Kerch Bridge in Crimea has just been blown up.
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Anonymous
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https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/explosion-rocks-russias-prized-kerch-strait-bridge-leading-to-crimea
This is certainly going to complicate Russia’s logistical problems with keeping their forces in eastern (occupied) Ukraine resupplied. Looks like one entire span of the highway bridge is totally gone, the other severely damaged, and the rail line span is severely damaged as well. Reminds me of the scene in the movie “A Bronx Tale”, where Sonny locks the door to the bar, telling the biker gang “we asked you to leave…. now you’s CAN’T leave”. |
Anonymous
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It's not just the troops who don't have a way out.
https://meduza.io/en/news/2022/10/07/further-changes-in-russia-s-military-rustam-muradov-who-made-his-name-in-syria-and-chechnya-appointed-commander-of-eastern-military-district "General Rustam Muradov was appointed commander of Russia’s Eastern military district." "The district consists of four military units — the Far-Eastern military district, the Pacific fleet, the eastern part of the Siberian military district, and the air-force and air defense command. The district headquarters are located in Khabarovsk." https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-commander--chaiko-replaced-lyman/32070361.html "Muradov replaced Colonel General Aleksandr Chaiko" "[Muradov] led troops in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, parts of which have been under Moscow-backed separatists' control since 2014. He also commanded Russian peacekeepers in Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh." "The [Eastern] district is based in Russia's Far East, but much of its personnel is currently taking part in Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine." "On October 3, RBK reported that the commander of the Western Military District, Colonel General Aleksandr Zhuravlyov, had been replaced" "In September, General Dmitry Bulgakov, deputy defense minister in charge of logistics, was replaced by Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev" "In August, Russian state media said the commander of the Black Sea fleet had been fired" https://meduza.io/en/feature/2022/10/04/when-kadyrov-speaks-prigozhin-echoes "“Yesterday, it was the parade in Izium, today it’s the Ukrainian flag in Lyman – and what about tomorrow? It would all be well and good if it weren’t so bad,” quipped the Head of the Chechen Republic. Shortly afterwards, Evgeny Prigozhin, the man behind the Wagner Group, replied to Kadyrov: “Beautiful, Ramzan, keep it up.” This wasn’t the first instance of Ramzan Kadyrov criticizing Russia’s Defense Ministry – and being seconded by Prigozhin." "Following the retreat from Lyman the next day, Kadyrov blamed the failure on the Colonel Gen. Alexander Lapin." "The head of Chechnya also pointed out that only last July, Lapin had been awarded a Hero of Russia title and a “golden star” for taking Lysychansk – when in reality, according to Kadyrov, Lapin “was nowhere near” the action." "“Kadyrov’s expressive statement is not at all my style,” Prigozhin wrote on the website of his catering company, Concord. “But I can say this: ‘Beautiful, Ramzan, keep it up.’ These punks should be shipped to the front barefoot with machine guns.”" "On Sept. 24, for example, the Chechen leader urged that 50 percent of the Russian law-enforcement troops be sent to the front. Immediately, Prigozhin said that Kadyrov was right." "Kadyrov and Prigozhin both belong to the radical wing of the so-called “war party” – those members of the Russian government who advocate for the invasion and, strategically, for escalation." "Another source noted that, even before the invasion, Prigozhin and Shoigu got into an “unprintable” argument at one of the Defense Ministry’s meetings. In recent years, Prigozhin also lost a large share of his government contracts with the ministry." As for Ramzan Kadyrov, he has repeatedly pointed out that the Chechen units of the Russian army fight much better than the rest of it, and stand ready “to take Kiev tomorrow, if Putin so orders.” "Kadyrov’s and Prigozhin’s criticisms of the army are silently supported by “a group of ambitious young FSO-men” — that is, Putin’s former security officers, the Governor of Tula Alexey Dyumin and the former head of the Yaroslavl region, Dmitry Mironov, who is now an assistant to the President. According to sources close to the President’s Office, Mironov and Dyumin often talk and meet in person." "Ramzan Kadyrov got to know both Dyumin and Prigozhin when they were still Putin’s bodyguards. Apparently, Kadyrov was friendly with both of them – and even called Dyumin his “elder brother.”" "In the past, both of them worked in the Federal Security Service (FSO), but they also held significant posts in the law enforcement. Mironov was once the deputy head of the Interior Ministry (MVD). Dyumin was once second to Shoigu in the Ministry of Defense. According to two sources close to the Kremlin, Dyumin and Shoigu did not get along: Shoigu, it appears, suspected that Dyumin might scheme to take his place. It was Shoigu, according to one of our sources, who had Dyumin finally dispatched to Tula." https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/oct/07/russia-ukraine-war-live-nuclear-threat-is-worst-in-60-years-biden-says-ukraine-recaptures-500-square-km-in-a-week?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-634037968f088272fbb9d818#block-634037968f088272fbb9d818 On Monday, RBC reported that the commander of the western military district, Col Gen Alexander Zhuravlyov, had been replaced by Lt Gen Roman Berdnikov. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rustam_Muradov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Chaiko https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Lapin_(general) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramzan_Kadyrov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Prigozhin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Zhuravlyov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Berdnikov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Shoigu "You have failed me for the last time" -Darth Vader |
Anonymous
| If you've never seen it, you should watch the movie Bridge on the River Kwai. Incredible. |
Anonymous
| angry staffer on twitter has some good shots |
Anonymous
| Before I read more about it, I thought it was Russia using one of those baby nukes. I know that logically it's all not going to happen but Putin is loosing and the desperate do crazy a$$ things. |
Anonymous
If they use nuclear it will be against civilians targets. |
Anonymous
| Madness! Madness! |
Anonymous
Would It be possible for you to explain your point? I am genuinely asking-what are you trying to say? I need some analysis or dot connecting! |
Anonymous
It seems like explosives placed on the train. |
Anonymous
Was it the box truck in the video above? Or does the train run under the main roadway for cars? That blast is shocking. |
Anonymous
I see what you did there |
Anonymous
There are three elevated spans: two roadways and one train. Failing to protect a perfectly good $3.5bn bridge seems bad when it was a key accomplishment of the Putin regime as part of an effort to more fully integrate Crimea. |
Anonymous
| So interesting how I've seen only one person on Twitter indicate that this was a suicide bomber. Granted I haven't read Guardian, FT, NYT, and WaPo articles yet, but is interesting. |
Anonymous
That's because we don't yet know what the cause was. We don't even know if it was Ukraine or something internal to Russian. Even if it was the truck we don't know whether the driver knew. |