lead to an increase in civilian casualties.â
According to him, Moscow is taking a notice of the growing risks of âweapons spreading around the world and ending up at the hands of terrorists and criminal groups.â
âUnfortunately, there is still a bunch of people in Europe and the United States, who pursue the goal of inflicting a âstrategic defeatâ on Russia and are ready to blindly sacrifice the interests of their countries and peoples, pushing them to the edge of the abyss,â Galuzin added.
5
-
5
-
5
-
4
-
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his recent decree to increase the size of the armed forces was driven by the need to staff units in the new military districts.
"Regional and federal authorities need to engage in close cooperation to solve a key task: to ensure that the armed forces are manned with skilled and trained people, skilled and trained personnel, including units and formations of permanent combat readiness in the new military districts," he said at a meeting on the development of the armed forces in the conditions of the special military operation.
"The recently published decree on setting the authorized strength of the armed forces was aimed to address this very goal," Putin said.
The decree will come into force on December 1, he said.
On Monday, the president signed a decree increasing the number of servicemen in the Russian Armed Forces by 180,000 servicemen to 1.5 million. According to the decree, the total authorized strength of the armed forces is set at 2,389,130 people. The previous decree, which has been in effect since December 1, 2023, set the total number at 2,209,130 people, including 1,320,000 servicemen.
In February, the president signed a decree changing the administrative setup of the Russian armed forces by reinstituting the Moscow and Leningrad military districts. On March 1, the Western Military District will be abolished, and the Northern Fleet will lose the status that effectively equated it with a military district. The DPR and LPR, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will became part of the Southern Military District.
4
-
4
-
4
-
4