Russian lawmakers authorize Putin to use military force outside the country, Part II

[Labster]

Map is mostly up to date, but apparently today Korenevo has been encircled, meaning Ukranians control all of the roads to the city, though not all of the land.  They are advancing towards Lgov, a rail hub, just off the top of the map above near the center.  Russians have already stopped all trains from Belarus into southern Russia, which says that logistics are already breaking -- remember, they do all of their logistics through train lines, and pallets are unknown technology.

Meanwhile, the Russians captured the City of New York.

Shibboleth news, 2024: Russians can't pronounce a loaf of bread in Ukrainian.

A ten minute video from a Ukrainian journalist visiting Sudzha.  I guess the locals speak something between Russian and Ukrainian, enough to be called khokhols by the Moskals.  It's pretty far from the front by now, it's just a few shot up government buildings, largely intact residences, and a bunch of poor older people who weren't even informed of the evacuation.  If you did find out, you had to drive your own car to leave, which not everyone possessed.  They get food from the Ukrainians, but don't have running water, gas, or electricity.

Oh, and since that was filmed, the Lenin statue has mysteriously gone missing:

[DHBirr]

"Cry 'Havoc', and let slip the dogs of war!"  Not R2D2, but BAD2, standing for "Brit Alliance Dog." Robot dog, that is.

-------
“We’ve had our differences, but he’s seen the light … and I made sure he moved toward it, instead of coming back.”

[Labster]

Day 913 of a war lost 910 days ago...

It seems that Ukraine has taken out all three of the bridges across the Seym in Kursk Oblast, as well as a hastily built pontoon bridge.  Russians are, however, free to reinforce from the south, by taking their troops out of Ukraine.  Otherwise, it seems like it will be relatively easy to occupy the southern half of Kursk Oblast, though not Kursk itself.

The one key piece of Russian infrastructure they have captured is the natgas distribution center.  Ukraine has its Foot on Gazprom's Throat is one headline.  Since the Nord Stream was blown up by freedom fighters, it turns out all of the gas Russia sells to Europe goes through Ukraine.  But with this, they have captured the metering station inside Russia, which effectively means Ukraine can mess with the numbers, and thus set the price that Europe pays for Russia's gas.  Ukraine is still making money from Russia on transit fees, so it's very weird all around.

That said, the Ukrainian government has finally admitted why they invaded Kursk:

With 1250 square kilometers of the #Kursk region under control, Ukraine's Defence Forces still have not found a single red line. The search operation continues.

Wikipedia: Red lines in the Russo-Ukrainian War

The oil storage fire in Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast, continues to burn – what are we, five days into a special incindiary operation?  Currently: [https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/182...8](Twitter link)

? 15 oil tanks completely destroyed;
? 3 oil tanks partially destroyed;
? 25 oil tanks not destroyed;
? 33 in unknown condition.

There is no need to evacuate, air quality is fine.  Cue Dartz saying something about Soviet radiation exposure.

One year ago yesterday, we lost Prigozhin to an "airplane accident".  It kind of feels like Russia has been doing worse since they took out the head of Wagner PMC.  A terrible man, but I still kind of miss Chef Boyar anyway.

This Machine Gun-Equipped Cybertruck Might Just Be the Worst Technical Ever.  (Note: in military speak, a "technical" is a pickup truck with a gun mounted on it.)  Chechen warlord and military larper Ramzan Kadyrov says that he received this Cybertruck from Elon Musk himself.  On the one hand, Kadyrov is an inveterate liar; on the other, Elon really is dumb enough to give him one.  Good luck charging it on the battlefield – as if Kadyrov would ever get close to a real battle.

-- The Ukraine legislators finally passed a law to ban the Russian Orthodox Church.  All of those poor parishioners will have no FSB agents to take their confession.
-- No, really.
-- Ukrainian independence day Google doodle
-- Russia faces manpower woes after failing to stop Ukraine’s Kursk incursion - it's hard to use all your manpower when doing so could collapse your regime
-- On a river between Ukraine and the EU, border guards search for draft evaders - draft dodgers contribute to Ukraine's manpower problems
-- Russian salient from Avdiivka (remember that shithole?) advances 30km, is now only 10km from Pokrovsk, a minor nexus of supply lines

[hazard]

Strictly speaking, a technical is a civilian vehicle with any weapon mounted on it, for use as a combat vehicle.

'Pickup truck with a machinegun' is iconic though, because such vehicles usually are rugged, have good off road handling, the load beds offer space to put and handle a weapon, and machineguns are both useful and relatively cheap to purchase, maintain and operate.

But it could also carry a grenade thrower or missile rack/tube, for example.


Which means that yes, that cybertruck is an absolutely shit technical, low range, expensive, useless load bed...

[Labster]

I mean, the article I posted had a link to a shopping cart technical, which is just *chef's kiss*

Anyway some news stories:

-- Traffic cameras in Kursk issue fines to Russians trying to outrun drones
-- More Americans want the US to stay the course in Ukraine as long as it takes according to recent polling
-- Russian cruise missile takes out entire school, all of the fish in the school floated to the surface.
-- Despite punitive, massive barrage of missiles, they're floundering.
-- Ukrainians regain some positions near Kreminna, Russians advance towards Pokrovsk.
-- India's Modi visits with Zelensky in Kyiv.  Both men pretend to like each other.
-- Modi is setting himself up to be the peacemaker, as India is the closest to neutral power in this war.
-- Belarusian troops mass on southern border, start painting their military vehicles with a big letter B, in an obvious feint.
-- Oil depot fire still burning
-- Image: Hatsune Miku defends Ukraine