Putin is begging Iran for UAVs.
Russia Air Force is a paper tiger with few teeth.
ISW's assessments have stood the test of time.
ISW Assesssment todayKey Takeaways
The Kremlin is reportedly sourcing Iranian UAVs likely to improve Russian aerial reconnaissance and indirect fire accuracy in Ukraine.
Russian forces conducted limited and unsuccessful ground assaults north of Slovyansk and east of Siversk.
Russian forces continued air and artillery strikes around Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
Russian forces conducted multiple unsuccessful ground assaults north of Kharkiv City.
Russian forces likely conducted a false-flag attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in occupied Enerhodar, Zaporizhia Oblast.
Russian and Ukrainian sources reported that Ukrainian strikes killed multiple Russian officers in Kherson City on July 10.
Ukrainian forces continued to strike Russian ammunition depots on the Southern Axis.
Reading that you'd think Russia was losing. But every time I check out the status, it shows Russia gaining more ground.
From what I understand, neither side has real air superiority due to the AA defense systems that both sides possess. These systems have limited the usefulness of drones.
They're gaining ground - just I've been surprised at how long its taking them to do so. I'd think, to be considered a peer of the US (militarily) they'd be damn near done a while ago already. It's not that they're losing, it's how long they're taking that is curious and says quite a bit, IMO.
Well, what are they trying to do? If you don’t know, you can’t really evaluate them. If the object is, instead of gaining ground, to draw in your enemy’s combat power in men and material and grind it into the dust so that it cannot be reconstituted, then they are doing a damned good job. When this thing wraps up, the Ukrainians will be utterly defeated and they will know it.
Is it as impressive as our initial lightning campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq? No, but they aren’t going to let Saddam’s military put on civilian clothes and rejoin the fight in a few months either.
Very similar to WW II. It took the Russians three years to regain the territory the Germans took in a few months. But they were killing 10,000 Germans a day, primarily with artillery. When it was done, there was no doubt who won.
