From "The Analyst":
TARGET: VUHLEDAR
Ukraine has finally been forced to withdraw from Novomikhailyvka after a near six month fight to defend the town, which no longer exists. Pounded by hundreds of glide bombs there’s simply nowhere left to defend. The bombs also cleared the minefields that eventually allowed the Russians to take the ruins. Over 8 regiments of Russian troops were lost with documented evidence of 314 armoured vehicles and tanks destroyed in this one operation.
Why does it matter to Russia so much?
Located near the southernmost end of the eastern front as it turns west, the town is close to the P0589 highway that supplies much of the front for Ukraine in this relatively rural area. That highway connects Vuhledar to Konstantynyvka, the later now the next target on this south eastern sector. Cutting the road breaks the supply lines for both and largely prevents lateral transfer of forces. It would significantly weaken the defence of both towns.
Vuhledar is seen as a crucial lynchpin in the defence of the south eastern corner of the front - the Russians have exhausted themselves at least a dozen times trying to break it.
Yet again, despite being outnumbered 7:1, Ukraine held out for as long as it could. It’s the glide bombs that are proving to be so effective. Prolonged use of them is devastating to prepared defences and leaves nowhere to hide.
The urgency of getting air defence systems forward to knock out the VKS delivery aircraft is now critical.
In other developments Russia has announced a series of tactical nuclear weapons drills to be held - deployment and practice use.
This they claim, is in response to Britain saying its weapons can be used against Russian targets inside Russia, and France doubling down on the fact it will send army units to fight if it deems it necessary and Ukraine invites them in. Yet another Russian sabre rattling exercise, disproportionate and dangerous as ever.
The Americans don’t like these Anglo-French announcements at all.
They seem to be under the impression that nobody is supposed to let Ukraine use anything donated to them on Russian pre-war territory.
There seems to be a belief in Washington that everyone agreed this early on, whereas the reality is that while America might have said that was its preferred position, and at the time nobody objected, the war has moved on.
America came close to abandoning Ukraine in European eyes and Europe was willing for the most part, to fill the gap. And that meant making changes to previously understood but never actually announced policies on the sanctity of Russian soil.
The logic goes that if you sell or give weapons to a country it’s their right to use what they have where they see fit. It’s not the seller or grantee pulling the trigger- it’s the end user. Americans should understand that better than anyone - their laws explicitly remove handgun manufacturers from liability in mass shootings or other crimes.
If we’re all to be seen as standing up to Russia, then we cannot be seen to be afraid of what they might do. They have to know they don’t frighten us and we will stand up for ourselves.
Meanwhile we will do what we can and must to continue supporting the valiant Ukrainian people and the armed forces against Russian imperialism.
Slava Ukraini !
