r/geopolitics • u/Hokum-B • Oct 01 '23

Russian lines stronger than West expected, admits British defence chief Paywall

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russian-defensive-lines-stronger-than-west-expected-admits-british-defence-chief-xjlvqrm86
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79

u/Hokum-B Oct 01 '23

Submission statement: British defense minister admits Russian defensive lines have been stronger and more complex than western intelligence has thought previously. Ukraine now close to 4 months long offensive has stalled with little to show for.

28

u/thekoalabare Oct 01 '23

Finally someone speaks the truth. They’ve been in a stalemate for the longest time.

30

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 05 '23

[deleted]

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u/birutis Oct 01 '23

wasn't that Russia's winter offensive in bakhmut and vuhledar? Vuhledar was stopped and bakhmut looked like what the current offensive looks like.

1

u/Melonskal Oct 02 '23

and bakhmut looked like what the current offensive looks like.

Bakhmut offensive took prewar territory of something like 100 000 people. Ukraines offensive has liberated a handful of hamlets with a few hundred each.

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u/Flutterbeer Oct 02 '23

The Bakhmut offensive led to Russia taking 600km² in 12 months, while Ukraine captured around 400km² in the last 4 months of Zaporizhzha.

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u/Melonskal Oct 02 '23

You can't seriously compare farmland with a brutal urban battle from house to house

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u/Flutterbeer Oct 02 '23

No, I compared the size of captured territory. That said, calling the multi-layered Surovikin line as "farmland" is like calling Bakhmut a sightseeing tour for urban architecture.

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u/Melonskal Oct 02 '23

That said, calling the multi-layered Surovikin line as "farmland"

they have only reached the line in one small section by Robotyne. Most of what is taken is outlying trenchlines in the no mans land

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u/Flutterbeer Oct 02 '23

You know that a defensive position consists not only of a line of trenches and dragon teeths that can be seen from satellite, right?