"Panicked Retreat? Questions Raised" Topic

…The Russians abandoned next to no artillery or armoured vehicles, and their retreat from the heavily-fortified area did not look like a panicked flight that followed heavy fighting, according to videos from the area and Ukrainian military reports.

There is only one narrow road that connected the de-occupied towns of Kupiansk and Izyum to the Russian border.

But the retreat did not clog it up – and lasted days, not hours, Mitrokhin said…

Aljazeera: link

A planned withdrawal …? We need to see more reports, IMO … But IMO the fighting won't stop until all of the Russian military and separatists are out of Ukraine.

Poppycock!

They've left EVERYTHING behind, right down to their uniforms and the Lt. General commanding the Western Combined Army.

Only transport trucks and fuel tankers were seen fleeing Izyum, probably loaded with men--if loaded at all. Plenty of intercepted messages from troops abandoned by their transport who boogied for home.

Blitzkrieg can still work….

TVAG

I'm sure some of the Russian troops left with there weapons.
But not most of them. Officers loyal to Putang got the orders early on. Others did not.

I've seen tons of AFVs left behind. Most in mint condition. Some abandoned in swamps for some reason.

The article is quoting a Russian 'academic' and then balances it out with evidence that this was a show.
There is palpable desperation by the Russians to minimise the defeat. The volume of abandoned equipment and POWs tells the story well-enough.

Given the sheer volume of blatant propaganda coming out of Russia, I don't think any Russian source can be trusted.

Though to be honest Western intelligence agencies seem to be saying the Russian's had pretty much no substantial forces in the recovered region. So I wonder how many of the concentrations of vehicles the Ukrainians seem to have recovered are actually pools of vehicle awaiting maintenance (would make a lot of sense based on Russia's well documented logistical inadequacies). This probably begs the question where are the nearest significant Russian reserves? If they have all been shuttled up (down?) towards Kherson that leaves the Separatist Republics exposed. And is the Ukrainian's bluff at Kherson a bluff within a bluff? Take a chunk of land back wait for Russian command to start running units back across the occupied territory in a panic and then let the hammer drop there? They clearly had enough troops and equipment in place to convince the Russian's it was a real offensive. That coastal region is probably the most surveilled chunk of land on the planet at the moment. Not to mention its due to become something of a mud bath again.

Gallery of abandoned stuff

The Guardian – link

Though to be honest Western intelligence agencies seem to be saying the Russian's had pretty much no substantial forces in the recovered region.

That seems to include units that were once capable, but were severely degraded. And troops who simply weren't willing to fight.

There are also reports that some of the Russian soldiers are upset about the lack of cold-weather gear (it's already getting cold there).

Looks like Ukraine will have the largest Army in the area. They only need to get them up and running!

Whatever the final figure of captured vehicles the Ukrainian army announces, it would be fair to double it to account for the booty taken by the Tractor Battalion of the Ukrainian Farmed Forces.

There are also reports that some of the Russian soldiers are upset about the lack of cold-weather gear (it's already getting cold there).

Given when they invaded it appeared to be without adequate cold weather gear I hope their expectations aren't high!

And troops who simply weren't willing to fight.

Along with no capable NCO Corps, very poor leadership across the board, poor logistics, their inability to fight combined arms … off the top of my head.

There are also reports that some of the Russian soldiers are upset about the lack of cold-weather gear (it's already getting cold there).

Oh the irony that this is happening to RUSSIA…

Damon.

There are also reports that some of the Russian soldiers are upset about the lack of cold-weather gear (it's already getting cold there).

Soviet troops lacked cold-weather gear when they invaded Finland in November of 1939, so I think it's becoming kind of a military tradition for them.

They just keep ing up everything they attempt to do …

If this continues into the winter, I hope the Ukrainians plan a winter offensive. I imagine Russians huddled around burn barrels and if they were to retreat it would mean a death sentence for them. They will not dig in and fight to the last man. I would have a psyops truck blaring a message, surrender and you get warm meals, shelter and clothing.

If the officers are not sharing in the hardships of the Russian enlisted, they just might end up in the burn barrel, at least they would serve a useful purpose.

The more I think about it burn barrels won't be safe drones will spot them.

The Russian Military is grossly unprepared and amazingly poorly lead.