A bridge too far

[TriGuy]

at least for the Russians at this point

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidax...h=1452d9411689

[Truckman]

I read about that one as it happened...Ukrainian units watched as the Rooskies approached because they had anticipated the movement from intel analysis, and already knew where the most advantageous river crossing locations were...When scouts reported that Rooskie engineering units were bringing in bridging equipment to a particular site, they pre-positioned artillery around that point...They had calculated it would take nine Russian pontoons to cross at that point, and when the ninth unit had been secured in place, and the Russian forces had begun to cross they opened fire...A classic example of letting a predictable enemy defeat itself......Ben

[Dave Grubb]

I read about that one as it happened...Ukrainian units watched as the Rooskies approached because they had anticipated the movement from intel analysis, and already knew where the most advantageous river crossing locations were...When scouts reported that Rooskie engineering units were bringing in bridging equipment to a particular site, they pre-positioned artillery around that point...They had calculated it would take nine Russian pontoons to cross at that point, and when the ninth unit had been secured in place, and the Russian forces had begun to cross they opened fire...A classic example of letting a predictable enemy defeat itself......Ben

I found that entire story inspiring-----and the pictures verified this was an extremely effective operation on the part of Ukraine

...and this from this morning's NYT:

Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine.
In a sign of Russian forces’ struggles on the battlefield, military analysts have said that Moscow appears to be further scaling back its objectives even in eastern Ukraine, where it has recently been focusing its devastating firepower, and may be targeting a takeover only of part of the Donbas region on its border.

Off the battlefield, Ukraine and its Western allies continued to put pressure on Moscow on Monday as NATO held a large military exercise on Russia’s doorstep in Estonia. Although planned long before the invasion of Ukraine, the drills were a show of might by the alliance, which was further strengthened over the weekend when both Finland and Sweden confirmed that they would cast aside decades of strategic neutrality and apply for membership.

...and this also from the NYT:

Here’s a partial rundown of Russia’s struggles:

Russian troops have not taken control of any major cities in the Donbas region that they did not already control in February, at the start of the invasion, my colleague Julian Barnes notes. “Russian morale remains bad,” Julian says. “The casualties are bad.”

British officials made a stunning announcement yesterday: Russia appears to have lost about one-third of the troops it has sent to Ukraine. The officials also said Russia’s Donbas push had “lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule.”

One recent battle was so deadly for Russia that it has led to criticism from pro-Russia bloggers.

“The Russian military has not yet achieved Putin’s stated territorial objectives of securing all of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and is unlikely to do so,” Katherine Lawlor and Mason Clark of the Institute for the Study of War in Washington wrote on Friday. Yaroslav Trofimov of The Wall Street Journal has made similar points.

My colleague Michael Schwirtz noted that, until two weeks ago, he had not seen an aircraft in the sky for more than a month. But he has since seen several fighter planes and attack helicopters, all evidently Ukrainian. Russia’s inability to control the air is hampering its ability to advance.

Avril Haines, the U.S. director of intelligence, told Congress last week that Russia was “increasingly unlikely” to meet its territorial goals in the coming weeks.