Kyiv:Ukrainian forces advance deep into Russian Defense lines in Kharkiv region.

Hard to say who, exactly, but I suspect there are generals unenthusiastic about taking the blame for the Pootster's foolish choices.

 

22 min ago
Pro-Russian propagandist slams "unprofessionalism" of Russian command as Ukrainian forces surround Lyman
From CNN's Denis Lapin and Mick Krever

In scathing remarks on his Telegram channel, a pro-Russian propagandist and former defense official in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic slammed the “unprofessionalism of the command.”

Igor Girkin said that Ukraine’s effective encirclement of Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk town of Lyman had the potential to “turn into a huge moral blow to our army and, on the contrary, into a huge moral success for the AFU,” referring to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Girkin was defense minister of the DPR during the war in 2014 and is now a pro-Russian propagandist and military analyst.

“With a greater degree of probability I assume a real cretinism and unprofessionalism of the command,” he said on his official Telegram channel. “Inescapable in an environment where no one is responsible for all the numerous and regularly repeated failures, except the outright ‘shooters.’”

He said that Ukraine outmanned Russian and pro-Russian forces three to four times, and that Russia’s superiority in artillery and aviation would not help enough in the wooded and rugged terrain.

“Why the withdrawal from Lyman was not secured in advance by introducing forces into the ‘corridor’ sufficient to hold it and cover the withdrawal – I have no answer to that,” he added.

He said that if Russian forces are not able to withdraw from Lyman, “a relatively insignificant tactical defeat” would turn into “a huge moral success” for Ukraine.

Girkin also speculated that it was “quite probable” that Ukraine’s offensive near Lyman is a diversionary tactic, meant to mask a Ukrainian push on the southern front, in the Zaporizhzhia region.

“Unlike the Lyman area, a breakthrough of the enemy somewhere near Polahy or south of Ugledar threatens to destroy the front and to surround our entire Kherson grouping, to lead the enemy to the Crimean Isthmus and – as a result – to the strategic defeat of the RF [Russian Federation] Armed Forces with unpredictable general consequences,” he said.​

Live updates: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-09-30-22/index.html

 

....sure they might....they'd be stupid though as they'd be next!! Trickle down death until only idiots are left scrabbling around and China starts nibbling at the fringes...

 

Sure, there are a lot of variables to consider. Lots of ins, lots of outs. I imagine they will also want to wait for Putin's popularity to go down before actually moving on him. They may even start to work to degrade his popularity to that end. The more he is blamed publicly for what is going on, the more problematic and precarious the Don's situation will be.

 

...sure but what can they do about it....they drill his head...what then....what options do you have? It's a phuckin nightmare

 

If the Nigerians can pull it off (repeatedly) then I think the Russians can figure it out.

 

Russia on Verge of Lyman Collapse as Ukraine Surrounds Unit From All

 

...rhetorical....why would you want to take over from Putin??
Bugger me I wouldn't if I was part of the inner workings....I'd have a savy accountant sort me out and piss off to Dubai.....on the other hand some ultra-rightwinger with a god complex....hmmm....what's the prize.....what's the point?

 

...they're lightweights....

 

Actually, they're pretty good at the coup d'etat business.

 

This is sad.

 

Nope. The rest of your life looking over your shoulder and avoiding umbrellas.

 

Will the Russians beg for mercy?


World
Reuters
Ukraine tells Russia to appeal if it wants imperilled troops freed

 

The Daily Beast
Putin Suffers Most Humiliating Ukraine Defeat Yet Around Key City of Lyman

 

“This is the will of millions of people,” Putin said at a glitzy ceremony in front of high-ranking Russian diplomats still in the country. “People living in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia region are becoming our compatriots forever.”​

Guy lies like a rug, doesn't he? They couldn't even reach a majority of residents in Donetsk and Zaporizhia.

 

Zelensky Hails 'Significant Results' Of Counteroffensive In East Ukraine

 

The Moscow Times
Large Russian Force Faces ‘Encirclement’ in Eastern Ukraine

 

I wonder how many thousands of Russians are cut off and encircled in Lyman?

 

Not many. The only estimates I've seen so far (apparently from Russian Mil bloggers) suggests somewhere between 2000 & 5000 but probably closer to the lower figure. I haven't seen any estimates at all from the Uki side.

 

The fall of Lyman.
Ukraine claims control of key city of Lyman after Russians withdraw
Ukrainian forces had surrounded thousands of Russian troops in Lyman, in eastern Ukraine, before the retreat.
By Isabelle Khurshudyan, Ellen Francis, Erin Cunningham, Andrea Salcedo and Robyn Dixon1 hour ago

 

Ukraine war: Russian troops forced out of eastern town Lyman

 

Russian Offensive Campaign ...


Key Takeaways

• Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the illegal Russian annexation of four Ukrainian territories on September 30 without clearly defining the borders of those claimed territories.
• Putin announced that Russia’s usual autumn conscription cycle will start a month late on November 1, likely because Russia’s partial mobilization of Russian men is taxing the bureaucracy of the Russian military commissariats that would usually oversee the semi-annual conscription cycle.
• Russian officials could re-mobilize last year’s conscripts when their terms expire on October 1.
• Ukrainian forces will likely capture or encircle Lyman within the next 72 hours.
• Ukrainian military officials maintained operational silence regarding Ukrainian ground maneuvers in Kherson Oblast but stated that Ukrainian forces continued to force Russian troops into defending their positions.
• Russian troops continued ground assaults in Donetsk Oblast.
• Russian authorities continued efforts to coerce Russian participation in mobilization efforts, but will likely struggle to coerce participation as Russians continue to flee Russia for border states who welcome them.
• Russian officials are accepting bribes and engaging in other preferential treatment to prevent or ease the economic burden of mobilization on the wealthy.
• Russian authorities are continuing to deploy mobilized personnel to Ukraine without adequate training or equipment, and personnel are unlikely to be able to afford to provide their own supplies.
• Russian forces conducted a missile strike on a Ukrainian humanitarian convoy and attempted to blame the Ukrainian government. . . .

Ukrainian forces will likely capture or encircle Lyman within the next 72 hours. Russian forces continued to withdraw from positions around Lyman on September 30 as Ukrainian forces continued to envelop Russian troops in the area.[8] The Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) officials and Russian war correspondents stated that Russian forces still control Lyman but have withdrawn from their positions in Drobysheve (around 6km northwest of Lyman) and Yampil (about 13km southeast of Lyman).[9] Russian sources claimed that Russian forces still control one road from Lyman to Torske, while Ukrainian forces have cut off the Drobysheve-Torske road in the Stavky area.[10] Russian sources also noted the increasing activity of Ukrainian reconnaissance and sabotage groups on the Svatove-Torske highway northeast of Lyman after reportedly crossing the Zherebets River.[11] Geolocated footage also showed Ukrainian artillery striking withdrawing Russian forces near Torske.[12] Some Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces have crossed the Siverskyi Donets River in Dronivka and are now operating in the forests south of Kreminna.[13] Russian sources uniformly noted that Ukrainian artillery continues to interdict Russian forces’ single remaining egress route on the Kreminna-Torske road.[14] . . .

Ukrainian military officials maintained their operational silence regarding the progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in southern Ukraine on September 30. Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported that Ukrainian forces are continuing to force Russian troops to defend their positions. The Ukrainian General Staff added that Russian forces are continuing to evict civilians in Kherson City to quarter additional Russian reinforcements.[23] Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command noted that Russian forces are attempting to restore the operations of the Antonivsky Bridge and are bringing additional construction materials and repair equipment to the bridge.[24] . . .

 

Latest (as yet unconfirmed) news is that the Ukrainians have started to enter Lyman and that there is little or not fighting. This would indicate that the Russians have either surrendered or fled. There are reports of hundreds of Russian bodies lining the one LOC out of the city back to Russian lines so it looks, repeat looks that it might be the latter. If they did retreat they will no longer be combat effective and have just ended up at another point in the line where the Uki's are pressing forward (sucks to be them).

UPDATE: Liberation of Lyman now officially confirmed!

 

• 
  After setback for Russia, Ukraine isn't letting up

 

CBS News
Illegal annexation of territory by Russia doesn't halt Ukraine forces