Russia - threadbanned users in OP

I think what's needed is a lot of those ordnance sniffer dogs or they need to develop an ordnance sniffing drone that flies in a predetermined search pattern low to the ground.

With any luck this is them bugging out and leaving the city without a fight.

I've little doubt that Ukraine could win a street fight for this city, but it would be drawn out & very bloody. If they are bugging out it also robs Ukraine the chance to remove Russia's "best" troops from the fight. I was hoping for a mass surrender here, which might have set up a precursor to Ukraine's own version of Sherman's March to the Sea....instead you'd swap out Confederate Georgia with Crimea.

Adaptiveness changing from sovet era to western in the middle of a war with a lot of civilians coming I to the fray has been spectacular and including the drone stuff.

Point is a nato force would have demolished the over rated Russian forces with its current levels of unity very quickly and with less destruction.

I still think nato will end up in the conflict boots on the ground eventually.

Whatever the total is, seems clear Russia has lost a lot of troops and equipment from the original force.

There is alot of evidence beyond what Ukraine says or the figures they or their allies/supporters give for this. e.g. fact that Ukraine managed to take any ground back at all, continuous funnelling of additional equipment from other parts of Russian army/stockpiles into Ukraine, rounding up of "volunteers" + recruiting for Wagner pmc etc., that Putin had to do a partial mobilisation/shift to a war economy to keep the slaughter going, that Putin has gone to Iran and North Korea for more weapons/supplies...

Maybe just maybe Ukraine is a bit more erm "democratic" than Russia, & Zelensky would be out on his ear (and Ukraine would be suing for peace) if he ordered military to begin some huge assaults that will result in kind of losses Russia's army is suffering (or worse!) trying to win land for Putin in Ukraine?

It's funny how fact of damage Russia has suffered will not sink in for some or be admitted to. Computer says no! I think if the US had been going about waging such a disgusting war and its military being hammered by same level of casulaties & losses, some of these posters would have been rubbing their little paws together in glee at the unfolding catastrophe.

I've seen firsthand too what these infernal weapons do, and predominantly to innocent civilians long after the war has ended. I've shared living quarters with de-miners and like your case, one of them lost his life as well, in Libya.

all roads lead to Crimea. Get the HIMARS in range and liquidate their bases.

More likely that Russians are having a look around and saying to themselves, 'bleep this, I am out of here'

I'd like to think that also. But could be a trap.

After 4 hours of debate, the parliament decided that Bulgaria should provide military aid to Ukraine. The caretaker government must submit a decision within 30 days, as well as enter into talks with NATO countries to acquire, receive or deploy defense-enhancing capabilities

Bulgaria are going from zero to hero

It's an advert for S7 Airlines.

Probably not a toilet left in the place either. 🤔

More explosions in Melitopol.

With any luck, yes. But even if they have abandoned the city, I suspect they'll try to set up a new defensive line south of Kherson. There's plenty of large towns in the area and the land-bridge into Crimea itself to contend with. Still plenty of fighting ahead I fear.

If the Russians are being less stupid than usual, they're redeploying their better troops to try and hold Crimea. They may hope that a Ukraine-hostile GOP will get the house in the US next month and be much less generous with military aid. If I were an RU commander, I'd pull back to the best defensive position I could find and play for time. The hope might be that they can "normalise" the border at Crimea.

Best case however is that the Russians have lost control of their own forces and that they have all bugged out independently, leaving no defensive line ahead of Crimea.

And checkpoints completely abandoned..