Ukraine War Update EXTRA: Leopards! Swedes, Corruption
Table of Contents 📖
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"If Putin still has maximalist intentions of Ukraine, in you can call it that, at the cost that it has given to the Russian capacity or capability, yeah, capacity, is not good enough if you are hoping for those maximalist intentions."
Hello Team!
Jonathan introduces this Ukraine War Update Extra video where he provides extra nuggets of information to give viewers a greater understanding of the war.
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White Phosphorus Bombs
Footage shows a hellscape of flaming fields, likely caused by an airstrike with white phosphorus bombs. Ukrainian soldiers seem calm, so hopefully there were no casualties.
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Russian Gains in Bakhmut Offensive
A map shows the small territory Russia has gained around Bakhmut and Soledar since December 1st compared to the rest of Ukraine. Jonathan notes that if Putin still has maximalist intentions for Ukraine, these gains are not enough considering the cost to Russian capacity.
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Russian Propaganda and Tucker Carlson
Russian propagandists say Tucker Carlson is the only American they wouldn't want to kill. Jonathan suggests if Russian propagandists like him, he's probably not someone to listen to regarding the Ukraine war.
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Anti-Drone Grids
Anti-drone grids, even simple mesh ones, are proving effective at catching and stopping Russian Lancet kamikaze drones from hitting their targets like Ukrainian SPGs.
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Corruption in Ukraine
Ukraine has a history of corruption, which Zelenskyy intended to tackle before the war started. A deputy minister was recently dismissed and detained for taking $400,000 in bribes. Jonathan explains that the biggest deterrent to corruption is the perception of being caught, so Ukraine investigating and punishing corruption is a positive step. He notes there are opportunities for corruption on both sides during war.
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Insights from Russian Intercepts
Several intercepted calls from Russian soldiers reveal:
- A newly formed unit had 30 wounded before even reaching Ukraine due to drunken fights, overdoses and frostbite
- A new wave of mobilization is calling up all those with military experience, even after recent surgeries
- A soldier is shocked by high casualties in his unit, lack of equipment means they can only survive shelling
- A soldier hoping for rotation is told it's not happening. A group of soldiers deserted back to Russia.
- A soldier rants about horrible conditions, calling it "survival quest", eating raw potatoes. His mother unsympathetically says to keep serving.
Russian War Crime: Hospital Looted
As Russians retreated from Skadovsk in Kherson region, they looted the main hospital, taking all equipment in four military trucks. Jonathan notes the hypocrisy of Russians claiming to "liberate" people while ransacking hospitals and leaving them without medical facilities.
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Swedish and German Arms Sales
There is criticism that Germany and Switzerland have solidified reputations of selling equipment but then denying its use, in "service to the genocidal Russian regime." Countries may prefer to buy from South Korea, Poland, Turkey who won't put such stipulations, putting German and Swiss arms industries at a competitive disadvantage.
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Swedish Military Equipment for Ukraine
Sweden is providing Ukraine with:
- 50 CV90 combat vehicles with impressive stabilized guns
- Archer artillery systems with 60km range using Excalibur precision munitions, providing a HIMARS alternative
Leopard 2 Tanks for Ukraine
In a major development:
- The US offered tanks from its stockpiles and industrial partnership to countries that give Leopard 2s to Ukraine
- Germany stated it does not mind other countries supplying tanks to Ukraine, waiving export license issues
- France's Macron did not exclude sending Leclerc tanks if it doesn't cause escalation, provides effective support, and doesn't weaken France's defense
- With Ramstein meeting, there may now be enough tanks provided to give Ukraine a decent offensive capability by late spring
Wrap Up
Jonathan hopes this extra update video was useful and interesting. He thanks his YouTube channel members for their support which allows him to spend significant time creating content.
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