Meanwhile in Ukraine

[Smitty-48]

here's some Russian VDV Airborne Troops,

you can tell by their kit and the triple orange stripes on their helmets

they have taken out a Ukrainian convoy here and captured the NATO weapons, unfortunately

you can see Javelin, NLAW & Panzerfaust 3 in the cache of captured weapons

[Smitty-48]

here's some more Russian troops, who appear to be fighting amongst themselves

looking closely at it, it seems like two guys are being singled out and then beat down by the group

[Smitty-48]

as to the Azov regiment in Mariupol

even though there are rumors and media stories about it

it's hard to find much OSINT on it

OSINT as in where the Azov regiment is on the map, and what exactly they are doing

they have however now claimed to have killed Russian Major General Oleg Mityaev

and they have produced a body

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ ... -mariupol/

now that could be fake, although it does look real

but the Russians aren't saying anything, and that makes it seem real

since the Russians could easily prove that the General was alive if he wasn't dead

if true, that would be four Russian General's killed in just 20 days

[StCapps]

as to the Azov regiment in Mariupol

even though there are rumors and media stories about it

it's hard to find much OSINT on it

OSINT as in where the Azov regiment is on the map, and what exactly they are doing

they have however now claimed to have killed Russian Major General Oleg Mityaev

and they have produced a body

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ ... -mariupol/

now that could be fake, although it does look real

but the Russians aren't saying anything, and that makes it seem real

since the Russians could easily prove that the General was alive if he wasn't dead

if true, that would be four Russian General's killed in just 20 days

The Enforcer showed this video on his stream last night

apparently this is from the Azov in Mariupol

[Smitty-48]

as to the Azov regiment in Mariupol

even though there are rumors and media stories about it

it's hard to find much OSINT on it

OSINT as in where the Azov regiment is on the map, and what exactly they are doing

they have however now claimed to have killed Russian Major General Oleg Mityaev

and they have produced a body

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ ... -mariupol/

now that could be fake, although it does look real

but the Russians aren't saying anything, and that makes it seem real

since the Russians could easily prove that the General was alive if he wasn't dead

if true, that would be four Russian General's killed in just 20 days

The Enforcer showed this video on his stream last night

apparently this is from the Azov in Mariupol

yeah, I've seen that, but that's one of the very few bits of OSINT

and I can't confirm the location

like that doesn't seem to be in the city itself, that looks like a town outside of the city

like Mariupol is a pretty big city, with apartment buildings and whatnot

[Smitty-48]

see, the city of Mariupol is encircled and under constant bombardment

if the Azov regiment are going around lighting BMP's up like that

and if they are killing a Russian General

that doesn't sound like encircled,

Azov closing with the Russians like that, would suggest they are outside the city where the Russians are

[Martin Hash]

I have no idea; that’s just what Russian sources say, but it does put Azov in the city.

[Hastur]

I find this resource pretty helpful. They publish regular summaries with sources.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgr ... t-march-15

[Speaker to Animals]

I don't even really get the Russian propaganda strategy here at all. They are painting this Azov Battalion as if these guys are Spartan heroes valiantly fighting a successful resistance against overwhelming odds. Juxtapose that with the total incompetence on display by the Russian army and air force, and the savage brutality displayed by the same. Propaganda is supposed to paint yourself as the Spartans and the other guys as Xerxes. I just don't get it. Do they want everybody to go join Azov Battalion or something? Is it reverse psychology?

Or are they just so incredibly bad, and their war effort has failed so incredibly, that turning Azov Battalion into a heroic enemy they couldn't possibly defeat is better than admitting that they were incompetent barbarians. E.g. Lost Cause myth.

My guess is that, if the Russians lose the conventional war, there will be a very strong overlap between the Americans who continue to support Putin and the Americans who advance Lost Cause nonsense. It will be totally appealing to them. I can see how it would unfold now, psychologically, on rubes like that. Even when the Russians inevitably lose the insurgency, have to leave (really, probably leave troops behind, let's be honest here), and suffer unbelievable economic and human consequences of this catastrophe, the Lost Cause whackos are going to shuffle in to incorporate this into their ideology. You have to see this coming. It's so obvious, and you can already see the same Lost Cause people siding with Putin already. It's instinctive for them.

[Martin Hash]

I’m a Lost Causer.