@@alanyates5088 complete "I think" narrative, full of unevidenced speculation & wild predictions, whilst ignoring all statistical & imperial analysis,of events , troop casualties, hardware losses & military production levels or shells rockets, drones, tanks,planes etc... His only source is Ukraine intellegence & freely admits to an invasion of Russian territory by NATO forces, using NATO weapons & Intel. Same in the comments, complete reliance on unnamed sources, rumours & random chatter which appear to support Ukraine attacking undefended structures & territory outside the conflict zone against civilians targets, because it weakens a soverign country financially & politically supposedly. Every episode is mostly pure projection of western military inadequacies & political disolusionment by people sitting watching western TV state news or repeating opinion in a bubble.
I saw some depressing interviews on the BBC regarding Kursk where Russian civilians were asking “why is this happening to us? We just want to live in peace.” Apparently completely oblivious to the fact their country repeatedly invaded Ukraine and has completely demolished many Ukrainian cities. I wonder if it is even possible for Russian society to realise they are the aggressors here.
The power of brainwashing on state television lie after lie. Most elderly use that as their only source of news. And the youngsters are either fighting or have fled.
Yes, it's true. Keep in mind rural Russian orcs are amongst the most ignorant, ill-educated peasant populations on earth. Ukraine was known as "the brains" of the former soviet union... and that idiom is proving to be absolute truth on the battlefield. Russian tactics and strategy utterly idiotic, while Ukraine has demonstrated brilliants tactics, strategy... adaptability, innovation, resilience etc.
No, it is not possible. Similarly how German society after WW2 refused to accept that they were "bad guys" - until the next generation have grown up under very different propaganda. And Russian society will not be a subject to occupation and forcible propaganda, so they'll never accept that they were in the wrong. Just look at Serbia today and Serbian society after Kosovo war till today.
I am Russian, living Samara. Many in Kursk support Ukranien army! This is why there was no fighting in Kursk. Many conscript boys, they surrender, or just run, even some drink beer with Ukrainein! Ukrainien not he enemy in many part of russia!
@Bootse1900 Of the russian conscript that surrender, many were taken to Ukrainie for their safety! POW in Ukraine lives better than average russian, we russian live poorly😪
The modern battlefield...$300 drones destroying $500k tanks..the Ukrainians have recognised where their weakness in equipment and innovated. Fortune favours the brave.
Ukraine are running out of men and equipment. As fast as they are deployed, they are destroyed. It is a mistake to believe anything coming out of Britain and the US. I speak as a Brit who watches US military experts giving their expert run down of events.
I have just read, elsewhere, an account of a Russian train transporting air-defence systems to the front. The Ukranians identified and intercepted the train. But, rather than destroying the train with its cargo, they went one better, disabling the train, without destroying it, then stealing the cargo and whisking it back to Ukranian positions for analysis and use. Extraordinary.
@@q.e.d.9112 Why can't you look it up yourself? It's my opinion that when people ask for a link they are not really interested in the story, they are passively accusing someone of lying. Rude.
Ukrainians are apparently planning to stay in Kursk. Their soldiers have been posting online reviews of the restaurants there. Main complaint: Not enough parking for Ukrainian tanks.
Russia’s lack of response is interesting. Suggests they have no reserves as all they have are being slaughtered in Donbas. Russia’s refineries on fire, airlines landing in fields, rail network about to collapse, and food inflation above 30%. Russia is disintegrating🎉
Quite the achievement concidering food is not part of the sanctions. It's against chips , persons like olicharchs, Putins circle and himself. And any other product that could be used for militairy purposes and oil/gas/refinery tools and equipment and replacement parts and last pricecaps on export of oil.
The Russian people in the Kursk are not slowing the Ukraine military down. They're not vandalizing setting things on fire it really shows the difference between the two Countries. 🤔🇺🇸
Most likely a difference between levels of support for their governments. It looks like the Kursk people are readily stepping aside and letting the Ukrainians play through. Suggesting that they wouldn't be sad to see Putin get his.
@@apveeningWagner is a designated terrorist group with no military skills who can only terrorize civilians and gets just decimated every time they go up against a real military 😂😂😂
Col. Hamish De Bretton-Gordon is a hawk. But hes right... I say this as an ex Cpl of the Royal Engineers Postal & Courier branch, so I'm uniquely placed to provide top command strategy as I.... wasn't an officer ;-). The gloves must come off. Theres no escalation threat.. There is an IMMEDIATE need for a green light on Storm Shadow usage in strategic russian territory targets. Stop fekkin around and HELP THEM!
Ukraine has taken 2,000 square km of Russian villages and fields This is the size of Greater Manchester. Russia has taken 106,000 square km Ukraine has taken nothing. The target was the power station, they failed.
From the calm way in which civilians have reacted to the Ukrainians after being left to their own devices by the orc government (a calmness that even the orc propagandists have noticed and irritated them), perhaps some of them wanted to go to Ukraine even if Ukraine doesn't want them.
Ukraine has flipped the script! 😊 Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk said in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria from Kyiv on Sunday, that he can't divulge future plans, but what he can say, is that there will be more surprises to come. 😮😊 He says they've been fighting a symmetrical war, but with Russia's much larger land mass, manpower and military equipment resources, Ukraine has to be innovative. Andriy added that Ukraine has no interest in occupying Russian land. By diverting Russian troops to have to free their own land, Ukraine wants to make sure that the Russians fail at occupying Ukraine. Slàva Ukraini! 🇺🇲 🇺🇦
@@rossmacnab2655 Well, Sweden and Finland were always on the "western team". But Finland figured not making it official, would help ease tensions / avoiding escalation. And Finland had to have the last say in this matter. It's very unwise for us - Finland and Sweden - not to act in unison. Besides it runs against our common history and culture. (I'm Swedish.) But perhaps to some degree, Sweden could, and did indeed, act a bit more obvious as an unofficial NATO ally. But both have had systems and communications compatability with NATO for decades, so also formally joining, was very simple. What we are doing now, which we couldn't before, is practical logistics like preparing forward storage and deployment, and making our bases constantly available on a daily basis for NATO. So now we can prepare a really solid layered NATO northern flank, with Norway, Sweden and Finland as layers. Which ought to make Russia really think more than twice. In a similar way, Ukraine is / has already been working it's way into NATO integration already since 2014. When the time comes, Ukraine will be able to do much the same kind of "flip switch" formal joining of NATO, that Finland and Sweden has done. P.S. It feels very good that finally all the Nordic countries also formally play the same NATO team on the northern flank - and also the Baltic sea! That also strengthens the defence of the Baltic states - also a very true concern for Sweden and Finland. Remember, these are all culturally very tightly knit areas! It's all the same old Viking territory! This of course also applies to the Norwegian, Iceland and Greenland area.
How do we make Europeans unite tightly? So complex but only by having love and respect for today's young people who are taking over and can maybe create the best Europe ever!
They are Ukrainian weapons. The N Korean artillery ammunition and Iranian drones and missiles - does that mean Ukraine is at war with N Korea and Iran .... absolutely ridiculous.
Why won't Putin stop the war and go home. And be satisfied with the potion God allotted to him and stop taking innocent lives . Madness. Go check on Putin brain.
Ruzzia claims to protect ruzzians living in Ukraine. Putini avoids declaring war and pretends it is a police Action (ruzzki style) this way he can claim the civilised countries support criminals. The counterattack against the incoursion is labelled counter terrorism Action. See the theme?
Does anyone else feel that Putin is afraid of sending troops to Kursk now and previously to engage Prigoshen / Wagner because hes nervous they may switch sides or go against him? Thats the only reason i can think of as to why his response has been so slow, so weak and so tepid during those two attacks on russian soil. I feel like Putin fears Russian troops and generals more than the Ukrainians and is petrified of being deposed.
ok, but another reason: Putin is running low on warm bodies to send into the killing fields. Recent pics of Russian POW's sitting in buses, handcuffed, show fresh faced boys - in their mid-teens.
Does he have anyone to send there? It'd been 2 weeks. If he had people, they'd be there. It seems all those conscripts were happy to be rescued by Ukraine
Nah, it's just good old PR. I saw this guy on the Beeb the other day, I'm so tired of puffed-up British majors and colonels doing the propaganda grind on the TV news and talking like it's still the Falklands War or the like. ;) Notice how he doesn't even mention the critical lack of a NATO aircraft cover over the Ukraine/NATO forces in the Kursk pocket. Some of those troops are NATO soldiers fighting in Ukr uniforms and without their own flags - but if this had been a regular US army operation, there would have been hundreds of fighter aircraft above, to protect the army and to make lots of strikes on targets behind the front, subdue air defences and airfields and so on, This is missing of course, just like it was missing during Ukraine's hyped-up SCO last summer and fall, and they are going to pay a heavy price for that omission, all over again.
Get a grip Ukraine has taken 2,000 square km of Russian villages and fields This is the size of Greater Manchester. Russia has taken 106,000 square km Ukraine has taken nothing. The target was the power station, they failed.
Please give the innovative Ukraines some credit for their use of various long range drones land, water and air. They really have taken up the slack from using US and UK long range cruise missiles.
Thank you Hamish for your great insides. I also always listen to Ukraine, the latest, the Telegraph podcast. I am super excited that the Ukrainians managed to achieve this. Now, with all 3 bridges down, I don’t think Putin can do much. Some Russian, pro-Ukrainian RU-vidrs even start to wonder whether Putin is willing to just give up Kursk. I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of the end of Putin and we can soon welcome him here in The Hague to stand trial. Greetings from the Netherlands
Because Putin refuses to accept Ukraine’s independence his view of their troops inside of Russia’s internationally recognized borders is irrelevant to his ultimate ambitions. Not sure that this view is widely shared with regular Russians or their BRICS buddies, though, as it makes them look weak.
Backing cost money, which is time. Germany can no longer afford to send more aid, and the rest are going through political turmoil because it’s destroying their economies. This aid and support comes with interest.
Both are never right . Both predicted that the Ukraine in 2023 would be a huge success and would result in the taking back of Crimea . In fact the offensive was a massive fail . But pigeons continue to eat what the this pair sell . Lol
I remember as a child being caught in misbehavior and trying everything to get out of it..."I don't know"..."wasn't me it was him." Putin reminds me of that response to getting caught.
I imagine that in the case of China, the population has very little control of the government. I imagine that the population doesn’t have much of an opinion about foreign policy and allies. I only know that they care about Taiwan a lot. They very badly want the island back. In the case of Iran, I think they see themselves at war with the western powers. I’m not sure how they view Ukraine. Why would they encourage Russia to attack Urkraine?
They don't. Once all the military resources NATO has worthlessly given Ukraine are expended and the hardware is depleted, China will likely launch a massive cyber attack followed by EMP strikes. Then they will launch nukes or go with a conventional invasion (PLA has largest military in the word - and they are not soft, woke, social justice warriors like in the west) and will crush the allies. China could probably do this all by themselves. But they got Iran. North Korea will probably step in to get a piece of the action. And I'm sure the rest of the terrorist countries will join in on the action. They will see this as a perfect time for a jihad. Good times are ahead for the west. Only thing that might stop this madness is Trump. We shall see.
Plus there are few routes for resupply. Russia moves by trains and railways are much easier to disable than are roads. Russia seems to be having a lot of trouble with its rail system, Ukraine can speed that along. And taking out refineries makes it more difficult for Russia to move supplies.
The Russian army is a garbage army of incompetent untrained & undisciplined thugs who had the good fortune of inheriting the massive Soviet arsenal which is quickly being depleted. All those troops & hardware, massive Air Force & Navy and in 2.5 years they have only made it 18 miles from their own border at the cost of over 500,000 casualties. Russian military incompetence is nothing short of astounding.
In WW I, Tsar Nicolas II also insisted in commanding his forces himself after the humiliation of the Russo-Japanese War. In the first year, he lost 1.5m men and another 1-1.5m Russians died as collateral damage. After one year, he was forced to hoist the white flag - and the rest is history. Russia last won a war by themselves in 1812 when they had to burn Moscow down to deny Napoleon's army of 1.5m men to re-supply after taking the capital - and even then, it was the winter that did the most damage when the French retreated and got picked off all the way home. Russia military might is a myth.
@@russellspeed1693 not really. It’s vague overview but it’s quite accurate. Even in WW2, allied lend-lease provided the soviets with the materiel that they needed to keep fighting until they could relocate their factories and most of the “victories” of the soviets have relied on manpower and materials from subjugated nations and peoples. Rather than simply calling someone “poorly informed”, why don’t you substantiate your own point?
Come on Kier Starmer, time to show this countries mettle... Give President Zelenskyy what he needs... All the hardware sitting in Barracks all over the UK... Give him everything we've got... we're not going to use it, Zelenskyy's defeating the one possible enemy we have! Now is the TIME
Two tier Keir? You really think the person actively engaging in shutting down free speech cares? You better be careful with your words going forward, you could end up in prison too.
@@kelli6466Those knuckle-draggers can barely string a coherent sentence together.... never mind engage in a political discussion.... They trashed town and city centers, they intimidated and attacked ethnic minorities and tried to burn down mosques and asylum centers.... how is that "free speech "???
@@kelli6466 Lol labor only just took power, and he's shutting down free speech? Some police force the Tories built these last 14 years if they're blindly obedient to such orders!
Only 2 bridges left, one at Semenovo,(15km from Korenevo) one at Rylsk (20km from Korenevo) then the next bridge according to google maps would be a railway bridge south of Voronino, about 40km north east of Korenevo. Hardly any roads leading upto the river itself and it looks like mostly forest area and swamp. Placing ponton bridges for heavy vehicles seems very difficult if not imposible along the whole bank of the Seym river. The 2 bridges at Tetkino are impossible to use for the Russians, those are right at the border with Ukriane and once over it the only way back to Russia is over Ukrainian territory. They might just be driving the Russian troops east towards Tetkino and trap them!?
Via low cost drones, monitoring the river for any activity leading to a pontoon bridge should be simple. Plus there aren't many places where decent roads lead to the river. Taking out the components of a floating bridge shouldn't require the use of major weapons. Dropping a converted tank mine should mess stuff up pretty nicely.
It is! Putin has a shovel and is digging the hole deeper and deeper. He will destroy himself and take his country down with him... like so many dictators have in the past... Russia will likely collapse and break up even more I imagine to think.
This was Putin's dream. The dream of acquiring more territory and getting richer. If they had treated soviet member states with respect, no state would have left the Soviet Union. So, for 100 y, Russia has received a very nasty reputation, as leader after leader acts like an aggressor. Every ex-soviet state wants to join the west. When Georgia wanted to join the west, I think in 2005, Russia decided to invade Georgia. In 2020, when Azerbaijan attacked Armenia, Armenia was in the OSCE (The NATO equivalent of Russia) and they asked for help and no help came. Russia only sells basic weapons, old weapons to Armenia and does not allow them to buy from anyone else. Russia doesn’t even allow Armenia to declare Artsakh their own territory. Armenia is cutting off ties with Russia and trying to join the western members. They bought some modern weaponry from France and India. Russia protested. And it was said that Armenia was the best ally of Russia. Russia loses while the western powers make gains. That is the nature of things.
Excellent analysis by the Colonel. The Ukrainian offensive on the Kursk region follows the very famous teachings of the great British military thinker Col. B. H. Liddell Hart, called "The Strategy Of The Indirect". It shows that the Ukrainian generals are planning strategy and tactics with great care and educated thinking. This is the opposite of the Russians, where Vladimir Putin makes all the command decisions, and nothing happens without his approval. Putin is not an experienced military man, but only a KGB/FSB intelligence operative. He knows nothing about actual combat and tactics on the ground. He allows his soldiers to be slaughtered in huge numbers, and the same with vast amounts of military equipment. Putin is a mediocre commander in every way. The Russian military is ham-strung and weakened by this total control by a criminal dictator..
We should assume that not only are some wise people in Ukraine making good decisions, they are also backed up by very competent people in Europe and North America. Can't confirm, but I heard that the US CIA has at least a dozen stations in Ukraine where they are collecting information for use by Ukrainian and allied planners.
@@bobwallace9753 As well, I think (if memory serves me) that the Estonia spy agency is the best in the world for knowing what's going on in Orcville. They have been on Ukraines side since day one.
@@dzonbrodi514wrong 6th in Russia. Don’t forget North Koreans, Chechen, Iranians, Syrians, Wagners. Wait till Chinese wants new Belt and Road thru Siberia.
Putin in 2022: Invade Ukraine certain of "taking Kyiv in three days" Russia in 2024:... Kursk, a region of Russia becomes part of Ukraine 🇺🇦 🙆🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
Armenia has just announced that they are giving all their Russian anti aircraft/missile systems to Ukraine and plan to purchase their new ones from the West.
Thank you for bringing us this information. I am tired of hearing western military officers discounting what Ukraine has been doing. Expectations and assessments have been poor from the West in this war.
Russia depends on trains for it's troop movements. Trains need bridges. Unlike truck-based logistics, which can be eaily re-routed if a bridge is taken out, a train cannot be easily re-routed. Fewer train lines, fewer bridges, fewer pathways to the front.
Excellent briefing as always sir 🫡 100% correct we DO NOT need the US to give us the green light to allow the Ukrainians to fire British missiles. Pull your finger out Mr Prime Minister and LEAD THE WAY!
There is a significant factor that these reporters keep overlooking. Russia is not the USA or UK or France, Germany, Brazil or S.Korea. Russian social upheaval only happens at EXTREME failure of government. When Napoleon captured Moscow, the russian society remained intact. None of the peasants revolted, even when starving and dying in their own capitol. Same with WW2. Russia had significant territorial losses, the civilians do not care. 'The next Czar might be worse' is a motto for a reason. The local governments failed, but the civilians ask putin to fix it. They throw local government under a bus as the scapegoat. Russia is more simmilar to N.Korea or China than to any european or western country. The czar and boyars were ruled over by the mongals for like 1000 years. The civilians of russia will not retaliate in any significant way unless there is suffering that we have not seen since the middle ages. The fall of the soviet union was an economic war that they lost. The government itself continued and the people at that level continued. Things did not change. When the 'civilians' (more like, government coup) killed the romanovs, who took their place? Did their lives improve? Russians have no agency to 'fix' their leaders. Because the retaliation is insane and no Geneva convention will save them. Stop trying to think of when the civilians will have a revolution and kick putin out. It probably wont happen, even if russia itself becomes extinct.
A brilliant and encouraging report from this British military expert. I am heartened to hear his observations. He is one of the best like Michael Clark, Ben Hodges, and Mark Galliotti. Sorry about the spelling The worst I’d General McGregor, biased and ill informed
Really interesting comments from Mr Hamish explaining war strategy in detail in Kursk n his smart advice to allies to allow Ukraine to attack deeper in Russia with long range missiles ( storm shadow n Atacms etc ..). Mn tks for your valuable information about Ukrainian incursion in Kursk.
A luxury guest. His excellent command of the subject matter and deep knowlege of military history make his interventions always very wortwhile listening to. Thank you.
@@ermanvis7642 50 billions no big deal. Obama's campaign manager for 2008 stole 60 billion dollars from his company's segregated customer accounts back in 2012. Not one day in jail did he serve. Did not even get charged with a crime since he was buddies with Obama. Look him up. John Corzine MF Global scandal.
One of the best analysis I have heard, not a false note. I did not know about Putin allocating troops to protect his personal properties. Appreciate that the interviewer let Col Bretton-Gordon expand on his dialogue without interruption.
Curious to know what the US has to do with StormShadow/SCALP. It's Anglo-French and I was under the impression that both Starmer and Macron had ok'd its use on Russian territory weeks or months ago. Why would they need Washington's "permission"?
@@icu17siberia True, but the F-16 can't handle the Storm Shadow (SCALP). Too heavy to hang under one wing and the ventral Hardpoint is too close to the forward landing gear. The Mirage 2000D that France promised, those could though... Storm Shadows are only launched Jury-rigged from Migs.
Famous last words from General Melchett here, 'Putin cannot escalate ' the arrogance is mind blowing, It's amazing that the top tier of our British Military is still full of these upper-class armchair strategists.
@@AlekseiSolovev-jq8lv Don't you see how fairly cheap drones are destroying left over Soviet equipment? Lots of Soviet equipment doesn't even make it into battle, but gets whacked on the way to the fight.
@@garyoa1 That was said ur general, not ours. Look an interview of general Milley for Fox News. We are fighting agains all nato, we do not to be hurry. :)