Ukraine Invasion - Please do not post videos showing attacks/similar

[Rroff]

Ok, so

So... The mines extend for Miles. Just saying.

Also.. weirdly Ukraine Battle Map removed the photo after posting it.

It is clear that have some part of soledar though. As fighting in the town

Most of the Ukrainian stuff about Soledar going around, unfortunately, is as much propaganda as the Russian stuff - almost all the pictures and videos purporting to show Ukraine in control are from about 2 weeks back and not the current weather there. Much of the Russian stuff is pure fabrication with a lot of it not even remotely close to Soledar - even stuff from Syria.

Some videos emerging from the last 2 weeks of fighting around Soledar - absolutely brutal stuff - Russia has taken huge losses for the gains so far.

 

[Scougar]

UKR need AI driven auto-turrets. Place them in an arc that nothing can cross, and they randomly pop-up and down to engage targets.

 

[Scougar]

Most of the Ukrainian stuff about Soledar going around, unfortunately, is as much propaganda as the Russian stuff - almost all the pictures and videos purporting to show Ukraine in control are from about 2 weeks back and not the current weather there. Much of the Russian stuff is pure fabrication with a lot of it not even remotely close to Soledar - even stuff from Syria.

Some videos emerging from the last 2 weeks of fighting around Soledar - absolutely brutal stuff - Russia has taken huge losses for the gains so far.

One video is geolocated (or looks like it) to the West of Soledar (i.e. they are on the other side). No clue when this is from, but not good as that would be encircling, or... they advanced, video'd then got pushed back.

 

[Rroff]

One video is geolocated (or looks like it) to the West of Soledar (i.e. they are on the other side). No clue when this is from, but not good as that would be encircling, or... they advanced, video'd then got pushed back.

Not seen that - they've pushed west of Soledar to the north of it though.

 

[StriderX]

Incoming genius play of the century.

Ukraine lets Russia take the mines.

Waits until thousands of troops and equipment start using them.

Collapse the entrances

Oops left some Chlorine in there...

 

[Rroff]

IMO if it was that easy to collapse the entrances Russia would have done it some time ago and they are unlikely to put significant amounts of man power or equipment down there without checking for explosive devices.

 

[Rroff]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1612922850716917761

BTW they seem to have avoided the second image in that set of Prigozhin - which shows his forces in a salt mine.

https://twitter.com/Militarylandnet/status/1612926444044165128

 

[Harlequin]

When i replied the second image wasnt doing the rounds yet

 

[SupraWez]

Would trapping them or flooding the mine constitute a war crime, I am curious, if they 100% sure its all military staff does that affect the status.

If the shoe was on the other foot, is it a war crime?

Just mulling the idea that war crimes are only committed by the opposition, or a war crime is a war crime.

War is a nasty business isn't it.

 

[Harlequin]

Would trapping them or flooding the mine constitute a war crime, I am curious, if they 100% sure its all military staff does that affect the status.

If the shoe was on the other foot, is it a war crime?

Just mulling the idea that war crimes are only committed by the opposition, or a war crime is a war crime.

War is a nasty business isn't it.

`Sorry the artillery we used to defend our homes from the attacking russians landed on the entrance to the mines closing the entrance`

 

[nsmalley]

Would trapping them or flooding the mine constitute a war crime, I am curious, if they 100% sure its all military staff does that affect the status.

If the shoe was on the other foot, is it a war crime?

Just mulling the idea that war crimes are only committed by the opposition, or a war crime is a war crime.

War is a nasty business isn't it.

Apparently there's 100's of miles of them so it's going to be nearly impossible to block them off etc. Actually if they are all captured it's a very clever move. Instead of thousands of soldiers freezing, being himars'd and dying in trenches have them underground where it'll be dry-er and and above freezing until it's attack time. Same goes for equipment. Rotate them to hold positions as needed.

 

[bingham67]

I miss the Bayraktar!

 

[HungryHippos]

Apparently there's 100's of miles of them so it's going to be nearly impossible to block them off etc. Actually if they are all captured it's a very clever move. Instead of thousands of soldiers freezing, being himars'd and dying in trenches have them underground where it'll be dry-er and and above freezing until it's attack time. Same goes for equipment. Rotate them to hold positions as needed.

Sure but if Ukraine counter and fully re-retake Soledar you now have a bunch of people and stuff inside dark underground mines, not trapped necessarily, but it wouldn't be a good situation to be in.

Presumably the lighting can be disabled from above ground, so people inside the mines will eventually run out of light if not food/water at some point.

I see the strategic value in that as a base of operations but I think it's tied in with holding Soledar itself in terms of usefulness.

 

[nsmalley]

Sure but if Ukraine counter and fully re-retake Soledar you now have a bunch of people and stuff inside dark underground mines, not trapped necessarily, but it wouldn't be a good situation to be in.

Presumably the lighting can be disabled from above ground, so people inside the mines will eventually run out of light if not food/water at some point.

I see the strategic value in that as a base of operations but I think it's tied in with holding Soledar itself in terms of usefulness.

Look how long it took the Russians to take the steel works at mariopol and remember the troops aren’t going to just sit there. They’ll pop up all over and attack, they’ll be able to reinforce and rotate to keep the defence. In my mind it’ll be like trying to clear out the tunnels at Iwo Jima

 

[Scougar]

Look how long it took the Russians to take the steel works at mariopol and remember the troops aren’t going to just sit there. They’ll pop up all over and attack, they’ll be able to reinforce and rotate to keep the defence. In my mind it’ll be like trying to clear out the tunnels at Iwo Jima

Do bear in mind that mariupol they had no choice. In soledar, they can currently retreat if needed.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Mariupol they were also getting supplied
Unless the ruskies turn it into an underground ammo store then I suspect the yooks would be far more capable of just going medieval* on the ruskies

*Basically sieging them until they surrender

 

[Rroff]

Do bear in mind that mariupol they had no choice. In soledar, they can currently retreat if needed.

Yeah doubt we'll see stuff like Mariupol at Soledar - though the Russians have superior positions on 3 sides they aren't yet able to completely surround Ukrainian forces there - there are heavier forces defender the wider area they'd need to engage to fully surround rather than push out those defending Soledar. Does make it harder for those defending forces to be supplied and take out wounded, etc. though. There is no real benefit to Ukraine to fight to the end there.

Not just Russian propaganda though - Soledar is pretty much lost unless those forces still defending it get heavy support or Russians run out of steam.

 

[HungryHippos]

Yeah doubt we'll see stuff like Mariupol at Soledar - though the Russians have superior positions on 3 sides they aren't yet able to completely surround Ukrainian forces there - there are heavier forces defender the wider area they'd need to engage to fully surround rather than push out those defending Soledar. Does make it harder for those defending forces to be supplied and take out wounded, etc. though. There is no real benefit to Ukraine to fight to the end there.

Not just Russian propaganda though - Soledar is pretty much lost unless those forces still defending it get heavy support or Russians run out of steam.

Yes I can only see Soledar holding it if relief forces arrive that can undo the semi-encirclement on at least one side.

Otherwise I can't see them holding Soledar forever.

Losing Soledar does weaken the Bakhmut defensive axis a bit though, and starts to put that at risk.

I wonder what kind of numbers there are there, by all accounts Ukraine has a decent number of troops at Soledar, but Russia must have been throwing a lot at it.

 

[Rroff]

I wonder what kind of numbers there are there, by all accounts Ukraine has a decent number of troops at Soledar, but Russia must have been throwing a lot at it.

I've heard there is about 400 soldiers there including a battalion from the 46th and some territorial forces, in the wider area about another 2000 troops from various tank and mech groups.

 

[Freddie1980]

Yeah doubt we'll see stuff like Mariupol at Soledar - though the Russians have superior positions on 3 sides they aren't yet able to completely surround Ukrainian forces there - there are heavier forces defender the wider area they'd need to engage to fully surround rather than push out those defending Soledar. Does make it harder for those defending forces to be supplied and take out wounded, etc. though. There is no real benefit to Ukraine to fight to the end there.

Not just Russian propaganda though - Soledar is pretty much lost unless those forces still defending it get heavy support or Russians run out of steam.

Soledar is lost unless Ukraine plans on counter attacking sometime soon. All the tactical maps show Russia has fire control on the main road leading in and our of the town so retreating I would expect would be very dangerous for anyone trying to get out the town.