Ukraine launched a barrage of cruise missiles at a Russian shipyard in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Wednesday, damaging at least two warships and injuring 24 people.
The incident is believed to be Ukraine’s most significant strike on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet of the war. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 10 cruise missiles were launched at the shipyard, and seven were intercepted. The ministry said three unmanned boats targeted a detachment of Russian ships in the Black Sea, but the drones were destroyed.
Sky News reported that Western and Ukrainian sources said Ukraine used British-provided Storm Shadow missiles in the attack. Storm Shadows have a range of about 155 miles and can be fired by Ukraine’s Soviet-made fighter jets. The UK first began supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadows in May, which marked a significant escalation of NATO support for the proxy war against Russia.
Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleschuk confirmed that Kyiv was behind the attack on Sevastopol. “And while the occupiers are ‘storming’ and they are still recovering from the night cotton in Sevastopol, thank you to the pilots of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for their excellent combat work!” he wrote on Telegram.
The Russian Defense Ministry insisted that the two ships damaged in the attack will “be fully restored and continue combat service in their fleets.” According to Russian media reports, the 24 people who were wounded all worked at the shipyard, which is a major military facility.
Over the last month, Ukraine has stepped up its use of long range weapons provided by the west. It has been assumed that these very expensive weapons are in short supply. But I’m beginning to wonder….
The missiles that struck the shipyard are UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles. I’m not sure how many were sent to Ukraine, but it appears that the UK had a total of 700-1000 before the transfer. It’s pretty certain that Ukraine doesn’t have enough to make a difference in the course or outcome of the war.
Attacks like this one, and the drone strikes on Moscow, etc., are mostly PR stunts. They do nothing to affect Russia’s ability to wage war. In the case of this attack on the Black Sea Fleet, it’s an expensive PR stunt. Ten Storm Shadows, at $2.5 million each, amounts to real money.
Russia has more than 700 warships? These are used for high value targets and a warship is pretty expensive. I am a little surprised that they went after a warship in dry dock as those don’t present an immediate threat. Maybe they feel they have more than enough missiles to waste them on such a target
Where has anybody mentioned the Russian Federation having more than 700 warships?
google = There are more than 290 warships, submarines and warfare boats believed to be in active service with the Russian Navy, on reserve, or under construction, based on public reports compiled in this list. Jul 20, 2023
IT’S more like 290, but how many does Ukraine have..???????? DO they even have TEN…?????? Does it mean they lose the war…??? One thing it does mean that their Navy’s totally outgunned & really totally USELESS against Russia. Missiles rule the sea today.
“Russia has more than 700 warships?”
What? Are you being deliberately disingenuous or are you just completely clueless?
“Maybe they feel they have more than enough missiles to waste them on such a target.”
If so, they are hooked on a very dangerous feeling.
It was a long term investment. Those easy target dry dock ships would be fully operational at some point and used against Ukraine. Win win.
It’s quicker to repair a ship in dry dock than one in water. Also harder to sink.
I do see their ‘sitting duck strategy’ in doing this to rally another victory call.
Zelinsky is desperate and needs to propagandize every successful strike to offset their miserable losses with their failed ‘counteroffensive’.
Winter is coming……tick, tick, tick.
A great win. The score improves zero against 288 instead of 290..
Propaganda to gain support for a hopeless cause
Shipyards can be replaced, UKi lives won’t. Retaliation will be the same if not worse.
Russian lives can be replaced too.
This was described as a “massive attack” by NPR yesterday. LOL a massive attack that damaged (not sank) two ships in drydock? The western propagandists are getting desperate I think. This will have no strategic impact on the war.
Look at the dead enders in comment section talking about “embarrassment” of the Russians. As if that matters in the outcome of the war. Barring some radical turn of fortunes the Ukrainians are done for, it’s just a matter of time now.
The war is unlikely to end with either side being “done for.”
If the Russian forces could have liquidated the Ukrainian forces, they would have liquidated the Ukrainian forces by now. Taking eight months to secure one single town (Bakhmut) in an area where they supposedly enjoy overwhelming support from the populace (Donetsk) demonstrated that they’re simply not capable of crushing the Ukrainian forces.
Nor are the Ukrainian forces capable of crushing the Russian forces — if they could have, they would have by now.
To all appearances, this is going to be one of those wars that ends with a return to frozen conflict once one side or the other gets tired of f*cking around. And the side that has the least to lose by knocking off the f*cking around with at least some minimal gains in hand that it can call “victory,” maybe even without breaking down into fits of alternate giggling and crying, is Russia.
Bakhmut is a case in point. Russia could easily achieve victory US style, the Faluja tecnic. Otherwise it’s street by street and absorb huge losses. Putin has chosen to do neither. Rather, his via tertia, attrition, weakens the real enemies, the nazis in Washington as well as Kiev. This is Russia in the Great Tradition, saving not just itself, but hellenic xtian civilization. This is WW III.
Russia holds all the cards, increasingly as time passes. More shells, more soldiers, more options. Corporate media has hardly anything to say about the war anymore, and western gifts of cash and arms are drying up, because we don’t have what it would take for Ukraine to win. A frozen conflict will hurt Ukraine far more than Russia. Reality will sink in for the foolish antidemocratic aggressors, by which of course I mean Ukraine.
Why would Russia needlessly throw away the lives of its soldiers attacking when they can defend the territory they have taken while Ukraine exhausts itself? I agree that at this point the Russians cannot easily roll up the Ukrainian army, but that is why they are waiting. Eventually the Ukrainian army will annihilate itself trying to take back the land occupied by Russia and will end up in a much worse position than if they came to the negotiating table immediately. They were in a stronger position after they took back some territory last year, but now? Who knows what kind of deal the Russians would be willing to make, and it’s only going to get worse for the Ukrainians from here on out.
Even last year, I cautioned pro-Ukrainian types not to put too much stock in that “counter-offensive.”
If the Ukrainians can keep their “counter-offensive” penis in their pants except for some propaganda, and remain on the overall defensive, they can last pretty much forever, until the Russians get economically and militarily stretched to the point that they start having ACTUAL, instead of manufactured, worries about their security and decide to leave Kherson and Zaporzhia — probably even if western aid is drastically reduced (if it’s eliminated, they may have to fight for another decade in an insurgent manner a la Afghanistan).
The Russians seem to have decided they’re not interested in any more own goals like Bakhmut, even if they still had Wagner to do the heavy lifting.
But the Ukrainians are not on the defense they are on the offense.
Are they, really?
Or are they putting on a necessary show to keep their western backers supplied with “keep it coming” propaganda?
I guess none of us really know given the fog of war.
Edit: fog of the information war that is.
Also, I think it is underappreciated that Ukraine is not really calling the shots, NATO commanders are. You are correct that Ukraine should be on defense, but they are beholden to their American taskmasters who have domestic political considerations which trump strategy, tactics, and Ukrainian lives.
All of the Ukrainian move seem to be effective. Fix Russian troops in the North and attrite Russian forces in the South. They’ve eliminated artillery batteries with counter battery fire and have goaded the Russian troops out from their defensive positions. It’s slow compared to Western tactics but their overall strategy is working.
To all appearances, this is going to be one of those wars that ends with a return to frozen conflict once one side or the other gets tired of f*cking around.
You’re assuming that support from the West will continue ad infinitum. Things can change awfully fast and radically in Washington. At best, they’ve the Ukrainians have until Jan. of ’25.
Probably not even that long, things can change just as fast and radically in the trenches too. I anticipate a mutiny in the ranks of the UAF at some point soon.
“You’re assuming that support from the West will continue ad infinitum.”
Not exactly. I doubt that support at current levels will last much longer. But unless it’s cut off completely, or unless e.g. Kim comes to the rescue to make up the Russian war materiel production deficit versus nearly any western support at all, the Ukrainians should be able to hold the existing lines, severely punish any attempts to force those lines, and continue to annoy Putin and alarm the Russian public with attacks on Sevastopol, Moscow, etc.
Yes, things can change fast and radically in Washington, and on the battlefield. As they can in Moscow, Kyiv, Pyongyang, Beijing, etc.
I tend to extrapolate from the known facts rather than assume such large changes. That’s a weakness if those changes do transpire. It’s a strength if they don’t. The most important known fact is: The Russians have been trying to wrap this thing up for 18 months now, and have yet to even come close. It would take one of those large changes to turn that fact in a different direction.
As before, disagree with your assessment of the Kremlin’s “mindset”.
My assessment of the Kremlin’s “mindset” is that they’re not a bunch of drooling morons.
You disagree?
Nope. But I do disagree with the notion of comparing their performance in March/April 2022 and asserting that they have been unable to succeed. Of course they were never going anywhere back then, but I assert the relevant thing is to look at the period since they established the deep line in response to the steady western supply of increasingly powerful weapons in the ensuing period to present.
The Russians have a history of reacting well to early setbacks and taking advantage of opportunities to make the proper corrections. This I believe they have done.
My position hasn’t changed. Biden’s people have made a colossal miscalculation in their assumptions re the Russian economy and the Russian military. We can disagree, but over all of this is my contempt for a political class so poorly qualified to deal intelligently with the world as it is, something in which they seem to be completely lacking.
Their performance in March/April 2022 was pretty damn good — move into the Donbas while feinting at Kyiv, which served the double purpose of tying down Ukrainian forces in the west where they couldn’t be used in the Donbas, and bringing Zelenskyy to the table.
It wasn’t a bad bet. It was like having two face cards and standing in blackjack while the dealer had a 10 and a 6 and had to draw — every likelihood that the dealer will go bust.
But the dealer drew a four. Push. The west, with its massive production and logistics advantages, managed to get aid into the country in time to change the situation.
It’s since then that things have gone downhill for the Russians — wasting eight months, at a likely 3-1 casualty ratio, taking Bakhmut, own-goaling with the pretend annexations of Kherson and Zaporzhia (probably forced on Putin by his hard-liner masters to make it harder for him to find a way out of the fiasco), exiting the grain deal only to find out that Ukraine can get the stuff out right past the vaunted Black Sea Fleet with or without Russian permission, and every day, day after day, without end, falling further behind Ukraine’s suppliers’ massively superior production and logistics capabilities.
I STILL think that the Russians will be able to hold on to Donetsk and Luhansk. But they’re doing at a minimum of high five-figure more KIAs than if the original gambit had succeeded and low- to mid-five-figures more than if they’d managed to pacify Donetsk at any time between last April and now. And having to climb down on Kherson and Zaporzhia is going to hurt Putin’s faction domestically even if he doesn’t tragically fall from a window.
The only reason Ukraine is holding existing lines is that Russia hasn’t really challenged them – yet.
Russia can knock off Ukraine with relative ease from where they are at present and will remain until a time of their choosing.
Sure things can change in Moscow or Pyongyang – but are they likely too?.. The US will definitely, and by all indications won’t be continuing to throw good money after bad. just look at the poles and extrapolate until it’s logical conclusion – the multi-polar world wins and The Empire falls.
At best, they’ve the Ukrainians have until Jan. of ’25.
Even Vlad questions that.
“I think there will be no fundamental changes regarding Russia in US foreign policy, no matter who is elected president,” he said. “Mr. Trump says he will solve acute problems, including the Ukrainian crisis, in a few days, this can only please. Nevertheless, he too imposed sanctions on Russia during his presidency.”
Plus:
Additionally, as president, Trump did not adopt policies favorable to Russia. As Putin observed, Trump issued multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia, including for false scandals such as Russiagate and the Skrpial poisoning.
Trump also provided Ukrainian forces with lethal weapons, a step President Barack Obama refused to take. While Biden would go on to ship tens of billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine, the initial tranches of Javelin missiles were authorized by Trump.
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/putin-says-trump-wont-change-us-foreign-policy/
Sorry, but you’re still stuck on the impact of the first months of the war as an illustration of Russia’s capacity to militarily defeat the NATO forces posing as the opposition via their weapons manufacturers.
Russia has absorbed its lessons learned from the first months and made the correct decisions to mount an effective defense line, waiting out the Ukrainian “counter-offensive”, while also significantly ramping up its war effort both in the area of personnel and weaponry/ammunition. I believe these lessons learned will continue to have an impact in the following months.
Sorry, but you’re still stuck on the impact of the first months of the war as an illustration of Russia’s capacity to militarily defeat the NATO forces posing as the opposition via their weapons manufacturers.
Russia has absorbed its lessons learned from the first months and made the correct decisions to mount an effective defense line, waiting out the Ukrainian “counter-offensive”, while also significantly ramping up its war effort both in the area of personnel and weaponry/ammunition. I believe these lessons learned will continue to have an impact in the following months.
Curious to see the outcome! Do not agree with your prognosis. Russia has not started this war in earnest. Within first month, Russia took the entire Azov Sea belt to Crimea.
As negotiations went nowhere, Russia annexed majority Russian territory and straightened out front line (otherwise called big Ukrainian victory). And waited for next Ukrainian move.
Bakhmut like Kiev was a diversion. While eyes were peeled on Wagner fight for Bakhmut, Russia was preparing defense lines for counter-offensive.
I strongly disagree that trying to take territory where your OWN population is vulnerable is easy. Quite the opposite, it is the hardest thing to accompish in military terms. Remember Mariupol.
We are a very polite people, and it is not nice to point out what Ukrainian forces did in Mariupol, where Aziv Brigade “defenders” used population as human shields.
This war is not the stalemate. It is Russian strategy, over which NATO has no control.
The purpose of the strategy?
There is something that sticks out. Zelenski cannot be the person leading any effort to negotiate. Because Zelenski has a problem at home. He is deeply unpopular. Hated would ve a better word. Again, being as polite as we are, such problems are not to be talked about.
Is this the reason Russia is taking it easy?
Or perhaps it is saving its breath and resources just in case of war widening
Or — the more Ukraine gets exausted by hitting its head against the wall – the less likely wiuld be any risky action by US hawks.
Or all of the above.
All in all — what can be done to prop up the terminally unpopular war-time leader?
Not much.
Best option? Zelenski has to go. Time for election, and see what shakes out.
Any semi- free election would result in a settlement -seeking Ukraine offering military neutrality for peace.
Is there another possible outcome? Yes.
Alternative is escalation — as Ukraine is running out of people. Unless US gets involved,
Russia is in a wait and see mode.
Like all other natural-born leaders, Thomas focuses on broad strokes towards the inevitable triumph, using outstandingly refined analytical skills and truly spellbinding intellectual efforts.
Perhaps, he “never did mind about the little things”, after all ..
The only place you’ve ever seen me predict a “triumph” for any side in this war is in your obviously very vivid imagination.
You completely missed the point, Thomas. Just for a change and the sake of variety. I was hoping your sense of humour might assist you on this occasion. No such luck for me, sadly. Never mind, I should try harder.
Russia plans to break Ukraine in two and take most of the East, being careful too assure that it never becomes the entity of Ukraine again in the form it had before they sought to join NATO.
It’s nothing short of incredible that you still don’t get it that any war of attrition has rules that differ from “could have liquidated” slash “would have liquidated” hogwash—otherwise, habitually MARVELLOUS insights from Field Marshal Thomas, just for a change and variety.
And here you are talking about it all butt hurt.
Who’s butt hurt? Not me. My sphincter is intact unlike the Ukrainian Banderites.
Tell me about it!
Last I heard, Zelinsky is redirecting skimmed western funding for a new feature length film relating this attack to be on par with Pearl Harbour.
Not sure if he’ll take on a leading role or be the director. Maybe best boy?
Regardless, he’ll complain that the US, UK & EU are not sending enough camera equipment, film crews and production support to the Ukraine and the effort will ultimately fail due to lack of timely support.
Hahaha. Chuckle f**k! Those two ships were destroyed. (You do know you can’t “sink” a ship in dry dock, right?) You tankies are really injecting the Copium today!
Ok Stanky.
Damaged. Not big on reading comprehension are you?
Don’t worry your cheque from the DoD should arrive shortly.
Damaged for sure. That’s not a problem, s**thead?
Oooooh prickly!
😘
DOES THAT MEAN UKRAINE WINS THE WAR?
But, Oh wait; So what is the score in ships after the two can’t be sunk in dry dick of the 290 ships Wikipedia. Russian Navy- 290 ships.
Ukraine struggles to rebuild a navy destroyed by Russia:But what can you do about it when you don’t have a significant naval presence in the Black Sea? That’s a problem,” said Foggo.
It seems hard to believe now, but the Russian and Ukrainian naval fleets operated side-by-side in Crimea’s port of Sevastopol from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 until Russia seized all of Crimea in 2014.
The following year, 2015, Foggo went to Ukraine for NATO-Ukrainian naval exercises. Since Sevastopol was no longer an option, the training took place in Odesa, Ukraine’s other big Black Sea port.
“We tried to assist the Ukrainians with rebuilding their navy,” he said. “It was a big exercise. It grew to a very big exercise, very successful, lots of allies and partners until 2019, 2020.”
Keep screaming, wikipotamus!
The western press establishment is clearly in the tank for the duration, at least unless/until they are ordered to report the news. But even more disappointing to me is the complete mummification of the gray matter among europe’s so-called elite, excepting the governments of Serbia and Hungary, along with a smattering of retired European political leaders. Idioten like von der Leyen and Baerbock act like giggling teenagers when they shine their attention on the Nazi Comedian.
It is worth noting that Russia and Ukraine are not yet at war. Ukraine has not declared war against Russia, nor has Russia declared war on Ukraine. From the Russian side it remains a Special Military Operation. I don’t know what Ukraine is calling it.
Ukraine’s continuing attacks on Russian territory (not just Crimea) are an invitation to war. So Ukraine keeps up a mask of innocence about those. But the mask is wearing thin and I feel that war is coming soon. That will be the next major escalation. And the question then will be, how does the US/NATO respond? Bringing NATO forces in would bring NATO and Russia into direct hot conflict. But abandoning Ukraine would make NATO look weak.
It’s time for Ukraine to come to the table, before everything goes haywire.
Ukraine will come to the table when their master instructs them too.
Until then, they will keep feeding the meat grinder of the failed ‘counteroffensive’.
“Military Directions of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Ukraine”
You don’t know what Ukraine is calling it? Are you that dumb?
Dumbass dog should be your name.
Who gives a rats ass what Ukraine calls it… Disney on steroids & cocaine maybe…..????????
Inter alia this is a message to Musk. “We’ll start WW3 if we want to.” Time to move to an armistice.
Message from WHOM…?????? We all know Russia can start WWIII, BUT OBVIOUSLY DOESN’T WANT TO…. Do you really believe that Ukraine can, and if so HOW…???? Perhaps we may now know why Russia developed the 2oo megaton TZAR bomb, to dissuade any attacker to think WAAAAAY more than twice about having to eat a few of them which are 4000 the blast the ones the U.S. & NATO have.
Now that Elon Musk has “ceded” control of Starlink to the US military, Ukraine, aka the US/UK/NATO, will be able to aim long range missiles at and hit Sevastopol, the Russian naval base on Crimea. And guess what… that is exactly what happened as Ukraine, before Starlink was controlled by the US military, could not hit the Sevastopol naval base using long range US/UK/NATO supplied missiles.
So I guess that Russia needs to destroy the Starlink satellites. But not really, BECAUSE Ukraine wanted to use starling for the kamikaze sub, not Rockets. Rockets don’t need Starlink.