[BostonCard]

WSJ piece on Bakhmut

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-bak..._permalink

Even if Ukrainian troops are forced to withdraw from Bakhmut, the question remains whether Russia can successfully use such a slow and costly tactic more broadly. Ukrainian commanders say they are grinding down Russian forces, making them vulnerable to counterattacks. Ukraine has constructed strong defensive lines to the west of Bakhmut, and the plodding Russian advance shows no sign of scoring the kind of rapid breakthrough that could cause a broader Ukrainian collapse.

Again, there are echoes of last summer.  Maybe the outcome will be different this time, but I've seen nothing to suggest otherwise.

BC

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And apropos nothing, Putin likely approved the missile that downed MH17 in 2014/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/investigato..._permalink

[BostonCard]

WSJ piece on Bakhmut

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-bak..._permalink

Even if Ukrainian troops are forced to withdraw from Bakhmut, the question remains whether Russia can successfully use such a slow and costly tactic more broadly. Ukrainian commanders say they are grinding down Russian forces, making them vulnerable to counterattacks. Ukraine has constructed strong defensive lines to the west of Bakhmut, and the plodding Russian advance shows no sign of scoring the kind of rapid breakthrough that could cause a broader Ukrainian collapse.

Again, there are echoes of last summer.  Maybe the outcome will be different this time, but I've seen nothing to suggest otherwise.

BC

---

And apropos nothing, Putin likely approved the missile that downed MH17 in 2014/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/investigato..._permalink