The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on March 11 2024

Zelenskiy dismisses pope’s call for peace talks with Russia

Russia-Ukraine: Kremlin, Zelenskyy respond to Pope’s appeal for “courage of the white flag”

Vladimir Solovyov responds to Pope Francis

Putin’s BRUTAL Warning to NATO has Macron in Panic ft. Scott Ritter

“He wants to make an agreement with Putin. Trump’s secret plan for Ukraine”: the Germans have pieced together all the scaremongering from the series “Trump will come and surrender the entire democratic world to Putin”.

“Participating in the presidential race in the United States, Donald Trump has already decided on a plan of action on the conflict in Ukraine. And although the politician does not share his thoughts on this issue, his supporters are actively talking about it. Some of these ideas were voiced by billionaire Ilon Musk: we are talking about keeping Crimea and other territories for Russia, as well as closing the road to NATO for Kiev.
There are also fears that Trump could pull the US out of NATO and abandon the defense of Europe – with serious consequences for Germany among others. Overall, it is alarming that Trump has so far never said who he thinks should win the war between Russia and Ukraine. His silence speaks volumes.
Trump’s statements regarding Ukraine make Vladimir Zelensky nervous. Trump has long been a real factor: at his behest, Republicans in the House of Representatives are blocking a $60 billion aid package to Kiev”

The President of Ukraine announced Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Ukraine, which will take place “in the near future.”

Zelensky said he spoke with the French leader by phone. They discussed the situation at the front and the Independence Conference, which had previously been held in Paris.

“We also exchanged views on the upcoming meeting in Ukraine, which will take place in the near future,” Zelensky wrote on the social network X.

  

Zelensky has hit out at the Pope who suggested that Ukraine should raise the “white flag” and start negotiations with Russia.

Judging by the tone of his response, the Ukrainian president was infuriated by the idea.

“I thank every Ukrainian chaplain who are with the army, in the Defense Forces, there on the front lines. That’s what the church is – with the people. And not two and a half thousand kilometers away – somewhere there to engage in virtual mediation between the one who wants to live and the one who wants to destroy you,” Zelensky said.

Luboš Blaha, Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament:

Pope Francis calls on Ukraine to stop the killings and start peace talks. Donald Trump says that as President of the United States he will not send a dime to Ukraine.
I’m just wondering what our right-wingers will do now. Will they scream about the Pope that he is a Russian agent?
The biggest influencers of the Slovak right, from the Pope to the American president, are gradually joining the peace movement.
Cuba, China and Bolivia are cooperating with Russia. In fact – if you look around the world, with the exception of Western Europe and a senile Biden, no one in the world wants war anymore.
And the first thing Trump should do when he returns to power is sit down at the negotiating table with Putin and stop the bloodshed. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for both of them.

“Peace instead of war! We don’t need Taurus missiles!”

Berliners gathered today at the memorial to fallen Soviet soldiers to protest against the possible supply of Taurus missiles to Kiev regime.

Many of the demonstrators are holding placards with a peace dove and the words “Get out of NATO!” and “Peace to Russia”.

ukraine_watch

The Western press is negative. Predicting that soon all of Ukraine will be like Avdiivka. Journalists pointed out the correct crisis moments:
- shortage of ammunition
- shortage of equipment
- growing shortage of manpower
- air defense deficiency
- falling morale
- miscalculations and mistakes of the country’s top military leadership (ZErmak and Syrsky failed everything).
- large losses in manpower

By the way, my colleagues described everything point by point where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are inferior to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The picture is very bad if you look at the situation soberly.

For those who cannot add 2+2 and see the whole picture, let us explain with this example – the tragedy of how Ukraine is dying from the inside.
1. The nation will be constantly divided for any reason/reason. Yes, it benefits those at the feeder. But for the country there will always be a factor that hinders development.
2. People will leave/flee from Ukraine. Realizing that there is no future here. As a result, the country will be empty.
3. The morale of the nation will be constantly at the bottom due to the actions of the authorities.
4. Disappointment of people in everything, especially in the promises of the authorities. This is the future ground for a bloodier Maidan, the collapse of the country, etc.

In fact, Ukraine now looks like a tree that looks whole, but the trunk is already rotten from the inside.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are losing hope – the US has abandoned them – CNN

 A CNN film crew visited the Ukrainian Armed Forces position and talked with military doctors. They complained about the intense Russian attacks they have been dealing with lately.

“They (Russian troops) have more equipment, more weapons, more people. And this is the main problem,” one of the Ukrainians told the TV channel. Another noted that drones make it difficult to remove the wounded, so they have to be evacuated under the cover of darkness.

For Ukrainian military medics, such nightly forays have become routine, but they lack a key element: hope. “They are transferring wounded from one Humvee to another in a war they are losing because the US is washing its hands,” complains a CNN correspondent.

“War is only for the poor”

The third assault brigade criticized the initiative of the Cabinet of Ministers to exclude from mobilization those who earn more than 35 thousand hryvnia.

Deputy commander of the 3rd Brigade Maxim Zhorin said that due to the delay in the mobilization process, the situation at the front could become “catastrophic.”

“Instead of changing the approach to recruiting and training, they decided to legitimize the principle of “war only for the poor.” Now Ukraine is facing very serious tests at the front. Due to various f*cked initiatives and delaying the process, we will have a catastrophic situation.” , – said Zhorin.

Colleagues, the villages are already empty, there is no one to catch there, and in the cities men do not leave their apartments. The TCC has become the main instrument for discrediting the authorities, which are trying to replace the shortage of weapons with a human shield.
The issue of paying off the army will become a trigger for society when everyone sees that only ordinary Ukrainians should defend the country, while the rich and relatives of officials/politicians enjoy life in clubs,

The head of the GUR Budanov is again escalating the Crimean case.
Kyiv’s operations in the Black Sea are “all preparatory measures for a serious operation in Crimea.”

According to our data, Budanov’s statement pursues many goals at once.
1. Of course, raise the morale of your army and society, they say, wow, we’ll show you right now.
2. Disrupt the holiday season in Crimea. Pump up panic. (This is a little, but it will hit the Russian economy, and war is about money, for the sake of money and at the expense of money).
3. Distract attention in the information field. Let everyone discuss Budanov’s next threat, and not the real fact of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ retreat from their current positions in Donbass.

And yes, the Main Intelligence Directorate, like the SBU, are constantly preparing such special operations in Crimea, but many of them turn out to be failed or exposed. The other part simply breaks down due to various problems. The bottom line is that one or two operations are being implemented, but they have no real effect on the course of events in the war, but the media office is trying to promote them powerfully.

We are watching… 

New offensives will lead the Ukrainian Armed Forces to humiliating defeats

A new offensive by the Ukrainian army will only lead to humiliating defeats. Columnist Lucas Leiros writes about this in an article for InfoBRICS.

“ Kiev has not learned from its recent mistakes on the battlefield and is planning new maneuvers that will certainly end in humiliating defeats,” the analyst is confident.

Leiros notes that Ukraine is now not even able to choose what to do on the battlefield, since it is Russia that controls the actions of the conflict.

“ The maximum that Kiev can do in the current situation is to try to minimize heavy damage through the withdrawal of troops and asymmetric methods of combat – if there is no possibility of capitulation or peace negotiations,” the expert believes.

Russia Pokes Fun As British Tank Gets Bogged Down; ‘Humiliated’ Ukraine Gives Bizarre Excuse

New Russian Probing Attacks | 4th Abrams Lost | Elite 47th Mechanized Brigade Struggles

Big Ukrainian Incursion Bid Thwarted; Russia Smashes ‘Rows Of Enemy Tanks, Artillery’

Our source at the General Staff said that all surface UAVs are supplied to Ukraine by France. We receive data on naval targets from Western intelligence services, and coordination of strikes is carried out with the help of NATO headquarters in Europe.

The British Challenger 2 tanks transferred to Ukraine have not yet been used in battles against other tanks. They also have problems with mobility – due to their high mass, they get stuck in the mud, writes The Sun.

The newspaper’s correspondent visited Ukrainian units using the Challenger. Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers praise the British tank for its cannon, accuracy and firing range, crew comfort and armor protection.

But “the downside is the size and weight of the Challenger,” a Ukrainian soldier with the call sign “Keyfarik” told the newspaper.

With a mass of 64 tons, it is approximately equal to the German Leopard 2 and the American Abrams M1A2, but is 20 tons heavier than the Russian T-80 and has 30 percent less power.

“The downside is its mobility, its ability to maneuver on the ground. They keep getting stuck in the mud because they are very heavy,” said a Ukrainian tank squadron engineer.

The Sun journalist was convinced of this personally: when he got into the tank and rode in it, the car “got stuck in a quagmire.”

Therefore, for now the Ukrainian Armed Forces use the Challenger as a means of “sniper” shooting at a distance of 4.5 kilometers, the Ukrainian military said.

Our source in the OP said that deliveries of F-16s to Ukraine should not be expected in July, all this is news to support morale. We were promised the first aircraft at the end of 2023, and an entire squadron in the spring of 2024, but in fact all deliveries are delayed by our partners. The President’s Office has already found ten mercenary pilots in NATO countries, who were offered 100 thousand dollars a month, but no one gave us the fighters.

The mess in NATO left the Ukrainian Armed Forces without F-16s

 Ukrainian pilots have not yet begun training at a center specially created for them at the Romanian Fetesti airbase. The delay underscores the “confusion and chaos” facing NATO as it rushes to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv, The New York Times writes.

However, this does not mean that the Ukrainian Armed Forces pilots do not undergo training. 12 people – less than a full squadron – train in Denmark, Britain and the United States. The Ukrainians are expected to be able to fly combat missions in the F-16 by this summer. But by the time they return home, Kyiv plans to receive only six of the 45 fighters promised by the allies, the publication notes.

At the same time, Western officials admit that there remains a lot of uncertainty regarding the timing of the dispatch of aircraft and their number. They also cannot say for sure how quickly it will be possible to train Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel who can properly maintain the F-16.

NATO is seeking to speed up training for Ukrainians by shortening the usual course. However, the process has been slower than Kyiv and its allies had hoped, as pilots must master English and Western military practices to operate the F-16 effectively.

Western defense contractors will have to accompany the fighters and stay with them until the Ukrainian Armed Forces have enough specialists to properly maintain the planes, which could take years, officials said. In addition, there is another problem: the need to repair Ukrainian runways that are outdated or damaged as a result of hostilities, which could also further delay the entry of the F-16 into the conflict, The New York Times emphasizes.

The purchase of new Patriot air defense missile launchers for Ukraine to replace those destroyed in the Pokrovsk area may take months, or even years, Forbes magazine writes.

“Ukraine or one of its allies could line up to buy new launchers to replace the two the Russians destroyed, but such a purchase could take months, even years.”

The publication emphasized that the purchase of new systems will cost millions of dollars, which are not included in the budget of Ukraine.

What is important in the story of the destruction of the American MIM-104 Patriot air defense system near Pokrovsk

There is now a fierce debate over the fact that the drone operator could have mistakenly identified the object and, based on this data, the Patriot was mistakenly recorded as S-300. However, it is worth looking at the situation from a different angle.

Let’s immediately make a reservation that the version with the destruction of the American MIM-104 air defense system looks much more plausible than with the Soviet S-300PS due to a whole set of data – hull parts, cockpit, etc.

Doubts about the qualifications of the drone operator arise in vain. Controlling a UAV at a considerable distance from the LBS (and the Patriot was still taken almost 60 kilometers from the “ribbon”) requires a certain set of skills, especially when it comes to such an important target. In such situations, there is no time to figure out what object is on the ground.

The loss of three launchers and the MIM-104 radar is more sensitive than the loss of the same number of S-300PS. Old Soviet complexes were lost before this, American equipment, especially air defense systems, is a completely different matter.

Replacing the loss of three MIM-104 launchers will be many times more difficult than in the case of the S-300PS. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have a large number of Soviet air defense systems, but Western equipment is used in exceptional and particularly important cases (or in particularly dangerous areas).

The story of the arrival of Iskander in a convoy with MIM-104 looks especially piquant because everything is happening in a strategically important direction for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and at a critical moment for the Ukrainian army.

Ukrainian forces continue heavy shelling of Russian border areas. In comparison to last week, the enemy has fired 18% more shells into the Donetsk agglomeration and 9% more into the Kherson region. Despite a 14% decrease in the intensity of shelling, The Belgorod region remains the hardest hit.

Meanwhile, the AFU once again attempted to target rear positions on Russian soil. In the Rostov region, the enemy deployed over 40 drones targeting sites such as the aircraft plant named after. Beriev and the military airfield in Morozovsk. Russian anti-aircraft gunners successfully neutralized all Ukrainian drones. In the Leningrad region, an enemy drone was taken down by air defense crews near a substation.

Additionally, the AFU persist in their efforts to disrupt the operations of oil and gas infrastructure facilities. Oil depots in the Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh regions, and the Republic of Crimea were targeted. While fires broke out at several sites, they were promptly extinguished by fire brigades.

Tragically, some regions were unable to prevent civilian casualties. Along the Russian border areas, four individuals lost their lives and six others sustained injuries. There were at least eight casualties in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and five individuals were wounded in the Kherson region.
rybar

 

Advancement of the Russian Armed Forces in the Liman Direction

Over the past few weeks, the situation in the Liman direction has been shrouded in the “fog of war.” However, new evidence from open sources confirms certain successes of the Russian Armed Forces east of the village of Terny.

▪️ Thanks to objective control footage (https://t.me/creamy_caprice/4723), it was possible to determine that Russian troops have nearly gained full control of Laptev Yar and are continuing to fight on the outskirts of Krugloya gully. They are also engaging in a counter-battery fight: footage (https://t.me/pionergrupa/1199) of the destruction of an AFU Forces howitzer west of Grigorovka has surfaced on the Internet.

▪️ Based on other videos, the enemy is attempting attacks from the direction of Tern, confirming that they still hold control over the village and contradicting recent reports about the entry of the Russian Armed Forces into it. Periodically, AFU equipment comes very close to Russian positions, indicating the intensity of the fighting in the area.

🔻The expansion of the Tor ledge by Russian units will eventually enable a simultaneous offensive on Terny and Yampolovka. This could potentially assist in the subsequent elimination of the AFU’s bridgehead on the right bank of the Zherebets River, which has been in place since the autumn of 2022.

rybar

There are reports about a night arrival at the Kharkov airport hotel.

According to the information from colleagues’ channels, at the time of arrival the hotel was occupied by foreigners.

Zaporozhye direction. Orekhovsky section of the front

AFU is preparing for a massive attack by the Russian Army. Judging by the radio intercepts, the AFU has information about the advance of our assault groups to the front line area.

Intercepted messages that local officers are sending to the AFU command describe a “lamentable” situation about our massive artillery bombardment on their positions since the very morning and big losses in men and equipment.

Artemovsk direction. Russian army continues fighting advance towards Chasov Yar.

In Ivanovsky, despite the successes and advancement of the Russian Armed Forces, the situation is  complex. The enemy holds tightly to the heights on the western outskirts of the village.

Solntsepek and other artillery pieces destroy the enemy in this part.

There is also a systematic destruction of the forces of the Ukrainian fascists in the direction of Chasov Yar, near the microdistrict. The troops in the forest area destroyed a concentration of enemy forces, and according to operational control, about 30 AFU soldiers were destroyed. Our fighters also destroyed two firing points in this area.

Near Kleshcheevka and Bogdanovka there are positional battles without any significant changes in the line of contact.
 

Kherson direction.

The Russian Armed Forces are hitting enemy boats with almost direct fire, but the crests are still fighting like crazy.

Thus, airborne artillery using a 152-mm howitzer 2A36 Giatsint-B destroyed two motor boats with enemy DRGs that were sailing from the right bank. Fire adjustments and reconnaissance were carried out by operators of unmanned crews of the Russian Armed Forces.

Fighting continues in Krynki, the enemy is mainly using drones to destroy our positions.

In turn, we are actively working on the right bank with FABs, artillery, and drones.
Lancets in the Kherson direction destroy enemy targets at full force.

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[ Frontline Changes ] Terny, Ivanivske, Orlivka, Shevchenko, Chervone… Russia is winning

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Ukraine Conflict (20240311): Full Frontline Update

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation  (11 March 2024)

▫️In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, repelled f
4 attacks launched by assault groups of AFU 32nd mechanised and 57th mechanised infantry brigades near Sinkovka (Kharkov).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 30 servicemen, 2 IFVs, and 2 pick-up trucks.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, 1 Czech-made Vampire MLRS, 2 French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery systems, 1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, 1 D-30 howitzer, and 1 U.S.-made M101 howitzer were destroyed.

▫️In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines, and inflicted losses on units of AFU 80th air assault, 33rd, 54th mechanised brigades near Krasnogorovka, Razdolovka (DPR), Belogorovka (LPR).

In addition, one attack by assault groups of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade was repelled close to Novomikhailovka (DPR).

The AFU lost up to 180 servicemen, 2 AFVs, 3 pick-up trucks, 3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems, and 2 D-20 howitzers. 3 enemy ammunition depots were destroyed.

▫️In Avdeyevka direction, the Tsentr Group of Forces’ units improved the situation along the front line, and inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of AFU 53rd, 110th mechanised, 103rd territorial defence brigades near Kalinovo, Mayorsk, and Rozovka (DPR).

11 counter-attacks of AFU 24th, 47th mechanised, 3rd assault brigades were repelled near Novobakhmutovka, Berdychi, Orlovka, and Tonenkoye (DPR).

The enemy lost more than 430 servicemen, 1 U.S.-made Abrams tank, 2 AFVs, and 18 MVs.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, 1 Grad MLRS, 1 U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, 1 D-20 howitzer, and 5 D-30 howitzers were destroyed.

Moreover, 2 AFU ammunition depots were wiped out.

▫️In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of AFU 72nd mechanised, 102nd territorial defence brigades near Vodyanoye (DPR), Chervonoye (Zaporozhye).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 140 servisemen, 8 pick-up trucks, and 1 U.S.-made M119 towed gun.

▫️In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions as a result of coordinated actions.

An attack launched by assault groups of the AFU 82nd Air Assault Brigade wwas repelled near Rabotino (Zaporozhye).

The enemy lost up to 30 servicemen, 1 tank, 5 MVs, and 1 D-30 howitzer.

▫️Operational-Tactical Aviation, UAVs, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged an ammunition depot and 7 UAV control posts of the AFU.

Two temporary deployment areas of foreign mercenaries, as well as clusters of enemy manpower and military hardware were engaged in 142 areas.

▫️ Russian air defence forces have shot down 10 HIMARS MLRS projectiles during the day.

95 UAVs have been destroyed near Peschanoye, Tabayevka (Kharkov), Zhitlovka, Lisichansk (LPR), Donetsk, Kremenets (DPR), Tokmak (Zaporozhye), and Proletarka (Kherson). 

Map of military operations and the situation on the fronts on the evening of March 11

💡While the American Abrams are burning , the British Challengers are drowning in the mud, unable to overcome Russian off-road conditions. Only one more tank that arrived was able to pull out the stuck Wunderwaffe. The fact that out of 14 Challengers delivered, only seven remain operational does not add optimism for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

⚔️The situation on the fronts over the past 24 hours:

⚫️Bakhmutskoe (Artemovskoe) direction

The Russian army advances in the Bogdanovka area. In Krasnoe , our fighters are advancing to the western outskirts.

⚫️Donetsk direction

In the Avdeevsky sector, our fighters continue to put pressure on the enemy in the southeastern part of Berdychi . There are battles in the area of   Orlovka and Tonenkoye . In Pervomaisky, the Russian army is fighting for the center of the village.

⚫️Zaporozhye direction

In the Orekhovsky sector there are fierce battles for Rabotino . Our fighters advanced north of Novoselka , as well as north of Shevchenko.

◼️The Armed Forces of Ukraine staged artillery terror in the private sector of the Sovetsky district of Makeyevka. Several houses were destroyed to pieces. There were two children in one of the buildings; they had to be pulled out of the rubble. In total, seven civilians were injured.

Special Military Operation Chronicles March 11, 2024

The Russian army continues to target various locations in Ukraine. In the Odessa region, an enemy deployment point was hit, and in the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhia region, an air defense position was targeted.

The situation remains turbulent in the border area of Belgorod region. The enemy persists in its plans to break through towards Grayvoron.

In the Lyman direction, Russian troops have nearly gained full control over Yar Laptev, while Terny remains under complete control of the AFU.

Positional battles in Krasnoye continue in the Bakhmut sector. Despite maintaining the initiative in the air, the Russian forces have yet to completely dislodge the AFU.

In the Avdeevsky direction, the enemy has stabilized the situation after receiving reinforcements. Fighting in Berdychi continues on the eastern outskirts of the village, with no changes in Orlovka and Tonenkoye. In the Donetsk and Ugledar directions, the Russian Armed Forces launched several local attacks but were unable to solidify their gains.

@rybar

Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-situation-in-ukrainian-smo-on-march_11.html