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Ukrainian Govt Troops Take Over Much of Luhansk
Associated Press ^ | Aug 20, 2014 | NATALIYA VASILYEVA and PETER LEONARD

Posted on 08/20/2014 2:06:39 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper

After days of street battles and weeks of shelling, Ukrainian troops made a significant push Wednesday into rebel-held territory, claiming control over a large part of the separatist stronghold of Luhansk and nearly encircling Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: ukraine
Just in time to greet the Russian convoy.
1 posted on 08/20/2014 2:06:39 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper

I guess Fräulein von Ribbentrop did not convince the Ukrainians to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.


2 posted on 08/20/2014 2:46:43 PM PDT by Reaganez
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Great news!


3 posted on 08/20/2014 3:22:11 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Somebody is fibbing, there are competing claims...

Rebels claim to have pushed the UK’s out of the northern suburb, past Metalist, and all the way back to Schayste (sp??)
Militia declares that controls the Lugansk

Statements Ukrainian security officials about taking control of one of the districts of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine is not true - as of noon Wednesday, the city controlled by the militia, told RIA Novosti by telephone representative of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Luhansk (LC) .

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fria.ru%2Fworld%2F20140820%2F1020687383.html&edit-text=&act=url


4 posted on 08/20/2014 3:39:57 PM PDT by tcrlaf (Q)
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To: tcrlaf

Is that the same Putin controlled Russian media that says Ukrainian/Neo-Nazi Army is committing genocide against Russian speakers?


5 posted on 08/20/2014 4:25:40 PM PDT by Reaganez
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: tcrlaf
Here is a detailed map showing the situation on the ground; due to it being a large file, I'm linking it only, not embedding:

Aug 10-19 situation

There are no Kiev forces in Lugansk. South of Lugansk, roughly 1500 Ukrainians are surrounded in the airport and slowly being wiped out (this is the blue oval marked as (9)).

North of Lugansk the forces of Novorussia are advancing (marker (7)). Shall they succeed, most of Kiev forces north of Lugansk will be surrounded.

7 posted on 08/20/2014 8:38:09 PM PDT by mvonfr
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To: mvonfr

Today’s map:

https://slavyangrad.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/karta_ahartin_20_aug.jpg

If this is true, the Lugansk Front is collapsing, and Southeast of Donetsk is in danger of it. It would explain the reports of fortifications going up near both Mauriopal and Slavyansk.


8 posted on 08/21/2014 11:58:28 AM PDT by tcrlaf (Q)
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To: tcrlaf
Nice you found a non-cyrillic map, I did not know they are made. The source of both maps is the same and they are essentially accurate... I've been following them for a while and some errors were observed but minor.

So yes, essentially true.

Neither front is actually collapsing just yet, the Junta has 2nd line troops in both directions....whether they can fight at all is uncertain. And the Novorussians still have to deal with all the pockets. What is more important is that the Junta seems to be nearly out of regular armed forces, no more than five brigades retain some fighting capabilities. If you look at the recent reports, mostly it is the NG "battalions" that are mentioned and not the army units. The much promoted attack on Lugansk in particular was done by 250 men (200 TB "Aidar", 50 marines).. enough to take a police building in a suburb as they did, not enough to do anything to a city that used to have 400k population and likely defended by a few thousand Novorussians.

As for Slavyansk/Mariupol... if it gets there, I fail to understand why Novorussians need to take or even seige either place...they are much better in dynamic warfare.

9 posted on 08/21/2014 8:06:42 PM PDT by mvonfr
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To: tcrlaf

Thanks for the http://slavyangrad.org/ link :D


10 posted on 08/21/2014 8:08:47 PM PDT by mvonfr
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To: mvonfr; All

When Kiev puts together a large mechanized thrust, the rebels can’t seem to stop them. But armor is lousy in the towns and cities.

They get bogged down there, then blasted by GRAD’s, which breaks up the formations, as the rebels cut off the supply, and cut them up piecemeal.

You would think someone in Kiev would have figured this out by now, but they replaced the generals with a clue, with Polticals, because the Generals were telling them things they didn’t want to hear.


11 posted on 08/22/2014 1:44:09 AM PDT by tcrlaf (Q)
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To: tcrlaf
Here is the latest map, not yet translated,

Aug 10-22

Notice new blue oval west of Lugansk -- it appears that Kiev succeeded in getting more of their troops surrounded?

As for what Kiev is doing -- the Politicals explanation does not quite work for me, totally unprofessional military leaders would once in a while do something right... this looks like Kiev actually wants their army destroyed. Perhaps the idea is that with the army gone they can get more Western aid, to be channeled into private accounts?

12 posted on 08/22/2014 5:44:47 AM PDT by mvonfr
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To: tcrlaf
When Kiev puts together a large mechanized thrust, the rebels can’t seem to stop them. But armor is lousy in the towns and cities.

Yes, something like this, but the Novorussians do not seem to be even trying to stop them. They allow the armor to break through, then deal with pockets, this allows to inflict much higher losses and reuse Kiev's armor.

It would be really funny if one day we learn that some people in Kiev are paid for supplying Novorussia with tanks and Grads.

13 posted on 08/22/2014 5:52:21 AM PDT by mvonfr
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