"The 1980's are calling to ask for their foreign policy back."

Yacht, reportedly owned by Russian oligarch sinks off the coast of Italy.

Russian oligarch’s yacht goes up for auction. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/23/1119056248/detained-superyacht-sanctioned-russian-billionaire-auction

So far just a single source:

IT BEGINS: With Russian offensives ground to a halt, troop morale has decreased as frustration grows. @VDV_Textbooks reports that troops from the 22nd Spetsnaz Brigade were sent to suppress a riot staged by Wagner Group military contractors.

https://twitter.com/chuckpfarrer/status/1562772222502002690?s=21&t=f-JqOYsmDi4X0Av_qJL13w

Russian contract soldier recounts his experience in Ukraine. https://twitter.com/chriso_wiki/status/1562874112707801088?s=21&t=_SVru76AKs-FCXRs4-UG9A

The training he was given before the invasion was almost nonexistent. He says that the only reason he knew how to use his weapon was that he got bored during training and decided to shoot it. Nobody cared if the recruits were taught anything, as all the reports were faked anyway.

Ukraine's got VAMPIREs.

This. Thank you.

UN inspectors to check out Ukrainian nuke plant that has been shelled.

Ukraine uses decoys against Russian drones. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/30/ukraine-russia-himars-decoy-artillery/

Russians tourists with Z logos get called fascist and fined by Kazakh police for 'vehicle usage regulations.' One Kazakh bus driver was seen saying 'First you come here with your Z, next it is with your tanks. Russia is fascist.' https://twitter.com/ASLuhn/status/1564332102023274498

Russia's military is now basically a real-life version of Squid Game. Enlistment age has been raised to 65 and the Russian government is not only handing out hefty paychecks to the new enlistees, but giving them brand new (yes, really) equipment, and they only have to undergo about 1 month's worth of training before they're shipped out. (Wonder what kind of experience a seasoned military person, like say OldFella, would get if he signed up? And would he get a bigger paycheck for being a 'Merkin?)

So I don’t know what is happening in #Kherson Oblast in #Ukraine, but I do know that #Russia is freaking out because the sheer volume of #Russian #disinformation being spewed out at the moment is mind-numbingly high.

https://twitter.com/frodehommedal/status/1564784182085263361?s=21&t=3OhZ2AvFurDIb7G0k5u_mw

Some details on how Ukraine has managed to get 'Merkin missiles to work with ex-Soviet planes.



Something just occurred to me: If the Ukrainian military is able to use a rotation system for its forces, similar to what the US traditionally does (X amount of months in combat, then rotated out to do X amount of months training of new recruits or get trained), then the longer the war goes on, the more likely it will be that the Ukrainians have pilots who can be rotated out to train on NATO aircraft. Given that the Ukrainians have done fairly well for themselves with old Soviet stuff, you have to wonder how they'll do with something that was made closer to the 21st Century.

Like this:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/exc...aut-QfhTiakXy2nUiaOLGEyJUsx0lpDjKQm_R2iF7eqfw

You know, that reminds me that Scaled Composites (Burt Rutan's company) developed a replacement for the A-10 that was rejected for political reasons. I'm now wondering if they couldn't get the planes to Ukraine without violating any US regs. Unfortunately, it seems that the easiest way to contact the Ukrainian government is via Twitter (so who knows if it'll get seen). I also looped Scaled into the conversation, so they might reply as well.

Russia's turned off the gas again.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62732835

Yes, Russia definitely won a glorious victory turning back the Ukrainian counteroffensive and inflecting massive damage on the Ukrainian forces.

https://twitter.com/anonopsse/status/1564764873036374018?s=21&t=ettoOHbxInpxO_3rornQUA

https://twitter.com/rolandoliphant/status/1565253697910841346?s=21&t=A5r8PWNVYp_pv6wGqVzhQQ

Oh, look, another Russian dissident against the war had a fatal problem with an open window.

This one the Chairman of Lukoil, one of their biggest assets.

I'm pretty sure I know between Ukraine and Russia which one actually has a problem with fascism.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...er-falling-hospital-window-source-2022-09-01/

Russia is heavily recruiting from their railway workers to fight in Ukraine.

Why?

Because 30% of their rail cars are out of commission due to lack of replacement ball bearings and the number will only climb as Sweden isn’t about to restart production.

So lots of laid off railway workers.


https://twitter.com/tengstromanders/status/1566358832422477828?s=21&t=uP0IQS4i4-WtDmBi-LPs6A

One half of Russian freight is (was?) moved by rail.

Using this skilled labor as cannon fodder can only bring more glory to Great Mother Russia and Genius Tactician Putin.

Sweden: Russia, you don't have the balls to do what it takes to get us to restart production!

Remember the Russian logistics thread you posted? That Russia is all about railways and have difficulty projecting power past the end of the rail heads?

Now maybe not even that...

Anti-Putin forces derailed a coal train in Siberia.

https://www.kyivpost.com/russias-wa...s-derail-huge-coal-train-in-east-siberia.html

This looks like hell. CW: Orc corpse.

https://twitter.com/sputnikatonews/status/1566847446487031810?s=21&t=anQa91zAWUntLoYALIVMDA

It’s looking increasingly likely the Ukrainians played Russia (and most of the non-in-the-know-world [hopefully our intel knew]).

They had been telegraphing for a while that they were going to try and retake Kherson.

There were even leaks that it was splitting the civilian leadership from the top brass. Zelensky reportedly demanded to retake Kherson (only major city taken and held) for political reasons and the generals tried to push back and lost. Supposedly this was creating a serious schism in the war leadership.

So the Russians shifted about a third of their force down south to reinforce. Some of their best troops.

The Ukrainians then blew up all the bridges, are currently ignoring the city (with offensive ground troops, but hitting with rockets) but instead are pushing to put the last land corridor in HIMARS range. Almost got them completely cut off.

While at the same time in a surprise attack have pushed the lines 20km out from Kharkiv with the Russian lines there breaking and no reinforcements in sight.

A third axis is happening in the Donbas but this appears to just be enough to keep the forces there pinned down.

Some Orcs tried to cross a bridge in Kherson:

https://twitter.com/waragainstputin/status/1567580264016285698?s=46&t=BxYCSPB_lZMHcZEqeNYJlQ