Ukraine War Update BUMPER NEWS: Pt 1 - Overnight & Other News
Table of Contents 📖
"If the remaining 75% [of the Russian population] do not wake up, we will be swept away and we will collect the corpses of our children all over Russia."
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:50⏩
Jonathan welcomes viewers to a bumper news update, explaining it's his twins' birthday and he's a bit jaded from a late-night philosophy and politics discussion with friends.
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🪦 DISCLAIMER FOR GENERAL STAFF LOSSES DATA
- These are real people with real lives and real families who love them. Don’t let the numbers sap your humanity.
- These numbers probably aren’t accurate but they’re the best we have and we don’t need them to be accurate to be indicative of patterns of activity.
- All losses are estimates. Losses cannot be counted with accuracy because of the conditions on the ground.
- Both sides would see it to be of their advantage to minimize their own losses maximize the other side’s losses.
- Neither side releases their losses but we have enough transparency from the Ukrainian side to have confidence in they are indicative.
- Personnel losses are hard to count. If a soldier gets injured, heals up, and returns to the front line only to get injured again, is that one loss or two? Also, how to deal with losses from PMC’s or soldiers fighting with RF from occupied territories?
- Equipment losses are hard to count. If an AA complex involves several parts and one part gets disabled, is that a loss, or a fraction of a loss? If a tank gets disabled, repaired, back into the fight, then disabled again, is that one lost tank or two?
- All recorded losses are vulnerable to multiple reporting. We have already seen numerous cases of multiple drones in the air reporting the same loss from different angles as multiple engagements.
- Losses are not always reported on the same day they occurred. It is frequent that drone losses are reported at least 24 hours after other terrestrial equipment losses. Certain losses may not be reported for days or weeks for military intelligence reasons.
Ukrainian General Staff Figures
🎦 00:50-02:36⏩
Jonathan reviews the Ukrainian General Staff's figures for Russian losses, noting a slight downtick:
- Personnel: 1,090 (slightly lower than recent weeks, but still high)
- Tanks: 5 (below average)
- Troop-carrying AFVs: 14 (below average)
- Artillery systems: 27 (above average, but lowest in some time)
He speculates that this could indicate a slowing of the conflict in Kursk, or a shift in Russian troop and equipment deployment to other frontlines. Air losses include an aircraft shot down in Donetsk, likely an Su-24 or Su-25.
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Andrew Perpetua's Loss List Analysis
🎦 02:36-05:23⏩
Jonathan analyses Andrew Perpetua's latest loss list, highlighting:
- Parity in losses between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
- Significant Ukrainian losses, including a command & control vehicle (M577), surveillance and comms equipment, two radars (P-18 and ANTPQ-36), six boats (three destroyed, three damaged), five T-64 tanks (three destroyed, two damaged), a Polish KTO Rosomak infantry fighting vehicle, various BMPs, APCs, and a MRAC.
- Lighter Russian losses, including a damaged BM-21 Grad MLRS, two abandoned tanks (T-72 and an unidentified model), and a mix of destroyed and abandoned infantry fighting vehicles, APCs, and trucks.
Kursk Offensive Updates
🎦 05:23-08:20⏩
Jonathan provides an update on the Kursk offensive, noting:
- Video evidence of an Su-25 shot down by MANPADS in the Kramatorsk direction.
- General Sursky's claim of 600 Russian POWs captured in the Kursk zone, a figure Jonathan considers plausible but lower than some previous estimates.
- Confirmed equipment losses of 87 for Ukraine and 59 for Russia in the Kursk offensive, a near-parity unusual for an attacking force.
- Open source analyst Nausio's figures show a 5:1 ratio of Russian to Ukrainian losses (1,300 to 260) in the wider Prokrosk region, indicating more favourable outcomes for Ukraine in Kursk specifically.
Russian Equipment Losses
🎦 08:20-10:18⏩
Jonathan reviews further Russian equipment losses:
- A Sapphire electronic warfare system destroyed by drones in Kursk.
- An R-330ZH Zhitel automated jamming system, also taken out in Kursk. Jonathan notes conflicting reports about the system's value, ranging from $10-15 million to $200-250 million, but underscores its significance regardless.
Civilian Casualties in Donetsk
🎦 10:18-11:05⏩
Jonathan reports on the tragic deaths of a family in Izmolivka, Donetsk region, killed in their home by a Russian guided glide bomb. He condemns the act, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of Russian attacks and the ongoing war crimes being committed.
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Russian Response to ATACMS
🎦 11:05-12:22⏩
Jonathan discusses Russia's response to Ukraine's acquisition of ATACMS:
- US officials report that Russia has moved 90% of its military aircraft beyond ATACMS range, a predictable adaptation that underscores the missed opportunity to strike Russian airbases immediately after Ukraine received the missiles.
- The silver lining is a likely reduction in the effectiveness of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), as longer sorties necessitate greater fuel consumption and pose logistical challenges.
- Jonathan connects this to recent strikes on Russian fuel depots, suggesting they might be having the desired impact.
Partisan Activity in Southern Ukraine
🎦 12:22-14:10⏩
Jonathan reports on partisan activity targeting the new railway line Russia is constructing along the southern Ukrainian coast.
- The line, connecting Rostov-on-Don to Mariupol via Berdyansk, is intended to circumvent logistical challenges with the Crimean Bridge and ferry routes.
- The resistance group "Atesh" claims responsibility for sabotage operations, emphasising the railway's significance as a supply route, especially if the Crimean Bridge were to be destroyed entirely.
Russian Missile & Drone Strikes
🎦 14:10-18:52⏩
Jonathan observes a significant decrease in Russian missile and drone strikes following the large-scale attacks two nights prior.
- He sees this as evidence that Russia is struggling to produce and stockpile ordnance at the rate needed to sustain such large-scale attacks.
- He reports on a second consecutive strike on Krivy Rih, targeting a hotel known to house journalists, and another ballistic missile (likely an Iskander-M) launched from occupied Crimea towards the city.
- Further strikes impacted Kharkiv, with a bakery hit by what is believed to be a Tornado MLRS system, injuring 12 civilians, including five children.
Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Oil Depots
🎦 18:52-24:57⏩
Jonathan analyses Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil depots:
- Contrasts Ukrainian targeting of military and infrastructure targets with Russia's more indiscriminate attacks.
- Reports on multiple strikes on oil depots in Rostov, including a large depot hit by drones overnight in Kamensk, with imagery showing significant fires.
- Highlights a drone attack on an oil depot in Kirov, over 1,100km from the Ukrainian border, demonstrating the increasing range and sophistication of Ukrainian drone capabilities.
- Notes the vulnerability of slower-moving drones to small arms fire when striking targets in daylight hours.
Impact of Strikes on Russian Aviation
🎦 24:57-27:29⏩
Jonathan discusses the potential impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian aviation, drawing on a report from Nexta:
- Pilots from Russian airline Pobeda are reportedly apprehensive about flying due to strict fuel economy measures imposed by the company.
- The new regulations require planes to fly with minimal fuel reserves, compromising safety margins needed for diversions and emergency procedures.
- Pilots express concern about being unable to avoid thunderstorms or take optimal flight paths due to fuel constraints, potentially putting aircraft and passengers at risk.
- Jonathan postulates that these fuel shortages might be a direct result of Ukrainian strikes on fuel depots in Rostov, underscoring the potential for such attacks to have tangible effects on the Russian population and their perception of the war.
Russian Drone Operator's Complaint
🎦 27:29-28:20⏩
Jonathan recounts the story of a Russian drone operator who publicly complained about his treatment:
- After transferring regiments, the operator had four drones (purchased with his own money) illegally confiscated.
- His complaints to the investigative committee were ignored, and he and his company were subjected to humiliation, ultimately sent on a dangerous assault mission.
- Jonathan interprets this anecdote as indicative of broader dissatisfaction within the Russian ranks, with frustration directed more towards their own leadership and the war's mismanagement than the conflict itself.
Russian Public Apathy & Potential for Unrest
🎦 28:20-31:40⏩
Jonathan cites Russian volunteer Kasia Varava's concerns about widespread apathy among the Russian populace:
- Varava believes that unless the majority of Russians "wake up" to the realities of the war, Russia will face dire consequences.
- She observes that many Russians remain indifferent to the conflict until it directly impacts their own lives.
- Jonathan supports Varava's assessment, viewing it as justification for Ukrainian strikes that disrupt everyday life within Russia, potentially galvanising public opinion against the war.
- He highlights the drone strike on a residential building in Saratov as an example of how such attacks can pierce the bubble of apathy and bring the conflict home for ordinary Russians.
Kursk Offensive Territorial Gains
🎦 31:40-37:12⏩
Jonathan analyses territorial gains in the Kursk offensive, referencing maps from Ukraine Battle Map:
- Ukraine has retaken approximately 1,210 square kilometres in Kursk since the offensive began, while Russia has captured 145 square kilometres in the Prokrosk direction.
- While Russia has captured more settlements (18) in Prokrosk, they are primarily small villages, whereas Ukraine's gains in Kursk encompass up to 100 settlements and the strategically important railway hub of Sudia.
- Russia's recent capture of Novohrodivka (population 14,000 pre-war) and other towns in Donetsk is concerning, but Jonathan stresses that these gains have come over a period of months, whereas Ukraine's progress in Kursk is more recent.
- He acknowledges that Russia's advances in Prokrosk, particularly around New York and Turetsk, pose a significant challenge for Ukraine, but also highlights the logistical and strategic complexities of the Russian advance.
- The redeployment of Ukrainian reinforcements to the Prokrosk area is a positive sign.
Zelensky's Statements on Kursk
🎦 37:12-38:20⏩
Jonathan reports on Zelensky's recent statements regarding the Kursk offensive:
- Zelensky acknowledges the operation's political and diplomatic dimensions, stating that it has goals beyond mere territorial gain, but declines to elaborate further.
- Sersky's assessment that Russia has redeployed 30,000 troops from other frontlines to Kursk is significant, indicating the effectiveness of the Ukrainian operation in drawing Russian resources.
- Zelensky credits the Kursk operation with halting the Russian advance in the Kharkiv region, preventing further territorial losses in that sector.
Miscellaneous News & Anecdotes
🎦 38:20-43:11⏩
Jonathan shares a series of news snippets:
- Reports of military vehicles receiving speeding tickets in Kursk highlight the surreal juxtaposition of everyday life continuing amidst conflict.
- Zelensky refuses to comment on the status of the Kyiv hydroelectric power plant following recent Russian strikes, choosing to withhold information that could be advantageous to the enemy.
- Jonathan revisits the viral image of a billboard reading "Stability" with a burning oil depot in the background, confirming it to be digitally altered but appreciating the sentiment nonetheless.
- He reports that Ukrainian energy infrastructure suffered less damage than anticipated in the last Russian attack due to improved protection systems implemented at power substations.
- He expresses outrage at the case of Ivan Rozumakin, a convicted murderer released to fight in Ukraine who killed an elderly woman while on leave, only to be released again after a brief imprisonment.
NATO-Ukraine Council Meeting
🎦 43:11-44:10⏩
Jonathan concludes by reporting on the announcement of an emergency NATO-Ukraine Council meeting:
- The meeting, called by Jens Stoltenberg, is likely a response to the recent surge in Russian missile and drone attacks.
- Jonathan speculates that the agenda will likely focus on bolstering Ukrainian air defences, potentially including expedited delivery of previously promised systems.
- He underscores the urgency of the situation, emphasising that Ukraine needs these defensive capabilities immediately to counter the ongoing Russian aggression.
Wrap Up
🎦 44:10-44:14⏩
Jonathan thanks viewers for watching and encourages them to like, subscribe, and share the video.
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